How to prepare a written case interview?

Hi,

I've uploaded some samples here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0

(ask me for a password)

The best way to prepare is the following:

1. Check if the calculator is allowed. So far it was. If not - you have to train mental math. I posted the main tips here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/tips-to-do-big-multiplications-in-my-mind-726#a1422
2. Prepare for a regular case interview - it helps a lot. Basically, prep lounge website is about it
3. Practice making slides. Look for publically available MBB presentations for reference. Good books are "Pyramid Principle" and "How to make it with charts"
4. Practice reading cases fast and prioritizing the information. I found useful two sources:

• Written cases you'll be able to find in google or in case books. I've seen a couple in "Vault Guide to the Case Interview" and "Insead Business Admission Test"
• Harvard cases - either buy or try to find online. You can find a couple of MIT cases here for free: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/Pages/Case-Studies.aspx Unfortunately free cases don't have the prep questions.

The appropriate structure for BCG written case is:

Slide 1: Context, Objective, Recommendations

Slide 2-4: Analysis (Usually 1 slide with a table, 1 slide with graphs and 1 slide with pros and cons)

Slide 5: Next steps or risks & mitigation

Good luck!

Hi,

I've uploaded some samples here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0

(message me for a password)

The best way to prepare is the following:

1. Check if the calculator is allowed. So far it was. If not - you have to train mental math. I posted the main tips here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/tips-to-do-big-multiplications-in-my-mind-726#a1422
2. Prepare for a regular case interview - it helps a lot. Basically, prep lounge website is about it
3. Practice making slides. Look for publically available MBB presentations for reference. Good books are "Pyramid Principle" and "How to make it with charts"
4. Practice reading cases fast and prioritizing the information. I found useful two sources:

• Written cases you'll be able to find in google or in case books. I've seen a couple in "Vault Guide to the Case Interview" and "Insead Business Admission Test"
• Harvard cases - either buy or try to find online. You can find a couple of MIT cases here for free: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/Pages/Case-Studies.aspx Unfortunately free cases don't have the prep questions.

The appropriate structure for BCG written case (although the logic applies to other companies as well):

Slide 1: Context, Objective, Recommendations

Slide 2-4: Analysis (Usually 1 slide with a table, 1 slide with graphs and 1 slide with pros and cons)

Slide 5: Next steps or risks & mitigation

Good luck!

Hi there,

You should practice in a different way as different skills are tested in a written case.

The options are:

1. Find someone that can send you the handout and can listen to your presentation and provide feedback
2. Find complete written cases with solutions
3. Get a coach

Here you can find more on the process to follow to improve:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/any-tips-for-writtenpresent-case-format-60min-prepare30min-present-at-director-level-3849

If you need more help with the preparation, please feel free to PM me.

Best,
Francesco

Hey there,

For the written case practice I'd recommend you to look at regular case interview samples (there is a ton here on PL) and then work through them on your own. Look at the prompt and core question you are trying to solve, then look at the data provided and work on your recommendation.

Follow these rules:

#1 Already have a plan when you go in for the written case

Since time is usually limited, you should have a plan on how long you want to spend on each task of the assignment beforehand. For practice, use 20 minutes for the analysis and 5 minutes for the recommendation communication. For the real case adapt accordingly based on the time budget provided.

#2 Focus – quickly separate crucial information from the noise

Written cases usually present you with an information overload that you need to sort out

#3 Graphs and charts – interpret and distill key insights from graphs and charts

Written cases bombard you with charts, graphs, tables, and other visual depictions of data that you should use to test your hypotheses. Learn how to quickly read and interpret them

#4 Math – quickly draft equations and conduct pen-and-paper math

Get into the habit of quickly setting up and simplifying calculations

#5 Storyline – draft a compelling storyline and tell it with visually appealing outputs

Create a top-down storyline of your recommendations. State your primary recommendation, then use supporting arguments to strengthen your position

#6 Presentation and defense – communicate and defend your recommendation top-down

If you have to present your findings at the end of the case, follow the top-down approach of your slide deck. Be confident and engaging when going through your recommendation and supporting arguments.

I have written in great detail about written case interviews in this free article here (including links to free prep cases from b-schools): https://strategycase.com/how-to-crack-written-case-interviews

All the best!

Cheers,

Florian

Hi,

case preparation will be the classical one with 2 additional points to focus on:

• 80-20 prioritization: quickly navigate an important amount of data to find what really matters to the case resolution;
• Executive summary: develop 1-2 pages to present that sum-up the problem and your recommendations.

I have a couple of well done written cases, feel free to text me for sharing.

Best,

Antonello

Hello!

To add on top of what has been said before, search in this same Q&A for "written cases" and you will find plenty of examples - this honestly does not change in some months, hence they are all perfectly current-. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi there, 

You need to change your approach a little when doing a written case, even if practicing casesout loud with partners still makes a difference.

Feel free to contact me if you need support, I've coached many candidates for this type of cases. 

Cheers, 

GB

Hey, feel free to message if you want some tailor made written cases for practices. I have helped some candidates recently be succesful for BIG4 written case interview.

Best thing to do would be to practice with a partner or coach.

Hi Anonymous,

I would recommend you to focus on 5 areas to crack a presentation/written case; I have reported them below with some suggestions on how to prepare for each of them

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time. Assuming 60 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

• initial quick reading – 5-10 min
• structure the approach – 5 min
• make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 35-40 min
• final review – 10 min

You should then practice to stick to the time allocated, in order to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You will normally have to analyse graphs in a written case. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online resources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs could be a good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You will not have time to read and prioritize everything, so you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones, and practice on reducing the time needed to absorb the key information that can answer a defined question. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will normally have math to do in a written case. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers

You may have to present your findings at the end of the case. I would apply the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:

1. Sum up the main questions you have to answer
2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, it could make sense to clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

When you have to prepare slides, quoting a previous answer I would also recommend to work on

A) structure the order of the slides

Normally the structure for a 5-slide presentation is the following:

• First slide sums up the question and provides the answer
• Second, third and fourth slide have the supporting arguments for the first slide
• Fifth slide has the next steps

B) structure the content of each slide

There are three basic components for slides:

1. Title
2. Chart or data
3. Label for chart

Many people structure the title as the mere description of what the chart is telling. A great title, instead tells the implication of the graph. Eg say the graph is showing a cost structure for a division. A bad title would be: Cost structure from 2005 to 2015. A good title would be: Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable”. A great title would be Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable due to ABC, assuming you have insides on the cause. The rule of thumb for the title is that if you read all the titles of the slides together you should get a clear idea of what is going on.

C) present the slides

When you present, I would suggest the following steps for each slide:

1. Introduce the slide: “Let’s move to slide 2, which will show us why we have an issue with this division”
2. Present the main message of the slide: “As you can see, we have a cost structure which makes for us not feasible to be competitive in this market”
3. Provide details: “The graph, indeed, shows how our fix cost is XYZ, while competitors can benefit from economies of scale. Indeed…”

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hello!

Agree with Antonello´s point. 

It´s the same kind of thing, but the added difficulty is to process a huge amount of data (relevant & irrelevant) and pages in little time.

Is something that needs prep not to get lost in the detail and be able to be 80-20 in the approach to finish on time. 

Good luck!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi there,

It's unfortunate because there really aren't many practice cases out there :/

That said, I have a number I'd be more than happy to share with you! What I generally do with my candidates is, give them a written case x hours before our scheduled session (adjust # of hours based on the specific interview they're going to have), and then review their work during the session (as well as talk through tips+tricks to get better).

Let me know if you're interested!

Hi June,

as for a previous post I wrote, I would recommend you to focus on 5 areas to crack a written case; I have reported them below with some suggestions on how to prepare for each of them.

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time. Assuming 60 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

• initial quick reading – 5-10 min
• structure the approach – 5 min
• make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 35-40 min
• final review – 10 min

You should then practice to stick to the time allocated, in order to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You will normally have to analyse graphs in a written case. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online resources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs could be a good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You will not have time to read and prioritize everything, so you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones, and practice on reducing the time needed to absorb the key information that can answer a defined question. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will normally have math to do in a written case. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers (if required)

You may have to present your findings at the end of the case. I would apply the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:

1. Sum up the main questions you have to answer
2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, it could make sense to clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

Riccardo and Norah also provided some information at the link below, specifically for presentation interviews:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/presentation-interview-case-702

If you want to provide some more information on the specific written case interesting for you, we may bring some additional feedback.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

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

Hi Anonymous,

that is an excellent question. A few comments from my side:

In general, there are two types of presentations: "Answer first" and "Answer last".

• AF presentations lead with the answer / hypothesis and then add a bunch of material that supports the initially made statement.
• AL first provide a bunch of material (results of analyses, research, blabla) that then logically lead to a final conclusion.

Both types of presentation have their merits and are appropriate in different situations.

As you have probably guessed by now, the Answer First presentation is better suited for interview situation. The main reason is that you will be hard pressed for time. So it is essential to at least get your key message accross. Not good if you present tons of good analysis and then have to rush through the conclusion.

So the structure you are proposing is entirely correct. Regarding the process, I suggest the following:

1. Skim through the presented material quickly - on a 30 mins case 5 minutes max. Make sure to immediately write down key points of information (and the page you found them on!) to not waste time searching for them later on . Also important: Probably 90% of the material will not be relevant for the question at hand. This is also an exercise to see if you can focus and distinguish the important from the unimportant.
2. Then immediately formulate your hypothesis on the question.
3. Now come up with your line of argumentation / framework and design rough slides on paper once you have that nailed down. Then fill in the relevant data. 
4. Adding a framework slide makes sense if you intend to walk the interviewer through a framework. But, to be honest, in 30 mins you most likely will not have time for that. If there is an obvious framework to pick and you see that you will not have time for the entire framework, mention the framework and then say that you will limit your presentation to whatever makes most sense (2 of the 5 forces, only the "new customers" area of the Ansoff matrix, only the cost branches of a value driver tree, etc...). If you make this transparent and show that you are aware that you are not covering the entire framework, you should be ok.
5. Do not try to come up with a new comprehensive framework on your own. You will get killed on time. If no framework with a good fit comes to mind, just use the arguments you have and present them in a structured manner (most important first)

One more comment on timing: Unless you are a slide-drawing wizard and have done a TON of presentations, you will have a hard time coming up with 4-5 meaningful (and legible) slides in 5 minutes. So do not allocate time at the end, coming up short. Rather once you have settled on a structure, immediately start in building the slides.

Hope that helps,

Elias

Hi Anonymous,

please have a look at the following great article on Preplounge:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/bootcamp.php/interview-first-aid/master-the-problem-solving-test/written-tests-such-as-the-psts

This gives you a good overview on what is the purpose and the main focus areas of written cases at consultancies. The best form to prepare is obviously to do as many practice cases as you can possibly do. As with the "normal" case interviews, it is a mechanical skill and muscle that needs to be built with practice.

Cheers, Sidi

Hi there, 

Comparing written case to the usual case interview, the fundamentals of problem solving would be the same. The conversation happens after your presentation during the Q&A (or sometimes during presentation if the interviewers choose to ask questions earlier). Somewhat different format, but the same thing essentially. 

But given the different format, I would suggest:

(1) Be selective, and don't try to read everything. You don't have time for that. Read with the questions in mind - "would this info support or counter the hyphothesis/recommendation", "how can this info be leveraged to produce the output". For those pages that are not useful, put them aside to save you time

(2) Try to do at least 1-2 practices beforehand to get used to the time pressure and get a feel of how much time you should spend on reading, doing math, and actually drafting the slides. In reality time flies during the written case, so you need to spend it wisely. 

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions. 

Cheers,

Emily

To answer June's comment to the previous post, this is what I found could improve quick reading. Besides that, there are multiple other elements one could consider; however, in my experience the following are those that can cover 80% of the improvement:

1. Start with the end in mind. Don’t just think about absorbing everything you are going to read (this is normally impossible). Rather, spend some time to identify what are the key questions and which information you have to look for. This will allow you to skim through the text till when you identify an answer to those questions.
2. Be mentally focused. It is very easy to read something and get distracted by other thoughts. Once you have define the target information to identify and the allocation of time you want to dedicate to skimming the case, just focus 100% on the reading. Don’t rethink what you are doing, or you will find yourself reading far slower at the end. The Pomodoro technique works great to train on this point, also for tasks different from reading.
3. Use a ruler/finger to push you to a certain speed level. This will force you to maintain a certain speed constantly, thus increasing your overall speed.
4. Highlight/take notes of relevant parts. Once you have identified the part with the key information, be sure to highlight the relevant areas, so that if you have to use it later you don’t have to lose time looking for such information again.

Best,

Francesco

Hi Anonymous,

as for a previous answer I provided on written tests, this is what I would suggest you to focus on:

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time. Assuming 60 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

• initial quick reading – 5-10 min
• structure the approach – 5 min
• make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 35-40 min
• final review – 10 min

You should then practice to stick to the time allocated, in order to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You will normally have to analyse graphs in a written case. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online resources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs could be a good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You will not have time to read and prioritize everything, so you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones, and practice on reducing the time needed to absorb the key information that can answer a defined question. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will normally have math to do in a written case. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers

You may have to present your findings at the end of the case. I would apply the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:

1. Sum up the main questions you have to answer
2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, it could make sense to clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

Riccardo and Norah also provided some information at the link below, specifically for presentation interviews:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/presentation-interview-case-702

For more information on quick reading you can check the second post at the following link:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/written-case-712

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi,

Here I've uploaded some written case samples (PM me for a password):

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0

The best way to prepare is the following:

1. Check if the calculator is allowed. So far it was. If not - you have to train mental math. I posted the main tips here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/tips-to-do-big-multiplications-in-my-mind-726#a1422
2. Prepare for a regular case interview - it helps a lot. Basically, prep lounge website is about it
3. Practice reading cases fast and prioritizing the information. I found useful two sources:

• Written cases you'll be able to find in google or in case books. I've seen a couple in "Vault Guide to the Case Interview" and "Insead Business Admission Test"
• Harvard cases - either buy or try to find online. You can find a couple of MIT cases here for free: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/Pages/Case-Studies.aspx Unfortunately free cases don't have the prep questions.

Good luck!

Hello!

Agree wtih Antonello, the competencies that are tested in these "written czases" are basically the same. The key part is the ability to manage your time and to handle the large amount of information that you have, and organize it in a 80-20 way.

You can find examples on the website of tMBBs.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hello there,

Adding to the comprehensive answers already given, for written cases, usually what is tested is the candidate's ability to shift through the abundant information given within a short time frame and able to organize it in a structured way, pulling out relevant insights using 80/20 rule.

One helpful tips for typical trick in this form of test is do not forget to look at the footnotes.
Sometimes, the relevant insight required does not located within the graphic or the primary content of the slide itself, but actually on the footnote.

This actually simulates real situation at consulting work, where at your early days in a project, there will be lots of documents to shift through and "get up to speed". In parallel, you will start meeting with you client counterpart who will expect some sort of familiarity with the topic at hand. Hence the time constraints.

Hope it helps.

Kind regards,
Nathan

Hi,

case preparation will be the classical one with 2 additional points to focus on:

• 80-20 prioritization: quickly navigate an important amount of data to find what really matters to the case resolution;
• Executive summary: develop 1-2 pages to present that sum-up the problem and your recommendations.

I have a couple of well done written cases, feel free to text me for sharing.

Best,

Antonello

I'd say four things for a presentation case:

1) Having a strong framework and structure to hang your argument on is the key for a presentation case. This is the same idea as for a verbal one, but as you're giving a longer monologue, it's easier for people to get lost. For OW, we had some profitability case, and so a number of people mapped out the profit chain and evaluated each bucket individually. Other people sketched out slides on paper ahead of time and brought them in.

2) Talking for a while. This is underrated, but simply going off for a while, if you're not used to public speaking, can be tough. This reinforces the importance of 1), where if you've sign-posted your talk for yourself well, you'll be able to go back to your key messages and keep calm. Similarly, they might interject and try to trip you up, so be ready for that, and ensure you're able to keep your place in your presentation.

3) Additional areas of analysis. If you've more time to think about how to solve the case, then you're expected to say more. I'd think about adding a couple points around data availability (e.g. how would you find the data needed to add this question, be it customer WTP or some random market size), resourcing (how many consultants, partners, and weeks do I need to solve this), and spend a bit more time on risks. But, this is a matter of prioritization, so depending on time might be things to keep in your back pocket in case they ask, rather than the focus of the whole presentation.

Honestly some TED talks might be a good place to look to see people crush out complex ideas in a small amount of time, or debates.

Happy to discuss more - I used to judge the OW presentation case portion.

Hi,

I've uploaded some samples here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0

(Message me for a password)

The best way to prepare is the following:

1. Check if the calculator is allowed. So far it was. If not - you have to train mental math. I posted the main tips here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/tips-to-do-big-multiplications-in-my-mind-726#a1422
2. Prepare for a regular case interview - it helps a lot. Basically, prep lounge website is about it
3. Practice making slides. Look for publically available MBB presentations for reference. Good books are "Pyramid Principle" and "How to make it with charts"
4. Practice reading cases fast and prioritizing the information. I found useful two sources:

• Written cases you'll be able to find in google or in case books. I've seen a couple in "Vault Guide to the Case Interview" and "Insead Business Admission Test"
• Harvard cases - either buy or try to find online. You can find a couple of MIT cases here for free: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/LearningEdge/Pages/Case-Studies.aspx Unfortunately free cases don't have the prep questions.

The appropriate structure for BCG written case is:

Slide 1: Context, Objective, Recommendations

Slide 2-4: Analysis (Usually 1 slide with a table, 1 slide with graphs and 1 slide with pros and cons)

Slide 5: Next steps or risks & mitigation

Good luck!

Hi,

Just to add to the rest, focus focus focus.

1) Quickly write down a) Key asks/needs and b) Key insights/context from the prompt

2) Quickly scan through the provided exihibits (i.e. title, quick chart understanding) and eliminate ones that aren't needed

3) In the subset, identify which tell your story the best...adjust as needed, but you should come up with the 3-4 things you need to state ASAP

This is all about taking a ton of information in a short amount of time, and determining what is most relevant.

Hello,

During written case you are usually provided with a pack of 20-30 slides that you need to analyse to answer questions using 4-5 slides and present them to your interviewer

In order to crack the interview you should consider the following points:

• Define a plan of action according to the time given: one of the most important aspect of these cases is the ability to manage your time. You should consider the following steps: Initial reading, decide the approach, analysis, slides and final review.
• Train quick reading skills and maths: there are a lot of good sources online, even the GMAT integrated reasoning section could be good.
• Train slide-making skills: this is a crucial part because, as consultant, slides are your most important communication tool. Be aware that there are some "golden rules" that you have to consider for making slides as a consultat. You can find something online but feel free to contact me for a quick analysis.
• Learn how to present slides in an effective and professional way

You can find some good examples of written cases online, but I could forward you what I have. Contact me if you are interested.

Luca

Hi A,

I have pleanty of written cases - feel free to reach out.

Best,

André

Hi,
case preparation will be the classical one with 2 additional points to focus on:

• 80-20 prioritization: quickly navigate an important amount of data to find what really matters to the case resolution;
• Executive summary: develop 1-2 pages to present that sum-up the problem and your recommendations.

I have a couple of well done written cases, feel free to text me for sharing.

Best,
Antonello
 

Hello,

The competencies that are tested are the same. The critical part with the written case is the ability to manage your time and to handle the large amount of information that you have.

You can find good examples also on the website of the major consulting firms.

Feel free to contact me if you want some suggestions on this.
Best,
Luca

Hi Anonymous,

I would recommend to focus on 5 areas to crack a written case; I have reported them below with some suggestions on how to prepare for each of them:

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time. Assuming 60 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

• initial quick reading – 10-20 min (this may depend on the amount of material)
• structure the approach – 5 min
• make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 25-35 min
• final review – 10 min

You should then practice to stick to the time allocated, in order to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You will normally have to analyse graphs in a written case. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online resources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs could be good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You will not have time to read and prioritize everything, so you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones, and practice on reducing the time needed to absorb the key information that can answer a defined question. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will normally have some math to do in a written case. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers

If you have to present your findings at the end of the case, I would apply here the same structures of final sum up in a live interview case, that is:

1. Sum up the main questions you have to answer
2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double check hypothesis with the interviewer as in the live case before the presentation, you should clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

When you have to prepare slides I would also recommend to work on:

A) structure the order of the slides

Normally the structure for a 5-slide presentation is the following:

• First slide sums up the question and provides the answer
• Second, third and fourth slide have the supporting arguments for the first slide
• Fifth slide has the next steps

B) structure the content of each slide

There are three basic components for slides:

1. Title
2. Chart or data
3. Label for chart

Many people structure the title as the mere description of what the chart is telling. A great title, instead tells the implication of the graph. Eg say the graph is showing a cost structure for a division. A bad title would be: Cost structure from 2005 to 2015. A good title would be: Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable”. A great title would be Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable due to ABC, assuming you have insides on the cause. The rule of thumb for the title is that if you read all the titles of the slides together you should get a clear idea of what is going on.

C) present the slides

When you present, I would suggest the following steps for each slide:

1. Introduce the slide: “Let’s move to slide 2, which will show us why we have an issue with this division”
2. Present the main message of the slide: “As you can see, we have a cost structure which makes for us not feasible to be competitive in this market”
3. Provide details: “The graph, indeed, shows how our fix cost is XYZ, while competitors can benefit from economies of scale. Indeed…”

Hope this helps,

Francesco

It does depend on the firm but generally speaking it is driven by the following:

+ Allow the candidate to think through the case in advance where the case intro does not need to be read out by the interviewer 

+ Assess how a candidate sifts through large amounts of information in a short time and picks up on the key insights 

+ Expect the structuring to be more targeted based on the provided information than a purely hypothesis-driven and first principles approach 

I wouldn't worry too much about it where I would prepare by practicing to read through the case intro quickly (I assume you are already doing this) and reading through lots of exhibits so that you are able to pick up on key insights quickly.

Good luck!

Hi Justin,

If you think about it, the skills they're testing the are the same!

As in, can the candidate quickly figure an approach from solving a complicated/vague problem, figure out what matters (and what doesn't), pull out key insights that support the answer, and clearly + concisely communicate their view/findings?

So, the same principles apply! As in:

1. Be super super clear on the objective. Focus on this at all times.
2. Figure out what are the key pieces of information that will lead to answering the objective....i.e. what key levers/decisions
3. Ruthlessly cut out any information that doesn't help and figure out which information does (to do this, skim all the materials quickly first...quickly identify what each exhibit is showing, and which don't matter)
4. Grab your insights from the data provided
5. Form a clear recommendation w/ supporting info

Just like a live case!

Hello!

Skillset needed is the same. 

However, look for the keywords "written case" in this Q&A, since you will find supr insightful threads with examples and hints. 

Best, 

Clara

Hi Justin,

The way you will approach the case is the same as you have been learning & practicising.

Its not a memory test, but take good notes while reading the case. Jot down key numbers and watch out for decoy information. 

Otherwise, no need to do anything different. Follow the interviewers lead (if interviewer led) otherwise run the show.

Good luck.

Hi Justin,

It depends on the material they will send you. Usually, the key areas to prepare are the following.

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time.

Assuming 15 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

• initial quick reading – 2-3 min (this may depend on the amount of material)
• structure the approach – 1-2 min
• make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 10-12 min
• final review – 1-2 min

You should practice to stick to the time allocated to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You may have to analyse graphs as part of the data provided. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online sources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs are good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You won’t have time to read and prioritize everything, therefore you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones. You should then learn to absorb the key information of the case. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will probably have some math to do as part of the data analysis. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers

When you have to present your findings in the second part, I would suggest the same structure used for a conclusion in a live interview, that is:

1. Summarize the main questions you have to answer
2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double-check hypotheses with the interviewer while you prepare the presentation, you should clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

If you have to prepare slides I would also recommend to work on:

A) structure the order of the slides

Normally the structure for a 5-slide presentation is the following:

• First slide summarizes the question and provides the answer
• Second, third and fourth slide have the supporting arguments for the first slide
• Fifth slide has the next steps

B) structure the content of each slide

There are three basic components for slides:

1. Title
2. Chart or data
3. Label for chart

Many people structure the title as the mere description of what the chart is about.

A great title instead shows the implication of the graph as well.

Example: say the graph is showing a cost structure for a division.

• A bad title would be: Cost structure from 2005 to 2015.
• A good title would be: Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable”.
• A great title would be Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable due to ABC, assuming you have insides on the cause.

The rule of thumb for the title is that if you read all the titles of the slides together you should get a clear idea of what is going on.

C) present the slides

When you present, I would suggest the following steps for each slide:

1. Introduce the slide: “Let’s move to slide 2, which will show us why we have an issue with this division”
2. Present the main message of the slide: “As you can see, we have a cost structure which makes unfeasible to be competitive in this market”
3. Provide details: “The graph, indeed, shows how our fix cost is XYZ, while competitors can benefit from economies of scale. Indeed…”

In terms of how to prepare, I do a session exactly on that.

Before the session, I can send you the data source to work on. We can then simulate the panel during the class, reviewing step-by-step all the improvements needed.

Please feel free to send me a message in case you have any questions.

Best,

Francesco

Hello,

I have some examples that you may use to practice with written cases. Feel free to text me.

Best,
Luca

Hello!

Written case interviews are indeed becoming very fashionable nowadays as a way to interview!

Remember that the skillset tested is the same than in the "usual" cases, hence, all the practice you may have done totally plays in your favor. 

One important point to add is the need to be very 80-20, structured and to the point, since the prep time is very short, so we need discipline with the analysis to have enaugh time to prep the communication strategy. 

There are many many entries in thsi same Q&A regarding written cases, hence, I would recommend you to look with the keywords "written case"

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara