Crack the Case System: Complete Case Interview Prep

If you're serious about prep for the consulting interview process, this book far outpaces the competition. Here are a few reasons why: 1. Easy-to-read style. No fancy business jargon here; David Ohrvall does a wonderful job breaking down and organizing the various concepts you need to understand in a friendly and accessible manner. Whether you are an MBA student or a non-MBA without much business exposure, this book will make a for an enjoyable and informative read. Key mnemonics such as IMPACT, FRAME and SPECIAL-T will accelerate your retention of the information presented. And the Maximum Value Model, which organizes the information you need to crack cases into 5 Zones, provides a single clear case-cracking structure that can help you think about any case you encounter in an orderly and intuitive way. 2. Interactive/Video element. The case interview process is interactive and your preparation should reflect that. Simply reading cases isn't enough. This book is paired with video instruction which brings the case interview process to life: you can watch a mock interviewer ask the question as if you were actually in the interview and then you can take the time to practice your answer. Once you have done so, you can double back and watch video of how a candidate in your shoes would have tackled the question and compare your answer to his/hers. If you don't have a partner to practice with regularly--and even if you do--this book is well worth your time. I've used a number of different study guides, but this book is BY FAR the closest thing I've seen to mimicking the real interview process. 3. Comprehensive Case Interview Review. This book contains 42 diverse cases covering different topics and regions. The cases are comprised of case starts, market-sizing cases, mini cases and full cases. Each comes with detailed tips for your interview partner on how to give the case--and this is key, because doing a good job giving a case as an interviewer takes skill-- as well as questions and issues the interviewee should consider. Also included with each case is a page showing what your notes/outline should look like. Finally, David Ohrvall includes a big-picture overview of each case (via video); this overview is particularly helpful because it can be easy to miss the forest for the trees when sifting through lots of data and working through complex cases. 4. Comprehensive Interview Focus. Some guides focus nearly exclusively on the case interview, but this book devotes a good deal of space to additional (and important) facets of the interview process. It covers everything from the time of day during which you should schedule your interview to what you should wear to the interview to difficult questions that will be tossed your way during the "fit" interview. Remember, you can be dinged if you don't succeed on the fit interview component. This book will help you avoid that. In sum, this book is invaluable in preparing for a consulting career. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

I can say that this is perhaps the most comprehensive case interview preparation book out there. One may be intimidated by its thickness at first (as I was)... but don't be. Lessons and techniques only comprise of less than half the book; the other half contains extremely well-written, detailed cases divided into different lengths, spanning forty geographical regions (with a useful primer on each region). Free videos on the author's website correspond to each section of the book and shows sample interviewers and interviewees giving and answering case starts (plus helpful analysis and recaps by the author), adding a more realistic, human dimension to the study experience. There is an "easier" way of preparing for case interviews--memorizing frameworks and trying to apply it to every case, as suggested by other reads. That's how I started. However, I also wanted to gain something else out of the entire MBA and case-prep experience--to train my brain to analyze and exhaustively tackle complex problems while learning how to improvise on the spot. After a while, I began to notice that my responses and approaches to solving cases were question driven, mechanical and just didn't seem natural. That's when I decided to give Crack the Case system a shot. Ohrvall's approach is very different from other books in that is very exhaustive and does not rely on frameworks. It basically trains your mind to think intuitively through cases to find comprehensive answers. This may feel counterintuitive at first as the learning curve is steeper (versus memorizing frameworks), but once you start understanding the system, it all makes sense. Ohrvall's writing style is fun and entertaining, and the book is also designed in such a way that by the time you are finished with the first half (lessons and techniques portion), the numerous acronyms are already firmly set in your mind. After learning the Crack the Case system, I have noticed that my strategic intuition has expanded in terms of breadth and depth. My solutions are now more creative, and I can now address areas/issues that I couldn't think of before when just using frameworks. Every detail has pretty much been addressed in this book. I especially liked the special sections dedicated to mid-case structures and secondary insights, IMPACT for behavioral interviews, SAVED for finance-related cases, and the Maximum Value Model (great for building breadth and depth when tackling complex cases). It also contains 'game-plans' to maximize learning based on how far away your interview is (2 weeks, 1 month, 3 month etc.) to detailed instructions on how to practice either on your own or how to case with others (with different pages of information for either the interviewer or interviewee, adding a more realistic dimension to practice cases). Overall, I am very satisfied that I made the time investment to learn Crack the Case system and recommend anyone looking to build their case interview skills and business intuition in general to give it a try.

Crack the Case is the go-to book for consulting candidates and those preparing for an interview. Pros: - Consulting and case interviews require both a breadth and depth of business knowledge. This book is excellent at teaching you 13 different categories of case questions like (Growth strategies, pricing strategies, competitor attacks, entering a new business, entering a new geography, mergers & acquisitions and many more) - The book shows you the ideal way to walk through each type of case question in a very detailed manner - The book tells you what to expect in these interviews - The book helps you understand soft interviewing skills like explaining "why you're interested in consulting, tell us about a time you've failed, tell us about a time you've succeeded etc". Cons - My biggest con for this book is that its practice cases really aren't useful. The book gives you so much knowledge about how to crack different cases, however their practice cases suck. The cases are difficult to practice on your own, and are complicated to practice with a partner. Moreover, the solutions to the cases are brief and leave much to be desired. For that reason, I would recommend buying this book along with Case in Point by Marc Consentino . Case in Point is almost the opposite of Crack the Case. CIP has really great practice cases and in depth solutions of A+ case answers. However its case frameworks and business knowledge is really shallow and lacking. Good luck in your interviews!

In preparation for case interviews, I read 4 of the major case interview prep books (Ohrvall, Cheng, Darling, Cosentino). While all of them have been beneficial, David’s book really stood out to me for a variety of reasons. First, David’s book is incredibly thorough. At 536 pages, it is certainly the largest case prep book I have seen and probably the largest on the market. The book touches on everything. Frameworks, behavioral questions, types of cases, tips for the actual case-day, and a wide variety of sample cases, just to name a few. In addition to that, you have access to over 100 videos on his website that support the cases in the book. The resource is truly comprehensive and very helpful in the preparation process. Second, I really benefitted from the sample dialogue/answers David provides in his book and in the videos. It is one thing for someone to tell you to do something a certain way, but it is different for them to provide concrete examples for how to do it. For instance, I enjoyed reading the comparison of the mediocre candidate and the excellent candidate in chapter 2, section 4 because I know I was a lot like the mediocre candidate and thought I was doing pretty well. To see what a truly “excellent” candidate would say, think about, etc. as they walk through a case is always very helpful. Third, while this book certainly gives structured frameworks for how to attack different case problems, I always got the sense that what David was trying to communicate in his book was that each case will be a little different so you have to be creative and flexible in attacking each problem. Other books feel a bit more rigid, but David provides a lot of tools to help you think creatively about how to approach different problems, or even similar problems, but from different angles. I think this is important because if you only know how to approach/solve a certain number of case questions, you will get really flustered if given something else in the interview. David’s book teaches you categories to think through, but not a rigid set of structures that could be limiting if you received a unique type of problem. Fourth, I found Chapter 5, Section 13 very helpful because David looks at a large variety of the types of cases you may receive (growth strategy, profit, exit a business, etc.) and writes out a two page roadmap using his FRAME outline for how he would attack a problem like this. Again, it doesn’t feel so rigid that you feel constrained, but it does give helpful guidance to know how to attack these types of problems. After I do a practice case given by a friend, I will often refer back to this section see how David might have dug into a similar problem to determine areas I could improve. Finally, though I am not very good at doing this, I think David’s advice about finding 2nd level insights and doing mid-case structures is really important. I know I sometimes get bogged down in details during cases or get going too fast and skip over important information. David’s advice about note-taking, creating graphs/charts/tables, and continuing to block & break data is key for doing well in the analysis portion of the case. Overall, I have benefitted tremendously from David’s book and I highly recommend it to others who are preparing for cases!

As a manual on building the skills to crack case interviews, Crack the Case reach the expectations. It has step-by-step instructions and a plan so you can organize your study overtime. But it lacks on online resouces: videos are avaiable, but smart online tests would make it perfect for what it means to achieve. I'd recomend it anyway.

I've been prepping for case interviews using a number of books and methods and I recommend the Crack the Case book and method without reservation. The crack the case method has three unique attributes that are worth knowing about. First, the method breaks down the case interview into component parts and provides specific guidance on how to improve in each area. The case interview has a number of components and although there are a lot of books out there that promise to prep you be providing frameworks for solving cases, this book is the only one I've found that walks through each of the component parts of the interview. It covers frameworks, but it also cover the mid-case structures and the case summation, both of which, from what I have gleaned so far, are just as important as the initial structure. Second, the book has a ton of cases that are interactive, with web links. I've found that to be quite useful because the interviews themselves are oral; you don't have the luxury of reading the case intro material again to see if you've missed something. Its great to practice by seeing and hearing a mock interviewer throw the case and the case questions at you. In addition, there are web links to typical and good case starts for the cases in the book. For a learner like me, who likes to see how a typical case intro should work, the web clips have been quite valuable. Third, this book teaches an approach to cases that is intuitive; as I've worked through the book, I've developed a system of thinking that has been very helpful to me when approaching a new case. I've heard from others that I need to avoid the trap of memorizing frameworks and then simply repeating what I've memorized at an interview. I've found that this book, because it emphasizes how to think, instead of how to apply a canned framework, has really improved my ability to take on a new case. I would recommend this to anyone who is prepping for interviews.

As I have been prepping for my interviews for Management Consulting firms, I have found Crack the Case by David Ohrvall to be exceptional over the other books out in the market. Although the other books are helpful in their own right, I haven't come across one that is as thorough and extensive as Crack the Case. The book covers everything from Casing framework strategies to fit interview styles to suggested study habits. It has accompanying videos to assist with the material. Finally, there are a number of practice cases which are designed to help the candidate apply the content. What I have found helpful about Crack the Case is the central fact that one should not solely rely on a specific framework. By relying on a specific framework, you will limit yourself and will most likely be unable to provide a sound and complete answer during a case interview. Instead, David Ohrvall has created Zones with sub-categories. This method allows the reader or candidate to assess the best way to attack a case without sticking to one framework. In addition, David goes a step further and offers a Coaching service. A candidate can receive direct one-on-one practice sessions with David or his team should they want to master the art of casing. As an experienced hire candidate, I have found David to be knowledgeable, straightforward, blunt, accommodating, and most importantly...very helpful. Thanks David!

You want a job in consulting? This book is a MUST HAVE! David Ohrvall is indubitably THE black-belt of case interview preparation and this book is the preparation bible of any serious candidates. While preparing for my interview, I ordered a half-dozen books all pertaining to case interview preparation, and Crack The Case System is by far the very best. My only regret is not to have discovered this book before: it's a real gold mine! Through a very exhaustive approach, it guided me through the secrets and insider's tips to navigate efficiently amongst the expectations and dangers of case interviews. What I liked the most about it is its modularity: whether you have 6 months or just 2 weeks to prepare, beginner or experienced, Crack The Case will best suit your needs. In less than 3 weeks, this book gave me the best possible preparation for my interview with McKinsey for the following four reasons: (1) It guided me through both case questions and behavioural questions (too often neglected by candidates); (2) It provided me with amazing frameworks that are easy to comprehend and apply broadly; (3) It helped me to efficiently use graphs and visual synthesis (very important!) and how to be optimize my verbal and non-verbal communications; (4) How to open and close cases like a consultant. And finally, what's totally unique about this book is the dozens of free videos that come with each chapter and each case spanning over multiple sectors and focuses. In summary, the value proposition of this book is GREAT. It proved to be my best return-on-investment. You want to be hired as a consultant: get this book!

trop de blah blah, le livre est trop épais pour rien les cas ne sont pas bien faits et beaucoup d'erreurs

Llegó muy rápido y en excelentes condiciones

This material was very helpful in order to get a good understanding of the type of cases we would see in a real consulting interview. Particularly, the mini cases and the case starts were great practice. The variety of cases was also great because there were cases that went much beyond the typical profitability case into things like M&As, Organizational Transformations, etc. I recommend this case prep material as part of you core case curriculum!

Many case studies (>40) and deep theoretical analysis useful for the consulting interviews. Actually, the theoretical part is way too long and a third of the cases are without their solution, but globally it is a nice book. Together with "Case in Point" by Cosentino and the Victor Cheng online material, it is the best stuff for your interviews.

Excellent book for those who wants to break into Management Consulting, though I have to say a little bit a verbose.