Updated October 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant The McKinsey AI interview now comes in two in-room formats. The first is a live session where you work through a case task with Lilli, McKinsey’s internal AI, which the firm has piloted in some final rounds since January 2026. The second is new this…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated July 2026 Case interview success is not decided by how many hours you log or how many cases you grind. It is decided by how you prepare and how you think. Every recruiting season, two candidates put in identical hours, read the same books, and run…
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Updated November 2026 · By Dr. Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant The best case interview books for 2026 are The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview (modern theory) and The 1%: Case Interview Workbook (realistic practice cases). Case Interview Secrets by Victor Cheng remains a useful starter, while Case in Point by Marc Cosentino is…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026. Most candidates fail case interviews for one reason: they prepared for the wrong test. Not because they are not smart enough, and not because they did not work hard enough. After five years at McKinsey, where I evaluated candidates, and 2,200+ coaching sessions since, I…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated July 2026 The case interview mindset that actually earns offers is calm, structured composure under pressure. Not raw brainpower, and not bluffing. You have drilled dozens of cases, memorized the math shortcuts, and can recite every framework in your sleep. Then the interview starts and your…
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Florian spent five years at McKinsey as a Senior Consultant and is a highly experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach. Having conducted interviews with hundreds of candidates, he understands exactly what top-tier firms look for in successful applicants.
He founded StrategyCase.com to make top consulting careers more accessible by providing tailored, up-to-date insights into the recruiting process. Recognized as the most successful case and fit interview coach, Florian has helped his clients secure 700+ offers at MBB, Tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms over the past four years.
He is the author of “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview,” “The 1%: Case Interview Workbook,” and “Consulting Career Secrets”, all available on Amazon.
