How to flip my story from private equity to consulting?

Preparing for a case interview can feel overwhelming, but having a structured plan will help you stay focused and make steady progress. A well-organized approach ensures you build a strong foundation, practice effectively, and refine your skills before the big day.In this guide, we will walk you through the key components of an effective practice plan, including self-study, peer practice, and working with a coach. Let’s go! How Much Time Should You Spend Preparing for the Case Interview?To get the most out of your preparation, it's important to start early. Ideally, you should begin at least 6-8 weeks before your first interview to give yourself enough time to cover all key areas. The amount of time you’ll need also depends on your background. If you're completely new to case interviews, dedicating 10-12 hours per week to a mix of theory and practice will help you develop a solid understanding. If you already have some experience, 6-8 hours per week should be enough to sharpen your skills and refine your approach. Key Components of an Effective Preparation PlanSuccessfully preparing for a case interview requires a structured approach that builds both the necessary skills and the right mindset.  Let’s break down the essential steps of a strong preparation strategy:  1. Build a Foundation with Self-Study.When starting your practice, it’s important to build a solid foundation first. The good news: You’ve come to the right place as our Case Interview Basics offer the ideal starting point. If you work through the content thoroughly, you’ll have built the most important foundation – giving you the key knowledge to confidently move forward with the rest of your interview preparation.When getting started with case interview prep, it's important to focus on the core areas that truly matter. Our Case Interview Basics are designed to walk you through all the essential background knowledge and concepts step by step. From our perspective, you should cover the following areas:Understand the purpose behind case interviews.Before diving into techniques, it helps to know why case interviews are used in the first place. Consulting firms want to see how you approach unfamiliar problems – and whether you think and communicate like a consultant. In the General Info chapter, you'll learn how case interviews simulate real-life consulting challenges and why they're such a central part of the recruiting process.Know what skills firms are really testing.It's not just about getting the right answer – firms look for how you think, how you structure your thoughts, and how clearly you communicate under pressure. In the Consulting Skills section, you'll find a breakdown of note-taking, interpreting charts and data, case leadership, stating your recommendation, and presenting your ideas clearly. You’ll also explore key topics like creativity and essential business facts to help you stand out in your interviews.Master case types, structures, and frameworks.Case structuring is one of the most critical – and most challenging – skills to develop. That’s why a big part of your prep should be focused here. In the chapters about the Case Interview Structure and Frameworks, we introduce different case types (like profitability, market entry, or M&A) and show you how to break them down using logical, custom-built structures – rather than relying on a generic, one-size-fits-all approach. This section will give you practical tools for building strong case approaches from scratch.Bonus: Improve your mental math.Strong math skills are essential in many cases – especially market sizing or profitability questions. But it’s not just about speed – it's about calculating confidently while explaining your logic out loud. Our chapter Math in Case Interviews helps you sharpen your math-skills and boost both speed and accuracy in high-pressure settings. You can also check out our Mental Math Tool to improve your skills.  

In the field of consulting, the hypothesis plays a central role in the analysis of problems, the development of solutions and the derivation of strategic recommendations. A hypothesis is a preliminary assumption or conjecture made on the basis of existing information and data. It serves as a starting point for investigations to gain empirically verifiable knowledge. This article explores the meaning, purpose, and application of hypotheses in the consulting context. The Importance of a Hypothesis in ConsultingIn the world of consulting, where complex business issues must be solved, the hypothesis is a fundamental component in developing structured approaches to solving them. A hypothesis allows consultants to sort through their thoughts and focus specifically on certain aspects of an issue. It also serves as a guideline to direct and guide the research process as data are collected and analyzed.The hypothesis also functions as an "educated guess" or informed conjecture based on existing knowledge, experience, and market insights. It helps structure the advisory process and guide efforts in the right direction. Components of a HypothesisA well-formulated hypothesis consists of several essential components:Independent and Dependent Variables: The hypothesis defines the relationship between an independent (manipulated) variable and a dependent (measured) variable. The independent variable is the one that is purposefully changed in an experiment, while the dependent variable is the response that is measured.Prediction: The hypothesis contains a clear prediction about how the change in the independent variable will affect the dependent variable. This prediction is what is tested in the experiment.Testability: A hypothesis must be testable, meaning that it can be tested by experimental investigation. It should be formulated in such a way that its correctness or incorrectness can be determined from observations and data.Clear Formulation: the hypothesis should be precise and clearly formulated to avoid misunderstandings. Clear wording also facilitates communication of the results. The Purpose of a Hypothesis in ConsultingFormulating a hypothesis serves several important purposes in consulting:Directional Thinking: A hypothesis forces consultants to think about possible causes and relationships that may have led to a problem. It promotes structured thinking and prevents aimless poking around in problem-solving.Focused Analysis: Hypotheses help focus the investigation on relevant data and information. This prevents an overload of unimportant details and allows for an in-depth analysis of the aspects that are most likely to have an impact.Measurable Results: A clear hypothesis makes it possible to establish concrete criteria for the success or failure of an investigation. This creates a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of proposed solutions.Structured Communication: A precisely formulated hypothesis facilitates communication between consultants and clients. It enables the planned steps, methods and expected results to be communicated in an understandable way. The Application of Hypotheses in ConsultingThe use of hypotheses in consulting spans several key phases of the consulting process and contributes significantly to structuring and finding solutions. In the problem identification phase, hypotheses help identify potential causes and influencing factors of a business problem by serving as a starting point for in-depth investigations.During data collection and analysis, hypotheses act as a guide to extract targeted relevant information, enabling more precise and focused data analysis.In the solution development phase, hypotheses play an important role in the evaluation and selection of different solution approaches. By serving as criteria to assess the probability of success of different options, they contribute to the development of the most promising solutions. Finally, hypotheses enable strategic recommendations to be derived. They provide a sound basis for formulating persuasive arguments in favor of particular strategies and for convincing clients of the soundness of proposed actions.Overall, the application of hypotheses functions as a systematic approach in consulting to bring structure to complex issues, perform targeted analyses, and ultimately derive informed decisions. This approach promotes the efficiency and effectiveness of the consulting process and ensures that the solutions developed are based on sound and validated assumptions. ConclusionThe hypothesis is an essential tool in consulting that helps structure complex problems, conduct targeted analyses, and derive informed solutions. It promotes a structured and focused approach and plays a crucial role in communicating ideas and recommendations to clients. In an industry based on informed decision-making, hypothesis is a powerful tool to influence the success of consulting projects.