case study deloitte

Practice a case

Case interviews represent real client engagements giving you insight into our approach and the work we do. It also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate clear thinking, practical judgment, and a professional demeanor, while helping us assess your thought process, creativity, and comfort with ambiguity.

How to use this tool:.

You will be presented with an example of a real-life business situation, along with a series of questions.

Answer each question to the best of your ability, then check your work.

At any time, you can access the business situation in the upper right corner.

Please note: This is not an assessment and we do not track your responses or results. You can practice as often as you'd like.

Completion time: 15/20 min

Practice a case interview

Please note that cases may differ in format and level of detail depending on the duration of the interview, but remember in the actual interview, we will be looking at your ability to think through a problem versus any specific technical skill or subject matter knowledge.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am an advanced degree student, i am an undergraduate  student, i am an undergraduate student, choose your intended area in order to access cases related to it, strategy  cases, finance strategy: federal health agency, leadauto: market expansion, talent management: federal civil cargo protection bureau,   previous, business technology solution cases, strategy cases, architecture strategy: federal finance agency, medx: the smart pill bottle, business technology solution cases , engagement strategy: federal agency v, recreation unlimited, strategic vision: federal benefits provider.

Case interview tips

Cases can help us assess a candidate across multiple dimensions, and your answers should project clear thinking, practical judgment, and a professional demeanor. Apply this five-step approach while working through the case interview:

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• Hacking the Case Interview

Deloitte case interviews are the most difficult part of the interview process. Deloitte interviews are comprised of case interviews, a group case interview, and behavioral or fit interview questions. You will need to pass every single Deloitte case interview in order to land a job offer.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll cover exactly what to expect in your upcoming Deloitte interview and how to best answer all of the different types of questions, including Deloitte case interviews. We’ll cover in detail:

• Deloitte interview process
• What is a Deloitte case interview?
• What does a Deloitte case interview assess?
• How to solve Deloitte case interviews
• The different types of Deloitte case interviews
• Examples of Deloitte case interviews
• Deloitte case interview tips
• How to prepare for Deloitte case interviews
• How to solve the Deloitte group case interview
• Deloitte behavioral and fit interview questions
• Recommended Deloitte case interview resources

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

Deloitte Interview Process

The Deloitte interview process typically consists of two rounds of interview that include case interviews, a group case interview, and behavioral or fit interview questions. The entire interview process can take anywhere from one week to a few months.

Given its size, Deloitte may have a different interview process depending on the country or the office that you are interviewing for. However, the most common interview process consists of two rounds of interviews following the submission of your Deloitte resume .

• First round interviews : you will have one 30 to 45-minute behavioral interview and one or two 30 to 45-minute case interviews.
• Final round interviews : you will have a 30 to 45-minute behavioral interview, a 30 to 45-minute case interview, and a one hour group case interview

There are three important distinctions between your first round Deloitte interview and your final round Deloitte interview.

One, your interviewers will likely be more senior people at Deloitte. This means that the case interviews you receive may be a bit less structured and more qualitative in nature. The case interview may feel more like a discussion where you and the interviewer are discussing your opinions and ideas on a business problem.

Two, there will be more of an emphasis on assessing your fit with the firm. The first round interview is primarily used as a screener to determine whether or not you can solve case interviews effectively and whether or not you have the potential to be a great consultant.

Final round interviews will also continue to assess this, but interviewers will also be determining whether or not you would be a great fit with the office. Are you coachable and easy to work with? Are you collaborative? These are a few of the qualities that interviewers want to see.

Three, your interviewers may read the notes that your interviewers wrote during your Deloitte first round interview. If there was a particular area of the case interview that you struggled with, interviewers may want to test you again on it to make sure that it is not a significant weakness.

What is a Deloitte Case Interview?

A Deloitte case interview, also known as a “case” for short, is a 30 to 60-minute exercise in which you and the interviewer work together to develop a recommendation or answer to a business problem.

These business problems can be anything that real companies face:

• How can Amazon increase its profitability?
• What can Apple do to increase customer retention?
• How should Tesla price its new electric vehicle?
• Where should Disney open another Disneyland theme park?

Deloitte case interviews simulate what the consulting job will be like by placing you in a hypothetical business situation. Cases simulate real business problems that consulting firms solve for their clients. Many Deloitte case interviews are based on actual projects that interviewers have worked on.

While consulting projects typically last between 3 to 9 months, case interviews condense solving the business problem into just 30 to 45 minutes.

Deloitte case interviews can cover any industry, including retail, consumer packaged goods, financial services, energy, education, healthcare, government, and technology.

They can also cover a wide range of business situations, including entering a new market, launching a new product, acquiring a company, improving profitability, and growing revenues.

Although Deloitte case interviews cover a wide range of industries and business situations, no technical or specialized knowledge is needed. Unless you are interviewing for a consulting firm that specializes in a particular industry or function, cases are designed to be solved by someone that has general business knowledge.

Nailing your Deloitte case interviews is critical to get a job at Deloitte. There is no way to get a Deloitte job offer without passing your case interviews.

What Does a Deloitte Case Interview Assess?

Deloitte case interviews assess five different qualities or characteristics: logical and structured thinking, analytical problem solving, business acumen, communication skills, and personality and cultural fit.

1. Logical and structured thinking : Consultants need to be organized and methodical in order to work efficiently.

• Can you structure complex problems in a clear, simple way?
• Can you take tremendous amounts of information and data and identify the most important points?
• Can you use logic and reason to make appropriate conclusions?

2. Analytical problem solving : Consultants work with a tremendous amount of data and information in order to develop recommendations to complex problems.

• Can you read and interpret data well?
• Can you perform math computations smoothly and accurately?
• Can you conduct the right analyses to draw the right conclusions?

3. Business acumen : A strong business instinct helps consultants make the right decisions and develop the right recommendations.

• Do you have a basic understanding of fundamental business concepts?
• Do your conclusions and recommendations make sense from a business perspective?

4. Communication skills : Consultants need strong communication skills to collaborate with teammates and clients effectively.

• Can you communicate in a clear, concise way?
• Are you articulate in what you are saying?

5. Personality and cultural fit : Consultants spend a lot of time working closely in small teams. Having a personality and attitude that fits with the team makes the whole team work better together.

• Are you coachable and easy to work with?
• Are you pleasant to be around?

All of these five qualities can be assessed in just a 30 to 60-minute Deloitte case interview. This is what makes case interviews so effective in assessing consulting candidates.

How to Solve Deloitte Case Interviews

Deloitte case interviews are candidate-led. You will be in the driver’s seat of the case interview and will be expected to ask the right questions, probe for data, and propose each next step to solve the case.

In a Deloitte case interview, you are not assessed on whether or not you have the correct answer. Instead, Deloitte uses case interviews to assess six different qualities:

• Problem solving : Can you decompose a problem into smaller, more manageable questions?
• Analytical ability : Can you draw the right insights from data and information?
• Strategic thinking : Do you have a sharp business acumen and practical business judgment?
• Logical thinking : Are you structured, organized, and rational in the way that you think?
• Creativity : Can you generate interesting or unique ideas and solutions?
• Professional demeanor : Are you calm, confident, and articulate?

Our step-by-step guide to case interviews is presented in the video below. We highly recommend watching that video in its entirety. 

On Deloitte's case interview website , they recommend taking five   steps to solve a case interview:

1. Understand the issue and ask clarifying questions

The most important part of the case interview is to make sure you understand the business issue and the objective of the case. The quickest way to fail a case interview is to answer or address the wrong business problem. 

Therefore, if either the business issue or objective of the case is unclear, make sure to ask clarifying questions.

2. Identify the underlying assumptions

Next, you’ll need to decompose the overall business problem into smaller, more manageable issues. Identify what would need to be true in order for you to recommend a particular course of action.

To do this, it will be helpful to put together a framework, which is a tool that helps you organize your ideas and thoughts into different categories. For a complete guide on how to create tailored and unique frameworks for each case, check out our article on case interview frameworks .

3. Summarize specific issues and findings

Afterwards, you’ll begin investigating different issues or areas of your framework. After investigating each one, it is important that you summarize the key takeaways or insights that you uncovered.

Connect these findings back to the overall business problem and explain how your findings impact your potential recommendation.

4. State your recommendations

Once you have gathered enough evidence and support for your recommendation, you will need to present your recommendation in a clear and concise way.

Start by giving a firm recommendation. Then, provide the three major reasons that support your recommendation. This should summarize most of the important findings from the case.

5. Outline next steps and the expected results or impact

After delivering a recommendation, you should propose potential next steps that you would take if you had more time or data. What would you need to know to further strengthen your recommendation or make you more confident in your answer?

You can also talk about the expected results or impact of your recommendation. This may also have implications on potential next steps, such as analyzing the risks or quantifying the financial benefits. 

The Different Types of Deloitte Case Interviews

There are three different types of Deloitte case interviews, one type for each of Deloitte's consulting groups:  

• Strategy & Operations : primarily focused on corporate strategy, supply-chain improvement, business model transformation, and process improvements. The work that this group does is most similar to the work that McKinsey, BCG, and Bain do
• Business Technology : primarily focused on digital strategy, delivery of information technology programs, and building tech-based solutions for clients
• Human Capital : primarily focused on organization transformation, change management, corporate learning and development, and diversity and inclusion

The type of case that you get depends on what group you are interviewing with. 

For example, If you are interviewing with the Strategy & Operations group, you’ll get a strategy or operations case . You may be asked to determine whether to enter a new market, launch a new product, or make an acquisition.

If you are interviewing with the Technology group, you’ll get a technology or IT case. You may be asked to determine whether to roll out a new IT system, how to assess different technologies, or how to best coordinate an IT transformation.

If you are interviewing with the Human Capital group, you may be asked to determine the optimal organization structure, how to better incentivize employees to perform better, or how to save payroll costs.

Examples of Deloitte Case Interviews

Below are practice cases created by Deloitte. We recommend working through these so that you know exactly what to expect in your Deloitte case interview.

For undergraduates:

• Engagement Strategy: Federal Agency V (strategy case)
• Recreation Unlimited (strategy case)
• Strategic Vision: Federal Benefits Provider (strategy case)
• MedX: The Smart Pill Bottle (business technology case)
• Architecture Strategy: Federal Finance Agency (business technology case)

For advanced degree students:

• Finance strategy: Federal Health Agency (strategy case)
• Talent Management: Federal Civil Cargo Protection Bureau (strategy case)

For more practice, check out our article on 23 MBA consulting casebooks with 700+ free practice cases .

  Deloitte Case Interview Tips

Below are eight of Deloitte's case interview tips to help you improve your case interview performance.

Tip #1: Take notes

While the interviewer is providing you with the case background information, take notes on the most important pieces of information. Pay particularly close attention to the context, company, and case objective.

Tip #2: Make sure you understand the case question

Answering or addressing the wrong business problem is the quickest way to fail a case interview. The most important thing is understanding what the business issue is and what overall question you’ll be expected to answer at the end of the case. 

Tip #3: Ask questions

Do not be afraid to ask questions. You will not be penalized for asking questions that are important and relevant to the case. 

Great questions to ask include asking for the definition of an unfamiliar term, asking questions that clarify the objective of the issue, and asking questions to strengthen your understanding of the context or company.

Tip #4: After you develop a framework, develop an initial hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess on the answer based on the data and information that you have so far. It helps guide your analysis and keeps you on the right track.

After developing a framework, try to develop a hypothesis to help you decide what area of your framework you should explore first.

Tip #5: Take time to structure your thoughts

When asked a question in a case interview, don’t always start answering immediately. Instead, take the time to process the question and develop an organized and structured way to answer it. It is acceptable to ask the interview for a brief moment to collect your thoughts.

Your answer will likely be much stronger if you give yourself time to think. 

Tip #6: Present a clear, logical story for your recommendation

Remember that consultants need to convince clients to follow their proposed recommendations. Being articulate and persuasive are necessary skills for management consultants .

When you deliver your recommendation, try to make it a coherent story. This will make your recommendation easier to follow and more compelling.

Tip #7: Walk the interviewer through your thinking and explain assumptions

You do not get any points for the ideas and thinking that you do not communicate. Therefore, you should make every effort to talk through your thoughts out loud.

Walk the interviewer through what you are thinking. Explain why you have made particular decisions. State your assumptions. This makes it easier for the interviewer to provide feedback or hints to help you out.

Tip #8: Engage the interviewer in a business conversation

Remember that a case interview is a collaborative exercise. You should not be dismissing the feedback and suggestions that the interviewer provides you. They may be trying to help steer the case in the right direction or provide you with hints when you get stuck.

Treat the interviewer as your teammate and turn the case interview into a business conversation.

How to Prepare for Deloitte Case Interviews

There are seven steps to preparing for Deloitte case interviews.

1. Understand what a case interview is

The first step in preparing for Deloitte case interviews is to understand exactly what case interviews are.

When you are familiar with what case interviews are, it is important to know what a great Deloitte case interview performance looks like.

Knowing what a great Deloitte case interview performance looks like will facilitate how quickly you learn case interview strategies in the next step.

Before continuing onto the next step, you should be familiar with:

• The overall objective of a case interview
• The structure and flow of a case interview
• The types of questions you could get asked
• What a great case interview performance looks like

2. Learn the right strategies

Now that you have sufficient background knowledge, the next step in preparing for Deloitte case interviews is to learn the right strategies to build good case interview habits.

It is much more effective to learn the right case strategies the first time than to learn poor strategies and try to correct them later.

The quickest, most efficient way to learn these strategies is to go through our Comprehensive Case Interview Course .

If you prefer reading case interview prep books instead, the three I recommend are:

• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook
• Case Interview Secrets

Hacking the Case Interview provides strategies on exactly what to do and what to say in every step of the case interview. It is a concise and straight to the point guide. I recommend this book as the first book to read for beginners.

Case Interview Secrets teaches core concepts such as the issue tree , drill-down analysis, and a hypothesis driven approach. It illustrates these concepts through stories and anecdotes. If you have read Hacking the Case Interview, I recommend also reading this book to get perspectives from a second author. Check out our full review of Case Interview Secrets .

Case in Point provides a ton of specific and complex frameworks. However, you likely won’t be using many of these in an actual case interview because many of them are overly complex and specific. If you have time, it may be useful to skim through this book. Check out our full review of Case in Point .

At the bare minimum, read either the first or second book. If you have the time, read the first two books so that you can get strategies from two different authors.

Make sure to spend sufficient time learning the right strategies before starting to practice cases. It is ineffective to practice cases if you have no idea what strategies to practice and refine.

Before moving onto the next step, you should at least have strategies for the following parts of a case interview:

• Developing unique and tailored frameworks
• Solving quantitative problems
• Answering qualitative questions
• Delivering a recommendation

3. Practice 3-5 cases by yourself

Once you have learned the right strategies, the next step in Deloitte case interview prep is to practice.

When practicing case interviews, it is usually better to practice with a case interview partner than to practice by yourself . Casing with a partner better simulates the real case interview experience.

However, when you are just starting to practice, I recommend doing the first 3 – 5 cases by yourself.

There are three reasons for this:

• You can get the hang of the case interview structure and format much more quickly working by yourself rather than having to wait to schedule a time with a partner
• There are many aspects of case interviews that you can practice without a partner, such as structuring a framework and solving quantitative problems. You can get much more practice working through these parts by yourself
• You may have difficulty finding a case interview partner if you are a complete beginner. Without having done any cases, you likely won’t know how to properly give a case or provide good feedback

4. Practice 5-10 cases with a partner

The next step in preparing for Deloitte case interviews is to case with a partner.

Casing with a partner is the best way to simulate a real case interview. There are many aspects of case interviews that you won’t be able to improve on unless you practice live with a partner.

When practicing cases with a partner, ensure you are spending enough time after cases to deliver feedback.

For a case that takes around 30 – 40 minutes, spend at least 15 – 20 minutes for feedback. Much of your learning and improvement will come from these feedback sessions.

Do not move onto the next step until you have done at least 5 – 10 cases and are beginning to feel comfortable with case interviews.

5. Practice with a former or current consultant

At this point, I highly recommend asking former or current consultants to give you a practice case. This will significantly help you prepare for case interviews.

Doing a mock case with a former or current consultant is highly advantageous because they know exactly how to run cases and give feedback. You’ll receive incredibly helpful feedback that your previous case partners likely missed.

If you feel that you are plateauing with your case partner, that is a sign you should do a mock case interview with a former or current consultant.

You can find former or current consultants among:

• People you met during the consulting recruiting process
• Your broader LinkedIn network

I would not ask a consultant that is involved with the consulting recruiting process for a case too prematurely. Although these practice cases are not evaluative, some firms will actually make note of how well you perform during the practice case.

At this point, you will have accumulated a long list of improvement areas from all of the different people you have cased with.

6. Work on your improvement areas

In this step of preparing for Deloitte case interviews, you will work on strengthening and fine-tuning your improvement areas. Examples of common improvement areas include:

• Creating a more complete and mutually exclusive framework
• Performing math calculations quicker or more smoothly
• Providing more structure to your qualitative answers
• Leading the case more proactively
• Delivering a more succinct recommendation

Try to focus on improving one thing at a time. This is much more effective than trying to improve everything at once.

For some areas, such as math, it will be better to work independently. For other areas, such as learning to proactively lead the case, it will be better to work with a case partner.

If you are looking for more cases, look at the resources listed in step four. If you are looking for specific drills or practice problems for a particular part of a case interview, check out The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook .

Do not move onto the next step until you have finished working on all of your improvement areas.

7. Stay sharp

If you have progressed this far, congratulations! You have almost finished preparing for Deloitte case interviews.

Once you feel that you have no more improvement areas to work on, the key is to not burn yourself out by doing too many unnecessary cases.

While each case that you do makes you slightly better, there is a point when doing too many cases can create case fatigue right before your interview. Case fatigue can negatively impact your interview performance.

On the other hand, you also don’t want to go weeks without having done a case. You may end up forgetting strategies or become rusty and slow.

Once you have achieved case mastery, I recommend doing no more than 2 cases per week in the weeks leading up to your interview. This ensures that you remain sharp for case interviews, but don’t have case fatigue.

How to Solve the Deloitte Group Case Interview

Deloitte is one of the few consulting firms that uses group case interviews in their final round of interviews. They conduct group case interviews because Deloitte’s work culture has a huge emphasis on teamwork and culture fit.

Here’s what to expect:

• You’ll be put into a group with 3 to 5 other candidates
• The interviewer will hand out case materials
• You’ll be given 10 minutes to review the case materials and prepare
• The group will have a discussion for 20 minutes
• During this discussion, interviewers will be observing candidates and will not interfere
• Afterwards, the interviewer will ask the group specific questions for another 20 minutes

Group case interviews can be challenging to prepare for because it is difficult to replicate the exact conditions to practice them. However, if you prepare for case interviews well, you will be in a great position to succeed in group case interviews.

Your goal in a group case interview is to add value to the group. There are six different ways that you can add value:

• Lead or facilitate the discussion : You can propose what topics to discuss, the order they should be discussed in, and how much time should be allocated towards each topic. If the group gets off track, you can bring the group’s focus back together.
• Expand upon other people’s ideas : If a group member suggests a great idea or raises a good point, build upon it and make it even better.
• Synthesize information : You can summarize information that other people have said and reconcile different viewpoints and ideas together.
• Keep track of time : You can volunteer to keep track of time and make sure that the group is on track.
• Play devil’s advocate : You can help your group develop strong ideas by testing the team’s thinking by considering potential risks or downsides of their ideas.
• Take notes:  You can keep track of what other people are saying so that you can recall what has been discussed if any group members have questions.

Follow these five tips to shine during your Deloitte group case interview.

Tip #1: Treat your group members as teammates, not competition

The group case interview is not an exercise in which you are competing with others. Interviewers are trying to assess whether you would be a great teammate. Multiple people or even all people in your group can receive job offers.

Therefore, focus on adding value to the group rather than making yourself look better than your teammates.

Tip #2: Don’t speak too much, but don’t speak too little

If you speak too much, this may be seen as being too aggressive or controlling. If you speak too little, you may come off as shy or timid.

If you were to rank all of the members in your group by how much each person spoke, you would want to be roughly in the middle. This would be the perfect balance of speaking and listening.

Tip #3: Don’t interrupt or talk over your group members

Interrupting others when they are speaking is rude and disrespectful. You do not want to be inconsiderate or a jerk. Be nice and respectful to your group members.

Tip #4: Involve other people

If you observe that someone has not spoken much, ask them for their thoughts or opinions. If you notice that someone has been cut off when they were speaking, ask them to finish their thoughts after the person interrupting them has finished what they have to say.

These are easy ways to show interviewers that you are a considerate and helpful teammate.

Tip #5: Speak only if you are adding value to the group

Just because you are speaking a lot during the group case interview does not mean that you are doing well. Interviewers are not assessing you purely on the quantity of what you say. They care more about the quality.

Great teammates know when to speak and when to listen. Therefore, you should speak only if you are adding some kind of value to the group. Interviewers can tell when people are speaking for the sake of getting air time.

For a full guide on group case interviews, check out our consulting group case interview step-by-step guide .

Deloitte Behavioral and Fit Interview Questions

In addition to case interviews, you will likely be asked a few behavioral or fit interview questions. There are ten questions that are most commonly asked.

1.  Why Deloitte?

How to answer: Provide your three biggest reasons why you’re interested in working at Deloitte. You could mention that you loved the people that you have met from Deloitte so far. You can talk about Deloitte’s massive global presence, their expertise in nearly any industry or function, or their professional development opportunities.

2. Why consulting?

How to answer: Again, provide three reasons for why you’re interested in consulting. You could mention the fast career progression opportunities, the learning opportunities to develop soft and hard skills, or the level of impact that you can make right away in consulting.

3. Walk me through your resume.

How to answer: Provide a concise summary of your work experience, starting with the most recent. Focus on emphasizing your most impressive and unique accomplishments. At the end, tie your experiences to why you are interested in consulting and why you would be a great fit for Deloitte.

4. What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

How to answer: Choose your most impressive, unique, or memorable accomplishment. Structure your answer by providing information on the situation, the task, the actions you took, and the results of your work. Explain why the accomplishment is so meaningful to you and what qualities that reveals about you as a person.

5. Tell me about something that is not on your resume.

How to answer: This is a great opportunity to highlight an accomplishment that is not related to your professional work experience. Perhaps there is a non-profit that you volunteer at, a side project or business that you work on, or a hobby that you have won awards or recognition for. Select an accomplishment that is impressive and interesting.

6. Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team.

How to answer: If possible, choose a time when you directly managed a person or a team. For this question and the following similar questions, make sure that you structure your answer. Provide information on the situation, the task, the actions you took, and the results of your work. This is known as the STAR method and is the most common way of answering behavioral or fit interview questions. 

7. Describe a time when you faced conflict or disagreement.

How to answer: When answering this question, focus on emphasizing the steps you took to resolve the conflict or disagreement. Speak about the interpersonal skills you had to use in order to mediate the situation. Interviewers want to know that you can handle conflict in a constructive way.

8. Give an example of a time when you successfully persuaded someone.

How to answer: Choose a time when you were able to change someone’s mind who originally disagreed with you. Focus on emphasizing the steps that you took to persuade that person and what impact this had on the organization. Interviewers want to know that you are a great communicator and have strong people skills.

9. Tell me about a time when you failed.

How to answer: Choose a time when you failed to meet a deadline or did not meet expectations. You do not want to pick a failure that is too big or embarrassing. Focus on emphasizing what you learned from the experience and how you used that experience to deliver even better results in the next opportunity that you got. Interviewers want to see that you strive to learn from your past failures and are always working to get better.

10. Are there any questions that you have for me?

How to answer: This is a fantastic opportunity to get to know the interviewer on a more personal level. Ask them questions about their experience in consulting. Ask what their favorite case was or what they are looking to do next in their career. The more you can get the interviewer talking about themself, the more likely they will be to have a positive impression of you. People love talking about themselves, so make sure to listen attentively and ask follow-up questions.

For a step-by-step guide on how to best answer all of these questions and more, check out our complete guide on consulting behavioral interview questions .

Recommended Deloitte Case Interview Resources

To prepare for Deloitte case interviews, you can use a variety of different case interview prep books, online courses, and coaching. We'll cover each of these different categories of resources in more detail.

Deloitte Case Interview Prep Books

Case interview prep books are great resources to use because they are fairly inexpensive, only costing $20 to $30. They contain a tremendous amount of information that you can read, digest, and re-read at your own pace.

Based on our comprehensive review of the 12 popular case interview prep books , we ranked nearly all of the case prep books in the market.

The three case interview prep books we recommend using are:  

• Hacking the Case Interview : In this book, learn exactly what to do and what to say in every step of the case interview. This is the perfect book for beginners that are looking to learn the basics of case interviews quickly.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook : In this book, hone your case interview skills through 65+ problems tailored towards each type of question asked in case interviews and 15 full-length practice cases. This book is great for intermediates looking to get quality practice.
• Case Interview Secrets : This book provides great explanations of essential case interview concepts and fundamentals. The stories and anecdotes that the author provides are entertaining and help paint a clear picture of what to expect in a case interview, what interviewers are looking for, and how to solve a case interview.

Deloitte Case Interview Courses

Case interview courses are more expensive to use than case interview prep books, but offer more efficient and effective learning. You’ll learn much more quickly from watching someone teach you the material, provide examples, and then walk through practice problems than from reading a book by yourself.

Courses typically cost anywhere between $200 to $400.

If you are looking for a single resource to learn the best Deloitte case interview strategies in the most efficient way possible, enroll in our comprehensive case interview course .

Through 70+ concise video lessons and 20 full-length practice cases based on real interviews from top-tier consulting firms, you’ll learn step-by-step how to crush your Deloitte case interview.

We’ve had students pass their Deloitte first round interview with just a week of preparation, but know that your success depends on the amount of effort you put in and your starting capabilities.

Deloitte Case Interview Coaching

With case interview coaching, you’ll pay anywhere between $100 to $300 for a 40- to 60-minute mock case interview session with a case coach. Typically, case coaches are former consultants or interviewers that have worked at top-tier consulting firms.

Although very expensive, case interview coaching can provide you with high quality feedback that can significantly improve your case interview performance. By working with a case coach, you will be practicing high quality cases with an expert. You’ll get detailed feedback that ordinary case interview partners are not able to provide.

Know that you do not need to purchase case interview coaching to receive a consulting job offer. The vast majority of candidates that receive offers from top firms did not purchase case interview coaching. By purchasing case interview coaching, you are essentially purchasing convenience and learning efficiency.

Case interview coaching is best for those that have already learned as much as they can about case interviews on their own and feel that they have reached a plateau in their learning. For case interview beginners and intermediates, it may be a better use of their money to first purchase a case interview course or case interview prep book before purchasing expensive coaching sessions.

If you do decide to eventually use a case interview coach, consider using our case coaching service .

There is a wide range of quality among coaches, so ensure that you are working with someone that is invested in your development and success. If possible, ask for reviews from previous candidates that your coach has worked with.

Summary of the Best Deloitte Interview Resources

To prepare for Deloitte interviews as well as interviews from other consulting firms, we recommend the following resources:

For help landing consulting interviews

• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple consulting interviews

For help passing case interviews

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
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Deloitte Case Interview Guide 2024: Criteria, Technique & Tips

Deloitte is one of the “ Big Four ” – the world's four largest accounting and consulting firms. Competitive recruitment processes aside, successful candidates must pass through challenging consulting interviews called “ Case Interviews ”.

In this article, you will be guided through the building blocks of Deloitte’s Case Interviews, with special tips, techniques, examples, and more!

Overview of Deloitte case interview

Deloitte case interviews are often candidate-led . The candidate will be leading or taking control of every step ahead to solve the case. This includes structuring the problem, drawing frameworks, asking for data, synthesizing findings, and proposing solutions. 

The Deloitte case interview occurs in the last stages of Deloitte’s recruitment process. Candidates will encounter two Deloitte case interview types: individual case interview and group case interview.

What does Deloitte look for in candidates?

During the Deloitte case interviews, candidates are expected to demonstrate three crucial traits of a consultant: problem-solving skills, analytical ability, and strategic and logical thinking. 

Problem-solving skills: The point of hiring consultants is that they can break down business problems better than anyone else. The entire consulting industry rests on consultants' unique analytical problem-solving abilities.

Analytical ability: Strong analytical ability enables consultants to analyze complex business problems and generate meaningful insights. They can apply these skills to break down problems by identifying patterns, trends, and root causes, making them more manageable and easier to tackle. 

Strategic and logical thinking: Strategic and logical thinking enables consultants to make informed decisions, anticipate future change, and navigate complex business landscapes to deliver optimal solutions for their clients.

Deloitte case interviews occur in the last stage of the recruitment process

Deloitte recruitment process consists of three main stages: (1) online application, (2) online tests, and (3) interviews .

The whole process can take up to 2-3 months, for a job starting 6-12 months after application. Newer offices can speed up the process to meet the demands.

Online Application: The most important thing in this first stage is to prepare an outstanding consulting-style resume. Our free consulting resume templates helped thousands of candidates reach their consultant dream.

Online Tests: As part of the online application, you will have to sit through five tests. These include: Cognitive Test, Verbal Reasoning Ability Test , Numerical Reasoning Ability Test , Logical Reasoning Ability Test , and Psychometric Questionnaire.

Interviews: The candidate will go through two interview rounds. The first round will generally be a phone screen/face-to-face initial interview with a Talent Acquisition team member. The second round will be individual and group case interviews. The number of interviews depends on the service line and position candidates apply for.

In Deloitte case interviews, candidates usually have to go through one or two 30-60 minute individual case interviews and one 1-hour group case interview.

Deloitte individual and group case interview

Deloitte individual case interview is the standard type of case interview. Candidates will receive the case from the interviewer, which they need to define the issue and give solutions. Usually, there will be two cases for a 45-60 minutes session.

Deloitte group case interview is similar to other group case interviews at BCG, Bain, and three other Big Four firms. A group case interview will usually go through five stages:

Stage 1: You will be assigned to a group of 3–6 applicants.

Stage 2: The group will be given a case and relevant information to solve.

Stage 3: You will be given 10 minutes to examine the case and prepare alone or in collaboration with another team member.

Stage 4: The group will discuss case questions for 20 minutes while the interviewers observe and take notes.

Stage 5: The interviewers will ask questions about the cases in the next 20 minutes.

Deloitte case interview format is candidate-led

The Deloitte case interview is often a candidate-led case interview . The interviewer will present the issue and require the applicant to lead and control every stage to solve the case: structure the problem, develop frameworks, request data, synthesize results, and provide solutions.

Candidate-led cases focus on one big problem

In candidate-led cases, you have to figure out how to solve a big case . This is opposed to interviewer-led cases , where the interviewer presents smaller questions about the case to the candidate.

You should take a top-down approach - break the problem into small parts of the issue tree and tackle each one at a time. 

Candidate-led cases are flexible

In a candidate-led interview, the candidate can choose their own suitable approach.

The interviewer usually forms a “universe” of data on the client and their problems for you to explore. If your issue trees and solutions seem to go beyond the given information (in a good direction), the interviewer can “make up” new information on the spot to help you solve the case in your way.

Candidate-led cases focus less on being right

In a candidate-led interview, you put less emphasis on giving a definite “correct” answer and focus more on creating a structured, reasonable approach .

An “acceptable” margin of error is allowed in the candidate-led interview since you must break down the problems by yourself without much assistance from the interviewer.

Fundamental framework to solve Deloitte case interview

To solve the Deloitte case interview, you need to develop an issue tree to break down your case. To create a suitable issue tree, you can use common frameworks for case interviews: Profitability framework, Business situation framework, McKinsey M&A framework, 4P/7P marketing mix, and Porter’s five forces model. 

To further enhance your case interview performance, you can apply five effective tools (or mini-frameworks): External vs. Internal, Quantitative vs. Qualitative, Costs vs. Benefits, 2x2 Matrix, and SWOT analysis. 

Five common frameworks for case interview

Profitability framework is mostly used to mathematically break down problems before switching to the qualitative framework for solutions. To use the profitability framework, candidates will split profits into revenues and costs.

Business situation framework is used to analyze a company situation in four areas - Company, Competitor, Customer, and Products (3C-1P). This 3C-1P framework is flexible for many purposes; however, it may be too generic and need customization depending on the situation. 

McKinsey M&A framework is used to assess a proposed merger and/or acquisition on three aspects: standalone values of each involved company, their synergy, and other factors. This framework is MECE and promotes customizations, and is one of the best M&A frameworks. 

4P/7P marketing mix in marketing for tangible work analyzes the 4P - Product, Price, Place, and Promotion; while in service marketing, three other Ps will be added in - People, Process, and Physical evidence. This framework focuses on the marketing aspect, hence unsuitable for multi-function strategies. 

Porter’s five forces model analyzes the industry surrounding a business in five aspects - Suppliers, Customers, Competitors, New entrants, and Substitutes. This framework is used to get an industry overview and understand the client’s context.

Five effective tools for case interview

External vs. Internal method is quick and easy to segment information about a particular entity. The internal branch concerns what is inside or intrinsic to the entity, and the external branch concerns outside factors. 

Qualitative vs. Quantitative mini-framework is used for evaluations. Dividing items into two MECE groups reduces confusion and minimizes the risk of missing an essential item. 

Cost vs. Benefit in the decision-making process is very straightforward - if the benefits of an option outweigh its costs, that option can be chosen.

2x2 Matrix is a decision-making tool where options are examined using two criteria, each forming an axis of the matrix. 

SWOT analysis mini-framework is seldom used in case interviews for being too generic. However, it can be used to evaluate a company’s positioning within the industry context quickly. 

You can check our free article on Case Interview Framework to understand the common framework used in the case interview.

How to Prepare for Deloitte Case Interviews

Step 1: Familiarize with interviewer-led case examples

Deloitte has several sample cases on its website with guides and tips. You can also examine examples of similar candidate-led case interviews from BCG and Bain to familiarize yourself with the case flow and how to interact with the interviewer.

Step 2: Practice consulting math

Consultants work with quantitative data dozens of times a day. Pulling out a calculator every time they need to calculate something takes too long, and doing so in negotiations looks terrible.

This is why interviewers place such high emphasis on the mental math skills of prospective consultants.

In the beginning, consulting math can be difficult for some; nonetheless, I have a few tips for you to ease the process and still practice effectively:

Use Your Head: Do all your daily calculations mentally unless an EXACT answer is required.

Flatten the Learning Curve: At the start, scratch paper and a 5% margin of error help; once you are confident, discard the paper and narrow down the margin.

Establish a routine: Allocate some time for daily practice. This may seem hard at first, but you can feel the improvement once you’ve overcome the inertia.

Step 3: Develop Business Intuition

Having business intuition significantly sharpens your performance in case interviews.

Working on intuition is a gradual process that takes practice every day. You can improve your business intuition in two ways:

Written Sources: I suggest reading business papers daily; you can also visit McKinsey, Bain, and BCG websites for their excellent articles. Beware though – it’s not the pages you read that count, but the insights you draw from them.

First-hand Experience and Observations: Don’t just come to your workplace to work; examine what senior managers are doing – what’s the rationale for their decision, and how has it impacted the organization?

Step 4: Learn the fundamentals and frameworks

Practice using hypotheses and issue trees , the MECE principle , and the frameworks until you are comfortable using them– they are the backbone of candidate-led case interviews.

It might be tempting at first to go straight for the frameworks – if you make this common mistake, prepare for some unpleasant surprises in the interview. Frameworks need a lot of customizations to fit with real cases, and to customize effectively, you need that fundamental knowledge.

Of course, don’t draw an issue tree for all your daily problems – that’s just overkill, but remember to take a structured approach and picture an issue tree in your head while searching for your keys.

Step 5: Perform mock interviews

The best way to get good at something is to do it.

Best to find yourself a former consultant to help you practice; they’ve been through countless case interviews, both real and mock, and they know what’s required of a candidate, so they’re the best people to run your simulations with.

Study your cases down to the smallest details. Replay them repeatedly, take notes of the interviewer’s feedback, and look for other areas you can improve.

Want to learn more about interviewer-led cases and other secrets to smash through any case interview? Check out our Case Interview E2E Secret Program – Intuition, math, tips, and techniques for consulting case interviews, all in one comprehensive package! Book a coach who will show you how to improve your performance for more personalized practice.

Tips for the perfect Deloitte case interview

Nine tips for the perfect deloitte individual case interview.

Tip #1: Understand the procedure of a candidate-led case interview

There is a five-step procedure to approach the PwC candidate-led case interview. 

Taking the case: You need to take notes on all information regarding the clients and the case situation. Keep your notes organized to refer back to them easier.

Clarifying: You will have time to gain more information and/or clarify the points you haven’t fully understood about the cases.

Structuring: You will need to break down the case business problem into smaller components to create the issue tree , allowing you to solve it in an effective and cohesive manner.

Hypothesizing: You must develop the hypothesis based on evidence and available data about the problems and find the root cause. If the initial hypothesis in a branch of the issue tree no longer makes sense, go to the next branch. If the hypothesis matches, stick to it to find the root causes and solutions.

Pitching: The pitch is your case interview's final product, where you summarize all findings and recommendations to solve the case. You need to deliver the pitch in a structured, top-down manner.

Tip #2: Have a perfect case opening

There are four reasons to make a good case opening while you deliver your case interview:

First, it shows you have complete control of the upcoming problem-solving process, which is critical in candidate-led cases.

Second, you can demonstrate your whole leadership and relationships with proactiveness - aligning yourself with PwC's five qualities mentioned above.

Third, a good case opening creates a great first impression. Consultants are expected to perfect everything from the beginning to the end, so this could make a good head start for a 30-minute interview.

Finally, this is an opportunity to align during the interview. After the interviewer has outlined the case details, explain the case to the interviewer in your own words to ensure you grasp the issue and align with the interviewer.

Watch more: How to open a case perfectly?

Tip #3: Map your next moves

Pause occasionally to summarize where you are and where you’re going next. It gives you a sense of direction and authority; additionally, you get plus points in the interview for an organized approach. 

This also gives your interviewer a chance to help you with your mistake. If your interviewer gives you advice, take it – assume it’s intended to be helpful.

Tip #4: Be consistent with your intended hypotheses

Always speak with the current hypothesis in mind, and that hypothesis must be in the issue tree. The sole purpose of the hypothesis-driven approach is to have your efforts and problem-solving steps guided and structured. 

Therefore, to avoid being overwhelmed by piles of data in your case interview, do a sanity check by returning to your issue tree. If your action does not correspond to your present place on it, go back immediately!

Tip #5: Deliver your pitch in one structured manner

This is the most important tip because you need to show that you own the consultant qualities - being structured and straight to the point. Present your analyses in a perfect, insightful, top-down, concise, and captivating final pitch.

Find a way to structure the problem; this will guide your discussion with the interviewer. Briefly explain the framework you plan to use, allowing the interviewer to comment. In general, the simpler the framework, the better. Once the interviewer endorses your framework, stick to it.

To structure your speech:

Begin with a summary line that states the key takeaway/intention.

Separate what you want to say into distinct sections. As much as possible, avoid jumping back and forth between items.

Number your items so you and your interviewer can keep track of them. It's even better to specify how many things you'll be discussing beforehand.

Make your recommendation based on the conclusions you reached from your discussion, even if you are unsure with so little data and time to discuss all the issues.

Tip #6: Make a personalized script

Make a script of what you will say and rehearse it a hundred times. Practice all of the formulaic phrases, such as the opening or data request. With enough practice, those lines will become second nature to you.

The secret to seeming professional in a case interview is to talk in a systematic and formal manner. Using scripts also saves brainpower, which you will undoubtedly want in case interviews.

Tip #7: Keep your notes organized

Neat note-taking greatly assists with your train of thought, making storing and organizing information easier. You're also demonstrating to the interviewer that you're well-organized and meticulous.

Divide your notes into three categories to make them easier to read and interpret: data, presentation, and scratch paper. When the interview begins, take three pieces of paper and name them appropriately. Here is the content that should be on each type of note:

Datasheet: note down and process any data the interviewer gives you and your calculations.

Presentation sheets: draft things you’ll say to the interviewer.

Scratch paper: anything else you need to write, such as brainstorming ideas.

Tip #8: Avoid long pauses

Take a minute to think; don't be afraid of the silence. If you need silence to think, ask for a timeout or announce think-out-loud mode.

However, taking it too long will backfire, especially if you can’t come up with something worthy of the long wait. Use the pause prudently, and always try to think as fast as possible while still being “correct”. 

Tip #9: Find and ask for more insights

Try your best to be in-depth and comprehensive with your analysis. Always ask yourself, “Am I overlooking something?” and “Can I drill down further?”. 

This is also helpful when you are stuck in your analysis. You can try asking for insights from the interviewer (remember to state your purpose clearly) like this:

If you have a piece of data and don’t know what to make of it, ask for benchmarks to put the data into perspective.

If you are unsure which framework to employ, consider "segmentation" - look at how the customer or the industry often segments that item. If you need to know how they do it, ask the interviewer.

When you cannot see the problems in the case (probably resulting from the “MECE” of your issue tree), ask the interviewer nicely for a way out.

However, remember to manage your time well. If you take too long, the interviewer might force you to move on, and you will lose the time to solve the case holistically.

Four tips for the perfect Deloitte group case interview

You are being evaluated with many other candidates in group case interviews. So, how can you make yourself stand out? Here are six helpful recommendations to ace a group case interview.

Tip #1: Manage your ideas

Take your time processing the question and developing an orderly and structured response. If you allow yourself time to analyze, your answer will be more robust.

Ask the interviewer for a few minutes to organize your thoughts, but avoid excessive silence when necessary.

Try not to intervene forcefully while others are speaking in group interviews. If you have a brilliant idea, write it down. That way, the flash of brightness won't fade from your memory.

Tip #2: Decide whether your role is a leader or team member.

This is the decision that needs to be made on the spot - other candidates are going for the “leadership role” of the discussion. If you want to lead, go right at it. However, you can still demonstrate desirable consultant qualities even as a team member.

If you decide to be the team leader, emphasize your facilitator role.

It’s a good idea to be proactive in proposing what topics to discuss, in what order they should be addressed, and how much time should be allocated to each issue. You can bring the group’s focus back together if the group gets off track.

By the end of the group discussion, make a point to compile people's different points. This puts you in a position to bring everyone together and ensure all candidates are on the same page.

If you decide to be a team member, speak to add value.

Candidates will take turns presenting answers to the interviewer. Before it’s your turn, listen carefully to other people’s answers and the interviewer’s feedback.

This way, you can add valuable and helpful insights to the discussion. Remember, good points go to the quality of what you say, not the number of times you speak up.

Tip #3: Ask good questions

Asking outstanding questions will set you apart. It demonstrates that you are attentive and willing to learn more. Great questions often target one or more objectives: explaining an unfamiliar term, clarifying the issue's purpose, or expanding the team's understanding of the setting or business.

Tip #4: View others as teammates

Seeing people as colleagues puts you in a collaborative attitude, which allows you to work successfully with others. You look to be both a helpful leader and a team player in this manner.

You can be the first to answer your interviewer's question to avoid seeming timid. You can encourage co-interviewees by emphasizing their excellent ideas, adding what you believe is lacking, and explaining your reasoning.

Scoring in the McKinsey PSG/Digital Assessment

The scoring mechanism in the McKinsey Digital Assessment

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KPMG case interviews are candidate-led, occur in the last stages of KPMG’s recruitment process, and typically last 30-45 minutes.

Case interview is the last round of EY hiring process with 3 phases: application, online tests and interviews. EY case interview lasts 30 - 45 minutes in total

PwC case interview is the last round of the hiring process. To get to this round, you must pass the previous 3 rounds: resume, online test & video interview

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Deloitte’s Pixel: A Case Study on How to Innovate from Within

If you’re an intrapreneur — or aspire to be one — this episode is for you.

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In 2014, Deloitte launched Pixel to facilitate open talent and crowdsourcing for client engagements that need specific expertise — like machine learning or digital production. But uptake across the organization was slow, and some internal stakeholders resisted outsourcing consulting work to freelance talent.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Mike Tushman discusses his case, “Deloitte’s Pixel (A): Consulting with Open Talent,” which breaks down the challenges the firm’s leadership faced in growing Pixel within the firm — and how they overcame them.

He explains how the firm selected a leader for Pixel who already had credibility and strong social networks within Deloitte. He also shares how Pixel established credibility by collaborating with early adopters within the firm to generate positive client results.

Key episode topics include: leadership, disruptive innovation, innovation, organizational change, talent management, business consulting services, crowdsourcing, freelance talent, intrapreneurship.  

HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.

• Listen to the original Cold Call episode: Transforming Deloitte’s Approach to Consulting (2022)
• Find more episodes of Cold Call
• Discover 100 years of Harvard Business Review articles, case studies, podcasts, and more at HBR.org

HANNAH BATES: Welcome to HBR on Leadership , case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, hand-selected to help you unlock the best in those around you.

Deloitte is one of the largest consulting firms in the world.  But, like many established firms, innovation is a challenge.

In 2014, Deloitte launched “Pixel” to   – like machine learning or digital production. But uptake across the organization was slow, and some internal stakeholders resisted outsourcing consulting work to freelance talent.

In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Mike Tushman breaks down the challenges Deloitte’s leadership faced in growing Pixel within the firm – and how they overcame them. You’ll learn how the firm selected a leader for Pixel who had credibility and strong social networks within Deloitte. You’ll also learn how Pixel established its own credibility by collaborating with early adopters within the firm to generate positive client results. And you’ll learn how Deloitte’s senior leaders built a narrative of innovation and adaptation around Pixel.

If you’re an entrepreneur – or an aspiring one  – this episode is for you. It originally aired on Cold Call in April 2022. Here it is.

BRIAN KENNY: There are few topics in business media covered as widely and as deeply as innovation. A Google search on the term business innovation yields 672 million results. Harvard Business Review alone has close to 6,000 active articles on this topic. It’s the subject that never gets old because it’s inherently about change. Oh, and it’s really hard to do, especially if you’re in a place that is set in its ways. Management guru, Peter Drucker, famously said, “Innovate or die.” And there are far too many examples of firms that fail to follow that advice and pay the price. But in this episode, we’ll focus on a firm that’s trying to get it right. Today on Cold Call , we’ll discuss the case entitled, “Deloitte’s Pixel: Consulting with Open Talent” with Professor Mike Tushman. I’m your host, Brian Kenny, and you’re listening to Cold Call on the HBR Presents Network. Mike Tushman’s work focuses on relations between technological change, executive leadership, and organization adaptation. And he has just published a new book called Corporate Explorers: How Corporations Beat Startups at the Innovation Game . That sounds exactly like the topic we’re going to discuss today, Mike. Thanks for joining me.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Hey, Brian, it’s so great to be with you.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. It’s fun to have you on the show. I want to talk about the case and I want to hear how those ideas relate to the ideas in Corporate Explorers , because there’s obviously a lot of crossover. We’ve had cases before that touch on this topic of how to innovate from within when you are in a well-established firm. And I think it’s so timely and relevant because many of our listeners are probably working in large established firms and they want to know how to innovate. They want to be the person who brings those energy and ideas to the surface. So, thanks for being here today to talk about it.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Hey great, Brian, looking forward to engaging you and hopefully your audience in our work on the corporate explorer.

BRIAN KENNY: Awesome, let’s just dive right in. Let me ask you to tell us what is the central theme of the case and what’s your cold call when you start the case discussion in the classroom.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: The central theme of the case, and indeed the central theme of my course, is to help our students build organizations that don’t drop in the face of outside technical change. That’s the basic point of my course is to empower my students with the research in my field, so they don’t fall prey to the sickness that most incumbent organizations have when the world changes sharply, whether it’s because of technology or because of COVID. My cold call is a double barrel cold call, Brian. The cold call to Balaji, Balaji Bondili, everybody, is: it’s either go big or go home. What are you going to do? And why are you going to do it? That’s my Balaji cold call to the corporate explorer.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: The other cold call I have is I ask the leaders of Deloitte Consulting, and by the way, this is a very, very successful organization, they’re at the top of the game, and I’m asking Matt David, who’s the head of Deloitte’s consulting business, why is he spending so much time on experimentation? You’ve got a great franchise. You’re doing super well in traditional consulting. Why so much time on experimentation? Those are my two cold calls, Brian.

BRIAN KENNY: All right. That’s a great way to start it off. And I love the idea of role playing. Maybe we should talk more about that as we get into the conversation and I know, you told me just before we started here, that you taught the course yesterday.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Yeah.

BRIAN KENNY: And Balaji was here, so you’ve got all these fresh ideas percolating. So, this is going to be great. This is like right in the moment. Tell us a little bit about how this course relates to your research and to the ideas in Corporate Explorers .

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: My research has been from the get go on how incumbents deal with outside technical change. I went to Northeastern University as an undergraduate. I was an engineer co-op and I worked at a firm that was called General Radio, GenRad, and it was filled with these great, fantastic engineers going back and forth, talking about the celebration of how great General Radio was, outside technical change, all of a sudden my carpool friends don’t have a job. I was totally scarred by this. How could a firm filled with fantastic engineers fail so quickly? My model was you have great technical talent, wow, you can do anything. Well, it turns out that they were strangled by the arrogance of success. And I have been studying that for decades now with my students. So, the point of my course is to help students understand several things, Brian. One is this notion of dynamic capabilities are rooted in playing two games well, simultaneously. A game of executing your existing strategy better than anybody on the planet, that’s one game. The second game is exploring into unknown futures. To play this explore and exploit game simultaneously, and those strategies are inconsistent. So, all of my work has been helping senior leaders deal with paradox and inconsistency. General Radio couldn’t do it, all these engineers were laid off. Second theme of my work and my course is organizations don’t change through incremental change by itself. They change through both incremental and punctuated change and those punctuated changes occur at these discontinuities. The third observation is the way you play this game is you don’t spin out the explore option. You have these ambidextrous organizations that explore and exploit simultaneously and the ambidextrous leader is the one who hosts contradiction.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: And finally, the core idea of my book with Andy Binns and Charles O’Reilly, Corporate Explorer , is that it’s both top down, it’s from the C-level or the general manager level, and the entrepreneurs below in creating a social movement, so that firms evolve in this punctuated way.

BRIAN KENNY: And Deloitte’s a really interesting one for you to look at with regard to these topics. What’s the problem that they’re trying to solve in the context of this case?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: What’s so unique about Deloitte is they actually don’t have a problem to solve. They are doing rockingly well in the high-end strategic consulting business. They have an opportunity to destabilize the consulting industry, at least according to the senior leaders, if they can figure out a new way of doing consulting that complements their existing way, they have the opportunity to disrupt the industry to their favor. So, it’s not that they have a problem to solve. It’s one of these rare examples of an opportunistic move by a really enlightened senior team to both do old-fashioned consulting really well and to do pixelated consulting really well simultaneously. And that is the challenge I want my students to leave prepared for is to lead into these opportunistic moments, which by the way, is partly organization renewal, Brian.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: But it’s also personal renewal. It’s the Matt Davids of the world personally renewing how they lead because now they’re hosting this contradiction: old fashioned consulting, new consulting simultaneously.

BRIAN KENNY: Can you put a finer line on that? What is the difference between sort of old fashioned consulting and pixelated consulting?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Old fashioned consulting, the edge of this case, old fashioned consulting, at least at Deloitte, is Deloitte would… They had an HR strategy of hiring from the best business schools and then they train and socialize these MBAs to be trusted advisors, to be really brilliant with expertise, and information, and synthesizing that information in front of a client.

BRIAN KENNY: Yep.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: And they do really well. That’s a business model that works.

BRIAN KENNY: We know a little about that here at Harvard business school.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Right. We sure do. Pixelating is completely different, Brian. Pixelating, what Balaji brings to the party is go to a client and say, “Here’s your strategic problem,” and they break it into components. And then they send the components of the work to freelance talent, gig talent, talent who in 100 years wouldn’t work for Deloitte, machine learning people, digital people, AI people, who don’t want to work for Deloitte. Balaji promises these really profoundly powerful platforms that bring talent to a client fast and inexpensive. That’s the difference, rather than having a bunch of really powerful consultants work on a project at a very high rate, Balaji gets better, faster, and less expensive client service with freelance talent. And it turns out it works really well. And the edge of the case is: this is really an identity threat at Deloitte.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: It’s an identity threat of the consultants who own problems and solve problems, and it’s an identity threat to the firm because after all we’re Deloitte and we have this brand, and can we retain this brand and can we retain the identity of our professionals even while we do this fundamentally different form of consulting.

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah, and it’s a great example of disruption happening right from within, so that’s the tension for sure in the case. And I want to talk a little bit more about that. Deloitte founded an Office for Innovation to sort of drive this, talk a little bit about that office, and I’d love to hear more about Balaji, background, and why he decided to take this on. This seems like a really dicey move for somebody who’s trying to build a career within the firm.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Yeah. What’s interesting about Balaji Bondili is he is a professional interested in client services. And I don’t want to speak for Balaji, but my sense of Balaji is he’s not anchored to Deloitte. He’ll do this work wherever. And I think he has found a way to do great professional service work, great client service work, and has enough of an entrepreneurial flare to push this inside of Deloitte. What we’ve learned in our , book is there are a whole bunch of people like Balaji who tend to get ignored, is that they have the passion for entrepreneurialism. They have great change management skills and are able to help skeptical, in this case, partners change the coding of the work from a threat to an opportunity. And that is relatively rare. When a corporate explorer is able to help others who code that person as a threat to say, “Hey, wait a minute. Actually, I can do better client service work and I can do it too.” The beauty of Balaji is he had the entrepreneurial edge and he wasn’t in their face. He had a lot of respect for the partners at Deloitte and brought them a tool that could help them do their work better. So, partly it’s bottom up, Brian, and partly he could not have done this and he knows it, he could not have done it without really strong senior support with Matt David. What is,nice about the Deloitte case, Brian, is it starts with really senior level support, that is the head of U.S. Deloitte says we need an Office of Innovation, tax, audit, consulting. We need a view into the future and they create this Office of Innovation, which hosts roughly 60 experiments, Brian. And then Amy Feirn says in consulting, “I’m going to take some of those and bring them into consulting.” That was Balaji. There were maybe 20 experiments inside just consulting. So, the Office of Innovation was a corporate level hatchery, if you will. We talk about ideation and incubation going to scale, they incubate a bunch of things at corporate and then some of them are dropped down into the business units, tax, audit, in this case consulting. So, the corporate level Office of Innovation provides the overall senior support that permitted Matt David in consulting to experiment, which in turn permitted Balaji to be the corporate explorer.

BRIAN KENNY: What kind of a welcome did Balaji receive as he started to socialize this idea with the rank and file consultants, the people who were leading the client work?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: It was a third of the partners said, “Hey, Balaji, this could be fantastic.” Two thirds said, “Please go away.” And it was either aggressive please go away or was passive aggressive, “Hey, we’ll study this Balaji.” And so, the nub of the case is if your Balaji, who knows he has something big, do you try to go big inside Deloitte or do you leave? Do you go home? And if you stay, what do you need from the leadership community to make this thing real?

BRIAN KENNY: You talked about some of the pilots that they launched and I imagine the pilots were a way to demonstrate the efficacy of this approach to people who were leading client teams and to get their buy-in,that they would think yeah, I can have it both ways. Right? Can you give some examples of what some of those pilots were? Because I’m curious again, about the pixelated approach and how different that sounds to me than what I’m familiar with having worked with consultancies over the years.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: So, Balaji was pressed when Pixel was brought down into consulting to provide case and points, data points, will this thing work, will clients pay for this? What are client’s response to this? You’re not using Deloitte partners, you’re using freelance talent. Would clients buy this? They had projects with Richard Walker, who’s one of the individuals in the case, who was a partner in the banking piece of consulting, who actually loved it. And they would take strategy projects for one of their major clients, and it had a big AI machine learning piece to it, and they pixelated it and they got a great solution to this banking strategy. And the client thought it was better. Once Balaji had two or three of these examples, skeptical partners said, “Hey, wait a minute. What’s happening over here in banking with Richard Walker? And once credible leaders across the organization picked this up, Brian, then it took off like wildfire.

BRIAN KENNY: If you look at the tension that’s underlying this case, I have to admit, I probably would be in one of those two thirds, that group of two thirds consultants, who is like, wait a second, this is a threat to me and my role. If we’re going to have gig consultants coming in and doing all this client work, and it’s going to cost less, and they’re going to deliver a better product, that to me sounds like a real danger to my career. How did Balaji manage some of that tension that I’m sure he was hearing about from within the firm?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Yeah, that is the exact nub of my work on structural ambidexterity, Brian. It’s up to the corporate explorer to help these powerful partners recode this from a threat to an opportunity. Partly Balaji can do that by making it easy by not being in their faces, by being very solicitous of the partners need to do great client service work. The edge for your question is with Matt David, who was the leader of the consulting business, who had to create a narrative in his organization of we’re going to do the old kind of work, traditional consulting work better than anybody in the planet, and we’re going to go do this new work because the future is not the past and we’re going to experiment into the future. That’s the challenge of my ambidextrous leader, who is Matt David, who is pushing the organization that can celebrate the past, and can own the future, and they’re contradictory. That’s what the Matt Davids of the world have to bring to the party. And one of the things we’ve learned, and it’s a big part of my work with Charles O’Reilly and with Andy Binns, is one of the roles of the Matt Davids is to help create an identity for their firm or my friend, Ranjay Gulati, talks about purpose, as we aspire to be the world’s greatest consulting firm. This is my words, not theirs.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: And if you’re Matt David with that kind of aspiration, or Srikant at HBS, we’re here to create leaders who make a difference in the world. Well, we can do that through Advanced Management Program (AMP) on campus and we can do that through AMP online.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: And yeah, they’re completely different architectures, and structures, and cultures, but that’s what we’re all about, creating leaders who make a difference in the world. That kind of overarching purpose or identity helped Matt David at Deloitte with a narrative to his powerful partners to say, “Hey everybody, we’re going to embrace the future, and we’re going to embrace the past, and yes, it’s contradictory. We’re going to do it together to be the world’s greatest consulting firm.”

BRIAN KENNY: Yeah. And that takes leadership that is not just visionary, but also really client centric so that they’re not going to let the politics, the internal politics of the firm prevent them from pushing this forward because they know it’s the right thing in the end for client service.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: When you have that kind of aspiration, world class client service, or the work I did with one of my doctoral students, Hila Lifshitz, on NASA. One of the things they found is that the scientists at NASA rejected open innovation, open research. And as soon as the leader said, “Hey, we’re here not to do great research, we’re here to keep astronauts safe in space,” that new coding permitted these scientists to do research the old fashioned way and the new way.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: So, that passion, that identity, that strategic intent is a real important piece of my research of structural ambidexterity and how to make that work and is a big part of this Deloitte Pixel case.

BRIAN KENNY: Do you think… This is probably a question with no singular answer, but I’m going to ask it anyway. Do you think it’s harder to be an entrepreneur within a firm or to be an entrepreneur who’s starting your own thing and kind of putting it all together on your own?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: I think it’s both really difficult, Brian. The challenge for the corporate explorer is less the capital markets, because the reason he’s going to do it at Deloitte is because Deloitte has the cash to fund it. But the risk is much more, can you get an organization to change?

BRIAN KENNY: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Can you create a social movement? And the research is really clear, exploit kills explore. The better you are at doing what you’re currently doing, the worse you are at exploring. And the challenge for the corporate explorer is to create a social movement, when the powerful actors don’t want to do it. So, you can’t do it on your own, you have to do it both top down and bottom up. And the big aha for me in this research over the past 10 years, it’s not just top down, because we have many examples of top down leaders that get stuck because they’re no corporate explorers. So, it’s a combination of top down and bottom up that creates this social movement around change.

BRIAN KENNY: Let’s say we’ve got some senior executives that are listening to this podcast right now and they’re thinking, wow, I better get on this, how do they identify a corporate explorer within their midst? Do you advertise that as a new job? Or how do you think about that?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Wow. Great question. Our most successful corporate explorers are those individuals who have legitimacy and credibility inside your firm.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: The combination of credibility, this individual has the technical capability, has the social networks in the firm, and they have an edge about them, an entrepreneurial edge around the future, those are the corporate explorers that work. What we know from our research, Brian, is the extent to which you go out and hire someone like that and bring them in, they’ll almost always fail.

BRIAN KENNY: Why is that?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Because they don’t have the social networks, they don’t have the credibility, they don’t have the legitimacy inside the firm. The beauty of Balaji at Deloitte is he was known quantity. People knew him and trusted him and he had the degrees of freedom to play this exploration game and then build these networks.

BRIAN KENNY: Okay. Let me ask the same question in the inverse. If I feel like I am that person that you just described and I’m listening to this podcast, how do I create that sense of urgency, create that burning platform to my leadership team so that they know we got to do this?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Yeah. Yeah, really great.

BRIAN KENNY: This is what I call a cold call, Mike. I’m putting you on the hot seat.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: Yeah. Yeah, no, this is a great, great question. For those explorers who have a potentially great idea, and again, ideation and incubation circa 2022, I think is relatively easy to do. It’s relatively easy to get ideas, it’s relatively easy to incubate either inside a firm or outside a firm. It’s really hard to pivot to scale whether you’re an entrepreneur on your own or an entrepreneur inside the firm.

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: So, to me, it’s the, of the Balajis of the world, the possible set of corporate explorers, can you find an organization that has the cash, the willingness, and has the identity of playing multiple games well simultaneously? They’re comfortable with today, but they’re really, really uncomfortable with the uncertainty of tomorrow and therefore they want to create it. If I can find those kinds of leaders in incumbent firms, those are the ones I want to work with if I’m a corporate explorer. If I can’t find them, I’ll stick on my own.

BRIAN KENNY: Mike, this has been a great conversation. I can’t let you go without asking one more question, which is, if you want our listeners to remember one thing about the “Deloitte” case and about Corporate Explorers, what would that be?

MICHAEL TUSHMAN: You cannot get to the future by doing what you have done in the past. It’s imperative that you excel in what you’re currently doing and create the future and that’s what the role of corporate explorers are. They help you create the future and to do that, it’s the structural ambidexterity, which is pretty straightforward, structure is structure, but that link to a purpose and identity that permits contradiction to exist in your organizations. That’s my sort of long-winded answer to your short question, Brian.

BRIAN KENNY: Mike Tushman, thanks so much for being here today to talk about the case.

That was Harvard Business School professor Mike Tushman – in conversation with Brian Kenny on Cold Call . Tushman is coauthor of the book Corporate Explorer: How Corporations Beat Startups at the Innovation Game.

We’ll be back next Wednesday with another hand-picked conversation about leadership from the Harvard Business Review. If you found this episode helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues, and follow our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re there, be sure to leave us a review. When you’re ready for more podcasts, articles, case studies, books, and videos with the world’s top business and management experts, you’ll find it all at HBR.org.

This episode was produced by Anne Saini, and me, Hannah Bates. Ian Fox is our editor. Music by Coma Media. Special thanks to Maureen Hoch, Erica Truxler, Ramsey Khabbaz, Nicole Smith, Anne Bartholomew, and you – our listener. See you next week.

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Deloitte Case Interview: 6 Tips to Help You Ace Your Case

• Last Updated January, 2022

What Does it Looks like?

6 Tips on Acing the Deloitte Case Interview

What to Expect?

Deloitte Group Case Interviews

Sample Deloitte Case Interviews

Deloitte Behavioral Interview

The Deloitte Case Interview: What to Expect

Deloitte Group Case Interview

Have an interview with Deloitte Consulting coming up? If so, you’ll want to know what to expect and how to prepare.

We’ve got you covered, including our 6 tips on how to ace your Deloitte case interview!

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• What the Deloitte Consulting case interview process looks like,
• The Deloitte case interview: what to expect,
• Sample Deloitte case interviews,
• Our 6 tips on acing the Deloitte case interview,
• The Deloitte group case interview, and
• The Deloitte behavioral interview question.

Let’s get started!

What the Deloitte Consulting Interview Process Looks Like

Initial application.

The Deloitte Consulting interview process has 4 steps:

• Application
• Online assessment
• First round interviews
• Final round interviews

If you’re a student, make sure you know if you need to apply directly to Deloitte Consulting or through your career center.

As part of your application, you’ll need to submit your resume and, for campus hires, your academic transcript. Research which office you want to apply for as you’ll need to state that at this stage.

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

Deloitte Online Assessment

The second stage of the Deloitte Consulting recruitment process is an online assessment. This assessment tests numerical reasoning and your situational judgment.

Information from recent candidates suggests there are 35 questions split over 5 distinct sections. We’ve got all you need to know about this part of the process in our article, Deloitte Online Assessment: What It Is & How To Pass .

Deloitte Consulting First Round Interviews

If you’re selected for a Deloitte interview you’ll be contacted via your campus career center or direct by the Deloitte recruiting team.

For campus hires, first-round interviews often take place on campus and include one or 2 interviews. These interviews include both case and behavioral interview questions. We’ve heard the cases include market-sizing as well as the non-profit sector.

The same types of interviews are used for non-campus hires.

Deloitte Consulting Final Round Interviews

Final round interviews may take place virtually, on campus, or in a Deloitte office. While the exact format depends on the position you’re applying to, expect both behavioral and case interviews at this stage. Candidates may also have a group case interview.

Deloitte will let you know the outcome of your application within a week of the final round interview.

Case interviews can feel daunting for many candidates. In this section, we’ll cover what type of cases Deloitte uses and how to approach them so you can feel confident in tackling them.

What Exactly Is a Case Interview?

A case interview is an interview conducted within a business context.

The interviewer will present information about a company and a business problem it faces. These 2 elements together are known as a case.

Case interviews can either be candidate-led or interviewer-led depending on who is expected to steer the order in which different aspects of the case are analyzed.

Deloitte case interviews are predominantly candidate-led which means they’ll be looking to you to take control of solving the case — breaking down the problem, choosing a suitable business framework, and asking for appropriate data to fill in the gaps.

What Type Of Cases Does Deloitte Consulting Use?

The branch of Deloitte Consulting you are applying for can influence the business context you receive in the case. There are 3 parts to Deloitte Consulting:

• Strategy and Operations (S&O) focuses on corporate issues such as organizational strategy, supply-chain improvement, operating model transformation, and business process improvements.
• Technology Consulting focuses on technology issues such as digital strategy, IT program delivery, infrastructure and software solutions, and cybersecurity.
• Human Capital focuses on people issues such as organizational transformation, cultural change, knowledge management, and talent acquisition and development.

So, if you were applying for a Human Capital role you might get an organizational transformation case or, if you were applying to S&O you might get an organizational strategy case

Whichever branch you’re applying to, there are going to be certain skills Deloitte Consulting is looking to test through the case interview process.

What Skills Is Deloitte Consulting Looking to Assess?

Deloitte uses case interviews as a way to assess skills it values in its consultants.

• Structured problem solving
• Analytic skills
• A balance of creativity and practicality

Structured Problem Solving

The ability to carefully think through a problem in a structured and logical way, is a key skillset for consultants. You’ll need to be able to break down a business problem to identify and analyze root causes and potential solutions.

Case interviews test this skill by providing lots of data for you to manage within an unfamiliar business context. Your ability to sort through information to pull out what’s most relevant to the issue will be assessed.

Analytic Skills

Deloitte Consulting will assess your numerical ability during the case interview. Make sure you brush up on your math skills in advance of the interview. Our article on Case Math tells you what to expect.

A Balance of Creativity and Practicality

Case interviews give Deloitte recruiters a chance to see how creative you are when searching for an answer to a thorny problem. Clients hire consultants to solve complex, multi-factor problems, not for mundane issues they can solve themselves.

However, innovative thinking needs to be balanced with good business sense. Suggesting solutions that aren’t viable or attractive to the client shows you lack practical business judgment.

Whatever your recommendation, make sure you highlight the risks associated with it and how those could be managed.

Case interviews can feel challenging — very like tackling a real-life client problem! They’re the perfect environment for interviewers to see how comfortable you are with ambiguity and how resilient you are when things get tough.

Whether that’s grappling with a tricky calculation, or struggling to see how the pieces fit together, make sure you don’t give up. Take a breath and give yourself a moment to clear your head. Then jump back in and keep going.

How Do I Tackle a Deloitte Consulting Case Interview?

There are 4 key stages to tackling any case interview:

• Opening . Make sure you fully understand the client’s problem. Repeat back to the interviewer your understanding of the issue so they have a chance to guide you if you’ve misunderstood. Ask any clarification questions you need.
• Structure . Brainstorm all the issues or factors related to the client’s problem that need to be considered. Be explicit about any underlying assumptions you are making to check their accuracy with your interviewer. Organize your thoughts into a logical sequence to make sure you tackle all of them in your analysis.
• Analysis . Gather and review all the data available to you. Data can be communicated directly by your interviewer or come in the form of exhibit. Complete any calculations required. Identify the most important issues and use this to formulate a recommendation.
• Conclusion . Present your findings to the interviewer and give your final recommendation. State any risks associated with the recommendation and how you’d mitigate them. Outline the next steps and the expected result of taking them.

For more information on using these 4 steps to tackle case interviews see Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep .

Once you’ve got the 4 stages nailed, it’s time to practice! Doing the thinking is only half the battle in a case interview, you’ve also got to effectively communicate your thoughts.

Practicing with friends, people in your network who are also going through the process, or with former consultants who can coach you through it, is critical to your confidence and success.

Links to Sample Deloitte Case Interviews

You can find links to several Deloitte case interviews in our Case Interview Examples article, as well as dozens of cases from other major consulting firms. The Footloose example has a lot of data exhibits so it’s a good one for practicing how to effectively manage information.

In addition, Deloitte has a very helpful tool on their site that helps you practice case interviews. Each of these cases is 15–20 minutes long and presents you with a real-life business problem and a number of questions.

You can prepare your answers to these cases then compare your thoughts to the Deloitte model answers provided.

Our 6 Tips on Acing the Deloitte Case Interview

Tip 1: keep organized notes.

Deloitte case interviews can last up to an hour and have a lot of information to review. Make sure you take organized notes throughout so you don’t forget anything important or miss something in your analysis.

Neat and logical notes also show you can manage large amounts of data effectively.

Tip 2: Ask Questions to Fill In the Gaps

It’s important to fully understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Don’t be afraid to ask clarification questions or for more data to fill in any gaps in your analysis. Asking questions gives the interviewer insight into how you’re approaching the problem.

Tip 3: Take Time to Organize Your Thoughts

Make sure you take your time during the interview to compose yourself and structure your thoughts. It’s tempting to launch into responding straight away but give yourself space to think through your answer first to make sure you don’t miss something or forget an important point.

Tip 4: Utilize a Framework and Develop a Hypothesis

Using a business framework or an issue tree helps you drill down into the heart of the problem. This means you’re more likely to develop a hypothesis that solves the key issue the client is facing.

Keep referring back to your issue tree and hypothesis during your Deloitte interview to make sure your analysis is logical and hasn’t gone down a rabbit hole!

Tip 5: Structure Your Recommendation

Present your analysis in a clear and structured way. Start with the main takeaway — your recommendation. Then walk your Deloitte interviewer through your analysis in a logical way, highlighting the most important points and explaining how they led you to draw the conclusion you have.

Share any assumptions you’ve made to reach your recommendation and also any associated risks. This shows you’ve thought more broadly about the problem in the context of the business as a whole.

Tip 6: Don’t Forget to Breathe!

While case interviews can feel daunting, try not to panic. Viewing the case as a business conversation that showcases your ability to think through a problem, rather than as something that must be solved, can ease the pressure.

As part of the final round assessment, Deloitte Consulting uses group case interviews.

As many of the top consulting firms don’t use group case interviews, candidates can be unsure of what to expect. But, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

What Happens In the Deloitte Group Case Interview

In Deloitte group case interviews you’ll be organized into a group with 3-6 other candidates. The group will be presented with information about a case that they’ll need to work together to solve.

• For the first 10 minutes, you’ll work alone, or in a pair, to review the information and prepare your thoughts.
• The group will then discuss the problem for 20 minutes, sharing analysis, and preparing a recommendation for the client. During this discussion, interviewers will observe the group to see how you interact with each other.
• For the final 20 minutes, interviewers will ask questions of the group.

Our Top Tips for the Deloitte Group Interview

Group case interviews are your opportunity to stand out against other candidates. Interviewers will be observing the group dynamics and looking for great communication skills, strong analysis, and leadership.

Here are our top tips:

• Add value with your contribution . Everyone knows interviewers are looking for participation but it’s not enough just to speak up during the group case interview — what you say matters. Your contribution should add fresh insights to what’s already been said. This shows good listening and analysis skills.
• Showcase your leadership ability . Leadership isn’t just about speaking first or dominating the conversation. Facilitate the conversation and bring other team members into the discussion if they haven’t had a chance to speak. This shows you value the contribution of others, which links to one of Deloitte’s core values: foster inclusion . Do be proactive about proposing points for discussion, managing time, and bringing the group back on track if you lose focus.
• Recognize others as teammates . While demonstrating leadership is important, it’s equally important to remember you’re trying to deliver value to the client. Make contributions that bring the group closer to a recommendation — don’t sidetrack the discussion just to stand out. Acknowledge the great ideas of others — which shows confidence — and then add to them.
• Summarize the discussion . At the end of the group discussion, summarize the main points of the conversation and state the group’s recommendation. You can also do this throughout the interview, any time when a lot of points have been discussed and a quick recap would be helpful.

This is important as it shows good communication skills and the ability to synthesize large amounts of data. It also makes sure that everyone’s on the same page and clear about the next steps, which is critical when dealing with real-life clients.

For more information on how to ace the group case interview, check out our article .

Deloitte Consulting Behavioral Interview Question

The Deloitte behavioral interview has 2 types of questions: fit questions and personal experience questions.

Fit questions help interviewers judge whether you’d fit into the Deloitte culture. Personal experience questions help them judge whether your skills and personal qualities match those they’re looking for in a consultant.

Top 3 Fit Questions and How To Ace Them

1. Why Do You Want To Work For Deloitte Consulting?

This is the top fit question and for good reason. Deloitte Consulting cares about recruiting people who really want to work there and value its specific culture and approach. 

Consulting firms invest heavily in developing their new recruits and they need you to stay long enough to make that investment worth it. So they’re expecting you to join the firm with eyes wide open.

Tackle this question by having a few good reasons why Deloitte is the company for you. The best answers are personal to you. 

Maybe you’ve been inspired by someone you’ve met from the firm. Or there’s something about Deloitte core values that really matters to you. That’s what recruiters want to hear about.

Deloitte Consulting’s core values are:

• Lead the way
• Serve with integrity
• Take care of each other
• Foster inclusion
• Collaborate for measurable impact

2. Why Consulting?

Consulting can be intense, so consulting firms are genuinely concerned that you understand what’s required of you and have the potential to meet the challenge. This question is your chance to explain why consulting is the career for you.

Whether that’s because you get to work with senior management early in your career or you’re excited about the opportunity to make a difference, make sure you’re clear on your motivation.

3. Tell Me Something About You That’s Not On Your Resume.

It’s easy to curate a polished, professional profile on paper. But interviewers are interested in who you are outside of work too.

This question provides an opportunity for you to talk about something you’re passionate about, and show a more human side. Bear in mind the Deloitte Consulting core values when you’re considering how you’d tackle this question.

For example, maybe you organize a community garden to provide food to local families. Or you spend time as a reading volunteer at your local care home.

Contributions you make as a volunteer can demonstrate your leadership capability as well as other ways you create a positive impact in your daily life.

Personal Experience Questions And How to Approach Them

A typical personal experience question starts with “Tell me about a time when…”

They help the interviewer see how your experience has helped you build the skills that make you suitable for consulting.

Examples include:

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone and how you worked through the problem.
• Tell me about a time when you led a team to solve a problem.
• Give me an example of when you had to deal with adversity. How did you resolve it?
• Tell me about a time when you changed someone’s mind on an important topic.
• How did you go about deciding on your class project recommendation?

The best approach to tackling a personal experience question is to tell stories. Stories are engaging and stick in the interviewer’s mind even after a long day.

However, like everything else in the case interview, your answer should be well-thought-through and structured. Don’t just launch into your story without thinking.

We recommend using the A STAR(E) framework to make sure your story is impactful and covers all the main points.

Using the A STAR(E) Framework

The A STAR(E) framework covers the following points:

• Answer . Start with a clear, short answer to the question.
• Situation . Give your story some context. Who were the people involved in the story? When and where did it take place?
• Tension . What was the problem you faced? The conflict or challenge?
• Action . What action did you take to resolve the issue?
• Result . What happened as a result of your action?
• Effect . What did you learn?

The (E) is in parentheses because this won’t be relevant to every story.

Remember the behavioral interview is also an important opportunity to learn more about Deloitte so you can feel confident you’re making the right choice.

In fact, that’s one of 6 key things Deloitte Consulting encourages candidates to bear in mind when tackling the behavioral interview:

• Share personal experiences to illustrate your critical skills and achievements.
• Describe experiences and career/life periods reflected in your resume.
• Focus on the positives of all your past experiences and remain optimistic.
• Use this discussion to learn more about Deloitte Consulting.
• Relax, be yourself, and help us get to know you.
• Use your time wisely; it’s your time, make sure you get your points across.

Learn more about the A STAR(E) framework or about tackling the Fit/Behavioral Interview in our article on Consulting Behavioral Interviews.

In this article, we’ve covered:

• The stages of the Deloitte Consulting interview process,
• What to expect from the Deloitte Consulting case interview,
• Some examples of Deloitte case interviews,
• Our top 6 tips for tackling the Deloitte case interview,
• How to ace the Deloitte group case interview, and
• How to answer Deloitte behavioral interview questions.

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about Deloitte case interview prep, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s case coaches will answer them.

Other people prepping for the Deloitte case interview found the following pages helpful:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep
• The Big 4: How Do They Fit Into the Consulting Industry
• Group Case Interview
• Behavioral Interviews
• Deloitte Government & Public Services Case Interview

Help with Consulting Interview Prep

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on Deloitte case interview prep. My Consulting Offer has helped almost 85% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Lindsay was able to get her offer from Deloitte.

2 thoughts on “Deloitte Case Interview: 6 Tips to Help You Ace Your Case”

I was interviewed a week ago for ET&P team lead. It was the campus placement and there was two rounds held on same day first was on case studies and second was PI so want know when they will contact us for the results.

Hi, Aanchal,

Congratulations on making it so far through the Deloitte recruiting process!

To the best way to get clarity on the timing of decisions for a specific position would be to reach out to your recruiter. But our experience is that consulting firms generally get back quickly after on-campus interviews.

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3 Top Strategies to Master the Case Interview in Under a Week

We are sharing our powerful strategies to pass the case interview even if you have no business background, zero casing experience, or only have a week to prepare.

No thanks, I don't want free strategies to get into consulting.

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47 case interview examples (from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc.)

One of the best ways to prepare for   case interviews  at firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, is by studying case interview examples. 

There are a lot of free sample cases out there, but it's really hard to know where to start. So in this article, we have listed all the best free case examples available, in one place.

The below list of resources includes interactive case interview samples provided by consulting firms, video case interview demonstrations, case books, and materials developed by the team here at IGotAnOffer. Let's continue to the list.

• McKinsey examples
• BCG examples
• Bain examples
• Deloitte examples
• Other firms' examples
• Case books from consulting clubs
• Case interview preparation

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with MBB ex-interviewers

1. mckinsey case interview examples.

• Beautify case interview (McKinsey website)
• Diconsa case interview (McKinsey website)
• Electro-light case interview (McKinsey website)
• GlobaPharm case interview (McKinsey website)
• National Education case interview (McKinsey website)
• Talbot Trucks case interview (McKinsey website)
• Shops Corporation case interview (McKinsey website)
• Conservation Forever case interview (McKinsey website)
• McKinsey case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• Profitability case with ex-McKinsey manager (by IGotAnOffer)
• McKinsey live case interview extract (by IGotAnOffer) - See below

2. BCG case interview examples

• Foods Inc and GenCo case samples  (BCG website)
• Chateau Boomerang written case interview  (BCG website)
• BCG case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• Written cases guide (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG live case interview with notes (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG mock case interview with ex-BCG associate director - Public sector case (by IGotAnOffer)
• BCG mock case interview: Revenue problem case (by IGotAnOffer) - See below

3. Bain case interview examples

• CoffeeCo practice case (Bain website)
• FashionCo practice case (Bain website)
• Associate Consultant mock interview video (Bain website)
• Consultant mock interview video (Bain website)
• Written case interview tips (Bain website)
• Bain case interview guide   (by IGotAnOffer)
• Digital transformation case with ex-Bain consultant
• Bain case mock interview with ex-Bain manager (below)

4. Deloitte case interview examples

• Engagement Strategy practice case (Deloitte website)
• Recreation Unlimited practice case (Deloitte website)
• Strategic Vision practice case (Deloitte website)
• Retail Strategy practice case  (Deloitte website)
• Finance Strategy practice case  (Deloitte website)
• Talent Management practice case (Deloitte website)
• Enterprise Resource Management practice case (Deloitte website)
• Footloose written case  (by Deloitte)
• Deloitte case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

5. Accenture case interview examples

• Case interview workbook (by Accenture)
• Accenture case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

6. OC&C case interview examples

• Leisure Club case example (by OC&C)
• Imported Spirits case example (by OC&C)

7. Oliver Wyman case interview examples

• Wumbleworld case sample (Oliver Wyman website)
• Aqualine case sample (Oliver Wyman website)
• Oliver Wyman case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

8. A.T. Kearney case interview examples

• Promotion planning case question (A.T. Kearney website)
• Consulting case book and examples (by A.T. Kearney)
• AT Kearney case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

9. Strategy& / PWC case interview examples

• Presentation overview with sample questions (by Strategy& / PWC)
• Strategy& / PWC case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

10. L.E.K. Consulting case interview examples

• Case interview example video walkthrough   (L.E.K. website)
• Market sizing case example video walkthrough  (L.E.K. website)

11. Roland Berger case interview examples

• Transit oriented development case webinar part 1  (Roland Berger website)
• Transit oriented development case webinar part 2   (Roland Berger website)
• 3D printed hip implants case webinar part 1   (Roland Berger website)
• 3D printed hip implants case webinar part 2   (Roland Berger website)
• Roland Berger case interview guide   (by IGotAnOffer)

12. Capital One case interview examples

• Case interview example video walkthrough  (Capital One website)
• Capital One case interview guide (by IGotAnOffer)

12. EY Parthenon case interview examples

• Candidate-led case example with feedback (by IGotAnOffer)

14. Consulting clubs case interview examples

• Berkeley case book (2006)
• Columbia case book (2006)
• Darden case book (2012)
• Darden case book (2018)
• Duke case book (2010)
• Duke case book (2014)
• ESADE case book (2011)
• Goizueta case book (2006)
• Illinois case book (2015)
• LBS case book (2006)
• MIT case book (2001)
• Notre Dame case book (2017)
• Ross case book (2010)
• Wharton case book (2010)

Practice with experts

Using case interview examples is a key part of your interview preparation, but it isn’t enough.

At some point you’ll want to practise with friends or family who can give some useful feedback. However, if you really want the best possible preparation for your case interview, you'll also want to work with ex-consultants who have experience running interviews at McKinsey, Bain, BCG, etc.

If you know anyone who fits that description, fantastic! But for most of us, it's tough to find the right connections to make this happen. And it might also be difficult to practice multiple hours with that person unless you know them really well.

Here's the good news. We've already made the connections for you. We’ve created a coaching service where you can do mock case interviews 1-on-1 with ex-interviewers from MBB firms . Start scheduling sessions today!

Related articles:

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