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.
EY-Parthenon Experience Day - Financial Due Diligence
1 hr
< 100
3
Best answer by
Evelina
Hi there, Congrats on the invite — EY-Parthenon Experience Days are generally assessment-style but supportive, and they’re meant to see how you think and work rather than trip you up. For Financial Due Diligence (FDD) specifically, you can typically expect a mix of the following: What the day usually includes Individual case or analysis exercise: often a simplified FDD-style case focused on understanding historical financials, quality of earnings, cash flow, or key risks rather than a pure strategy case. Group exercise: working with other candidates to discuss findings, prioritize issues, and present conclusions. They’ll watch how you collaborate, structure discussion, and communicate under time pressure. Presentation element: either individually or as a group, you may be asked to present insights or recommendations to interviewers. Fit / motivation conversations: shorter, informal chats to assess interest in FDD, Parthenon, and deal work more broadly. What they’re really assessing Financial intuition and comfort with numbers Ability to identify key value drivers and risks quickly Structured thinking and clear communication Teamwork and stakeholder-style interaction How to prepare Refresh basic FDD concepts: QoE, revenue vs. EBITDA adjustments, working capital, cash vs. accruals. Practice pulling 2–3 key insights from financial tables rather than analyzing everything. Be ready to explain why something matters for a buyer, not just what the numbers say. In group settings, contribute early but don’t dominate — clarity and collaboration matter. Overall, think practical, commercial, and deal-focused rather than theoretical. They’re looking for people who can grow into client-facing due diligence work. Happy to help you prep , as I have direct experience with EYP. Best, Evelina
Advice on strengthening my profile for MBB Milan - Jan 2027
1 hr
< 100
5
Best answer by
Alessandro
to be honest, not easy. Milan is Bocconi-heavy and GPA-obsessed. to fix that GPA, your GMAT needs to be above 680. 700 better position yourself as energy expert, not generalist - do so from networking onwards for the cv: explicitly state "Worked 40h/week during studies" next to your GPAs - keep Rugby prominentfocus on networking
hi! i have an upcoming HR fit interview with BCG Platinion for the Senior IT Consultant - enterprise solutions role. any tips? recruiter said no need to prepare..
1 hr
< 100
3
Best answer by
Evelina
Hi there, Even if the recruiter says “no need to prepare,” it’s still worth being intentional — HR fit interviews at BCG Platinion are very much about how you think, work, and fit, not trick questions. Here’s what typically matters for a Senior IT Consultant – Enterprise Solutions role: What they focus on Motivation for Platinion specifically (not just BCG): technology-led transformation, close client work, end-to-end delivery How you operate on projects: working with ambiguity, balancing tech and business needs, collaborating with non-technical stakeholders Ownership and leadership: taking responsibility, driving solutions, influencing without authority Communication style: clear, structured, and pragmatic What to have ready A clear “why Platinion / why now” story 2–3 solid examples covering: Leading or owning a complex tech initiative Handling pushback or misalignment with stakeholders Making trade-offs between ideal tech solutions and real-world constraints One example showing learning or growth from feedback or failure Tone to aim for Conversational, not scripted Reflective and honest rather than polished Business-minded, not overly technical They’re not trying to catch you out — they’re asking “Would I trust this person with clients and teams?” If you answer calmly, show judgment, and explain your thinking clearly, you’re doing it right. If you want, I can help you quickly sanity-check your stories or your “why Platinion” before the interview.Best, Evelina
If you discover product defects on a day off, would you call the boss?
1 hr
4.2k
50
Best answer by
Oleksandr (Alex)
Hello,
This is type of questions which distincts people with a good ownership skills. In principle, depends on the criticallity of the situation, you shall try to solve it with all and every manner and tools by yourself, unless the potential negative impact from the delay (during which you will try to change anything) is much larger than the implicit value from your actions.
For example, if your product's defect is minor or if you may stop the line w/o large issue on the client's side or penalty on your side - pls make the fixting or replacement. However, if your product is time-sensitive, clients need it urgently, delay will cause your company significant amount of money or you can't fix it - then you need to get your boss involved.
What your boss may potentially do (and what you may potentially be willing to do)? Well, sometimes it's better approach your boss, because he/she has more responsibilities, broader vision of the context, etc.
But the real ownership quality is shown when (for any reason) there is no boss above? Then you may consider the following:
* Inform the client about it and ask his advice on the situation to understand urgency, propose him discount, product substitution, extra services, etc.
* Buy the same/similar product at your own cost from 3rd party supplier and deliver it to the client w/o him being aware of your problems
* Inform the client about the delay, and promise him to deliver it with no cost for him. Thus you will definitely discover what you shall be doing in order to avoid such collapses in the future.
Hope this helps,
Congrats! Big achievement that you're going to the second round. Important - especially over the last 1-2 years, MBBs have been making active efforts to standardise last round interviews so as to eliminate the possibility of bias. Meaning, they are not the wild cards they used to be. When I had my interviews, out of the 4 total interviews I had across two rounds, only one interview was based on an actual case pulled from an envelope; the others were created on the spot. Nowadays, you should rather expect 'official' cases. Aside from this, here are a few things to have in mind for the final round: Work on the feedback provided in the previous rounds. Most firms communicate the feedback from the previous rounds to the final interviewer. It's important then to show the final interviewer that you have a growth mindset and are reactive to feedback. This matters immensely. Make sure you are clear on your development areas and that you get the right support to polish them before the final interview. Expect less structure. Senior interviewers already have the confidence that you are a decent candidate, your skills having been already vetted by their younger colleagues. They are rather more interested in your as a person and your way of thinking. So they might present you with an unusual case, or one that is created on the spot or no case altogether. Expect anything. Focus on excellent communication. Senior interviewers care a lot about how clearly you communicate and how you manage to forge a connection with the interviewer. It's important to be top-down and concise as much as possible with your answers, while allowing the conversation to flow in a natural way. Put yourself in their shoes. The one question senior interviewers are asking themselves throughout the interview is what will happen when they'll put you in front of a client they've groomed for years? Make sure that even based on this first impression you seem somebody who can be trusted and who can work with any client regardless of how difficult they might be.As a last note, if you want to increase the likelihood of success, consider hiring a coach to assess your readiness for the final interview. Best,Cristain
Hello!
On top of the insights already shared in the post, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34), adressing topics precisely as your question.
It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.
Furthermore, you can find 2 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:
Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200
Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201
Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!
Which culture attracts you more – structured or entrepreneurial?
5 hrs
8.8k
49
Best answer by
Udayan
A question like this is trying to get at how you think as opposed to getting to the 'right' answer. An organization needs to be both structured and entrepreneurial in order to be effective in the long run.
The best way to answer it is to reflect on what it is you enjoy more and why that is so. For example a structured culture could be more attractive to you because it allows you to focus on the tasks at hand without having to worry about whether the processes are in place to ensure things get done. Alternatively you might enjoy a more entrepreneurial environment because it allows you to think outside of defined boundaries and do things that typically are harder to do in a more defined workplace (e.g., you can quickly launch products without having to worry as much about reputation and other risks).
Both have their pros and cons so it is about which one speaks to your style/temperament.
Choosing between Consulting and Investment Banking
13 hrs
< 100
4
Best answer by
Sarah
Hi, It's a tough dilemma that does have long term career implications. It's definitely worth spending more time reading up on people's experiences either on fishbowl or on wso. As a starter here are some considerations 1) Compensation - Investment banking wins but you are trading money for time. - As an example, the starting salary is ~£50-60k base in consulting vs. £70k base in IB. Bonus is often 20-30% in consulting vs. 50-100% at IB. This leads to total comp being quite different £70k vs. £120k. This compounds over time as the bonus structure is similar and base rises at a similar rate - However, the working hours are materially different. In consulting there's no weekend work, you finish on Friday by 6pm and you rarely work past 12am other nights; whereas in IB, weekend work (both days) and 3am nights are common. Assuming 12 hours additional work over the weekend + 2 x 3am nights = 18 hours difference per week. - This 18 hours difference per week = £30k post 40% tax; effectively implying an hourly rate of £37 pounds for sacred time like weekends & sleep time 2) Job itself Highly dependent on indivudal personality. This can be broken down into: a) Culture IB is much more hierarchical e.g., i've been in IB calls where no associate and analyst will speak if a VP is on the call, and the work very much gets passed on to the bottom of the barrel (analyst) to shoulder. Expectations are for the work to be 99% done, pages formatted, analysis completed before it gets reviewed. This often results in unnecessary miscommunications, rework. Consulting is much more collegial, team-like. Everyone tries to help with the aim to get out of the door asap. Push back is a thing (not always, but we try) and there is the obligation to dissent (i.e., speak up if you disagree). Your ability to problem solve and contribute with new ideas is part of the rating matrix. b) day in life of IB is more repeatable, formulaic work as you specialise in an industry, and are involved in sell/buy-side M&A, usually working with repeated project teams. Consulting is more "wing it" and organic as the type of projects can differ greatly (e.g., strategy vs. transformation vs. M&A), the industry & the project teams. 3) Exit options Both could land itself to investing roles (VC/Growth/PE) but the bar is implicitly higher for consultants as there's a smaller pool of funds that are consulting friendly, and they will only consider MBB profiles. Also direct hedge funds exits are much rarer for consultants For industry exit (i.e., moving into corporate), consulting folks often end up in strategy, strategy & ops, growth / transformation roles with CEO/COOs as end career role. whereas IB folks often end up in M&A / FP&A / IR roles with CFO as end career role. Hope this helps
How to Present Sales Funnel Optimization in a Consulting Case?
23 hrs
< 100
3
Best answer by
Alessandro
one ways could be1. Find where it's leakingI use a waterfall analysis to see exactly where prospects drop off. I break it down into three areas: top: are we getting the right leads? middle: are leads turning into real opportunities? bottom: is the sales team closing them fast enough?2. Identify the "why"Once i find the bottleneck, i map the journey to find the friction. common issues include: time to value: it takes too long for the user to see the product's worth. friction points: too many steps or fields in the sign-up process. lead scoring: sending leads to sales before they are ready.3. Connect to the bottom lineA good case must show the financial impact. i focus on: ltv/cac ratio: does the fix make the business more efficient? revenue impact: show how a small % improvement in conversion adds up to millions in revenue.
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.