Hi, I just received an intercview day invitation, there is one part called Written Case, could anyone share some hints for me to prepare this kind of interview form? Many thanks!
Hi Vlad, Can I get the code? :)
Hi, I just received an intercview day invitation, there is one part called Written Case, could anyone share some hints for me to prepare this kind of interview form? Many thanks!
Hi,
I've uploaded some samples here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0
(ask me for a password)
The best way to prepare is the following:
The appropriate structure for BCG written case is:
Slide 1: Context, Objective, Recommendations
Slide 2-4: Analysis (Usually 1 slide with a table, 1 slide with graphs and 1 slide with pros and cons)
Slide 5: Next steps or risks & mitigation
Good luck!
Hi,
I've uploaded some samples here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0
(message me for a password)
The best way to prepare is the following:
The appropriate structure for BCG written case (although the logic applies to other companies as well):
Slide 1: Context, Objective, Recommendations
Slide 2-4: Analysis (Usually 1 slide with a table, 1 slide with graphs and 1 slide with pros and cons)
Slide 5: Next steps or risks & mitigation
Good luck!
Hi Vlad, Can I get the code? :)
Hi,
Here I've uploaded some written case samples (PM me for a password):
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0
The best way to prepare is the following:
Good luck!
Hi,
I've uploaded some samples here:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0
(Message me for a password)
The best way to prepare is the following:
The appropriate structure for BCG written case is:
Slide 1: Context, Objective, Recommendations
Slide 2-4: Analysis (Usually 1 slide with a table, 1 slide with graphs and 1 slide with pros and cons)
Slide 5: Next steps or risks & mitigation
Good luck!
Hi Vlad, would you share the password for the dropbox link? I would be much appreciated, thank you!
Hi Anonymous,
I would recommend you to focus on 5 areas to crack a presentation/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:
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 a 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 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
You may have to present your findings at the end of the case. I would apply the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:
As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, it could make sense to clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.
When you have to prepare slides, quoting a previous answer 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:
B) structure the content of each slide
There are three basic components for slides:
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:
Hope this helps,
Francesco
Hi there,
You should practice in a different way as different skills are tested in a written case.
The options are:
Here you can find more on the process to follow to improve:
If you need more help with the preparation, please feel free to PM me.
Best,
Francesco
Hi June,
as for a previous post I wrote, I would recommend you 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:
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 a 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 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 required)
You may have to present your findings at the end of the case. I would apply the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:
As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, it could make sense to clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.
Riccardo and Norah also provided some information at the link below, specifically for presentation interviews:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/presentation-interview-case-702
If you want to provide some more information on the specific written case interesting for you, we may bring some additional feedback.
Hope this helps,
Francesco
(editiert)
Thanks Francesco! To follow up, any tips for quick reading/synthesizing? Thanks!
Hi June, thanks for your comment, I will do a post to answer your question so that it can be visibile to everyone
To answer June's comment to the previous post, this is what I found could improve quick reading. Besides that, there are multiple other elements one could consider; however, in my experience the following are those that can cover 80% of the improvement:
Best,
Francesco
Hi Anonymous,
as for a previous answer I provided on written tests, this is what I would suggest you to focus on:
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:
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 a 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 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
You may have to present your findings at the end of the case. I would apply the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:
As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, it could make sense to clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.
Riccardo and Norah also provided some information at the link below, specifically for presentation interviews:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/presentation-interview-case-702
For more information on quick reading you can check the second post at the following link:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/written-case-712
Hope this helps,
Francesco
(editiert)
Thank you Francesco for your recommendation.
Hi Justin,
It depends on the material they will send you. Usually, the key areas to prepare are the following.
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 15 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:
You should practice to stick to the time allocated to maximize your final performance.
2. Practice graph interpretation
You may have to analyse graphs as part of the data provided. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online sources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs are good practice for that.
3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information
You won’t have time to read and prioritize everything, therefore you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones. You should then learn to absorb the key information of the case. Quick reading techniques could also help.
4. Practice quick math
You will probably have some math to do as part of the data analysis. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.
5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers
When you have to present your findings in the second part, I would suggest the same structure used for a conclusion in a live interview, that is:
As you will not be able to double-check hypotheses with the interviewer while you prepare the presentation, you should clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.
If 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:
B) structure the content of each slide
There are three basic components for slides:
Many people structure the title as the mere description of what the chart is about.
A great title instead shows the implication of the graph as well.
Example: say the graph is showing a cost structure for a division.
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:
In terms of how to prepare, I do a session exactly on that.
Before the session, I can send you the data source to work on. We can then simulate the panel during the class, reviewing step-by-step all the improvements needed.
Please feel free to send me a message in case you have any questions.
Best,
Francesco
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:
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:
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:
B) structure the content of each slide
There are three basic components for slides:
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:
Hope this helps,
Francesco
Hi Anonymous,
please have a look at the following great article on Preplounge:
This gives you a good overview on what is the purpose and the main focus areas of written cases at consultancies. The best form to prepare is obviously to do as many practice cases as you can possibly do. As with the "normal" case interviews, it is a mechanical skill and muscle that needs to be built with practice.
Cheers, Sidi
Hello!
Written case interviews are indeed becoming very fashionable nowadays as a way to interview!
Remember that the skillset tested is the same than in the "usual" cases, hence, all the practice you may have done totally plays in your favor.
One important point to add is the need to be very 80-20, structured and to the point, since the prep time is very short, so we need discipline with the analysis to have enaugh time to prep the communication strategy.
There are many many entries in thsi same Q&A regarding written cases, hence, I would recommend you to look with the keywords "written case"
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hello!
To add on top of what has been said before, search in this same Q&A for "written cases" and you will find plenty of examples - this honestly does not change in some months, hence they are all perfectly current-.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hello!
Agree with Antonello´s point.
It´s the same kind of thing, but the added difficulty is to process a huge amount of data (relevant & irrelevant) and pages in little time.
Is something that needs prep not to get lost in the detail and be able to be 80-20 in the approach to finish on time.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Clara
Hello!
Agree wtih Antonello, the competencies that are tested in these "written czases" are basically the same. The key part is the ability to manage your time and to handle the large amount of information that you have, and organize it in a 80-20 way.
You can find examples on the website of tMBBs.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hello!
Skillset needed is the same.
However, look for the keywords "written case" in this Q&A, since you will find supr insightful threads with examples and hints.
Best,
Clara
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Hello Vlad,
Would you share the password? Or how much does it cost?
Thank you!
I would like to access the material on drop box. Pls share the password. How do i pay
Hi Vlad, could you kindly share with me the password, please? Thank you.