Cases in junior vs senior hiring

Hey there, 

That depends on the firm, but from my experience, the cases broadly are the same across level, but the bar / expectation changes based on the seniority of the level you'd be coming in (i.e. a higher levels of performance is required from experienced hires coming in at more senior levels vs a new graduate applying for an entry role) 

Just to add, cases may differ based on level of specialization of the role and topical nature of some roles vs others. 

But from a candidate point of view, you wouldn't know the degree to which the expectation changes, so this shouldn't affect your preparation at all. You should prepare and give the best you can! :-)

Happy to chat more on this if you'd like. DM me and we can have a bit of a chat 

All the best!

Yes, the case content is often similar across levels but the expectations and evaluation criteria are different:

1. Junior candidates (e.g. Analyst, Associate):

• Focus is on structured thinking, basic math, and ability to follow a logical approach
• Stronger guidance is given by the interviewer
• Less expectation for business intuition or leadership behavior

2. Senior candidates (e.g. Project Leader, Manager):

• Same types of cases (profitability, market entry, etc.), but
• You’re expected to lead the case more independently, frame issues like a client advisor, and show end-to-end thinking
• More focus on prioritization, stakeholder management, and hypothesis-driven problem solving

Bottom line:

Same case types, different depth and ownership. Senior hires are judged more on judgment and leadership, not just logic and math.

Hmm, not really. 

The cases are made more difficult by how the interviewer presents them, the questions they ask and the expectations they have from your answers.

So in that sense, a person applying as BA and one as Associate might receive the same case, but the expectations are significantly different in line with their roles. 

This applies also to the distinction between first round and second round. Formally, there aren't 'second round' cases, even though the terminology is used often among candidates.

Best,
Cristian

Hi,

The cases (e.g., prompt, industry ...) are largly the same across each level. The major difference is they expect more from you during the case (e.g., more precise, structured, better backed-up with real examples ...)

Kr,

Mattjs

Hi there, great question we get this a lot! not sure if this is specifically for MBB but I most recently have been leading hiring for big four strategy consulting in Australia and during interview we often give the same cases, and have different expectations on the answers but there are certain common qualities we look for around clear and structured communication, logical reasoning etc 

- Junior level up to senior consultant (1-3 years)

Framework: more general is okay, and hit most answers 

Communication: structured but okay if there is more details 

Client leadership: not really tested here although definitely bonus points 

- Mid level up to manager (4-6 years) 

Framework: expect to be tailored to the case 

Communication: short, sharp and succinct and simple language to explain complex concepts , but still conversational 

Client leadership: expecting to think about the problem from client perspective, is the solution actually realistic and where are the risks/next steps for delivery 

Happy to chat more!

Hi,

You've already received sound advice but I would add:

• For experienced hires and that includes Associates, you also need to be able to bring your work experience into your answers
• Cases and interview processes may differ for specialist roles e.g. Digital specialist roles, Risk and compliance etc.

If you'd like to chat about what is the best role for you to apply for, please reach out :)

Good luck and happy to chat!

The cases are exactly the same regardless of the seniority.

The main differences? A senior candidate will do more interviews (e.g., a partner candidate might go through up to 10 case interviews at McKinsey). Also, the fit and knowledge interviews are deeper—they expect strong judgment, leadership stories, and an ability to speak credibly about business at a high level.

Best,

Alberto

—

Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: TitanTrail - Operations Outsourcing

Like many responses, the answer is yes and no. 

No in the sense that interviewers often use the same case regardless of the interviewees' level - so the 'question' is more or less the same. 

Yes in the sense that the expectations do change. To elaborate and give more color to what some of the coaches are saying - from an interviewers POV: If you are an MBA candidate with ~5 years work experience, I would definitely be less impressed if the answer was the same as what an intern interviewee with ~2 years of college experience gave. 

It's the later. Tend to be the same cases, but expectation on performance is different.