June 27, 2022

Case interview examples


When you're applying for a job, it's not only your résumé and cover letter that makes the decision for employers - interviews are also key. 
 
And one type of interview that can be especially challenging is the case interview. 
 
Are you worried? Don't be, please.
 
Aren't you familiar with case interviews? No problem, read on, please.
 
Case interviews present candidates with a real business problem and ask them to come up with a solution.
 
You may have already had a case interview and know what to expect if you're lucky. 
 
But if you're preparing for one now, this article "case interview examples" will help you a lot.
 
Happy?
 
These case interview examples will give you an idea of the types of questions the interviewers may ask you and the level of creativity and thinking you require.
 
Consulting firms, investment banks, and other organizations typically use case interviews to assess a job applicant's ability to think critically and solve problems. 
 
They're looking to see how well you work under pressure.
 
In a case interview, interviewers will give you a business problem to solve, and you will typically get 30 minutes to 1 hour to come up with a solution. They may ask you how you would go about approaching the problem.
 
A case interview has no right or wrong answers., but many people go into case interviews thinking that they need to come up with the perfect solution and then get defensive when their interviewer challenges them. 
 
The key to acing a case interview is staying humble and staying flexible. 
 
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Table of contents

Some typical case interview questions

Some typical case interview questions might be:
 
  • A company is considering entering a new market. What are some things that the company should consider? 
Or, your client is considering expanding their business into a new market. What are the potential risks and rewards of this decision?
  • A company is experiencing declining sales. What could be the cause, and how would you recommend addressing it?
  • You are advising a client on a potential investment. What are the key considerations you would advise them to think about?
  • A startup has hired you to help them evaluate a new product. What are the pros and cons of launching this product?
  • You are advising a client on a potential investment. What factors would you consider to make a recommendation? 

Case interview examples


Case-interview-examples.jpg 125 KB

There are three main types of case interviews: 

  • business case interviews,
  • market research case interviews, 
  • and numerical case interviews. 

This article will focus on business case interviews. In a business case interview, you will be given a scenario that you must solve.

Case interview examples # 1

You are presented with the following problem: 
 
A company is considering expanding its operations into a new market. What factors should they consider before making a decision? 
 
Solution: 
When expanding its operations into a new market, a company should consider the following factors: 
 
  • The size and potential of the new market
  • The company's ability to compete in the new market
  • The costs of expanding into the new market
  • The costs of expanding into the new market
  • The company's ability to localize its products and services for the new market
  • The political and economic stability of the new market 
  • The cultural norms and preferences of the target population in the new market
 

Case interview examples # 2

Your client is a copper mining company with a revenue of $300 million per year. It has lost $50 million this year. What's the best way to solve things better? - Case of Oliver Wyman

Solution: 
A few things could be causing the mining company to lose money. 
 
Maybe the copper is becoming harder and more expensive to find and extract, or the copper market has downturned.
 
 If the company cannot turn a profit this year, it will likely need to make some significant changes to stay afloat in the future. 
 
  • One possible solution would be to focus on cost-cutting measures. The company could lay off employees, reduce its spending, or renegotiate its contracts with suppliers. 
  • Another option could be to explore new markets for copper. 
  • You need to look at which areas of the company are losing money and focus on fixing those. 
  • Another option could be to try and increase profits in other areas of the company.  

Case interview examples # 3

Motorola is your client. It is the year 1980. The cellular phone was just invented three years ago. They want you to forecast mobile phone demand for the next 30 years and tell them if there is or not a market for this invention. What factors you will consider?
 
  • First, you need to look at the competition. 
  • How many other companies offer similar products? 
  • What are their prices? 
  • How many people are likely to switch to Motorolla?
  • Market demand can be forecasted by observing both the physical and digital worlds. This may seem a very basic method, yet it is often the most effective.
  • You can use social networks—to post surveys about products and industries. 
 
For more case interview questions, please click here.
 

Wrapping it up

There are many ways to tackle a case interview successfully. Here, one of the most important things to remember is staying calm and thinking through the problem. Our case interview examples can help you how to think through the situation.
 
Ask the interviewer for more information if needed. This shows that you are taking the case seriously and are willing to invest the time required to get the right answer. 
 
Another approach is to take a step back and come up with a high-level overview of the problem. Then you'll be able to keep your attention on the key issues and avoid getting bogged down in details.

Pro Tips: Case interviews can be difficult to prepare for, but you can increase your chances of success by doing a few things.
  1. First, practice solving case problems. There are many resources online that provide case interview problems and solutions. 
  2. Second, read up on business concepts.
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