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Purpose of the Consulting Case Question

Purpose of the Consulting Case Question

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The business case question is the cornerstone of the consulting interview, and consulting firms use it to assess a candidate for a number of qualities:

  • Structured thinking;
  • Numerical ability;
  • Communication skills;
  • Comfort with ambiguity;
  • Speed of thought;
  • Knowledge of key business concepts;
  • Enthusiasm for consulting;
  • Calm resolve under pressure; and
  • Ability to represent the firm.

As part of a case question a candidate will be required to consider a hypothetical business situation, uncover the source of the problem, develop a solution, and provide recommendations.

This process will involve presenting a structure for analysis, making a series of common-sense assumptions, and asking the interviewer clarifying questions.

A case question is not intended to test your knowledge of a particular industry, but is designed instead to test your thinking process. It is important to have a structured approach and to think out loud.

[For more information on consulting interviews, please download “The HUB’s Guide to Consulting Interviews“.]

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