Hi,

I second what Cristian has mentioned. I'd like to add 2 other nuances and important considerations:

1. On point #1 regular  case practice with partners: when doing this the most critical thing is to get quality feedback is 
   • The risk otherwise is that you don't know where you went wrong and/or in a worse case scenario get feedback that is not optimal/correct
2. On point #5: To understand how the case is designed and tested, the best way to do this is to actually speak to experienced consultants and current/previous interviewers
   • Not only are interviewers actually the ones who have sat on the other side of the table, but because the skills tested are the ones required on the job, typically these individuals would have a deep understanding of the requirements

Lastly, I would suggest that you try point #2 with partners as well - this often can be very helpful if done right.

All the best!

Hello,

I would say that it depends on what stage you are at in the casing process.

For a total beginner, I would recommend starting with #5 and #3, to familiarize yourself with what a case interview is, see some basic structures and frameworks, and understand what a good performance looks like.

As soon as you have more or less grasped the logistics of the case interview, the vast majority of your attention should be devoted to #1 and #2. There's really nothing beating live case practice (with a friend, case partner, or coach) in terms of interview prep, since it's the best way you are going to be able to mimic the case interview environment. I would focus most of your attention here. After doing some live cases, reflect on the feedback, and do drills focusing on specific areas that you need to improve.

#4 is a nice bonus that is helpful for background business knowledge, but its more of an addition than a substitute for interview prep. 

Hi there,

It depends on the individual.

It's like asking a forum how to lose weight or get fit. Different things work for different people.

In general, I find that just reading a ton of casebooks (point #5) has rapidly diminishing returns. As in, once you hit intermediate stage, you should focus more on live peer casing.

Additionally, remember that how you do this prep and what resources you use affects a lot too!

But, in general, your 1-5 list is about right.

Here's some more reading to help:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

Hi! The MOST important thing is to first get the fundamentals right. If you fail in this, all other points will have close to zero positive impact. For this, your best bet is to identify a person with actual experience as an interviewer at a top firm (not one of the countless ex Analysts who will just repeat the stuff from case books to you). 

I think your list is a little bit problematic. 

For example, on point #3, LOMS is for sure NOT best practice. :) 

And on point #4, this is more or less irrelevant, because top strategy consulting firms will not base their hiring decisions on whether you have KNOWLEDGE about specific business areas (they generater their knowledge through internal processes. They don't need to hire it from candidates!), but based on whether you are an outstanding PROBLEM SOLVER. If this is the case, then your industry knowledge is next to irrelevant. But again - this is a METHODICAL skill that you need to build and learn from someone competent. No MBB is interested in your memorization skills.

Point #5 is also problematic in the way you position it. Case books can be useful in terms of getting case prompts, data and exhibits. But they are almost always abysmally bad as soon as you look at the “solutions”, which lack rigor and have almost never been created by people who did real interveiwer training within MBB. Easily 90% of case book solutions that I have seen would most certainly lead to rejection at the top firms, since they just randomly list "buckets" without a sound logic, and the “right” questions just magically fall from the sky.

In summary: Do your research and identify someone with real competence who can guide you and who can also help you with the time planning. Proper preparation might require from a few weeks up to several months - depending on your starting point.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Sidi

_______________________

Dr. Sidi Koné 

(Former Senior Engagement Manager and Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant and Interviewer at BCG)