Are written cases and structured case interviews the same thing?

Question

I recently came across the terms unstructured and structured case interviews.

The “structured” one seems like a written case to me. Is this correct or is this another category again?

Answer 1

Hi there,

You're a bit mixed up but that's ok :)

Live Cases - 30 minutes, conducted live, with a few charts/exhibits/data

Type 1 - Structured. As in, there is a clear path to the case (it is written down…like the ones you see on preplounge)
Type 2 - Unstructured. The interviewer sort of just talks off the cuff, let's the case flow naturally, and asks a lot of brainstorming questions

Style 1 - Candidate-led. You have to drive the case
Style 2 - Interviewer-led. They will “tell” you what to do

Written Cases - Some as short as 1 hour, some as long as 48 hours. You are provided written material, generally 5+ exhibits/charts. You need to create a written response i.e. a presentation generally in powerpoint.

Skills needed/concepts tested are essentially the same, but the format/style is very different!

Make sense?

Answer 2

Hi there,

This is a terminology some firms use and it could have a different meaning according to the firm. For example, I helped a candidate that had to go through a Strategy& interview and he got the following:

Unstructured: normal case interviews
Structure: 10 min to read some info, then 40 min discussion

I know other firms use the terminology with a different meaning though.

All in all, I would recommend to clarify with HR.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 3

Hi there,

in addition to the other comments, find below some example cases that are also suitable for the written case format:

https://www.preplounge.com/de/case-sammlung/candidate-led-ueblicher-stil/schwierig/business-strategy-home-delivery-solution-for-retailer-chain-332?lang=en

https://www.preplounge.com/de/case-sammlung/candidate-led-ueblicher-stil/anfaenger/options-evaluation-profitability-of-brewing-company-startup-327?lang=en

Best

Answer 4

Hello,

It might depend as various companies use different terminology, but generally the structured and unstructured cases are traditional interviews (i.e. not written).

A structured case generally has more structure regarding the time and a pre-determined set of questions you are expected to cover with the interviewer. So instead of jumping around, the interviewer will guide you to focus on particular questions.

An unstructured case, like the name suggests, is generally more free-flowing - there is a solution to the case, but there are no specific markers on how best to get there. These tend to be more candidate-driven.

Written cases by nature tend to be more structured since you're not having a dialogue with an interviewer and you might be asked to solve specific questions.

Answer 5

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