Preparation for kearney R1 case interview in 12 days

You don't have a lot of time, you need specialized support / guidance  to be able to be prepared in such a short time in order to really accelerate your preparation and maximize your chances. Feel free to reach out, I still have some discount coupons to provide this month.

This doesn't mean you are not in a good position, you have very good people to practice with you, reach out to them and schedule some pratice sessions - but doing a coaching session with an expert can really be a great accelerator for you at this stage to make sure you use your time the best way.

Hi,

12 days is very short, but the advantage is you do already have some interview experience.  I believe I have the right experience as I received a Kearney offer myself. Feel free to reach out via chat, so we can develop a workplan in order to prepare you for the first round to work on your main points of improvements. Note I offer a 50% discount for the first session. 

Mattijs

Hello there,

I also struggled with math and math anxiety myself, so I know the pain.

If you have a decent amount of time per day to study, you can make it work.

Reach out to me if you would like a 15min alignment call where I can understand better your case and share some study plan ideas that can help you take the most of your time (free of charge).

Best,

Mari

Hey there, 

It's great to see that you have a strong set of resources to help you practice cases. This will definitely be useful as they are likely to give you good feedback on how to improve on answering on the cases you would have practiced with them. 

But with the short amount of time left (12 days) - I do feel like you may need a more specialized and individualized approach that will help you know how to optimize development of your capabilities across the various case dimensions. We can't take too many chances here... :-)  

Regarding Kearney cases, they follow more of a candidate-led style but aren't too different from MBB's in terms of how you should be preparing for them. (That said, you should be focused on being able to drive the case and show strong case leadership). I have some real passed Kearney case interviews if you're keen on practicing on them specifically. 

Please let's have a chat and talk more about planning a way forward. I'd be happy to guide you on how you could optimize your remaining crucial and previous time! DM me and let's take it from there

All the best! 

Hi there

Congrats on the interview!

Here's my high-level thoughts on how to approach interviews:

• The key reason why candidates fail their case interviews and don't improve with practice is because they never learn the right approach and techniques to begin with. They might go through 30-40 cases, just repeating the same mistakes over and over again. There is often no strong baseline.

• Make sure you understand and learn the basics for each part of the case (structuring, charts, math), which is

  • A replicable step-by-step for each part of the case interview

  • The right thinking techniques around the individual parts (e.g., what's a framework, what is evaluated, how can I ensure I think about it the correct way, what are some shortcuts to get to the answer quickly, etc.)

  • Simple communication templates to help you communicate your insights as well as ask for data in the right way to drive the case forward

• There are several approaches you can take, such as hiring a skilled coach, reading the right materials, or enrolling in relevant courses. For example, my book provides direct guidance tailored to modern case interviews. It covers all the essential points mentioned here, and more, while also offering a detailed preparation plan. You can find it on Amazon

• Avoid generic advice and framework memorization approaches. This will only hurt your performance and waste a ton of time (why -> check out the first post here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-goodrelevant-is-the-case-in-point-book-for-case-prep-1984)

• Once you have that baseline it's time to practice and internalize the skills to create the right profile, polishing your strengths and lifting your weaknesses to a robust-enough level

• Practice drills alone (structure, chart, math) and practice full cases with other excellent candidates that know the right habits and approach. It is crucial that you are practicing with really good peers, otherwise, it's a waste of time. Practicing drills on your own is a huge effectivity and efficiency booster since you can go over many more questions in a shorter amount of time compared to practicing with peers. Do both in parallel! You want to spend your time where it is most useful, e.g., if you struggle with math focus on math drills, etc.

• Focus on quality over quantity. Doing 50+ cases does not mean much if you are not applying the right habits to score high and do a detailed debrief after every case to improve. You want to move from bad to good for your weaknesses and good to great for your strengths --> use the feedback from your previous experience and tailor your prep accordingly

• Consider booking at least an initial coaching session to get a detailed and objective evaluation of your performance + learn the right habits for every case regardless of context and framework + get a tailored preparation plan out of the session that will set you up for an effective and efficient prep.

• Don't forget the fit interview part. Prepare answers for all the typical fit questions and stories (3-5 hours) and rehearse them a couple of times (5 hours)

All the best,

Florian

Hey there 😊,

First of all: you’ve already come a long way 👏—from building up your math skills to actively working on casing and leveraging resources smartly. With 12 full days, you can make huge progress, especially since you have the time to go all in. So here’s how to structure your prep strategically and build confidence before your Kearney R1:

🗓️ Your 12-Day Structured Plan

📌 Days 1–3: Build Your Foundation (Core Case + PEI)
– Focus on learning and practicing MECE structuring, profitability, market entry & operations cases
– Do 2 live cases per day, mixing partner-led and self-practice (e.g. math drills, frameworks)
– Review each case deeply—don’t just move on—identify what went well, where you hesitated, and why
– Start preparing PEI stories using the STAR/SCQA structure (e.g. leadership, conflict, initiative)
– Begin incorporating quick mental math warmups daily (15–30 min)

📌 Days 4–8: Sharpen & Simulate (Pressure + Complexity)
– Increase to 2–3 live cases per day, with at least 1 under timed conditions
– Practice math under pressure—simulate real interviews with your friends from Bain/McKinsey/Kearney
– Ask for honest feedback, especially on communication, thinking out loud, and business sense
– Refine your top 2 PEI stories, and practice delivering them clearly and naturally
– Watch and debrief real case videos, especially Kearney-style ones (if available), or cases with more operational / practical angles

📌 Days 9–11: Polish & Pressure-Test
– Prioritize live mock interviews with people who can challenge you (especially the McKinsey friend)
– Do 1 full interview simulation per day (case + PEI back-to-back)
– Tighten any weak areas—mental math under pressure, structuring quickly, communication tone
– Practice answering questions like “why consulting” and “why Kearney”—with authenticity

📌 Day 12: Light Prep + Confidence Boost
– One light mock case + final PEI review
– Rest well, visualize success, and go in with energy and clarity 🚀

💡 Extra Tips for Kearney-Specific Prep

– Kearney cases are often more practical and implementation-focused than MBB
– Expect some cases to be less theoretical, with numbers and logical prioritization playing a big role
– They may ask follow-up questions like "what would you do next" or "how would you implement this"
– Fit/PEI is also important—so bring out your drive, teamwork, and adaptability

🔥 You Have Strong Assets: Use Them!

– Your startup background is a big strength—position it as proof of resilience, ownership, and business acumen
– Your willingness to put in the work shows. Many strong candidates fail because they don’t prep deliberately—you’re doing it right

If you want, I’m happy to help review your PEI stories or simulate a case together in the next few days 😊

You’ve got this—now just lock in and let the momentum carry you!
Best, Alessa 😇

Hi there, 

thanks for the information on your situation. Given you only have 12 days, you should be quite focused on your approach. Kearney cases are more comparable to BCG/Bain rather than McK, i.e., candidate-led. I would do the following: 

1. PEI --> Craft a clear storyline around your CV on why you want to do Consulting, why at Kearney and what you bring to the table. They will jump onto the fact that you worked in a startup before and will test your motivation thoroughly

2. Case --> Do not lose time and start practicing cases with all of your available resources. You need to get yourself as close to the real situation as possible (incl. the math part). Leverage your friends and network

Do not mean this in any way as self promotion but you should really consider booking a session with one of the coaches in order to have somebody experienced help you in prepping most effectively. Money well invested. 

Best, 
Sebastian