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

PrepLounge vs real case interview timing

Hi everyone,

after doing a few of preplounge cases I've got a doubt about timing: 

Most of the times I've used up all the 45 minutes allowed. Knowing that real interview cases should take around 30 min, I wonder if it's me and my case partners being "slow", or the cases being more detailed than they are in reality?

Would love to hear your opinion. Thanks 

1
4.8k
24
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
Marco
Coach
on Jan 21, 2017
MBA | Product expert for Tech companies: fintech, marketplace, logistics | Former Strategy& and KPMG Advisory

Hi,

yes, you should expect your case to be 30 mins at most in a real interview.

The reason why it takes so long is that usually a peer is taking a case out of a casebook so he/she will tend to follow the structure that is written down by the authors and try to guide you all the way to the solution (answer to the client's problem - risk - next steps). This whole process can take long so it's common to have grueling 45 - 60 mins cases.

In a real consulting interview, the person giving you the case is much more aware of what he/she needs to test and will not necessarily make you go through all the aspects of the case. I'll give you an example: if you show that your math is flawless since the beginning the interviewer won't probably spend much time on calculations later on and will focus more on other aspects (say brainstorming for example).

In general, if you are doing good in the case this should take less than 30 mins because the interviewer will be happy with your answers and won't feel the need to test you extensively for longer. It often happened to me that when the interviewer didn't even let me give the final recommendations to the client: this can obviously be a good or a bad sign, depending on how you did in the case.

Best,

Marco

Similar Questions
Consulting
Has anyone tried any of the AI Interview Tools for MBB before?
on Mar 25, 2025
Global
10
13.2k
Top answer by
Iman
Coach
Systemiq | Ex-BCG | 10 years experience with 8+ specialising in sustainability | Free Intro | Ex-PrepLounge candidate
347
10 Answers
13.2k Views
+7
Consulting
Revolut Case interview
on Mar 01, 2025
Global
5
12.2k
Top answer by
#1 rated McKinsey Coach
358
5 Answers
12.2k Views
+2
Consulting
Case on Framework Structure - Market Entry
on May 09, 2024
Global
5
2.1k
Top answer by
Tiago
Coach
ex-BCG Consultant & Interviewer | +150 interviews | Tackle any case w/o memorizing frameworks | Harvard MBA
47
5 Answers
2.1k Views
+2
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.