Advice for MBB interviews

Hi,

Find below the answers on your questions.

1) Drafting a MECE framework is very important. 

2) Try to do a real case mock interview in a very similar setting so you are used to the pressure. A coaching session can help you here.

3) Top down communication is a key skill that will be assessed during the interview (case and behavioural). Try to implement this approach in your daily life to make it a real habit.

4) Finishing a case is not the only indicator of passing an interview. As an interviewer, the approach is more important than reaching the exact outcome/solution.

5) I would solve 1-2 cases on a daily basis to improve and be concise in the framework drafting and top-down communication. A coaching session could help to simulate a real case. 

Let me know if you have further questions. Feel free to schedule a free intro call. Good luck with your preparation.

Mattijs

Hey there, happy to give you some hints on the questions:

1. How important is MECE in structure? How long can I take to write one?

Slight overlap is okay if your logic is clear and buckets aren’t redundant. E.g., “demand” and “profitability” can coexist if you differentiate them well.

60–90 seconds is standard to build structure, and my personal experience is that 2 minutes max if you ask for time.

2. How do I manage in-person interview anxiety?

• Breathe slowly before entering.

• Reframe: you’re not performing; you’re problem-solving with the interviewer.

• Say: “Let me take a moment to structure my thoughts” — it buys time and reduces pressure.

• Maintain light eye contact and stay curious — it grounds you.

3. How concise should I be? What if I haven’t finished my thinking yet?

Start high-level, then drill down. Try: “My hypothesis is X. I’d like to explore A and B to validate it.” If you need more time, just ask “May I take 30 seconds to wrap up this thought before I present?”

Practice short, structured thinking — don’t aim for perfect wording, just clarity.

4. Does not finishing the case = bad sign?

Not always. Some strong interviews wrap early.

BUT if they cut it short because they say you can’t finish — that’s usually not great.

Even if you don’t finish, showing clear, structured thinking and learning agility still leaves a good impression.

5. What should I focus on in the last 2 weeks?

Week 1: Sharpen structures, do mental math daily, and review your top fit stories.

Week 2: Full mocks, time yourself, and simulate interview conditions.

Practice starting strong and communicating in steps. Don’t over-drill, and make sure you take 1 rest day for mental clarity.

To your questions:

1. Very important. Structuring is a key capability that MBB recruiters assess, and MECE thinking is the norm.

2. That depends on what’s generating the anxiety. If it’s fear of the unknown, practice more and consider doing mock interviews at other firms first. If it’s about not feeling ready, identify your main areas of development and double down on them.

3. Communication is also crucial. Learning to communicate in a top-down manner, like MBB consultants, will immediately make your communication sharper and more impactful.

4. Interviewers assess whether you have the core skills for the job—sometimes even without finishing the case. Still, try to complete the case to show strong time management.

5. Book a session with an MBB consultant or coach to properly calibrate your focus for the final stretch.

Best,

Alberto

—

Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: Chic & Stitch - Fashion Market Expansion

1. What is CRITICAL is that each bucket is solving a different sub-problem, and that all the sub-problems taken together solve the case. If within a sub-problem you need to go over the same kind of information, that is fine. 

2. Just acknowledge some anxiety is normal. But you need to desensitize by practice with other people. Case preparation and interview simulation with coaches may help with that.

3. You will be concise if you communicate in an objective driven way. You have to start with the conclusion (i.e. the impact on the recommendation...), then the insights that inform the conclusion, and then specific the specific data that produced the insights. If you follow this you will be concise. This is top down communication. If you use bottom up communication starting with individual findings then you will not be concise (nor effective).

4. It is not a reliable sign. You can finish early because you are effective, because the case is long, because the interviewer has seen enough, or because you are taking forever to make any progress.

5. Get a good coach to do an assessment that can give you guided suggestions that are relevant to YOU.

Hello,

Let me address your questions one by one:

1. MECE and Structure:

MECE is important because it helps you think clearly and communicate in a way that’s easy for the interviewer to follow. That said, slight overlaps (like demand and profitability) aren’t a dealbreaker if your structure still shows logical thinking and covers the key drivers. Aim for clarity over perfection. As for timing, most firms expect you to present your structure within 1–2 minutes, so aim to sketch your framework within 60–90 seconds and be ready to walk through it crisply.

2. Handling Anxiety in In-Person Interviews:

A bit of anxiety is completely normal. The best antidote is muscle memory — run as many live cases as you can. Before the interview, take a few deep breaths, remind yourself of your preparation, and focus on treating the case as a collaborative problem-solving exercise, not a test. Also, don’t underestimate the power of body language — a calm posture helps calm your mind too.

3. Conciseness in Communication:

Being concise is important, especially in your structure and math. Think of it as “structured brevity.” To improve, practice synthesizing aloud after each part of your case — one takeaway sentence only. If you need more time to think or read, just say so — interviewers appreciate self-awareness more than rambling.

4. Finishing the Case:

It’s not always about finishing. Some interviewers stop early because they’ve already seen enough to make a decision — good or bad. If they end the case early with feedback like “I don’t think you’ll finish,” it can be a red flag — but not always. Focus on showing strong thinking and communication from the start, especially in the first 10 minutes.

5. Last 2 Weeks Prep Tips:

• Focus on quality over quantity: 1–2 well-reviewed cases per day are better than 4 rushed ones.

• Double down on weaknesses (e.g., structuring, math speed, synthesis).

• Use timers to practice time discipline during each case segment.

• Mock interviews with feedback are gold — especially with MBB coaches or peers who’ve landed offers.

• Keep a case journal — write down lessons and patterns you spot across cases.

Let me know if you want to schedule a quick mock or deep-dive on any area — happy to support you as you get closer to the big day!

Best,
David

To answer your questions:

1. How important is MECE in structure?

• I’d say it’s important — it shows clarity of thinking and the ability to organize information well.
• Spend 1–2 minutes max to draw out your structure.

2. How to navigate anxiety during an in-person interview?

• Anxiety usually crops up when I feel like I’m losing control, so I try to make things as easy as possible for myself.
• I write the question clearly on the top of every single page and highlight it, so when I’m done answering, I can clearly state my "So what?"
• I keep my fact page separate from my calculations and scribbles page, so when I need to reference something mentioned earlier in the case, I know exactly where to look instead of flipping through a bunch of pages.
• Ask for 30 seconds to collect your thoughts — that’s totally fine.
• Honestly, skip the coffee an hour before.

3. How concise should a candidate be in communication?

• If you find it tough, just stick to “I have three points.” You can break down almost anything into three points, even for creative questions where being concise can be hard.

4. Is finishing the case the real indicator of a good sign?

• It depends,  your interviewer might be in a rush. Honestly, don’t read too much into it or you’ll end up agonizing for no reason.

5. Any overall tips for the last two weeks of preparation?

• Eat well
• Sleep well
• Know your structures
• Know how to handle tricky math e.g. billions divided by fractions, millions multiplied by percentages, break-even in % and in units, etc. These trip people up, and it's such a preventable problem.
• When you’re casing with a friend, stay in character. Don’t break out of the case mid-way. Practice like it’s the real deal.

Hello there!

1. It is very important. There are some caveats depending on the case, but as a rule of thumb, you should practice to always be MECE.

2. In my experience: (1) Be prepared. No matter what you do, feeling underprepared is the #1 anxiety trigger and besides studying, there is nothing one can do to avoid it. (2) Meditation, deep breathing and positive self talk help a lot.

3. You can’t be long winded, you must be concise. Practice alone, record yourself and see what needs to be polished. A coach or experienced partner can help you a lot here by giving you guidance and examples on how to proceed.

4. It’s hard to say yes or no since it will depend on how you finished or not. For instance, it may be that you have engaged in a very interesting conversation with the interviewer that makes sense to the case and it has impacted the time limit to the interview. That’s one thing. Finishing a case with the wrong premises, being long winded, etc. is obviously worst.

5. Make sure you have no gaps that can prevent you from getting an offer: structure, math, stories for the behavioral interview, communication. If needed, hire a coach to make sure you have done your absolute best to get the offer.

If you would like to increase your chances to pass the interviews, I’m here for you. We can work together on a sound plan for the upcoming 2 weeks so that you cover any gaps and get the confidence needed. 
I offer a 20min free alignment call, feel free to DM me if interested! :)

Best,

Mari

Hey 😊,

These are such thoughtful questions—you're clearly preparing with care! Here’s some quick and honest advice for each point:

1. MECE in structure:
   Overlap like demand vs. profitability isn't fatal—just avoid obvious redundancy (e.g. “price” and “revenue” in separate buckets). Better to have complete and logical buckets than to force a rigid MECE for the sake of it. Aim to structure in 1–1.5 minutes, max 2 minutes if you say “Let me take a few seconds to structure my thoughts.”
2. Interview anxiety:
   Completely normal! Try to breathe slowly, ground yourself with a small ritual (e.g. write the case question again at the top of the page), and remind yourself: it’s a two-way conversation, not a test. Practicing in-person mock interviews helps a lot too. Want to do one together?
3. Concise communication:
   Aim to start with the headline, then explain your logic. You don’t need a polished answer to speak—talk through your thinking out loud. “I’m leaning toward X because of Y, but I want to quickly check Z” is totally okay and shows real-time thinking.
4. Not finishing the case:
   It’s not necessarily bad! What matters is how you think, not how fast. Sometimes they end early because they already saw enough to decide, good or bad. If they probe your thinking, challenge you, or let you drive—those are great signs.
5. Final 2-week prep tips:
   – Focus on structure drills + mental math daily
   – Practice 1 case/day with feedback
   – Don’t forget PEI/personal fit prep—it's 50% of the game
   – Get 1–2 mock interviews with someone who gives honest feedback 😊
   – Sleep well the last 2 days—you need a fresh brain more than cramming!

Let me know if you want to run a session together—I’d love to support you 🌟

Best,
Alessa 😇

Hi there,

1. Yes, being MECE is a key criterion, which you can achieve by breaking the framework down into a broad and deep analytical lense for the case

2. I have a free guide on that -> please reach out!

3. Very concise (top-down, high signal-to-noise, structured) -> also here, please reach out if needed. I have a free communication guide on that as well

4. It's a good sign if you can finish the case but not automatically an offer. On the other hand, if the interviewer cuts the case by 20 minutes, then it's definitely a bad sign (likely significant issues detected in the first few minutes of the case, which make the candidate "unhireable")

5. Please read below: 

• The key reason why candidates fail their case interviews and don't improve with practice is because they never learn the right approach and techniques to begin with. They might go through 30-40 cases, just repeating the same mistakes over and over again. There is often no strong baseline.

• Make sure you understand and learn the basics for each part of the case (structuring, charts, math), which is

  • A replicable step-by-step for each part of the case interview

  • The right thinking techniques around the individual parts (e.g., what's a framework, what is evaluated, how can I ensure I think about it the correct MECE way, what are some shortcuts to get to the answer quickly, etc.)

  • Simple communication templates to help you communicate your insights as well as ask for data in the right way to drive the case forward

• There are several approaches you can take, such as hiring a skilled coach, reading the right materials, or enrolling in relevant courses. For example, my book provides direct guidance tailored to modern case interviews. It covers all the essential points mentioned here, and more, while also offering a detailed preparation plan. You can find it on Amazon

• Avoid generic advice and framework memorization approaches. This will only hurt your performance and waste a ton of time (why -> check out the first post here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-goodrelevant-is-the-case-in-point-book-for-case-prep-1984)

• Once you have that baseline it's time to practice and internalize the skills to create the right profile, polishing your strengths and lifting your weaknesses to a robust-enough level

• Practice drills alone (structure, chart, math) and practice full cases with other excellent candidates that know the right habits and approach. It is crucial that you are practicing with really good peers, otherwise, it's a waste of time. Practicing drills on your own is a huge effectivity and efficiency booster since you can go over many more questions in a shorter amount of time compared to practicing with peers. Do both in parallel! You want to spend your time where it is most useful, e.g., if you struggle with math focus on math drills, etc.

• Focus on quality over quantity. Doing 50+ cases does not mean much if you are not applying the right habits to score high and do a detailed debrief after every case to improve. You want to move from bad to good for your weaknesses and good to great for your strengths --> use the feedback from your previous experience and tailor your prep accordingly

• Consider booking at least an initial coaching session to get a detailed and objective evaluation of your performance + learn the right habits for every case regardless of context and framework + get a tailored preparation plan out of the session that will set you up for an effective and efficient prep.

• Don't forget the fit interview part. Prepare answers for all the typical fit questions and stories (3-5 hours) and rehearse them a couple of times (5 hours)

All the best,

Florian