Hello all,
I have an upcoming Excel case study interview at a small consulting company and need some help preparing. The HR team told me the process works like this:
I get 3 hours to work alone with a big Excel file. I need to use pivot tables and formulas to analyze the data, find key insights, create a PowerPoint presentation, and then present my findings to senior consultants. After that there will be questions and discussion.
I’m struggling to find good practice materials for this type of interview format.
Has anyone done something similar at companies like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, LEK, or smaller consulting firms? Do you have any sample Excel files or practice cases that are similar to what they typically give candidates?
Any tips, resources, or examples would be really helpful!
Thanks
Nail the presentation structure - it’s just as important as your analysis. Most people crush the Excel part but bomb when presenting. You’re presenting to senior consultants, so they want executive-level communication. Lead with your main recommendation, then back it up with data. Run the “So what?” test on every chart you make. Everyone makes this mistake: showing fancy pivot tables without explaining why they matter to the business. For practice data, grab publicly available retail sales datasets or financial performance data from similar industries. Time management matters - spend about 90 minutes on analysis, 60 on slides, and 30 rehearsing. During Q&A, they’ll challenge your assumptions or ask about other approaches you didn’t try. Be ready to walk through your methodology step-by-step and own up to any limitations in your analysis.
I’ve done these assessments at both big firms and boutiques, so here’s what worked for me. Three hours means they’re testing your technical skills AND how you think under pressure. Don’t just drill Excel - build a solid framework for breaking down problems. Practice slicing data different ways (by region, product, time) and spotting weird patterns or trends worth digging into. For practice material, grab financial data from company annual reports or industry databases. Set up fake scenarios where you need to find cost cuts or growth opportunities. What separates people is telling a clear story from messy data. Have templates ready for standard consulting frameworks - profitability trees, market sizing, that stuff. Senior folks will grill you hard on your logic, so practice explaining your choices and admitting when your analysis has gaps. They want to see if you can think like a consultant, not just crunch numbers.