Ten interview questions asked by top consulting firms

Consulting interviews are typically dominated by case studies. The firm will lay out a real or made-up client scenario and give you the time to create a pitch. Anyone interested in working as a consultant should prepare themselves for case interviews.

Still, like banks and other financial firms, consultancies will also slip in behavioral questions, brain teasers and short analytical inquiries. You’ll need to prepare for these as well. Below is a list of the type of questions consulting firms ask entry-level and experienced candidates, offered to Vault.com by the firms themselves. How would you do?

• "How would you go about advising a hypothetical client on commercializing a teleportation device that they have invented?" – Booz & Company

• "How do you develop and maintain relationships? Tell me about how your relationships impact your ability to get things done in your organization." – PwC

• "What are the issues you would want to explore if a company is seeking to acquire a competitor or looking to move into a new market?" – McKinsey

• "You can open any store you'd like. What will you sell? Why? What are the economics of the venture? A fast food chain is considering adjusting X strategy. Should they do it?" – Oliver Wyman

• “How many DVDs of X movie were sold last year in the US?” – Partheon

• "Give examples of where you needed to defuse a difficult situation." – Accenture

• "If two people enter separate elevators in a 40-floor building and each chooses a random floor, what is the probability they choose the same floor?" – Analysis Group

• “How much revenue is derived from baggage fees in Boston Logan Airport in one week?” – L.E.K. Consulting

• "Describe a situation where you had to deal with a conflict with a co-worker, team member, or someone else. How did you resolve the situation and what have you learned from that situation so you can deal with such situations better in the future?" – Charles River Associates

• "A local hospital has been acquired by a private equity firm. The PE firm is looking to reduce the operating costs. What categories can you identify for your private equity client and how are you going to help save them money?" – Insight Sourcing Group