Cracking the

consulting
interview
Select experiences
of Kearney Originals

Be a Kearney
Original
Skip the standard,
stand out
Dear Candidate,

Greetings from Kearney!

Congratulations on being shortlisted
for the Kearney business analyst
programme. We believe that you have
the potential to be a Kearney consultant,
and we thank you for seeking a career
opportunity with us.
Management consulting offers young
professionals starting out in their careers
the opportunity to solve CXO-level
strategic business problems across
a diverse set of organisations with
the support of exceptionally talented
project teams. Any leading management
consulting firm can offer you this
opportunity, but Kearney does so in a
uniquely original way. Through our 61
offices, located in major business centres
in 41 countries across the world, we
work with our clients in a personal and
practical manner to deliver the guidance
they need to make real progress.
We understand how daunting the
interview process can seem for the
candidates. That’s why we offer you
this case guide. We have collated
interview experiences of select Kearney
employees to give you a flavour of what
can happen in a typical consulting
interview. We hope that reading about
these experiences will support your
case-solving expertise and help you ace
your upcoming interviews with us.
Once again, please accept my
congratulations for being shortlisted.
We look forward to meeting you soon.

Best regards,
Kaushika Madhavan
Managing Director and Country Head,
India
Kearney Limited
What we’re looking for — Hypothesize. While you listen and ask questions,
begin developing alternative solutions. Continue
Our founder Andrew Thomas Kearney said it well probing until you are confident about which
when he wrote, “The true strength of this firm, as solution offers the greatest potential for impact.
in any organization, lies in the fact that we are all State any assumptions and test any hypotheses
different.” We look for unique individuals who are not with more questions, and fine-tune your solution
only insightful, inquisitive, and collaborative but, above based on the answers.
all, who are always unapologetically themselves.
— Communicate. Present your solution in a way
that is precise, clear, and concise. State your
That’s why we are not looking for the loudest
assumptions, and revisit them when the need
candidate or the one who uses the most consulting
arises. Be coachable, soliciting feedback and
buzzwords. Instead, we like to think of the interview
integrating it quickly. At the same time, be
process as a dialogue, designed for you to learn about
firm about the things you believe in. And most
us as you tell us more about you. We gauge your
importantly, be yourself.
curiosity, capacity for generosity, boldness, solidarity,
and passions to see how you align with Kearney’s core — Know your limits. If things aren’t going well, don’t
values. You gauge our culture and learn about the work try to tough it out. Acknowledge that you are stuck,
we do, how we can support your career, and what your seek more information, or pursue a different logical
role could be in the firm’s future. path. Remember the simulation is designed to
reflect the reality of consulting, including the fact
that it can be complex and ambiguous.
Tackle case studies with
— Think creatively. In the consulting profession,
confidence it is not enough to be logical. You will also
Skip the standard, and stand out in your case need to be creative. To do this, try to adopt the
interviews with these tips and tricks from our CEO or shareholder perspective and challenge
Kearney Originals: conventions. Resist the temptation to rely on
frameworks, and instead, be willing to be different
— Start off on the right foot. The best way to while remembering you are solving a problem for
approach a case interview is to enter the interview someone else’s benefit.
as a consultant would enter a client’s office — Send the right signals. The success of an
or boardroom: ready to use your imagination, engagement often rests on the strength of the
gather and analyze information, arrive at solid working partnership that develops between the
conclusions, and communicate persuasively. Avoid consultant and the client. The same is true during
the buzzwords. Be simple and direct. the case interview. With this in mind, approach
— Approach the case logically. Rely on what your your interview not only as an audition but also as
education has taught you to do: use your logic and an opportunity to build a relationship. Maintain
knowledge to identify the essence of the problem eye contact, engage in dialogue, and express
and shape a solution that will produce tangible, your ideas in ways that speak directly to the
measurable, lasting results. Try to avoid searching interviewer’s concerns or objectives.
for a silver bullet. Complex problems rarely have
simple solutions.
Be yourself and have fun!
— Listen and clarify. The interviewer, like a real
client, will offer you an initial set of facts. Be sure Make it your own, and try to enjoy the experience.
you understand those facts. Also be sure you Remember that every person you interview with was
help the client clearly express the objectives their once in your shoes and understands the “interview
hypothetical company expects to accomplish as a jitters.” You don’t have to be the loudest or the
result of your recommendations. smartest or walk into the room with a whiteboard. You
just have to show us how you think uniquely, and dare
— Think “top down.” As you analyze the information we say it, enjoy yourself.
you receive, begin with the big picture. Understand
the overriding issues and use them to prioritize and
organize issues that have lesser consequences. Accessibility
Try to avoid forcing your solution to fit a standard
framework. The only things it needs to fit are the If we can faciliate your particiaption in the interview
problem, the business, and the objectives. process in anyway please let us know in advance.

Cracking the consulting interview 2

Dos and don’ts to help
you get to the top

Dos Don’ts
— Ask questions to make sure you have data to — Do not force your solution to fit a standard
support your responses. framework. The only things it needs to fit are the
problem, the business, and the objectives.
— State any assumptions and/orhypotheses.
— Do not speak before thinking carefully.
— Don’t lose sight of the objective or the question to
be answered (prioritize!) — Do not search for a silver bullet. Complex problems
rarely have simple solutions.
— At turning points, or before moving to new topics,
summarize and test that you both have the same — Do not use buzz words. Be simple and direct.
understanding.
— Do not use calculators or Excel for your
— Take time to explain your logic—be thorough. calculations.

— Use diagrams to explain your thinking where

appropriate.

— Take suggestions if offered.

— Make it your own.

— Be confident and breathe!

— Be prepared to give an elevator pitch about your

recommendation and the main reasons behind it.

— Dress formally/business attire.

— Show up on time.

Cracking the consulting interview 3

 Joined: 2015

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Science (mathematics),

St. Stephen’s College, Delhi

College highlights: While in college, I dabbled in theatre,

climbing and debating. One of my college highlights
includes leading a 30-member food walk in Chandni
Chowk as part of the dissertation for a third-year
subsidiary course.

Interview experience: I had four interviews, each

Shreshta with a mix of case and personal questions. All the
Venkataramanan Kearney interviewers were warm and helpful. Overall,
it was a memorable initiation into the firm’s “people-
Manager centric” culture.

Myth busted
Consulting interviews are not just about the interviewer
asking questions of the candidate. They are a good
opportunity for the candidates to involve the interviewer
in a two-way discussion, and understand more about
consulting and the work involved.

Case interview tip

Structure, structure, structure! It’s very easy to lose focus
and ramble on (either when asked the quintessential
interview question “Tell me about yourself”, or when in
the middle of explaining your case-solving approach!).

Personal interview tip

“Structure, structure, Be honest with the interviewer if you don’t know about
something being asked.
structure! It’s very
Selected personal interview questions
easy to lose focus — What’s your daily routine like?

and ramble on.” — Are you prepared to adopt the lifestyle of a

consultant?

Cracking the consulting interview 4

Case example
Summary: How would you price an export
commodity?

Case type: Pricing

Background: From our conversation, the interviewer

understood that I was interested in economics, and
therefore selected an economics-based case.

Approach: I spent 5–7 minutes organising my thoughts

and making sure that I completely understood the
scope of the problem statement. I then focused on
the commodity, locations, competition, political and
economic environment, and taxation. I also discussed
different pricing approaches, which I then evaluated as
part of reaching the solution.

What went well: I kept the interviewer involved

throughout the case.

Even better if: I had understood more of the

pricing methods I suggested. Asking about pricing
methods historically adopted by the firm would have
strengthened the approach.

Cracking the consulting interview 5

 Joined: 2019

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics and statistics),

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

College highlights: My college life revolved heavily

around extracurricular activities. I was vice chairperson,
networking for Malhar in 2019, where I oversaw
a workforce of 1,200. In my second year of college,
I was the organizer for TedxStXaviers Mumbai.

Overall interview experience: I interviewed only

Ameeta Maliekkal with Kearney.
Associate Interviewing with Kearney: I had four rounds in total with
Kearney, each lasting about half an hour. The first three
rounds were all case studies while the last round with the
partner was a personal interview revolving mainly around
my CV and a few fit questions.

Myth busted
While preparing for cases, I always tried to focus on
following a rigid structure depending on the case type.
However, while following a basic structure is always
advisable, one must try and also be a little creative and
come up with out-of-the-box and practical solutions.

Case interview tip

View each case independently and try and gauge the
individuality of that case. Do not let your previous rounds
influence the next ones.
“View each case
Personal interview tip
independently and Knowing your résumé to the T always helps. Prepare for
your PI but do not make it seem pre-rehearsed.
try and gauge the
Select personal interview questions
individuality of that — If I call your mother, father, teacher and sibling
individually, what two positives and two negatives
case. Do not let your about you would each of them tell?

previous rounds — What are the two things you would change about St.
Xavier’s College, Mumbai?

influence the Most unique question I was asked

next ones.”
How do you go about convincing people when you want
to bring about any change?

Cracking the consulting interview 6

Case example
Summary: Your client is a food and beverages
manufacturer that is facing a drop in sales of their
potato wafers for three consecutive years.

Case type: Growth strategy

Approach: During the preliminary set of questions,

it was revealed that the problem was specific only
to the state of Gujarat. This led me to examine
what specific advantage the competitor had. We
then looked into how we can beat the competition
and examined the following scenarios: mimic the
competitor, merge with the competitor, acquire the
competitor or hire the competitor’s talent. We ruled
out mimicking the competitor’s product since the
USP of the client was that they used potatoes grown
in the US. The client did not want to merge with the
competitor. We ruled out hiring competitor’s talent
since it was not the differentiator between the two
companies. Finally, we decided on acquiring the
competitor and its brand and adding it to the
client’s portfolio.

What went well: Once I had reached the conclusion

that the drop in sales was mainly due to a local
competitor, it was easier to use a framework to
examine strategies as to how the manufacturer could
overtake the competition. This helped me analyse
each scenario before giving any recommendations.

Even better if: It would have been better if I was a

little quicker in drawing recommendations. While
being exhaustive in reaching recommendations is
always a plus, sometimes cues given during the client
briefing or while solving the case can actually rule out
some recommendations and save some time.

Cracking the consulting interview 7

 Joined: 2019

Office: Gurugram

Education: Postgraduate diploma (liberal studies),

Ashoka University; Bachelor of Arts (economics,
honours), Hansraj College, University of Delhi

Myth busted
That interviews are absolutely arbitrary in nature and the
interviewer could ask you anything plucked out of thin
air. The interviewers pay close attention to what you say
during the interview and want to know more.

Ayush Khosla Case interview tip

Do not ever start solving a problem until you know what
Associate the business is, does or who it caters to. Imagine yourself
standing in the middle of the business location/process
and try to look at the problem from the lens of the
business owner.

Personal interview tip

Always try to have a conversation with the interviewer
just the way you would have with someone you meet
anywhere else in a professional setting. The purpose of
the interviewer isn’t to ask you questions from a list but
rather the conversation should flow and be lucid.

Select personal interview questions

— Tell me more about your work at Enactus.

— What has been your contribution to Enactus?

“Always try to have a

— What are some of the ways to eat well while traveling
five days a week?

conversation with the

interviewer just the
way you would have
with someone you
meet anywhere else in
a professional setting.”

Cracking the consulting interview 8

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Your client is a fitness company that is Summary: Why will the user buy an electric vehicle?
planning to open a gym in Delhi. Recommend where
they could open it and how many people would need Case type: Unconventional
to join to earn 5 lakh rupees profit in the first year.
Background: The interviewer asked me about my
Case type: Market entry, profit maximising project on electric vehicles which led to the case.
and pricing
Approach: The case, although an unconventional
Background: This case came up solely from my one, was pretty straightforward. I started with
interest in fitness and nutrition as the interviewer and mapping the customer journey and then discussing
I started off our conversations based on the things the key factors which affect the decision-making
written on my résumé. I had mentioned that I was process of the customers.
learning powerlifting at the gym and have been into
sports throughout my life. What went well: I critically mapped the user
journey to identify key factors and I constantly
Approach: I first divided the problem into two parts: communicated with the interviewer regarding my
finding the right market and finding the paying thought process.
capacity of that market. The former helped me solve
the problem of market entry and the latter helped Even better if: I had created a better structure for
me in finding the pricing strategy to meet our the case. Also, I could have mathematically proven
revenue expectations. I started off by hypothesising the advantage of electric vehicles by finding out
what kind of audience the fitness company would the breakeven.
like to have as their customers and after we finalised
that, I suggested a locality where the targeted
customers of that age would be present. After
that, to ascertain the price and meet our revenue
target, I again decided to divide the problem into
two parts: revenue from subscriptions and revenue
from upselling/cross-selling services. For the former
I had to break down the gym area into the different
parts and how many people could use the gym at
full capacity. This gave me the number of people
at peak times with which I could calculate the total
number of people using the gym at peak and non-
peak times. After this I went on to look for the fixed
and variable costs of a gym and how those costs
would be dispersed over the number of people we
just calculated above. This gave me cost per person
over which we charged a certain margin to derive
at the price of the subscription. I also accounted for
revenues from upselling and cross-selling services
to help us earn the 5 lakh profit.

What went well: The part where I had to calculate

the fixed and variable costs of the gym was where
the entire pricing decision was made. Having been
a regular gym goer, I could correctly lay out all
the cost heads pertaining to the business. Also,
calculating the per person area utilised by a person
at the gym was quite an interesting aspect to arrive
at the peak capacity.

Even better if: I had made simpler assumptions

about the gym location and target audience as well
as the kind of gym it would be. Assuming it to be a
gym with all facilities made it a bit complex.

Cracking the consulting interview 9

 Joined: 2020

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology (mechanical

engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Overall interview experience: On day one, I had

interviews lined up with three firms in the first slot
but ended up interviewing with only two. They were
comprised of short (but tricky) case studies and personal
questions.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds

Bilv Patel of interviews with Kearney. The first one was light
conversation about my résumé and personal experiences.
Associate The two subsequent rounds had short verbal case studies
followed by a discussion on the respective business
solutions. It was a very warm and relaxing environment
and the process was very smooth.

Myth busted
Consulting interviews are not just about case-solving
ability. They are about having a healthy conversation
and finding logically structured ways to analyse any
problematic situation.

Case interview tips

Always keep your mind open to analyse all the possible
reasons for a problem. Trust your instincts but don’t
restrict yourselves to a particular approach or framework
you might be using to solve cases. Engage in collaborative
dialogue with the interviewer and let them guide you
“Don’t prepare answers throughout the case.

for questions about Personal interview tips

Don’t prepare answers for questions about your CV like
your CV like you are you are preparing for your college exams. Keep things
natural. Show the emotion behind all the experiences you
preparing for your have had to improve your delivery.

college exams. Keep Select personal interview questions

— How was your internship experience and how did you
things natural.” achieve the results in two months?

— Why do you want to be a consultant?

Cracking the consulting interview 10

Case example
Summary: Your client is an organic juice-producing
company based out of Mumbai and wants to expand
all over India. It has started facing some losses in its
business and wants your help.

Case type: Strategy

Background: My internship at ITC Limited led to a

discussion on FMCG products which led to this case.

Approach: The interviewer asked me not to use paper

and pen and just have a discussion on the issue so it
was pretty different from conventional case studies.
I first clarified the goals since it was an open-ended
expansion strategy which reduced the scope to
just planning the supply chain. After discussing
the limitations and bottlenecks as compared to the
conventional FMCG businesses, we closed the first
part. The second part led me to analyse the indirect
competition in the market and we ended the case with
a conclusion to shut down the business!

What went well: I think I stayed calm and asked the

right questions from the beginning. Reducing the
scope of the problem from the start helped me to
reach an adequate strategy in a short time.
This was the case from my third-round interview and
I think the healthy conversations with partners in the
previous rounds helped me stay relaxed
and confident.

Even better if: My case went pretty smooth and

I was satisfied at the end. But in hindsight, I feel that
I could have asked more questions related to the
business which may have led the discussion to a
different path with better results.

Cracking the consulting interview 11

 Joined: 2021

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology (chemical

engineering; minor in management), Indian Institute
of Technology, Bombay

College highlights: Being very passionate about

performing arts, I was involved in the Dramatics Club
at the institute. I love watching movies and dissecting
their scenes, reading books, and writing poetry. I was
also the Consult Club manager. What stands out as
a college experience for me is my summer research
Rutvi Narang internship in Germany where I got to travel and meet
a lot of new people!
Senior Business Analyst
Overall interview experience: I was supposed to
interview with three firms on day one but ended up
interviewing only with Kearney.

Interviewing with Kearney: I was perhaps the first

person to interview with Kearney on day one. My first
interview started at 7 a.m. and lasted for about 30
minutes. Following this, I was directly fast-tracked
to the partner round, which was more of a personal
interview. Both the interviewers were very polite and
professional at the same time, ensuring that I felt
comfortable and confident.

Myth busted
I realized that real interviews are nowhere close
to the practice case sessions with our peers.
“Interviewers genuinely Interviewers genuinely want to know you, make
you feel comfortable, and want you to perform
want to know you, well. Remaining calm, confident, and composed,
remembering that the interviewer is just a person
make you feel you’re speaking to, and that the interview is just
a conversation will help you excel.
comfortable, and want
Case interview tip(s)
you to perform well.” Think of the interviewer as a client and put yourself
in the shoes of a consultant. Ask relevant preliminary
questions and don’t be afraid to take some time
to think things through. However, keep the
communication with the interviewer seamless such
that they know what you’re thinking and can guide
you accordingly.

Cracking the consulting interview 12

Case example What went well: Looking at the case exhaustively
from a business perspective and using numerical
Summary: As the interviewer was a dog lover, she formulas (thereby ensuring I was remaining MECE)
asked me to estimate the market size for a dog was incredibly helpful in laying out a well-structured
training and boarding centre in a typical city in India. approach. Also, keeping the interviewer in the loop of
what I was thinking enabled her to guide me on the
Case type: Guesstimate right track if I ever deviated.

Background: The interviewer loves dogs which is why Even better if: Even though I arrived at a practical
this specific case was chosen. We share the love for and realistic market size for my case, it would’ve
dogs, by the way! been better to come up with a back-of-the-envelope
calculation to confirm how realistic my final
Approach: I started by asking some preliminary answer was.
questions, then taking a minute to structure my
approach. I started off by estimating the number of
dog-owning households in the city, by segregating
the households into financial categories. Next,
I considered the alternatives to a dog-training
and boarding centre such as leaving the dog with
relatives/neighbours, etc.

Personal interview tip(s)

While being well-prepared for personal questions
is important, it is equally important to not be over
rehearsed. I was amazed at how easy it was to strike a
conversation when you just listen and pay attention to
what the interviewer is saying and follow up on
the same.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Tell me about yourself. Who is Rutvi, the person not
the résumé? What is her story?

— Why do you want to pursue consulting?

— I had a whole conversation with my interviewer

about the work–life balance in consulting.

Cracking the consulting interview 13

 Joined: 2021

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics and statistics),

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai

College highlights: I led the Student Inclusion Cell on

campus and was a core team member of the Economics
Circle and Statistics Society.

Overall interview experience: Kearney was the only firm

I interviewed with and I thoroughly enjoyed the process.
The buddy process was extremely helpful and my buddy
Pritika Nayak gave me good insight into the case study and interview
process.
Senior Business Analyst
Interviewing with Kearney: I had four interviews,
including two partner round interviews. All the interviews
started off with questions regarding my CV and personal
experiences before diving into the case.

Myth busted
I used to worry about the complexities of cases, different
frameworks, and diverse sectors. Through the process,
I discovered that the cases given were logical, fun,
and relevant to everyday life and were a great learning
experience for me.

Case interview tip(s)

My advice is to be coachable and always verify your
approach and assumptions with the interviewer. Ask
adequate clarifying questions and lay out the big picture
“Be coachable and in a structured manner before you dive into the case.

always verify your Personal interview tip(s)

Be enthusiastic and natural! I treated it like a Koffee with
approach and Karan interview and it really helped keep me excited and
calm. The personal interview is a great opportunity to
assumptions with the highlight what you are passionate about so introspect
well in advance.
interviewer.”
Selected personal interview question(s)
— Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?

— Why Kearney?

Cracking the consulting interview 14

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Estimate the yearly revenue of the fashion Summary: Determine how to react to a new entrant in
brand ‘ONLY’ in India. the airline industry, for a major airline operator.

Case type: Guesstimate Case type: Strategy

Background: One of my interests is staying updated Approach: Our client was a major airline operating
about latest fashion trends. The partner asked me my in India. It was a premium airline that was now
favourite fashion brand and upon replying ONLY, he apprehensive of the effect on profits due to the
asked me whether I knew the yearly revenue of ONLY entry of a low-cost airline in India. I asked questions
in India. When I answered no, my case turned out to to understand the business models and service
be estimating the same. offerings of both airlines to better gauge the problem.
I divided my structure into two. First, does this entry
Approach: I adopted a bottom-up approach by require a reaction from us considering we cater to
structuring my formula as the number of pan India different customers? Second, If the above answer is
stores x daily average customer footfall in a store x yes, develop a strategy to deal with the new entrant.
average purchase value x 365 days. I also formulated We found out that though the other airline was low
a structure on how I would estimate each element cost, they provided a good enough service for us to
in the formula. For instance, in order to estimate the be concerned about losing market share. We then
total number of pan India stores, I looked at regions proceeded to understand how the other airline was
(North, South, East, West) and inferred cities within maintaining such low costs which required me to
the region that perhaps serve as locations with list out the various costs involved and then calculate
ONLY stores. I articulated considerations such as tier the cost per flight incurred by each airline. Once we
1 cities would have a greater number of stores than identified the cost that they are able to keep lower
tier 2 cities. than us, we developed strategies to lower the same
cost for us and to differentiate our service to justify
What went well: Since ONLY is my favourite brand, the higher price.
I was able to contextualize the case, using my
personal experiences and general knowledge to What went well: My structure of first understanding
validate the assumptions that I was making. It was if there is a need to react was appreciated by the
reassuring when the partner actually Googled the interviewer. I maintained my cool and ensured
number of ONLY stores in India and my estimate I did not miss out on any costs, though this was an
was close enough. industry I was not that familiar with.

Even better if: Once I arrived at the revenue figure, Even better if: I could have asked a question or two
the partner pointed out that I estimated the revenue more about the client to better understand their
of just the physical retail stores. Although he did services and routes they operate on.
not want me to estimate the revenue from online
sales, I could have definitely mentioned it as a
revenue stream.

Cracking the consulting interview 15

 Joined: 2022

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Management Studies, St. Xavier’s

College, Mumbai

College highlights: In the latter years, physically

being in college was a highlight. I co-founded the
Management Club which organized events for the
department and college.

Interviewing with Kearney: My interview process lasted

for two days. All four interviews, 30 to 40 minutes each,
Fareez Mirza were a mix of cases and questions about my experiences,
both personal and academic. Each interview would begin
Senior Business Analyst with the HR/fit questions. As I progressed through the
rounds, I felt comfortable and in better control of answers
to such questions.

Myth busted
Having a perfect CV (academically and otherwise) is
not required. Your aim is to learn from the role you’re
applying for. If you know everything beforehand, there’s
no value you’ll add to yourself.

Case interview tip(s)

Be open and honest about where you stand with respect
to the solution of the case. I found it helpful to ask for
guidance when I reached dead-ends in my solutions.
Try and make the process as collaborative as possible by
keeping a conversation going with the interviewer.

“Be open and honest Personal interview tip(s)

Keep an outline ready for a few generic personal
with respect to the interview questions and build on it during the interview.

solution. Try and Selected personal interview question(s)

— Tell me about yourself.
make the process — Why did you choose consulting as a career and

collaborative by why Kearney?

— What did you do in your internships?

keeping a conversation
Most unique question
going with the In my first partner round, I was asked to solve a riddle
where the replies to my questions were either yes or no.
interviewer.” I strayed a lot during the process before finally stumbling
upon the solution. In hindsight, it would have been better
to treat the riddle as any other case interview and build a
structured approach to solving it.

Cracking the consulting interview 16

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: A boiler manufacturer is facing losses and Summary: A publisher wants to enter the law
he expects you to turn the situation around. textbooks market space in India and it needs a
consultant to estimate the size of the market to
Case type: Profitability understand its viability before choosing to enter it.

Approach: After preliminary questions, I started out Case type: Market entry
by building a profitability framework and listed out
costs and revenue items. The solution was oriented Approach: I began the solution by separating all
toward reducing cost as well as protecting market the typical users of law textbooks in the country.
share against foreign competition (the preliminary This list ranged from students in the fields of law
questions helped me gauge the competition aspect and accountancy to libraries and even courts. Next,
of the case). I provided rough estimates of how many major
courts are present in India (logic being big ones have
What went well: I was able to communicate my libraries), the number of law and finance/accounts
solution structure effectively to the interviewer. schools, the estimate of number of students in each
Constantly receiving feedback and pointers on what school and their libraries. This framework helped me
I was doing helped me focus on important points of find total books demanded.
the solution.
What went well: I was able to compartmentalize
Even better if: I could have created a better final demand from various groups of people. Allowing for
solution. I believe my answer was not concise enough margins of error and making assumptions of how
(limited to 3–4 solution steps). often a new version of books need to be bought also
helped ease up the calculation.

Even better if: I could have been quicker with my

solution. The interviewer did want me to rush through
the case in 20 minutes. I should have avoided digging
deeper into the case and highlighted main points of
my solution instead.

Cracking the consulting interview 17

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Postgraduate diploma and Bachelor of Arts

(political science), Ashoka University

College highlights: I was a part of the Environment

Ministry on campus where I worked on sustainability-
related issues. I was also an election commissioner, where
I organized the student government elections for the
undergraduate student body.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had five interviews with

Samridhi Hooda Kearney, which lasted around 20 to 30 minutes. They were
case interviews, and each interviewer asked me a few
Senior Business Analyst questions about myself and my CV.

Myth busted
Errors are not make or break, especially in the earlier
rounds. Interviewers encourage you to rethink your
answers if you’re going in the wrong direction. The
interviews are quite collaborative and are two-way
conversations.

Case interview tip(s)

Be patient when doing calculations. It is better to do
them more slowly but get them correct. Also, be flexible
with frameworks, and find ways to modify them so that
they work for the case. Doing this will make the case-
solving process a lot more efficient.

Personal interview tip(s)

“Errors are not make or Prepare a few concise points for commonly asked
questions. This helps with nerves, while ensuring nothing
break. Interviewers important is left out. Being genuine and honest is crucial
here, and treating this part of the interview as a way to
encourage you to highlight your interests and future goals is useful.

rethink your answers Selected personal interview question(s)

— Why do you wish to work in consulting?
if you’re going in the — Tell me about your work with sustainability-related

wrong direction.” initiatives on campus.

Most unique question

My last case study round was very interesting, and was
different from all cases I’d practiced. I solved a social
impact case related to local artisans’ livelihood during
the COVID-19 lockdown, which pushed me to rethink
assumptions I had about how these artisans sustain
themselves and made me think on my toes.

Cracking the consulting interview 18

Case example
Summary: Your client is the Department of Atomic
Energy in India, and is considering producing a
radioactive medicine that it has been importing
till now.

Case type: Market entry

Approach: I began with trying to understand the

medicine, and the primary consumers of the same,
and the reason why India has been importing the
same till now. After finding out that it was used in the
treatment of a particular form of cancer, I focused
on the number of patients with this illness and how
many of them will be able to access the treatment to
estimate the market size.

What went well: Trying to understand the

background helped—specifically who consumed the
medicine, whether it was an injectable or a pill, etc.
Along with that, carefully segmenting the number of
patients and communicating the same ensured that
the interviewer knew the approach I was taking.

Even better if: I should have clarified the unit in which

the interviewer wanted the market size earlier on in
the case. After calculating the number of people
with cancer who would get the treatment, I had to
do some quick math to estimate how many litres of
medicine would be produced for the same.

Cracking the consulting interview 19

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics, honours),

St. Stephen’s College, Delhi

College highlights: Outside of academics, I worked

closely with multiple NGOs and also headed a vertical
of a data science community.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had four interview rounds,

each of them lasting for around 25 minutes. Three of the
rounds were case based.
Vanshika Jain
Myth busted
Senior Business Analyst That it is necessary to arrive at the exact answer.
In consulting interviews, the approach matters more than
the final answer. If your line of thinking is correct, the
interviewer may nudge you toward the final answer.

Case interview tip(s)

Don’t get overwhelmed even if you don’t know anything
about the industry or any specifics of the case. Ask
questions to understand the case first and then proceed.

Personal interview tip(s)

Think of the interview like a conversation. Be honest and
polite, and don’t memorize your answers.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Why would you choose Kearney over any other firm?

“Think of the interview — How did you manage your time while pursuing
extracurriculars along with college?

like a conversation. Most unique question

Be honest and polite, Out of everything listed on your CV, what did you enjoy
the most and why?

and don’t memorize

your answers.”

Cracking the consulting interview 20

Case example
Summary: A logistics company wants to enter the
Korean market, specifically in the healthcare segment.

Case type: Market entry

Approach: The case started with some initial

questions about the Korean economy, after which
I calculated that it would actually be profitable for the
firm to enter the market. I was given three possible
air routes on which they could operate and some
statistics about the same. After calculating which
would be the most profitable route, the interview
ended with a discussion about other potential issues
that come up with the air routes.

What went well: The initial question was framed in

an unconventional way. But after some clarifying
questions, I was able to figure out the type and used
the correct framework.

Even better if: I stumbled once with calculations,

and I could have taken an extra 10 seconds to verify
them. I could also have been more comprehensive in
describing potential issues to include things such as
cold storage.

Cracking the consulting interview 21

 Joined: 2022

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (civil engineering),

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

College highlights: In college, I was associated with

Techfest as an events manager. Other than that, I was also
a part of the dramatics club and was very much involved in
various cultural activities throughout college.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

interviews with Kearney: two with managers and one
Tushar Jindal with a partner. All of the interviews were case centric and
lasted for about 20 to 25 minutes each on average. The
Senior Business Analyst interviewers were very friendly and supportive throughout
the discussions and the overall interview experience was
rather nice.

Myth busted
There is no perfect framework to solve any case. You
need to be flexible with your approach as the cases can
be molded in any way. The interview should be perceived
as a two-way discussion and you should not be hesitant
to ask any clarifying questions which you need to move
further in the case.

Case interview tip(s)

There are no fixed type of cases as such. The interviewer
can make a case even from his/her personal life or
something that is mentioned in your résumé. So, instead
of cramming up the frameworks you should learn how
“Be genuine with your to approach the cases in a logical way throughout your
preparation. Also, it’s very important to ask the right
answers during the preliminary questions and keep the interviewer in the
loop throughout the case-solving process.
interview instead of
Personal interview tip(s)
using prepared ones Be genuine with your answers during the interview instead
of using prepared ones which you may not express
that you may not fluently and may not leave a good impression on the
interviewer. Also, it’s very important to look confident in
express fluently and whatever you say throughout the interview.

may not leave a good Selected personal interview question(s)

I was asked to introduce myself and also why I wish to
impression on the pursue consulting as a career.

interviewer.” Most unique question

There was an unconventional case in the partner round
where I was asked to estimate the market size of a pill
that keeps you fresh throughout the day even with bare
minimum amount of sleep (about 1 to 2 hours).

Cracking the consulting interview 22

Case example
Summary: Formulate a growth strategy for Swiggy.

Case type: Growth

Approach: I first asked some preliminary questions

like what markets are we looking at or if there is
any other business that we wish to enter into. After
getting an idea of the problem, I first divided the
broad problem into two parts—number of customers
and revenue per customer. Then into these respective
parts, for number of customers I looked into existing
channels (like supply, distribution, and demand) and
also into new channels (new geographies, customer
segments, etc.) where we could increase the reach.
And for revenue per customer I looked into things
such as promotions, comparative prices. After having
a fair idea of the possible ways of increasing the
revenues, I proceeded to summarize the case.

What went well: Having a logical approach rather

than sticking on the predefined frameworks helped
me to solve the case in a proper manner. Also, as the
company was Swiggy, of which I had a fair idea as
to the existing facilities offered and revenue streams
for the company, I didn’t have much difficulty in
progressing through the case after laying out the
overall structure to solve the problem.

Even better if: I could have taken some more time

to come up with more creative and new ideas to
formulate the growth strategy of the firms. Also,
if I had more idea about various other competitors
(even the small ones) and what models they use, then
I may have come up with better recommendations.

Cracking the consulting interview 23

 Joined: 2022

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics and statistics),

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

College highlights: I held the position of vice-chairperson,

networking for Malhar ’21, an intercollegiate cultural
festival. I was also a part of the student council in 2019 and
2020. Moreover, I captained the handball team of
St. Xavier’s and led it to the state championship.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had to give four interviews

Radhika Dikay at Kearney—two of them were case interviews and the last
one was a personal fit interview.
Senior Business Analyst
Myth busted
“You have to be great at business cases.” Honestly, you
don’t have to be extraordinary in business cases to be
able to crack the Kearney interviews. You may sometimes
give the wrong answer, but your process of thought
toward getting to that answer, and your overall approach,
should be clear and based on simple first principles, and
you’ll be good. That is what they are looking at initially.

Case interview tip(s)

Getting your sanity checks at every point. Sometimes,
case interviews may lead you toward a direction, but
it is always best to keep verifying the same with sanity
checks. Ask yourself whether the figure that you’ve
got or the answer that you’ve got makes sense to you.
Proceeding ahead with sanity checks will help you be
“Case interviews may more confident toward the case.

lead you toward a Personal interview tip(s)

Be honest. Not bluffing/overstating anything, but being
direction, but it is extremely true and honest to you, your experience, and
your personality.
always best to keep
Selected personal interview question(s)
verifying the same — If not consultancy, what would you have applied for?

with sanity checks.” — What is the most important thing to you in your life,
when you look at it from a career perspective?

— Basic HR questions like why Kearney? Why you?

Most unique question

I was asked to play a case game in my personal interview,
where I could ask questions to the interviewer in only
yes/no format, and would have to reveal how a particular
situation had happened. It was very unique, something
I had never thought of or expected.

Cracking the consulting interview 24

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: If you were made the Sports Minister of Summary: The interviewer was a biscuit company
India, how would you go about ensuring 20 medals at manufacturer. Their profits were going down in the
the next Olympics? last few months, and he wanted me to find out why.

Case type: Unconventional Case type: Profitability

Approach: The case was based on my CV, since I am Approach: I used the first principle approach and
a national-level athlete. Hence, I knew the basics of started right from the basics. I asked preliminary
sports, the support and facilities given by the Indian questions pertaining to costs and sales, to find out
Government to Indian sports athletes. I used my what the root cause of the case was, and then moved
firsthand knowledge and suggested anything that an in that direction to finally get to the real cause.
athlete would’ve expected from the government and
the country as a whole, and how that would double What went well: My approach really helped me in
the performance of Indian athletes at the Olympics. getting clarity on what the case was all about. Asking
the right preliminary questions was my key toward
What went well: My extra knowledge and passion cracking that case. It led me toward finding the exact
about sports aided my performance and ability problem which was causing the profit loss.
to answer confidently, and that portrayed my
experience, which I think was really good. Even better if: After finding out the exact cause of the
problem, he further questioned me on how I could
Even better if: Maybe suggesting some policies or suggest some recommendations on improving the
concrete numbers about funds allocated to different same. At that moment, I couldn’t answer very well and
sectors would’ve helped deliver a better answer. I think I could’ve given better suggestions, by having
the clear mind that I had from the beginning, and not
overthinking on rocket science-level suggestions.

Cracking the consulting interview 25

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology and Master of

Technology (chemical engineering), Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi

College highlights: I was actively involved in cultural

and technical fests at IIT Delhi. I also worked in a few
programs under NSS through which we tried to create a
social impact.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had a total of three rounds

Vaibhav Jain of interviews with Kearney. The first two rounds were case
centric and lasted for roughly 20 minutes. The third one
Senior Business Analyst was more of a chit-chat round lasting for just around 7 to 8
minutes. I was also asked a few questions from my résumé
in the final round.

Myth busted
Performance in buddy rounds. This is something that one
quite often hears during his/her case preparation, that
buddy rounds are evaluative. At Kearney, I can say for
sure that this is not true.

Also, coming up with final correct answer. It’s not

important to come up with a final conclusion at the
end of a case interview. All that matters is your overall
approach and one’s ability to put thought into words.

Case interview tip(s)

The most important tip would be to appreciate feedback
“The most important tip that one gets at the end of a case interview. One gets to
learn a lot through it. Also don’t be rigid in terms of using
would be to appreciate frameworks. In final interview cases, one usually doesn’t
get a case with a typical conventional framework.
feedback at the end an
Personal interview tip(s)
interview. Also, don’t Keep things natural and be simple, confident, and chill.
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes in buddy cases and
be rigid in terms of try to learn from each and every mistake that comes
along the way.
using frameworks.”
Selected personal interview question(s)
What was your project at Finmechanics (my intern
company) and how did you create an impact over there?
Your résumé suits more for a chemical industry job.
What brings you to consulting?

Most unique question

In my final round, I was asked how COVID and farmer’s
law have affected my family business. (The interviewer
had an idea regarding it from initial conversation.)

Cracking the consulting interview 26

Case example
Summary: Rajat Kitchen is an eating juncture and is
specialized in Italian food. Now they are planning to
distribute their products on Zomato/Swiggy and for
that they initially need to do a pricing for a variety
of its products. You have been hired to help Rajat’s
Kitchen come up with their pricing strategy. How will
you go about it?

Case type: Pricing

Approach: I began the case by firstly clarifying the

problem statement and asking a few preliminary
questions, including: What’s the objective of Rajat’s
Kitchen for coming live on online delivery platforms?
How long have we been operating? I also asked
about sales/profit numbers for our items, etc. I then
started exploring three different pricing strategies i.e.
cost-based pricing, competitor-based, and finally the
value-based pricing. The interviewer told me to focus
on the latter two approaches.

For competitor-based pricing, I tried to dig out our

target customer segment and thus we can look
forward to competitors’ price catering to the same
segment of customers.

For value-based pricing, the interviewer was more

interested in finding out how I will value something like
online orders. I used a mathematical formula to come
up with a number. The formula was built along the
following grounds: trying to estimate miscellaneous
expenses and a certain percentage of it would be
used for online food/shopping. Then also estimating
the number of online orders in a month or so. From
this I was able to come up with a number for a single
Zomato order.

What went well: A structured approach into pricing

helped me modularize the problem effectively. I took
my time to ensure that the calculations were accurate
because of the mathematical nature of the situation.
It was helpful for me to round off numbers wherever
it was required. I gave insights drawn from personal
experiences which impressed the interviewer.

Even better if: While building my approach for

value-based pricing, I just considered miscellaneous
expenses for deriving value for online orders. At the
end I came up with a number which was quite less
than expected. I could have confirmed my expenses
estimation with the interviewer initially and this way
I could have gauged the interviewer’s attention more
and also would have come up with a more precise
final estimation.

Cracking the consulting interview 27

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology (chemical

engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

College highlights: At Enactus, I led social entrepreneurial

initiatives aimed at preserving the environment and
undertook a 15-day Arctic expedition revolving around
leadership and climate action. Furthermore, I was elected
as secretary of the Student Affairs Council to initiate tech-
driven solutions to resolve students’ problems. As a table
tennis and dance enthusiast, I also took part in related
Raghav Ajitsaria college competitions.
Senior Business Analyst Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of
interviews—a principal round followed by two partner
rounds. The first two interviews consisted of both
fit questions and case/estimation questions. The
third interview was purely fit based and focused on
understanding my varied college experiences.

Myth busted
Buddies don’t always evaluate and one shouldn’t stress
too much about interactions with them. They judge you
more on how you improve throughout the process.

Case interview tip(s)

Just be confident. You can ask for any basic
clarification—you are not expected to know everything.
In fact, an earnest effort to understand the case prompt
is appreciated.
“It is okay to take some
Personal interview tip(s)
time to think before It is okay to take some time to think before answering
certain fit questions. A well-thought, structured answer is
answering certain fit better than a quick answer.

questions. A well- Selected personal interview question(s)

— Why Kearney?
thought, structured — Why consulting?

answer is better than — Why should we choose you?

a quick answer.” Most unique question

Why should we NOT choose you?

Cracking the consulting interview 28

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Your client is an India-based FMCG Summary: Your client is a toffee manufacturer
company. How can they increase their profitability? facing market share decline. How can they turn the
situation around?
Case type: Profitability
Case type: Market share decline
Approach: During preliminary questions, I found out
I needed to focus on a specific category of product Approach: I analysed two perspectives—supply side
the client manufactured—mosquito repellents. and demand side. The issue was on the demand
I analysed two perspectives—revenues and costs. side. The shopkeeper was pushing sales of our
To increase revenues, quantity sold could be competitor’s toffees as they are giving better price
increased by penetrating the rural Indian markets and margin compared to our client. Next, an analysis of
by releasing different SKUs in the urban market. For cost structure of client vs. competitor revealed that
revenues, average pricing could also be improved by raw material cost per toffee was higher for our client.
developing better combo packages for customers. The reason for this was that the competitor was
On the cost side, R&D costs could be reduced by producing a higher number of toffees with the same
automation. Raw material costs could be reduced quantity and cost of raw material procured.
by shifting to alternate suppliers and by negotiating
What went well: The structure was on point as
bulk prices.
I could drill down to the root cause pretty quickly.
What went well: My structured approach was My analysis of the exhibits shown by the interviewer
appreciated by the interviewer. I was calm, confident, was great as I could clear the clutter and focus
and clear in my communication. I could give creative only on the important data needed to draw the
insights, which were drawn out from my own required conclusion.
internship experience at a global FMCG firm. A short
Even better if: I could have asked for data proactively
guesstimate—estimate the market size of mosquito
without assuming that it might not be available
repellent liquid vaporizers—was asked as part of the
with the interviewer. Recommendations could have
case and I did well.
been structured better, for example, bucketing the
Even better if: My recommendations could have recommendations is always preferred compared to
included next steps about how to penetrate the rural saying a laundry list of action points.
Indian market and risks of R&D automation. I could
have asked a couple more clarification questions to
understand the guesstimate in a better fashion.

Cracking the consulting interview 29

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology (textile engineering),

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

College highlights: I was the overall coordinator of the

Office of Career Services (OCS) and was involved in
placement cell activities for three years. I was also part
of Ensemble dance society and took part in Rendezvous
and some DU fests. The exposure I got from these taught
me immensely.

Gudala Kamesh Abhinav Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

Senior Business Analyst interviews for 15 to 20 minutes each—two case rounds
and one personal interview. The first round was a case
round in which the interviewer was so friendly I forgot
I was in an interview. It was refreshing and boosted my
confidence for consecutive rounds. In the second round,
there were some questions based on my résumé followed
by a short case, and the last round was purely personal
questions. Overall, the process was very smooth.

Myth busted
I thought one should be perfect in solving a case without
mistakes. But the truth is, interviewers understand
it is normal to make mistakes and get lost in a 15- to
20-minute case. They guide us to understand how we
approach problems and whether they can trust us with
clients. The important part after messing up during a
case is to step back, breathe, and calmly think what you
should do after a mistake and not just sit around it.
“Practice personal
Case interview tip(s)
interview questions Think before speaking. One major error made by people
is they say unnecessary things to cover up the silence.
with different people Yes, one needs to keep engaging the interviewer but it
does not mean to say things to mislead or show you are
before the actual not clear on your thoughts.

interview to get familiar Personal interview tip(s)

Prepare all the standard HR questions, and try to
with answers one understand deeply about yourself. Trying to fake a
personality will backfire sooner or later. Also, practice
should give.” personal interview questions with different people before
the actual interview to get familiar with answers one
should give.

Selected personal interview question(s)

Tell me about yourself is the most common question
everyone is going to ask. Apart from this, others are,
”Why consulting?” and “How did you do this?” from
my CV.

Most unique question

“Sell me a cryptocurrency assuming I have no knowledge
of it.” In this, the context was that I want the interviewer
to invest in one cryptocurrency.

Cracking the consulting interview 30

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Your client is a toffee manufacturer and Summary: How many windows are in Delhi?
has observed a reduction in market share because
of new competition in market. Understand why Case type: Guesstimate
it is happening.
Approach: The interviewer told me he will not clarify
Case type: Profitability anything and I should assume things myself. I listed
down different areas having windows and analyzed
Approach: The case was a variation of profitability segments with a larger number.
and needed me to understand how the competition
was taking up market share. I approached the What went well: I was able to use population to deep
problem from top and went on to each segment dive into segments requiring window calculations
trying to understand what exactly were the and also was able to factor buildings which are
competitors doing differently. I was then shown some unoccupied. Mentioning each assumption and
data to analyze and draw conclusions. I was able to communicating my thinking process effectively was
segment different scenarios and give reasoning for most important here.
them finally coming to a conclusion.
Even better if: I missed a few segments such as
What went well: In such cases, it is important to automobile windows and did not even mention them.
broadly analyze the product and use data provided The interviewer was not looking for that calculation
to your advantage. The best part of the case was but wanted to understand how I approach such
when I was able to correctly identify how our product open problems.
was different from competitors using data provided
during case. Also, I think another factor was that I was
able to discuss my approach and clear thinking to the
interviewer, who I felt was solving the case together
with me. This collaborative case solving made things
go really well.

Even better if: I tried to use a standard framework in

one part of the case which left one possibility out.
Though this did not affect the case, it could have
been better. One should develop a habit of creating
frameworks customizing the case.

Cracking the consulting interview 31

 Joined: 2022

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (civil engineering;

minor in management), Indian Institute of Technology,
Bombay

College highlights: I have been a part of the Techfest

core team and Insight, the institute media body. I also
participated in music events organized by Symphony, the
institute music club, usually as a vocalist.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had two rounds with Kearney,

Aman Mishra one with a principal and one with a partner. The first round
was a case round, followed by a round solely based on a
Business Analyst puzzle. Both of them lasted around 20 minutes.

Myth busted
It is not necessary to memorize dozens of frameworks.
Instead, use a few basic frameworks that you can
easily recall so that you can come up with your own
frameworks, a skill that is very helpful in solving cases.

Case interview tip(s)

Thinking out loud is essential to convey your approach
and thought process, but if you hit a dead-end, take a
minute to think and plan your next steps.

Personal interview tip(s)

An interview is a conversation, not an interrogation. There
is no single correct answer to a question, so try not to
overthink your answers.
“An interview is a
conversation, not an
interrogation. There is
no single correct
answer to a question,
so try not to overthink
your answers.”

Cracking the consulting interview 32

Case example
Summary: Identify reasons why a pilot program for
a new energy supplement has not performed well.

Case type: Profitability

Approach: I started by asking how the pilot failed and

trying to understand the product, its selling points,
how the pilot was executed, and who the customers
were. Though superior to its competitors and much
more effective, the product had not met sales targets.
I broke down the stages the pilot program was
executed in, from marketing to in-store sales and
inquired about the performance of each. The issue was
with repeat purchases, which prompted me to analyse
the basic features of the product, and I finally landed
on the poor aftertaste of the product as the problem.

What went well: I spent quite a bit of time on

preliminary questions, making sure I understood
what the product was and that I was not making any
assumptions. This helped me to brainstorm ideas
quickly and dive into the problem.

Even better if: I could have been much quicker in

solving the case if I had isolated which parts needed
segmenting first instead of segmenting everything.
For example, I started segmenting factors driving
supply before asking if there were any issues with
production and distribution, which could have saved
me valuable time and effort.

Cracking the consulting interview 33

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Science (mathematics, honours),

Lady Shri Ram College for Women

College highlights: In college, I was immersed in NSS

activities, from volunteering in a teaching NGO to heading
that project the next year. Another interesting experience
was my time as an associate in Enactus where I took
initiatives to promote greenery in and around NCR.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three interview rounds.

Shubhi Arora Each round was designed holistically to determine my
case-solving skills, personality, and fitness for the role.
Business Analyst It was an enriching and enlightening experience.

Myth busted
While preparing for cases, it used to seem difficult
to comprehend how each industry worked and all
one could do was try and learn the entire value chain
process relating to them. However, I realized that in the
interviews, the interviewers were so helpful in explaining
the industry and the way it functions: the only thing you
needed to do is ask. At the end of the day, all that matters
is how you’re able to process that information and arrive
at the solution from it. Nobody expects you to know all
the minute details of each industry.

Case interview tip(s)

A case interview is not just meant to test your case-
solving skills but also other factors like communication
“A case interview is and creativity. So, even if you go by the routine
approaches, never miss a chance to add an idea or an
not just meant to test interesting opinion of your own.

your case-solving skills Personal interview tip(s)

Always try to be yourself during the interviews. Do not
but also other factors analyse the interview while the interview is going on.
Be in the moment.
like communication
Selected personal interview question(s)
and creativity.” — Tell me about yourself?

— What did you do as a part of your internships?

— Which is your favourite book and why?

Most unique question

If you had a 15-year-old risk-taking niece, which mutual
fund would you advise her to invest in?

Cracking the consulting interview 34

Case example
Summary: Devise a strategy to grow the deposits of
a cryptocurrency platform.

Case type: Growth

Approach: I began by understanding the current

deposit amount of investors and subscribers and
evaluated the pros and cons to realize the target
population which was the youth. I then tried to
break down the various factors that contribute to
an investment in the platform, i.e. awareness, need,
affordability, accessibility, and acceptability. Further,
I expanded each layer and brought out the various
strategies that might work thereafter. For example,
in awareness, I explained that SEO and SEM could
be successful or even advertising on mutual funds
websites.

What went well: I think by putting forward examples

of websites to advertise on such as Investopedia and
Value Research, I was able to convey that I had a fair
idea about the investing space and was trying to think
of ideas to spread awareness in a parallel industry.

Even better if: There was a point when I couldn’t

churn out more ideas, however I kept saying one
thing or the other without thinking much about it to
show my grit. I believe I could have asked for a few
seconds to think over the question because then my
responses would have been much more structured.

Cracking the consulting interview 35

 Joined: 2022

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Management Studies, St. Xavier’s

College, Mumbai

College highlights: I took part in all sorts of extracurricular

activities in college. I did a few English and Hindi theatrical
performances. I religiously took part in all the fests, and
eventually headed the events department for one.
I worked briefly in a social consulting endeavour as well.
I was also a part of the debating society.

Pranay Checker Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

interviews with a manager, a principal, and a partner.
Business Analyst All the rounds were a mix of questions related to my CV
and case studies.

Myth busted
I thought that I would be marked low if I took a pause
while solving the case study. However, it’s completely
alright to ask for a minute to structure your thoughts and
then proceed.

Case interview tip(s)

Think ahead. If you get a new piece of information while
solving the case, start making hypotheses of how this
information affects your case or what inference you can
draw from it. Active thinking shows your preparedness
and this reflects in the quality of questions you’ll ask the
interviewer as well.

“It’s completely alright Personal interview tip(s)

Personal interview questions may catch you off guard.
to ask for a minute to It makes sense to think through some common questions
beforehand, so that your confidence isn’t affected
structure your thoughts negatively. Be candid with your experiences and
articulate the learnings well.
and then proceed.”
Selected personal interview question(s)
In every round, I was asked to introduce myself and the
conversation stemmed from that. I was asked about my
experience in theater, and also about my projects and
internships.

Most unique question

In my second round, we discussed a social consulting
stint that I was a part of. One thing led to another, and the
principal formed a case study on the spot out of
my experience.

Cracking the consulting interview 36

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: The case was about a boiler manufacturer Summary: Guesstimate the market size of the legal
that was struggling with decreased profits in the publishing market in India.
medium term. The problem was faced by the whole
industry in India. Case type: Guesstimate

Case type: Profitability Approach: I asked some preliminary questions to

check my understanding of the legal publishing
Approach: After the preliminary questions, I started market and define the scope of the guesstimate.
working with the profitability framework to identify I then approached the guesstimate from the demand
revenue and cost as the two possible reasons for the side. I divided the population of India on the basis
change. It was found that profit decreased due to a rise of being urban/rural, age, income, the level of
in the costs of the business, specifically the variable education, profession, frequency of purchase, and
costs. These costs, in turn, had increased because mode of publishing.
of the rising price of the imported components
of the machine. This was due to the change in the What went well: I was able to define the scope of
structure of these components, done according to the the guesstimate quite early in the process, which
government guideline, which decreased their carbon saved a lot of time. I articulated my approach to the
footprint but made them costlier. interviewer well after forming the structure.

What went well: I tried to build a structure for every Even better if: I took a lot of time to make my
new piece of information I received. I kept the structure exhaustive. This left me with less time for
interviewer engaged throughout by thinking out loud the calculations.
and taking him through what I was doing and why
I was doing it. I was receptive to the hints that the
interviewer gave while building the structures.

Even better if: I got some context about the industry

through the preliminary questions, however, I still
wasn’t fully able to comprehend it. Nevertheless,
I proceeded with the case, which created some
chaos during the analysis. The interviewer helped me
through it, and I was able to get back on track.

Cracking the consulting interview 37

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Communication (honours), Hansraj

College, University of Delhi

College highlights: My active participation in various

student bodies, most prominently the Finance &
Investment Cell which I led as president in my third year,
gave me many cherished memories and greatly shaped
me as an individual. In addition, I had actively participated
in numerous management and case competitions across
the circuit with several podium finishes. I even ended up
Jayesh Rungta winning the India leg of the world’s largest undergraduate
case competition, getting a chance to represent the
Business Analyst nation at the global stage, a feat that was achieved for the
first time in Hansraj history. Lastly, I finally got a chance to
put all my knowledge of pop culture to use as part of the
college quizzing circuit.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three interview rounds at

Kearney: manager, principal, and partner. Each interview
lasted for 30 to 40 minutes, starting off with personal
questions about my experiences and introduction before
diving into the case. The interviews were friendly and
encouraging, making me feel at ease and giving me an
opportunity to put my best foot forward.

Myth busted
The interviews are not always about arriving at the
solution; they are more focussed towards your approach
and your demeanour when solving the problem. The
“Having a good interviewers want to help you shine while at the same
time assess fit by trying to see how you react in situations
introduction which is that you may have to face down the line. Therefore, being
calm and authentic helps.
honest, crisp, and
Case interview tip(s)
brings out the true you The solutioning process should be a conversation,
therefore, always run each calculation, assumption, and
beyond your profile inference by your interviewer and make sure that you
consider their inputs. Giving the rationale behind your
goes a long way.” assumptions serves as a great opportunity for you to
showcase your existing knowledge. Following a MECE
structure during preliminary questions and when stating
your final solutions can earn you brownie points.

Personal interview tip(s)

How you introduce yourself can greatly impact the tone
of the conversation and sometimes even become the
basis for the entire interview. Therefore, having a good
introduction which is honest, crisp, and brings out the
true you beyond your profile goes a long way.

Cracking the consulting interview 38

Case example I came up with three data points, also stating with
reasons the amount of importance that should be
Summary: Your client is a fashion retailer. Advise given to each factor.
them on how they can go about optimizing their
employee cost-to-sales ratio. What went well: Having a consistent MECE structure
throughout the case was appreciated. Another
Case type: Unconventional thing that worked in my favour was the novelty
of the solutions pitched at different stages and
Approach: On asking preliminary questions, I was my knowledge of latest trends which helped me
told to straightaway start with the solution, taking the substantiate the solutions pitched with evidence.
fashion brand Zara for the purpose of the case as my Assigning a priority to each solution giving reason-
client. I started off by stating that the client can either backed arguments worked in my favour as the
increase their sales or reduce their employee cost, rationale was extensively questioned by the
to which the interviewer asked me to optimise for interviewer and when I was able to hold my ground,
the employee cost. I went on to create a formula for the interviewer recognised and appreciated the
employee cost, digging into each of the causes after depth of thought.
which it was revealed that the number of employees,
specifically the sales staff, need to be reduced. I Even better if: I had asked the interviewer for
created a structure looking at the factors affecting feedback, however I was told that there was nothing
the per employee sales and suggested solutions to to improve on.
improve each of those factors. These factors were
salesperson training, store automation, and gig staff.
It was revealed that my hypothesis was correct, and
the client wants to replace some of their permanent
sales staff with part-time gig workers who can fill in
during boom season. As a follow-on to the case, I was
asked to come up with the various factors I would
consider ascertaining the boom periods for the store.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Why do you enjoy playing board games? Which are
your favourite ones?

— Tell me about your experience with the Finance

Cell and Enactus.

— Where do you see yourself in five years and how

does consulting fit in the picture?

Most unique question

Why should you be chosen out of all the other
candidates? What is your unique differentiating factor?

Cracking the consulting interview 39

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics, honours), Shri

Ram College of Commerce

College highlights: The college experience for me was

to explore and know myself better. I was a part of 180
Degrees Consulting, SRCC wherein I launched the first-
ever case interview guide at undergraduate level in DU.
I enjoyed public and corporate engagements by
organising multiple events and TEDx. In my second year,
I founded a student-run organisation for M&A enthusiasts.
Shruti
Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of
Business Analyst interviews, with manager, principal, and partner in the
same chronology that were a mix of case and personal
interview questions.

Myth busted
Getting stuck somewhere in the case will create an all-
negative impact. In my experience, the interviewers are
there to help you understand the case better. The catch
lies in your ability to listen to them and take the hints in
the case and move on with a reasonable approach.

Case interview tip(s)

It’s not important for one to know each and everything
and solve every aspect of the case excellently.
What matters is making the best use of the area you
know to showcase your abilities. Understanding the
case properly to structure down well and precise
“Use the ‘Tell me about communication is helpful.

yourself’ question as a Personal interview tip(s)

You should know whatever you have written down in your
good way to create a CV well. Apart from this, use the “tell me about yourself”
question as a good way to create a first impression and
first impression and showcase an interesting personality apart from what is
there in your CV.
showcase an
Selected personal interview question(s)
interesting personality — Tell me about yourself.

apart from what is — Questions regarding the projects I did in college

there in your CV.” — In general, conversation about college life and what all
I did and learnt

— Do you have any questions for me (interviewer)?

Cracking the consulting interview 40

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: A seaport in western India built seven Summary: A global OEM manufacturer, Kia Motors,
years ago is facing declining profits. Help them to wants to enter India. Their sister company, Hyundai
solve the problem. Motors, is already in India, occupying second position
after Maruti. They want your help to estimate the
Case type: Profitability market size for passenger vehicles in India and come
up with parameters that they should consider for
Approach: After asking relevant questions, I got to estimating the market share they can capture in India.
know that the declining profit problem was faced
by our client and some other ports while some were Case type: Market entry
running profitable. With the revenue–cost breakdown
approach, I found out that the cargo shipment Approach: While the first part was a guesstimate,
revenue was majorly declining. My approach was it was the second part which was a bit trickier and
MECE even while mentioning the possible reasons sort of unconventional. I took time to first understand
of decline in cargo revenue (vessels and in-land what the interviewer meant by parameters for
logistics). Since it was a problem faced not only market share. After discussion, I pointed out a few,
by our client, I removed the vessel hypothesis and giving valid reasoning—target segment, competitive
moved on with export/import. Further discussion landscape, location, etc.
revealed the shift in export volume from client to the
other ports, so I divided reasons into affordability and What went well: Structuring the first part well and
accessibility. The case ended with accessibility being giving proper reasoning for the parameters in the
the issue. second part helped.

What went well: Being MECE even during the end of Even better if: There can be many more areas that
the case helped me to not miss out on anything and can potentially impact market share decisions. I could
proper communication by keeping it interactive made have mentioned more of them.
it easier. Moreover, giving wide recommendations
(short and long term) added more value.

Even better if: Nothing major but asking about major

supply structure and components in the beginning
of the case would have helped to divide the revenue
streams quicker.

Cracking the consulting interview 41

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics), St. Xavier’s

College, Mumbai

College highlights: Hindustan Unilever Limited ULIP

internship program, vice chairperson (events) Malhar 2021,
secretary for The Social Service League

Interviewing with Kearney: I had two rounds during my

interview—one with a manager and one with a partner.
Both rounds were case rounds.
Devdatta Rege
Myth busted
Business Analyst While preparing for case interviews, I assumed the whole
process of the interview would have a set format, but my
first interview was very enlightening in terms of how the
interviewer can create new cases on the spot and need
not stick to one single case.

Case interview tip(s)

Practice with your buddies as much as possible!

Personal interview tip(s)

Know your résumé in and out and try to formulate cases
with respect to the contents of your résumé. For example,
If you are a student graduating with economics honours
and have written research papers on the same, a case
on the same could be, “Devise a strategy to enhance the
quality of research at ABC college for students.”

“Know your résumé in Selected personal interview question(s)

Walk me through your résumé.
and out and try to
Most unique question
formulate cases with This was not a unique question, but it did throw me off:
“Devise a customer journey for ABC supermarket.”
respect to the contents
of your résumé.”

Cracking the consulting interview 42

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: The case I was given was to figure out the Summary: Guesstimate the market size for legal
cause for declining profits in a supermarket chain, books in India for one year.
which further was modified into a market entry case
and finally a guesstimate to figure out customer Case type: Guesstimate
footfall of a new supermarket.
Approach: I used a top-down approach to solve
Case type: Profitability, market entry, and a the case using demographic filters like urban–rural
guesstimate divide, age, income, profession, etc. to finally arrive at
the market size.
Approach: I used the frameworks for profitability
and market entry to identify key problems and make What went well: I was able to communicate the
a structure for both the cases and used a top-down approach I was taking clearly with the interviewer
approach for the guesstimate using demographics at the very start of my calculations and I did keep
as filters. communicating throughout while solving the
guesstimate.
What went well: I could customise the structure of the
frameworks as needed and was able to showcase my Even better if: At the end of the interview he asked
knowledge with respect to all three kinds of problems. me a few personal questions, which I did not answer
The interviewer told me that I asked all the right to the best of my ability. I could have reviewed my
questions to get more information, which was a win! résumé better to answer these questions.

Even better if: Between each of the big cases, the

interviewer asked me some specific questions
regarding customer experience, different kinds of
data needed, etc. I learned that the bucketing of
every aspect of my structures could have been better
for these questions.

Cracking the consulting interview 43

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics and statistics),

St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai

College highlights: I was involved in various research

and editorial roles in college. I also participated in a few
fests, which was a great way to meet new people. Leading
the Commerce Society blog as its editor-in-chief was
definitely a highlight.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

Jahnavi Jaipuriyar interviews, each lasting for about 30 to 40 minutes. Each
round started with a few personal questions followed
Business Analyst by a case study. The interactions themselves were not
at all stressful and I was made to feel encouraged and
confident throughout.

Myth busted
While knowing a few basic frameworks inside out is a
great way to structure your thoughts and have some
direction during your interview, don’t be afraid to deviate
from conventional approaches to get your ideas across.
Finding ways to showcase your creativity and thinking
outside the box—while remaining on track—is likely to
grab the interviewer’s attention.

Case interview tip(s)

Work with the interviewer! Think of the case as a real-life
problem you are trying to solve at the office. Discuss
your approach, confirm if your assumptions are valid,
“Be proud of your and be open to course corrections and feedback.

accomplishments! Your Personal interview tip(s)

Be proud of your accomplishments! Your interviewer
interviewer is much is much more likely to connect with you if you seem
passionate about the things you have done and have
more likely to connect given some thought about what you learned from
your experiences.
with you if you seem
Selected personal interview question(s)
passionate about the — Tell me about yourself.

things you have done — Your profile is geared more towards finance.
What is your expectation from consulting?
and have given some
— How do you intend to use your understanding
thought about what of finance in consulting?

you learned from your Most unique question

After solving a guesstimate, the interviewer asked me
experiences.” what I felt was the point of performing such estimations
in the first place.

Cracking the consulting interview 44

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Estimate the number of Indian currency Summary: Your client is an airline company that has
coins in a mall of your choice. purchased a fleet capable of covering the distance
between New Delhi and New York in an hour. Help
Case type: Guesstimate them understand how they can price the flight ticket.

Approach: I began the estimation by establishing a Case type: Pricing

few underlying assumptions of my approach, such
as the time and day with maximum footfall, types Approach: I began the case by asking a few
of establishments using coins, types of people at preliminary questions about the company, its existing
the mall, etc. After identifying the relevant areas, I fleet, the objective of pricing the ticket, etc. I then
employed a simple formula to multiply the average listed the pricing methods I could use and proceeded
number of coins held with the number of cash with the value-based method, as suggested by
counters/number of people. To maintain a MECE the interviewer. He instructed me to focus on the
approach, I ensured I was comprehensive in listing approach rather than finding an exact amount.
out possible avenues and broke down each into We concluded the interview by discussing factors
detailed sub-categories. influencing the maximum amount a customer would
be willing to pay for the flight.
What went well: By mentally visualising a mall I’m
familiar with, I could come up with unique and What went well: While evaluating which factors
creative ideas, creating an extensive list of workable would affect the ticket price, I effectively used my
points. Instead of only talking about standard avenues knowledge of economics to zero in on the keyword
such as stores and customers, I also addressed that the interviewer was looking for. Doing so
unexpected areas such as arcades, parking lots, enhanced our discussion going forward since I
and maintenance staff. Thinking outside the box was able to bring my classroom concepts into the
while structuring my ideas through formulas and conversation and dive into the possible behaviours of
assumptions worked in my favour because I could the target customers rather than mechanically using
holistically present my thoughts without losing focus. a framework.

Even better if: After completing the estimation, the Even better if: Since it was a pricing case, I was
interviewer asked me how I would perform the actual trying to establish a numeric value for the ticket
counting if given the time and resources. While I was price at every stage of my framework. While having
able to come up with a workable solution, structuring this objective in mind allowed me to stay on track,
my answer more methodically would have allowed I realised midway through the interview that the
me to eliminate unviable options quicker and reach a interviewer was more interested in learning about my
feasible solution faster. approach than in reaching a final value.

Cracking the consulting interview 45

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics and statistics), St.

Xavier’s College, Mumbai

College highlights: Participant of the CBSE National

Basketball tournament (winners of the state), Trinity
Grade 8 Distinction (drums), Economics Topper, research
paper published

Interviewing with Kearney: Three rounds, all case related

with HR questions
Saurav Cyriac
Case interview tip(s)
Business Analyst Structure every case even if there is no learnt structure.

Personal interview tip(s)

Try to think about all possible questions and be ready
with structured answers by breaking them down.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Prior experience/s, work specific

— How I got some of the internships

Most unique question

Most unique question was in partner interview where the
partner asked me about my haircut, on whether it was
always like that.

“Try to think about all

possible questions
and be ready with
structured answers by
breaking them down.”

Cracking the consulting interview 46

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: The case was a profitability case about Summary: The case was again a profitability case
a supermarket/departmental store. There was a but an unconventional one. It was an interviewer-led
revenue leakage which was soon found out to be case. The case required me to ideate on the different
related to a decline in the customer base. This decline elements that could have been improved, not just a
was because there was a change in occupants basic case with a solution that was reached through
around the building, surrounding the store due to a a basic framework.
mass change in workplace of a corporate firm.
Case type: Unconventional
Case type: Profitability
Approach: Few steps:
Approach: The following approach was taken:
— Identification of what exactly the case was—
— Division of costs and revenues cost cutting

— Going in-depth to the possible costs and revenues — Identification of the origin of the product—
of the store (listed) imported/Indian

— Narrowed it down to the customer segment with — Ideation about different methods to reduce
leading questions wastage of the product. This went into mould
sizes, etc. and logistics, machinery costs, and
— Divided the different aspects of the customer other possible costs were told to be ignored
segment which could be in-house experiences as
well as the opposite What went well: There was a solid framework.
Leading questions were related and not random.
— After which it was narrowed down to a decline in An idea of the plant did help in the questions and
inflow due to external factors thought process.

What went well: Structure was maintained. Questions Even better if: The case could have been approached
were asked according to the framework. Possibilities in a more conversational way. It could have been
of externalities were connected to find a solution. solved faster. Feedback round could have been a little
more thought out from my side.
Even better if: Time taken to solve could have been
less. Leading questions could have been asked in a
timelier fashion. Thoughts to make a framework could
have been faster.

Cracking the consulting interview 47

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Arts (economics, honours),

St. Stephen’s College

College highlights: I had a great time in college,

although we just got 1.5 years after COVID. I was the vice
president of IFSA and was also a part of the Finance and
Investment Cell. I also participated in several prestigious
case competitions.

Interviewing with Kearney: Interviewing with Kearney

Pranav Goel was a pleasant experience for me. I had four interview
rounds, where the first two were normal interviews, the
Business Analyst third was by a manager, and the last was the partner
round. It was interesting to see that the difficulty and
dynamic nature of the interview increased with every
round, which meant that the first two rounds were
fairly straightforward and helped me be comfortably
challenged throughout the entire process. The first
two rounds involved simple profitability cases which
I found to be procedural. The manager and partner
rounds had greater elements of a “fit test.” The partner
round was largely an informal conversation about my
life experiences, motivations, etc., followed by two
short and interesting cases, one of them being about
guesstimating the number of law books in the country.

Myth busted
While structuring the cases is very important, it is more
important to do it in a client-friendly way. The entire
“Be yourself, and don’t interview has to be as conversational and informal as
possible, while retaining its serious and courteous nature.
try to project a false/ I feel my biggest strength in the partner round was the
connection I was able to make with the partner, as well
exaggerated image of as a logical approach to the cases presented to me.

yourself. No matter how Case interview tip(s)

More than focussing on arriving at the right answer,
senior the interviewer focus on thinking out loud and letting the interviewer
know that your thought process is logical and structured.
may be, they are It’s okay if you’re wrong, but it’s not okay if what you say
has no logical or analytical basis. Break even the tiniest
humans and are ready problem or question into its components and be sure to
communicate that you are doing that.
to connect with you on
Personal interview tip(s)
a personal level.” Be yourself, and don’t try to project a false/exaggerated
image of yourself. No matter how senior the interviewer
may be, they are humans and are ready to connect with
you on a personal level.

Selected personal interview question(s)

I had mentioned in my introduction that I have lived
in many places. The partner discussed this with me in
detail, and it proved to be a fun conversation.

Cracking the consulting interview 48

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Your client is an apparel retailer that has Summary: Your client is the largest publisher of law
stores that are burning cash. They have called you books and wants to understand the market size for
in to help. They have 12 stores Pan-India, and for the law books in a year.
past 2 to 3 years, the profitability per store has been
decreasing. They wish to turn this situation around. Case type: Guesstimate

Case type: Profitability Approach: Market size in a year had to be clarified

first of all. Then, I posited that law books are
Approach: I did a typical breakdown of profit into demanded either by individuals or institutions.
revenues and costs. I dug deep into revenues by I gave an exhaustive list of such institutions. Then we
breaking it down into #customers*qty/customer*avg. turned our attention to individuals. It could either be
price. The problem was that enough customers were law students or law practitioners. As for the question
not coming to the store. A demand side problem of the total number of law practitioners in the
was discussed from two perspectives: what was country, since there is constant influx and outflux of
wrong with the client’s business and what were the professionals, I applied the following formula:
competitors doing better? There was an extensive
discussion on this, with no clear conclusion to Total number of lawyers in practice = The number of
the case. law schools x Number of students per law school x
Percentage of students who go into law practice x
What went well: It was a positive indication when the Average years of profession x Percentage of lawyers
interviewer would interject in the middle and educate who leave the profession
me about what the industrial lingo was for the terms
that I was using during the case. There was no clear What went well: I had a very structured approach
conclusion to the case; the interviewer wanted to to an otherwise difficult problem to wrap your
test how extensively and exhaustively I could think of head around. I also explained the influx and
possible reasons why footfall was low. I was able to outflux problem as that of a bucket with a hole in
structure that discussion well. it, being filled by a tap. I think the interviewer really
appreciated it. After that, the formula I gave was not
Even better if: I could have asked more preliminary discussed much because he knew that I had gotten
questions to get a better understanding of the the crux right.
setting before diving into the problem. For example,
understanding the store-wise situations, what Even better if: I am still unsure whether my formula is
kind of apparels were being sold, nature of the correct! But otherwise, I think the case went well.
customers, etc.

Cracking the consulting interview 49

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Postgraduate diploma with an advanced major

in economics and Bachelor of Science (economics and
finance, honours), Ashoka University

College highlights: I was a part of the Consulting Club, the

Ashoka Business Review, the Economics Society, and the
Debating Union.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had two interviews: one

with a principal and another with a partner. Each round
Sarvag Rian Sahu lasted approximately 30 to 40 minutes and included a
case study, as well as one to two questions based off my
Business Analyst résumé. Both rounds started off with a “tell me about
yourself” and then sprung into a case.

Myth busted
I used to believe that asking the interviewer “dumb”
questions would create a negative impression. However,
it is crucial to ask clarifying questions, especially when
you are unsure about the context or industry of a
particular case. Get all the necessary information you
need before diving into solving a case. Most interviewers
are willing to address a lot of questions, as long as you
explain the thought process behind your inquiry.

Case interview tip(s)

Try and adopt a hypothesis-driven approach. This
enables you to concentrate on the primary goal of
solving the case rather than becoming overwhelmed
“Focus on crafting a by structures or frameworks. As you receive more
information from the interviewer regarding the case’s
clear narrative that context, begin formulating potential solutions. This
allows you to narrow down the scope of the case while
encompasses your giving the interviewer an insight into the way you are
thinking about the problem. Leading with a hypothesis
personal journey from will give you the best shot at arriving at a reasonable
conclusion to your case in a timely, structured manner.
school to college to the
Personal interview tip(s)
interview, highlighting Be as authentic and genuine as you can. Focus on
crafting a clear narrative that encompasses your
how it aligns with your personal journey from school to college to the interview,
highlighting how it aligns with your future goals. Personal
future goals.” interview questions can vary widely but if you have a well-
thought-out answer for typical questions such as “Why
do you want to do consulting?” and “Why do you want
to join Kearney?” then you should be able to handle any
curveballs that come your way!

Cracking the consulting interview 50

Case example What went well: I felt pretty confident about the case
since it was something that I had been working on
Summary: A major ed-tech player wants to open an over the summer. I maintained a structured thought
offline chain of schools for K-12 students. How should process and constantly presented hypotheses while
they go about it? analysing the case. I was also constantly talking to
my interviewer to make sure they had an insight into
Case type: Market entry how I was approaching the problem. Staying calm
and confident allowed me to develop a fairly MECE
Approach: I began by asking a series of preliminary framework to identify all the potential problems in this
questions to gain a clear understanding of the ed- market entry scenario.
tech company’s objective in expanding their business
to the offline space. Once I was confident that I Even better if: I started feeling too comfortable
understood the nature of the problem, I proceeded with the nature of the case. I tended to rush through
to break it down into several key aspects: market important points or speak very fast, hoping to
attractiveness, the company’s ability to capture impress the interviewer with quantity rather than
the market, financial feasibility, and operational quality. In hindsight, I realize that if I had taken the
implementation of the project. I broke down each time to gather my thoughts and present a well-
aspect and the interviewer wanted me to particularly thought-out strategy at the end of the case instead of
focus on market sizing, the competitive landscape, rambling on, I would have had a much stronger finish.
and the marketing channels for the ed-tech company. Take a moment to slow down and focus. It will help
Throughout the case, I consistently broke down the you avoid getting too excited or nervous.
problem into three to four key areas and presented
hypotheses for each one. The interviewer appeared
satisfied with my analysis and the specific aspects
I focused on. There was no definitive conclusion to
the case; after about 20 minutes, the interviewer just
asked me to summarize the entire problem.

Selected personal interview question(s)

Tell me about yourself. I usually received a question
that focused on one of my academic or internship
experiences. At the time, I was working on my thesis
in economics, so the questions often revolved around
that. I was also asked questions related to one of my
hobbies or extracurricular activities (chess, quizzing,
or reading).

Most unique question

Who is your favourite chess player and why?

Cracking the consulting interview 51

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Science (economics and finance),

Ashoka University

College highlights: During my time at Ashoka,

I headed marketing for the Fintech club. Other than
that, I was a part of the Economics Society and Ashoka
Business Review.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

interviews, all of which were a mix of guesstimates/cases
Arushi Kapoor and personal fit questions. The interviews lasted for about
30 minutes each. All of the interviews were well spaced
Business Analyst out and were conducted on different days.

Myth busted
You don’t have to arrive at an exact number when solving
a case.

Case interview tip(s)

First, there isn’t a set way to solve each case. It’s okay to
have a different approach. Second, always take a minute
to think through your entire approach. It’s better to
have a minute of awkward silence in the initial part than
running into multiple dead ends.

Personal interview tip(s)

Prepare a few questions that you think would be asked.
Just be confident and be yourself.

“There isn’t a set way Selected personal interview question(s)

It started with me introducing myself, and a few follow-
to solve a case. up questions based on what I mentioned.

It’s okay to have a

different approach.”

Cracking the consulting interview 52

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: The case was about a commercial vehicles Summary: Guesstimate the market size of the legal
manufacturer wanting to streamline their operations. publishing market in India.

Case type: Unconventional Case type: Guesstimate

Approach: I asked a bunch of clarifying questions Approach: I asked some preliminary questions about
and created my own framework. Essentially, the the market in question and took the demand side
management of the company was different in each approach. I divided the country by urban and rural,
country that it was present in, and they were all income brackets, age, education levels, % in law, their
making decisions independently (sort of). It was a frequency of purchasing these books, and went on to
problem-diagnosing type of case, with the main issue calculate the answer.
being that the cars exported had to be assembled
differently in different countries due to their What went well: I gave a brief overview of both the
requirements. demand and supply approaches, and reasoned why
I chose this one.
What went well: Knowledge about the industry
helped. The emission norms differing in countries
and right/left side of driving also differed, causing
inefficiencies.

Even better if: I spent most of the case identifying

the problem and basically made the entire
framework for that itself. This took up most of the
time in the interview, and I wasn’t able to focus on
the solutions much.

Cracking the consulting interview 53

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Post-graduate diploma in entrepreneurial

leadership and strategy and Bachelor of Science
(economics and finance, honours), Ashoka University

College highlights: I led the Ashoka Consulting Club,

founded Ashoka’s Women in Business & Leadership Club,
and was a part of the placement committee on campus.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds: manager,

principal, and partner. All of my interviews went on
Anjana Ramesh for about 20 to 30 minutes and started with brief
introductions followed by short cases. The interviewers
Business Analyst ensured my comfort at all times during the interview and
were very kind with their responses to my questions.
My partner round had a longer fit component where
I was asked in detail about my experience at two of my
internships.

Myth busted
You are evaluated on multiple aspects of your
performance in your interview. The interviewer isn’t
expecting for you to only reach a solution to the case
or give the perfect answer to their fit questions. You’re
also being evaluated on the kind of approach you took
to your case, how you explained your approach to the
interviewer, and also how honestly you respond when
being cross-questioned during both the case and fit
components.

“It’s always a good Case interview tip(s)

It’s always a good idea to think out loud when you
idea to think out loud are unsure of an answer. If you have more clarifying
questions, go ahead and ask them. If you’re unsure of
when you’re unsure of the approach you should take, go ahead and list out your
options to the interviewer. If you’re unsure of your math,
an answer.” go ahead and repeat the calculation slowly out loud.
There is a high chance that the answer becomes clearer
to you once you’ve heard yourself say it out loud.

Personal interview tip(s)

Frame your introduction with great care as it becomes
a great conversation starter and breaks the ice during
your interview. Rather than simply reciting your résumé,
aim for a balanced and fluid introduction that allows
for interesting follow-ups and for a conversation to
naturally start flowing. Your entire interview may be
based on something interesting that you mention during
your introduction such as playing a sport or having a
particular hobby.

Selected personal interview question(s)

Tell me about yourself. What are some things that you
learnt during your internship at X firm? (Followed by
cross-questionings on some of my learnings.)

Cracking the consulting interview 54

Case example
Summary: Your client is the owner of a newly
invented super-fast jet service that has made a jet
which can reach New Delhi from New York in 1 hour.
How should the service price the tickets for the jet?

Case type: Pricing

Approach: I began by trying to understand the

jet and its features to determine who the primary
consumers could be. Once I gained an understanding
of the background, I presented the possible options
in the approach to find the floor and the ceiling
price of the ticket and asked the interviewer which
approach they preferred I go ahead with. I then
calculated the ceiling price of the ticket using a value-
based approach through estimating the savings in
time made possible for the consumers of the jet, who
happened to be consulting firms that will use the jet
for their consultants to travel to client locations.

What went well: I thought out loud at every step of

my case. I kept the interviewer involved by asking
for their thoughts on the direction I was taking at
most steps and solved the case collaboratively with
my interviewer, not just by myself. I also made sure
to take a few seconds while framing my thoughts at
important junctures of the case and used economic
terms with clarity, which the interviewer said was
appreciated at the end of my interview.

Even better if: When I had to conclude upon the

right proxy to use for the savings in time by the end
consumer, I jumped the gun and made an unspoken
assumption which drove me further away from the
answer. I then had to be urged to evaluate possible
alternatives to my proxy which then led me to the
right answer. It would have helped if I had been
more patient with the process of reaching the
solution rather than concluding prematurely without
considering all alternatives possible.

Cracking the consulting interview 55

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (metallurgical and

materials engineering), Indian Institute of Technology,
Madras

College highlights: Piloted online-to-offline transition for

Saarang’s professional shows (cultural fest) as a core. I
enjoy debating and long-distance running (1500m/5k).

Interviewing with Kearney: I had one round of interviews

with Kearney. I had interviews lined up with four consulting
Aditya Raj firms in day one’s first slot, but only interviewed with
Kearney. I gave a short introduction about myself and my
Business Analyst hobbies, followed by experience at previous internships
and then we dived into the case.

Myth busted
In the interviewee-led case study that I took a dig at, all
the memorized frameworks went out the window. I had
to think logically on the spot and come up with my own
hypothesis.

Case interview tip(s)

Stay focused. Don’t lose track of what you’ve solved in
earlier parts of the case and have a sense of direction
that you’re going in. Don’t ask questions and use random
frameworks just for the sake of it. Everything should have
a reason.

Personal interview tip(s)

“Don’t use jargon Be calm and exude confidence. If you don’t know
something, just admit it, and then try your best to come
you’re unfamiliar up with a method to get to the answer. Also, don’t use
unnecessary jargon you’re unfamiliar with.
with.”
Selected personal interview question(s)
Why do you want to transition from engineering to
management consulting? (My internship was in a core
engineering profile.)

What did you achieve at Saarang? (Related to the

leadership position I held at our cultural fest.)

Cracking the consulting interview 56

Case example
Summary: A government authority wants to fix/
construct new highways all over the country. They
need help identifying areas where roads need to be
constructed/fixed.

Case type: Unconventional

Approach: I asked more about the client and what

exactly they wish to achieve. I split the analysis into
three or four parts, identified why highways are
important to sustain an economy, and accordingly
which areas will be in need of support. After having
a brief discussion with the interviewer on the
importance of transport, I bucketed various methods
to track traffic flow and movement of goods across
borders. We wrapped up with a summary of what we
discussed and concluded.

What went well: I took my time analysing whatever

I came up with, before presenting it to the partner.
After gauging the temperament of the interviewer,
I tried to stick to the point. I think the interviewer
also appreciated quick thinking on the feet and
innovative solutions.

Even better if: My initial approach could have been

more directed and objective. It took me some time to
figure out this is an unconventional case because
I was used to solving a certain type of cases.

Cracking the consulting interview 57

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (chemical

engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

College highlights: I had been an active member of the

Music Club at IITD, being a part of both Cadence and
Mridang, the Western and Eastern music society at IITD,
and winning multiple intra-college competitions. Later
on, I held positions as a central team member at the
college placement cell, and then as a core team member
at TRYST’22, IITD’s annual technical and entrepreneurship
Simar Sethi festival, leading the guest lectures division.
Business Analyst Interviewing with Kearney: I had four rounds. The
first round was with a manager, the second and third
with principals, and the final partner round. All rounds
involved cases. Something peculiar was that all cases
were meant to test my ability to think structurally along
with a particular aspect of my skillset—round 1: decision-
making, round 2: industry knowledge (about my self-
picked favourite sector), round 3: creativity, round 4:
quantitative aptitude.

Case interview tip(s)

While we prepare for cases, we are accustomed to
having a completely defined statement at hand that
needs to be solved from end to end. While this helps
in practising and testing our complete skillset, this is
not how things are probably going to be in a real case
interview. A real case interview might be asking you to
“The question ‘Why solve only a specific problem, not an entire end-to-end
case statement. Practising in this format will be helpful
consulting?’ is bound in your case interview. Solving strategy-based cases
is different from solving root cause analysis-based
to come to you in cases. For strategy building cases, as much as you
think the case is trying to test for your creativity with
some disguise. Be the partner asking you for “ideas” or “suggestions,” the
major component of the evaluation always falls on how
sure to answer it with structurally you approach the problem, which needs to
be practiced as well as kept in mind.
a personal touch.”
Personal interview tip(s)
Preparing for questions like “Why consulting?” and
“Why Kearney?” are pretty basic for personal interviews.
Now, my tip would be that, especially if you have a
diverse CV with experience in multiple domains, as
you prepare for this question, also prepare yourself to
answer why you would not pursue any of the other roles
you may qualify for and move into consulting instead.
The question “Why consulting?” is bound to come to
you in some disguise. Be sure to be able to answer it
interestingly with a personal touch.

Most unique question

Why would you not want to pursue coding, when you do
have some experience with it?

Cracking the consulting interview 58

Case example
Summary: Your client is a two-wheeler manufacturer
in India. They are planning to launch a new product.
You need to help them with which segment of
the market they should target and with what
specific product.

Case type: Market entry

Approach: I started by asking questions to know

more about the company, their current business in
India, the current market scenario, and the company’s
motivation behind this new product launch. Once
clear with the motivation, a gap in the market was
identified, which was then decided to be targeted
for the new product launch. All recommendations
now were structured to tailor the new product and
product strategy to catering to a specific segment of
the market.

What went well: My curiosity for this sector and

the actual business is what helped me score some
extra points for this case. After this case, we even
discussed how this was a real case and there is
a product currently in the market that came as
a by-product of it. To conclude, I tried drawing
some contrast between what happened in the real
world and my case recommendations, which was
appreciated by the interviewer.

Even better if: A more structured approach could

be followed. Since I was personally interested in this
sector, the discussion flowed more naturally out of
my curiosity. The same could be solved in a more
MECE format, that could’ve been appreciated more
based on the interviewer’s expectations.

Cracking the consulting interview 59

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology (textile and fibre

engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

College highlights: I’ve been a part of Enactus, where

I took initiatives towards making our society more inclusive
for visually impaired people. I’ve also played a leading
role in organizing fests like Tryst (IIT Delhi’s TechFest)
and BECON (eDC IIT Delhi’s Business & Entrepreneurship
Conclave). I also took part in several case competitions
and dabbled in debating too.
Aryan Mittal
Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of
Business Analyst interviews with Kearney. The first one was a light
conversation about my résumé and personal experiences
(15 minutes). The second round was similar to the first
round with a very short verbal case study (20 minutes).
The third round was a gruelling 35-minute case study
followed by another short 5-minute case study. Overall,
I felt calm and comfortable during the whole process.

Myth busted
The recruitment process is not a linear one, it involves a
lot of variables which are beyond your control—accept
those and beware of them, maximising your chances
at hand. Throughout the process you will face many
insecurities, rumours, and hurdles. Hence it becomes
important not to lose hope or confidence in yourself.

Case interview tip(s)

“The recruitment Always try to imagine yourself at the business site of the
case interview, along with the interviewer. You are not
process is not a linear alone solving the case, being tested. The interviewer is
on your case team to help guide you. It is not about how
one, it involves a lot of well you solve the case but about how the interviewer
perceives you for the firm culture fit.
variables which are
Personal interview tip(s)
beyond your control.” Think of it as a conversation where the other person is
just trying to get to know the real you in various aspects
and at the same time you are trying to get insights into
the firm and the interviewer’s personality. Hence just be
original and honest. Only then will the conversation be
smooth, and the interviewer get to know the real you.
Introspect, introspect, and introspect!

Selected personal interview question(s)

— “Don’t tell me about yourself according to the answer
you prepared for, tell me about the real you.”

— Asked me about my consulting internships, the skills

I learned, and an example of my approach to do a
competitor landscape analysis.

Cracking the consulting interview 60

Case example
Summary: Your client is a mining company; its mining
output has decreased in this financial year.

Case type: Unconventional

Approach: I started by getting to know the overall

business. I then mapped out the whole process,
broke it into steps (going into the mine, extracting
the ore, bringing the ore back to the surface),
had to deep dive into each step and then find
multiple problems. It was all about considering
various components, for example if the problem
is in extraction, the components would be like
machine, miner, surface (ore), and the environment.
I considered characteristics of each and how they
alone or in combination with different components
might have led to the decrease in output.

What went well: I tried to map the journey at each

point and I think it was exhaustive, improving
horizontal structuring. Also, I remained calm and
thought out loud during the whole case. The
interviewer was on the same page and was able to
guide me in the right direction during the case.

Even better if: This was a huge case with multiple

problems hence better vertical structuring in terms
of levelling of buckets could have helped me more,
giving a clearer structure to the case and helping me
keep track of things and navigating the case.

Cracking the consulting interview 61

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (mechanical

engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

College highlights: During college, I delved into core

mechanical engineering and gradually transitioned into
management and leadership roles. Initially, I worked
on formula student cars at Axlr8r formula racing and
did some research projects. Later, I co-founded Infinity
Hyperloop, an organization that designs and manufactures
autonomous scalable hyperloop pods. I oversaw
Aditi Samdarshini the team’s business and financial operations while
concurrently managing mechanical design. After a year of
Business Analyst establishment, we represented IIT Delhi at the Canadian
Hyperloop Conference & European Hyperloop Week.
Additionally, I actively participated in teaching initiatives.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

interviews, each lasting approximately 20 to 25 minutes,
comprising two case rounds and one personal interview.
The initial round was with a principal, and the other two
were with partners. The first round was about my past
internships and IIT Delhi experiences. The other two
rounds started with some questions on CV, followed by
solving cases. The interviewers were very supportive,
making me very comfortable and the overall interview
experience pleasurable.

Myth busted
The case interviews require absolute accuracy. However,
“Comprehend, frame, this is not the case. Being precise, clear, and confident is
crucial while maintaining the right approach. Even if you
and articulate. Ensure make a mistake or deviate from the path, interviewers
assist and guide you back on track.
you understand the
Case interview tip(s)
problem very clearly Comprehend, frame, and articulate. Ensure you
understand the problem very clearly before jumping
before jumping into into solutions. Take a moment if required but be precise
and clear about your approach. Articulate your thinking
solutions.” process as you work through the case, allowing the
interviewer to gain insight into your problem-solving
abilities and steer you back on track if necessary.

Cracking the consulting interview 62

Case example What went well: Remaining calm allowed me to think
with clarity, incorporate input from the interviewer,
Summary: Determining the projected capacity or and ask pertinent questions to gain a precise
expected footfall of the proposed airport in Jabalpur, understanding of the case. This led to a strong
assuming no existing airport is currently operational. start and helped me to lay down a MECE structure.
Effective communication throughout the case
Case type: Unconventional enabled me to receive feedback from the interviewer
and adjust my approach accordingly.
Approach To begin the case, I clarified the
problem through preliminary questioning. With Even better if: While calculating the number of
the interviewer’s agreement, I assumed flights passengers travelling from Jabalpur to tier 1 cities
would exclusively serve tier 1 cities. I calculated the by train, I initially overlooked that not all passengers
number of trains and passengers travelling between would board and deboard solely between these two
Jabalpur and these cities using provided information. cities. However, the interviewer brought this to my
Factoring in de-boarding stations, I determined the attention, and I included this information in
number of passengers travelling from Jabalpur to my calculations.
these cities. Segmenting passengers by class (AC1,
AC2, AC3, etc.) I assigned a percentage who would
likely choose flights. This yielded the final footfall
estimate for the airport.

Personal interview tip(s)

Be honest, be yourself. Ensure you make a strong
impression with an impactful introduction, as it
sets the tone for the interview. Have a thorough
understanding of your résumé. Stay composed
and confident throughout the interview, taking
moments to gather your thoughts without rushing
or becoming flustered.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Tell me about your work at HUL, the problem you
encountered, and the solution you devised?

— What drives your interest in consulting and

specifically choosing Kearney?

Cracking the consulting interview 63

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (mechanical

engineering), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

College highlights: I was an avid debater in college, and

part of the editorial board of the student media body.
I also played squash for the Inter IIT Women’s team and
won gold and silver in 2019 and 2022.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had the first interview slot

with Kearney, and I had two rounds: the manager round,
Shivani Verma and then I was bumped up to the partner round. They
lasted for 20 to 30 minutes each.
Business Analyst
The first round was a simple profitability case that we got
right to. As soon as we got to the catch of the case, the
interviewer was satisfied.

The second round was the partner round. It was longer.

I had to explain what I did in my summer internship and
what fascinated me, and then I was given a market entry
case for a potential digital therapy like an ADHD game.
The case involved a lot of back and forth, breaking things
down to fundamentals, and several disagreements
and explanations on the way. It ended with some light
conversational HR and questions to the company.

Myth busted
“You cannot backtrack on your approach, you have to
get it right the first try.” Not at all, quite the opposite:
“Engaging the other after formulating an approach for my market entry case,
I realized a lot of the blocks were based on my assumed
person in your doubts predictions and could be wildly wrong. I asked the partner
to let me have another go at it, and it worked much better.
and thinking process
Case interview tip(s)
gives immense clarity If you disagree with your interviewer somewhere, voice it
in the conversation before you move forward. Engaging
and intuition to them.” the other person in your doubts and thinking process
gives immense clarity and intuition to them.

Personal interview tip(s)

Actively listen to the interviewer, and meaningfully
contribute to the conversation. An engaging and fun
conversation goes a long way to establish your likability
and be a lubricant for the rest of the interview.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Why consulting and what are my plans for
the future?

— Why Kearney?

Cracking the consulting interview 64

Case example
Summary: It was a market entry case for an ADHD
game as a novel digital therapy tool, that evolved
into estimating its target market size and potential
penetration in India.

Case type: Market sizing

Approach: I narrowed down the problem statement

to a faction of the student populous because I had
better data about ADHD prevalence here. I then
made a MECE framework of estimating a therapy’s
target market from its prevalence to treatment
percentage to patient compliance and so on, using
the framework I learned in my healthcare consulting
intern. At each stage, we discussed the reason for
any number assumed.

What went well: The approach of the case was solid,

despite my first attempt to do it in the standard way
of a market entry case. It occurred to me to use a
drug entry framework and it paid off. It was easier
to understand and explain in the interview than the
other approach with numbers predicted with heavy
assumptions.

Even better if: It would have been better if

I elaborated on each block, so that things like
affordability or access, that were included in some
blocks like patient compliance, were clearer to the
interviewer. There was considerable discussion about
these industry terms, because a block’s inherent
factors that were obvious to me, needed clarification
for better understanding of the approach.

Cracking the consulting interview 65

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology (MEMS),

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

College highlights: At the institute, I took interest in social

work, and hence I was associated with NSS, IITB for all
four years.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had two interviews; both

were a mix of a case and HR. The interviews started with
the interviewer trying to understand me and then moving
Gunin Gupta towards the technical part.
Business Analyst Myth busted
Two myths were busted during the interview process.
The first one was about case interviews following a set
template where you just go and solve a case based on
how you do it during your practice sessions. Second,
people in case interviews will be intimidating, which was
quite contradictory as most of the people were there
to help the candidates. The interview felt more as a
conversation and less as an interview.

Case interview tip(s)

Be consistent with your preparation and focus more on the
quality of the cases rather than the quantity. Avoid using
textbook frameworks. While practicing try to be as natural
as possible. Also, leverage your buddy cases for learning
as much as possible.

“The interview Personal interview tip(s)

Be genuine and thorough with your résumé.
felt more as a
Selected personal interview question(s)
conversation and — Tell me about yourself.

less as an interview.” — Questions regarding the internship project

Most unique question(s)

The most unique thing about my interview was discussion
regarding my cooking skills and how we both love Indian
food. I ended up inviting the interviewer for dinner.

Cracking the consulting interview 66

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: This round was based on a lubricants Summary: The case was basically based on my
manufacturer experiencing decline in sales. We had internship project. I had to estimate market size of
to identify causes of the same and come up with a prestige and ultra-prestige cosmetics (very expensive
strategy to tackle the situation. cosmetics) in India.

Case type: Profitability Case type: Market sizing

Approach: The initial approach was to understand the Approach: I started the case with the basic approach
client and problem thoroughly. Once understanding of asking prelim questions, but it didn’t work out for
the issue, I started to break the problem by being me because each question had the same response:
as MECE as possible. By this point, I had figured out “What do you think?” So, I started the case with a
that there was a specific segment (automobile) of top-down approach, and wherever I needed data,
the industry that was facing the issue due to a lack I guessed numbers with a well-reasoned school of
of technological advancement. Then we started thought.
exploring avenues of why our client was lacking
in matching up with the technology advancement What went well: I think my familiarity with the
in the industry. I concluded the case with some industry worked well for me. I was able to give a lot of
recommendations for a turnaround for this situation. insights about the industry, which helped us narrow
down the case to a specific segment.
What went well: I tried to keep the case as structured
as possible. I was being MECE at every step, covering
most of the scenarios that helped me figure out the
core issue. I took the directions from the interviewer
very seriously.

Even better if: I was confident while solving the case

except with the recommendations. I think I could
have taken a little extra time and reasoned them well.

Cracking the consulting interview 67

 Joined: 2023

Office: Gurugram

Education: Bachelor of Technology and Master of

Technology (metallurgical engineering and materials
science), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

College highlights: Metals Submit OC, Sarc CTM,

Damp Mentor

Interviewing with Kearney: Two rounds

1 Case interview
2 Case interview
Saijal Rekhani
Business Analyst Case interview tip(s)
Speak out all your ideas. Do not always follow traditional
methods. In the interview, it is important to include your
personal point of view/experience/ideas.

Personal interview tip(s)

Don’t hesitate to defend your thoughts; often the
interviewer would question you to better understand your
idea rather than doubting you. While preparing refrain
from memorising techniques or any patterns. Try to form
your own thesis and understanding.

“It is important to
include your personal
point of view/
experience/ideas.”

Cracking the consulting interview 68

Case example
Summary: Your client is an insurance provider. It is
facing stagnant growth while the industry seems
to be growing. The case was to help the client
understand the issue and provide solutions for
growth opportunities.

Case type: Growth

Approach: I started by understanding the client’s

business better—type of insurance, where in supply
chain the client lies (for example, do they curate the
insurance or just sell it?), who the target customers
are. After that, I tried to understand their major
revenue and cost stream and their breakup.
Next, I analysed their performance for different
geographies, audiences, revenue streams. I next
compared them with their competitors to conclude
major differences. It was concluded that since they
have relaxed their policy claim rules, there were more
claims (thus more cost) compared to competitors.

What went well: The communication was smooth.

I believe the structuring and approach went well,
where I was also able to cover other branches which
were not the main cause. Through meticulous
questions I was able to extract the necessary
information required.

Even better if: I think I could have spent more time in

understanding the business, where I could have gone
deeper into the insurance market, how it operates, the
major factors that affect any insurance company, etc.

Cracking the consulting interview 69

 Joined: 2023

Office: Mumbai

Education: Dual degree, Bachelor of Technology and

Master of Technology (metallurgical engineering and
material science), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

College highlights: Internship coordinator, teaching

assistant, department girls’ nominee, poetry and fine arts
competitions

Interviewing with Kearney: One round (case and résumé

review)
Samriddhi Shrivastava
Myth busted
Business Analyst Case interviews go far beyond just following a fixed
framework and solving the case. The main component
of acing an interview is being able to have a confident
conversation with the interviewer. The best position
happens to be when you have done enough cases to be
comfortable with almost all the variety of cases but still
have the ability to approach a case with a case-adaptable
fresh framework rather than force-fitting the existing ones.
This makes you appear confident, innovative,
and prepared.

Case interview tip(s)

It is important to take some time before jumping to asking
preliminary questions and solving the case. Use this time
to form a basic approach start to end and later ask relevant
questions to fill in the information voids and gain clarity.
Stating the approach before moving into detailed steps
“Case interviews go and putting forth numbers comes in handy in conveying
your thought process clearly at the start. Adding some
far beyond just corner points and not-so-obvious qualitative information
also helps sometimes in fetching brownie points for
following a fixed innovative and exhaustive thinking.

framework and Personal interview tip(s)

Have a positive attitude in the interview. Try to keep the
solving the case.” interview like a discussion rather than a question-and-
answer round. Being confident and excited about solving
the case and answering the questions thrown at you helps
you stand out. Be transparent and frank while answering
these questions and do not hesitate to ask what you have
not understood. Try having clarity of thoughts. Good
communication skills and a smile go a long way for sure.

Selected personal interview question(s)

Walk me through your résumé.

Cracking the consulting interview 70

Case example What went well: I was confident about my case
practice. I took the time to build rapport with my
Summary: The client in the case was a paint interviewer. I also added a few qualitative edge-case
company that developed a special type of paint observations which partly orchestrated my innovative
having twice the lifetime of regular paint available thinking and helped me fetch some brownie points.
in the market. The problem was to decide the price I further divided the recommendations based on
of the newly developed paint and suggest some product life cycle and managed to produce some
marketing methods. interesting recommendations.

Case type: Pricing Even better if: I stumbled a bit at the start of the case
and began with solving the case vertically on the
Approach: I divided my case into three parts: sheet rather than following the traditional landscape
format which I followed during all my practice cases.
1 To better understand the problem at hand, I began But the good part was that I was quick enough to take
with a few clarifying questions a step back, restart the case afresh, and get back on
2 Structuring the case track rather than losing my confidence. It would have
3 Marketing recommendations been better if I was in a more relaxed state before the
interview to give my best performance.
Since the paint was an invention, I was quick to figure
out that the pricing could have been done using
either a cost-based or value-based approach. After
discussion with the interviewer, I decided to go ahead
with value-based pricing as the end goal was to
ascertain the potential benefits this paint will bring to
the consumers.

Next up, to calculate the value created for the

consumer by the new paint, I broke down the cost-
saving factors which included paint cost, labour cost,
and customer effort (time involvement and effort—
qualitative in nature, hence difficult to estimate).
I calculated the price based on these savings.
However, the price came out to be significantly
higher than the perceived savings (which is simply 2x)
due to higher labour cost saving.

To address this, I discussed the potential short-

term and long-term marketing efforts that should
be undertaken to demonstrate the higher paint
quality and justify the higher prices using clear
communication of potential cost savings by
customers, testimonial advertisements, paint testers,
focusing on premium economy sector,
and collaborating with interior designers and
furniture sellers.

Cracking the consulting interview 71

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: Bachelor of Science (economics and finance,

honours), Ashoka University

College highlights: I led the Ashoka Investments

Club and was a portfolio manager at Bodhi Capital,
India’s premier undergraduate-led fund. Apart from
this, I ideated, built, and pursued a French educational
platform—All About French.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

Ronica Bajaj interviews, each lasting about 40 to 45 minutes.
Business Analyst Interviewing with Kearney was a pleasant experience.
Each interview started with a personal round, followed
by the case round, and ended with any questions that
I may have for the interviewer. The personal round was
more of an engaging conversation. This personally
made me feel comfortable with the environment,
enabling me to remain calm and perform well in the
case as well. The case rounds got progressively harder
with the subsequent rounds. My first interview had a
relatively straightforward profitability case about a candy
manufacturer. The second interview was different—it
involved both a case and a guesstimate. The case was
about a gas pipeline manufacturer, and its profitability
taking a hit. The interviewer asked me how I would arrive
at my answer, and the exact structure and framework
I would follow for the case instead of actually making
me solve it. Midway through the case, I was asked a
guesstimate question: to estimate the length of pipelines
“Holding a good in Delhi for this pipeline manufacturer. Again, I was not
expected to solve it but rather give the approach I would
conversation and follow to arrive at an answer. I gave an answer from the
demand side, and then the interviewer asked me how I
showcasing who you would use the supply side instead. This interview was the
most unique, and I would say the hardest since I had to
are as an individual give out three different frameworks instead of building on
one. My third interview case involved a coal processing
is as important as company that had lost significant market share.

performing well in The interviews are designed in a way to assess your

personality as a whole, and not simply your case-solving
the case.” skills. Holding a good conversation and showcasing who
you are as an individual is as important as performing
well in the case. Additionally, it is perfectly fine to take an
unexpected route in the case—the interviewer appreciates
it and will nudge you in the right direction if needed.

Cracking the consulting interview 72

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Profitability case about a candy Summary: The second interview was different—
manufacturer it involved both a case and a guesstimate. The
case was about a gas pipeline manufacturer, and
Case type: Profitability its profitability taking a hit. The interviewer asked
me how I would arrive at my answer, and the exact
Approach: I followed a MECE approach, categorising structure and framework I would follow for the case
profits to costs and revenues. The interviewer asked instead of actually making me solve it. Midway
me to focus on costs so I then went further into each through the case, I was asked a guesstimate question:
component of costs and potential causes of the to estimate the length of pipelines in Delhi for this
decline in profits. pipeline manufacturer. Again, I was not expected to
solve it but rather give the approach I would follow
What went well: Communicating all my steps to arrive at an answer.
properly went well.
Case type: Mix of a profitability case and
Even better if: My case went pretty smooth. In a guesstimate
hindsight, I could have come up with quicker
and better recommendations at the end. Approach: For the profitability part, I followed a
MECE structure and analysed the business across
the value chain. I tried to make it specific to the
gas pipeline company. For the guesstimate, I was
not expected to solve it exactly but rather give the
approach I would follow to arrive at an answer. I gave
an answer from the demand side first, and then the
interviewer asked me how I would use the supply
side instead.

What went well: This interview was the most unique,

and I would say the hardest since I had to give out
three different frameworks instead of building on one.
I believe that I showcased clarity of thought in all the
frameworks and was confident. I did not get deterred
if I got any feedback from the interviewer.

Even better if: My case went pretty smooth. In

hindsight, I could have come up with quicker and
better recommendations at the end.

Case interview tip(s) Selected personal interview question(s)

Always start by asking for a couple of minutes to — Why consulting?
structure your thoughts. Stay confident in your
— Conversations about my French educational
method. Even if you know the solution, clarity in
platform, why I started it, etc.
communication is key. Try to make the case more of
a conversation, while ensuring that you convey your
Most unique question asked
methodology, assumptions, calculations, and thought
While one expects to be asked more about past
process in a direct and structured manner.
internships and work experiences, most of my
conversations in each interview revolved around
Personal interview tip(s)
my venture—All About French. Interviewers show
Smile throughout! Don’t make the environment
a keen interest in what makes you different.
stressful. Start with an introduction that is not too
mechanical—talk about your interests and don’t spend
too much time on what’s there in your CV. Be yourself!

Cracking the consulting interview 73

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: Bachelor of Commerce (honours), Shri Ram

College of Commerce

College highlights: While in college, I was part of

societies such as 180 Degrees Consulting and the
Placement Cell. I led the Debating Society wherein my
college highlight was organising the first edition of the
Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate under G20 which was
attended by the VP of India as the chief guest. I also
served as the chief events coordinator of the annual
Khushi Arora management fest of SRCC.
Business Analyst Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of
interviews, each lasting 20 to 25 minutes, with a manager,
a principal, and a partner. While the first two rounds were
a mix of questions related to my CV and case studies, the
final partner round consisted of only a case and was more
of a fit check. Overall, the interview process was very
enriching with all three cases being of different types.

Myth busted
I always thought that CV and case study were the only
two aspects that could make or break an interview.
However, the interviews also provide an opportunity to
the candidates to involve the interviewer in a two-way
discussion and understand more about consulting and the
work involved. In my experience, these discussions can
also form an important part of the interview process since
they help establish a connection with the interviewer.
“Interviews also
Case interview tip(s)
provide an While one may be inclined to apply the framework and
solutions studied in the casebooks as it is to similar cases,
opportunity to the it is also important to add your own unique takeaways
of the case either in terms of the recommendation or the
candidates to involve framework. It is, thus, more about your approach and
your ability to modify the frameworks and tricks as per
the interviewer in a the particular client at hand.

two-way discussion Personal interview tip(s)

Be honest, confident, and prepared. Keep your personal
and understand more experience stories ready and make sure you don’t forget
to structure (even when asked about the weather, it is
about consulting and that important).

the work involved.” Selected personal interview question(s)

— What was the recent topic that you debated
on and what is your view on it?

— What did you like about consulting during your

summer internship?

Cracking the consulting interview 74

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Estimate the number of stores that a Summary: Your client is an airline company that has
gourmet supermarket retail chain should open in purchased a fleet capable of covering the distance
Delhi in order to effectively enter the market? between New Delhi and New York in an hour. Help
them understand how they can price the flight ticket.
Case type: Market entry
Case type: Pricing
Approach: The focus of the case was more on the
different ways to come at the solution rather than Approach: I started out by understanding the
the solution itself. Therefore, once it was clear objective, the existing fleet, and the customer
through the preliminary questions that the stores segments. The interviewer had asked to enlist all
focused on more high-end customers, I enlisted possible customer segments post which we focused
the following approaches: on management consultants as the sole customer
base. I then listed all pricing methods and was asked
— Taking Delhi’s total area and then arriving at the to go ahead with the value-based pricing. I did the
area available for commercial place through same using a consultant’s billable hour concept to
different filters calculate the time saved through this new fleet in
terms of the money contributed to the consulting
— Estimating the number of high-end stations on firm. The interviewer then gave numbers to calculate
each metro line located either near high-end the exact range of price for the fleet using value- and
societies or at the commercial hubs to use as a cost-based pricing.
reference for number of stores required three.
What went well: I believe that the understanding of
— Taking the reference of an adjacent industry (for the consulting industry in terms of how projects work
example, natural ice cream) to estimate their and how the consultants are paid reflected well in
number of stores in Delhi and using the same the interview since I also had a summer internship
reference number to then add/subtract for the in the consulting domain itself. Moreover, the clear
supermarket due to differences between the communication with the numbers added to the
two stores. analytical ability.

What went well: Being able to come up with different Even better if: While calculating the number of
approaches in a limited time along with mentioning hours saved, I had missed out on taking the average
reasons that should be kept in mind while selecting consulting working hours instead of the entire time
the location such as the competitors, demographic, saved with the flight since consultants won’t be
and access to suppliers helped showcase further working 24 hours a day, thus, could have thought the
understanding of the case. numbers through as per the real consulting industry
a bit more in depth.
Even better if: It would have been better if I had gone
with the last approach as the initial approach since
a comparison with a similar industry did give the
most accurate estimate while other approaches had
inherent assumptions within them making them
less effective.

Cracking the consulting interview 75

 Joined: 2024

Office: Mumbai

Education: Bachelor of Technology (civil engineering),

IIT Bombay

College highlights: In college, I led my department’s

Academic Mentorship Program. I also served as an editor
in the college media body and enjoy interacting with
people who hold diverse perspectives. I’ve dabbled
in technical teams, ShARE projects, and volunteering
programs as well.

Sunandinee Mehra Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds on the

final day, apart from one to two buddy rounds with both
Business Analyst my buddies. These rounds were especially interesting
and took a different approach where I was asked
questions from my course content as well to see how I
can translate that into client cases since my buddy was
working on a related topic—I found it very cool. There
were also discussions on general topics to understand
my perspective, the lived experiences I can contribute,
and to gauge how well I articulate. The final interview had
three rounds—an initial guesstimate followed by two case
rounds and a small culture fit test. Most of the culture fit
was checked through the buddy calls. The case questions
were centred around my approach and thought process,
testing how I draw parallels, identify proxy numbers,
and also included cross questions to test how I integrate
different situations within the original problem statement.

Case interview tip(s)

“Smile and shine. Stay calm and think holistically. Believe it or not, you
know the answer; and even if you cannot put it
There’s a reason across immediately, building on a slight clue from the
interviewer can be your ticket to cracking the case.
you’re sitting in that But to grab that hint, you need to maintain composure.

chair, so enjoy the Personal interview tip(s)

Smile and shine. There’s a reason you’re sitting in that
process sharing chair, so enjoy the process sharing your experiences
and learning about others.
your experiences
Selected personal interview question(s)
and learning — Why consulting?

about others.” — Why civil engineering?

— Leadership experiences in college and my learnings

from them

— My opinion on a debatable general awareness topic

that came up during conversation

Cracking the consulting interview 76

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Market sizing case where I was Summary: Your client is a paint developer and has
essentially asked to guesstimate the air conditioner come up with a new kind of paint that is better than
sales in Mumbai competitors. How should the client price it?

Case type: Market entry Case type: Pricing

Approach: After gathering my thoughts, I broke the Approach: After collating my thoughts I asked some
problem statement into residential and commercial clarifying questions around the company’s goals,
sales. Upon inquiring about the tonnage of the ACs the uniqueness of the paint, the market competition,
we want to consider I verified my assumption that and geography. I followed this by stating the different
commercial sales could be ignored. pricing methods like savings-based pricing, cost-
based pricing, or added-value-based pricing, and
To estimate the residential AC sales, I took a top- ultimately proceeded with the savings-based method
down approach to arrive at the number of urban since the paint specifications and uniqueness were the
households along with the house size. smaller repaint frequency and enhanced durability.

Now, AC sales = number of households x number of What went well: I was able to identify the many
ACs per household of a particular tonnage x cost of an markets we could cater to, especially the commercial
AC of specified tonnage total AC sales = summation of sector for which aesthetics are important but frequent
the above formula above all tonnage varieties. repainting is difficult and affects productivity.

What went well: The formula was precise and

clarifying questions helped me navigate further.

Even better if: I could have clarified whether we

wanted sales in terms of revenue or volume. The
expected answer was in terms of revenue so it was
not an issue, but in hindsight having the big picture
clear in your mind is always a good idea.

Cracking the consulting interview 77

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: Bachelor of Technology (production and

industrial engineering), IIT Delhi

College highlights: I spent a lot of time doing cultural

activities. I was director of the Literary Society, part of
the core organising team for Rendezvous’23, and also
dabbled in debating. Aside from this, I spent two years
working on a research project, on which I wrote my final
B.Tech thesis.

Stuti Lohani Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

interviews with Kearney. The first was largely about my
Business Analyst résumé and personal experiences and ended with a short
guesstimate. The other two were longer case interviews
(but also involved personal questions). The interviews went
on for over 40 minutes each and were exhausting, but
the interviewers made it a very comfortable environment.
They were also pleasant to converse with. Even the buddy
process was extremely helpful; my buddy and other
seniors from the firm motivated me and made the entire
experience stress free.

Case interview tip(s)

Confidently ask for help from the interviewer if you’re
feeling lost or don’t know how to proceed in the case;
don’t sit blank. The interviewers are on your side;
moreover, they want to select candidates who can
be calm and composed under pressure. Additionally,

“A slight mistake in
keep your working sheets very neat and organised so
that the interviewer can keep taking a look even when

a case interview—
you’re writing.

missing a possible
Personal interview tip(s)
Know your résumé inside and out before stepping into

solution, for instance—

the interview. This includes not just extracurriculars, but
also past internships. Questions like what you worked on,

doesn’t lead to an
what was the impact of your work, why was your work
necessary, etc., may be asked. Although interviews aren’t

automatic rejection.
technical, it is good practice to go over the basics of your
degree and the associated industries, as questions may

Your approach,
be asked or cases built around the same.

structure, and
Selected personal interview question(s)
— Why was Kearney your first preference?

thoroughness in the — Why did you not receive a pre-placement offer

from the firm you interned with?
entire case matter.” — Explain what you did in your B.Tech project,
and why was your work novel?

Most unique question asked

You’ve done internships and projects in your core
field; why do you want to do consulting and not a
core job instead?

Cracking the consulting interview 78

Case example
Summary: Our client is a mining company. A year ago,
they bought a digging machine for 1 crore rupees.
Now, there is a new machine on the market for 10
crore rupees. Should our client buy this machine?

Case type: Unconventional

Approach: Preliminary questions were about the

client (their exact role in the mining industry, the
number of mines owned, etc.) and about the use,
costs, and lifespan of the digging machine. I started
the case by asking the key question: Why is the new
machine better than the one the client currently has?
Would it save time, manual labour, energy, etc.? I
was asked to list possible reasons, for which I made
buckets—the answer was money saved on fuel costs.
After this, I evaluated the money saved to see how
long it would take for the client to recover their initial
investment. The interviewer and I then discussed
an acceptable time frame for investment recovery
(based on client expectations and the machine’s
lifespan) and arrived at the answer.

What went well: Even though the interview consisted

of many questions being asked one after the other,
I maintained a structure throughout and covered
all possible aspects through a MECE segmentation.
I was also quick with my calculations.

Even better if: It took me a little bit of time to arrive

at the first answer (What are possible reasons for
the new machine being better than the current
machine?), and I had to ask the interviewer for help
when I thought I had exhausted the list of reasons.

Cracking the consulting interview 79

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: P.G. Diploma (philosophy and performing

arts), Ashoka University; B.A. (political science, honours),
Ashoka University

College highlights: I was the founder-president of the

college’s theatre society, and I directed, produced,
and acted in multiple theatre productions. I was also
the owner and manager of a football and basketball
franchise called A2Z FC.

Pratham Arora Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds of

interview with Kearney, all of which were a mix of case
Business Analyst and fit questions. The first two interviews were case
heavy, while the last one had a very short case and
was closer to a casual conversation.

Myth busted
That you have to be a master case solver to crack the
interview. Of course, being well prepared with cases
is essential, but what really sets an interview apart is
your ability to answer personal questions and hold an
interesting conversation.

Case interview tip(s)

Mistakes do not mean it is all over. If you mess something
up while solving a case, don’t lose your cool. Instead,
take a step back, reevaluate, and fix whatever mistake
you made. Being able to identify and fix mistakes on

“What really sets

the go is a valuable skill.

an interview apart
Personal interview tip(s)
Don’t be afraid of showing your personality during an

is your ability to
interview. A light-hearted joke here or there, a mention
of something you are really passionate about, and

answer personal
candid responses to questions all make you seem like
a multidimensional candidate. Staying true to yourself

questions and hold

goes a long way in personal interviews.

an interesting
conversation.”

Cracking the consulting interview 80

Case example
Summary: The toughest of the three interviews, this
one was a guesstimate about the parking lot size of
a new airport being built in a tier 1 city.

Case type: Guesstimate

Approach: I began by identifying exactly what kind

of airport this was and what would its footfall in terms
of passengers be. After calculating a rough number
of passengers by taking flights as proxy, I then tried
calculating what other occupants will there be in the
parking lot. This was probably the toughest interview
I had during the placement season, because the most
obvious approach (the one I mentioned) is incorrect—
the passengers will likely not have a vehicle in the
parking lot, it will either be a taxi or someone will
come pick them up. The parking lot will be populated
by waiting taxis or vehicles of people working in the
airport complex.

What went well: Despite having a lot of components,

I was able to organise the guesstimate quite well.
Moreover, even if the aspect I was estimating
was imprecise, my approach to calculate it and
my calculations themselves were spot on. Most
importantly, when my mistake was pointed out, I
kept my cool and started reworking the guesstimate.
I did not show that I was intimidated and finished
the interview calmly (even though I was completely
panicking in my head).

Even better if: Of course, it would have been ideal

if I had solved the guesstimate properly in my first
go. But I’d like to think that being able to show
the interviewer how I act if I make a mistake was
a blessing in disguise and it is what got me to the
next round.

Cracking the consulting interview 81

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: Bachelor of Science (economics and finance);

postgraduate diploma (advanced studies and research),
DipASR

College highlights: During my college years, I had the

privilege of serving as president of both the Ashoka
Economics Society and the Ashoka Business Club,
as well as vice president of the Rotaract Club. One of
my proudest achievements was founding Equilibrium,
Ashoka’s Inter University Economics Fest, which allowed
Aviral Anand me to bring together students from various institutions
Business Analyst to engage in meaningful economic discussions and
competitions. These experiences were instrumental in
shaping my skills and passion.

Interviewing with Kearney: My Kearney interview

experience consisted of three rounds, starting with a
manager, followed by a principal, and concluding with
a partner. Each round began with introductions and fit
questions, eventually leading into case interviews. Some
rounds included multiple guesstimates and cases back
to back, providing a comprehensive evaluation of my
problem-solving and analytical skills.

Case interview tip(s)

Always be patient with your calculations. I found it’s better
to take my time and ensure accuracy rather than rush
and make mistakes. Additionally, I learned to be flexible
with frameworks—adapting and modifying them to fit
“It’s crucial to try to the specific case I’m working on. And above all, I always
make sure to structure my approach to keep my thoughts
build a connection organised and clear.

with the interviewer Personal interview tip(s)

One personal interview tip I’d like to share is the
right from the importance of fit questions. It’s crucial to try to build
a connection with the interviewer right from the
introduction It’s introduction. I found that adding a bit of humour to my
answers helped make the interviewer smile and enjoy
crucial to try to build the conversation as much as I did. This approach helped
create a more relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
a connection with the
Selected personal interview question(s)
interviewer right from — Take me through your internship experiences.

the introduction.” — What initiative are you most proud of during your
leadership stints at various clubs and why?

Most unique question asked

I was told by the interviewer this answer could make or
break my interview: Which football club do I support?

Cracking the consulting interview 82

Case example
Summary: In my case interview, I tackled a
profitability case for a prominent hospital chain
with constant profit margins of 14 to 15 percent. The
management wanted to know how to increase these
margins. After asking several clarifying questions
about industry versus company trends, I identified
it as a company revenue problem. I structured and
segmented the revenue streams, discovering that
most revenue came from drugs and admissions
(surgeries). I found that the hospital was charging
significantly less than competitors for surgeries
and they were prioritising low-cost surgeries over
high-cost ones. The interviewer stopped me there,
confirming that I was on the right path to uncovering
the remaining issues.

Case type: Profitability

Approach: To solve the profitability case, I structured

the problem using an issue tree framework. I
approached it from a patient’s perspective to
understand different potential revenue streams for
the hospital. I also considered the hospital’s position
in the medical value chain and its specialties. Upon
discovering that surgeries were the issue, I focused
on how to increase both the price and the number
of patients. It turned out that, in addition to low
pricing, the hospital was approving many low-cost
surgeries, which could be addressed by prioritising
higher-cost surgeries.

What went well: What went well during the case

was my effective use of an issue tree framework to
accurately identify the hospital’s revenue problem
and my ability to pinpoint the under-pricing and
prioritisation issues with surgeries.

Even better if: What could have been better was my

speed in identifying the revenue problem, as we ran
out of time before addressing the cost side of the
issue and fully exploring the pricing and prioritisation
of surgeries.

Cracking the consulting interview 83

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: BMS, St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai

College highlights: During my college, I actively

participated in various co-curricular activities, including
acting, event anchoring, and event organisation. Notably,
I held the leadership position of vice chairperson of
management for the 2023 business festival, Zephyrus.
Additionally, I served as an organiser for the Conclave
department at Malhar 2023. Further enriching my
experience, I interned at Hindustan Unilever as a sales
Aakrati Kushwah and marketing intern.
Business Analyst Interviewing with Kearney: I had three rounds with
Kearney. First round was with the manager, second
with the principal, and last one with the partner. All
three rounds were case based.

Myth busted
Consulting interviews have a reputation for being intense.
But here’s the flip side: they can be incredibly enriching.
The interviewer acts as your guide, helping you navigate
the problem and showcase your analytical skills.

Case interview tip(s)

Stay cool, even with an unfamiliar case. Consulting
interviews are designed to assess your problem-solving
approach, not industry expertise. Ask clarifying questions
to understand the situation and use a proven framework
to structure your analysis. Don’t be afraid to leverage
“Showcase your the interviewer’s guidance as they’re there to help you
navigate the problem.
‘peculiar’ side by
Personal interview tip(s)
weaving a special To shine in your consulting interview, prepare insightful
questions beforehand that connect your unique
skill or hobby into experiences to the firm’s work, which you can ask the
interviewer at the last. Showcase your “peculiar” side
your answers. by weaving a special skill or hobby into your answers.
Throughout, radiate positive energy. The personal
Throughout, radiate interview is your chance to showcase why you’re a
perfect fit, so be authentic, enthusiastic, and prepared
positive energy.” to leave a memorable impression.

Selected personal interview question(s)

— Introduce yourself.

— What did you do at your internship at HUL?

— Why do you want to do consulting?

— What did you do at Malhar as an organiser?

Cracking the consulting interview 84

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Your client is an omnichannel jewellery Summary: Your client owns a chemical processing
retailer. They want to understand whether their unit specialising in two lines of business: speciality
website (brand.com) is doing well. What parameters chemicals and commodities chemicals. The client
will you look into? has experienced an increase in costs. How would
you strategize to assist them in achieving this cost-
Case type: Unconventional reduction objective effectively?

Approach: To gain a comprehensive understanding Case type: Profitability

of the client’s needs, I began by asking relevant
preliminary questions. This initial step allowed me Approach: I began by asking relevant preliminary
to effectively segment the customer interaction questions, such as: “Can I get more information
journey with the website into four distinct stages: about the client’s two lines of business? Is the client
involved in both manufacturing and distribution?
1 Exposure (depends on awareness of our website, Are we aiming to reduce costs across both lines
social media, press, and referral e-mails). of business?”
2 Discovery and consideration, which include the
first few visits to the website, ease with interface The client aimed to reduce its costs related to
and content, and user-friendliness of the website. commodity chemicals. To understand the cause
3 Conversion stage, which concentrates of the cost increase, I conducted a value chain
on optimising the conversion funnel; key analysis. This analysis identified a significant
considerations include ease of adding products increase in production manpower, or labour, costs.
to the cart and secure payment options. The complexity of the production process due to
4 Customer relationship and retention stage seasonality was identified as the reason for this
involving customer experience, fulfilment, increase. Additionally, there was an increase in
communication, loyalty program, etc. employee costs within the finance department.
Based on these findings, I developed relevant
I deep dived into each stage to understand how recommendations suggesting cost reduction.
the client is performing in each of these areas and
accordingly suggested how they can improve their What went well: Even though I didn’t have enough
performance. knowledge about the industry, asking the right
questions and conducting a value chain analysis
What went well: I think I structured the problem proved to be an effective way to identify the source
well and my analysis went into great detail about of the cost increase.
each stage of customer interaction and its effect
on website performance. I also included relevant Even better if: To gain a deeper understanding of
metrics like daily visitors and bounce rate to the cost increase, a more granular breakdown of
evaluate website effectiveness. labour costs could have been beneficial. Typically,
in factories, labour is categorised into production
Even better if: I could have also analysed the problem (direct) and non-production (indirect) categories. This
from a business perspective. By doing so, I could breakdown would have helped identify the finance
have highlighted areas for improvement on the department’s employee cost increase sooner.
client’s website, such as the product mix offered by
the client vs. their competitors, the arrangement or
display of products from different categories, and
any ongoing sales or discounts, etc.

Cracking the consulting interview 85

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: B.A. (economics, honours), Shri Ram College

of Commerce

College highlights: I participated in various business

and case competitions, including National Finalist Team
in the HSBC Global Case Programme. I was also the
co-founder of the SRCC Launchpad and received a junior
diploma in classical dancing. I also became a McKinsey
Next-Generation Woman Leader. Further, I was the chief
secretary of The Placement Cell, event head of the SRCC
Anusha Chauhan Business Conclave, and also took part in the Debating
Business Analyst Society and Sports Committee.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three interview rounds

post the CV shortlisting which were a combination of
the personal experiences (HR) and the case problems
of different types (including guesstimates in the cases
themselves). My assumption and belief was that we
were judged on the basis of our problem solving,
critical thinking, communication, confidence, aura,
and smartness.

The overall experience was good with respect to the

time management and clear communication throughout
the process.

Myth busted
The interviewer is there to help the interviewee and
improve upon the already built approach and not trick
“You must be honest or play with the interviewee. They will judge you on your
exploration and thinking ability along with the preexisting
and real. Make it a knowledge, confidence, and logic.

conversation instead Case interview tip(s)

You should be confident but not overconfident in
of a question-answer your approach such that you accept the interviewer’s
suggestion with grace but not doubt your own thoughts.
session by the Always be on the lookout for more avenues to explore
and express them wisely. One thing that helps is to
interviewer. They create unconventional frameworks which can be used
to break down frameworks easily instead of using the
should not just like predefined frameworks.

your IQ but also you.”

Cracking the consulting interview 86

Case example 1 Case example 2
Summary: Your client wishes to enter the apparel Summary: Your client is an airline company that
market in India. Would entering offline be a good recently bought a fleet of airplanes which fly from
prospect for them? Additionally, draw a go-to-market Delhi to New York in 1 hour. How would you price
strategy for the client. this ticket?

Case type: Market entry Case type: Pricing

Approach: During the preliminary question, it was Approach: Since this was a very unconventional
identified that the company is a third-party seller pricing case, I took the liberty to ask all the questions
and sells sustainable t-shirts, which revealed the in the beginning to understand the problem
demography targeted (urban rich). My approach statement better. We compared a traditional aircraft
included considering three factors, namely mode of and this innovative solution on the basis of cost,
entry, operational, and market feasibility. I was asked time, and other relevant factors. Then we went ahead
to compare different types of organic entry on the and analysed only the cost-based and value-based
basis of quantitative and qualitative aspects like cost, approach and disregarded the competitive and
ownership, risk, etc. I did a guesstimate of the market demand-side approach.
size of this business by the demand side considering
factors such as income, age, accessibility, lifetime The value-based approach involved exploring the
of the t-shirt, etc., and checked the sustainability of opportunity cost of the people travelling. On mutual
the business by analysing the continuous growth agreement, we decided to calculate the opportunity
of awareness, demand, and income. Finally, we cost of a management consultant considering the
arrived at a launch plan considering factors as a income and salary and derived the range of price
part of planning and execution like the last platform, of the ticket.
audience, ambience, etc.
What went well: I believe my concepts were very clear
What went well: I believe my levels of structuring and my communication from the start gave me a clear
and problem solving went well and I could justify understanding of the problem statement. Referring
each header of my table. Each layer was divided into to the points established before in the case gave me
at least three relevant subsections and explained a smart edge in the case and was well appreciated.
further. Additionally, I believe I constantly tried to
keep up a conversation with the interviewer and Even better if: I could not come up with examples
solve the case with them and not for them. to justify my approach even though I could explain
it theoretically. My nervousness because of an
Even better if: I believe I could have improved on the unconventional case blocked my creativity at times.
comprehensiveness of the structures in one attempt I believe that a little calmness and confidence would
at a few instances. Even though I was able to combine have helped me to do better in the case.
and conclude all factors, I did not include a few factors
in my initial structure.

Personal interview tip(s) Selected personal interview question(s)

You must be honest and real. Make it a conversation Apart from the introduction, I was asked about my
instead of a question-answer session by the lockdown experiences, my extra-curriculars, and
interviewer. They should not just like your IQ but also time management. All of them were related to what
you. Make a list of questions such as introduction, I portrayed in my CV.
strengths and weaknesses, how would my friends
define me, my proudest moments, etc. I would
suggest highlighting three to four meritorious
experiences of your life and try to incorporate
them in the questions that are posed.

Cracking the consulting interview 87

 Joined: 2024

Office: Gurgaon

Education: Bachelor of Science (computer science) and

postgraduate diploma (advanced computer science),
Ashoka University, Sonipat

College highlights: During college, I explored a variety of

activities, including student government, the computer
science society, organising hackathons, the baking
club, and performing arts. Performing arts was the one
that resonated with me the most, and I ended up doing
a concentration in it. I was also an active member and
Bhavye Jain later an advisor in the Women in Computer Society club,
Business Analyst which was created to offer support and opportunities for
women in STEM. Moreover, I’m a big-time Bollywood fan.

Interviewing with Kearney: I had three interviews in

total along with a case workshop where each interview
started with a case study and was followed by personal
questions, guesstimates, and sometimes both. The
interviews were friendly and relaxed where the
interviewers were really helpful in guiding you throughout
the process. Most guesstimates were in continuation to
the case study itself. The personal questions were based
on the résumé and personal experience.

Myth busted
The interviewer conducts the interview with the thought
of hiring you in and not eliminating, hence it is a healthy
conversation where it is not just about case studies and
guesstimates, but also an attempt to know you further.
“At the end of the The interviews are flexible and don’t follow a fixed
structure, so you might be asked anything, where most
day, it is simply a questions will relate to what you’ve discussed during the
interview, so stay confident and articulate your thoughts
conversation with clearly. Remember, you don’t need to know the exact
solution to every problem. Focus on walking through
the sole purpose of your thought process step by step, as the interviewer is
mainly interested in how you approach and break down
getting to know the problem to find a solution.

you and not to cross Case interview tip(s)

Do not try to restrict yourself to just the frameworks but
check your résumé, try to understand the problem first and then create your
own structure. This will not only help you understand the
so just keep it natural problem better but will be an opportunity to showcase
your creativity and problem-solving skills. However,
and truthful.” at a basic level revise and practice all the frameworks,
as you’ll definitely need them. Remember, no one is
expecting you to use any strict frameworks but rather
present a structured and logical case. Lastly, just practice
and trust yourself throughout the process.

Cracking the consulting interview 88

Case example For the second half, I had to utilise the above
information and analyse what is the possible mode
Summary: An online T-shirt apparel company is of entry, whether it is via brownfield, greenfield,
planning to open physical stores (offline) to reach more joint ventures, or outsourcing. Here, I would highly
customers and improve their shopping experience. suggest taking a few minutes and gathering all the
They want to increase their brand’s visibility, attract information in order to get into structure and then
more people, and let customers see and try on move forward (do not be scared to take a few minutes
products in person. Hence, we need to suggest to absorb information; until you do that the argument
whether this would be profitable and how could could be arbitrary). Then I asked questions about
one enter the offline market. their current pricing, their fixed and variable costs as
that plays a huge role, along with profits, in deciding
Case type: Market entry the mode of entry. Since the profits were minimal, a
joint venture or outsourcing seemed a more probable
Approach: I divided the case into two parts. option when entering the market which was further
Firstly, I wanted to understand more about the analysed and broken down into different possibilities.
range of products the company offers along with
any information that I could receive in terms of What went well: I believe applying the market entry
sale numbers and profits. Moreover, I further framework for this case study worked well since it
inquired about the warehouse and which city their helps gain any and all information required to make
manufacturing is based in, along with getting to conclusions and gave more structure to my case.
know the customer base, i.e., which cities have the Moreover, the questions about pricing and costs really
most sales and any information about the customer helped improve the conclusion and gave it more
demographics. This will give me a good idea about credibility since quite a lot of information in the first
where the company stands on its own, however, I half was based on guesstimates and assumptions,
will need to do competitive landscape assessment hence combining customer demographics and
in order to know whether operating offline would pricing provided a more accurate solution, where I
be profitable or not. The above questions gave me had segmented the customers into age groups and
information about the customer base, which locations financial groups.
are more saturated than others, the sales of company
online, their market share and competition, allowing Even better if: I believe I should have done a more
me to move on to the next part. in-depth competitive landscape assessment as that
would have given me more information as to how
saturated the offline market is and in what cities.
Since the client was not interested in introducing new
product, I ignored that factor throughout the case,
which I believed weakened the conclusion. I later
thought about it and the conclusion did work out in
its favour, but I believe environmental factors should
also have been actively discussed.

Personal interview tip(s) Selected personal interview question(s)

Be well versed with everything that you have chosen — I was asked about experience in my projects
to include in the résumé and just have some mental and internships in computer science.
note of the basic interview questions such as tell me
— Why consulting?
about yourself, strengths, weakness, and what do
you personally add to the company as an individual. — About my experience frequently relocating
However, at the end of the day, it is simply a around the country and abroad. Apart from the
conversation with the sole purpose of getting to know introduction, I was asked about my lockdown
you and not to cross-check your résumé, so just keep experiences, my extra-curriculars, and time
it natural and truthful. management. All of them were related to what
I portrayed in my CV.

Most unique question asked

I was asked to justify why I didn’t adopt any of the
predefined structure but rather one of my own.

Cracking the consulting interview 89

Tips and tricks to get
to the top

1. Ask questions to make sure

you have data to support your
responses
2. State any assumptions and/or
hypotheses
3. Don’t lose sight of the objective
or the question to be answered
(prioritize!)
4. At turning points, or before
moving to new topics, summarize
and test that you both have the
same understanding
5. Take time to explain your logic—
be thorough
6. Use diagrams to explain your
thinking w
 here appropriate
7. Take suggestions if offered
8. Make it your own
9. Be confident and breathe!
10. Be prepared to give an
elevator pitch about your
recommendation and the main
reasons behind it
11. If all else fails, make sure you’ve
ironed your shirt

Cracking the consulting interview 90

Kearney is a leading global
management consulting firm.
For nearly 100 years, we have
been a trusted advisor to C-suites,
government bodies, and nonprofit
organizations. Our people make
us who we are. Driven to be the
difference between a big idea
and making it happen, we work
alongside our clients to regenerate
their businesses to create a future
that works for everyone.

kearney.com

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