How to prepare for case interview in one week time?

I agree with Pankaj on the extension. But I would actually ask for a longer extension. They will not that against you and they typically will agree. I recommend at least 4 weeks for the case prep, so ask for an extension until early next year.

After that, you'll need to get started quickly. I'd recommend the following approach:

• Read up on the typical approaches and standard frameworks to get the concept.
• Then, do 5-6 cases to get a practical feeling for what a case is like. Start with easier ones - e.g. market size mini cases, simple profit tree cases, etc. This will help you develop a rudimentary sense for how cases work
• The next 5-6 cases should cover cases from all major types and help you gain the experience and comfort with standard frameworks and the thinking required for solving the cases.
• Lastly, you will want to do 6-7 cases to hone your skills. Practice with people who understand what they are doing - experienced interviewers, coaches, etc. that can give you 1-2 main items of feedback after each case that you can then practice to apply and improve on in the next case. During this time, you should also practice to move away from off-the-shelf frameworks and tailor, or - even better - develop your frameworks specifically during the case.

The further you move towards the final interview, the more important it is to practice with experienced interviewers. While you can easily ask any friend or practice with peers for the first few cases, you should aim for qualified, professional feedback as you approach the finishing line.

However, keep in mind, that this requires a strong plan and strategic approach to the preparation. I regularly see people doing 30-40 or even more cases. While this can also lead to success, in my eyes, it is a bit of a waste of time, especially for experienced hires that often also have a regular job to do while preparing for the consulting interviews.

It is a difficult one to crack but possible.

1. As a first step, ask for an extension. Get it shifted by another 8-10 days if possible.

2. Prepare your fit well. Feel free to DM me, will send you the list of most common questions to prepare.

3. Although dependence on frameworks is generally not recommended, considering the short span of prep time you have, i would start with learning the most common frameworks for most common types of cases. Any of the case partners/coaches here would be able to tell you which frameworks you must definitely learn. As you do more cases, you will learn to create your own frameworks.

4. Lastly, and most important, it is not about the number of cases you practice - it is about extracting your learning from each case. A typical case is structured in 4 parts - opening, structuring, brainstorming and synthesis. Practice each component separately considering the short span of prep time you have - opening and synthesis are fairly easy to master, so get them out of the way first. For structuring, start with the basic frameworks, and practice each step of the case to have a structured approach. Happy to help further if needed. Let me know.

I hope this was helpful?

It's hard to say without knowing your background but if you have done absolutely no preparation then it will be quite an uphill battle! Asking to reschedule is always a consideration but you will need to rapidly prepare either way. A few suggestions in order:

1. Understand more deeply what McKinsey is looking for (incl. PEI): you can read various blogs, Q&A forum, etc. but the most efficient way is to speak with someone who was/is a McKinsey interviewer

2. Familiarise yourself with different types of cases (e.g., profitability, market entry, operational efficiency, etc.): McKinsey first round is heavily interviewer led and so focus on structuring, conceptual thinking and numerical thinking/exhibit reading

3. Practice doing cases in real-life with a case partner (PrepLounge is fantastic for this) or if its an option, work immediately with a McKinsey interviewer coach (i.e., step 5)

4. As you familiarise yourself with different cases, develop your own framework/question list/etc. that you can use as your cheat sheet to adapt when given that type of case (never provide a generic framework but adapting an outline to the specific case is a shortcut)

5. Receive an indepth case diagnostic from a McKinsey interviewer to understand areas where you are not meeting the bar and how you can improve as well as your strengths and how you can build on them further (you will not get through to final round by being ok at everything!)

Hope this helps!

Hi,

There is no way. You should reschedule your interview. There is absolutely no penalty for rescheduling. You can even tell HR openly that you need more time to prepare - its totally fine. Ask for a month or so.

Best

(edited)

Hi Bella,

I confirm it is super challenging, however, I have a war-plan to approach it. Feel free to text me for a proposal

Best,
Antonello

Hello Bella!

Congrats for the interview, it´s good news, it´s not so easy to get an interview at this point!

Furthermore, before we talk about prep, if you don´t feel ready you can talk to HR and ask for more time -I did it myself, and there is absolutely no problem with it, I guarantee-.

You have 2 main workstreams ahead:

1. FIT INTERVIEW

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)

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.

You can see plenty of reviews from candidates who purchased it already.

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

Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes, since we still have some left from the launch! :)

2. BUSINESS CASE

You don´t have any more time to the classics of Viktor Cheng, "Case in point" book, etc. You need to get hands on asap:

1. Practice cases with partners asap, as many as you can do.Find experienced partners who can provide a good feedback

2. Practice your math skills, both in your cases and with ad hoc exercisess, such as:

1. ​Multiplying double digit numbers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ndkkPZYJHo

2. Leveraging math tools (Mimir math for iOS), Math tool on Viktor Cheng website to practice

1. Profitability cases- basic profitability framework.

2. Idea generation cases: for any specif issue

3. Growth cases: market penetration, new product launch, product mix change, etc.

4. Pricing cases

5. M&A cases

6. Valuation cases

7. Value chain cases

Given you are under this much time contraint, consider working with a coach to foster speed and ensure you have a tailored plan to be very targeted. PM me interested!

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi Bella,

You need to postpone! It's almost unheard of for someone to do well on these cases with only 1-2 week's worth of prep.

If you can, ask for at least 2 months to prepare.

If they say no, hire a coach...for many hours...you need a crash course!

Hi Zou!

The first thing you could do is definitely postpone the interview, as my colleagues have already said.

You are very short on time, so you should better find a coach who will provide you with the right strategy and insights, and give you only needed information. I'm sure coaches on our platform will be glad to help.

Cheers,
CB