All guides
60 guides to consulting recruiting, from the resume screen to the partner round. Updated October 2026.
Case Interview: The Complete Guide (2026)
Case interview guide for 2026: the recruiting funnel, online tests at McKinsey, BCG and Bain, seven case types, a 5-step method and a 6-week prep plan.
Case interviews, 9 min20 Case Interview Questions to Practice (With Structure Hints)
20 original case interview questions grouped by type, from profitability to public sector, each with a one-line structure hint so you can practice with a partner.
Case interviews, 5 minAI in Consulting Interviews: What MBB Firms Do in 2026
AI case interview guide for 2026: what McKinsey, BCG and Bain officially allow, which AI exercises are only reported, and a drill to prepare for either.
Case interviews, 5 minBest Case Interview Books in 2026, Compared by Need
The best case interview books in 2026, compared by need: method, practice tests, communication and firm culture. With editions, page counts and honest limits.
Case interviews, 6 minCase Interview Charts: How to Read an Exhibit in 60 Seconds
Case interview charts decoded: a four-step reading routine, the trap in six chart types and three worked exhibits with weak and strong readings. Practice today.
Case interviews, 5 minCase Interview Examples: Official Cases Plus Three Worked Cases
Case interview examples: every official practice case from McKinsey, Bain, PwC and Deloitte, checked October 2026, plus three worked cases with full math.
Case interviews, 8 minCase Interview Math: Mental Shortcuts and Practice Drills
Case interview math without a calculator: worked examples for multiplication, percentages and ratios, plus a daily drill plan to build speed before your interview.
Case interviews, 5 minCase Interview Practice Partner: Script, Scorecard and Schedule
Case interview practice partner guide: an interviewer script with timings, a six-dimension scorecard, a group format, a 4-6 week schedule and a ready case.
Case interviews, 7 minCase Interview Preparation: A 6-Week Plan That Works
Case interview preparation in six weeks: a week-by-week plan with case targets, math drills, fit stories and online test practice, from a former interviewer.
Case interviews, 7 minCase Study Interview: What It Is and How to Pass It
A case study interview tests how you solve a live business problem. Learn the three skills consulting firms score and see a worked falling-profits example.
Case interviews, 4 minConsulting Brainteasers: The Evidence, a Method and 7 Puzzles
Consulting brainteasers in 2026: how often firms still ask them, what hiring research says, a four-step method and seven original puzzles with worked answers.
Case interviews, 6 minConsulting Fit Interview: Stories, Questions and Why Consulting
Consulting fit interview guide: what McKinsey, BCG and Bain say they assess, a five-story bank, follow-up tactics and a worked why consulting answer.
Case interviews, 9 minEight Interviewee Patterns That End a Case Interview
Eight case interview mistakes that interviewers see again and again, from framework-reciting to the math panic spiral, with a concrete fix for each pattern.
Case interviews, 5 minGroup Case Interviews: How to Stand Out Without Taking Over
Group case interview guide: which consulting firms use group exercises, what observers score, behaviors that win or lose marks, and a scorecard to practice with.
Case interviews, 5 minHow to Close a Case Interview: The 60-Second Recommendation
Case interview recommendation made simple: a timed 60-second script for the live close, BCG's Casey video and AI-assisted cases, with a weak close rewritten.
Case interviews, 6 minMarket Sizing Questions: A 5-Step Method With European Examples
Market sizing for case interviews: a five-step method, benchmark numbers to memorize and two worked Dutch examples checked against official statistics. Try them now.
Case interviews, 6 minPublic Sector Case Interviews: A European Guide With a Worked Case
Public sector case interview guide with a European and Dutch angle: who asks them, how objectives differ, a structure and a fully worked municipal waste case.
Case interviews, 7 minThe Bain Case Interview: Format, Math and What Bain Tests
How the Bain case interview works in 2026: candidate-led cases, heavy math, private equity flavor, the SOVA or TestGorilla screen and the fit lens Bain uses.
Case interviews, 4 minThe BCG Case Interview: Format, Online Case and Written Case
How the BCG case interview works in 2026: candidate-led cases, office differences, Casey, the CCA and the written case. Includes a worked profit tree example.
Case interviews, 4 minThe McKinsey Case Interview: Format, PEI and How to Prepare
How the McKinsey case interview works in 2026: interviewer-led cases, the Personal Experience Interview, office flavors and Solve. A worked example inside.
Case interviews, 5 minThe Written Case Interview: From Data Pack to Three Slides
Written case interview guide for 2026: which firms use one, how to split your prep time, and a practice data pack with three model slides to test yourself.
Case interviews, 5 minBCG Potential Test: the legacy format and BCG's tests in 2026
The BCG Potential Test was a written case scored +2/0/-1. See how it worked, which BCG online assessments replaced it by office in 2026, and how to prepare for each.
Online assessments, 4 minConsulting Online Tests Compared: MBB, Tier-2 and Big Four
Consulting online assessment guide for 2026: McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Kearney, L.E.K., Oliver Wyman and more in one table, plus the three skills that pass them all.
Online assessments, 6 minFailed McKinsey's test? Waiting periods and your next 12 months
What happens when you fail the McKinsey PST or Solve: typical 12-24 month waiting periods, how to use the gap year, and how to apply to BCG and Bain meanwhile.
Online assessments, 4 minHow many candidates pass McKinsey's test? The funnel math
How many pass the McKinsey PST and Solve? See the funnel from about 200,000 applications to roughly 1% offers, with labelled estimates for 2012 and 2026.
Online assessments, 4 minHow to beat a written case test: reading, math and the real objective
McKinsey PST problem solving test technique: read the question first, do clean math by hand and answer the client's real objective. Learn the method I used.
Online assessments, 4 minMcKinsey PST cutoff score, and how Solve is scored today
McKinsey PST cutoff score: my estimate was 19-20 out of 26 (about 75%). See the guessing math and how McKinsey Solve scoring and feedback work in 2026.
Online assessments, 4 minMcKinsey PST: what it was, how it worked, and what replaced it
The McKinsey Problem Solving Test (PST) was a 26-question, 60-minute written case. See how it worked, why it was retired and what Solve tests today.
Online assessments, 5 minOfficial practice materials for McKinsey, BCG and Bain tests in 2026
Looking for a McKinsey PST download? The PST is retired. Here are the official 2026 practice pages for McKinsey Solve, BCG and Bain, and how to use them well.
Online assessments, 4 minThe McKinsey test in 2026: Solve explained
The McKinsey test in 2026 is Solve, a gamified online assessment. See the games, timing, rules, what it measures and how to prepare in the weeks before.
Online assessments, 4 minWritten case practice: a 4-week training plan
McKinsey PST practice, updated for 2026: a 4-week plan for reading, mental math, exhibits and timed sets that prepares you for Solve and written case tests.
Online assessments, 4 minWritten case sample: an original PST-style mini-set with answers
A McKinsey PST sample in the original written-case style: a client brief, one exhibit and three questions with worked answers and target times. Test yourself now.
Online assessments, 4 minCase Interview Frameworks: Which Matter and How to Build Your Own
Case interview frameworks explained: what McKinsey, Deloitte and PwC ask for, a framework map by case type, and a 90-second method to tailor any structure.
Frameworks, 7 minGrowth Strategy Case Interview: Levers, Sizing and a Worked Case
Growth strategy case interview guide: organic and inorganic levers built from first principles, how to size the gap, and a fully worked case with the math shown.
Frameworks, 7 minIssue Trees: How Consultants Break Down Any Problem
Issue tree guide: diagnostic, solution and hypothesis trees compared, a five-step method, one worked example drawn three ways and a copy-ready template.
Frameworks, 5 minM&A Case Interviews: Synergies, Valuation and the Deal Decision
M&A case interview guide: strategic versus private equity buyers, whiteboard valuation, synergy haircuts and a worked packaging deal with a walk-away price.
Frameworks, 9 minMarket Entry Case Interviews: Should the Client Enter?
Market entry case interview guide: four questions every entry decision must answer, entry modes, breakeven and payback math, and a worked Dutch-German case.
Frameworks, 5 minMECE Principle: How Consultants Structure Any Problem
The MECE principle explained: what mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive mean, good and bad examples, and how to build MECE structures in a case interview.
Frameworks, 4 minOperations Case Interview: Capacity, Bottlenecks and Queues
Operations case interview guide: capacity, utilization, bottlenecks, Little's law and takt time, plus two Dutch cases worked out without a calculator.
Frameworks, 7 minPricing Case Interview: Cost, Competitors, Value and Leakage
Pricing case interview guide: cost, competitor and value anchors, the price waterfall, breakeven volume math and two fully worked cases to practice today.
Frameworks, 7 minThe Minto Pyramid Principle: Start With the Answer
The Minto Pyramid Principle explained: why McKinsey consultants lead with the conclusion, how to build a pyramid, and two worked examples you can reuse in cases.
Frameworks, 4 minThe Profitability Case: How to Find Why Profits Fell
Profitability case interview guide: a segment-first profit tree, the price lever math, the pocket price waterfall and a fully worked case with numbers.
Frameworks, 6 minBain & Company History: From BCG Spin-Off to Global Firm
Bain & Company history from 1973 to today: one client per industry, equity for fees, Bain Capital, the late-1980s crisis and Bridgespan. Plus interview tips.
Firm profiles, 4 minBCG History: From One Consultant to 33,500 People
BCG history from Bruce Henderson in 1963 to $14.4B in revenue: Perspectives, the experience curve, the growth-share matrix and what it means in interviews.
Firm profiles, 4 minBig Four Consulting Interviews: Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG
Big 4 consulting interview guide: how Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG screen, case and assess in 2026, with official sources and a worked technology case.
Firm profiles, 7 minMcKinsey History: From a Chicago Accountant to a Global Firm
McKinsey history in brief: founding in 1926, the Kearney split, Marvin Bower, MBB, controversies and today's scale, plus what it means for interviews.
Firm profiles, 4 minMcKinsey vs BCG vs Bain: How the Firms and Interviews Differ
McKinsey vs BCG vs Bain compared with sourced 2026 data: size, revenue, online tests, case style and fit interviews, plus a table to pick where to apply.
Firm profiles, 6 minTier-2 Consulting Firms: How Oliver Wyman, Kearney and Peers Hire
Tier 2 consulting firms compared: how Oliver Wyman, Roland Berger, Kearney, L.E.K. and Strategy& test and interview, plus a worked procurement case.
Firm profiles, 7 minConsulting Networking: Coffee Chats, Alumni and Referrals
Consulting networking guide: how to run coffee chats, write alumni outreach, use recruiting events and referrals, plus a 6-week plan and Dutch recruiting days.
Applications, 6 minConsulting Recruiting Timeline in Europe: When to Apply for 2027
Consulting recruiting timeline for Europe: when MBB, tier-2 and Big Four firms open and close for 2027 starts and internships, by country and month.
Applications, 7 minHow Consulting Firms Screen Resumes: ATS, the 30-Second Scan and AI
How McKinsey, BCG and Bain screen resumes: applicant tracking systems, the 30-second human scan, AI tools and what each stage rewards. Build for all three.
Applications, 4 minHow to Get Into Consulting: Routes for Students, Switchers, PhDs
How to get into consulting as a student, non-target applicant, PhD, career switcher or experienced hire: entry titles, labelled odds and a 12-month plan.
Applications, 7 minThe Consulting Cover Letter: Structure, Length and Mistakes
How to write a consulting cover letter for McKinsey, BCG and Bain: networking first, a three-part structure, ideal length and mistakes screeners reject fast.
Applications, 9 minThe Consulting Resume: How to Write One That Gets Interviews
How to write a consulting resume for McKinsey, BCG and Bain: one-page rules, quantified bullets, the four screening signals and ATS basics. With examples.
Applications, 5 minWhat to wear to a consulting interview, test or assessment day
McKinsey PST dress code, updated for 2026: what to wear for in-person and video consulting interviews, online tests like Solve, and assessment days. Get it right.
Applications, 4 minConsulting Career Path: Levels, Promotion and Exit Data
Consulting career path at MBB, tier-2 and Big Four: official titles by level, years per step, how up-or-out works, and dated LinkedIn data on where consultants go.
Consulting careers, 6 minConsulting Jobs in the Netherlands: Firms, Dutch, Pay and Visas
Consulting jobs in the Netherlands explained by a Dutch former candidate: which firms hire, when Dutch is required, starting pay, visas and the 30% ruling.
Consulting careers, 5 minConsulting Salary: What McKinsey, BCG and Bain Pay New Hires
Consulting salary in 2026: reported MBB starting pay for undergrads and MBAs, how strategy firms compare, and every package component from bonus to MBA sponsorship.
Consulting careers, 8 minDo You Need an MBA to Join McKinsey, BCG or Bain?
Do you need an MBA to join McKinsey, BCG or Bain? Compare undergraduate and post-MBA entry, sponsored MBAs and the return obligation, and why to apply first.
Consulting careers, 4 minHow Many Hours Does an Associate Consultant Work?
How many hours associate consultants at McKinsey, BCG and Bain work: typical 55-70 hour weeks, peaks near 80, travel models and policies that protect your time.
Consulting careers, 4 min