Practice consulting cases out loud
Work through market sizing, profitability, entry, pricing, and fit questions with a timer and structured feedback.
Sample case prompts
- Practice
A client wants to open a chain of smoothie bars in Chicago. Estimate the annual number of smoothies sold by the chain if it opens 20 stores. Talk me through your assumptions.
Tests a clear estimation method, sensible assumptions, and arithmetic you explain as you go.
- Practice
Estimate how many public EV charging ports a state with 8 million residents would need in 2030. You may choose reasonable assumptions about car ownership and EV adoption.
Tests whether you segment demand, state assumptions, and convert them into an actionable estimate.
- Practice
How many cups of coffee are purchased each weekday near a downtown commuter station serving 60,000 daily riders? Build an estimate before suggesting how a cafe could use it.
Tests a demand tree, transparent assumptions, and a practical conclusion from imperfect information.
- Practice
Our client owns 40 casual dining restaurants. Revenue is flat, but operating profit fell from $24 million to $12 million in two years. How would you diagnose the problem?
Tests a structured profit tree, prioritization, and a hypothesis about the largest driver.
What the feedback checks for a case answer
A case interview is not a test of whether you happen to know an industry fact. It is a test of how you make a decision with incomplete information. A strong answer makes your thinking easy to follow. The practice tool listens for the parts of a case answer that often disappear when candidates are nervous.
Objective and assumptions
Start by restating the decision and success measure. Ask the clarification questions that would change your approach, then label any assumptions you need to make.
Explicit structure
State the buckets you will examine before you analyze them. A structure is useful when its parts are distinct and together address the question.
Hypothesis and math
Offer a working view of the likely answer, then test it. Explain the units and arithmetic so an interviewer can follow and correct your reasoning.
Recommendation
Close with a direct answer, supporting reasons, risks, and the next analysis you would run. Do not end with a list of observations.
The feedback also flags answer length, filler words, and whether your explanation contains enough evidence to support the conclusion. It is a rehearsal tool, not a source of company-specific case information or a substitute for a live interviewer.
Common case interview types
Most practice cases fall into a small group of business decisions. The labels differ, but the questions beneath them are familiar. Learn the core logic first, then adapt it to the prompt rather than reciting a memorized framework.
| Type | What is asked | Typical structure |
|---|---|---|
| Market sizing | Estimate demand, volume, or capacity without a data sheet. | Define the unit, segment the population or customer base, make assumptions, calculate, and sanity-check. |
| Profitability | Explain why profit changed and identify the highest-value response. | Revenue minus costs, then break each side into price, volume, mix, fixed costs, and variable costs. |
| Market entry | Decide whether and how to enter a new geography, segment, or channel. | Market attractiveness, competitive position, economics, capabilities, risks, and entry options. |
| M&A or acquisition | Assess whether buying a company will create value. | Strategic fit, customer and product overlap, synergies, value, integration, and deal risks. |
| Pricing or growth | Choose a price or find a path to profitable growth. | Segments, value to the customer, demand response, economics, channels, and prioritized initiatives. |
| Operations or public sector | Improve a process or allocate resources across competing objectives. | Outcome, stakeholders, process or service drivers, constraints, tradeoffs, and implementation. |
Interview formats are commonly described as interviewer-led or candidate-led. In interviewer-led cases, the interviewer usually guides the sequence and asks for specific analyses. In candidate-led cases, you commonly decide what to investigate next. Do not use that distinction as an excuse to be passive. In both formats, state your logic, check that your answer addresses the question, and communicate a recommendation.
Practice the consulting interview beyond the case
Consulting preparation includes personal-experience questions as well as business problems. The case track includes five PEI-style prompts about personal impact, leadership, initiative, difficult challenges, and influence. They reflect themes commonly discussed publicly in relation to McKinsey's Personal Experience Interview, but you should prepare for the exact questions each employer gives you.
Use the behavioral interview question bank to find additional story prompts. Then shape each answer with the STAR method: situation, task, action, and result. For consulting fit questions, spend most of your time on the actions you personally took and the choices you made, not on background.
A case practice routine
Read and clarify
Set a three-minute timer. Restate the objective, ask one or two relevant questions, and state the assumptions you will use if no data is available.
Build the work plan
Say your structure aloud before calculating. Name the first branch you will test and give a short hypothesis about where the answer may lead.
Do the analysis
Write the math as you speak. Keep units visible, round sensibly, and pause after each result to explain what it means for the case.
Deliver the recommendation
Give the answer first, then two or three supporting facts, one risk, and the next step. Review the feedback and repeat the same case once.
Use frameworks as prompts, not scripts. The 5 C's of interviewing can help you assess your delivery, while the 80/20 rule guide explains how to keep the candidate's reasoning at the center of the conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I practice case interviews alone?
Use a timed prompt, say your structure out loud, write down the math, and finish with a recommendation. The AI case interview gives you a repeatable way to review those parts after each attempt.
What does an AI case interview simulator evaluate?
It checks whether you clarified the objective, stated assumptions, used an explicit structure, formed a hypothesis, explained your math, and gave a recommendation. It cannot replace an interviewer who can change the case based on your answer.
What are the 5 C's of interviewing?
There is no single official list. A common version covers competence, character, communication, confidence, and culture fit or commitment. Read the 5 C's of interviewing guide for how to use the framework.
What is the difference between interviewer-led and candidate-led case interviews?
In interviewer-led formats, the interviewer commonly guides the sequence of questions and analyses. In candidate-led formats, the candidate usually proposes the work plan and chooses which analysis to pursue next. Both require clear thinking and communication.
Should I practice fit questions for consulting interviews?
Yes. Many consulting interviews include personal-experience or fit questions alongside cases. Prepare specific stories using the STAR method and practice them under the same time pressure.