How many clarifying questions?

Question

Hello,

How many clarifying questions are appropriate? I normally ask around 5 clarification questions after the prompt.

I use a list of questions like: what is the firm like? What recommendation are we looking for? What is the time horizon? Do we have any budget constraints? Do we have any other objectives etc.

Answer 1

Hi there,

It's hard to give an exact number, but I would say 5 tends to be the top of the range. 3 questions would typically be bang in the middle of what I've experienced.

Much more important than number of questions (unless it's an extreme number like 0 or 10) is the type of questions.

Avoid generic question that feel like they are asked for the sake of asking.

My go to recommendation is to ask questions that would truly truly help you understand how that business / market works. Essentially how do they make money, what matters for them >> obviously these are not how you would ask your questions, but hints on what you are after.

I don't know if the list of questions you gave as example is an actual list you apply every time (I would strongly suggest you don't do that anymore) or just same various examples across more ases.

One last tip: don't ask questions that you think would impress the interviewer, you will not be assessed based on the questions you asked. Use the change to understand what the case is really about instead.

Hope this helps,

Ariadna

Answer 2

Let me be very clear about this: you are approaching this mechanically and starting the cases with the wrong foot.

Case preparation is not about memorizing a process, a list of questions, a set of frameworks, etc. It is about showing how you think. If you approach the case with a memorized list of questions you are not showing how you think, instead you are suggesting that when facing a tough question you avoid thinking and would rather use a checklist.

Going through your questions…

What is the firm like?
- Interviewer answer: What do you want to know about the firm? (i.e., you are being generic and your question is not clear)
What recommendation are we looking for?
- Interviewer answer: *repeats client's question* and asks if you have any specific questions about the objective
What is the time horizon?
- Interviewer answer: *provides random number of years*, having zero impact in your answer.
- Tough interviewer reply: how will the number of years impact your approach?
Do we have any budget constraints?
- Interviewer answer: No (and thinks: if I had a constraint why would I be hiding that from you?)
Do we have any other objectives
- Interviewer answer: Yes, I stated a $100M revenue target but of course and this to be profitable. Or no (and thinks: if I had a constraint why would I be hiding that from you?)

So how much clarity did you get out of the 5 questions? Absolutely none, right?

So let's get the definitions right.

Clarifying questions are about making sure you

understand the context,
understand technical terms
understand the scope (e.g. “are we trying to improve this product profitability or the company profitability?”; “when you suggest growth is it just organic growth or are we considering other possibilities?”)
clearly define the case objective (when you ask about go vs. no-go regarding entering this market… what is the objective - revenue, margin %, profit, …?)

Answer 3

Hi there,

you have to ask the kind of questions that actually help you clarify the situation (if you need more clarity) so you can start developing your approach. Definitely make sure you understand the objective of the case and confirm whether it is the only objective. Also clarify any words, business terms or parameters that you don't understand.

A question such as “what is the firm like” is not a good question at this stage. More often than not, you'd just be wasting time with such a high and wide ask and you'd give the interviewer the impression that you are fishing without a clear idea. If it matters throughout the case, you can explore that further around specific areas down the line.

Best

Answer 4

Hi there,

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

The appropriate number of clarifying questions is that which is necessary to gain a clearer understanding of the client situation. While you should not extend this case study phase beyond what is absolutely necessary, there is no point in not clarifying the situation for the sake of any number.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

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

Best,

Hagen

Answer 5

There's no specific number.

Nor is there an expectation that you should ask questions.

Nor is there a number of ‘points’ assigned to the fact that you ask questions.

You should only ask questions at the beginning of a case for two reasons.

1. Because you actually need to clarify something. You didn't understand what the interviewer said and want to ensure you get it right.

2. Because you have a hunch / emerging hypothesis and that question will help you strengthen it.

But basically, you should never ask questions just for the sake of it. It's a flag already to the interviewer if you do that.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 6

Hi there,

There is no rule. Rather think about the time it takes to ask these questions and the time it takes away from thinking and communicating your insights later during the case.

I'd not spend more than 2-3 minutes on the prompt and questions.

As for the questions:

Specific objective and scope?
Timeline?
Business model? (if you are not familiar with the industry/product/service)
Explain terms or concepts you are not familiar with

Cheers,

Florian