Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Interview Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

Is there a difference in cases per segment of candidate?

By segment, I mean:

  1. Fresh out of college
  2. Experienced hires with 1-3 years experience
  3. Post-Masters/Doctorate hires

Would one segment have a more complex set of cases/criteria/expectations to be met? Thanks in advance!

3
1.5k
20
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
Ian
Coach
on Apr 10, 2021
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

What do you think? And do you think it's a negatively or positively correlated relationship? :P

Of course, the more experience you have, the higher the expectations are. Moreover, each of these segments will likely be apply to different roles, which also have different expectations.

That siad the following needs to be met no matter what segment/role you are:

"Someone who can approach a complicated problem and think + communicate in a structured way in the right context+objective of the case, while being personable, adaptable, and coachable, so that, ultimately, the interviewer can see themselves working with this individual and putting them in front of a client."

Clara
Coach
on Apr 09, 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

That is a very good question. 

No, not at all. 

Each interviewer has always the same case (sometimes two, but rarely), which he/she repeats to the different candidates. 

What changes is the bar that you need to meet/raise, and this is the prat that is against your own "segment", as you called them. 

This said, the classical cases are the following: 

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

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

on Apr 10, 2021
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

There is no difference in the interview structure itself for undergrad or post-MBA positions – you will still have a structure as:

  • Fit
  • Case
  • Your questions

There are different expectations though. If you have work experience, the interviewer will expect examples of leadership, impact, drive, etc., and possibly business acumen, reflecting your previous years of experience. The bar would be higher from that point of view.

Not your specific case, but interviews for experienced hires for manager levels and above are different, as:

  • The process may involve questions on a specific sector and industry knowledge
  • You may get questions on how to manage real projects and teams, as your responsibilities will involve that (initial data requested, number of people, allocation of people on workstreams, length of the different parts of the project).

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Similar Questions
Consulting
Revolut Case interview
on Mar 01, 2025
Global
5
13.3k
Top answer by
#1 rated McKinsey Coach
360
5 Answers
13.3k Views
+2
Consulting
A&M PEPI Associate - Case Study & Excel Exercise
on Jan 25, 2025
Global
2
2.6k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
68
2 Answers
2.6k Views
Consulting
McKinsey Case Interview
on Sep 30, 2024
Global
7
1.8k
Top answer by
Anonymous
35
7 Answers
1.8k Views
+4
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely
Thanks for your feedback! Your opinion helps us make PrepLounge even better.