Customer Reviews

Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation, Fourth Edition

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a pre-med student who had little intention of going into consulting. By mostly happenchance, I landed myself into the interview room with McKinsey. The majority of my preparation was simply reading (at times re-reading) this book. It worked.

This book is a fine introduction to case studies for students relatively unfamiliar with their structure. I would be more hesitant in recommending this book for the better informed, though there is still a trove of useful information for those types as well.

The major strength of this book is not the Ivy System (or whatever fanciful name it touts). The system(s) the book presents are of secondary importance to its actual strength: the numerous simulated case interviews. The interviews are actual conversations -- and this lets you see certain strong and weak moves an interviewee makes, the types of questions and responses the interviewer with which the interviewer prods, and so on. It is tremendously more effective that simply having a case prompt -- and then a series of bullets that you should hit on.

I think it's the best book on the market. But this book cannot cover all. So, I recommand to read the other books which have different styles. For example, Ace Your Case or Crack The Case.

-GOOD-
1. Ivy Case System can give you a guideline. It's worth reading.
2. It explains well how to proceed - defining the problem, setting the goal and so on.
3. This book has many cases than the other books. And they are categorized.

-BAD-
1. All books on the market regard the case as a quiz on the desk. But the real case is a simulation of REAL consulting practice. For example, you may have to suggest HOW you support your hypos in real case interviews.
2. All books on the market do not emphasize the consultant's thinking process. For example, MECE and hypo-driven approach. This book also do not clearly show which issue tree the interviewee uses and how he eliminate his hypos.
3. Ivy Case System is too hard to remember. In this point, Crack The Case is better.
4. The cases are too short to see the interaction. One case is just 2~3 pages. So, it has some distance from the REAL interview. Ace Your Case is better in this point.

Are you apprehensive about your upcoming case interview? You should be. You will need to think logically, quickly, and deeply under pressure. Marc Consentino's Case in Point is a bible for anyone going for consulting, case-based interviews. This should be the first book you read and work through as your prepare for your interviews. It is the most comprehensive, clearly written case prep book available (and I've seen many others). If you want to be really comprehensive, do as many practices cases (consulting company websites have interactive ones) as you can find.

After reading Case In Point, I flipped through the frameworks and ivy case system before each of my interviews. Going through the frameworks and doing some back of the envelop math the night before my interviews really helped get me in the right frame of mind. Unlike any other case-prep book, Case in Point covers almost every type of case you will encounter, takes you through how to structure your answers, and gives you tons of practice with "back-of-the-envelop" math problems. The majority of cases in the book are from real past interviews with the top firms. This latest edition greatly expands on past editions with structure maps, more math-based cases, and newer, more complex cases from recent interviews.

I used Case in Point and I have many friends who used Case In Point to prepare and then get offers with the top firms. Well worth the $20.

If you are going to interview for one of the big consulting firms (McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting, Booz Allen), you should prepare yourself with this book. To really feel confident in an interview, you'll probably want 3-4 weeks of prep time with this book. So, if you anticipate getting an interview with one of the big consulting firms, pick this up and start reading. It worked for me.

Pros: The book is the best prep book on case interviews that I came across while I was preparing for a job in management consulting. It is very clearly written. It does not confuse or drone with much irrelevant information. Humor is a plus. Buy this book first, then worry about adding other books for extra practice.

Cons: The limitation of the book is that it is a book. For example, the cases that I faced at my interviews were more interactive where additional information (charts, figures) was presented to me when I had already made some headway into the case, and not in the beginning. This would require an interactive software (such as the interactive cases found on McKinsey, BCG, and Bain websites).

Overall: The best you can get. Even without the interactive ability, it helps you develop a way to think about a "case".

Suggestion to author: I would have also liked that the book to help develop thinking about "second-order structure" in a case, which, I realize, is very broad and depends a lot on the case itself. The first-order structure is covered in the ivy system.

Of all the case interview preparation books I've read, Case in Point has provided, by far, the most relevant case interview preparation! Cosentino's Ivy System breaks down daunting case problems into simple steps that are easy to understand. This book is full of witty, relevant examples of all types of practice cases, with detailed answers, and tips on how to ace your interview with top consulting firms. The new version of Case in Point is a must buy even if you own or have read the 3rd edition. The beauty of it is that Cosentino provides more case examples, updated based on what consulting firms are asking their interviewees today. Buy this book today-you won't be disappointed!

As an MBA candidate, I found this to be one of the better books on this subject. Teaching students how to prepare for case interviews via books is not easy; but this one does a pretty good job. It is also appropriately humorous and colloquial in places and so does not bore one to death. I prefer this one to its competition (Vault Guide, Wet Feet).

Case in Point is an excellent book that truly walks the student through the case interview process. Clear, consise, well-written, and throrough, Case in Point is a must have for all potential candidates looking to pursue management consulting.

Beyond the numerous examples that cover a variety of industries and interview styles, Case in Point is also humorous and entertaining. Cosentino makes this book very approachable for every reader and takes the fear out of case interviews!

Case in Point is a must buy & read. I bought this book after completing my MBA and was very inspired by the meticulous and practical tools provided to solve case interviews.

To get your appetite going for this book, Case in Point begins with outlining 13 Case Commandments:
1. Listen to the Question
2. Take Notes
3. Summarize the Question
4. Verify the Objectives
5. Ask Clarifying Questions
6. Organize Your Answer
7. Hold that Thought for "one alligator"
8. Manage your Time
9. Work the Numbers
10. Be Coachable
11. Be Creative and Brainstorm
12. Exude Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude
13. Bring Closure and Summarize

In the book, Cosentino provides fantastic tools and frameworks to help solve complex case interview problems. In addition, there are a series of case interviews with a description of how to solve the problems seamlessly, analytically and intelligently.

Brilliant book. Buy it!

I am a computer science background person but searching job in financial service industry. Before my interview I decided to take a look at this book. It's sooooooooooo useful for me. Besides the whole answer structure, there are also many cases you can practice. I got the job I want. And also many thanks to the author. For my urgent request, he sent his new book to me ASAP. So I got it on time.