Last Updated on June 30, 2026, Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Consultant 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 look like a defined “case type.” They are not. Competitive…
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A non-profit or public sector case interview asks how to reach a social goal, like cutting youth unemployment or raising vaccination rates, within a fixed budget rather than how to make a profit. There is no profit line, no obvious metric, and no standard framework. You define the measure of success yourself, then structure around…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant A turnaround or restructuring case interview asks you to diagnose a struggling business and recommend how to fix it, usually under real time pressure. Typical prompts include: At first glance these look like one defined “case type.” They are not. Turnaround cases are objective-driven…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant A wildcard case is an ambiguous, multi-layered business problem that does not fit any of the standard case types you studied. There is no profitability formula to reach for, no market-entry checklist, no clean bucket. And these cases are no longer the exception. If…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. Updated July 2026 A pricing case interview asks you to recommend the right price for a product or service. The fastest way to fail is to default to a memorized template. The fastest way to stand out is to clarify the objective first, then build your structure around it.…
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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.
