Simon-Kucher First interview

Question

Hi everyone,

I just found out that I have my first-round interview with Simon-Kucher tomorrow, so I basically have only 1 day to prepare.

I know they are very focused on pricing, growth strategy, and commercial cases, but I’m still not entirely sure what to expect during the interview itself.

For people who already went through the process:

What would you prioritize if you had only 1 day left to prepare?

Would really appreciate any advice, examples, or last-minute preparation tips. Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Congrats on the SK invite. One day is tight but doable.

Do 2 to 3 pricing-flavoured cases. Pick a pricing strategy one above all, that's SK's core. Common types include new product pricing, commercial excellence, growth strategy, and market entry with pricing.

Learn the vocab. Value-based pricing, willingness to pay, price elasticity, gross-to-net, segmentation, bundle pricing. Speaking the language signals fit fast.

Have a sharp "why SK" answer. Tie to their pricing and commercial focus, not generic consulting reasons. They'll also probe if you genuinely want pricing work.

Quick exhibit and math drills, 30 minutes each.

Read 2 SK public publications for tone.

Sleep well tonight, that beats one more case at midnight.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Guillaume,

Sorry to hear about the tight timeline.

If you can, do one session with a coach. That would help you understand what the 2-3 changes that you can make before tomorrow are to improve your performance as much as possible.

If you can't do that, then try to practice a few cases that are within the functional areas you expect them to evaluate you on. If you can get somebody to do a buddy/peer practice session with you, that would help as well.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

Just saw this now, so unfortunately too late to help for the first round.

I worked at Simon-Kucher for 4 years before joining Bain & Company, and yes, your understanding is correct: they tend to focus much more on:

pricing
commercial strategy
growth
willingness-to-pay / segmentation logic

compared to “classic” strategy consulting interviews.

One important thing with SKP interviews is that they usually appreciate candidates who are:

pragmatic
commercially minded
comfortable discussing real business trade-offs

not only very framework-driven.

If you make it to second round, feel free to DM me — happy to help you prepare more specifically for their style of interviews.

Answer 4

Hi Guillaume!

I would say: get comfortable with pricing logic (WTP, segmentation, value drivers), practice a couple of growth strategy cases, and review how to structure a commercial due diligence at a high level. Their cases are usually straightforward, data‑light, and very business‑driven, they want to see clear thinking, clean math, and practical recommendations. For fit, be ready to explain why SK, why pricing, and how you work with clients. With one day left, don’t overcomplicate it: nail structure, be crisp in your communication, and keep your recommendations actionable.

Alessa