When preparing for a case interview, especially under time constraints, working with an experienced coach can significantly enhance your chances of success.
💡 Pro Tip: PrepLounge offers access to over 800 (former) management consultants from top firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, who are ready to help you perfect your interview technique.
What Are the Key Advantages of Practicing With a Coach?
Personalized Feedback
One of the primary benefits of working with a case coach is receiving tailored feedback. Unlike general preparation methods, a coach can pinpoint your specific weaknesses and provide actionable advice to improve. This personalized approach ensures that your preparation is efficient and targeted, addressing your unique needs and challenges.
Realistic Simulation
Practicing with a coach allows you to experience a realistic interview setting. Coaches who have conducted numerous case interviews can replicate the pressure and dynamics of a real interview, helping you become more comfortable and confident. This experience is invaluable, as it prepares you to handle the stress and spontaneity of actual interviews.
Insider Knowledge
Experienced coaches often come from prestigious consulting backgrounds themselves. Their insider knowledge about what top firms are looking for can give you a significant edge. They can share insights about the interview process, common pitfalls, and the specific attributes that firms value, ensuring that you are well-prepared to meet these expectations.
Structured Approach
A coach can help you develop a structured approach to solving case problems. This structured thinking is crucial in case interviews, where clear, logical, and well-organized answers are highly valued. Coaches can teach you frameworks and methodologies that streamline your problem-solving process, making your responses more coherent and compelling.
Time Efficiency
For candidates with limited preparation time, coaching is a highly efficient way to get ready. Coaches can quickly identify areas that need improvement, helping you focus your efforts where they are most needed. This targeted preparation can save you time and help you progress faster than you would on your own.
Confidence Boost
Confidence plays a crucial role in interview performance. Regular practice with a coach can boost your confidence by familiarizing you with the interview format and helping you refine your answers. Knowing that you have prepared thoroughly with expert guidance can significantly reduce anxiety and improve your overall performance.
How PrepLounge Optimally Supports You With a Wide Range of Coaching Options
🚀 Flexibility and Convenience
PrepLounge offers a variety of coaching options to fit your needs and preferences. You can choose from individual sessions, CV reviews, or comprehensive coaching packages that include multiple sessions or focus on specific topics. Additionally, there are programs available that combine a premium membership with coaching credits, providing a cost-effective way to access top-notch coaching services.
📅 Workshops and Online Events
PrepLounge also regularly hosts workshops and online events led by experienced coaches. These sessions cover a range of topics and provide opportunities for interactive learning and direct feedback. Participating in these events can further enhance your preparation and keep you updated on the latest trends and techniques in case interviews.
How to Find the Perfect Coach to Suit Your Needs
To find the perfect coach for your case interview preparation, you can proceed in three steps within the coach overview:
Filtering: Begin by filtering the coaches based on your most important criteria, such as price per coaching session, or employer.
Selection: Choose up to 10 coaches whose profiles, ratings, Q&A contributions, and PrepLounge awards you wish to explore further.
Contacting: Reach out to 2-3 coaches to address any potential questions or concerns about their coaching approach. Feel free to ask if they offer a free intro call.
What Makes a Good Coach?
Good coaches are characterized by the following features:
Customization: they tailor the coaching to your specific needs.
Good rapport: They make you feel comfortable and work well with them.
Transparency: They offer you full transparency about the coaching process on PrepLounge.
Final Thoughts on Working With a Coach
Practicing with a coach is a strategic investment in your case interview preparation. The personalized feedback, realistic simulation, insider knowledge, and confidence boost that coaches provide can make a significant difference in your performance. With the expert guidance available on PrepLounge, you can ensure that you are thoroughly prepared and ready to excel in your case interviews.
By leveraging the expertise of experienced case coaches and taking advantage of the diverse coaching options and events available on PrepLounge, you can maximize your preparation efficiency, build your confidence, and increase your chances of securing a position at a top consulting firm.
Hey there 👋🏼 Yes, it’s actually quite common for PwC Middle East and similar firms to have long and unpredictable timelines, especially when it comes to internal approvals or headcount alignment. The fact that they’re still in touch and asked you to retake the test is a good sign — it means you're still in the running ✅. That said, I’d definitely recommend applying to other roles in parallel — not because this one is lost, but to keep your momentum and options open. Hope is good, but having a plan B is even better! 😉 Happy to support you through your next steps or interviews 💼✨ Best, Alessa
Olivwer Wyman Superday in US / Middle East office for Associate post MBA level
2 hrs
< 100
2
Best answer by
Alessa
hi! you can expect a mix of 2–3 case interviews plus a fit/experience discussion. The cases are usually practical, quantitative, and energy‑focused, think decarbonization levers, renewables economics, hydrogen, grid challenges, or market design. The format is interviewer‑led but still allows you to drive the structure. You’ll likely see one classic strategy case, one operations/market sizing case, and one energy‑specific scenario. Fit questions focus on teamwork, ownership, and why energy transition. Overall, it’s structured but friendly, and very aligned with real project work. Best, Alessa
I think this is quite an unoriginal question and also rather outdated, but apparently, some consultants keep asking it (not really reflective of the times either). I generally believe honesty is the best policy, and for someone at the start of their career whilst you may have a view of where you want to get to in 5 years, it is unrealistic to expect either a) you know specifically what exactly you will be doing in 5 years b) that you won't change your perspective along the way Having interviewed 50+ candidates both in and outside consulting, I would be skeptical of anyone who gave an answer that was too specific or tailored for consulting as being either ungrounded or disingenious e.g. saying they want to be a partner (yes I've heard this before!), principal or thought leader. At the same time, you don't want to be too broad or unclear e.g. saying you have no idea, as that wouldn't send a great signal either. A good middle ground might look like something like: You don't really know what the world will look like in 5 years so couldn't say specifically (good, signals honesty and realistic) But you want to work in consulting to apply your current skills (tailor this), develop new skills and also figure out what sectors / types of work you are good at and enjoy (good, signals you are giving and also taking) That said, you have had an ambition to be a business leader or thinker... (tailor this) Increasingly, firms are more open to an honest exchange to maintain the appeal of consulting vs. big tech to grads. MBBs highlighting the alumni network, exposure/training for 2/3 yers, the exit opps into tech/politics/industry etc.). The best answers I heard when interviewing Associate Consultants at Strategy& balanced a humbleness (wanting to deliver / learn / work hard), honesty (consulting being a great first career) and ambition.
You should assess the value generated, the selling value and the costs:
1. Value generated during cow possession:
milk
sons
compost
2. The selling value will depend on:
remaining value generable
meat value
other parts value (e.g. horns, skin)
3. Main costs:
fixed costs amortization (e.g. farmer wage, structures, insurance, cow equipment)
medical expenses
feed and water
Best,
Antonello
Hi!
Please emphasize how you enable the people around you to overcome obstacles. This corresponds to McKinseys exact definition of "Leadership".
Cheers, Sidi
Dear A,
Thank you so much for your interesting question. I would say that for me the following aspect are essential criteria for my job choice:
1. Understanding myself with my boss/mentor.
2. Great collaborative team spirit within the organization, where everyone is willing to help others.
3. Innovativeness of the company, especially new and interesting pojects in my domain area
4. Opportunity for personal development and growth.
So as you might notice - there are combination of personal and professional interest.
Hope it helps you further,
Best
André
How much would you charge to clean all the windows in Seattle?
13 hrs
21.6k
52
Best answer by
Antonello
It is one of the most popular Fermi questions and you could face it during the 1st round, when math and problem-solving skills are usually tested deeply. I will propose a quick solution, in order to give later some detailed considerations.
Let's estimate the number of windows in Seattle.
No. of residents in Seattle: you do not have to know that Seattle has almost 750k residents, but a good candidate should infer that it is a big city in the US and that can be assumed it has 1M residents.
No. of windows per residents: you are actually interested in the number of facades to clean; a small window has 2 facades, the inner one and the external one, while bigger windows have 4 or more facades. Let's assume that an average residence in Seattle has 2 people and 40 window facades. So we have 20 residential facades per inhabitant. Let's assume to have other 20 commercial window facades per resident, including e.g. bars, offices, stores.
-> 1M residents x 40 window facades, we have a total of 40M facades to clean.
Now let's evaluate the charge per facade.
Facades per hour: the time requested for a wide window of a store will be much higher than the service window of a little house. Let's assume an expert cleaner will take 1 min for a medium-sized window, i.e. 60 facades per hour.
Charge per hour: let's assume an hourly rate of $10. We should also consider the cost for infrastructures, tools, products, and insurance: let's estimate other $5 per hour.
-> in an hour: $15 / 60 facade, that gives 25 cents per window facade.
--> Therefore to clean all the windows of Seattle you could charge $10M ($0,25 x 40M).
Remember: in consulting nobody knows the number of windows in Seattle and maybe neither in window-cleaning companies :) What will be valued is not the accuracy of this type of numbers, but the reasoning you make behind them and your common sense (you should always wonder if numbers you estimate have sense or not). In addition, when you complete an estimation (e.g. the no. of residents in Seattle) you can ask the interviewer whether you can proceed with that number or she has something more accurate.
The solution proposed will be considered great and will allows you to pass the round. But in order to really crack it and impress the interviewer, you should be more curious, proactive and come up with creative considerations, potentially based on personal experience. Some examples:
When you calculate the no. of windows in town you can make some comparisons with your city, e.g.: "in Manhattan, I feel lucky with just one window at home, but I know that Seattle is more residential, houses are bigger and they usually have beautiful views on surrounding gardens and parks. Therefore let's assume an average house has 4 little windows (2 facades each), 4 medium (4 facades each) and 2 big (8 facades each)."
Think out of the box: ask the interviewer if you should also consider the car windows.
When you evaluate the cleaning speed you can say, with a bit of healthy self-irony: "A medium-sized facade take me at least 3-4 minutes to clean it. But I know to be a disaster :) I assume an expert cleaner with professional tools can handle it and move to the next one in 1 minute."
In the end, to consider other risks not covered in the discussion, you could also introduce a safety factor, e.g. "the time evaluated do not consider the time to put up and put down the infrastructure and the time needed to wait for residents to free up windows. For these and other possible risks we should consider an increase of 10% of the estimate."
Suppose you find out that your employer is doing something illegal – how do you deal with it?
13 hrs
5.4k
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Best answer by
Daniel
McKinsey has recently started to test moral integrity of the candidates in the second round of the interviews – reach out to me if you want to know more.
Regarding this particular question – that's a question to test your moral integrity vs loyalty to your employer – it goes without saying, the former is more important than the latter, but I would construct a multiple step answer:
Firstly, you should address the issue with your employer right away – maybe your employer doesn’t know that they are doing something illegal. So, talk about it openly with your boss – do not avoid responsibility (if your employer is doing something illegal, you as an extension of your company are also doing something illegal);
Secondly, offer help to sort it out – help your employer to stop illegal activities;
Lastly, if you see that the issue continues, go to the boss of your boss and address it;
As a last resort, if this also doesn’t help – go public / to a police / a controlling body who is supervising your employer.
Best,
Daniel
Questions about market size are frequently asked in case interviews in consulting because they require a blend of logic, mathematics, and common sense. They can be asked as standalone questions or as part of a larger case. Applicants who are familiar with market sizing questions can really perform here.
Market entry cases are one of the key issues in the consulting industry and present consultants and firms with unique challenges and opportunities. These cases require deep analysis and strategic planning to successfully enter new markets.
Brainteasers are a type of problem that focuses on a single issue rather than complex business cases. They require out-of-the-box thinking, logic or math skills and can take the form of riddles, word problems or visual puzzles. These tasks are designed to test your problem-solving skills, analytical thinking and ability to remain calm under pressure.Typical problems cover everyday life's topics and might even include unrealistic assumptions. All necessary information is usually included in the question so that further assumptions are not necessary. This article explains in more detail why brainteasers are useful in case interview preparation and how to solve them.