What are some good recommendations for case books that focus on McKinsey-type cases?

Hi there,

Congrats on landing your interviews!

For learning about case interviews and mastering key components like structuring, math, exhibits, brainstorming, and more, I highly recommend checking out the free video course by Crafting Cases. I personally found it incredibly useful and more up-to-date compared to some of the "older" consulting books.

For practice, I suggest using 23 different MBA casebooks available here. My personal favourites are HBS, Kellogg, and Darden for their variety and depth.

Best of luck with your prep, and feel free to reach out if you need any help along the way!

Hey there, 

I think PrepLounge really does have some good material to prepare you.

Regarding Casebooks, DM me and I'll be happy to share and discuss which I think 

All the best

Hi there!

Great job being proactive about your case interview prep process. You have plenty of time to be in great shape by June/July. 

Feel free to reach out for a link to additional case books. I’ll point you to some of my favorites and can also offer some other tips on best ways to ramp up and prepare effectively. 

Best,

Vini

Hi there!

Aish's answer above highlighted some of my favorite resources when I was preparing for the interview couple of years back. Some additional tips given you have a pretty generous timeline:

• Would start from basics such as Victor Cheng's series. I agreed that it is a bit outdated, but from my experience in McKinsey, the "core messages" that he conveyed in his book are still valid in today's McKinsey interviews (e.g., never memorize frameworks and try to fit a case into it)
• I would suggest to sequence the objective for each stage of preparation:
  • Stage one: Get familiarized with case basics, usually 1-2 weeks self-practicing some entry level cases (e.g., official example cases from McKinsey's website here
  • Stage two: Get the case directionally right. Practice practice practice, with peers, with family, with any, for as much as possible
  • Stage three: Targeted improvement and practice, best with some drill exercises for mental health, framework etc. Practice with coaches or experts to identify areas that are beyond pure results (e.g., how you communicate your framework to interviewer, is it top-down and concise)

Good luck with the preparation!

Hi there,

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

• First of all, I would highly advise you not to fall into the trap of thinking that McKinsey case studies are really different from those of almost any other strategy consulting firm. Also, if you struggle with certain aspects of a case study, I would advise you to (also) practice them individually.
• Moreover, I think that most of Victor Cheng's material is unfortunately outdated nowadays.
• Lastly, the case book from Yale Graduate Consulting Club is, in my opinion, one of the best existing case books. Other notable case books you might have a look at are from Columbia, Darden, Fuqua, Kellogg, LBS, McCombs, Michigan, Ross and Sloan.

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 McKinsey pre-interview assessment and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

McKinsey cases aren’t fundamentally different—any casebook can help you develop foundational skills in structuring, math, chart reading, and brainstorming.

However, McKinsey is far more demanding when it comes to frameworks, often requiring up to three levels of detail, and I’ve yet to see a casebook that provides solutions at the level McKinsey expects.

I work with a library of real McKinsey cases from my time as an interviewer there.

Happy to help with your preparation—just send me a message.

Best,

Alberto

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Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: Sierra Sprints - New Product Launch