How to prepare myself for consulting? I currently do an internship, I start from 9Am to 7Pm and I want to organize myself to practice cases to be ready by mai 2026. Am I late to start preparing? I have done some cases and I know my weakness.

You’re not too late to start preparing for consulting despite your busy internship hours. Here are my personal tips to make the most of the time you have:

Set aside two short sessions per week for case practice. Even 30-45 minutes of focused work beats waiting for longer blocks you may never find.

Use your internship to gather real examples of problem solving, teamwork, and leadership. Keep a running list of 1-2 experiences you can convert into stories for fit questions.

When you do case practice isolate one skill at a time. This keeps you sharp without burning out.

As you approach May 2026 increase both the frequency and intensity. Move from one practice case per week to two or three, include peer mocks and get feedback while your base remains strong.

You’ve set a realistic goal, and with steady effort you’ll be in very good shape by then.

Hi there,

The good news is that you have time until May 2026, and it is absolutely feasible to prepare under a standard 9-7 schedule (I have been in that situation myself) :-)

If you are seriously considering consulting, I recommend establishing a preparation plan that you can follow consistently. Here is a game plan you might consider:

1) Set the foundation
Build a deep understanding of the recruitment process, what the interview consists of, and what interviewers are truly evaluating (hint: it is not about giving the fastest or most precise answer) - I would allocate a few hours to this

Examples:

• Interview format (components, interviewer-led vs. candidate-led, etc.)
• Fit questions (why consulting, why you, why our firm, etc.)
• Logic and flow of a case interview (when to pause, what to ask, how to structure)

2) Learn the core case frameworks
Cases are the central element of consulting interviews. They cannot be improvised - you need to build competency through deliberate study. Before practicing with peers, it helps to understand the foundational frameworks.

Examples:

• Market entry
• Revenue (top-line) optimization
• Cost restructuring
• Investment profitability
• M&A strategy
• Growth strategy
• Market sizing
• …and similar standard case types

3) Master the practice routine: weekdays + weekends
When I prepared, I scheduled early-morning practice sessions with coaches and peers (7–8 a.m. before work) once or twice a week. I then added at least one session on weekends. This yields roughly:
2–3 hours per week × 4 weeks × 5 months = 40–60 hours of solid case practice

4) Train mental math
Use small pockets of time such as coffee breaks at work or dedicate a focused 15-minute daily session to mental math practice. Build familiarity with fast division and multiplication techniques. This will significantly help during case interviews, as avoiding simple calculation errors is crucial.

From my experience, the key is to find someone who can guide you through steps 1 and 2. This will save you considerable time and reduce the frustration many candidates encounter early in the preparation process. After that, do as many cases as possible with other candidates (e.g., via PrepLounge or colleagues from work or university). 

Practice truly makes a difference.

I am happy to support you in the preparation process - feel free to reach out if interested.

Best of luck,
Kacper