Hi Anonymous,

I would recommend to focus on 5 areas to crack a written case; I have reported them below with some suggestions on how to prepare for each of them:

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time. Assuming 60 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

• initial quick reading – 10-20 min (this may depend on the amount of material)
• structure the approach – 5 min
• make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 25-35 min
• final review – 10 min

You should then practice to stick to the time allocated, in order to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You will normally have to analyse graphs in a written case. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online resources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs could be good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You will not have time to read and prioritize everything, so you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones, and practice on reducing the time needed to absorb the key information that can answer a defined question. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will normally have some math to do in a written case. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers

If you have to present your findings at the end of the case, I would apply here the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:

1. Sum up the main questions you have to answer
2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, you should clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

When you have to prepare slides I would also recommend to work on:

A) structure the order of the slides

Normally the structure for a 5-slide presentation is the following:

• First slide sums up the question and provides the answer
• Second, third and fourth slide have the supporting arguments for the first slide
• Fifth slide has the next steps

B) structure the content of each slide

There are three basic components for slides:

1. Title
2. Chart or data
3. Label for chart

Many people structure the title as the mere description of what the chart is telling. A great title, instead tells the implication of the graph. Eg say the graph is showing a cost structure for a division. A bad title would be: Cost structure from 2005 to 2015. A good title would be: Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable”. A great title would be Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable due to ABC, assuming you have insides on the cause. The rule of thumb for the title is that if you read all the titles of the slides together you should get a clear idea of what is going on.

C) present the slides

When you present, I would suggest the following steps for each slide:

1. Introduce the slide: “Let’s move to slide 2, which will show us why we have an issue with this division”
2. Present the main message of the slide: “As you can see, we have a cost structure which makes for us not feasible to be competitive in this market”
3. Provide details: “The graph, indeed, shows how our fix cost is XYZ, while competitors can benefit from economies of scale. Indeed…”

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hello! Indeed the skillset that is being tested is the same as with the "normal cases", hence prep should be the same!

Sorry, the company was tagged....it is AlixPartners, Director level role. Thanks all.

"Any tips for Written/Present case format (60min prepare+30min present) at Director Level"

Without any more details it is hard to give solid tips, but these are some of the things I would pay attention to:

-Time management: Have a rough idea how you want to spend the 60min and stick to it. Make sure to budget enough time for slide writing/making, this is often forgotten because you are tempted to do more analysis, but is crucial for the presentation
-Slide writing: Make sure to have your analysis in a presentable format (e.g. use of graphs,..)
-Don't get overwhelmed by all the data, but prioritize what you need to know/do
-All the general case practice tips mostly hold for a written case as well

Lol - Vlad is absolutely correct, a name would help us! Having said that... the key in every timed exercise is your time management. Come ready with a schedule and try to stick to it. For example: 5 minutes understand the question + scan the documents; 5 minutes zero in on storyline; 5 minutes create framework; 15 minutes get the data from the documents to support that story; 15 minutes prepare slides; rest of the time hone the verbal presentation...

It would help if you provide the company's name