capital one interview case study

Capital One Case Interview (Questions, Process, Prep)

Today we're going to cover everything you need to prepare for your Capital One case interview.

If you're a business analyst, senior data analyst or strategy analyst, and you're not used to case interviews, they can be challenging. That's why we've put together the ultimate guide to the Capital One analyst interview to maximise your chances of success.

Here's an overview of what we'll cover:

• Assessment tests
• Case interviews
• Product questions
• Behavioural questions
• Preparation tips

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with case interview experts

NB: If you're a software engineer interviewing at Capital One, check out our engineering interview guides .

1. Capital One: doing things differently

Capital One is unique. As of the time of this article, it's the 13th largest bank ($450bn in assets)  in the United States, behind firms like  Goldman Sachs , JP Morgan , and Morgan Stanley , despite being founded as a single-business  bank in 1994. The business was initially only focused on credit cards but now include the following 3 verticals:

• Credit Cards
• Consumer Banking
• Commercial Banking

The company's success has been driven largely by its clever use of data . They've developed sophisticated strategies for identifying and directly marketing to profitable customers. This has created a competitive advantage vs. traditional banks, which have historically focused on broad (rather than targeted) marketing.

Capital One also has their own  strategy group , which essentially serves as an internal consulting firm.

Although Capital One is a top player in the banking industry, their unusual history and technology focus, has created a unique culture. It has more of a "tech firm" feel, than you'd expect from a giant financial institution. Another notable area where Capital One is different from their peers, is in their interview process.

2. Capital One interview process

The type of work (and the nature of the interview) you can expect at Capital One varies across group and role. They hire for roles ranging from call center reps, to software engineers and business analysts.

This guide is primarily written for business analyst candidates, but most of what we say here is applicable for anyone with a case interview at Capital One, including senior data anlaysts and strategy analysts.

The application process includes 4 main stages:

• Resume & cover letter submission
• Pre-interview online assessment tests
• First-round interview

Power Day of 3-5 interviews

Let's take a closer look at each step in the Capital One interview process.

2.1 Resume & cover letter submission

First, recruiters will look at your resume and assess if your experience matches the open position. This is the most competitive step in the process—we’ve found that 90% of candidates don’t make it past this stage.

You can use  this free resume guide  and this  free cover letter guide  to help tailor your application to the position you’re targeting. 

And if you’re looking for expert feedback, you can also get input from our  team of  expert recruiters , who will  cover what achievements to focus on (or ignore), how to get more impact from your bullet points, and more.

2.2 Capital One online assessment tests

After the initial application, you'll face the   online assessment tests.

For the business analyst position, the BA quantitative assessment usually consists of 11 questions that aim to assess basic analytical skills. You'll be given a data set and you'll need to use a spreadsheet to solve mathematical and analytical problems.

Example Capital One online assessment question

• Ali and Sophie are budding musicians who have been playing Thursday night shows at a local live music venue. The venue told them that over the course of the last four weeks, they’ve had 900 tickets sold for their shows. They are curious to see how many people are repeat fans, coming to more than one show. The venue’s recent customer survey says that 60% of fans have come once, 30% have come twice, 6% have come three times, and 4% have come four times. How many unique people have seen an Ali and Sophie show during this time period?

2.3 First round mini case interview

If you pass the online assessment, you make it to the first round 'mini case interview', which will be conducted via phone or video call. Be ready to hit the ground running in this interview, don't expect much "getting to know you" discussion because they usually get straight to the case. This interview will normally last 30 minutes.

2.4 Final round Power Day

The final round, often referred to as a "Power Day" or a "Super Day", is  a series of 3-5 back-to-back interviews .

For the role of business analyst, you can expect two case interviews and one product interview, with behavioral questions thrown in at the start of each interview.

If you're interviewing for a more technical role, such as senior data analyst, you will face a technical interview such as coding or a data challenge, one case interview and one behavioral interview.

Now you know the interview process, let's go deeper into what questions you can expect to face.

3. Capital One interview questions

In this section we'll take a look at the type of questions you can expect to face in your Capital One interview. We'll start with the most important, and the most challenging: case interview questions.

3.1 Capital one case interviews

Case interviews are the most important part of the Capital One interview process. The company has published a video tutorial, which shows the style of their case interviews.

We've embedded it for your reference below. It's a great resource, but it's pretty long (about 20 minutes), so we've also summarised the key take-aways and added some additional commentary below.

Capital One case interviews include 3 sections:

• Business situation and framework
• Quantitative question
• Recommendation

Each section of the case interview has particular things you'll need to prepare for. Let's look at each one in-depth.

A. Business situation and framework

The first several minutes of the interview will cover the business scenario and case framework. This typically begins with the recruiter providing a brief statement about the business or industry where you'll focus for the case. In the sample case (in the video), you're the CEO of Ice Cream Corporation. 

Typically, the recruiter will end their opening statement with a broad question. For example: "What are the key factors you would consider when developing a strategy to grow profits for Ice Cream Corporation?" For this stage of the interview, you should have two objectives.

First, you should ask clarification questions to make sure that you understand the situation correctly. For instance, in the video above the first candidate asks exactly what role the CEO has with regards to "pricing" and to "sales". Many candidates skip that initial step, but it's actually essential because it will help you put together a more relevant framework.

Second, once you fully understand the situation and question the interviewer is asking you, you should put a simple case framework together to answer the interviewer's question. The objective of this framework is to identify and communicate key areas that you will consider to answer the interviewer's main question. For instance, the candidates in the video mention areas including pricing, number of markets, number of competitors, their size, etc.

If you're familiar with the different types of case interviews, you'll notice that Capital One uses the interviewer-led approach. This is similar to the method used by McKinsey in their application process .

That said, we still recommend that you try and drive the case forward yourself to a certain extent, by communicating the implications of your answer with the interviewer. This will show them that you're able to think a few steps ahead and take an active approach to problem-solving.

B. Quantitative question

The second stage of the interview is heavily focused on maths skills. The recruiter will provide you with some data, and ask you to perform calculations.

In the sample case, you're asked to calculate total monthly profit for Ice Cream Corporation, given the following data:

• Price per carton = $5
• Cost per carton = $1
• Demand = 100 cartons/month

It's important to ask questions at this stage, as the recruiter may have additional data which they have not yet provided. The video shows a great example of this, when the candidate asks how much of the cost is variable vs. fixed cost. 

• Variable cost per carton = $1
• Fixed cost per carton = $0

At this point, the calculation is straight-forward.

• ($5-$1) X 100 cartons = $400 profit

Make sure you talk through your logic, to show the recruiter your problem-solving skills. This will also help them to steer you back on track, if you've misheard any of the data.

Don't expect all of the calculations in your interview to be this simple. There are 2 additional examples provided in the video, which include elasticity of demand and break even calculations. These require a little extra work, but your approach will be the same:

• Understand the data provided
• Ask for more information when necessary
• Lay out your approach
• Perform the calculations

In our experience, the best candidates brush up ahead of their interview, so they can   have confidence in their maths skills . If you do the same, this will give you a polished reaction during interviews, which recruiters will notice. Compared with the case interviews used at consulting firms, the case interviews at Capital One tend to have a greater focus on quantitative questions. So you should expect to spend more time on these types of quant problems during your interview, and less time on other areas, like creative brainstorming.

C. Recommendation

In the final stage of the interview, you'll be expected to make and defend a recommendation. To form your recommendation, draw on the calculations from the previous stage (e.g. the results of the break-even analysis). Consider the numbers, use your intuition, and make a decision . 

For example, this might be your conclusion: "since frozen ice cream is a non-perishable, I think it would be reasonable to expect most of the additional sales from a promotion, to come from stock-up behavior. I'd recommend looking for other opportunities to increase sales."

The specific strategy you suggest, is less important than your logic and ability to defend it . Expect the recruiter to question your approach. For a recommendation like this, they may ask you to explain how you would go about identifying other opportunities.

Additional tips for your Capital One case interview:

• Don't be surprised if you're given a case from outside the finance industry
• Take notes on the information provided by the recruiter.
• Ask for a minute to organize your thoughts when needed.
• Talk through your thought process, show your work as you do it.
• If you don't understand a topic, ask the interviewer for clarification.
• Call out important assumptions.
• Notice directional cues, as the recruiter may want to steer the conversation.
• You're usually allowed a calculator, so bring one that's easy to use

3.2 Capital One behavioural and fit interview questions

In addition to case interviews, Capital One also uses behavioural questions/interviews, like most companies do. While you may not get a whole interview devoted specifically to behavioral questions, you can expect to face them at the start of your case and product interviews.

Behavioural interview questions asked at Capital One fall into two main categories:

• Fit questions. These are generic questions such as “Why financial services?” or “ Why Capital One? ”.
• Personal Experience Interview (PEI) questions. These are questions such as “Tell me about a time when you lead a team through a difficult situation.” Or “Tell me about a time where you had to manage a team conflict”

We've written extensively about   fit / PEI questions   in another guide. But in summary here are the top 5 fit and PEI questions you should prepare for at Capital One, or other firms.

Top 5 fit questions:

• Why Capital One?
• Why financial services?
• Walk me through your resume
• Tell me about something not on your resume
• Tell me about your greatest accomplishment

Top 5 PEI questions. Tell me about a time when ...

• You failed at work
• You worked in a team and had to manage a conflict
• You had a disagreement with a colleague / boss
• You had to change someone's / a group's mind
• You led a team through a difficult situation

Capital One is known to favor the STAR method when it comes to answering behavioral questions. So, for your interview, plan to answer behavioural questions using the following format:

• S - Situation

This approach will help you to answer each question in a clear, and methodical way, which are great qualities to demonstrate when interviewing with Capital One. 

3.2.1 "Why Capital One?" interview question

You're almost guaranteed to be asked this question, so let's dive a bit deeper into how you should answer it. Here are 3 ways to make your answer stand out:

Name-drop: Before the interview, make an effort to meet with or call one or more current employees of the firm. Ask them what it’s like working there, why they chose Capital One and what is unique about it. This will give you good, specific talking points for your answer, and mentioning their names shows the interviewer that you’ve put in effort to get to know the company.

Be specific. Test out your answer by swapping another bank’s name with the one you’ve got in mind. If your answer could also apply to this other bank, then you need to fine tune it.

Keep up with recent activity : Being aware of the latest deals and developments in the department you’re applying to will give you an idea of what kind of projects you’ll get to work on, and whether they sound interesting to you. Bringing them up in the interview will show the interviewer that you’ve done your research and stay up to date on market news.

Example answer: "Why do you want to work at Capital One?"

“I want to work at Capital One for three main reasons. First, I want to work in a very data-driven environment and to have access to a vast amount of data when working strategically. I've been really impressed with Capital One's pioneering use of data and machine learning in the banking sector, which has helped it gain market share across its verticals.

Second, I've also been impressed with Capital One's strategy regarding a banking-as-a-service model and embedded finance. I saw an interview with Richard Fairbank (CEO) talking about how all banks needed to collaborate with fintech apps to provide instantaneous results for customers, rather than working in silos, and I thought he articulated a really strong vision.

And finally, I’ve had a few conversations with Seth White and Tamara Grey, associates in the McLean office, both of whom gave me a great impression of the firm as a whole. Seth in particular encouraged me to apply to the Travel team, as we share a similar educational background, and he was complimentary of the opportunities he’s been given to succeed."

See more details on how to answer the "Why this company?" interview question .

3.3 Product questions

If you're interviewing for a business analyst role, one of your Power Day interviews will be a product interview. Compared to the very quantitative case interviews, the product interview is a lot more qualitative and you'll need to think more creatively.

In almost all the interview reports we've seen over the last year or so, the candidate was asked to improve a product in some way. We recommend you read our article on How to answer product improvement questions to help you structure your response.

Example Capital One product questions from business analyst candidates:

• Describe 12 uses for an alarm clock
• How would you redesign an alarm clock?
• What is the customer base for this product?
• Describe 10 ways to improve an umbrella
• How would you improve this water bottle?
• What's your favorite product and how would you improve it?

4. How do I prepare for a Capital One case interview?

Here's how we recommend you prepare for your Capital One case interview. First, use Capital One case studies to research the company. Second, become really confident at maths. Then, learn a consistent method to approach case interview problems. Fourth, practise a lot and learn from your mistakes. And finally, do mock interviews to hone your case interview technique.

4.1 Use Capital One case study examples for research

Case interviews require no prior knowledge. However, you can bet that overall your interviews at Capital One will go a lot better if you go in having done some research on the company and the wider financial industry.

Capital One shares some case studies on its website, which are well worth looking over. Also take a look at some of the articles on Capital One's insights center . Elsewhere in the media, we liked this piece on how Capital One uses data to get an advantage .

If you're coming from a finance background, you may already have a good knowledge of Capital One's place in the sector. If not, check out Investopedia for a brief summary.

4.2 Become really confident at maths

You don't have to have a perfect GPA or GMAT score to succeed at case interview maths. And in any case, during your Capital One interviews, you will be allowed to use a calculator. That said, it will help if you're confident performing mental maths quickly and accurately.

In order to do this, it’s essential to know the formulas for common metrics, like return on investment or breakeven point. And it’s also helpful to know a few maths shortcuts to help you solve problems more quickly. To learn more about these topics, check out our free guide to case interview maths . 

In our experience, the most successful applicants start their interview preparation by practising maths skills, so make sure you prioritise this step.

4.3 Develop a consistent method to crack cases

One of the biggest challenges of interviewing with Capital One  is solving cases that you’ve never seen before. Each case can be difficult, and you’ll have to perform well across multiple case interviews in order to get an offer.

As a result, it’s critical for you to have a consistent approach for solving cases. Capital One  uses interviewer-led case interviews, which can be broken down into the following types of questions:

• Framework development
• Quant question – Data provided
• Creativity question

If you can crack each type of question (within a case), then you can crack the overall case.

Use this list of example case interviews to practice with. The companies listed here are consulting companies rather than banks, but doesn't matter as case interviews use examples from all sorts of industries, not just the one you're interviewing for.

4.4 Learn from every mistake you make

During case interview preparation, the quality of your preparation is just as important as the quantity of time that you dedicate. It's better to do 20 cases thoughtfully than to rush through 40 cases. 

We recommend that you keep a notebook where you record improvement opportunities and specific things you did well for each case. 

The notebook and self-evaluation will help you to be more strategic (and efficient) with your preparation. It's also a good idea to go back and re-do old cases. For example, after you have done case #20, you could go back to case #1, to make sure you are not repeating the same mistakes.

The minimum preparation time required to succeed in case interviews is probably around 30 hours. However, if you don't prepare thoughtfully, it may take much longer. So take notes, be strategic, and keep practising!

4.5 Do mock interviews

How you solve each case is important, but your interviewers will also be evaluating how you COMMUNICATE your answers. It's important to speak in a structured way that makes it easy to clearly understand your points.

The best way to hone your communication skills is to practise interviewing out loud, and you can do that in three main ways:

• Interview yourself (out loud)
• Practise interviewing with friends or family
• Practise interviewing with ex-interviewers

Practising by yourself is a great way to get started, and can help you get more comfortable with the flow of a case interview. However, this type of practice won’t prepare you for realistic interview conditions. 

After getting some practice on your own, you should find someone who can do a mock interview with you, like a friend or family member.

We’d also recommend that you practise 1-1 with ex-interviewers from top consulting firms . This is the best way to replicate the conditions of a real case interview, and to get feedback from someone who understands the process extremely well.

Click here to book your mock case interview.

That's all you need to know about the Capital One case interview, from all of us at IGotAnOffer, good luck!

What Is the Capital One Assessment Test?

Capital one case interview, how to prepare for capital one interview questions and assessments, tips for the capital one case interview, frequently asked questions, final thoughts, a full guide to the capital one assessments & interview.

Updated November 18, 2023

In this comprehensive guide , you’ll discover everything you need to know about the Capital One assessment and interview process.

These are designed to help the company select the best candidates for its team. To increase your chance of getting hired, it's important to be prepared.

Find out what to expect, how to prepare and the skills and qualities Capital One hiring managers are looking for in a candidate.

Capital One is an established financial services company with a focus on technology and innovation.

To become an employee, or ‘associate’, at Capital One you'll need to pass a series of online assessments and interviews .

The Capital One hiring process is as follows:

Take a Practice Capital One Assessment at JobTestPrep

• Complete your application on the Capital One Workday system
• Upload your resume and supporting documents
• Complete online assessment
• Virtual interviews online
• Power Day interview – The final round

You will be sent a link for online assessments through your Workday account.

Interviews are generally held online using Zoom, but telephone interviews may also be required.

Capital One Online Assessment

The Capital One Virtual Job Tryout (VJT) is the most common online interactive assessment tool used by Capital One.

It is used to assess the skills and potential of applicants during the recruitment process.

The online test simulates job-related tasks and scenarios you are likely to encounter in the role you apply for.

The VJT consists of a series of modules. The specific modules you take will vary depending on the position applied for.

For example, a VJT for a customer service position may assess problem-solving and communication skills.

The question types include:

• Simulated workplace scenarios
• Multiple-choice questions
• Interactive exercises

The total test time is between 60 to 90 minutes .

The VJT gives candidates a preview of the job and the work environment. It is also used to identify candidates who are a good fit for the company culture and values .

Examples of areas covered include:

• Customer service – This could involve simulated scenarios to assess your ability to handle customer inquiries and complaints effectively.
• Teamwork and collaboration – This evaluates your ability to work constructively as part of a team, including collaboration and conflict management.
• Data analysis – This assesses your numerical reasoning and ability to analyze and interpret data using tables and charts.
• Problem-solving – These questions assess critical thinking. Candidates need to analyze information and present suitable solutions.
• Leadership – These questions assess your ability to make effective decisions in challenging situations and demonstrate strong leadership skills.

Each section is designed to assess different skills, including those below.

Numerical Reasoning

Numerical reasoning is the ability to manipulate and analyze numerical data. You will be presented with charts, diagrams and graphs.

Candidates can use a calculator but will need a good understanding of basic mathematical concepts.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the ability to comprehend texts and select relevant information.

You will be presented with a series of questions that relate to a text and asked to identify if statements are true, false or if there is not enough information to determine either way.

Situational Judgment Test

The SJT section involves hypothetical workplace scenarios. You will be given the scenario and asked to decide on a course of action.

You will need to choose an answer that is honest but also reflects the values and company culture of Capital One.

The Capital One coding assessment is only used in applications for technology and cyber-related roles.

For example, you may expect a coding assessment as part of a Capital One software engineer interview.

Refer to the job description and person specification to understand what type of assessment you might need to complete.

Capital One Online Assessment Examples

Numerical reasoning sample questions.

What is the average temperature in the UK for the year?

a) 13.42 b) 15.62 c) 12.54 d) 14.67

How much rain fell in Hawaii and California combined?

a) 15.5 cm b) 24.6 cm c) 28.5 cm d) 30.2 cm

Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions

Read the following passage of text and answer the questions that follow.

According to scientific research, people who exercise regularly are more likely to experience beneficial psychological effects, including reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression and increased mood and self-esteem. Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, memory and overall brain health. Although the benefits of physical activity are well-known, many people struggle to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. To overcome this challenge, experts recommend finding an activity that you enjoy and that fits into your schedule. Some examples include team sports, walking, swimming, yoga or going to the gym. You can also encourage friends and family members to support you. This will help you stay motivated. By making exercise a regular part of your life, you can enjoy the range of benefits it offers for both your physical and mental health.

1. Engaging in exercise has no impact on your psychological health.

a) True b) False

2. Everyone will benefit from and enjoy doing team sports, walking and going to the gym.

3. Friends and family can help keep you motivated to maintain your fitness goals.

Situational Judgment Sample Questions

1. You are helping a customer who is interested in purchasing a television. Another customer approaches you looking upset.

They interrupt your conversation, demanding a refund for a purchase they made earlier in the week.

You scan your surroundings but can’t see another colleague available to help the second customer. What do you do?

a) Apologize to the second customer and explain you’re helping another customer. You promise to help them after you’re done. b) You politely ask the first customer to wait while you try and resolve the issue with the upset customer. c) You apologize to both and explain you’ll go and find another colleague to help the second customer. d) You say you can call the store supervisors and ask them to come and help the second customer with the complaint.

2. Read the following scenario and choose the best response from those given below.

You are working in a large team on a complex project that has a tight deadline. One of your colleagues, Toni, was absent for two days without any explanation and now seems very distracted. This is having a negative impact on other members of the team who are relying on Toni’s output to complete their tasks.

a) Ignore Toni's absence and lack of focus; concentrate on your own workload. b) Talk to your colleagues and try to cover for Toni's absence and lack of focus. c) Reach out to Toni and ask them if they need any help catching up. d) Tell Toni to catch up quickly or you will report their absence to your line manager.

There are two types of Capital One interview:

• Behavioral and job fit interview
• Case interview

The behavioral and job fit interview is used to evaluate a candidate's suitability for the position based on their past behavior and experiences.

For the Capital One behavioral interview questions the hiring manager asks about past work experiences, achievements and challenges to assess how well they align with the requirements of the role.

The Capital One case interview is a practical assessment of a candidate's ability to interpret and analyze a scenario.

Candidates must develop a solution to the problem posed in the scenario. This involves data manipulation and is a rigorous interview.

Examples of Capital One Interview Questions

Behavioral and job fit capital one interview questions, 1. "tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure to meet a deadline.".

Tips for answering:

• Choose a relevant example – Select an example from your professional experience that closely aligns with the job requirements or the skills the employer is seeking.
• Provide context – Provide a brief overview of the project or task, including the specific deadline and the importance of meeting it.
• Describe the challenge – Clearly explain the obstacles or challenges you faced.
• Highlight your actions – Describe the specific actions you took.
• Discuss the outcome – Share the result of your efforts

Example answer:

In my previous role as a project manager at XYZ Company, I faced a situation where we had to meet a critical deadline for a marketing campaign. The design team encountered unexpected technical issues, causing a significant delay. To overcome this setback, I quickly organized a meeting, reallocated resources, extended work hours, and closely monitored progress. Through effective communication and a focused approach, we successfully delivered the campaign on time, receiving positive feedback. This experience reinforced my ability to handle pressure, adapt, and foster collaboration to achieve goals.

This is a good answer because it highlights the candidate's problem-solving skills, ability to adapt to unexpected challenges and their role in successfully delivering the project on time.

The answer also emphasizes important qualities such as effective communication, teamwork, and maintaining a composed demeanor under pressure.

2. "Describe a project you worked on where you had to collaborate with a team."

To help you answer this style of Capital One job fit interview questions, you can:

• Use the STAR method – In your response, describe the situation (S), task (T), action (A) and result (R).
• Describe specific examples which highlight your skills rather than provide a generalized answer.
• Be honest and don’t create examples that aren’t factual.
• Use examples that reflect the desired qualities in the job description.

In my previous role as a business analyst at XYZ Company, I collaborated with a cross-functional team on a time-sensitive data analytics project. We aimed to analyze customer behavior and improve marketing campaigns. I facilitated meetings, coordinated data collection and analysis, and encouraged open communication. Our collaborative efforts resulted in actionable insights that enhanced campaign performance, driving higher conversions and revenue. This experience reinforced the value of teamwork, communication, and adaptability, aligning with Capital One's emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

This is a good answer because the candidate describes a specific project where they had to collaborate with a team, highlighting their role in facilitating meetings, coordinating efforts and encouraging open communication.

The answer also emphasizes the positive outcome of the collaboration, showcasing the candidate's ability to work effectively with others to achieve tangible results.

Additionally, the response aligns the candidate's experience with the desired qualities mentioned in the job description, such as teamwork, communication, adaptability, and a focus on innovation.

3. "Why do you want to work at Capital One?"**

• Research the company – Familiarize yourself with Capital One's values, mission and recent achievements
• Focus on key points – Identify a few key reasons why you are interested in working at Capital One. These could include their technological advancements, customer-centric approach, commitment to diversity and inclusion, or their reputation as an industry leader.
• Make connections to your skills and experiences – Draw connections between your skills, experiences and the qualities or initiatives you admire about Capital One.
• Tailor your answer – Customize your answer to reflect your own motivations and experiences. Avoid using generic statements that could apply to any company. Instead, make your response specific to Capital One and what sets it apart in your eyes.

Example question:

I am enthusiastic about working at Capital One because of its reputation as an innovative leader in the financial industry. I am particularly drawn to the company's commitment to leveraging technology and data analytics to drive positive change. Capital One's customer-centric approach and dedication to delivering exceptional experiences align with my own values. Additionally, I appreciate the company's focus on diversity and inclusion, as well as its investment in employee growth and development. Joining Capital One would provide me with the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge solutions and be part of a dynamic team shaping the future of finance.

This answer highlights the candidate's genuine interest and enthusiasm for working at Capital One. The answer provides specific reasons that align with the company's values.

By mentioning these key points, the candidate demonstrates their knowledge of the company and its initiatives, showing that they have done their research.

The answer also briefly connects the candidate's skills and experiences to the qualities they admire about Capital One, indicating their potential value as a future employee.

4. "What is your greatest achievement?"

To answer this style of question, you can:

• Show enthusiasm for the company and share what you’ve learned
• Relate to the values and culture of Capital One
• Choose examples that are relevant to the specific job role
• Be humble and acknowledge the part you played as part of a team

One of my greatest achievements was leading a team to successfully implement a complex software solution for a client. This project streamlined processes, resulting in a 30% reduction in processing time and improved accuracy. While I played a significant role, this achievement was a result of strong collaboration and the collective efforts of the team. It aligns with Capital One's values of collaboration, innovation, and delivering value to clients. I look forward to bringing my skills and experiences to contribute to future achievements at Capital One.

This answer is good because it highlights a specific achievement that demonstrates leadership, collaboration and the ability to deliver tangible results.

The candidate emphasizes the positive impact their achievement had on the client's business, showcasing their ability to create value and strengthen business relationships.

The answer also relates the achievement to the values of Capital One, such as collaboration, innovation and delivering value to clients, showing alignment with the company's culture and priorities.

Capital One Case Interview Examples

In the case interview, you will be presented with a business scenario.

Some examples of these scenarios and worked answers are given by Capital One .

They follow a similar format:

• Read and take notes on the scenario
• Check the information given and the objective of the case
• Ask questions to clarify the data
• Devise a framework to solve the problem
• Analyze the data and perform calculations
• Explain your response and recommendations for the case

Remember to communicate your perspective and approach throughout the interview. The hiring manager wants to understand your thought processes.

There may be alternative answers to the one you provide. However, it is your problem-solving methodology and communication that is most important.

If you need to prepare for a number of different employment tests and want to outsmart the competition, choose a Premium Membership from JobTestPrep . You will get access to three PrepPacks of your choice, from a database that covers all the major test providers and employers and tailored profession packs.

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Step 1 . Understand the Role You’re Applying For

A clear understanding of the role you are applying for can help in a number of ways:

• Help you anticipate the type of questions you will be asked
• Allow you to tailor your responses to meet the person specifications
• Let you answer questions more effectively
• Enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of the financial industry
• Let you highlight relevant past experience

The hiring manager wants to know you are the right fit for the company. Remember that the core values of Capital One are ‘excellence’ and ‘do the right thing’.

You need to know exactly what they are looking for to align your responses to meet these requirements.

This will help set you apart from other candidates in your recruitment pool.

Step 2 . Take Practice Tests Online

Take practice tests online to help you understand the types of questions you are likely to face in the assessment.

Practice tests can help identify areas you need to focus on. For example, these could be numerical reasoning or verbal reasoning.

Sitting tests under timed conditions helps you manage your time more effectively. This can increase your chance of success on test day.

Most importantly, an awareness of the types of questions improves your confidence.

Take a range of personality tests to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Step 3 . Read About Capital One Case Study Interview Samples

Capital One offers a valuable resource of sample case interview questions . These are similar to the ones you may encounter during your case interview.

It is recommended that you review these Capital One case interview examples before your interview. This helps familiarize you with the format, style and structure of the questions.

It can help prompt you to think of any potential questions you could ask on the day. For example, you might recognize common business strategies or frameworks you can research.

Step 4 . Review Basic Math and Logic Theories

A good foundation in math is crucial given Capital One’s focus on finance and data analysis.

Revise mathematical concepts such as algebra, probability, statistics and financial calculations .

Consider how you can apply these to real-world scenarios and solve problems. Without these skills, candidates may struggle to perform well in the assessments or interviews.

Try reading relevant textbooks, practice mathematical problems and locate resources online to build your skills.

This will help you demonstrate your aptitude for mathematics and position yourself as a valuable contributor to the organization.

Step 5 . Record Yourself Answering Mock Capital One Interview Questions

It can be more difficult to make a good impression online compared to face-to-face.

Recording your answers can help you identify areas you can improve. For example, this may be by answering more concisely or keeping to the topic.

You will be able to analyze your body language and tone of voice to see how you present to others.

If you feel nervous, it can help increase your confidence by rehearsing your responses.

Additionally, you can share your recording with a friend or mentor and ask for advice.

Step 6 . Make Sure Your Technology Works

Don’t get caught out on the day of your assessment or interview. Make sure everything is working in advance.

Check your internet connection is working and the speed is good. Charge, or plug in, the devices you need.

If you are using Zoom, test it out beforehand so you understand the features and how it works.

Check that you have access to all the links you need so you are prepared and ready to start.

Step 7 . Be Professional

Take your online assessment in a quiet room, free from distraction . This will help you concentrate on your test.

Assessments and interviews can feel stressful and nerve-racking. Try to remain calm and relaxed.

Wear a professional outfit to help you feel confident during your interview.

For your online interview, make sure your background is neutral and not distracting. Sit in good lighting so the hiring manager has a clear view.

Try to be yourself and appear enthusiastic and interested.

Tips for interview success include:

• Take notes during the interview
• Ask for clarification if necessary
• Pause before answering to organize thoughts
• Explain each step of your thought process
• Break down the problem into manageable parts
• Use data to support your recommendations
• Check the accuracy of your analysis throughout

The Capital One case study interview is your opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving ability, communication skills and business insight.

By preparing thoroughly for the Capital One interview process, you can demonstrate your potential to contribute positively to the organization.

What is the Capital One assessment test?

The Capital One assessment is an online test designed to select suitable candidates to hire. It consists of a range of different tests depending on the role applied for.

Some examples include numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and situational judgment style questions. Candidates who pass will be selected for an interview.

Is the Capital One online assessment hard to pass?

The online assessment is designed to determine whether candidates are a good fit for the organization. The questions may be unfamiliar so it is important to prepare fully.

Results are compared with other applicants so a higher score offers more chance of success. If selected, you will progress to the next stage of the recruitment procedure.

How to prepare for the Capital One case interview?

To prepare for the Capital One case interview, read some examples of case interviews. Work methodically through the situation presented.

Consider all the options and review your solutions. This gives you a useful framework to guide you in the actual interview.

Which company is better to go with in the Capital One case interview?

You will be given a specific scenario in the Capital One technical case interview; you don’t get to choose a particular company.

The case study is designed to assess your communication skills, problem-solving abilities and quantitative analytical skills.

What kind of questions are asked in the Capital One case interview?

In the Capital One case interview, you will be asked to put yourself in the place of a business owner.

You will be presented with a situation and the costs. Then you must use this information and data to decide on the best response to the given scenario.

What is the next step after taking the Capital One case interview?

If you are successful at the Capital One case interview you will be invited to a Power Day.

This is a day consisting of four interviews lasting around four hours. This is the final stage of the recruitment process.

Where can I get sample questions for the Capital One online assessment?

You can find sample questions for the Capital One online assessment at JobTestPrep .

You can also practice free numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and situational judgment tests online.

How to pass an online job assessment test for Capital One?

To pass the online job assessment test you need to practice and prepare in advance. Take practice tests online and brush up on your math skills.

What is the Capital One pass score for the assessment test?

Candidates are expected to achieve at least 50% in the online Capital One assessment test.

The passing score can vary depending on which role you have applied for.

How long is the Capital One assessment test?

The Capital One assessment test is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes. This depends on which sections you have been asked to complete.

How to know if you have passed the assessment test for Capital One?

As the Capital One assessment test is completed online, you will usually receive your scores by email.

They may be posted in your Capital One Workday online account.

Where can I find a complete guide for the Capital One online assessment?

A complete guide for the Capital One online assessment can be found at JobTestPrep.

The guide includes helpful tips and practice questions to help improve your chance of success.

The recruitment process for careers at Capital One is very competitive .

Research the role you are applying for as well as the core company values. The hiring manager is looking for candidates who fit with the workplace culture as well as the position.

Prepare effectively by practicing similar tests online and developing your interview skills.

This helps position you as a strong candidate and improves your chance of success.

You might also be interested in these other PRT articles:

The Capital One Case Interview: Everything You Need to Know

• Last Updated April, 2024

The Skills Capital One Looks for in Candidates

A capital one case example, what the capital one interview process looks like, 7 tips on how to prepare for the capital one case interview, how capital one cases differ from traditional strategy consulting cases, frequently asked fit interview questions.

Capital One is a pretty unique company: it’s a bank, with a culture that’s more like a tech or data firm. And therefore, the Capital One case interview is also pretty unique.

If you’re interviewing with consulting firms, you’ll recognize the overall format of a Capital One case interview. It is structured more like a strategy consulting case (and not like a typical bank interview). 

BUT the Capital One case interview contains more math, and often requires some knowledge of financial products.

Don’t worry! We can tell you what to expect and how to prepare.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• The skills Capital One looks for in candidates,
• What their interview process looks like,
• How their cases differ from traditional strategy consulting cases,
• A Capital One case example,
• 7 tips on how to prepare, and
• A list of frequently asked fit interview questions.

Let’s get started!

In your Capital One Case interview, the interviewer will assess you on problem-solving, fluency on business concepts, communication skills, and especially, quantitative skills.

Just like other case interviews, in the Capital One case interview, you want to demonstrate how you think. 

You will have to be structured and organized, and communicate clearly throughout the case. To review some of the basics of how to ace the case interview, you should check out Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep .

While the Capital One case interview resembles a typical case interview, it will be focused mainly on assessing your quantitative capabilities. Capital One is very data intensive, and they want to bring on employees who are excited to solve problems using math. 

In other words, Capital One wants to hire people who are fluent in making data-driven decisions. So during your Capital One case interview, you’ll want to demonstrate that you are very comfortable with math. 

There’s a big difference between forcing your way through a tough math problem and dare I say… enjoying it. 

You’ll want to feel super confident in your skills and your Capital One case prep. So even if you get tripped up or stumble during the case, you should look at the Capital One case interview as a puzzle to solve rather than the oral-math-test-that-ruins-your-life-and-disappoints-grandma.

One of our consultant advisors who gave input on this article shared this example: 

“ I got a “D” on my first finance mid-term in undergrad. I was so mad that I became a finance major and got a job in finance at a bank after college. I used to struggle with using new financial concepts, but now I have a great skillset to wrangle financial, marketing, and data challenges.”

You’ll want to display that kind of playful grit as you work through the Capital One case interview. They are meant to be tough and put people on their toes. 

We’ll talk more about how the Capital One case is different and outline a sample case below. 

Before we get to the details, we want to emphasize that you can practice your way to being prepared for this kind of math-heavy case .

In a Capital One case interview, the interviewer will also assess your communication skills based on your ability to:

• Drive the discussion
• Communicate complex ideas in simple terms

Driving the discussion

In the Capital One case interview, the interviewer wants you to play the role of a business owner as opposed to a consultant. This small change shifts the dynamic to you to drive the conversation. 

DON’T be thrown by the fact that your interviewer is not offering up clear next steps or sometimes withholds key information. 

DO get comfortable with asking questions when you need to know more. 

DO practice transitions so you can smoothly flow from each small conclusion to the next topic. 

To help with transitions, you can use something like the phrase “Well now that we’ve concluded X, I’d like to get a better understanding of Y.”

Communicating Complex Ideas in Simple Terms

You will likely need to be able to explain difficult concepts to someone who is (pretending) not to be an expert on the subject. 

Be prepared to break your analysis down into simple, logical steps, and walk your interviewer through what you’re doing. Communicating about your analytical approach is often more important than getting the math right. 

Do take good notes during the interview, especially on data you may need for calculations.

DO use structured thinking to outline how you want to analyze the problem and to ask questions about the data points you need to make decisions. 

DON’T dive into a calculation before you’ve walked your interviewer through your analytical structure. 

We’ve heard many stories of consultants who outlined their logic, flubbed the math a little, made a correction, adapted their answer, moved on to the recommendation, and got an offer.

Your ability to adjust your approach based on feedback is important, so if you’re able to quickly understand your error, you will probably get a pass on a simple math mistake if you were able to outline the correct logic and keep moving through the case without getting flustered. 

Now that we’ve reviewed what Capital One is looking for, let’s review their overall interview process. 

Overall the Capital One interview process looks similar to other firms. 

If you’re recruiting on-campus for various analyst roles, the process typically looks like this: 

• Resume drop (no cover letter)
• First round of interviews (2 interviews – case and behavioral)
• Final round of interviews (4 interviews – case, product, and behavioral)

Try to finish working through your case with enough time left for a few fit questions, and for your questions for the interviewer. 

If you’re applying from a school that doesn’t have a formal Capital One recruiting program, or as an experienced hire, there may be some additional elements to your application and interview process including: 

• A cover letter, and
• An online assessment.

Now that you’ve got the basics on the interview process, let’s talk about how the Capital One case interview is different from other interviews you’ve done!

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

The Capital One case interview demands more from candidates than a typical case interview. Here’s an overview of the main differences: 

• The Capital One case interview is very math-heavy.
• You can use a calculator!
• There is less focus on working with clients.
• You should be prepared to drive the case with a “business owner” mindset.
• There may be more than one right answer to the overall case.
• There may be cases about financial products.

The Capital One Case Interview Is Very Math-heavy

Capital One is looking to get a clear assessment of your data-driven decision-making capabilities. 

What does that even mean? 

In the Capital One case interview, you will cover fewer ambiguous concepts than in other case interviews. In a typical management consulting case interview, a smart, organized, great communicator who happens to be weak on math could ‘logic’ their way to some pretty solid recommendations. 

That’s not possible in the Capital One case interview.

A Capital One Case interview will have multiple discrete math problems. They often involve Algebra. Remember solving for “X”? Me neither. But you should revisit basic algebra and how to solve for unknown variables. 

There will be right answers to each of those problems, and they should steer you towards a final recommendation.

Capital One Cases Often Involve Break-even Analysis

The most frequent type of math problem in a Capital One case interview is a break even analysis. What the interviewer is often looking for is a recommendation on whether a particular strategy and investment will be ‘worth it’ for the company. 

In order to determine whether an investment meets the client’s expectations, it’s a good idea to ask your interviewer what their goals are. Example: would they be happy with a 3-year payback timeline? Or would a profit margin of 25% meet their expectations?

One of the most frequent types of break-even analysis is the time to break even. Here’s a sample formula. 

      Break-even:  Investment cost / annual profit = years to break even 

A break-even case might be structured likes this: 

• Evaluate a new strategy for a company (e.g., the firm is launching a new product, changing pricing, etc.)
• Assess the cost of this new strategy (both upfront and changes to ongoing costs).
• Assess the impact to revenue over time,
• Calculate the impact to profit (note how much higher profits will be once we hit a steady-state).
• Estimate the break-even time.
• Make a recommendation on whether the effort seems ‘worth it’. 

The recommendation you make may be subjective based on your experience, here’s a few examples: 

• Break-even is two years, and profits increase 2%.
• Break-even is two years, and profits increase 10%.
• Break-even is ten years, and profits increase 20%.
• Break-even is ten years, and profits increase 5%.

If you’ve asked your interviewer about the client’s profitability expectations, use their answer to determine whether the project meets them. If the interviewer does not provide concrete expectations, you will have to use your business judgment. 

For my money, options B and C appear worth it. Options A and D take too long or yield too little of a return in general.

Capital One Cases Are Sometimes Missing Essential Data

Another tricky element that may pop up in a Capital One case interview is that some essential data may be missing. 

If this happens in your case, DON’T FREAK OUT! 

You will have to make some basic assumptions using your business knowledge and simple logic. 

For example, you may want to calculate expected pricing over the next two years to estimate revenue. BUT your interviewer may not have that data. 

What would you do? You can make assumptions. 

Talk your interviewer through your assumptions. Here’s some ideas for the example above: 

• Use the typical cost-of-living figures to grow pricing (e.g. 3%),
• Use high and low scenarios to create boundaries for pricing over the next few years.

The idea of using high and low scenarios to test the financial impact of a financial decision is actually very common. It’s often considered overly precise to create a true forecast without detailed financial modelling. 

But it’s very common to start with low and high expected outcomes and narrow in from there as you get more data throughout the case.

You Can Use a Calculator!

It may feel overwhelming to use scenarios during a case interview, but another variation of the Capital One case interview is that you can use a calculator. 

So organize the math on the page and tap tap tap away at those scenarios. 

Just like open-book exams, this is a blessing and a curse. 

It’s great to have access to a calculator so you don’t have to worry about long division brain freeze during the Capital One case interview. But it also means that the math problems are slightly harder, and typically require a bunch of small calculations to get to the bigger answer. 

We recommend that you write out the framework for analysis, and then fill in numbers along the way. That way if you make a calculation mistake it’s easier for you or your interviewer to spot it. 

This is actually how teams work together to solve problems on a real case. 

DON’T dive right into a 15-step calculation on your little calculator. 

DO outline the analysis you’re planning to do either verbally or on paper. 

Note: you can only use a simple calculator, so leave the TI-whatever-thousands at home! 

Since you probably don’t use these kinds of calculators often, you may want to practice with them during your prep.

Capital One Interviews Focus Less On Working with Clients...

If you get a role at Capital One, you likely won’t be working directly with any external clients. Instead, you’ll be helping to run a piece of their business like a credit card line.

So the Capital One case interview is typically structured as if you are a business owner. 

DON’T refer to giving options to the client, asking the client, etc.

… So Be Prepared to Drive the Case with a ‘Business Owner’ Mindset

In the Capital One case interview, the interviewer is typically looking for you to drive the discussion as a business owner. 

The interviewer will describe a business dilemma and then let you lead the rest of the discussion. You should aim to: 

• Outline how you would approach the problem.
• Propose the analysis you will do.
• Request the information you need.
• Weigh available options.
• Make a recommendation and support it using the insights you’ve gathered throughout the case. 

This expectation is similar to Bain or BCG’s interviewee-led case interview. It’s basically the opposite of a McKinsey case where they walk you through specific questions and provide specific prompts. 

Your interviewer might actually leave you hanging without some data, to see if you can reason out what you need and make reasonable estimates. 

This interview format requires you to take a more assertive tack on how you’re going to navigate the interview. Have a lot of confidence in the path you want to pursue and really “own” it. 

DON’T wait for the interviewer to spoon feed you questions. 

DO think of yourself as a business leader. What would YOU do if given the information in the case?

There May Be More Than One Right Answer to a Capital One Case

O.K., so this is true with any case, but it might be more true with the Capital One case interview. 

There could be a few possible good answers based on the discussion you’ve had and the information you’ve received. That’s true with any project you might work on. There could be multiple options that work. 

You will still have to choose the path you believe in most. 

So be prepared to highlight multiple paths to pursue, pros and cons of each path, and why you chose your recommended path.  

Capital One Cases Are Sometimes About Financial Products

Most candidates also have multiple Capital One case interviews, so you’re highly likely to have at least one case that involves financial products. 

To be fair, you could go into a Capital One case interview with zero knowledge about financial products and if you ask the right questions you’ll be fine. 

But why risk it? 

You don’t need to become an expert in financial products overnight, but do yourself (and your interviewers) a favor: do some homework. 

Spend a few hours learning about financial products like credit cards, savings and checking accounts, and how companies like Capital One make money from offering those products. Also, read up on other financial companies like Venmo and PayPal make money, so you understand competitive threats to Capital One’s products. Investopedia is a good source for this.

The Bottom Line:

Do lots of practice cases and become fluent in the Capital One case. Let’s practice now!

For this case, let’s say your interviewer tells you that you’re a Senior Pricing Director at Paper Mill Plus, a producer of basic white copy paper. Paper Mill Plus sells to various paper distributors and retailers across the country. You’ve been asked to explore price reduction strategies that will boost sales by 10%.

You’ll want to outline all the elements you need to make a recommendation. In this example, we’re going to dig deep into the Annual Sales number until we get to average pricing. 

• Annual Sales = # of Customers X Average Annual Customer Spend
• Average Annual Customer Spend = Monthly Customer Spend X 12
• Monthly Customer Spend = Cases of Paper / Month * Average Annual Price per Case

Now we’ve got a logical outline of the dimensions we’ll need for our analysis. Let’s get one step closer to the answer by mapping out how we’ll estimate the growth needed: 

• Annual Sales x 1.1 = Sales growth of 10% or Targeted Annual Sales

We’re ultimately going to use the Targeted Annual Sales number to back into our recommended strategy. 

You can ask your interviewer for any of the above data points. In this example, they provided you with the following: 

• Annual Sales = $100,000,000,
• The cost to the customer of a case of paper is $30, and
• Paper Mill Plus has 1,000 customers.

From here, we’re going to have to back into a few numbers. Let’s start with firming up the Targeted Annual Sales number. 

Therefore, our new pricing strategy would have to bring in about $110 million in annual sales in order to hit our goal. 

We’ve got the price per case, but the interviewer did not share volumes. Let’s dig deeper into the current state to determine the current volume of paper sales. 

Now we can calculate the average number of cases per customer. 

* Note: if you recreate the calculations at home and truncate any decimals, you will calculate slightly different, but directionally correct, numbers. Directionally correct is a term that means it will provide you with the same insight and lead you to the same conclusion. 

So now we know that on average our customers purchase 278 cases per month. But how many cases will they buy if we reduce the price? 

You can ask your interviewer if there’s any research on the impact to the number of cases purchased when they raise or lower the price. 

Your interviewer might be a bit cagey here and say they have no data. 

They do know that most end-users have fairly consistent demand for paper and very limited places to extra store paper, so distributors and retailers don’t like to overstock too heavily. 

Distributors and retailers typically do have some extra storage capacity and they enjoy padding their margins even just a little, so they are likely to buy at least a little more. 

So you’re not going to get hard data from your interviewer and you should make a reasonable assumption. 

The simplest way to do this is to say for every $1 drop in price, customers will buy X more cases. 

The interviewer did not make it sound like your customers are very price sensitive, so it’s best to be conservative with your assumption. You could suggest this assumption to your interviewer like this: 

“Since we don’t know the exact impact that a price reduction has on the cases of paper sold, let’s make an assumption: for every $1 drop in price, on average customers will buy 20 more cases. Are you comfortable with this assumption?” 

Your interviewer will either agree, or nudge you to go higher or lower. 

Our advice is to choose numbers that will allow for simpler math.

Now let’s calculate the new sales number using our estimate for a $1 price drop, which would mean cases per customer per month would rise to 298. 

This is shy of our goal of $110 million, so let’s see if another larger price reduction gets us there. Here we assume a $4 price reduction and an increase in cases per month of 80. 

Recommendation

Great! $111.6 million is greater than our goal of $110 million, so reducing the price per case by $4 is a pricing strategy that could meet our goals as long as on average our customers buy 80 additional cases per month. 

As you discuss this strategy with your interviewer, you should explore the pros, cons, and risks of this strategy. 

There are certainly other issues to consider, such as:  

• How competitors may react to your price drop.
• Will customers over-buy for a few months and then reduce demand because they are overstocked on paper? 
• Will this impact customer buying behavior over the long term? E.g., will they pressure your sales team for more and more deals? 

So while the data indicates there is a path to hitting 10% sales growth, there are risks to review with your interviewer and more than one possible ‘correct’ recommendation. 

This is just a sample analysis to show you how to think through the math for a Capital One case interview, and how it can factor into your final recommendation.

1. Do some homework on financial products.

2. practice break-even cases and mathematical logic., 3. outline the analysis you’re planning to do either verbally or on paper., 4. communicate complex ideas in simple terms., 5. get comfortable with asking questions when you need to know more., 6. practice transitions so you can smoothly flow from each small conclusion to the next topic., 7. drive the discussion as if you are a business owner..

Capital One asks fit or behavioral questions as well as case questions, so prepare for these as well. 

For more insight on how to prepare for the fit part of the interview, check out our article on Fit Interview Questions .  

For a quick intro, here’s our list of the most frequently-asked fit interview questions:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Walk me through your resume.
• Why are you interested in working for Capital One?
• What’s something you’ve worked on outside of school?
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a tough problem.
• Tell me about a time you led others.
• When did you have to convince someone to change their mind on something important to them?
• Tell me about a failure.
• What do you like to do for fun?

Now go find your calculator from third grade, and you should be ready to prep for your Capital One case interview! 

In this article, we’ve covered:

• What Capital One looks for in candidates.
• What the Capital One case interview process is like.
• How Capital One cases differ from typical management consulting cases.
• An example of the type of case used by Capital One.
• 7 tips that will set you up to ace the case.
• The most common fit interview questions.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Still have questions?

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

Other people prepping for the Capital One interview found the following pages helpful:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep
• Business Situation Framework
• Capital One Online Assessment

Help with Case Study Interview Prep

T hanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for help prepping for your Capital One case interview. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% 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 Julien was able to get his offer from Capital One.

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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.

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How to prepare for a virtual case interview

Contemplating a job change or interviewing for a new job can be stressful, but with the advent of social distancing due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19), norms around a lot of jobs, including the interview process, have transformed. We’ve moved the majority of our workforce to working from home , and with the health and well-being of our candidates, associates and communities in mind, we’ve transitioned to virtual interviews as well. In this new, and hopefully temporary, normal, we want to help you navigate the interview process and feel confident throughout your journey to join us here at Capital One. To help navigate that change, we’re offering some suggestions to support candidates who will participate in case interviews virtually. We’ve already covered our top tips to ace your case interview , but you may be wondering how to tackle a virtual case with confidence.

The primary difference between an in-person and virtual case is, of course, that your case interviewer won’t be in the room with you. Most likely, you’ll be connected virtually via a Zoom video conference call, so you’ll still be able to see your interviewer and show your work. Setting up your interview environment, confirming your technology is working properly and getting yourself in the right frame of mind are just some of our tips for how to prepare for any virtual interview . To make the virtual case interview as smooth and as comfortable as it would at one of our interview suites, here are our top tips to help you with your virtual case interview.

Getting case materials

Your case interviewer may have materials—like a copy of the case, a handout or design challenge—they will need to share with you. Your virtual case interview will most likely be set up via a Zoom interface, so your interviewer will set up a digital instance of the case documents using their internet browser window or an application like Word or Google docs. They’ll then share their screen with you within the Zoom meeting. If you have trouble seeing any documents, be sure to let your interviewer know so they can resize it for you.

Showing your work, virtually

Your case interviewer is trying to understand how you think, so you should be prepared to show visuals as well as talk through your approach to problem solving. Your virtual case interview will most likely be set up via a Zoom interface—once you’re in the Zoom meeting, you can use the Whiteboard feature, a Word document or a Google sheet to take notes and share your work. An added benefit of using the Whiteboard feature in Zoom is that it has both text and drawing capabilities. To access the Whiteboard, or share your screen so your preferred digital tool is visible, select Share Screen at the bottom of your Zoom meeting window, then select Whiteboard or the application window.

It’s important to note that these features really only work on a computer—if you need to complete your case interview via a video interview on your mobile phone , you’ll need to use paper and a pen to take notes and write down your work. You can hold up your paper to the camera so your interviewer can see your work or take a photo of your paper and send it to them. In an in-person case interview, you typically would be provided with paper and pen, but since they can’t be provided to you in a virtual interview, be prepared by having them on hand.

Take time to organize your thoughts

When you’re not sitting in the same room as your interviewer, you may feel added pressure to fill the silence or answer quickly—be sure to ask for a minute to organize your thoughts and start developing a framework for problem solving.

Showing your thought process—structure matters more

Like with any case interview, the framework is critical to conveying how you approach problems, how you structure your thoughts, and how you take in information and prioritize the inputs. Structure matters even more when you’re casing virtually because having a structured framework will help you create and communicate a clear and direct solution to the problem. Breaking down your plan of action using numbers will make it easier for your interviewer to follow along—for example, “First, I’d consider X. Second, I’ll calculate Y. And finally, I’ll determine Z.” As you’re analyzing the data, be sure to reference the framework you’ve communicated as your anchor point as you work through each area of focus.

Simplify & confirm understanding

Virtual case interviewing can put your communication skills to the test even more so than in a face-to-face interview. It will be harder to read each other’s body language and for you to share what you’ve written on paper, so clear and structured communication becomes much more important.

Here are five tips to help you communicate more effectively during your virtual case interview:

• As the case is presented to you, listen carefully to the information provided, and then summarize the problem statement as you understand it to make sure you are aligned on the inputs and objectives. Be sure to ask clarifying questions—your interviewer will provide additional information as they are able to.
• Formulate clear and simple hypotheses to help your interviewer follow your train of thought more easily. As you identify areas for additional analysis, ask for additional data to quantify your analysis. Be clear about any assumptions you’re making and walk your interviewer through any calculations as needed.
• Over-communicate with your interviewer and speak clearly, specifically, and explain your thought process and problem solving throughout each stage of the interview.
• Be prepared to answer plenty of follow-up questions because your interviewer will want to ensure they understand your thought process and solutions.
• Check in with your interviewer as you’re explaining to confirm they are able to hear you well and are able to follow your explanations.
• If you experience technical problems or a lagging video or audio, try to stay calm and discuss with your recruiter ways to remedy the situation. If all else fails, interviewers will have your contact information and they'll contact you directly via phone to help you troubleshoot any Zoom or connection issues.
• Senior Software Engineer, Full Stack (Java/AWS) R181643
• Administrative Support Assistant III - Shopping (Remote Eligible) R186763
• Full Time Branch Ambassador - Northwest Dallas Area R187655
• Sr. Associate, Product Management - Auto Finance R183339
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• Capital One Case Interviews: How to Prepare in 2020

So, you’re trying to get a job at Capital One.

Great choice – but great jobs don’t come easy and the selection process for Capital One is particularly intense.

To get an offer, you will have to get through screening tests and culture fit interviews like any similar banking role.

However, Capital One significantly ups the ante by requiring applicants to also solve a case interview .

In this article, we will show you what to expect in a Capital One case interview. We compare this to the more typical a management consulting case interviews and advise you on how to prepare optimally.

Who are Capital One?

Before we get to the nuts and bolts of how the selection process works and how you can prepare, it will help to understand what sets Capital One aside from other players in their sector and what has driven their expansion. This is what has ultimately driven Capital One’s adoption of case interviews and determines the qualities they look for in applicants.

Of course, despite their interview style, Capital One remains a bank. And not just any bank: it is the fifth-largest consumer bank and eighth-largest bank of any kind in the US, with total assets of 396 billion dollars !

Apart from credit cards (of which it is the 3rd largest issuer ), Capital One offer retail banking and commercial banking services .

It was founded in 1994 as a spin-off to Signet Financial Corp, focusing on credit cards, with Richard Fairbank as a CEO (he remains CEO to this day), and operate in the US, Canada and the UK.

Importantly for you, the applicant, Capital One have also been consistently considered amongst the best places to work for (no. 17 on Fortune's 100 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ as well as in multiple Glassdoor reports).

What Makes Capital One Unique?

So far, Capital One sounds much like any other bank – if a particularly large and successful example.

However, Capital One’s rapid rise to prominence can largely be attributed to the fact that it does not function like any other bank. This is ultimately what drives its atypical recruitment practices.

In practice, Capital One operates as something like a hybrid between a bank, a tech company and a consulting firm.

Let’s see how:

1) The importance of data

In their own words, Capital One believe that banking can be revolutionized through technology and information , which explains their initial focus on credit cards.

They have fueled their success with an “information-based strategy”, using tech tools that allow them to identify the most profitable borrowers and come up with a targeted marketing strategy that differentiates them from their competitors’ generic, blanket marketing operations.

This “data oriented” approach defines Capital One’s whole approach to business. In the words of a Capital One analyst , a phrase that they often use is “truth seeking”. According to her, this means “looking at as much data as possible, talking to customers and having a real understanding of the situation before making the best decision”.

2) A consulting firm in disguise?

Capital One also effectively have an in-house consulting firm, embodied by their strategy division and employing many former consultants from top firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. In fact, Capital One’s CEO was previously head of the banking practice at Strategic Planning Associates (now Mercer Management Consulting)!

This strong consulting influence within the business extends to recruitment practices, where Capital One have appropriated the famously effective (if intense!) methods used by McKinsey and others to find the talent they need to keep driving innovation.

Of course, this is what is relevant to you the applicant, so we will take a closer look at why Capital One have borrowed from the consulting selection process. Understanding this lets us begin to understand how we can prepare.

What is a case interview?

The most important thing Capital One have borrowed from a consulting interview process is the case interview .

A case interview means the interviewer will present you with a business problem. It is structured as follows:

you will be presented with a business problem and expected to employ efficient problem-solving, analytical and communication skills

you will be asked to make calculations pertaining to the problem based on data provided

you will be asked to make a recommendation to deal with the problem

Why does Capital One use case interviews?

Like most top companies, Capital One receives many applications from people with a variety of backgrounds. Therefore, quantifying and comparing their experience can prove difficult.

Case interviews present them with the opportunity to directly test the skills that will be required for a position. Capital One stresses that they look for:

problem-solving skills

communication skills

analytical skills

flexibility

No one qualification is going to prove meet these criteria. In practice, then, there is no better way to test for this skillset skills than simply to give an applicant a relevant problem and watch how they deal with it.

This allows the interviewer to see the applicant’s thinking process, what solutions they come up with and – most importantly – how they communicate and support them . But in order to showcase all these skills, you will have to know what to expect and prepare thoroughly – this is what we’re going to tackle next!

What can I expect in a Capital One interview?

Before the case interview, there are other hoops you must jump through first:

Application Screening

The majority of applicants will be cut based simply on their resume and cover letter, so you need to take these very seriously. A perfect place to start is our free resume and cover letter guides.

Online Assessments

This includes both verbal reasoning and math components. GMAT or PST resources should be useful to prepare.

If and only if you make it through these initial filters, you will proceed to the real challenge of case interview. Let’s zoom in on the requirements there:

Format of a Capital One case interview

Capital One prefers an interview scenario that is interviewer led. This means the interviewer will often steer you in the direction in which they want the conversation to go.

A case interview is an opportunity to prove your skills rather than just talk about them. The important thing to remember is Capital One isn’t particularly interested in your resume or your previous experience in the case interview itself – this will be discussed in a fit interview. You should expect the interviewer to move quickly into the case itself.

1) A case interview can be any business problem

Remember – just because you’re interviewing at a bank doesn’t mean the case will have to do strictly with the financial or banking sector .

Capital One deal with issues well outside banking, as they point out in their video on how to prepare for a case interview . As such, they want to see how potential employees cope with these kinds of problems.

As with any time the case interview format is employed, the emphasis is strongly on how you think through a problem as opposed to how much you know about a certain industry . So be prepared to be taken outside your comfort zone and be ready to encounter any business scenario.

2) How are Capital One case interviews different?

However, Capital One remains a bank rather than a consultancy and there are differences in its selection process.

The primary difference between other case interviews and Capital One case interviews is that the data-driven nature of Capital One’s business in turn drives the interview process, resulting in far more emphasis on the quantitative portion of the interview.

2.1) More quantitative analysis

Unlike a consulting interview, Capital One allows the use of a calculator, which means you will be dealing with trickier, more complex mathematics.

In turn, this will mean your math skills will have to be razor sharp and – crucially – there will be much greater onus on you to generate precisely correct answers.

It is expected that your final recommendation will heavily depend on the precise data . As such, Capital One recommend that if you make a calculation error, you should aim to rectify it as soon as possible.

2.2) Creativity

As a relatively young and fast-growing business operating at the frontiers of its sector, Capital One needs to maintain its innovative edge. As such, the bank strongly emphasizes creative thought within its case interviews.

Capital One strongly believes in the importance of adaptability and using your own experience and thinking , which means there isn’t only a right way to solve a problem .

Therefore, while calculations are important, candidates should remember that there is more than one way to reach a certain result, and should use the one that suits them best.

2.3) More difficult concepts

You shouldn’t expect all your calculations to be as easy as, say, calculating the profit of a company.

Capital One’s business is not just data-heavy, but also structurally complex. As such, you can expect questions to be conceptually difficult, with all kinds of complications to account for as you move through your quantitative analysis – crucially, whilst always getting the right answer.

This might sound daunting but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for clarifications from the interviewer if you don’t understand these concepts. Remember, Capital One is trying to see how you think, not what you know.

Join thousands of other candidates cracking cases like pros

How can i prepare for a capital one case interview.

Despite the differences in format and content we have discussed, the higher-level process of actually preparing for a Capital One case interview is much the same as for their management consulting counterparts.

Let’s go through some major tips for how to approach you Capital One interview prep. As you will see, there is a lot to get on top of, so we’ll then move on to look at what resources are available to help you out.

1) Start early and get a lot of practice!

Case interviews are not something you can prepare for the night before – you need to practice A LOT! 

However, practicing without understanding the basic principles of case interviews is like trying to learn a language by immersion with no textbook! First, you need to grasp the fundamentals of approaching and solving cases.

The best places to start are our comprehensive guide on case-interviews and MCC Academy course .

We also provide you with a free extensive case bank which can be tailored to find exactly the type of problems you’ll encounter in a Capital One interview.

2) Make sure your math is in top shape

Make sure your math is razor sharp. Don’t simply review the principles, but make sure you can practice working through problems quickly and elegantly.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but despite the fact you will have a calculator, you shouldn’t neglect your mental math.

Of course, nobody is going to be impressed if you have to reach for the calculator for very basic arithmetic. Beyond this, though, having solid mental math allows you to constantly “sense check” your work as you go along, having a better idea if the figures you are generating seem reasonable and thus helping to ensure you reach those crucial correct final answers.

3) Take notes

Get in the habit of staying organized and writing down the information you are given. Capital One emphasizes the importance of being able to quickly call to mind information from previous stages of the interview.

Being organized in this way also helps you to avoid forgetting things and getting lost in your own analysis and ensures that you work in a structured way.

4) Communicate efficiently

Make sure you are also organized in the way you structure and communicate your arguments.

Get used to talking the interviewer through your work and ideas, especially calculations as in this way you’re more like to spot errors! Keep the interviewer onboard with your reasoning, so they understand what you are doing and why at every step in your process.

If you make use of technical concepts, make sure to break them down and explain them in a way that can be understood by anyone - Capital One values mutual understanding and the ability to explain concepts as if to someone from outside your own industry!

This is crucial – remember that case interviews fundamentally evaluate how you solve problems , so you need to convey your method as clearly as possible.

5) Ask questions and clarifications

Make sure you’re getting as much data out of the interviewer as you need to solve your problem. This means not being afraid to ask questions and clarifications to obtain important new information.

If the interviewer introduces a concept that you’re not familiar with, ask them to clarify. Understanding and then immediately using new concepts confidently in a case interview is essential to Capital One.

However, you should avoid asking questions that are not relevant or redundant, as you will come off as disorganized or unstructured. Our articles on Identifying the Problem , MECE and the Hypothesis Driven Approach will help you structure your thoughts and questions in the best possible manner.

6) Build fundamental skills

Perhaps the most fundamental case interview skill is being able to logically break down complex issues into smaller problems. This is an area where we can learn a great deal directly from the consulting world. In particular, consultants’ use of issue trees and similar structures to logically break down problems will directly translate to Capital One’s case studies. You can read more in our article on the Problem Driven Structure method.

7) Back-up your final recommendation with data

At the end of your analysis, you’ll be asked to make a recommendation. Just like we emphasized before, make sure that this is primarily based on data but also your judgement.

Whilst they do care about your calculations being correct, Capital One doesn’t care so much about getting the right specific recommendation from you. For one thing, there might not be a single correct answer in that case, but generally they really want to see you come up with a creative solution and effectively back it up with data from the quantitative portion of the interview.

Always expect to be challenged on whatever recommendation you give and be able to show that you’ve carefully considered the risks and rewards.

8) Avoid frameworks and generic answers

The majority of case interview candidates will turn to frameworks to solve any given problem.

However, Capital One greatly values the ability to produce a unique solution directly and specifically leveraging the data at hand . One of the biggest mistakes you could make is trying to fit the problem you are given in a pre-existing, generic framework to try and spit out a generic answer.

We have explained the dangers of generic frameworks in case studies in our article on the famous resource Case in Point .

Remember: Capital One values original thinking ! Don’t try to reproduce generic information that isn’t applicable - learn how to approach problems like a consultant !

Prep the right way

One-stop case interview prep.

We’ve established that practice makes perfect when it comes to case interviews, but you might think that you can’t be expected to be left in the middle of the ocean and be expected to find the Americas.

In other words, how do you start practicing case interviews when you’re not sure exactly where to start?

My Consulting Coach can provide you with everything you need to crack cases like a professional:

course material that will give you the comprehensive skill-set any Capital One analyst needs

coaching with case interview experts

an all-encompassing mentoring package that will give you the best chance of securing the job you want

1) Your first stop: MCC Academy

The best place to acquire the required background knowledge and reasoning skills – that is learn how to use the winds and navigate by watching the stars – is with our MCC Academy case interview course.

This is a comprehensive, structured course of full-length, high quality, animated video lessons. It guides you through the rough oceans of case interviews by steering you through finance and accounting basics to advanced reasoning skills, consulting math and our Problem Driven Structure case method .

Our method, devised as a streamlined, four-step version of the seven-step roadmap used by McKinsey consultants on real engagements, will keep you away from the pitfalls of unreliable frameworks and over-standardization.

Learn more about MCC Academy here .

2) Practice with a real consultant

Naturally, the best way to practice case interviews is to simulate the real interview situation with another person. You might do so with another interview candidate, using our free meeting board and case library However, there’s only so much you can get out of each other when neither of you have actual consulting experience!

The single best way to simulate a case interview is with an experienced professional. There, you will receive the kind of detailed, actionable feedback which takes your skillset to the next level and greatly increases your chances of landing a job.

MyConsultingCoach offers the best quality coaching experience on the market . All of our coaches have at least two years consulting experience with either McKinsey, Bain or BCG, combined with well as extensive coaching expertise. In short, these are case interview experts.

Synergizing with the MCC Academy, our coaching experience provides not only the skills necessary to successfully complete a case interview, but also detailed feedback on what skills you need to focus on in the process.

Learn more about coaching here .

3) Mentoring: the optimal path to your dream job

Finally, the most time-saving and efficient way to prepare is to sign up for our comprehensive mentoring program.

Let an experienced MBB consultant take personal charge of planning and overseeing your whole case interview preparation!

From editing your resume and cover letter, to advising on networking and guiding you through our course material, mentoring gives you the best possible chance of getting the job!

Find out more about mentoring here.

Candidates who sign up to our free services are 3 times more likely to land a job in one of their target firms . How?

• We teach how to solve cases like consultants , not through frameworks
• Our Meeting Board lets you practice with peers on 100+ realistic, interactive cases.
• Our AI mentor creates a personalised study roadmap to give you direction.
• All the advice you need on resume, cover letter and networking.

We believe in fostering talent, that’s why all of the above is free .

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Capital One Interview Questions

Review our full guide of updated Capital One interview questions and answers.

Capital One Interview Process Overview

Capital One is a Fortune 100 bank that hires thousands of new employees every year across a wide variety of corporate teams which include business analytics, strategy consulting, data analytics, finance, software engineering, and more.

The large banking and financial services company also runs a variety of internship programs and graduate rotation programs targeted toward undergraduate and graduate university students.

General Interview Process:

Full-time positions will follow this general recruitment process which includes a phone screen and online assessments followed by a first-round interview and final-round interview. 

• Recruiter Phone Screen
• Online Aptitude Test & General Assessment (General Business Roles)
• Technical Assessment (Tech & Data Roles)
• First-Round Manager Pre-Screen (Mini Case Study Round)
• Data Science Challenge (Data Science Roles)
• Final Round “Power Day” (Job Fit, Behavioral, Case Interview Questions)

Student Internships & New Graduate Interview Process

• General & Technical Assessments*

Note: Analyst program applicants will be given a "Virtual Job Tryout" assessment designed to simulate real work tasks. Tech and Cyber program applicants will be given a CodeSignal coding assessment. Strategy program applicants will be given business case interview assessments.

Capital One Interview Questions List

Review this updated list of Capital One interview questions:

• Why do you want to work for Capital One?
• How does Capital One generate revenue?
• How does Capital One differentiate itself from other large banks?
• How do you handle missing values in a dataset?
• How does credit card fraud work?
• How would you redesign an alarm clock?
• What are 10 different ways to use a pencil?
• What interests you most about the team or program that you are applying for?
• What would you say would be your biggest value add once joining the team?
• Tell us about a time you encountered a difficult problem and how you ended up solving the problem.
• Tell us about a time you had to resolve a conflict in a team.
• Tell me about an accomplishment that you followed through from start to finish that you are proud of.
• What blogs or websites do you visit regularly?
• How would you price a new product?
• What are some metrics you would use to measure customer satisfaction?

The below sections contain an expanded overview of additional example interview questions that you might find in each stage of the interview process.

Capital One Recruiter Phone Screen

At the very start of the process, expect to have a recruiter phone screen interview. In this conversation, the recruiter will likely ask a mix of job fit and behavioral interview questions mainly focused on your interest in the company, interest in a specific position, and the previous experiences on your resume.

Example Interview Questions & Answers:

Q: Why do you want to work for capital one?

A: I believe Capital One would be a great place to work for 3 main reasons. First, I believe the company does an incredible job collecting consumer data, which allows the firm to perform really competitively with logical and thoughtful data-driven decisions. Second, the bank has taken a very interesting position in open-source software which I think will push the bank to lead the next wave of fintech adoption in the next five years. And finally, the bank does a great job of allowing entry-level employees to work in a number of different verticals and I think this kind of broad exposure, especially at the junior level, will create strong leaders with a solid understanding of the bank's fundamental business lines.

Q: What is the biggest accomplishment that you have on your resume?

A: I’d say that I am most proud of the Goldman Sachs stock pitch competition that I won with my team of student financial analysts. This project was quite difficult in that we had to learn (from scratch) how to make and apply a discounted cash flow analysis model on a young peanut allergy company with negative earnings. This experience was incredibly rewarding as we were able to connect finance concepts and theories to a real equity valuation analysis which allowed us to confidently pitch the stock as an undervalued investment.

Q: What do you like to do outside of school or work?

A: I really enjoy watching and playing recreational basketball at my local gym which hosts summer and winter tournaments every year. Although the health benefits and general entertainment is nice, I actually really enjoy the strategic aspect of the game. Last year, I really felt like we optimized our team plays around our key player strengths and weaknesses by running a high pick-and-roll offense and a 4-and-1 defensive zone.

Capital One Online Assessment

Business analysts, strategy consultants, and other general business and finance applicants will encounter an online assessment or “Virtual Job Tryout” designed to replicate real-world working tasks. Many of these tasks will be focused on quantitative business problems.

Q: During a season of volleyball, the men’s team won 75% of their first 112 games and 25% of the remaining games played that season. If the team had an overall win rate of 60% for the entire season, how many total games did the team play?

A: See the algebra breakdown below:

• Let x = the number of remaining games and t = the number of total games played
• So we know that 112 plus the remaining games should give us the total which can be represented by [112 + x = t] or [x = t - 112]
• We can also create a formula to match up the number of won games, which can be represented by .75(112) + .25x = .6t
• Then we can use the variable substitution method to solve for t: .75(112) + .25(t - 112) = .6t
• From here, if you solve for t, you should get 160 total games

Q: A coffee shop operates for a week and sells 1,200 cups of coffee. A customer survey indicates that 50% of customers were first-time purchasers, 30% of customers were ordering for the 2nd time this week, and 20% of the customers were ordering for the third time this week. Assuming each customer only orders 1 cup of coffee per order, how many unique customers did the coffee shop serve that week?

A: See breakdown below:

• 50% of customers were first-time buyers: 50% * 1200 = 600 unique customers
• 30% ordered twice: 30% * 1200 = 360 orders → 360 / 2 = 180 unique customers
• 20% ordered three times: 20% * 1200 = 240 orders → 240 / 3 = 80 unique customers
• 600 + 180 + 80 = 860 unique customers

Capital One Technical Assessment

Software engineers, data analysts, and other tech-oriented applicants will likely be asked to complete a CodeSignal coding assessment. 

Technical Assessment Notes:

• Software engineers: Technical assessment consisting of 4 algorithm questions to be completed in 70 minutes.
• Data Analyst: Technical assessment focused on SQL and data query questions.

Capital One Mini Case Study Round (Manager Pre-Screen)

Candidates who pass the assessments are usually invited to complete a first-round interview with a hiring manager. 

For (non-technical) business, finance, and strategy-oriented applicants, this mini case study will follow a consulting style framework. Here you’ll be presented a business scenario and issue and you will be expected to provide a solution backed by quantitative and data-oriented logic.

For (technical) software engineers and data scientists, the mini case study will be focused on your applied area (frontend development, backend development, data systems, etc.).

Example Case Study Question

Q: You are the head of new business development for a car manufacturing company. What factors would you consider when deciding the pricing of a product launch in a new geographic market?

A: See solution breakdown below:

First, always ask follow-up questions to further clarify and define the scenario. Example questions could be: Are there existing competitors in the market? Is the cost of manufacturing the car in the new market the same as in existing markets? Will we have to consider any tax or environmental regulations?

Present Quantitative Solutions:

• Cost plus pricing: First calculate the cost of manufacturing the car, then use a percentage markup to arrive at the final price for the customer. To derive a percentage markup figure, we can perhaps look at the median markup in our existing markets or consider using an industry average.
• Competitor pricing: Gather competitor pricing data in the target market or in similar markets. This should give us a baseline for the median price for a similar car. Then the company can take a stance to be either the cheapest provider or the premium provider, depending on the product quality and branding strength relative to competitors.
• Income analysis: Create a ratio between median family income and car prices in the target market or similar markets. This will allow the company to price the car relative to the economic purchasing power of the consumers in the new market.

If you’re looking to better prepare for your technical business and finance interview questions, consider checking out our Complete Finance & Valuation Course where we teach students financial statement analysis and how to make built-from-scratch company valuation models.

Capital One Data Science Challenge

Data analyst applicants are sometimes required to take on a data science challenge project. This take-home modeling assignment is designed to test your knowledge of data relationships, data classes, basic calculations, data visualization, and more.

Example Data Science Challenge Problem:

Many candidates have reported coming across Capital One’s Credit Card Fraud Detection Classification Problem in this stage of the interview process. In this problem, the candidate is in charge of building a predictive model to increase the accuracy and precision of determining fraudulent transactions.

Dataset Considerations:

• The dataset contains reversal transactions where a purchase is followed by a refund (charge reversal).
• The dataset contains multi-swipe charges where a vendor accidentally charges a customer’s card multiple times in a short period of time.
• There is a class imbalance and some missing data values.

Capital One Final Rounds (Power Day)

If you reach the Capital One Power Day, you’ve essentially made it to the final round of interviews where you’ll likely be set up with 3-5 back-to-back interviews with different members of the Capital One team.

Business Analysts: Expect 2 case interviews and 1 - 2 behavioral and job fit interviews.

Tech and Data Analysts: Expect 1 case interview, 1 coding or data challenge, and 1 - 2 behavioral and job fit Interviews.

Job Fit Interview Questions & Answers

Job fit interview questions are designed to test how well you would fit in your applied role in a designated team and the overall company culture.

Q: What excites you most about the Capital One Finance Rotation Program?

A: Capital One is a very tech-based, data-driven bank and financial services company. With that in mind, I believe that even in a finance-oriented program, I’ll be able to gain exposure to technical and data-oriented projects. I think this aspect of the rotation program, particularly at the junior level, will round out my development in an industry that is becoming a very fast-tech environment.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

A: It’s difficult to say where I’ll end up in 5 years given how early I am in my career. That said, I am hoping to spend my first 2 years in the analyst program to learn the important and fundamental details of the financial services business. From there, I hope to grow into more of a leadership role where I can hopefully use my expertise to make thoughtful and impactful business decisions.

Other Example Questions: 

• How is Capital One different from other large American banks?
• What is your ideal work environment?
• If you were to start your own business, what would it be?

Behavioral Interview Questions & Answers

Behavioral interview questions cover the “tell me about a time …” questions that are designed to test how you handle hard scenarios, difficult problems, teamwork, etc.

Q: Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult person?

A: Last summer, I worked at a commercial real estate brokerage firm that worked with a client who was keen on leasing a floor in an office building for his company. Amongst several other requirements, the company president would only take the 8th floor of a building because that was his lucky number. Unfortunately, at the time, the 8th floor was already under contract with another tenant. The team didn’t want to lose this deal with a sizeable client but didn’t quite know how to satisfy the client to complete the leasing assignment. Eventually, our team came up with a creative proposal to ask building management to add 1 to every floor so that the unoccupied 7th floor would become the new 8th floor which would be available to the tenant. The building management agreed and all stakeholders came out satisfied with the deal.

Q: Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake?

A: Several years ago, I was involved in a cheeseburger food truck project. The food truck sales were great in the first few weeks, but we later realized we miscalculated our ability to steal market share from strong fast-food competitors in the area. We carried what we learned in this project to our second food truck launch where we used a 3-mile radius competitor analysis model to secure a location with good customer foot traffic and relatively few competitors.

Other Example Questions:

• Tell me about a time you learned something new.
• Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for a customer or teammate.

Case Interview Questions

The case study interviews in the final round will likely be more comprehensive than the mini case study covered in the first round interview with a hiring manager. Again, the case study will test your ability to digest a real-life problem and propose a solution with quantitative, data-backed logic. 

Example Case Study Question:

Q: Suppose you are working at a furniture company and you have been tasked with evaluating 3 partner delivery companies that have applied to take over our customer shipping and delivery contract. How would you pick out the delivery partner that would best help the company deliver furniture orders to its customers?

A: See breakdown below

• Ask clarifying questions based on presented data: Do all partners use the same fee structure (by type, by unit, by weight, etc.)? Are the delivery times the same for each partner?
• Calculate the estimated shipping costs for each partner: Fixed Fee + (Variable Fee * Units Sold)
• Calculate the number of units needed to be shipped in order to be better off with a partner that is 100% fixed fee.
• Present ideal partner selection: On paper, delivery partner C would provide us with the cheapest shipping solution assuming that we ship over 16,000 units each month. This makes partner C the ideal candidate given the information available.
• Present other considerations: That said, there are also considerations that could make the cheapest solution not necessarily the best solution. For example, if partner C uses really cheap, low-quality materials to package the furniture, there could be an increase in customer product returns where customers request a refund or a replacement for a product damaged in transit. These additional expenses could actually make the partnership more costly relative to other partners with higher-quality delivery. To investigate this potential risk, we would need to look into the damaged product return rates for each of the delivery partners and calculate our cost of a refund or replacement product.

Other Creative Questions

Sometimes interviewers will throw in creative problems like brainteasers and market sizing questions designed to test how you would solve unusual problems.

Example Questions:

• How many cups of coffee does Starbucks sell every day?
• How many golf balls can you fit in an airplane?
• How would you improve a pair of sunglasses?

Additional Resources

If you’re in the process of applying to competitive business and financial analyst roles, consider checking out our Complete Finance & Valuation Course . Use this course to join our students who have landed jobs at Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Bloomberg, and other great companies!

Other Articles You Might Find Helpful

• Tesla Financial Analyst Interview Guide
• Amazon Financial Analyst Interview Guide
• Uber Business Analyst Interview Guide
• My Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Resume
• Top 5 New Graduate Rotation Programs

Introduction

Building a cash flow statement from scratch using a company income statement and balance sheet is one of the most fundamental finance exercises commonly used to test interns and full-time professionals at elite level finance firms.

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Top 15 Capital One Interview Questions (With Sample Answers)

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By Mike Simpson

In the world of banking, Capital One is a clear leader. As a result, competition for jobs at the company is incredibly fierce. If you have your sights set on an open position, in order to succeed, you’ll need to stand out when answering Capital One interview questions.

Fortunately, with the proper strategy, you can tackle the interview questions at Capital One with ease. If you want to make sure that you’re ready, here’s what you need to know.

How to Answer Capital One Interview Questions

Before we take a deep dive into the Capital One interview questions and example answers, let’s pause for a second to talk about interview strategy. While most hiring managers stick to common interview questions, there’s always a chance that they’ll toss a curveball your way, and you want to be ready.

Capital One is a giant in the banking and financial services industry, employing approximately 52,000 people. However, at its core, Capital One is a customer service-oriented company. 

As stated in the Capital One mission statement , the company’s goal is “help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking.” Ultimately, its operations focus on ensuring a positive customer experience , allowing them to retain clients long-term.

Since that’s the case, it’s wise to remain customer-oriented regardless of the role you’re trying to land. It lets you show that you can be a part of that broader mission, making you seem like a stronger match.

Is that alone enough to help you stand out? Not necessarily. However, there are a few other steps you can take to get moving in that direction.

First, settle in for some research. Start by reviewing the job description in its entirety, looking for keywords that describe the skills, experience, and traits the hiring manager wants to find. Next, take a closer look at the mission and values statement , giving you more insights into the key characteristics that employees need to possess.

After that, it’s time to hit social media. You can get a feel for Capital One’s culture by checking out its profiles.

Finally, look for recent news pieces discussing the company, particularly those discussing innovations and achievements. That way, you can touch on those details during your interview, which demonstrates your enthusiasm for the organization.

Once your research is handled, it’s time to start crafting some attention-grabbing answers to the Capital One interview questions. Most candidates don’t have trouble with the traditional ones since their reasonably clear-cut. The hiring manager will ask if you have a skill or experience. If you do, say so, then discuss a past experience that showcases that capability. If not, admit it, then pivot and talk about your willingness to acquire new skills.

Behavioral and situational interview questions at Capital One require a different approach. You’ll need to make sure that you provide clear examples, either from your past work history or describing how you’d handle the outlined scenario.

If you’re looking for a surefire technique for behavioral and situational questions, you’re in luck. Combining the STAR Method and the Tailoring Method can help you create a compelling, highly relevant answer, increasing the odds that you’ll impress.

Top 3 Capital One Interview Questions

Like most major companies, Capital One hires employees for a wide array of departments and functional areas. What does that mean for candidates? Primarily, it means that most interviews won’t include the exact same questions.

Think about it this way: would you ask a customer service rep the same questions you’d ask a software developer if you wanted to find the right match for a position? Probably not. Some of the Capital One interview questions are ultimately role-specific, so they aren’t used by every hiring manager.

However, some interview questions at Capital One are more common than others. Certain ones apply to essentially every job, while others apply to the departments where Capital One does the most hiring. Those are the ones we’ll focus on today. So, with that in mind, here’s a look at our top three Capital One interview questions.

1. Can you give me an example of when you successfully multitasked?

Whether you’re working in customer service, IT, accounting, or any other role at Capital One, multitasking is often part of the equation. The hiring manager simply wants to know that you can successfully juggle multiple priorities.

SAMPLE ANSWER:

“In my last position, I was given a special project that involved gathering data and creating a detailed report for management. The project required a significant amount of research as I had to dive into internal performance data and use outside sources to support various positions and highlight the potential effectiveness of a possible change. While working on the project, I also had to handle my typical customer-facing duties. That included taking customer calls and handling tasks to get them answers or help them solve problems. As a result, I had to rapidly transition between two very different responsibilities, as I was handling calls as they came in and working on the report between speaking with customers. Ultimately, it required quite a bit of juggling, but I was able to manage it. I’m incredibly comfortable with switching gears on the fly and was able to complete the report ahead of schedule and to a higher quality than was expected, all while maintaining one of the top customer satisfaction scores in my section.”

2. How will you bring humanity to banking for our customers?

This question is based on Capital One’s mission. The hiring manager wants to ensure that you can exhibit the ideals of the company and help it achieve its goals.

Often, your best bet is to highlight traits that you feel will help you bring a sense of humanity to your role. If you can couple that with an example from your past work experience, you’ll be in even better shape.

“I believe I can bring humanity to banking through the use of empathy. I view every customer as an individual, each with unique needs and challenges. That ensures I remain open-minded and allows me to use active listening when solving problems. For example, in my current position, I took a call from a distressed customer. They were clearly frustrated, but I needed to learn more about why before I could present solutions. I spent time speaking with them, paraphrasing what they shared, and asking clarifying questions to get to the root of the issue. I remained calm and empathetic throughout, ensuring my tone remained friendly and professional. While that call took more time to navigate, it was worth the effort. Initially, the call seemed to be about a particular problem, but it was actually a different issue that was causing their frustration. Through patience, I was able to come up with a meaningful solution others may have missed, which I feel allowed me to bring a sense of humanity to the experience while I ensured customer satisfaction.”

3. If you had unexpected downtime between assisting customers, what would you do with it?

This interview question aims to see if you take the initiative when you have an unanticipated spare moment. You need to show that you’ll use that time wisely.

When you answer, you can either support your response with an example from your past or navigate it as a situational interview question and discuss how you would approach the scenario if it occurred. Either option works well, so choose the path that showcases you best.

“If I had unexpected downtime, I would view it as an opportunity to organize and prepare for any upcoming tasks. It’s an ideal moment to ensure everything is in its place and that I have quick access to the information or tools I’ll need for various responsibilities. In cases where everything I need is already in order, I would use one of two approaches. First, I would see if there was anything I could do to support my manager or colleagues, such as assisting with a task or taking on a project. Second, if I had access to training materials, I’d use the time to hone my skills or acquire new job-related knowledge. That way, I could get value from that downtime, all while supporting my role and the company.”

12 More Capital One Interview Questions

Here are 12 more capital one interview questions you might face during your meeting with the hiring manager:

• Why do you want to work for Capital One?
• What drew you to the financial services industry?
• What do you know about Capital One?
• Who are Capital One’s major competitors, and how does Capital One separate itself from them?
• How does CreditWise help customers? How does the feature benefit Capital One?
• If you could make one change to the Capital One mobile app, what would it be and why?
• Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a manager. How did you handle the situation?
• How would you rate your communication skills in regard to customers? What about coworkers and managers?
• What does exceptional customer service mean to you?
• Tell me about a time when you were innovative at work.
• Describe a time when you had to learn something new on the job.
• Can you tell me about a time when you had to deal with a particularly difficult customer? What happened, and what did you do to navigate the situation?

5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a Capital One Interview

After you’re down answering interview questions at Capital One, you’ll usually get a chance to ask the hiring manager a couple of questions. This is a critical moment. By asking thoughtful questions, you demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job. Plus, it’s a chance to find out more about the position, culture, and company, allowing you to ensure that Capital One is the right employer for you.

During your interview, you may think of questions based on what you’re asked. If that’s the case, feel free to bring those up at the end of the interview.

However, it’s also wise to have some questions on standby. That way, you won’t draw a blank when this moment arrives.

If you aren’t sure what to discuss, here are five good questions to ask at the end of a Capital One interview:

• What drew you to Capital One, and has the company met any expectations you had before you began in your role?
• How is success measured in this position?
• Can you describe the onboarding process, particularly any training or coaching that helps new hires get up to speed?
• How does Capital One help employees grow and advance?
• Since the banking world is ever-evolving, do you believe this position will change in the coming years and, if so, in what way?

Putting It All Together

At this point, you should have a solid idea of how to answer Capital One interview questions. Use every tidbit above to your advantage. That way, when it’s time for you to meet with the hiring manager, you’ll be tackling their interview questions with ease.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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Strategy Analyst - Case Study Guide

Written by: Capital One

What is a case interview?

There are many different types of case interviews common in financial services. At Capital One, our case interviews are conversations focused on real business problems from a variety of industries.

What does a case interview assess?

Case interviews give us an opportunity to gauge how you solve problems, and give you a chance to test drive the type of work you'll be doing as an associate. We are looking for you to demonstrate:

• Communication skills
• Conceptual problem solving skills
• Quantitative analytical skills

How do you prepare for a case interview?

The best way to prepare for a case interview is to practice! We've included a sample case and video to help you prepare. Candidates from all different educational and professional backgrounds can be successful with practice.

As you prepare, remember to:

• LEARN: Get exposure to cases; while our cases are unique, the more you learn how cases work generally, the more comfortable you will be in your interview. Often university departments, business schools, and career services will have resources for case interview prep.
• DO: Master the details by actually working through the numbers and questions in the cases you review. Do NOT memorize a list of industry terms, instead, be prepared for terms you don't know, and ask your caser about them.
• ENGAGE: Leverage as many additional resources as you can. Attend any case workshops you are invited to, and ask your recruiter about additional case prep events or practice case opportunities.

Download the case study practice guide

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35 Case Interviews Examples from MBB / Big Four Firms

Studying case interview examples is one of the first steps in preparing for the  management consulting  recruitment process. If you don’t want to spend hours searching the web, this article presents a comprehensive and convenient list for you – with 35 example cases, 16 case books, along with a case video accompanied by detailed feedback on tips and techniques.

A clear understanding of “what is a case interview” is essential for effective use of these examples. I suggest reading our  Case Interview 101  guide, if you haven’t done so.

McKinsey case interview examples

Mckinsey practice cases.

• Diconsa Case
• Electro-Light Case
• GlobaPharm Case
• National Education Case

What should I know about McKinsey Case interviews?

At McKinsey, case interviews often follow the interviewer-led format , where the interviewer asks you multiple questions for you to answer with short pitches.

How do you nail these cases? Since the questions can be grouped into predictable types, an efficient approach is to master each question type. However, do that after you’ve mastered the case interview fundamentals!

For a detailed guide on interviewer-led cases, check out our article on McKinsey Case Interview .

BCG & Bain case interview examples

Bcg practice cases.

• BCG – Written Case – Chateau Boomerang

Bain practice cases

• Bain – Coffee Shop Co.
• Bain – Fashion Co.
• Bain – Mock Interview – Associate Consultant
• Bain – Mock Interview – Consultant

What should I know about BCG & Bain case interviews?

Unlike McKinsey, BCG and Bain case interviews typically follow the candidate-led format – which is the opposite of interviewer-led, with the candidate driving the case progress by actively breaking down problems in their own way.

The key to acing candidate-led cases is to master the case interview fundamental concepts as well as the frameworks.

Some BCG and Bain offices also utilize written case interviews – you have to go through a pile of data slides, select the most relevant ones to answer a set of interviewer questions, then deliver those answers in a presentation.

For a detailed guide on candidate-led cases, check out our article on BCG & Bain Case Interview .

Deloitte case interview examples

Deloitte practice cases.

Undergrad Cases

• Human Capital – Technology Institute
• Human Capital – Agency V
• Strategy – Federal Benefits Provider
• Strategy – Extreme Athletes
• Technology – Green Apron
• Technology – Big Bucks Bank
• Technology – Top Engine
• Technology – Finance Agency

Advanced Cases

• Human Capital – Civil Cargo Bureau
• Human Capital – Capital Airlines
• Strategy – Club Co
• Strategy – Health Agency
• Technology – Waste Management
• Technology – Bank of Zurich
• Technology – Galaxy Fitness

What should I know about Deloitte case interviews?

Case interviews at Deloitte also lean towards the candidate-led format like BCG and Bain.

The Deloitte consultant recruitment process also features group case interviews , which not only test analytical skills but also place a great deal on interpersonal handling.

Accenture case interview examples

Accenture divides its cases into three types with very cool-sounding names.

Sorted in descending order of popularity, they are:

These are similar to candidate-led cases at Bain and BCG. albeit shorter – the key is to develop a suitable framework and ask the right questions to extract data from the interviewer.

These are similar to the market-sizing and guesstimate questions asked in interviewer-led cases – demonstrate your calculations in structured, clear-cut, logical steps and you’ll nail the case.

These cases have you sort through a deluge of data to draw solutions; however, this type of case is rare.

Capital One case interview examples

Capital One is the odd one on this list – it is a bank-holding company. Nonetheless, this being one of the biggest banks in America, it’s interesting to see how its cases differ from the consulting ones.

Having gone through Capital One’s guide to its cases, I can’t help but notice the less-MECE structure of the sample answers. Additionally, there seems to be a greater focus on the numbers.

Nonetheless, having a solid knowledge of the basics of case interviews will not hurt you – if anything, your presentation will be much more in-depth, comprehensive, and understandable!

See Capital One Business Analyst Case Interview for an example case and answers.

Other firms case interview examples

Besides the leading ones, we have some examples from other major consulting firms as well.

• Oliver Wyman – Wumbleworld
• Oliver Wyman – Aqualine
• LEK – Cinema
• LEK – Market Sizing
• Kearney – Promotional Planning
• OC&C – Imported Spirits
• OC&C – Leisure Clubs

Consulting clubs case books

In addition to official cases, here are a few case books you can use as learning materials.

Do keep in mind: don’t base your study on frameworks and individual case types, but master the fundamentals so you can tackle any kind of case.

• Wharton Consulting Club Case Book
• Tuck Consulting Club Case Book
• MIT Sloan Consulting Club Case Book
• LBS Consulting Club Case Book
• Kellogg Consulting Club Case Book
• INSEAD Consulting Club Case Book
• Harvard Consulting Club Case Book
• ESADE Consulting Club Case Book
• Darden Consulting Club Case Book
• Berkeley Consulting Club Case Book
• Notre-Dame Consulting Club Case Book
• Illinois Consulting Club Case Book
• Columbia Consulting Club Case Book
• Duke Consulting Club Case Book
• Ross Consulting Club Case Book
• Kearney Case Book

Case interview example – Case video

The limitation of most official case interview examples is that they are either too short and vague, or in text format, or both.

To solve that problem for you, we’ve extracted a 30-minute-long, feedback-rich case sample from our Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program .

This is a candidate-led, profitability case on an internet music broadcasting company called Pandora.

In 30 minutes, this candidate demonstrates the exact kind of shortcoming that most candidates suffer during real case interviews – they come in with sharp business senses, then hurt their own chances with inadequate techniques.

Here are seven notable areas where the candidate (and you) can improve:

Thanking Throughout the case, as especially in the opening, he should have shown more appreciation for the time the interviewer spent with him.

Structured opening The candidate’s opening of the case feels unstructured. He could have improved it by not mixing the playback and clarification parts. You can learn to nail the case in a 3-minute start through this video on How to Open Any Case Perfectly .

Explicitness A lot of the candidate’s thought process remains in his head; in a case interview, it’s better to be as explicit as possible – draw your issue tree out and point to it as you speak; state your hypothesis when you move into a branch; when you receive data, acknowledge it out loud.

Avoiding silence The silence in his case performance is too long, including his timeout and various gaps in his speech; either ask for timeout (and keep it as short as possible) or think out loud to fill those gaps.

Proactivity The candidate relies too much on the interviewer (e.g: asking for data when it can easily be calculated); you don’t want to appear lazy before your interviewer, so avoid this.

Avoiding repeating mistakes Making one mistake twice is a big no-no in consulting interviews; one key part of the consulting skill set is the ability to learn, and repeating your mistakes (especially if the interviewer has pointed it out) makes you look like someone who doesn’t learn.

Note-taking Given the mistakes this candidate makes, he’s probably not taking his notes well. I can show you how to get it right if you watch this video on Case Interview Note-Taking .

Nonetheless, there are three good points you can learn from the candidate:

The candidate sums up what he’s covered and announces his upcoming approach at the start and at key points in the case – this is a very good habit that gives you a sense of direction and shows that you’re an organized person.

The candidate performs a “reality check” on whether his actions match the issue tree; in a case interview it’s easy to lose track of what you’re doing, so remember to do this every once in a while.

The candidate prompts the interviewer to give out more data than he asked for; if anything, this actually matches a habit of real consultants, and if you’re lucky, your interviewer may actually give out important pieces you haven’t thought of.

These are only part of the “ninja tips” taught In our Case Interview E2E Secrets Program – besides the math and business intuition for long-term development, a key feature is the instant-result tips and techniques for case interviews.

Once you’ve mastered them, you can nail any case they throw at you!

For more “quality” practice, let’s have a mock case interview with former consultants from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Oliver Wyman, Strategy& and many other consulting firms. They will help you identify your problem areas and give you actionable feedback, making your preparation much easier and faster.

Hi! This is Kim and welcome to another performance in the Tips & Techniques part of our amazing End-to-end program. You are about to hear a really interesting performance.

There is a common Myth that Profitability cases are easier. Well, for beginners, that’s may make sense, but I would argue that Profitability cases can be really tricky and candidates without good foundation will make about the same level of mistakes regardless of type of cases given.

The profitability case we are about to watch will show that. It’s a very unconventional

Profitability. It started out like a typical one but getting more and more tricky toward the end.

The candidate is fairly good in term of business intuition, but the Tips & Techniques aspect needs a lot of fine tune! Now let’s go ahead and get started! 

It’s actually a little better to playback the case information and ask clarifications. The candidate does not distinguish between the two and do both at a same time. Also, the candidate was asking these clarifications in an unorganized and unstructured fashion. This is not something terrible, but could have been better, especially when this is the very first part of the case, where the crucial first impression is being formed.

My pitch would sound like this:

“That’s a very interesting problem and I am happy to get the chance to solve it. First of all let me tell you my understanding of the case context and key objectives. Then I would like to ask a few clarifying questions regarding a few terminology and concepts. Both of these are to make sure that I will be solving the right problem.

So here is my understanding of the case: The client is ABC. Here are some DEF facts about the situation we just talked about. And the key case question is XYZ.

Does that correctly and adequately summarize the case?”

Once the interviewer confirms, I would move to the clarification part as follows: “Now I would like to ask a few clarification questions. There are three of them: No 1, … No 2, … and No 3, …”

You may see above pitch as obvious but that’s a perfect example of how you should open any cases. Every details matters. We will point out those details in just a second. But before we do that, it’s actually very helpful if you can go back, listen carefully to the above pitch, and try to point out the great components yourselves. Only after that, go back to this point and learn it all together.

Alright, let’s break down the perfect opening.

First of all, you hear me say: “That’s a very interesting problem and I am happy to get a chance to solve it”. This seems trivial but very beneficial in multiple ways:

1. I bought myself a couple of seconds to calm down and get focused. 2. By nature, we as human unconsciously like those who give us compliments. Nothing better than opening the case with a modest compliment to the interviewer.

And (c) I showed my great attitude towards the case, which the interviewer would assume is the same for real future consulting business problems.

You should do that in your interviews too. Say it and accompany it with the best smile you can give. It shows that you are not afraid of any problems. In fact, you love them and you are always ready for them.

Secondly, I did what I refer to as the “map habit”, which is to always say what you are about to do and then do it. Just like somebody in the car showing the drivers the route before cruising on the road. The driver would love it. This is where I said: “Let me tell you my understanding of the case context and key objectives. Then ABC…”.

Third, right at the beginning of the case, I try to be crystal clear and easy to follow. I don’t let the interviewer confused between playing the case vs. asking clarification questions. I distinguish between the two really carefully. This habit probably doesn’t change the outcome of how the case goes that much, but it certainly significantly changes the impression the interviewer has of me.

Fourth, in playing back the case, each person would have a different way to re-phrase. But there are three buckets to always include:

1. Who is the client 2. The facts regarding the client and the situation and (c) The key question and the objective of the case.

Fifth, after playing the case context and objectives, I pause for a second and ALIGN with the interviewer: “Does it correctly and adequately summarize the case?”. This is a habit that every consulting manager loves for young consultants to do. Nobody wants first-year folks to spend weeks of passion and hard-work building an excel model that the team can’t use. This habit is extensively taught at McKinsey, Bain and BCG, so therefore interviewers would love somebody that exhibits this habit often in case interview.

Lastly, when asking clarification questions, you hear me number them very carefully to create the strong impression that I am very organized and structured. I said I have three clarifying questions. Then I number them as I go through each. No.1, No.2, and No.3.

Sometimes, during interviews it’s hard to know exactly how many items you are going to get. One way is to take timeout often to carefully plan your pitch. If this is not possible in certain situations, you may skip telling how many items you have; but you should definitely still number your question: No.1, No.2; and so on. 

Just a moment ago, the candidate actually exhibited a good habit. After going through his clarification questions, the candidate ended by asking the “is there anything else” question. In this case, I actually give out an important piece of data.

Though this is not very common as not every interviewer is that generous in giving out data. But this is a habit management consultants have to have every day when talking to experts, clients, or key stakeholders. The key is to get the most data and insights out of every interview and this is the type of open-ended question every consultant asks several times a day.

To show of this habit in a case interview is very good!

There are three things I would like you to pay attention to:

First, it took the candidate up to 72 seconds to “gather his thoughts”. This is a little too long in a case interview. I intentionally leave the 72 seconds of silence in the recording so you get an idea of how long that is in real situations. But it’s worth-noting here is not only that. While in some very complicated and weird cases, it’s ok to take that long to really think and gather ideas. In this case, the approach as proposed by the candidate is very simple. For this very approach, I think no more than 15 to 20 seconds should be used.

No.2, with that said, I have told I really like the fact that this candidate exhibits the “map” habit. Before going straight to the approach he draws the overall approach first.

No.3. You also see here that the candidate tried to align the approach with me by asking my thoughts on it. As I just said on the previous comment, this is a great habit to have. Not only does it help reduce chance of going into the wrong direction in case interviews, but it also creates a good impression. Consulting interviewers love people doing it often!

Here we see a not-really-bad response that for sure could be much better. The candidate was going into the first branch of the analysis which is Revenue. I would fix this in 3 aspects:

First, even though we just talked about the overall approach, it’s still better to briefly set up the issue tree first then clearly note that you are going into one branch.

Second, this is not a must, but I always try to make my hypothesis as explicitly clear as possible. Here the candidate just implicitly made a hypothesis that the problem is on the revenue side. The best way to show our hypothesis-driven mindset is to explicitly say it.

Third, you hear this a ton of times in our End-to-End program but I am going to repeat it again and again. It is better to show the habit of aligning here too. Don’t just go into revenue, before doing that, give the interviewer a chance to agree or to actually guide you to Cost.

So, summarizing the above insights, my pitch would sound something like this:

“So as we just discussed, a profit problem is either caused by revenue or by cost. Unless you would like to go into cost first, let’s hypothesize that the problem is on revenue side. I would like to look deeper into Revenue. Do we have any data on the revenue?”

And while saying this, you should literally draw an issue tree and point to each as you speak.

There is an interesting case interview tip I want to point out here. Notice how the candidate responds after receiving two data points from me. He went straight into the next question without at least acknowledging the data received and also without briefly analyzing it.

I am glad that the candidate makes this mistakes… well, not glad for him but for the greater audience of this program. I would like to introduce to you the perfect habit of what you should react and do every time you have any piece of data during case interviews. So three things you need to do:

Step 1: Say … that’s an interesting piece of data. This helps the interviewer acknowledge that you have received and understand the data. This also buys you a little time. And furthermore, it’s always a good thing to give out modest compliments to the interviewer.

Step 2: Describe the data, how it looks, is there any special noteworthy trend? In this case, we should point out that revenue actually grew by more than 50%.

Also notice here that I immediately quantified the difference in specific quantitative measurement (in this case, percentage). Saying revenue went up is good, but it’s great to be able to say revenue went up by more than 50%.

Step 3: Link the trend identified back to the original case question and the hypothesis you have. Does it prove, disprove, or open up new investigation to really test the hypothesis? In this case, this data piece actually opened up new investigating areas to test the hypothesis that the bottleneck is within revenue.

My sample pitch for this step 3 would sound like this: “It’s interesting that revenue went up quite a bit. However, to be able to fully reject our hypothesis on the revenue, I would like to compare our revenue to that of the competitors as well.”

Then only at this point, after going through 3 steps above, I ask for the competitors’ revenue like the candidate did.

Notice here that I ended up asking the same question the candidate did. This shows that the candidate does have a good intuition and thought process. It’s just that he did all of these implicitly on his head.

In consulting case interview, it’s always good to do everything as explicitly as possible. Not only is it easier to follow but it helps show your great thought process.

… the rest of the transcript is available in our End To End Case Interview

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Preparing for case interviews is a hard task when you only have 1 week, so the first part you need to learn during this time is fundamentals of case interview

Case interview in consulting is difficult with the passing rate is around 10%. This is because big consulting firms keep an extremely high recruitment standard

A case interview is where candidates is asked to solve a business problem. They are used by consulting firms to evaluate problem-solving skill & soft skills

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Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide

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Welcome to our preparation tips for case interviews!  Whether you are just curious about case interviews or are planning to apply for consulting internships or full-time jobs, these tips and resources will help you feel more prepared and confident.

A case interview is a role playing exercise in which an employer assesses how logically and persuasively you can present a case. Rather than seeing if you get the “correct” answer, the objective is to evaluate your thought process. ( Adapted with permission from Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation by Marc Cosentino). 

Case interviews are very commonly used in the interview process for consulting firms and companies in similar industries. In the case interview, you will typically be given a business problem and then asked to solve it in a structured way. Learning this structure takes preparation and practice. You can learn more and practice using the resources listed below.  

Why are Case Interviews Used?

Case interviews allow employers to test and evaluate the following skills:

• Analytical skills and logical ability to solve problems
• Structure and thought process
• Ability to ask for relevant data/information
• Tolerance for ambiguity and data overload
• Poise and communication skills under pressure and in front of a client

How can I prepare for Case Interviews?

1.) Read Management Consulted’s “Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide (2024)”

Management Consulted is a FREE resource for Tufts students : case and consulting resources such as 500 sample cases, Case Interview Bootcamp,  Market Sizing Drills, Math Drills, case videos, consulting firm directory, and more

2.) Review additional resources:

• Case in Point – This book, by Marc Cosentino, is a comprehensive guide that walks you through the case interview process from beginning to end. This guide has helped many students over the years and can serve as an excellent foundation for how to approach business problems
• Casequestions.com – The companion website to Marc Cosentino’s book listed above offers preparation for case interviews, along with links to top 50 consulting firms
• Management Consulting Case Interviews: Cracking The Case – tips for case interviews from the other side of the table, from Argopoint, a Boston management consulting firm specializing in legal department consulting for Fortune 500 companies
• Preplounge.com – Free case preparation access for to up to 6 practice interviews with peers, selected cases, and video case solutions
• RocketBlocks – Features consulting preparation such as drills and coaching
• Practice sample online cases on consulting firm websites such as McKinsey , BCG , Bain , Deloitte and more!  

3.) Schedule a mock case interview appointment with  Karen Dankers or Kathy Spillane , our advisors for the Finance, Consulting, Entrepreneurship, and Business Career Community.

4.) PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE cases out loud on your own (yes, that can feel odd) or preferably, with another person. See #2 and #3 above for resources and ideas to find partners to practice live cases

5.) Enjoy and have fun solving business problems!