Prepping for IB interviews and terrified I’ll blank on DCF steps when it matters. Even after grinding guides, I panic and overshare irrelevant details mid-explanation. Heard some users mention banker-created frameworks that force conciseness? Anyone used these under pressure? What’s the barebones structure that keeps you on track when adrenaline’s pumping?
pro tip: if you’re rambling, you never really understood it. frameworks are crutches for people who cant think on their feet. interviewers smell that desperation. nail 3 key drivers - cash, cost, growth - and wing the rest. they’re not paying you to recite textbooks, they want coherent logic. fake confidence til you make it.
i use the FLOW method! free cash flow, ltm/ntm, outlook, wacc wrap. works most times but sometimes mixup steps 
practice w/ timer helps!
Structure is secondary to purpose. Start with why DCF matters - intrinsic valuation independent of markets. Then: 1) Cash is king (highlight FCF), 2) Horizon phases (explain growth vs terminal assumptions), 3) Risk adjustment (WACC rationale). Practice this triad until it’s reflexive. Interviewers want clarity, not rote memorization.
You’ve got this!! Roleplay with peers daily - muscle memory beats anxiety every time 
Totally bombed my first try - mixed up tax rates and terminal growth. Now I script the transitions between steps (“moving to WACC because…”). Forces me to pause. Mock interviews with harsh feedback saved me. Still hate perpetuity formulas though.
Analysis of 23 mock interviews shows candidates using acronym frameworks reduce tangents by 62%. Example: VALUE - Verify assumptions, Articulate FCF, Leverage tax rates, uUnlever/relever beta, Exit multiple/Rationale. Focus on justifying inputs rather than perfect calculations.