Hey, great question!
You don’t need to be a modeling expert for the first round, but you should have a solid grasp of the basics. Think of it more as a test of your understanding than your ability to crunch numbers under time pressure. They’ll want to know if you can walk through a DCF, explain how the three financial statements connect, and make sense of valuation multiples like EV/EBITDA. It’s not about getting everything perfect, it’s about showing that you understand the logic behind the concepts and can explain them clearly.
So yes, technical prep matters, but don’t overthink it. Focus on getting the core ideas down and being able to talk about them in a confident way. That’s what really makes a good first impression.
Hope this helps!
