The best casebooks, in which cases are closer to real cases.

While I agree with Guennal, there are obviously far better resources than others. Some MBA books specifically think that what makes a case hard is loads of math and complex calculations (e.g. NPV) where this will rarely be true in actual interviews, especially at pre-MBA level.

My favourite resources for cases when I was applying were (you should be able to find 2 & 3 quite easily with a google search, if not message me and I can send them to you):

1) Company websites: McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Oliver Wyman, etc. all have excellent examples of cases online. These are useful as they come straight from the source and are generally a good indication of how cases at a specific company are structured

2) ESADE business school case book: This book provides some excellent tips and then dives into some great beginner/intermediate cases. In the second half of cases in the book there is a drop in quality, but it was still one of my favourite resources when practicing.

3) MIT Sloan 2011 casebook: In my opinion the best case book released by a business school I have seen. Excellent cases of ranging difficulty from actual companies, which most closely resemble actual cases you will receive while interviewing.

The BCG website has practise cases; most school consulting clubs also have books of prior cases. PrepLounge has a lot of material. Last but not least - obviously the former consultants here also have cases as well.

Ultimately though, it doesn't really matter: if you know how to crack a case, you know how to crack them all. This is why some people dont get a single offer, while others get them all.  I suggest you focus on learning the basics (mechanics), no matter what company you will apply to.

Agree with Guennael.

I started with Case in Point years ago which was a good start. I spent a lot of time reading multiple books after this but found that while it's a good start, the absolute best way to improve is to just do. Reading lots of cases isn't as helpful if it isn't paired with the practice bit.

Chalking up lots of case experience and being deliberate in improving and laddering your skills will help build those case skills down to muscle memory. I have many of the casebooks mentioned but I never read them -- much rather have the case given to me by a case partner before reviewing it after. Actual / real cases I have received can be as simple as "I want to start a ramen shop. Should I? Where do I start?" to quite complex one with tricky business logic.

Hi Anonymous A,

thanks for asking your question on our Consulting Q&A!

On PrepLounge, you can find real company cases in our Case Library. All the cases with the company's logo on the right next to the heading are cases from the respective firm and are used in real case interviews. You can filter those cases by selecting "Real Case" on the left of the case list.

If you go through our Bootcamp and start practising cases with other candidates or experts, you will not need any casebooks - as Gabriel explained perfectly.

All the best for the rest of your case prep!

Astrid

PrepLounge Community Management

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