How to Practice Case Interviews Alone

Last Updated on February 12, 2024

Embarking on the journey of preparing for case interviews can be a daunting task, especially when you’re doing it alone. The world of consulting interviews for firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain is one where analytical prowess, strategic thinking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas succinctly are all rigorously tested.

For many, the support of peers or mentors during this preparation process is invaluable. However, the reality is that not everyone has access to such resources or may prefer the flexibility and focus that solo preparation offers.

Challenges in Case Interview Peer Practice

Regardless of personal preferences, one of the most valuable aspects of case interview preparation is the opportunity to practice with a partner. Such interactions offer a realistic simulation of the interview environment, providing both the pressure and the unpredictability of real-time questions and feedback. However, when preparing solo, accessing high-quality practice partners who can offer insightful feedback and pose challenging scenarios becomes a substantial challenge.

Several platforms offer the opportunity to meet with peers to practice cases.

Yet, it is difficult to find good quality interview partners in sufficient numbers and full case interview drills take 40 to 60 minutes including a proper feedback session for one person. If both give a case and receive a case, you spend two hours of your precious time and have only worked on one case, potentially just going through one framework, chart, and math question each.

In the end, you can only do so many real case interview drills in your preparation, even if you would like to do more.

The difficulty also lies in finding individuals willing to invest time in practice sessions and in ensuring that these partners bring a level of expertise and understanding of the case interview process that matches or exceeds your own. Quality practice partners should ideally have a mix of experience with consulting interviews and a foundational understanding of business concepts, enabling them to provide constructive criticism and valuable insights.

Hence, a question we receive often is if there are any shortcuts to it. How can you get more exposure to cases in a shorter or the same amount of time?

The short answer is: Yes, you can!

Practicing on your own can be more effective and efficient at the same time if it is used in addition to peer case practice!

The Importance of Independent Prep

Independent preparation for case interviews offers a unique blend of advantages that can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your study regimen. Understanding the importance of this approach requires recognizing the inherent benefits it provides, from flexibility and time efficiency to focused practice and quality control.

Flexibility in Scheduling

One of the most compelling benefits of independent prep is the flexibility it offers. Unlike scheduled group sessions or partner drills, solo study allows you to adapt your preparation to your own timetable. This means you can integrate case studies into your daily routine at times most convenient for you, whether that’s early morning, late at night, or squeezed into midday breaks. This flexibility ensures that preparation becomes a consistent part of your routine, rather than a disruptive element.

Less Time Consuming

Independent prep can be significantly less time-consuming compared to coordinating with partners or groups. The time usually spent on arranging meetings, waiting for others, or dealing with the logistical aspects of group study can instead be directly invested in actual learning and practice. This direct approach to study not only saves time but also accelerates your learning curve, allowing you to cover more ground within the same timeframe.

Focused Practice on Drills

Focusing on specific drills rather than always engaging in full-case mock interviews is another advantage of solo prep. Drills enable you to concentrate intensely on mastering individual elements of the case interview, such as structuring questions, case math, or hypothesis development. For instance, practicing 15 structure questions back-to-back offers a deep dive into the nuances of structuring, helping to internalize concepts, approaches, and communication strategies more effectively than the broader, less focused approach of full-case mocks. This method of repetition ensures a thorough understanding and retention of key skills, making your preparation deep and impactful before moving on to other aspects.

Control Over the Quality of Practice

When preparing independently, you have complete control over the quality of your practice. You’re not dependent on the availability, skill level, or commitment of practice partners. This autonomy allows you to set high standards for your practice sessions, ensuring that each minute spent is productive and aligned with your learning objectives. Whether it’s selecting the most relevant cases, focusing on your weakest areas, or utilizing the best resources, the quality of your prep is entirely in your hands.

Now that we have looked at the rationale for individual case practice, let’s look at case interview prep strategies to make it a reality.

Practice Case Interviews By Yourself

A strategy we often suggest is dividing your case preparation between mock interviews with peers and professional coaches, alongside solo mock case sessions. This approach enhances your group practice by saving time and boosting your case-solving proficiency, as it allows you to focus intensely on mastering key aspects of case interviews independently.

There are several ways you can practice consulting case interviews alone:

Discover Everything About Case Interviews

Explore our series of articles to understand the fundamentals of case interviews, including their purpose, essential skills, various formats, preparation duration, and the overall interview process.

Particularly for McKinsey candidates, delve into the specifics of their distinct interview methodology here.

Dive Into Case Studies

Secure collections of case interviews from your university’s consulting club or through case interview literature. Review these cases to grasp the basic principles of case interview mechanics. Understand the standard flow, identify commonalities between cases, and recognize the key practices for success. This exploration not only broadens your knowledge across different sectors and typical case scenarios but also enhances your ability to remember and apply this knowledge in actual interviews.

Top consulting firms, including BCG and Oliver Wyman, provide interactive case studies on their recruitment portals that replicate the complete case interview experience. Engage with these cases as if in a live interview: articulate your thoughts clearly, navigate through the problem-solving process, and answer the interactive multiple-choice questions to progress through the case.

For a comprehensive range of free case resources from leading consulting firms and university clubs, check our compilation here.

You can also break these cases apart into their individual elements on work on each element individually in a drill-like approach.

Transform Articles into Case Prompts

Pick up a publication like the Economist, select a headline, and craft a case prompt from it. This exercise sharpens essential case interview skills such as structuring problems, innovating solutions, and effective communication. Use the headline to generate clarifying questions, devise a comprehensive approach to your analysis (employing both breadth and depth to showcase your creativity), and verbalize your thought process as if in a live interview. Embrace a hypothesis-driven methodology when constructing your framework and learn more about framework creation here.

Enhance Skills in Chart Interpretation

Following the previous strategy, utilize sources like the case books and firm cases as well as magazines like the Economist or newspapers like the Wall Street Journal to find charts for analysis. Examine and present your insights in a structured, top-down manner, emphasizing the implications (the ‘so-what’) of your findings within the case’s or article’s context. For guidance on interpreting case interview exhibits, refer to our dedicated article.

Refine Your Quantitative Skills

Work through individual business math problems from the case books. On top of that, within your selected articles, identify figures that correlate and perform your calculations manually. Guide your hypothetical interviewer through these calculations as if you were in an actual interview setting. Check out our article on case interview math here.

Adopt the Interviewer’s Perspective

Invert the approach in the third strategy by viewing the article headline through an interviewer’s lens. Contemplate the questions a case interviewer might pose and compile a list. This exercise aids in developing an intuitive sense of potential directions in case interviews.

Use Professional Practice Resources

To access the expertise of a top-tier consultant without the expense of one-on-one coaching, we’ve developed comprehensive courses and drills designed to emulate how top-tier consultants tackle and resolve case interviews, covering all the critical elements individually.

Our offerings include a Structuring and Brainstorming course with practical drills, a Chart and Data Interpretation course complemented by hands-on drills, and a Math Mastery program featuring targeted drills. Additionally, we offer the exclusive McKinsey Interview Series—the only program globally that includes footage of simulated McKinsey interviews along with feedback from the interviewers, providing unparalleled insights into the case and fit interview process.

Ace the case interview with our dedicated preparation packages.

Do Not Forget the Fit Interview

Do not overlook the significance of the fit interview; it’s equally crucial to your success. To excel, prepare and practice your responses out loud, employing a structured story framework to convey your experiences compellingly. For comprehensive guidance on mastering the fit interview, including strategies for crafting impactful stories, ensure you read our article on fit interviews. It offers invaluable advice on how to practice effectively, ensuring you present your skills and experiences in the most persuasive light.

Approach Practice Cases and Drills Like Peer Practice

Whenever you engage with a practice case or an individual drill, treat it as though you’re in an actual interview:

• Listen to or read the case prompt carefully.
• Repeat it aloud to ensure comprehension and ask potential quesions.
• Request a moment to organize your thoughts before responding.
• Clearly articulate your response (e.g., discuss your framework, your chart insights, your calculation approach, or your numerical result). Always highlight how you would want to drive the case forward.

Emulate all facets of the interview process with as much realism as possible. Instead of merely contemplating your answers, adopt the proper habits and communication strategies during your solo practice. This approach ensures that your personal case preparation is both more productive and impactful than working with peers. Avoid cutting corners during this critical phase of your preparation.

It’s evident in the performance of my coaching candidates that there’s a marked improvement when they vocalize and articulate their thought process during homework drills, compared to merely thinking through the steps silently.

Bonus tip: Whenever you talk, record yourself and listen to it afterward to spot minor (e.g., filler words) and major issues (e.g., lack of top-down communication) in your presentation.

How We Can Help You Break Into All Consulting Firms

Before venturing out on your own, it is important to get the right case habits down and make them second nature. Once you have established a solid foundation and understand how to approach each stage and challenge of a case regardless of industry, type of case, or framework, your individual case preparation will be much more effective.

We have specialized in placing people from all walks of life with different backgrounds into top consulting firms both as generalist hires as well as specialized hires and experts. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we help you by

• tailoring your resume and cover letter to meet consulting firms’ highest standards
• showing you how to pass the different online assessments and tests for McKinsey, BCG, and Bain
• showing you how to ace McKinsey interviews and the PEI with our video academy
• coaching you in our 1-on-1 sessions to become an excellent case solver and impress with your fit answers (90% success rate after 5 sessions)
• preparing your math to be bulletproof for every case interview
• helping you structure creative and complex case interviews
• teaching you how to interpret charts and exhibits like a consultant
• providing you with cheat sheets and overviews for 27 industries.

Reach out to us if you have any questions! We are happy to help and offer a tailored program to help you break into consulting.

Ace the case interview with our dedicated preparation packages.