Case and scenario interviews
Case and scenario questions test how you think, not what you have memorised. A visible structure and clear reasoning matter more than reaching a perfect answer.
Key ideas
- Clarify the question before solving it.
- Share a structure, then work through it aloud.
- Finish with a recommendation and its main risk.
Step by step
- 1
Restate the problem and ask one or two clarifying questions.
- 2
Outline your approach in two to four parts.
- 3
Work through each part aloud, using numbers where possible.
- 4
Give a clear recommendation, the main risk and the next step.
Example
Asked how to reduce clinic waiting times, a candidate clarifies the clinic type, structures the answer into demand, capacity and process, and recommends changing appointment templates.
Your drill
Practise one scenario question aloud using the four steps, timing yourself to stay within five minutes.
Common mistakes
- Jumping straight into details without a structure.
- Never committing to a recommendation.
Check yourself
How should a case answer end?
Show the answer
With a clear recommendation, its main risk and the next step.
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