Category: Case Interview

Cover image for L.E.K. Case Interview showing a consultant analyzing CDD-style charts, case notes, and market data in a high-end office setting.

L.E.K. Case Interview 2026: How CDD Engagements Become the Case Format

Updated May 11, 2026 | By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant L.E.K. case interviews are unusual among major consulting firms in this specific way: they’re not abstract business problems designed to test consulting skills in the abstract. They’re compressed simulations of the actual work L.E.K. does on commercial due diligence engagements. The format, the…
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Cover image for Oliver Wyman Case Interview preparation showing case math notes, unit economics charts, market sizing analysis, and a consultant working through quantitative case calculations.

Oliver Wyman Case Interview 2026: The Math Bar Most Candidates Miss

Updated May 6, 2026 | By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The Oliver Wyman case interview is candidate-led, similar in format to BCG, with one critical difference: the quantitative bar is the highest in major-firm consulting. Candidates who pass MBB cases on directional reasoning fail OW cases on calculation precision under time pressure. Most…
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Cover image for an article on free MBA casebooks, featuring a professional desk setup with a laptop displaying case analysis charts, a stack of leading business school casebooks (Harvard, INSEAD, LBS, Stanford, Kellogg), and a clean consulting-themed layout emphasizing structured problem-solving and case interview preparation.

Free MBA Casebooks: 700+ Cases Ranked by an Ex-McKinsey Consultant (2026)

Updated May 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant The best free MBA casebooks for case interview practice in 2026 are the Yale Graduate Consulting Club 2024, MIT Sloan 2020, and Kellogg 2020 casebooks — but only 16 of the 47 casebooks circulating online are worth deep practice. The rest are outdated, repetitive,…
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Horizontal cover image for an article on competitive strategy case interviews, showing professionals analyzing a chessboard with business charts, arrows, and data visuals representing market competition and strategic decision-making.

Competitive Strategy Case Interview: Complete Guide for 2026

A competitive strategy case interview (also called a competitive response case) tests your ability to determine how a company should react to changes in its competitive environment. Typical prompts include: At first glance, these may look like a defined “case type.” They are not. Competitive strategy cases are objective-driven strategy problems, not templated frameworks. They…
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Horizontal cover image for an article on non-profit and public sector case interviews, showing a government building in the background with a desk in the foreground featuring charts, documents, a globe, and a calculator, representing consulting analysis.

Non-Profit & Public Sector Case Interview: Insider Guide for 2026

Non-profit and public sector cases are becoming increasingly common in consulting case interviews, especially at MBB. And they consistently throw candidates off. Why? Because the usual anchors disappear. There is no profit.No clear KPI.No standard framework you can rely on. Most candidates respond by searching for a template. But there isn’t one. That is exactly…
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