S24E2: How Consulting Firms Really Score Case Interviews

2026-07-29

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Send us Fan MailYou can nail every case you practice and still get rejected.That's because firms aren't grading you on vibes. McKinsey scores you piece by piece – opening, structure, math, brainstorming, closing. Other firms use 3 buckets instead: structure, problem solving, communication.Either way, a 4 out of 4 in math won't save a 1 out of 4 in brainstorming. Firms want you solid across the board.In this episode, Namaan breaks down exactly what's being scored – and why doing 100 more practice cases won't fix a gap...

Send us Fan Mail

You can nail every case you practice and still get rejected.

That's because firms aren't grading you on vibes. McKinsey scores you piece by piece – opening, structure, math, brainstorming, closing. Other firms use 3 buckets instead: structure, problem solving, communication.

Either way, a 4 out of 4 in math won't save a 1 out of 4 in brainstorming. Firms want you solid across the board.

In this episode, Namaan breaks down exactly what's being scored – and why doing 100 more practice cases won't fix a gap you haven't identified.

Resources:

Whether you're prepping for McKinsey's rubric or the 3-bucket system, Black Belt closes the gaps costing you the offer
New to case prep? Case Foundations is our free crash course on the basics – the starting point before scoring even matters

Consulting Deadlines:

McKinsey, Bain, and BCG deadlines hit August 11 – 13 (and more are coming) – get interview-ready fast with Black Belt

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