How a case interview works

Every consulting case follows the same five stages. The content changes; the arc does not. Learn the arc, and the only variable left is how fast you can do the arithmetic.

1. 01

   The stem

   1–2 min

   The interviewer reads a short brief. Write it down verbatim-ish: client, industry, geography, the decision they face, and the metric of success. Then play it back in two sentences and state the question as you understand it.

   "So Talbot Foods is a regional packaged-snacks maker whose profits have fallen for two years, and they want to know why and what to do. Is that right?"

2. 02

   Clarifying questions

   1 min, 2–3 questions

   Only ask what changes your approach: how success is measured, the time horizon, whether the problem is revenue or cost, scope constraints. Never ask for data you should calculate, and never ask a question whose answer you would not act on.

   "Two clarifiers before I structure: is the profit decline in absolute dollars or margin, and is it across the whole portfolio or one product line?"

3. 03

   The framework

   60–90 s silent, 60 s presenting

   Ask for a moment. Write three buckets with 3–5 specific sub-points each — specific to this client, mutually exclusive, collectively covering the question. Present top-down, then prioritise: name the bucket you want to start with and the data you need.

   "I'd like to look at three things: the revenue line, the cost line, and the market context. Under revenue… I'd like to start with cost, because a two-year decline with flat volume points there. Do we have a cost breakdown?"

4. 04

   Data, exhibits and maths

   the bulk of the case

   Talk before you calculate: state the equation, then do the arithmetic out loud in round numbers. After every number, give the so-what — what it means for the client's decision — and what you want to look at next. Label units, and sanity-check magnitude.

   "Contribution margin is price minus variable cost, so $18 minus $12.60, which is $5.40. Fixed costs of $2.7M divided by $5.40 gives roughly 500,000 units — that's a fifth of the market, which feels high, so entry looks hard unless we can price higher."

5. 05

   Recommendation

   2 min, answer first

   Lead with the recommendation, then three supporting reasons using your own numbers, then the two biggest risks and how to test them, then next steps. Never re-tell the case chronologically.

   "I recommend Talbot enter the club channel. Three reasons: the segment is $240M growing 9%, our contribution margin holds at $5.40, and we break even at 320,000 units — about 4% share. The main risks are cannibalisation and retailer pushback; I'd test both with a two-region pilot."