Tier-2 Consulting Firms: How Oliver Wyman, Kearney and Peers Hire

What are tier-2 consulting firms?

"Tier 2" is an informal label that candidates and prep sites use for strategy firms outside McKinsey, BCG and Bain (MBB) that still hire generalist consultants through case interviews. No firm uses the term about itself, and no official ranking defines the list. This guide covers the five firms most often grouped under it: Oliver Wyman, Roland Berger, Kearney, L.E.K. Consulting and Strategy&, PwC's strategy arm.

The label mostly reflects size. Roland Berger reported revenue of EUR 1.01 billion for 2025, while BCG reported USD 14.4 billion. Each tier-2 firm has its own home market and specialty.

Every fact below is labelled. Official means the firm's own careers or press page; reported means a named prep provider or media outlet. All sources were checked on 19 October 2026, and your invitation email overrides anything here.

How tier-2 interviews compare

The pattern is consistent: the first round tests case basics and the final round adds a format that MBB use less often. The tests themselves are compared in depth in our consulting online assessment guide.

Oliver Wyman: numerical test, case rounds and a written case

Oliver Wyman's official site describes the firm as part of the expanded Marsh brand and lists a Netherlands site among its country pages. StrategyCase (May 2026) reports about 7,000 consultants in more than 70 offices.

Two sources describe the process differently, which usually signals office variation. TargetJobs (May 2025) lists an online numerical, verbal and logical test, a 30-45 minute screening interview, then two or three case interviews, with a decision within one to two weeks. StrategyCase reports a first round of two 30-40 minute interviews (one case, one conversational) and a final round of three: a harder case, a conversational interview often with a partner, and a written case with 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to present. Both describe candidate-led cases with demanding math.

Roland Berger: the case study and the group exercise

Roland Berger is the only firm in this group headquartered in continental Europe, in Munich, and it was founded in 1967. Its official selection page asks career starters to apply with a CV and cover letter about three to four months before their preferred start date. Interviews cover motivation, numerical aptitude, communication, receptiveness to criticism and reflection on strengths and weaknesses, followed by a case study in which, the firm says, there is more than one correct route.

StrategyCase (May 2026) adds detail labelled as candidate reports: a Korn Ferry-based analytical test, a first round with one or two cases (the article gives both numbers), and a final day with an individual case of 45-60 minutes, a behavioral interview and a group case. In the group case, 3-6 candidates receive a 10-15 page pack, get 30-40 minutes to build 3-5 slides, and present to senior consultants who watch how the group works together. Our group case interview guide covers what observers score.

Kearney: operations-heavy cases

Kearney's official pages confirm a founding year of 1926, a presence in more than 40 countries and an Amsterdam office. Its interviewing page showed no process detail when we checked, so everything else here is reported.

Road to Offer (September 2026), citing Kearney's careers page, says the firm looks for imagination, information gathering and analysis, sound conclusions and persuasive communication, and that the format varies by office. Kearney's reputation centers on operations, procurement and supply chain work. Strong answers name a concrete action, such as running a supplier tender, instead of a general goal. Kearney's published example case, Promotional Planning, asks why a grocery and drug chain gets too little sales lift from its promotions. StrategyCase reports a 40-question, 60-minute test that awards 5 points per correct answer and deducts 1 per wrong one.

L.E.K.: due diligence cases and the written case

L.E.K.'s official apply page says candidates face several rounds of experiential and case interviews, that the process varies by region and level, and that you can apply to only one of its global offices per year.

StrategyCase (May 2026) reports a proctored, no-calculator numerical test of 18 questions in 30 minutes, a first round of two candidate-led interviews of 30-40 minutes, and a final round of two or three interviews of 45-60 minutes. Most offices reportedly add a written case: 60 minutes to work through a 40-50 page pack and build a short deck, then 15-20 minutes of presentation and questions. Cases often resemble commercial due diligence for private equity clients. Our written case interview guide has a full practice pack.

Strategy&: the nine-step process in Amsterdam

Strategy& Netherlands publishes the most complete official process of any firm in this group:

1. Apply online with CV, transcripts and cover letter; expect a reply within about 10 working days.
2. Complete a two-part online assessment (cognitive and behavioral, about 60 minutes) within one week, with an SHL practice test beforehand.
3. Receive your results report and a recruiter call to schedule interviews.
4. Run a practice case with a consultant and meet your buddy, a consultant who guides you through the process.
5. First round: three 60-minute interviews with consultants, each mixing fit and case.
6. Receive feedback and, if successful, an invitation to round two.
7. Second round: three 60-minute interviews with senior staff.
8. Feedback and offer.
9. Onboarding in Amsterdam and a European induction.

The case takes about half of each interview, and the last 5-10 minutes are yours for questions. The firm's own advice: restate the problem, take a minute to structure, use hypotheses, state assumptions aloud and close with a recommendation and next steps. Language and pay context for Dutch offices is in our guide to consulting jobs in the Netherlands.

Worked example: a procurement savings case

This is an original practice case in Kearney's home territory. Work it without a calculator.

Prompt: A Dutch hospital group spends EUR 80 million a year on medical consumables across five hospitals. The new CFO asks how much it can save from purchasing alone.

Step 1: find the addressable spend. The interviewer reveals that 25% of spend (EUR 20 million) is single-source or patented products. Exclude it. Addressable spend is EUR 60 million.

Step 2: harmonize prices. Each hospital negotiated its own contracts. On addressable spend, the group pays on average 10% above its own best contract price. Moving every hospital to that price would save EUR 6 million, but existing contracts lock in part of the volume, so assume 60% capture: EUR 3.6 million.

Step 3: consolidate suppliers. Cutting from about five suppliers per category to two earns an extra 5% volume discount on the two-thirds of spend where clinicians accept a switch. Apply it to the base after Step 2, or you count savings twice: EUR 60 million minus 3.6 million is 56.4 million; two-thirds is 37.6 million; 5% is about EUR 1.9 million.

Close in 60 seconds: "The group can save about EUR 5.5 million a year, roughly 7% of consumables spend. Two-thirds comes from paying every hospital the group's best price, which needs no supplier change and can start at contract renewal. The rest needs clinician sign-off on a shorter supplier list. The main risks are supply security and clinical acceptance, so I would start with a tender in two high-volume categories and involve the lead clinicians from day one."

Applying to several firms in one season

Most candidates apply to several tier-2 firms alongside MBB, and the official rules shape the order:

• Start with lead times. Roland Berger asks for three to four months before your start date, and Strategy& Netherlands replies within about 10 working days.
• Pick your L.E.K. office first. One office application per year means a wrong choice costs you the cycle.
• Train the shared test skills once. Calculator-free math and exhibit reading carry the Kearney, L.E.K. and Oliver Wyman tests alike, as our case interview charts guide shows.
• Prepare each final-round format. Rehearse a written case for L.E.K. and Oliver Wyman, and a group case for Roland Berger.

Stephan's note: My second practice book was written for McKinsey's PST, which has been retired. It still gives you a full 26-question timed test with dense exhibits and no calculator, close to what Kearney and L.E.K. ask. The Second Key to the PST is the set I would use as a final timed run before a tier-2 test.