# What is a case interview? How to prepare and structure answers

A case interview gives you a business problem, such as falling profits or whether to enter a market, and asks you to solve it out loud with the interviewer. You clarify the goal, lay out a structure, ask for the data you need, work through the numbers aloud, and end with a recommendation stated first, backed by two or three reasons, risks and next steps.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/interviews/case-interview/

## What a case interview tests

Case interviews are used mostly by consulting firms, and by some strategy, product and finance teams. The case itself is a vehicle. What's scored is how you think and how you communicate while thinking:

- **Structure:** can you break a messy problem into clear parts?
- **Analysis:** can you ask for the right data and do the maths correctly?
- **Judgement:** can you tell what matters and what doesn't?
- **Communication:** can you say it clearly enough that a client would follow?

The last one surprises people. A correct answer delivered as a long, wandering explanation scores lower than you'd expect. Practising out loud matters as much as practising cases on paper.

## The shape of a case, stage by stage

Times vary by firm and case. This is a typical 25–35 minute case.

| Stage | Roughly | What you say out loud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Prompt | 1–2 min | Listen, take notes, then play it back in one sentence |
| Clarify | 1–2 min | Ask about the goal, the business and any constraints |
| Structure | 2–3 min | Ask for a minute, then present your approach in two to four branches |
| Analysis | 10–20 min | Request data, interpret charts, do calculations aloud |
| Recommendation | 1–2 min | Answer first, then reasons, risks and next steps |

## Clarify before you structure

Play back the problem and ask two or three questions that could change your approach:

> "So our client is a regional bakery chain with 40 stores, and profits have fallen for two years even though revenue is flat. The goal is to get profits back to where they were. Is there a time frame? And is the fall across all stores or concentrated in some?"

Avoid asking things you could work out yourself, or ten questions in a row.

## Structuring out loud

Ask for a moment, and take it: "Could I take a minute to structure my thinking?" Then present your structure like a short talk, not a list read off a page.

> "I'd look at this in three parts. First, revenue: is it flat because prices rose while volume fell, or the reverse? Second, costs: which costs grew, ingredients, staff or rent? Third, the store mix: are new or older stores dragging the average down? I'd start with costs, since revenue is flat but profit fell. Does that sound reasonable?"

Notice three things: the branches are numbered, each has a one-line reason, and you say where you'll start and why. Ending with a short check-in invites the interviewer to steer you.

A standard framework, such as revenue minus costs, is fine as a starting point. Tailor the branches to this business; interviewers notice a framework pasted on unchanged.

## Asking for data

Ask for specific numbers, and say why you want them:

- "Do we have cost per store broken down by category for the last three years? I want to see which line grew."
- "What's the average price of a loaf now compared with two years ago?"
- "Do we know how footfall has changed in the older stores?"

When you get a chart or table, say what you see before what you conclude: "Ingredient costs went from 30% to 38% of revenue. Staff and rent are flat. So the problem is mainly ingredients."

## Doing the maths out loud

Say each step so the interviewer can follow and catch an error early.

> "Forty stores, each selling about 1,000 loaves a week, is 40,000 a week. Over 50 trading weeks that's two million loaves a year. If flour costs went up 10 cents per loaf, that's 200,000 in extra cost a year."

Round numbers to keep it manageable, say that you're rounding, and always state the unit. After each result, say what it means: "So flour alone explains about half the profit drop."

## The spoken recommendation

The recommendation is the part most likely to be remembered. Use the answer-first shape, sometimes called the [pyramid principle](/speaking-coach/glossary/pyramid-principle/):

1. **The answer** in one sentence.
2. **Two or three reasons**, each with a number.
3. **Risks** worth checking.
4. **Next steps.**

Example with made-up figures:

> "My recommendation is to renegotiate the flour contract and raise prices on specialty breads by about 5%. First, rising ingredient costs explain most of the profit drop, roughly 200,000 a year from flour alone. Second, specialty breads sell well even after past price rises, so there's room there. The risk is that competitors don't follow on price, so I'd test it in five stores first. Next steps: get quotes from two other flour suppliers this month and run the price test for six weeks."

That's about 80 words, under 40 seconds. Stand-alone, clear, and a client could act on it.

## Mistakes to avoid

| Mistake | Why it hurts | Instead |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diving into the maths without a structure | You look reactive, not organised | Ask for a minute and lay out your branches |
| Silent calculation | The interviewer can't follow or help | Say each step and its unit |
| Reading data without a "so what" | The analysis goes nowhere | After each number, say what it means |
| Ending with a summary of everything | No clear answer | Recommendation first, then reasons |
| Ignoring hints | Hints are part of the case | Take them openly: "Good point, let me look at that" |

## How to practise

1. Work through cases with a partner, ideally someone who has done them. Swap roles so you see what a good interviewee sounds like.
2. Practise mental maths daily: percentages, growth rates, large multiplications with rounding.
3. Record one recommendation a day for a business story in the news. Keep it under 45 seconds.
4. Practise structuring out loud with no case at all: "How would you think about opening a gym in a new city?"

You can also run cases with Speaking Coach by describing the situation; the partner plays the interviewer and follows up on what you actually said.

## Questions people ask

### What is the difference between interviewer-led and candidate-led cases?

In an interviewer-led case, the interviewer directs you through set questions. In a candidate-led case, you decide the order and what data to ask for. Firms tend to use one style; ask your recruiter.

### Can I use a calculator in a case interview?

Many firms expect you to work by hand. Check with your recruiter, and practise mental maths with rounding either way.

### How long do I take to structure a case?

About a minute is normal. Ask for it, write your branches, then present them in under a minute.

### What if I get the maths wrong?

Catch it yourself if you can: "That looks too high, let me check." If the interviewer catches it, thank them, correct it and say what the new number means.

### Do I need business knowledge for a case interview?

Basic business sense helps: revenue, costs, profit, market size. Most firms don't expect industry expertise, and the case gives you the facts you need.

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