Visa VCA team - 1 week take home case study

Question

hi Everyone,

I just received my a take-home case study from Visa Consulting and Analytics team to prepare for the next week. Does anyone have experience with this and could give me some tips on what analyses I should include and how I can maximise my chances?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Hey!

The take-home case study typically focuses on payments, transaction data analysis, and strategic recommendations for banks or merchants. Since you have a week, structure your approach efficiently:

I would probably do it like that:

Understand the Business Problem – Identify the key challenge (e.g., declining transactions, customer retention, portfolio optimization) and break it into manageable parts.
Perform Data Analysis – If given data, focus on trend analysis, segmentation, revenue impact, and key performance indicators (e.g., transaction volume, average ticket size, churn rate).
Market & Competitive Insights – Consider industry benchmarks, payment trends, and customer behaviors.
Strategic Recommendations – Offer data-backed insights with clear, actionable solutions (e.g., loyalty programs, pricing adjustments, partnerships).
Structured Slide Deck – Keep slides clear, visual, and to the point. A good flow: Problem Statement → Key Insights → Data Analysis → Recommendations → Impact & Next Steps.

From my experience with other mentees, Visa values data-driven decision-making and clarity, so ensure your analysis is well-supported and conclusions are practical, with measurable outcomes. Let me know if you’d like a second pair of eyes on your work! 😊

Alessa

Answer 2

Hi there,

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

Can you please share what the written case study is about and what information was provided to you? Unfortunately, it is impossible to give general advice on the required analyses of a specific case study.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best solve your written case study, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 3

Hi,

What analyses to include really depends on the scope of the brief/question.

One tip when doing analyses - I would suggest actually starting first by imagining what that end 'answer' would be. E.g. imagine what a key message could be, or the hypothetical answer could be. Then think of which analyses would support that based on the data.

One common pitfall (even for consultants on the job) is to do analyses that either aren't the most important, or insufficient to prove a point.

Happy to have a more detailed chat - feel free to dm me.

Answer 4

Hi,

Thanks for your question.

My response is for take home studies in general, not speific to your company.

What to expect:

In general, for take home studies you would probably have a lot of content to cover and a main question/problem you need to answer for. The problem statement could be vague or broad, depending on the case and company.

Some tips:

1. Given so much content, it is easy to get lost. That is why having an initial hypothesis or "answer first approach" helps. You can use your initial hypothesis to guide you on what data to look for. If you cannot find the appropriate the data to validate your hypothesis , then you come up with a new hypothesis and repeat.

2. Make sure you present the case in the format they want. If you need to present the case to a panel, then be ready to answer any questions stemming from your response, outside of detailed understanding of the study content.

It seems like there are some VCA cast study examples online.

Thanks,

Soh

Answer 5

Hi 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.

All the best!

Cheers,

Florian