Bain case interview format ACI (DACH) 2024

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the (supposed) invitation from Bain!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, I would highly advise you not to overestimate the difference between interviewer-led and interviewee-led case studies, because the only difference is that once you have made a suggestion on the next steps (e.g. after the initial structure or after solving a quantitative question), you give the interviewer time to respond to your suggestion, which they will then either follow or not. I have seen far too often the misconception that in interviewer-led case studies you don't need to show case leadership.
• Moreover, Bain case interviews are generally conducted in an interviewee-led style, although this may vary slightly from interviewer to interviewer.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

You can find the DACH consulting salaries report 2024 here!

Hi! 

Well, for some reason, people always obsess about candidate-led vs. interviewer-led, but there is no such thing as a pure "candidate-led structure" or "interviewer-led structure". It simply does not exist!

• Firstly, firms will conduct cases on a spectrum between both extremes, and there will almost never be a "pure style". 
• Second, your structure is completely independent on whether the interviewer is leading throughout the case or not! 
• Moreover, learning how to address and navigate cases MUST be done in a candidate-led way. There is no way you can learn how to properly deal with cases in a purely interviewer- led style! Once you master this, then interviewer-led cases are actually easier, since a major element (i.e., prioritization of scrutinized analyses) is mostly taken over by the interviewer

So, to answer your question: it does NOT matter whether your interview at Bain will be more “candidate-led” or “interviewer-led”, because your structure is completely independent from this. 

You will still HAVE to build your case solving muscle in the candidate-led way - learning how to rigorously approach the question, narrow it down to its answer, criterion, breaking down the criterion, and running the required analyses to test the criterion. 

Once you master this, solving interviewer-led cases in the McKinsey style is not a problem anymore and, in fact, much much easier!

Cheers, Sidi 

___________________

Dr. Sidi S. Koné

Former Senior Engagement Manager & Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant at BCG | Co-Founder of The MBB Offer Machine™
 

Hi there,

Imagine 2 interviewers who are tasked with testing candidate on the same case. Interviewer A might want to test the candidate on very specific skills to ensure he/she can confidently grade the candidate on all tested dimensions. Inteviewer B might ask the case question and remain more passive from there, just answering questions and otherwise seeing where you take it.

Takeaway: It depends on the interviewer. Prepare for the candidate-led format, since you will have no problem adapting to more of an interviewer-led style. Even if it is interviewer-led, always try leading with hypotheses and next steps.

Hope that helps!

Best,

Gero

Please do understand that this still depends a lot on the interviewer.

In 2012 I interviewed with Bain. One of the cases was candidate led; the other was interviewer led. This means you have to prepared for both situations. 

Also please do understand that very frequently what you get is a “soft” interviewer led, i.e., they'll give you the feeling of leading the case, but then they'll ask very specific questions at some point in time. It will feel candidate led, but it will still be interviewer led.

Hi there,

there is no definite answer that you'd be able to take to the bank. It depends on the interviewer and on the case you will end up getting.

However, if you are able to do the candidate-led format, I would argue that switching to interviewer-led will not come as a big challenge. Whereas the opposite might be trickier if you haven't practiced driving a case forward on your own.

Best of luck

Regardless of the interview format (candidate or interviewer-led), 90% of interview skills you need are the same:

• Clear and MECE framework / structure
• Ability to read charts and get insights
• Comfort with math, including structuring an approach, running operations and getting conclusions
• Strong communication skills and presence
• Good case synthesis

Practice for candidate-led. That requires an additional skill which is case leadership. For the rest you should be covered in an interviewer-led case.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

Hi there,

The Bain interview format for most offices at the moment:

First round (3 interviews)

1. Pure Fit Interview with a focus on scenario questions (if ABC happened, what would you do?)
2. Pure Market Sizing Interview
3. Case Interview (candidate or interviewer-led depends on interviewer)

Second round (2 interviews)

1. A mix of everything/interviewer's discretion
2. A mix of everything/interviewer's discretion

All the best,

Florian

Ask the recruiter.

I'm 80% sure it's candidate led, but it's still best to ask the recruiter to be certain. 

They sometimes change the formats for different programs in different geographies, so there's no way of knowing for sure unless you ask those who set the rules. 

Best,
Cristian