Consulting case interviews at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and similar firms test structured problem-solving against business problems. Strong candidates apply consistent frameworks (issue trees, MECE structures) tailored to specific problem types — profitability, market entry, M&A, market sizing, product launch, growth strategy. This hub covers the 8-10 core frameworks every case interview requires.
The structure
The framework library includes: (1) Profitability — Revenue/Cost decomposition with diagnostic questions. (2) Market entry — Market attractiveness × company fit × entry strategy. (3) M&A — Strategic logic × valuation × integration. (4) Market sizing — Top-down or bottom-up estimation. (5) Product launch — Customer/Channel/Communications/Capabilities. (6) Growth strategy — Ansoff (penetration/development/product/diversification). (7) Pricing — Cost / value / competition based. (8) Operations / supply chain — Bottleneck identification and resolution.
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Master each framework structure
- Practice issue-tree drawing
- Drill quantitative skills (mental math, market sizing)
- Practice case interviews with peers (50+ recommended)
- Develop your own framework variations
- Practice communication structure (top-down, signposting)
- Practice opening (clarifying questions)
- Practice closing (synthesized recommendation)
Pitfalls when using this hub
- Memorizing frameworks without understanding
- Forcing the wrong framework on a case
- Weak quantitative skills (the easiest disqualifier)
- No structure in communication
- Not driving the case (waiting to be told what to do)
How to use this hub
Use this hub as your case-interview prep curriculum. The 8-10 frameworks cover roughly 80% of cases interviewers will ask. Practice with peers using these frameworks; the structure becomes natural with repetition. Pair with strategy and operations concept guides.