Basic, lesson 1 of 6
How a case interview runs
A case is a business problem worked through live with the interviewer. Every case has the same five parts, and knowing them keeps you from freezing on an unfamiliar industry.
7 min, 2 checks
1The five parts
- The prompt: a client, a problem, sometimes a number. "A regional airline's profits fell 30% this year. Why, and what should it do?"
- Clarifying questions: the objective, the metric, the time frame, the scope.
- The structure: a short breakdown of the problem into the pieces you would investigate, said in about a minute after a pause to write it down.
- The analysis: numbers to crunch, an exhibit to read, ideas to brainstorm, guided by what you find.
- The synthesis: a recommendation to the client, the reasons, the risks, and the next steps.
Most of the score comes from parts three to five. Clarifying is short; asking eight questions before structuring looks like stalling.
Check 1
Which is the strongest clarifying question for "profits fell 30% this year"?
2Interviewer led and candidate led
| Format | Who steers | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Interviewer led | The interviewer asks a series of set questions | Clean structure, accurate math, a crisp answer to each question |
| Candidate led | You decide which branch to investigate next | Prioritizing, asking for the right data, keeping the thread |
Firms differ and some mix the two. Prepare for both: in an interviewer led case, still say why each answer matters for the client before the next question comes.
Check 2
In a candidate led case, you finish analyzing revenue and find nothing wrong. What do you do next?
Terms in this lesson: Case interview.
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