How can I prepare for a written case interview? I am not able to find many resources online.
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Hi there,
I was in the same position before and was quite worried about the written case interview, but it actually turned out to be my favorite interview format.
Typically, you'll be given around 2 hours in total. During the first 90 minutes, you'll need to work through a large amount of information, analyze exhibits, perform calculations, identify key insights, and prepare a 5–6 slide deck that answers the client's questions and supports your recommendation.
In the final 30 minutes, you'll present your findings to the interviewer as if you were presenting to a client. Expect to be challenged on your assumptions, analysis, and recommendations, and be prepared to defend your thinking.
My main advice is to focus on three things: synthesizing large amounts of information quickly, extracting the most important insights, and communicating a clear, structured recommendation.
I have experience with BCG's written case interview format and would be happy to run a mock interview if you'd like to practice. Feel free to send me a DM.
Best,
Anna
Practise the output, not just the analysis: a written case tests whether you can turn messy information into a short decision document under time pressure.
I would prepare in four steps:
1. Clarify the decision: Before calculating anything, write the question the client needs answered and the recommendation criteria. This prevents interesting but irrelevant analysis.
2. Sort the evidence: Label information as essential, useful, or distracting. Build a small issue tree or hypothesis list, then test the highest-impact branches first. Keep calculations simple and write down units and assumptions.
3. Draft the answer early: Set aside a meaningful, adjustable share of the session for synthesis; the right amount depends on the format, page limit, and analysis required. Start with a one-sentence recommendation, followed by two or three supporting points, the key evidence, risks, and next steps. A reader should understand the conclusion without reconstructing your spreadsheet.
4. Practise the format: Take a public business article, case prompt, or annual-report excerpt and give yourself a fixed preparation window. Produce a one-page answer or a small set of hand-drawn pages, then explain it aloud in two minutes. Review whether every chart, number, and sentence supports the decision.
In the interview, preserve an auditable calculation trail: distinguish facts from assumptions, retain the calculations behind your conclusion, and state what you would do if a key assumption changed. In the final output, show only the workings needed to support the decision. Do not try to cover every detail; prioritisation is part of the exercise.
If the firm has shared any format guidance, use that as the source of truth for page limits and presentation mechanics. Otherwise, practise several timed versions with different industries so you train the process rather than memorise one template.
Hi
I have 20+ real written cases across various firms. I provide these as part of coaching.
Alternatively, if you google “free written cases” you should be able find some (of varying quality)
I recommend the following in terms of written cases:
Remember that most casing tips apply here (i.e. be very clear+focused on the objective, ruthlessly cut out information that doesn't help you meet this objective/question, make sure to thinking + communicate in a structured way, etc. etc.)
Practice/simulate this as much as possible beforehand...getting a coach to help you run through scenarios + how to react in inevitably challenging moments will do a world of good.
Again, I have a number of written cases I'd be more than happy to share with you! What I generally do with my candidates is, give them a written case x hours before our scheduled session (adjust # of hours based on the specific interview they're going to have), and then review their work during the session (as well as talk through tips+tricks to get better).
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Scenario interview presentation prep
Hi there,
What a written case tests is selection. You are handed more information than you can possibly use, a deliberate share of it irrelevant, and there is no interviewer to narrow it for you. A few drills I use with coachees:
- Take any long public document, an investor presentation or a sector report, and give yourself 45 minutes to produce a recommendation with three supporting pages. The document does not have to be a case for the drill to work.
- Write your assumptions onto the page itself. An assumption stated explicitly reads as judgment, and the identical assumption left implicit reads as an error.
- Set a rule that a fixed share of the material will not appear in your answer, then hold to it. Being unable to leave data out is the failure mode here, not being unable to work with it.
- Practise once against a clock shorter than the real one, so that the real format feels slow.
Where the format includes a presentation and a defence afterwards, that part usually carries more weight than the pages themselves. A clean deck defended badly loses to a rough deck defended precisely, so I would rehearse talking through your pages out loud rather than polishing them.
Hi there,
If you have a written case coming up with a specific firm, reach out to them to understand the format that they use. For instance, some give you the document and then you have 1-2h to prepare the answer. Others provide more of a 'take-home' case where you're meant to send back the deck in a couple of days. Some formats also require you to present everything live while others just want you to email it to them.
Once that becomes clear, you can become more tailored with the prep.
Feel free to reach out to me and I'm happy to share some thoughts.
Best,
Cristian
Fair, written cases are less talked about because fewer firms use them, mainly Bain and a few boutiques for senior or specialized hires. Here's the thing, the skill tested is the same as a live case, structuring and prioritizing, just without someone nudging you along.
Practice reading a big data pack fast and pulling out only what matters, that's the real skill gap people have. Most candidates drown in slides instead of scanning for the two or three numbers that actually drive the recommendation.
Time yourself strictly. Do a few live cases solo, no interviewer, and force yourself to write a one page recommendation at the end. That rep matters more than finding written specific practice sets, which barely exist anyway.
hi!!
Written cases are definitely a bit harder to prepare for because there are fewer resources. I’d practice regular cases, but do the structuring, calculations and exhibit analysis on paper and then write a short recommendation at the end. Also practice reading longer amounts of information quickly and identifying the 2 to 3 key insights rather than trying to process everything. If you can, get someone to give you a timed case with a clear written output, as the time pressure is probably the biggest difference from a normal case.
best, Alessa :)
