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Different level of difficulty of Casebooks: Yale vs Duke

I´ve been preparing for McKinsey and I've been using a lot of Yale Casebook 2013 since it has a lot of McKinsey-style cases, but recently I felt the cases in this book are a bit simple and one-dimensional.

Then I started with Duke 2015-2016, I felt cases in this book are quite long and difficult, it could be around 6-8 pages and 3 exhibits. Do people really solve these cases in just 30 minutes?

So I wonder: what´s the difficulty level of cases given in real life interviews?

Also shout to Experts: in your opinion, which casebook offers the cases that are the closest to real life interviews?

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Top answer
Vlad
Coach
on Sep 12, 2018
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I have not compared the cases in both books. But in my opinion it makes sense to practice not on the cases that are similar in length / difficulty to the real inteviews but rather the case that are longer / more difficult. 

You'll have 6 interviews. And the chances are high that just one failed unconventional case will leave you without a job offer. Remember that all the interviewers (especially on the partner level) are different.

Best!

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