Securing the case interview is not a straightforward task and has already required a lot of planning, necessary preparation, and extensive work. You have made it through the first round and succeeded where many others have not. Getting to this point in the process has taken a lot of diligence and preparation. It is now not only your time to shine, but you have to take your preparation up a notch and focus on not only solving the case but also make an impression. We have brought together a few supportive tips to help assist you as you start putting together your case interview preparation.
Always Start With Knowledge
Knowing what to expect will represent the basis of your preparation plan. Planning is about than developing your skills. Interpreting the process, the test format, timing, etc. is important and will establish the foundation of your preparation plan. Things to consider include:
- Understand The Interview Process. There are differences between the rounds of interviews, and it is vital that you know what to expect in order to prepare efficiently.
- Comprehend What Is Being Tested. From problem-solving to how you fit in with the team will all contribute to the success of your application. Even if you ace the first round, if you do not meet the criteria of all the rounds, chances are you will not be receiving the offer.
- Know What Is Expected. This will not exclusively execute you the ability to practice and prepare but also the confidence that comes from knowing you are prepared and ready to do your best.
- Ask Questions. Reach out to the HR of the firm with whom you are interviewing and confirm details like the venue, date, timing, test administrator, etc.
Practice Your Math And Reading Skills
Practice is the key to preparation, from application to offer, you need to constantly assess and re-evaluate your skills. There are a number of resources and tools available to help you improve the skills that need attention. The skills being tested range from making decisions to interpreting numerical and statistical data.
Not only will practice enhance these skills but give you the confidence that comes from being prepared. Your preparation plan should include the following:
- Practice Your Mental Math Skills. Include short slots of daily time into your preparation plan to practice and enhance your numerical and math computation skills. This is not only about solving the problems but also about the time and format you use to reach the solution.
- Practice Getting The Correct Answers and once you are confident enough, move onto finding the results quicker. Do not ignore the basics. There are a number of math tools and apps available for you to practice these skills.
- Practice your reading skills. Utilizing your time productively is very important, therefore, knowing when to read and when to scan.
- Practicing your reading speed in is another important skill to enhance.
Practice Case Interviews
Practicing Case Interviews will allow you to assess and align your practice based on your performance. There are resources available that provide you real cases to practice applying your skills and finding solutions. Making time in your preparation plan to practice case interviews is one of the most valuable steps in your preparation. You not only practice solving the case but can assess and re-evaluate the following skills::
- Organizing Data
- Applying structures and frameworks to find solutions
- Applying your mental math skills
- Managing your time
- Enhance your reading vs. scanning skills.
Work Smarter
You will have limited time during your case interview, there is no time for you to back and check your answers. Therefore, it is vital to take the time to:
- Understand the question.
- Do not leave answers on your calculation sheet to attach later.
- Make sure to answer in full before moving on.
- Organize data and focus your attention on the data you need to answer the question.
- Do not guess, simply to write an answer. If you do not have the answer to the questions, skip it and move on.
- Pay consideration to the case interview scoring system as some tests might actually penalize you for incorrect answers.