How to Interpret Charts and Data in Consulting Case Interviews

If you're preparing for a career in consulting, getting comfortable with data and diagrams is a must. But don’t worry – no one expects you to be a data genius right away. 🤓📊

In this article, our expert Agrim walks you through exactly how to confidently interpret data during a case – and how to avoid the most common mistakes. You’ll also get a simple, step-by-step approach you can follow next time a chart suddenly appears in your case.

And the best part? It’s all explained using a real example – so you can actually see how it works in action.

What’s the Point of All These Charts and Tables?

In case interviews, you’ll often get extra information – things like charts, graphs, tables or infographics. These are called exhibits. But before we jump into how to read them, let’s first understand why they’re even there.

Why Do Interviewers Use Exhibits?

Exhibits aren’t just random add-ons. They’re there for a reason – actually, for several:

• They help the interviewer see if you can take in a bunch of information quickly and spot what’s truly relevant.
• They test how resourceful and sharp you are – can you stay focused and make sense of what’s in front of you?
• They let the interviewer communicate a lot of info without having to explain everything out loud.
• And most importantly: exhibits usually contain key quantitative or qualitative clues that help you move the case forward.

What Exhibits Are Not About

Let’s clear up a few myths – because sometimes exhibits can seem a little intimidating:

• Just because there’s a graph or table doesn’t mean it’s time for complicated math. Often it’s more about the logic.
• Exhibits are also not meant to trick you or confuse you with useless info – this isn’t a scavenger hunt.

What Do Interviewers Actually Want to Hear?

Let’s be honest – looking at a big table of numbers in a case can feel a bit overwhelming. Like… what exactly are you supposed to say?

Don’t worry. The goal isn’t to recite numbers. Instead, interviewers want to see how you think and what you do with the data.

Before we break it down, here’s the case setup we’ll use as an example ⬇️

"Our client is the CEO of BoxxFitness, a premium gym chain in the US with 1,500+ gyms. Their membership is 2–3x more expensive than regular gyms, but offers extras like unlimited personal training and classes."

Problem: Over the past 3 years, profit margins have been declining.

Question: What could be the reason for this decline?

Exhibit Example – US Gym Market Revenue in $Bn

Level 1: Observations – “What Do I See?”

This is the basic, descriptive stuff. Think of it as showing that you can actually read the chart and extract relevant info.

Examples:

• “This table shows US gym market revenue over the past 5 years, broken down by price segment.”
• “The overall market is growing steadily – about 8% per year.”
• “The Luxury segment more than doubled, from $2B to $4.1B.”
• “The Mainstream segment had the largest absolute growth – $7B over 5 years.”

Level 1 is important – but it’s just the starting point.

Level 2: Insights – “What’s Going on Here?”

Now it’s about connecting the dots and going beyond the obvious.

Examples:

• “The Premium segment – which our client is in – is growing slower than the others, at around 5% per year.”
• “As a result, Premium’s market share dropped from 23% to 20% over these years.”

Here, you’re linking different data points and starting to interpret trends.

Level 3: Implications – “So What?”

This is where you really shine. You combine your observations, your insights, and a bit of business intuition to come up with a hypothesis or idea that pushes the case forward.

Examples:

• “Because Premium is growing slower, our client might be facing competitive pressure within that segment – possibly hurting margins. We should dig deeper into their performance versus competitors.”
• “The Luxury and Mainstream segments are growing fast – maybe customers are either upgrading or downgrading, skipping the middle. We should find out if this shift is hitting our client’s business.”
• “If preferences are changing, maybe our client should consider adapting their offer or targeting another segment. Do we have any info on how they’re positioned vs. the others?”

This level of thinking shows the interviewer that you're not just reading data – you’re using it to solve real business problems.

Mistakes by Candidates When Dealing With Exhibits

Basic Mistakes / Hygiene Checks

Not understanding the exhibit: Sometimes, parts of the exhibit may be unclear. Many candidates:

• make assumptions instead of asking for clarification, or
• ignore the confusion altogether.

Both are risky. If something isn’t clear, ask. Otherwise, the interviewer will assume full understanding and judge your analysis accordingly. This reflects poor clarity and initiative—key interview criteria.

Misreading the exhibit: Frequent slip-ups include:

• misreading chart elements (axes, units, titles, legends),
• confusing metrics (e.g. market share vs share of wallet),
• mixing up values (e.g. millions vs thousands),
• minor but noticeable errors (e.g. 2011 vs 2001, USD vs GBP).

These mistakes suggest a lack of attention to detail and preparation.

Technical Mistakes

Lack of Level 2 insights (connecting the dots): If you stick to surface-level observations without drawing meaningful connections, it reflects weak insight generation—a major red flag.

Lack of Level 3 insights (implications / “so what?”): Failing to derive actionable implications or hypotheses shows:

• weak problem-solving ability,
• lack of structured thinking.

Demanding interviewers may see this as a deal-breaker.

Process Mistakes

Not driving the case forward: Candidates should always steer the discussion toward a solution. This applies in:

• candidate-led cases: you’re in the driver’s seat, or
• interviewer-led cases: even then, you must think proactively.

Consultants are expected to be independent, structured, and solution-oriented. If you wait passively, it signals poor practicality and weak ownership of the problem.

Communication Mistakes

Over-communicating: Some candidates

• describe every data point in detail,
• use their full talking time on Level 1/2 insights,
• confuse the interviewer with unnecessary commentary.

This shows poor prioritization and lack of efficiency.

Under-communicating: Others

• keep insights to themselves (“I thought about it but didn’t say it”),
• forget to verbalize key takeaways (even Level 2 or 3 insights).

If you don’t say it, you don’t get credit for it. Under-communicating shows weak presence, communication, and practicality — all key traits in consulting.

What to Do in an Interview?

Now that we’ve covered common mistakes, here’s a checklist to help you handle exhibits effectively in case interviews. This is a great starting point, and with practice, you can personalize it.

1. You’re presented with an exhibit (graph, chart, table, etc.).
2. Stay calm and take a deep breath: Avoid feeling overwhelmed or rushing into a response. Take your time to process the exhibit.
3. Ask for time to understand the exhibit: Request a few seconds to read and comprehend the exhibit. There’s no fixed time—take as much time as you need (but don’t overdo it).
4. Observe Level 1 details carefully: Analyze key elements such as the chart title, axis labels, units, legend, and any other relevant information. Approach the exhibit with a fresh perspective.
5. Ask for clarifications: If you have doubts, don’t hesitate to ask questions to fully understand the exhibit.
6. Think about how the exhibit helps solve the case: Once you have clarity, pause for a moment to connect the exhibit’s information to the case. Start identifying Level 2 insights and Level 3 implications.
7. Speak out Level 1 details: Share the most relevant observations. Don’t overwhelm the interviewer with all the details—focus on what’s crucial for the case.
8. Discuss Level 2 insights: Now, dive into the deeper analysis. Focus on insights that help move the case forward and guide you toward Level 3 insights.
9. Conclude with Level 3 statements: End by suggesting how the insights impact the case’s direction. This could mean proposing next steps, exploring a deeper analysis, or finalizing the solution.