Practice Consultant at Bain

Question

Hi everyone,

I’ve been invited to a 30-minute first-round case interview for Bain’s internal Practice Consultant role in Corporate Strategy & Finance.

Because the position supports the firm’s own IP and tools rather than running external client cases, I’m wondering what flavour of case to expect. Is it a standard profitability or market-sizing drill, or does it focus more on internal best-practice or finance-heavy questions?

I’d also appreciate any heads-up on whether the session includes quick fit questions or is purely case-based.

Thanks for any guidance

Answer 1

Hi Antonio,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from Bain!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

First of all, contrary to what other coaches have said, asking the recruiter about the case study will most likely not yield anything, although you are certainly free to try, for a simple reason: they will very likely not restrict the type of case studies to be given to practice consultants as compared to generalist candidates. Therefore, I would also strongly advise you to keep your preparation broad.
Moreover, while I doubt they will ask personal fit questions in a 30-minute case study interview, I would strongly advise you to be prepared for a brief personal introduction and a strong answer to the "Why Bain?" question.
Lastly, please keep in mind that practice consultants typically still work on external client projects on an occasional basis, unless you have been explicitly told otherwise in your specific situation.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi Antonio,

For Bain’s Practice Consultant role, the case interview will likely differ slightly from a standard client-facing consulting case. Here’s what to expect:

1. Case content:

Expect a strategy-focused internal case, often involving IP development, internal tools, or Bain’s knowledge assets (e.g. “How should Bain evolve its approach to cost transformation?”)
It may also include elements of corporate finance, benchmarking, or capability-building rather than pure profitability or market sizing
Less ambiguity than external cases — more about logic, business judgment, and communication

2. Fit questions:

You’ll likely get a few quick behavioral/fit questions, especially around why you’re interested in an internal role, your experience with structured problem-solving, or cross-functional collaboration
Prepare a tight answer to "Why this role?" and have 1–2 impact stories ready

Happy to discuss how to prep for this format in more depth and simulate a tailored case in a coaching session if helpful.

Feel free to reach out

Best,
Evelina

Answer 3

Hi there,

Honestly, your best bet is to just reach out to the recruiter and ask them this question.

For roles within a specific practice or group within the firm, typically you might have cases from within that area. But it's not a given. Some firms also separate their business case study from the technical interview.

So feel free to ask, it's perfectly fine, and that will give you a more targeted idea of how to approach the prep process.

Best,
Cristian