case study samples for interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. mckinsey case interview examples.

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

2. BCG case interview examples

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

3. Bain case interview examples

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

4. Deloitte case interview examples

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

5. Accenture case interview examples

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

6. OC&C case interview examples

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

7. Oliver Wyman case interview examples

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

8. A.T. Kearney case interview examples

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

9. Strategy& / PWC case interview examples

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

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

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

11. Roland Berger case interview examples

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

12. Capital One case interview examples

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

12. EY Parthenon case interview examples

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

14. Consulting clubs case interview examples

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

Practice with experts

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

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

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

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

Related articles:

Hacking the Case Interview

We’ve compiled 50 case interview examples and organized them by industry, function, and consulting firm to give you the best, free case interview practice. Use these case interview examples for practice as you prepare for your consulting interviews.

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

Case Interview Examples Organized by Industry

Below, we’ve linked all of the case interview examples we could find from consulting firm websites and YouTube videos and organized them by industry. This will be helpful for your case interview practice if there is a specific consulting industry role that you are interviewing for that you need more practice in.

Aerospace, Defense, & Government Case Interview Examples

• Agency V (Deloitte)
• The Agency (Deloitte)
• Federal Finance Agency (Deloitte)
• Federal Civil Cargo Protection Bureau (Deloitte)

Consumer Products & Retail Case Interview Examples

• Electro-light (McKinsey)
• Beautify (McKinsey)
• Shops Corporation (McKinsey)
• Climate Case (BCG)
• Foods Inc. (BCG) *scroll to bottom of page
• Chateau Boomerang (BCG) *written case interview
• PrintCo (Bain)
• Coffee Co. (Bain)
• Fashion Co. (Bain)
• Recreation Unlimited (Deloitte)
• Footlose (Deloitte)
• National Grocery and Drug Store (Kearney)
• Whisky Co. (OC&C)
• Dry Cleaners (Accenture) *scroll to page 15
• UK Grocery Retail (Strategy&) *scroll to page 24
• Ice Cream Co. (Capital One)

Healthcare & Life Sciences Case Interview Examples

• GlobaPharm (McKinsey)
• GenCo (BCG) *scroll to middle of page
• PrevenT (BCG)
• MedX (Deloitte)
• Medical Consumables (LEK)
• Medicine Company (HackingTheCaseInterview)
• Pharma Company (Indian Institute of Management)

Manufacturing & Production Case Interview Examples

• Aqualine (Oliver Wyman)
• 3D Printed Hip Implants (Roland Berger)
• Talbot Trucks (McKinsey)
• Playworks (Yale School of Management)

Social & Non-Profit Case Interview Examples

• Diconsa (McKinsey)
• National Education (McKinsey)
• Conservation Forever (McKinsey)
• Federal Health Agency (Deloitte)
• Robinson Philanthropy (Bridgespan)
• Home Nurses for New Families (Bridgespan)
• Reach for the Stars (Bridgespan)
• Venture Philanthropy (Bridgespan)

Technology, Media, & Telecom Case Interview Examples

• NextGen Tech (Bain)
• Smart Phone Introduction (Simon-Kucher)
• MicroTechnos (HackingTheCaseInterview)

Transportation Case Interview Examples

• Low Cost Carrier Airline (BCG)
• Transit Oriented Development (Roland Berger)
• Northeast Airlines (HackingTheCaseInterview)
• A+ Airline Co. (Yale School of Management)
• Ryder (HackingTheCaseInterview)

Travel & Entertainment Case Interview Examples

• Wumbleworld (Oliver Wyman)
• Theater Co. (LEK)
• Hotel and Casino Co. (OC&C)

Case Interview Examples Organized by Function

Below, we’ve taken the same cases listed in the “Case Interview Examples Organized by Industry” section and organized them by function instead. This will be helpful for your case interview practice if there is a specific type of case interview that you need more practice with.

Profitability Case Interview Examples

To learn how to solve profitability case interviews, check out our video below:

Market Entry Case Interview Examples

Merger & acquisition case interview examples.

Growth Strategy Case Interview Examples

Pricing case interview examples.

New Product Launch Case Interview Examples

Market sizing case interview examples.

To learn how to solve market sizing case interviews, check out our video below:

Operations Case Interview Examples

Other case interview examples.

These are cases that don’t quite fit into any of the above categories. These cases are the more unusual, atypical, and nontraditional cases out there.

Case Interview Examples Organized by Consulting Firm

Below, we’ve taken the same cases listed previously and organized them by company instead. This will be helpful for your case interview practice if there is a specific company that you are interviewing with.

McKinsey Case Interview Examples

BCG Case Interview Examples

Bain Case Interview Examples

Deloitte Case Interview Examples

Lek case interview examples, kearney case interview examples, oliver wyman case interview examples, roland berger case interview examples, oc&c case interview  examples, bridgespan case interview examples, strategy& case interview examples, accenture case interview examples, simon kutcher case interview examples, capital one case interview examples, case interview examples from mba casebooks.

For more case interview examples, check out our article on 23 MBA consulting casebooks with 700+ free practice cases . There additional cases created by MBA consulting clubs that make for great case interview practice. For your convenience, we’ve listed some of the best MBA consulting casebooks below:

• Australian Graduate School of Management (2002)
• Booth (2005)
• Columbia (2007)
• Darden (2019)
• ESADE (2011)
• Fuqua (2018)
• Goizueta (2006)
• Haas (2019)
• Harvard Business School (2012)
• Illinois (2015)
• INSEAD (2011)
• Johnson (2003)
• Kellogg (2012)
• London Business School (2013)
• McCombs (2018)
• Notre Dame (2017)
• Queens (2019)
• Ross (2010)
• Sloan (2015)
• Stern (2018)
• Tuck (2009)
• Wharton (2017)
• Yale (2013)

Consulting casebooks are documents that MBA consulting clubs put together to help their members prepare for consulting case interviews. Consulting casebooks provide some case interview strategies and tips, but they mostly contain case interview practice cases.

While consulting casebooks contain tons of practice cases, there is quite a bit of variety in the sources and formats of these cases.

Some practice cases are taken from actual consulting interviews given by consulting firms. These are the best types of cases to practice with because they closely simulate the length and difficulty of an actual case interview. Other practice cases may be written by the consulting club’s officers. These cases are less realistic, but can still offer great practice.

The formats of the practice cases in consulting casebooks also vary significantly.

Some practice cases are written in a question and answer format. This type of format makes it easy to practice the case by yourself, without a case partner. Other practices cases are written in a dialogue format. These cases are better for practicing with a case interview partner.

MBA consulting casebooks can be a great resource because they are free and provide tons of practice cases to hone your case interview skills. However, there are several caveats that you should be aware of.

• Similarity to real case interviews : Some cases in MBA consulting casebooks are not representative of actual case interviews because they are written by consulting club officers instead of interviewers from consulting firms
• Quality of sample answers : While consulting casebooks provide sample solutions, these answers are often not the best or highest quality answers
• Ease of use : Consulting casebooks are all written in different formats and by different people. Therefore, it can be challenging to find cases that you can consistently use to practice cases by yourself or with a partner

Therefore, we recommend that you first use the case interview examples listed in this article and wait until you’ve exhausted all of them before using MBA consulting casebooks.

Case Interview Examples from HackingTheCaseInterview

Below, we've pulled together several of our very own case interview examples. You can use these case interview examples for your case interview practice.

1. Tech retailer profitability case interview

2. Airline profitability case interview

3. Ride sharing app market entry

4. Increasing Drug Adoption

How to Use Case Interview Examples to Practice Case Interviews

To get the most out of these case interview examples and maximize your time spent on case interview practice, follow these three steps.

1. Understand the case interview structure beforehand

If case interviews are something new to you, we recommend watching the following video to learn the basics of case interviews in under 30 minutes.

Know that there are seven major steps of a case interview.

• Understanding the case background : Take note while the interviewer gives you the case background information. Afterwards, provide a concise synthesis to confirm your understanding of the situation and objective
• Asking clarifying questions : Ask questions to better understand the case background and objective
• Structuring a framework : Lay out a framework of what areas you want to look into in order to answer or solve the case
• Kicking off the case : Propose an area of your framework that you would like to dive deeper into 
• Solving quantitative problems : Solve a variety of different quantitative problems, such as market sizing questions and profitability questions. You may also be given charts and graphs to analyze or interpret
• Answering qualitative questions : You may be asked to brainstorm ideas or be asked to give your business opinion on a particular issue or topic
• Delivering a recommendation : Summarize the key takeaways from the case to deliver a firm and concise recommendation

2. Learn how to practice case interviews by yourself 

There are 6 steps to practice case interviews by yourself. The goal of these steps is to simulate a real case interview as closely as you can so that you practice the same skills and techniques that you are going to use in a real case interview.

• Synthesize the case background information out loud : Start the practice case interview by reading the case background information. Then, just as you would do in a live case interview, summarize the case background information out loud
• Ask clarifying questions out loud : Just as you would do in a live case interview, ask clarifying questions out loud. Although you do not have a case partner that can answer your questions, it is important to practice identifying the critical questions that need to be asked to fully understand the case
• Structure a framework and present it out loud : Pretend that you are in an actual interview in which you’ll only have a few minutes to put together a comprehensive and coherent framework. Replicate the stress that you will feel in an interview when you are practicing case interviews on your own by giving yourself time pressure.

When you have finished creating your framework, turn your paper around to face an imaginary interviewer and walk through the framework out loud. You will need to get good at presenting your framework concisely and in an easy to understand way.

• Propose an area to start the case : Propose an area of your framework to start the case. Make sure to say out loud the reasons why you want to start with that particular area
• Answer each case question out loud : If the question is a quantitative problem, create a structure and walk the interviewer through how you would solve the problem. When doing math, do your calculations out loud and explain the steps that you are taking.

If the question is qualitative, structure your thinking and then brainstorm your ideas out loud. Walk the interviewer through your ideas and opinions.

• Deliver a recommendation out loud : Just as you would do in a real case interview, ask for a brief moment to collect your thoughts and review your notes. Once you have decided on a recommendation, present your recommendation to the interviewer.

3. Follow best practices while practicing case interviews :    

You’ll most likely be watching, reading, or working through these case interview examples by yourself. To get the most practice and learnings out of each case interview example, follow these tips: 

• Don’t have notes or a calculator out when you are practicing since you won’t have these in your actual interview
• Don’t take breaks in the middle of a mock case interview
• Don’t read the case answer until you completely finish answering each question
• Talk through everything out loud as if there were an interviewer in the room
• Occasionally record yourself to understand what you look like and sound like when you speak

4. Identify improvement areas to work on

When the case is completed, review your framework and answers and compare them to the model answers that the case provides. Reflect on how you could have made your framework or answers stronger.

Also, take the time to reflect on what parts of the case you could have done better. Could your case synthesis be more concise? Was your framework mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive? Could your math calculations be done more smoothly? Was your recommendation structured enough?

This is the most important part of practicing case interviews by yourself. Since you have no partner to provide you feedback, you will need to be introspective and identify your own improvement areas.

At the end of each practice case interview, you should have a list of new things that you have learned and a list of improvement areas to work on in future practice cases. You’ll continue to work on your improvement areas in future practice cases either by yourself or with a partner.

5. Eventually find a case partner to practice with

You can only do so many practice case interviews by yourself before your learning will start to plateau. Eventually, you should be practicing case interviews with a case partner.

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

• Driving the direction of the case
• Asking for more information
• Collaborating to get the right approach or structure
• Answering follow-up questions

If you are practicing with a case partner, decide who is going to be giving the case and who is going to be receiving the case.

If you are giving the case, read the entire case information carefully. It may be helpful to read through everything twice so that you are familiar with all of the information and can answer any question that your partner asks you to clarify.

As the person giving the case, you need to be the case expert.

You should become familiar with the overall direction of the case. In other words, you should know what the major questions of the case are and what the major areas of investigation are. This will help you run the mock case interview more smoothly.  

Depending on whether you want the case interview to be interviewer-led or candidate-led, you will need to decide how much you want to steer the direction of the case.

If your partner gets stuck and is taking a long time, you may need to step in and provide suggestions or hints. If your partner is proceeding down a wrong direction, you will need to direct them towards the right direction.

Where to Find More Case Interview Examples

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

Case Interview Prep Books

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

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

The three case interview prep books we recommend using are:

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

Case Interview Courses

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

Courses typically cost anywhere between $200 to $400.

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

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

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

Case Interview Coaching

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary of the Best Consulting Interview Resources

Here are the resources we recommend to land your dream consulting job:

For help landing consulting interviews

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

For help passing case interviews

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

For help passing consulting behavioral & fit interviews

• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course : Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer.

Land Multiple Consulting Offers

Complete, step-by-step case interview course. 30,000+ happy customers.

Career in Consulting

280 Free Case Interview Examples

Do you want to get access to over 280 free case interview examples (with answers)?

If you have interviews planned at McKinsey ,  The Boston Consulting Group , or any other consulting firm, you are probably looking for case interview examples.

So, to help you prepare, I have compiled a list of 280 free case interview examples:

• Over 30 free case interview examples (+ interview prep tips) from the websites of top consulting firms
• More than 250 free case interview examples from top business school case books

Moreover, you’ll get  my take on which case studies you will likely have in interviews.

In short, the resources listed hereafter will be very helpful if you are starting out or have already made good progress in preparing for your case interviews.

One last word : check out this free case-cracking course to learn how to crack the most recent types of case questions consulting firms use in actual interviews.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Get the latest data about salaries in consulting, mckinsey: tips and case interview examples.

McKinsey & Company’s website is definitely one of my favorites.

Because this gives so much insightful information about the role of a consultant and what the hiring process looks like.

Therefore, I highly recommend spending time on their website, even if you are not targeting McKinsey.

In the meantime, here are 8 McKinsey case interview examples

• Electro-light
• GlobaPharma
• National Education
• Talbot trucks
• Shops corporation
• Conservation forever

Check out the McKinsey Hub : A library of 20+ free resources that cover everything you need to secure a job offer at McKinsey.

Besides, here is another McKinsey case interview example.

This case interview question has been recently asked in a real interview:

𝘦𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘊𝘰, 𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘶𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉2𝘉 𝘴𝘦𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉2𝘊 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘦𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘊𝘰’𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵.

How would you approach this business problem?

When ready, check this video below where I present how to approach this problem.

BCG: Tips And Case Interview Examples

The Boston Consulting Group website  states something very important: the goal of the hiring process is to get to know you better, which means, in the context of Consulting interviews, understanding how you solve problems .

Remember this: in case interviews,  to show how you think is MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than to find an answer to the case .

As a result, you will have case study questions to showcase your problem-solving skills. Likewise, fit interviews have the same purpose: to show what problems you faced and how you resolved them.

• BCG interview prep tips
• BCG’s interactive case tool
• BCG case interview example: climate change challenge
• BCG case interview example: GenCo
• BCG case interview example: FoodCo

Check out the BCG Hub : A library of 20+ free resources that cover everything you need to secure a job offer at BCG.

Bain: Tips And Case Interview Examples

Bain & Company’s website highlights something very important: successful applicants manage to turn a case interview into a conversation between two consultants .

In other words, you don’t want to appear as a candidate but as a consultant !

To do this, you need to master the main problem-solving techniques that consulting firms want to see.

• Bain interview prep tips here and here
• Bain case interview examples: coffee , fashioco
• Bain case interview sample videos: a first video , a second video

Check out the Bain Hub : A library of 20+ free resources that cover everything you need to secure a job offer at Bain & Company.

Deloitte: Tips And Case Interview Examples

As for the BCG’s section above, the Deloitte website clearly states that in case interviews , it is much more important to show how you think and interact with your interviewer than to find the right answer to the case.

• Deloitte interview prep tips
• Deloitte case interview examples: here (more than 15 case interview examples)
• Deloitte case interview example: Federal Agency
• Deloitte case interview example: Recreation Unlimited
• Deloitte case interview example: Federal benefits Provider
• Deloitte case interview example: Federal Civil Cargo protection Bureau

Get 4 Complete Case Interview Courses For Free

You need 4 skills to be successful in all case interviews: Case Structuring, Case Leadership, Case Analytics, and Communication. Join this free training and learn how to ace ANY case questions.

Oliver Wyman: Tips And Case Interview Examples

Like the Deloitte website, Oliver Wyman’s website points out that, above all,  you must demonstrate your ability to think in a structured, analytical, and creative way.

In other words, there are no right or wrong answers, but only showing how you solve problems matters.

• Oliver Wyman interview prep tips
• Oliver Wyman case interview examples: here (Aqualine) and here (Wumbleworld)

Kearney: Tips And Case Interview Examples

Now it’s time to tell you something you could have heard a hundred times.

Yet too many candidates do it.

Do NOT force your solution to adapt to a standard framework . As a result, this will only take you to a place you don’t want to go: the pool of rejected candidates .

To learn more about this, check the “What Not To Do” section on the AT Kearney website .

• Kearney interview prep tips
• Kearney case interview examples: here and here
• Kearney case book: here

Strategy&: Interview Prep Tips

Strategy& doesn’t provide case study examples on its website, but it shares insights on career progression, which I recommend reading when you prepare for your fit interviews.

• Strategy& interview prep tips

Roland Berger: Tips And Case Interview Examples

I like the examples of case studies presented on the Roland Berger website .

Because the two examples of case studies are very detailed and illustrate the kind of solutions your interviewers expect during case discussions.

• Roland Berger interview prep tips
• A first Roland Berger case interview example: part 1 and part 2
• A second Roland Berger case interview example: part 1 and part 2

Alix Partners: Interview Prep Tips

Like Strategy&, Alix Partners doesn’t provide case study examples on its website.

However, they give an overview of what they are looking for: they want entrepreneurial, self-starter, and analytical candidates, which are skills that all consulting firms highly appreciate .

• Alix Partners interview prep tips

OC&C: Interview Prep Tips

Here are two case study examples from OC&C:

• Imported spirit
• Leisure clubs

253 Case Studies From Business School Case Books

Most of these 253 case study examples are based on case interviews used by consulting firms in real job interviews .

As a result, you can have a good idea of the case study questions you can have when interviewing at these firms .

The Full List Of 253 Free Case Study Examples

• Chicago business school
• Australian Graduate School of Management
• Columbia business school
• Harvard business school
• Wharton business school (2009)
• Wharton busines school (2017)
• Darden business school

Do you want to practice a specific type of case study? Now you can…

I have sorted this list of 253 case studies by type:  profitability, market expansion, industry analysis, pricing, investment or acquisition,  and guesstimates (also known as market sizing questions).

Bonus #1: Know The Types Of Cases You Are Likely To have During Your Interviews

• Profitability cases (29% of cases from that list)
• Investment cases (19% of cases from that list)
• Market sizing questions (15% of cases from that list)

As a result, assuming you’ll have 6 interviews (and therefore 6 case interviews) during the recruitment process:

• “Profitability cases are 29%”  means that chances to have 2 profitability case studies during your recruitment process are very high
• “Investment cases are 19%”  means that chances to have 1 investment case study during your recruitment process are very high.
• “ Guesstimates are 15%”  means that chances of having  1 market sizing question during your recruitment process are high.

Bonus #2: The 10 Cases I Recommend You Doing Now

Over 250 examples of case interviews are a great list, and you may not know where to start.

So, I’ve compiled a list of my 10 favorite case studies.

The 5 case studies I recommend doing if you are a BEGINNER

1. stern case book: drinks gone flat (starting at page 24).

This is a good introduction to a common type of case (declining sales here). I liked the solution presented for this case, particularly how it started by isolating declining sales (what range of products? Volumes or prices, or both?).

2. Stern case book: Sport bar (starting at page 46)

This is an investment case (should you invest in a new bar). Even if the solution presented in this case book is not MECE , it covers the most common quantitative questions you might have in such a case. I recommend doing this case.

3. Stern case book: MJ Wineries (starting at page 85)

This is a profitability case. I liked the solution presented in this case because it illustrates how specific good candidates should be. The case concerns wine, so a good candidate should mention the quality of lands and grapes as important factors.

4. AGSM case book: Piano tuners (starting at page 57)

This is a typical market sizing question. How to answer this type of question is a must-know before going to your interviews.

5. Darden case book: National Logistics (starting at page 49)

Again, this is a very common case (how to reduce costs). I liked the broad range of questions asked in this case, covering key skills assessed by consulting firms during case interviews: brainstorming skills (or creativity), quantitative skills, and business sense.

The 5 case studies I recommend if you are more ADVANCED in your preparation

1. stern: the pricing games (starting at page 55).

This case study asks you to help your client assess different business models. I liked this case because the range of issues to tackle is quite broad.

2. Wharton 2017: Engineer attrition at SLS Oil & Gas Services (starting at page 55)

I liked this case study because the case prompt is uncommon: your client has been facing a very high attrition rate among its population of Engineers. As a result, it’s very unlikely that your solution fits a well-known framework, and you’ll have to demonstrate your problem-solving skills by developing a specific solution.

3. Wharton 2017: Pharma Company Goes International, Outsources Benefits, Integrates New Technology (starting at page 95)

This case is about a client considering outsourcing a part of their activity. Even though I don’t know if this type of case study is very common, I had many case studies like this when I passed my interviews a few years ago. And I always found them difficult!

4. Insead: Gas retail case (starting at page 73)

The question in the problem statement is very broad, making this case difficult. So, only good candidates can have a structured case discussion here.

5. Darden: Fire Proof (starting at page 84)

This is a market entry case. Try to solve it by developing a structure as MECE as possible.

CareerInConsulting.com's Free Resources

Access my exclusive free training to help you prepare for your case interviews .

Besides, you can learn my step-by-step guide to answering market sizing questions .

You’ll get my formula to solve all market sizing questions.

Moreover, if you are a beginner, you can read my article on how to solve business cases (+ a 4-week prep plan to get case interview ready).

Also, check these 11 must-know frameworks to ace your case interviews.

Finally, you can read the articles in the blog section of my website.

That’s quite a list.

To complete this list, check this free case interview course , where you’ll find case questions recently asked in actual interviews.

Now, I’d like to hear from you.

Which key insights were new to you?

Or maybe I have missed something.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.

SHARE THIS POST

3 thoughts on “280 Free Case Interview Examples”

Pingback: Market sizing questions: the definite guide (2020) - Career in Consulting

Pingback: Case interview prep: a guide for beginners - Career in Consulting

Pingback: What Does A Management Consultant Do? - Career in Consulting

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You need 4 skills to be successful in all case interviews: Case Structuring, Case Leadership, Case Analytics, and Communication. Enroll in our 4 free courses and discover the proven systems +300 candidates used to learn these 4 skills and land offers in consulting.

50+ Case Interview Questions and Examples From Top Firms

Discover over 50 case interview questions and examples from top consulting firms. Prepare effectively for your next interview with expert insights and tips!

Posted August 22, 2024

Featuring Nick V.

Management Consulting Office Hours

Starting thursday, september 12.

6:30 PM UTC · 30 minutes

Table of Contents

Let’s face it, consulting interviews can be intimidating, especially with their complex case questions. These questions are designed to assess your problem-solving skills, analytical ability, and strategic thinking, crucial competencies for success in the consulting world. Recognizing the types of case interview questions and mastering them can significantly elevate your chances of landing your dream job in prestigious firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain.

This article serves as a comprehensive guide to mastering case interview questions, providing insights into the most common consulting case interview questions and detailed case interview examples from top consulting firms. From McKinsey case interview questions to unique challenges posed by firms like Deloitte and Accenture, we've got you covered. We will also share tips on how to ace your case interview and how to prepare for different types of case interview questions effectively.

By the end of this article, you'll have a well-rounded understanding of what to expect and how to showcase your problem-solving prowess when it matters most. Let’s begin!

List of Case Interview Questions, Practice Cases, and Examples

In preparing for your consulting interviews, it's crucial to familiarize yourself with the most common types of case interview questions. On this list, we will provide sample questions from the top consulting firms.

McKinsey Case Interview Examples

To excel in McKinsey case interviews , it's crucial to practice with specific examples that mirror the real challenges you might face. Here are some detailed scenarios from McKinsey to guide your preparation:

1. Beautify Case

Sample Question #1 : Beautify is excited to support its current staff of beauty consultants on the journey to becoming virtual social media-beauty advisors. Consultants would still lead the way in terms of direct consumer engagement and would be expected to maintain and grow a group of clients. They would sell products through their own pages on beautify.com, make appearances at major retail outlets, and be active on all social media platforms.

What possible factors should Beautify consider when shifting this group of employees toward a new set of responsibilities?

Sample Question #2 : One of the key areas that Beautify wants to understand is the reaction of current and potential new customers to the virtual social media-beauty advisors.

Imagine you are a current Beautify customer and you mostly shop at your local department store because you enjoy the high-touch service offered by in-store consultants. What features would make you consider switching to a mostly virtual sales experience?

See more questions here .

2. Diconsa Case

Sample Question #1 : What should the team investigate to determine whether the Diconsa network could and should be leveraged to provide a range of basic financial services to Mexico’s rural population?

Sample Question #2: The team has estimated that it currently costs a family 50 pesos per month in transportation and food to make the journey to collect benefit payments. The team also estimates that if benefits were available for collection at local Diconsa stores, the cost would be reduced by 30 percent.

Twenty percent of Mexico’s population is rural, and of that number, half currently receive state benefits.

You can assume that Mexico has a population of 100 million.

You can also assume that families in Mexico have an average four members, and that this does not vary by region.

If every family could collect state benefits at their local Diconsa stores, how much in total per year would be saved across all Mexican rural families receiving state benefits?

3. Electro-Light Case

Sample Question #1: What key factors should SuperSoda consider when deciding whether or not to launch Electro-Light?

Sample Question #2: SuperSoda executives believe that the company's position as a top-three beverage company gives it strategic impetus toward achieving the desired market share. However, they ask the team to outline what would be needed to achieve the target 12.5 percent share of the electrolyte-drinks market. What would SuperSoda need to do to gain the required market share for Electro-Light following its launch?

4. National Education System Transformation

Sample Question #1: What issues would you want to investigate in diagnosing the current state of the Loravian school system?

Sample Question #2: One of the clients at Loravian’s educational department mentions neighbor country “C” as an example, because it’s outperforming all of Loravia's economic peers and neighbors in the international assessment. She believes that the more concentrated school structure in this country is a big reason for better outcomes in the international assessment. She suggests that having larger, less fragmented schools allows for more effective teacher selection and training, leading to improved education outcomes for students. Finally, she shares that 15 percent of Loravia's population is currently attending school.

What would be the reduction in the total number of schools in Loravia if it were to achieve the same average school size as neighbor country C?

5. Talbot Trucks Case

Sample Question #1: What information would you want to collect to understand the attractiveness for Talbot Trucks in producing and selling eTrucks in Europe?

Sample Question #2: After running focus groups with Talbot Trucks’ customers, the team concluded that the total cost of an eTruck needs to be the same as a diesel truck to be considered attractive to customers. Currently, a Talbot Trucks diesel truck costs €100,000.

Assuming that the figures above do not change, what is the maximum price Talbot Trucks can charge for its eTruck so that the total cost of ownership is equal to that of a diesel truck?

6. Shops Corporation Case

Sample Question #1: What types of factors would you want to explore to understand how Shops Corporation might improve its diversity within senior leadership?

7. Conservation Forever Case

Sample Question #1: What factors could the team consider when choosing one of the three specific geographies on which to focus the conservation efforts?

Sample Question #2: The director of CF likes these initial projections, but is not convinced that the assumptions are realistic. They tell the team, “According to your model, there are three levers we need to focus on to generate revenue from ecotourism in Peru: number of visitors, length of stay, and spending amount. What are your best ideas for how to maximize each lever? And how about some ideas outside of the constraints of this model?”

Your team is meeting in ten minutes to generate ideas in preparation for a workshop with leaders from several coastal communities, and you are jotting down some notes.

What ideas do you have to generate revenue linked to ecotourism?

McKinsey offers case interview examples that cover various industries and problem-solving scenarios, helping you prepare for any interview question. Engaging with these cases will not only boost your confidence but also enhance your ability to approach complex business problems with innovative solutions.

BCG Case Interview Examples

At BCG , the case interview process is designed to simulate the real-world problems that client teams face, allowing you to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and specialized skills relevant to the role. Embracing the challenge with enthusiasm will not only make the experience rewarding but also provide a true taste of consulting life at BCG. Here are some of their case interview examples:

Here are a few examples of common case questions:

• Should a company enter a new market?
• Should a company pursue a new product line?
• How can a company improve its profitability?
• How can a company reduce costs?
• How can a company improve its customer satisfaction?

Read: How to Prepare for Boston Consulting Group Management Consulting Case Interviews?

Free trial!

From 134 top coaches

Access a library of videos, templates, and examples curated by Leland’s top coaches.

Example resumes.

Example Cases

Casing Drills

Mock Interviews

Bain Case Interview Examples

During your preparation for Bain case interviews, it's essential to delve into specific examples that reflect the real challenges you may encounter. Here's are five examples of practice cases and mock interview tips provided by Bain to guide your preparation:

• Coffee Shop Co. Practice Case
• FashionCo. Practice Case
• Associate Consultant Mock Interview
• Consultant Mock Interview
• Written Case Interview Tips

Read : Bain Case Interviews: A Comprehensive Preparation Guide

Deloitte Case Interview Examples

Deloitte provides a rich array of materials and interactive case studies designed to prepare you for the rigors of their case interviews. These examples reflect real client engagements, offering insights into the complex problems you may face and the analytical, creative, and strategic thinking required to solve them.

Deloitte Case Examples

Footloose Case Study sample questions:

• How big is the work boot market (expressed in euros)? Does Duraflex get more of its revenue from work boots or casual boots?
• Explain why Badger is outperforming Duraflex in the work boot market.
• What changes would you recommend to Duraflex’s work boot strategy? Why? Would you recommend they introduce a sub- branded boot line?

Engagement Strategy: Federal Agency V sample questions:

• To begin an engagement strategy, how might you establish a baseline to measure employee engagement against?
• What characteristics would you look for in external organizations to use as potential benchmarks?
• What are the various populations of the workforce and how would you engage them?
• How will you use Deloitte’s relationship with, and institutional knowledge, of Agency V to develop your deliverables?

Recreation Unlimited sample questions :

• What are potential reasons for Recreation Unlimited's poor eCommerce performance relative to competitors?
• In order to win digital customers, Recreation Unlimited wants to find ways to improve and differentiate their digital customer experience. What are some potential ways to improve the customer experience and how does improving customer experience create value for the customer and value for the business?
• As part of the digital strategy that Recreation Unlimited is considering, they are debating whether to improve the website experience or increase digital marketing. Since they are not sure they will have the budget for both, they want you to help them decide. How would you approach this question?

Strategic Vision: Federal Benefits Provider sample questions :

• What steps should the Deloitte team take to develop a 10-year strategic roadmap for the Agency?
• What are the components or metrics of a business case that should be considered to justify the development of a 10-year strategic roadmap?
• In building the 10-year strategic road map, the Deloitte team realizes there are several key challenges that pose impediments to implementing the Agency’s vision. What is the cost of each challenge to the Agency?
• Leaders in the various departments remain skeptical that the 10-year vision can positively impact their unique operations, while employees are largely unaware of the 10-year vision initiative. How might Deloitte develop an impactful change management strategy to institutionalize the goals of the 10-year vision and ensure buy-in across the Agency’s diverse workforce?

Talent Management: Federal Civil Cargo Protection Bureau sample questions:

• What data would you want to have to be able to move forward?
• What immediate steps would you take to review screening processes and training procedures?
• How would you incorporate things like job descriptions and competencies in your review in order to build a new human capital strategy?
• How will you engage and develop leadership given the Chief Administrator is new to the role and has a different background?

Click here to practice a consulting case interview.

Read : Best 30 Free Resources to Get into Management Consulting

Accenture Case Interview Examples

Accenture's case interviews serve as the final hurdle to becoming a consultant at the firm. These interviews are uniquely structured to assess a candidate's ability to solve complex business problems. The format includes both interviewer-led and candidate-led cases, providing a comprehensive evaluation of your problem-solving capabilities.

Learn more about Accenture’s Case Interview Workbook here .

OC&C Case Interview Examples

OC&C , a globally recognized but relatively smaller strategy consulting firm, is known for its rigorous case interviews that reflect real-life client challenges. These interviews are designed to assess a wide range of skills, from analytical thinking to business acumen, tailored to the firm's focus on private equity clients and seven key industries.

1. Leisure Clubs Case sample questions:

• What factors might you analyze to determine what is going to happen to demand for leisure clubs?
• What is likely to happen to demand for leisure clubs?
• What is the critical issue for our client?

2. Important Whisky in an Emerging Market Case sample questions:

• What information would you require to help explain the slowing down of growth?
• What is driving profitability down?
• What are the potential strategic options?

Oliver Wyman Case Interview Examples

Oliver Wyman's case interviews are designed to uncover how you approach unstructured challenges and evaluate data to build comprehensive solutions. The firm encourages candidates to think critically and creatively, using logical components to break down complex problems.

See how Oliver Wyman can help you with interview preparation by explaining conversational and case interviews, as well as sharing interview tips and explaining what the role of the case interview is.

A.T. Kearney Case Interview Examples

A.T. Kearney's interview process is notably rigorous, tailored to assess a wide range of abilities from analytical thinking to strategic problem-solving. Take a look at A.T. Kearney’s case example and case book to help you how to prepare effectively:

• Promotional Planning Case example
• Consulting Case Book and Tips for Interviewing

Strategy& / PWC Case Interview Examples

Strategy& / PWC focuses on executive-level strategic issues, such as capability identification, market positioning, and operational efficiency. This branch's case interviews are designed to simulate real business challenges, helping to prepare candidates for the demands of strategic consulting roles. Here's a closer look at the types of questions you might encounter:

Sample Question 1: Market sizing

• Estimate the size (by value) of the UK grocery retail market

Sample Question 2: Market sizing

• Estimate the size (by value) of the UK retail cooking sauces market

Sample Question 3: Interpreting information and drawing conclusions

• Look at the chart on the following slide
• Interpret the meaning of the chart
• How are things changing? Who's winning and who's losing?
• Given your knowledge of the UK grocery market, why might this be?

Learn more about case interview preparation by reading through Strategy& / PWC’s presentation .

L.E.K. Consulting Case Interview Examples

The case interview process at L.E.K. Consulting is rigorous – designed to evaluate a candidate's ability to solve complex business problems. The interviews are structured across multiple rounds, each focusing on different aspects of your analytical and strategic thinking abilities. Here's what you need to know to prepare effectively:

• Interview Preparation
• Market Sizing Case Example Video Walkthrough

Roland Berger Case Interview Examples

The case interviews at Roland Berger are designed to evaluate your ability to display key personality traits, with a notable preference for candidates who have international experience, as this is explicitly stated by the firm. Roland Berger has provided two case webinars on their website. Each example provides a case scenario, problem, and tips on how to answer the questions.

• 3D Printed Hip Implants Case / 3D Printed Hip Implants Case 2 sample questions:
• Based upon the explanation process: Which are the most important costs to consider?
• Is additive manufacturing of the hip implant – based upon the given information – lucrative?
• Which measures could increase the economic feasibility of the product?
• Transit Oriented Development Case / Transit Oriented Development Case 2 sample questions:
• How would you split the 416 stations between little, medium, and large revenue potential?
• How can the public transport operator of Munich increase its revenue through focusing on its existing rail stations?

Capital One Case Interview Examples

The structure of a Capital One case interview typically involves three key sections: outlining the business situation and framework, tackling quantitative questions, and formulating a recommendation based on your calculations. Expect scenarios that might not strictly adhere to the MECE principle (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive), which is often a staple in consulting case interviews. This approach reflects the real-world ambiguity you might face in business situations, requiring a flexible and adaptive problem-solving strategy. Here's a video walkthrough on everything there is need to know about Capital One case interview:

• Strategy Analyst - Case Study Guide

EY Parthenon Case Interview Examples

EY-Parthenon case interviews are designed to mimic real-life challenges, providing a glimpse into the practical work of a consultant. The interviews are candidate-led, similar to styles seen at BCG or Bain, and focus on several key areas including analytical thinking, structured problem-solving, and effective communication. The EY-Parthenon behavioral interview questions are comparable to those you would encounter in interviews for other top-tier management consulting firms. Be prepared to answer the following questions:

EY-Parthenon Case Interview Behavioral/FIT Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you interested in consulting, and why specifically EY-Parthenon?
• Describe a time when you worked on a team project. What was your role, and how did you contribute to the team’s success?
• Can you provide an example of a challenging problem you faced at work and how you solved it?
• How do you handle tight deadlines and pressure? Can you give an example?
• Tell me about a time when you had to influence someone to achieve a goal.
• How do you prioritize tasks when you have multiple projects to manage?
• Describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult team member. How did you handle it?
• What is your greatest professional achievement so far?
• Give an example of a time when you had to learn something new quickly.
• Why do you think you would be a good fit for EY-Parthenon’s culture?
• Tell me about a time you failed or made a mistake. How did you handle it?
• Can you provide an example of a project where you demonstrated leadership?
• How do you handle feedback and criticism?
• Are there any questions that you have for me?
• Your answer for this question must be a resounding “YES”. The more you have questions for them, the better because that shows that you’ve researched the company. You may ask about a particular previous project they did or something in particular to their operations.

Online Case Interview Examples from Consulting Clubs

Mastering the case interview is essential in consulting, and consulting clubs are key in this preparation. NYU, Duke, and Kellogg Consulting Club, for instance, provide free various interview cases, both individual and group, that mimic real consulting challenges.

• NYU Stern MCA 2020-2021 Casebook
• Columbia Business School 2021 Casebook
• The Duke MBA Consulting Club Casebook 2021-2022
• UCLA Case Book 2019 – 2020
• Darden School Of Business 2021-2022 Casebook
• Kellogg Consulting Club 2020 Casebook
• Cornell MBA Johnson Consulting Club Casebook 2020-2021
• Notre Dame Casebook 2022
• FMS Consulting Casebook 2021-22
• INSEAD Consulting Club Casebook 2021
• IIMC Consulting Casebook 2021-22
• IIM Lucknow Casebook 2022
• Harvard Business School Management Consulting Club Case Interview Examples
• Berkeley Haas School of Business Consulting Club Interview Preparation Guide and Case Interview Examples 2019

How to Ace Your Case Interview

To excel in your case interview, it's crucial to demonstrate a blend of problem-solving skills, analytical ability, strategic and logical thinking, and comfort with ambiguity. These elements are essential as they reflect real client projects that you might handle at firms like Deloitte Consulting LLP.

Read : The 15 Most Common Consulting Interview Questions — With Answers

Step-by-Step Approach to Case Interviews

• Understand the Issue : Start by clarifying the case question. Ensure you fully grasp the problem before proceeding.
• Develop a Framework : Articulate a framework and initial hypothesis to explore. This helps in structuring your response and guides your analysis.
• Analytical Execution : Engage in logical storytelling. Walk the interviewer through your thought process and explain your assumptions. Take notes and structure your analysis clearly.
• Recommendation and Next Steps : Conclude with a strong recommendation based on your findings. Outline the next steps and expected results or impacts.

Read : Mastering Consulting Cases: A Step-by-Step Approach

Tips on How to Prepare For Your Case Interview

To excel in your case interview preparation, it's essential to engage in extensive practice with a variety of case types. Successful candidates often practice with dozens of case interview scenarios, treating the preparation process with the same rigor as studying for finals or the GMAT. Here are key steps to enhance your preparation:

• Diverse Practice Cases : Ensure the practice cases you use cover a broad spectrum of problems, including profitability, market sizing, and business expansion scenarios. This variety prepares you for any curveballs and helps develop flexibility in applying different frameworks.
• Quality of Practice Materials : Select high-quality practice cases from trusted sources. The content and structure of these cases should closely mimic the types of cases presented in actual interviews at top consulting firms.
• Framework Mastery : Rather than memorizing frameworks, focus on understanding and adapting them to fit different case scenarios. This approach helps in crafting tailored solutions during your actual interview.
• Time Management : Practice managing your time effectively during mock interviews. Top consulting firms like Bain appreciate candidates who can efficiently organize and analyze information under time constraints.
• Engage with Realistic Simulations : Participate in mock interviews and case sessions that simulate the actual interview environment. This practice helps you refine your problem-solving approach and improve your communication skills under pressure.
• Continuous Learning and Adaptation : Stay informed about new trends and changes in the consulting interview landscape. Engage with resources that provide updates and insights into evolving interview formats.

Personalized Coaching : Consider working with an experienced coach who can provide personalized feedback and guidance. Coaching can significantly enhance your performance by focusing on areas that need improvement.

Practice with Experts from Leland

Through an extensive exploration of the various aspects of case interviews across prestigious consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, Accenture, and others, it's evident that thorough preparation and an adaptable mindset are critical for success.

Leland offers comprehensive case study interview preparation tailored to help you excel in consulting case interviews. Our experienced consultants provide personalized coaching, realistic case simulations, and strategic feedback to enhance your problem-solving skills and boost your confidence. With our expert guidance, you'll be well-prepared to tackle any case interview challenge and make a lasting impression.

What questions should you consider asking during a case study interview?

• In your case study interview, it's crucial to ask insightful questions to understand the context fully. Consider asking about how the interviewee discovered your company, the timeline of their engagement, their initial experiences with your company, the challenges they aimed to address, and whether they considered any competitors or alternative solutions.

What strategies can enhance your performance in a case interview?

• To excel in a case interview, start by taking a moment to organize your thoughts before responding. Structure your response logically, guiding the interviewer through your thought process and clarifying any assumptions you make. Maintain composure and treat the interview as a professional conversation, which can help alleviate pressure.

How can you excel in a case study interview?

• To perform well in a case study interview, make sure to take detailed notes throughout. Even if you are not familiar with the industry, focus on demonstrating your analytical skills and how you approach problem-solving. Communicate clearly and ensure you have a thorough understanding of the problem you're asked to analyze.

What types of questions are typically asked in case interviews?

• Case interviews generally include questions from nine key categories, such as framework or issue tree questions, market-sizing and guesstimate questions, valuation inquiries, brain teasers, chart interpretation, value proposition analysis, informational queries, and mathematical problems.

Preparing for consulting recruiting and/or case interviews? Here are some additional resources to help:

• Top 3 Tactics to Ace Your Case Interview
• A Comprehensive Guide to McKinsey & Co., Bain & Co., and Boston Consulting Group
• From No Offers to Multiple Offers - How to Take Your Casing to the Next Level
• Soft Skills for Consulting: Why They Matter and How to Develop Them
• Five Tips to Break Into Management Consulting

Browse hundreds of expert coaches

Leland coaches have helped thousands of people achieve their goals. A dedicated mentor can make all the difference.

Browse Related Articles

August 22, 2024

The 15 Most Common Consulting Interview Questions — With Answers

Discover the 15 most common consulting interview questions with sample answers. Prepare confidently with our friendly guide to acing your consulting interview.

September 9, 2024

How to Answer 'What Is the Most Difficult Situation You've Faced' (With Examples)

Learn how to answer "What is the most difficult situation you've faced" with examples. Ace interviews with expert tips on showcasing problem-solving and resilience.

August 30, 2024

50+ Brain Teaser Interview Questions You Could Be Asked

Get ready to tackle any interview with 50+ brain teasers that challenge your thinking, sharpen your problem-solving skills, and help you impress your future employer.

August 20, 2024

Case Interview Math Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Master case interview math with our friendly guide! Learn essential tips, tricks, and strategies to ace every calculation and impress in your consulting interviews.

May 18, 2023

Victor Cheng LOMS: Is It the Ultimate Guide to Case Interviews?

Discover the ultimate guide to acing case interviews with Victor Cheng's LOMS program.

March 12, 2024

The Ultimate Guide to the Consulting Case Interview – With Examples

This guide, written by a former McKinsey consultant and Wharton MBA, breaks down the management consulting case interview into comprehensible parts with relevant, realistic examples at every turn.

How to Prepare For Your Management Consulting Interview

A former McKinsey consultant and Wharton MBA outlines her top tips for preparing for your management consulting interview. Whether you're a newbie or a seasoned professional, this article will give you the edge to impress your interviewers.

January 2, 2024

The Ultimate Guide to the EY Parthenon Case Interview Process

Are you preparing for the EY Parthenon case interview process? Look no further than our ultimate guide, packed with insider tips and strategies to help you ace the interview and land your dream job.

August 25, 2024

How to Write the Best Follow-Up Email After the Interview

Learn how to write the best follow-up email after an interview to show strong interest, reinforce your qualifications, and leave a lasting impression on potential employers.

May 11, 2023

The Consulting Scene in Chicago: A Guide to Top Firms

Discover the top consulting firms in Chicago with our comprehensive guide. From boutique firms to global powerhouses, we've got you covered.

Market Entry Framework: The Expert Guide

Unlock success in new markets with our expert guide! Learn the market entry framework step-by-step and discover strategies to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

August 28, 2024

The Top Political Consulting Firms in 2024

Find out the top political consulting firms of 2024, offering expert strategies, campaign management, and innovative solutions to drive success in the political arena.

• Skip to main content

Crafting Cases

Case Interview Examples: The 9 Best in 2024 (McKinsey, Bain, BCG, etc.)

February 7, 2024 By Julio Tarraf

Today I’m gonna show you a curated list of the 9 VERY BEST Case Interview Example videos from all around the web.

So you don’t have to go through the same pains I did back when I was preparing:

• I watched TONS of videos on YouTube, but most of my time was WASTED because many weren’t helpful at all.
• I couldn’t tell which cases were realistic and which were unrealistic, or which were hard and which were easy.
• I couldn’t even tell whether each answer by the candidates was good enough to pass the interview or not (my best proxy was their confidence, which I later found was NOT a good proxy).

So that brings us to this article.

What's in for you:

Every hour you spend on the examples in this article is the equivalent of spending 3-5 hours browsing YouTube on your own, reading Case in Point, or going through piles of casebooks.

This article is the result of...

24 of those videos didn’t make it to the list: they were  a mix of poorly recorded, unrealistic and even   misleading .

I curated just the best so you wouldn’t have to waste your own 20+ hours to find them.

Table of contents:

• #1. Playworks market entry  [Best for beginners]
• #2. Agricultural chemicals product launch [Advanced candidates only]
• #3. A+ Airlines’ reaction to competitor’s change
• #4. Auto manufacturer profitability decrease  [Best profitability case]

#5. Swift fox population decrease

• #6. Bed and Bath e-commerce acquisition  [Best for solo practice]

#7. FlashFash acquires LaMode

#8. medical supplies manufacturer demand decrease.

• #9. Pepsi’s LA bottling plant
• #10. 1930’s gangster growth strategy

#1. Playworks market entry

• Easy case, with one Estimation, one Quantitative Analysis, and one Chart Interpretation questions within. Overall, good to practice and to get a feel for case interview dynamics
• You can’t see the Exhibit the candidate is shown, but you can find it in this link provided by Yale SOM Consulting Club  (go to page 9)

CANDIDATE’S PERFORMANCE

• Stellar framework, touching on all relevant issues and showing a plan to solve the problem from beginning to end
• Great job performing a spontaneous reality check to his estimation
• I would expect more reasoning behind some of the key assumptions (# of high schools and colleges in the US). He was, however, close to the real values – his background as a teacher could have played a role, but as an interviewer I would still have needed to see his reasoning behind those numbers
• Big mistake inadvertently converting square yards to square feet (~10x difference in final answer) combined with math confusion within the Estimation and inefficiencies in Analysis: his analytical skills would have to be tested more thoroughly in a third interview or in a next round

The next case is mostly useful for its framework question.

It’s a high-quality, nuanced case question, similar to the ones you’ll get in McKinsey, Bain and BCG interviews.

The problem with this case is…

It requires either a well-structured answer or a ton of business sense, and the candidate solving it had neither.

As a result, he missed so many great insights, which made the video poor where it could have been rich for those who are practicing: business insight.

To spice up your practice, I’ll list those insights after the video under a spoiler alert, so you can add them to your own business sense library.

Given all of this, I would recommend this video for advanced candidates only .

(To understand what elements a perfect answer would need and how to create one for any case, check out our free course, Case Interview Fundamentals.)

#2. Agricultural chemicals product launch

Product launch

Candidate-led

• Tough case. Full of nuance, and suitable for an MBB first-round (perhaps even for a final-round).
• The analysis at  26:15  is a tough one, great practice for advanced students looking to improve their quantitative skills. Don’t forget that  you need to provide an insight after getting to the numerical answer.
• Right from the start, you can see that you’d need to (1) size the financial benefits orchards would get from using your product and (2) run viability and pricing analyses. The candidate fails to see this until the interviewer suggests it.
• The candidate missed several other important insights which would have been impressive. Can you spot any? Read them below, under the spoiler alert.

As I said, I’ll quickly go over the insights this candidate missed, as I think they could greatly add to your business sense library.

1) The one and most important is the pricing and viability analysis.

• One of the first questions that need to be answered when solving this case is, “what’s the size of the financial benefits of this product to the buyer, how much can we capture of it, and does it covers the manufacturing and distribution costs?”.
• The reason is simple: this analysis can be run entirely on data we most likely have (from research while developing the product), and it will quickly tell us if the product isn’t viable or if we need a strategy pivot.
• When guided, the candidate eventually runs this analysis, but the fact that this isn’t even explicit in his initial structure is still a red flag.
• Here’s what I would expect from a top-2% candidate. This analysis should have been outlined in the initial structure, along with a quick brainstorming of how this product might bring increased profits for the buyer.

2) There are several other potential sources of increased ROI that the launch of this product could yield that he didn’t even consider:

• Cross-selling opportunities to these same clients, once we’re selling Mango Maker to them.
• The possibility of selling this product in several other countries (thus potentially decreasing the costs of production with scale gains.)
• The possibility of selling this product to producers of other tropical fruits (to his credit, he did mention this when pressed, by the end of the video).
• The possibility of acting towards increasing the patent duration.
• The possibility of having some cash flow from the product after the patent expires.

The key to getting to those insights would have been to build a more robust initial framework. More business sense would help for sure, but  structuring techniques  are more feasible to practice and develop.

Lastly: the interviewer says, by the end of the video, that the interviewer would pass his first-round MBB interview with this performance. I do not agree with her.

While it is possible that his interviewers would pass him and let partners decide whether or not he’s suitable for the firm, the risk is just too high.

Some interviewers might pass him, but many others definitely would not.

Before we move on…

Did you know there are ONLY 6 types of questions an interviewer will ask you in a case?

Join our FREE 7-day case interview course to…

• Learn what these six types of questions are…
• Get step-by-step approaches to answering them…
• And get several in-depth examples taylored for solo practice.

Now to the next video…

Yale SOM Consulting Club and Elaine Dang deserve congratulations on the two videos they made.

It’s super high quality work. 

Both of their video examples are similar to real case interviews in format and content, and they’re even superior to some made by case interview prep websites.

#3. A+ Airlines' reaction to competitor's change

• Questions and difficulty realistic for McKinsey, Bain, or BCG
• A real case might have more Brainstorming questions within the case
• Negative: you can’t se the exhibits the candidate is shown
• Great: all of her answers were backed by at least one layer of structure
• Insights provided after calculating every new number, which is super important  (learn more)
• She did a good job keeping the interviewer on board by doing her math out loud at all times
• One thing she could’ve done better was to not constantly come back to the “cash tied up in the cash box” idea – she should’ve tested it once and definitively as to whether that is relevant or not (it isn’t) – a partner would have certainly challenged her on that

Featuring next: me reviewing my own video from a neutral point of view.

Yes, I know that can’t possibly be unbiased.

But here’s why I think this video will get you ahead of other candidates and why you should ABSOLUTELY NOT miss out on this :

• The case comes nearly straight from my own Bain final round.
• My question in the end is difficult (even for McKinsey, Bain or BCG’s standards), and Bruno’s answer is impressive.
• Bruno’s solution is not perfect, and this gives us both an opportunity to openly discuss how it could’ve been better by the end.

#4. Auto manufacturer profitability decrease

• Average-difficulty profitability case in the first half, and a difficult question at 15:44
• Full realistic drill-down to find the real root cause of the problem, which is a common thing in case interviews that you’ll only find in this video
• Bruno should have presented his answer as a plan before diving into the profit tree , which is an advanced skill that makes you sound more like a consultant and less like a candidate
• Efficient and organized drill-down in the profit tree, a must-master habit for all candidates
• Super insightful answer to the second question because it shows second-order level thinking

If you’re mainly looking to improve your performance in profitability cases, there are two pieces of content worth checking out:

• This video: 5 Tactics To Stand Out In Your Profitability Case Interviews
• And this article, the state-of-the-art in profitability trees: Profitability Trees: The Complete Guide

What I love about the next case is that the first question is on diagnosing a client’s issue, but it’s not a profitability case.

It’s actually a public sector case!

Most beginners think you only use issue trees and drill-down analysis when solving a profit problem, but as you’ll see in this case, this is not true at all.

The candidate’s answer is good, so you can compare your own answer to his.

• This is a difficult, realistic diagnostics case, great for advanced candidates to step up their practice with hard cases
• You are not shown a critical exhibit the candidate gets in the middle of the case, making it unsuitable for practice from then on
• The candidate’s initial structure is insightful because it breaks down the population problem into its key drivers
• The insights the candidate provided on the exhibits are spot-on, but I would expect next-steps after the conclusions (e.g. after 10:33 , he could have said  “And to figure out whether this really is the cause of the population decrease, the next thing I would do is…” )
• But he doesn’t make the same mistake twice – at 23:20 , he gets to a number the interviewer asked and, this time, he leads the case perfectly: he comes up with a conclusion (the insight), and then proactively leads the case with next steps

The next video is THE SINGLE BEST in this list for solo practice.

You will see Bruno’s reaction to challenges most people only face in their actual interviews. Mock interviews hardly prepare you for this at all:

• How should you react when an interviewer asks you for more ideas after you’ve given everything you have?
• What do you do when your interviewer asks for a recommendation having given you nearly no data?

Go ahead and see for yourself.

(And how would a real candidate do in this case? I interviewed a candidate with this very same case and recorded it so you could see for yourself. )

#6. Bed and Bath e-commerce acquisition

• Pay special attention to how I made spontaneous challenges to Bruno after his answers. Most mock interviews, even with consultants, don’t have that. So candidates end up getting surprised by them in their actual interviews. You might even want to show this to your peers so they’ll do more realistic mock interviews with you
• In 9:00 I challenge Bruno to see if he’s sure whether customer loyalty was good (higher customer lifetime value) or bad (harder to increase market share) for the acquisition
• In 16:22 I challenge Bruno to find even more ideas other than the ones he had already given
• Due to being interviewer-led AND having great benchmark answers, this is the best video in this list for solo practice
• Super structured brainstorming, which showed me he would not leave any important area behind and helped him give me a ton of creative, insightful ideas
• Insightful framework answer (e.g., 99% of candidates would not talk about whether running this business would be attractive to the friend, much less in depth like he did)

The next case is one of the unmissable videos in this list for two main reasons.

Number one, the candidate’s answers are great, good enough to be benchmarks to your own.

Number two, it’s a difficult M&A case (which is not as exciting as watching the last Avengers movie, I get, but still…).

• Realistic, challenging interviewer-led case for McKinsey, Bain and even BCG (as some interviewers there have been doing this type of case recently)
• Quality answers make it great for solo practice
• Insightful, well-built framework, definitely a benchmark
• Notice how the candidate shows his structure for the quantitative analysis before diving into the math – that’s a great habit you definitely want to copy

I chose this next video mostly due to the quality of the initial case question. Here’s why.

Most profitability cases in casebooks are simple: “industry Y, profits fell. Why?”

But the truth is, in real MBB interviews, the case question almost always has more nuance than that.

That’s what this next video’s initial case question shows.

Just a quick heads up: I would not pass this candidate, as I wasn’t a fan of his initial structure nor of his business sense in general. Your initial structure should be more robust than his.

Profitability

Below average

• The nuances of the case question make it a realistic one for MBB first-round interviews.
• This case could be way more interesting and insightful if the candidate had followed a different path, like finding different sources of revenue, different segments they could cater to at a higher price point, or new markets they could enter with the resources they have.
• Your answers to the initial case question and to all the other brainstormings in the case could (and should, if you’re aiming for the moon) be 5X more robust than this candidate’s. Don’t base your answers off his.  (Learn how to create robust brainstorming structures here.)  
• The analysis he performs is good, structure and communication-wise.
• Great insight that buyers’ price sensitivity would be driven by the switching costs if there were any ( 19:30 ) 

The next video shows an operations case example.

It’s a wonderful use of process structures to diagnose an issue on production line.

I don’t really like its style for practicing for two main reasons.

First, it just doesn’t have the right tempo for you to pause and practice and then compare answers. 

Second, the comments in the middle break the flow.

Nothing wrong with those comments. They’re actually helpful.

The problem is they make this video good for learning a few new concepts, watching a good structure put to use, but not really to practice by yourself.

If you’re an advanced candidate and your practice is up to date and you’re  just looking to learn something new, jump right in.

#9. Pepsi's LA bottling plant

• Only one person playing the interviewer’s and the candidate’s roles, which doesn’t give you an idea of how the case would flow
• Difficult case, great case for advanced candidates to increase their experience/library
• Not really tailored for you to pause and solve at each moment, doesn’t have a good tempo for that
• “Candidate’s” structure at 5:34 is a great example of a process structure put to use in diagnostics cases
• Super insightful brainstorming at 14:50 , with at least one idea you most likely wouldn’t think of

Want to learn to solve cases like the best interviewees in these videos?

Here’s the deal: you can watch as many of these great videos as you want, but they will only help you up to a point.

They’ll help you understand what a case interview is like…

And if you try to answer the questions as you watch them, these videos will even help you get some practice…

But examples of case interviews will never teach you HOW to do cases well.

And if you want to be outstanding at solving cases so that firms like McKinsey, Bain, or BCG are begging you to accept their offers, we have something for you!

We’ve created a free course that will teach you EXACTLY HOW to answer the 6 (and only six!) types of questions you will find in ANY case interview.

(You can even go back to ALL the questions asked within the 9 examples of this article… You’ll see that each of them can be answered using one of the six techniques.)

Just click the button below to get exclusive access:

Join the FREE course now!

Now, you might be asking yourself: is this even worth my time?

I get that! There’s so much content out there, and so little time to practice.

Well, here’s the kind of e-mail we get from candidates all the time… It speaks for itself:

Bonus video!

In the beginning of this article, I told you there’d be a video by the end that didn’t make it to the list.

It’s  not that good to make it to a “best of” list. 

Still, I want to add it as a bonus, as it will add value to you in its own way.

#10. 1930's gangster growth strategy

But first, a word of warning... .

This video has a comment that could be misleading. Do NOT watch it without reading the comments.

Sometimes the greatest lessons come from mistakes. This is one of those times.

There’s a comment in the video in which the interviewer suggests that a necessary step in every case is “getting to” a chart.

This gives candidates two false impressions:

False Impression #1) There is a chart in every case, and your goal as a candidate it to “get to it”.

False Impression #2) If your interviewer has given you all the charts they had, you’ve done a good job!

Your goal as a consultant is to find the relevant hypotheses to solve the problem in a structured way and to test them with data.

If you do that, you will have done a great job, and your interviewer may or may not have given you a chart along the way.

This is true for interviews and the consulting job alike!

• Interesting case, as it’s a growth strategy in an unusual “industry”
• It is one of the few cases available online that let you practice Chart Interpretation questions, a common type at McKinsey, Bain and BCG
• Unfortunately, it gives the impression that “getting to all the charts” is the overarching goal of solving a case
• In the first Chart Interpretation question, the candidate missed a critical insight: that they already have 100% market share in all markets.  While the interviewer downplays it , it was a big foul that would be hard to recover from in a real interview
• The candidate provided insight after reading each exhibit – good job. However, he’d never proactively give clear next steps, which is what a well-prepared candidate would do
• If you’re practicing by yourself, remember not to use this candidate’s answers as a quality benchmark

I hope this article was helpful to you 🙂

If it was, I think you’ll also enjoy our free course.  Check it out for yourself by clicking here .

Access all the online resources you need for success in your case and fit interviews.

Build a successful application with our step-by-step resume advice videos, examples, and templates.

• Resources home
• Applications
• Interview tips
• Management consulting industry guide
• Top routes for joining McKinsey, BCG and Bain in 2023
• The top-10 management consulting firms
• How to practice case interviews alone
• Tips for last-minute case interview prep

Thank you for your review!

Free interview prep material in your inbox

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

You're subscribed!

What’s included?

28 emails packed with tips. 8 full cases with solutions (incl. FlashFash). Plus sample case and fit interview videos.

Case Interview: The Free Preparation Guide (2024)

The case interview is a challenging interview format that simulates the job of a management consultant , testing candidates across a wide range of problem-solving dimensions.

McKinsey, BCG and Bain – along with other top consulting firms – use the case interview because it’s a statistically proven predictor of how well a candidate will perform in the role. The format is not only used by management consulting firms. Other types of organizations – like tech companies, financial services institutions, and non-profits – often use case interviews to assess candidates who are interviewing for roles focused on shaping strategic initiatives.

If you’re preparing to face a case interview, you may be feeling a little apprehensive. The format is notoriously demanding and unlike any other type of recruitment assessment you may have experienced before. However, with the right preparation and investment of time and effort, it is possible to master.

In this guide, we break down everything you need to know about the case interview, outlining exactly what you need to do to prepare effectively and ace the case.

Key takeaways

• The classic case interview format follows the same steps that a management consultant would encounter on a client project. The interview is a little like a role-play where the interviewer plays the role of a client and the candidate plays the part of the consultant hired to solve the problem.
• Some firms occasionally deviate from the classic case interview format. Popular alternatives include written case studies – which require candidates to review paper documents and then prepare and deliver a presentation – and market sizing case interviews, which require candidates to estimate a number.
• Case interviews test candidates against a set of six problem-solving dimensions: structuring, math, judgment and insights, creativity, synthesis, and case leadership. The interviewer uses a scorecard to assess the candidate’s performance in each of these areas.
• Case interview questions can be about almost any type of challenge or opportunity. However, our research indicates that there are 10 types of questions that are asked most frequently at top consulting firms. These include questions on profit improvement, revenue growth, and market entry.
• To do well in a case interview, it’s vital to create custom interview structures that meet the conditions of the ‘AIM’ test. It helps to have a good working knowledge of key case interview frameworks, but this alone is not sufficient.
• A strong grasp of case math is also crucial when it comes to case interview performance. While only high-school level math skills are required, it’s an aspect of the case interview that many candidates find challenging.
• Successful candidates are able to summarize their findings effectively. They also demonstrate strong case leadership by progressing through the case proactively and remaining focused on its overarching objectives.
• To prepare for a case interview, it’s essential to learn every problem-solving skill that will be assessed. We teach all of these skills in our Interview Prep Course , which contains all the video lectures, sample interviews, case material, and practice tools you’ll need to ace any case interview.
• Most candidates who go on to receive an offer from a top consulting firm like McKinsey, BCG or Bain complete at least 25 live practice sessions with a partner before their interview. You’ll find over 100 high-quality cases in our Case Library and a diverse community of candidates available for practice in our Practice Room .
• Some candidates choose to supplement their preparation by working with a coach who has been an interviewer at a top consulting firm. Here at CaseCoach, our coaches have all been handpicked from the alumni of top firms such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain.
• Although the world’s top consulting firms all test candidates using similar methods, none of them approach the interview process in exactly the same way. If you’re preparing to interview at a top consulting firm, it’s important to do your research and find out what you can expect.

An introduction to the case interview

The case interview format, the classic case interview.

The vast majority of case interviews follow the same steps that management consultants encounter on real client projects.

• Brief: The interviewer gives the candidate a brief for the case. They explain the context in which the client is operating, and outline the challenge they’re facing.
• Clarification: The candidate then has the chance to ask clarifying questions. They might do this to ensure they’ve understood the context of the problem correctly or to confirm the client’s goals.
• Reflection: The candidate takes 60 to 90 seconds or so to reflect and lay out a structured approach to solving the case.
• Analysis: The candidate and interviewer then work through the case together, carrying out analyses and moving toward a recommendation. This is the part of the case where you’ll be handling numerical questions, reviewing exhibits, coming up with creative ideas, and so on. It comprises the vast majority of the time you’ll spend on the case.
• Synthesis: The case concludes with the candidate synthesizing their findings and making an overall recommendation to the client.

So what does this unique interview format look and feel like? In reality, a consulting case interview is a little like a role-play. The interviewer plays the role of a manager or client, and the candidate plays the part of the consultant hired to solve the problem. However, a case interview shouldn’t feel like a performance. The most successful candidates treat it as a natural conversation between two professional people.

In the video below you can see an example of exceptional case interview performance in action. The candidate and interviewer in the video are both former McKinsey interviewers.

Interviewer-led vs candidate-led cases

Although the classic case interview has an established format and assesses a specific set of skills, cases can be delivered in different ways. Some are more candidate-led, while others are more interviewer-led

In a candidate-led case, the candidate is in the driver’s seat and is free to explore different aspects of the problem. Interviewers don’t tell candidates what to focus on next. Instead, they provide additional information – like an exhibit or a new fact – when asked. The candidate then analyzes the information and suggests next steps to get to the answer.

In an interviewer-led case, the interviewer may interrupt the candidate and ask them to either perform a specific investigation or focus on a different aspect of the problem. This doesn’t mean the interview is going badly; the interviewer is simply following a script. As a result, in an interviewer-led case, candidates are less likely to take the wrong path.

It’s difficult to predict which style of case you’ll receive. Some firms are known for using one style of interview more frequently than another. However, in practice, most interviews fall somewhere between the two extremes, depending on the style of the interviewer and the case material they’re using. You should therefore always be ready to suggest next steps and have a view about how to get to the answer.

Other case interview formats

While the classic case interview is most common, there are a couple of other interview formats that top consulting firms use from time to time:

The written case study

Some management consulting firms use written case studies to simulate the experience of carrying out consulting work even more accurately than the classic, verbal case interview. In some locations, BCG and Bain have been known to adopt this approach for a small minority of candidates.

In written cases, candidates review a series of paper documents and then structure the problem, run some numbers, generate ideas and, finally, deliver a short presentation. You can learn more in our article on how to crack written case studies .

Market sizing case interviews

Management consulting firms and other employers sometimes use market sizing questions – also known as estimation questions – as a standalone interview format to assess candidates on a wide range of problem-solving dimensions.

In a market sizing interview, you’ll be asked to estimate a number. This might be something like the revenue of a sandwich store or how many ATMs there are in a certain city. The ability to size a market is also a skill required for solving many case interview questions. You can learn more in our article on how to nail market sizing case interviews .

Some key differences to expect

While case interviews are highly codified, it’s important to remember that every interview is unique.

In the final round of interviews, for example, cases may feel less scripted than they did in the first stage. Partners – who are part of the interviewing group in the final round – often use the same case for years at a time. This means they can deliver it without a script and, as a result, tend to give candidates more room to take the lead. You can learn more in our article on the differences between a first and final-round interview at McKinsey, BCG and Bain .

In addition, each firm or office might bring their own nuance or style to the classic case interview format. It’s important to do your research and find out what you can expect from the interview experience at your target firm or office. You can learn more in our article on how the interviews at McKinsey, BCG and Bain differ .

The skills assessed in case interviews

Case interviews are primarily about testing a set of problem-solving skills. The interviewer uses a scorecard to assess a candidate’s performance in the following dimensions:

• Structuring: This is the ability to break problems down into logical drivers. It’s most obviously required at the beginning of a case, where you can pause and take a moment to come up with an approach. But it’s also tested each time you have to consider a new aspect of the problem.
• Math: Most cases contain a quantitative component, such as estimation questions, break-even questions, or other calculations. To do well in this dimension, you need to lay out a clear and efficient approach, run calculations quickly and accurately, and then state their implications for the case.
• Judgment and insights: This dimension is about extracting insights from data, usually by interpreting information in a chart. Performing well in this area involves processing new information quickly, prioritizing what’s important, and connecting your findings to develop sound recommendations.
• Creativity: Cases often have a creative thinking component. Sharing numerous, varied and sound ideas – ideally in a structured way – can help you succeed here.
• Synthesis: This is all about wrapping up the case with a clear and practical recommendation, and delivering it convincingly.
• Case leadership: This dimension is about progressing through the case efficiently and staying focused on its objectives. Case leadership involves gathering facts effectively and building on new findings to develop a recommendation. It’s a particularly important dimension in candidate-led cases.

Questions to expect

If you’re preparing to interview at a top management consulting firm like McKinsey, BCG or Bain, you’re probably curious about the kind of case interview questions you can expect to receive.

To identify the most common case interview questions , we surveyed CaseCoach users who interviewed at either McKinsey, BCG or Bain for a generalist role in 2023. We found that of the 260+ case interviews reported by respondents:

• 20% focused on profit improvement
• 15% focused on revenue growth
• 12% focused on market entry
• 10% focused on cost cutting
• 9% focused on process optimization

These topics align with the typical challenges and opportunities faced by CEOs. Because the job of a management consultant is to help CEOs find solutions to these problems, it’s vital for candidates to demonstrate that they understand the issues behind these questions.

However, while there are some recurring topics, the context and nuances of each individual case mean that no two case questions are the same. Increasingly, firms are testing candidates on questions that fall outside of these recurring topics. One way they’re doing this is by focusing on non-traditional areas, like the public sector. If you’re interviewing for a generalist management consulting role, it’s therefore important to be ready for almost any type of case question.

If you’re interviewing for a role that’s focused on a specific industry or function, like financial services , you’ll likely be given a case focused on that particular area.

How to ace the case

Case interviews require you to think on your feet to solve a complex problem that you’ve never seen before, while being assessed against a number of problem-solving dimensions. Here’s what you need to do to rise to the challenge and ace the case:

1. Create case interview structures that meet the AIM test

Of all the case interview assessment dimensions, structuring is perhaps the most challenging, particularly for those who are just starting out. It requires candidates to propose a prioritized and insightful approach to the case that’s composed of a comprehensive set of independent drivers. Structuring plays a foundational role in the interview, setting the course for the entire conversation.

So, what does good case structuring look like? An effective structure should meet the conditions of the ‘AIM’ test. ‘AIM’ stands for:

• Answer-focused: The structure should identify the client’s goal and the question to solve. It should also provide an approach to answering that question.
• Insightful: The structure should be tailored to the specifics of the client or to the problem in question. You shouldn’t be able to apply it to another case of the same type.
• MECE: This is a well-known acronym among consultants. It stands for ‘mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive’. In plain English, if a structure is ‘MECE’ it has been broken down into an exhaustive set of independent drivers.

2. Know key case interview frameworks

In a case interview, you’ll be asked to structure a variety of problems. There are a number of frameworks that can help you do this, whether the problem you’re structuring corresponds to a common case question or a different topic entirely:

Business frameworks

You can use established business frameworks to craft custom structures for the most common types of case questions. These include frameworks for mastering profitability questions , answering revenue growth questions and nailing market sizing questions .

Academic frameworks

For unusual case questions that don’t relate to an obvious business framework, it can be helpful to draw on an academic framework like supply and demand, ‘the three Cs’, or Porter’s Five Forces. You can learn more about all of these in our ultimate guide to case interview frameworks . The article includes other business and academic frameworks that you can use to craft custom structures for case questions.

Logical frameworks

Finally, logical frameworks can help you look at the big picture in order to structure your approach. These options can be particularly useful when you’re faced with an unusual case question that doesn’t lend itself to a business or academic framework. Some examples of logical frameworks include:

• Structuring with equations: This approach is most helpful for quantitative case questions. Listen out for introductions that focus on a number. These cases can often be broken down into an equation and then structured along its variables.
• Structuring based on hypotheses: This approach is most helpful for structuring qualitative cases. It involves laying out what you most need to believe in order to validate a specific recommendation. These beliefs form your set of key hypotheses, which you then test as you progress through the case.
• Structuring with root causes: This approach works well for structuring cases that require identifying the reasons for a problem. It involves laying out its potential causes in a way that is mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive (i.e. MECE).

How to apply these frameworks

While business, academic, and logical frameworks can be helpful when it comes to structuring a problem, learning how to use them correctly is a skill in itself. Simply applying a framework to a case interview question in a ‘cookie-cutter’ fashion is not enough. To impress your interviewer and pass the AIM test, your structure will need to be heavily tailored to the situation at hand. In fact, many case questions can be best answered by combining different frameworks.

Ultimately, interviewers want to understand how your mind works and see you think on your feet. You’ll therefore need to demonstrate that you can propose a custom case interview structure to any question.

3. Be comfortable with simple math

Management consulting firms expect you to navigate mathematical problems confidently and reliably in case interviews. Regardless of your academic background or past experience, you’ll need to be able to set an approach to solve the problem, perform calculations quickly and accurately, and state the implications of your solution.

The good news is that you’ll only be required to demonstrate a high-school level of math skills in case interviews. However, with no calculators allowed and an interviewer looking over your shoulder, it’s natural to find this aspect of the experience a little intimidating.

So, what can you expect from case math? The problems you’ll be asked to solve may take the form of straight calculations, exhibits that require calculations, word problems, and estimation questions.

To do well in this part of the case interview, you’ll need to have a strong understanding of:

• The four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Key math concepts such as fractions, percentages, and weighted averages
• Business math concepts such as income statements, investments, and valuations

To stand out to your interviewer, you’ll also need to work through math problems confidently and efficiently. Here are our top tips for doing this:

• Keep track of zeros: Case questions often involve large numbers, sometimes in the millions or even billions. Keeping close track of your zeros is therefore crucial. We recommend either counting the zeros in your calculation, using scientific notation, or assigning letter units to zeros.
• Simplify your calculations: This will help you work through problems quickly and efficiently while reducing the potential for mistakes. One way of simplifying calculations is by rounding numbers up or down to make them more ‘friendly’.
• Memorize frequently-used fractions: Some fraction values are used so frequently in case math that knowing them – along with their percentage value and decimal conversions – can save you significant time. We recommend memorizing the fraction and corresponding percentage and decimal values of 1/2, 1/3, all the way through to 1/10.

You can learn more in our guide to mastering case interview math .

4. Summarize your findings

Synthesis is a key skill assessed by interviewers, predominantly at the end of a case interview. You need to provide a clear and sound recommendation that answers the overall question convincingly. You must also describe the key supporting points that informed your recommendation and then outline any further steps you would advise the client to take.

When it comes to concluding cases effectively, this four-step framework can be extremely helpful:

• Quickly play the case question back to your interviewer.
• Answer the question directly and briefly by distilling your response into a single sentence, if possible.
• List the points that support your conclusion.
• Outline the next steps that you recommend to the client.

You can learn more in our article on how to conclude a case study interview .

5. Bring it all together with strong case leadership

Case leadership, more than any other dimension, will give your interviewer an indication of how independently you could handle your workstream as a consultant. It’s a particularly important skill in candidate-led cases, where you’ll set the course of the discussion without the interviewer steering you in a particular direction.

Demonstrating strong case leadership means progressing the case efficiently and staying focused on its overarching objectives. Using a ‘tracker page’ to capture your structure and organize your notes throughout the case will help you in this regard.

Another aspect of case leadership is gathering facts effectively. This includes making reasonable assumptions, requesting missing information, and asking probing questions.

Finally, you’ll be expected to build on new findings to develop your recommendation, adapt your approach, and suggest next steps.

Effective case leadership is all about showing your interviewer that you have a strong command of the problem-solving process. After investigating each key driver in your structure, you need to be able to articulate where you are in your overall approach to solving the problem, and what the next steps should be.

To do this, we recommend using a five-step process to handle every kind of analysis you conduct during the case, whether you’re responding to a numerical question, the data in an exhibit, or something else.

Here’s what that five-step process looks like:

• Set your approach. Define what you’re going to do upfront. It’s particularly important to be explicit here, especially if the analysis is in any way complex or ambiguous.
• Conduct your analysis. Your approach here will vary according to the kind of question you’re working through.
• State your findings. You may also want to make a note of your findings on your tracker page.
• State the implications of your findings. Explain how they impact both your answer to the question and the client’s broader goal.
• Suggest next steps. Your findings will sometimes change how you want to approach the rest of the case. This may mean altering your initial structure and editing it on your tracker page.

6. Be your best on the day

When the day of your interview comes around, you’ll want to be at your very best. But what exactly does this mean?

First, you should present yourself in a professional manner. It goes without saying that you should arrive on time but, ideally, you should plan to arrive early. You should also come equipped with the right material: a pen, squared A4 or letter-size paper pad, and copies of your resume. It’s also vital to dress appropriately for the occasion. Usually, this means wearing formal business dress, but this means different attires in different locations. We recommend doing some research to find out what consultants wear at your target firm and office.

To be at your best on the day of your interview, you must be well rested. Sadly, tiredness is one of the most common reasons for underperformance in consulting interviews. The day before is not the time to cram in further preparation. Instead, aim to have a quiet day and to get plenty of sleep at night.

Ultimately, consulting firms want to hire people who can represent the firm and interact with clients at every level, from the shop floor to the C-suite. Successful candidates treat the case interview as an opportunity to play the role of a management consultant advising a client (i.e. the interviewer). This means exhibiting a great deal of confidence and credibility, together with effective communication and an engaging attitude. It’s vital to stay focused on the overall problem and to drive the resolution of the case while being receptive to the interviewer’s input.

There are a lot of balls to juggle in a case interview, with the added pressure of a potentially life-changing outcome, but successful candidates don’t let their nerves get the better of them. We’ve provided some helpful hints and tips in our article on handling the stress of consulting interviews .

Being your best on the day of your interview requires extensive preparation. It means mastering each dimension of the case interview scorecard to the extent that the skills become second nature to you. It also means completing sufficient case practice to be able to focus on the big picture of the case you’re solving, rather than on simply demonstrating a set of skills.

How to prepare for case interview success

Delivering a standard of performance worthy of an offer from a top firm requires extensive case interview prep. In our experience, most successful candidates invest around 60 hours – or 10 hours each week over a six-week period – in their preparation. Failing to put this effort in is among the most common reasons why many candidates are unsuccessful.

Here’s what effective case interview preparation involves:

Learning the skills

In a case interview, your performance is assessed against a set of common problem-solving dimensions. To recap, these are structuring, math, judgment and insights, creativity, synthesis, and case leadership. It’s important to:

• gain a precise understanding of the expectations on each of these skills
• learn the techniques that will allow you to meet these expectations
• practice until your performance meets the required standard

We teach all these skills in our Interview Prep Course . In our bite-sized video lectures, we map out each of the key skills assessed in a case, and explain what you need to know to demonstrate each skill. We also share our tips on how to improve in each dimension, going above and beyond the advice we’ve included in this article.

In addition, our Interview Prep Course includes many more sample interviews that show real candidates – who went on to join top consulting firms – solving cases. Former consulting interviewers explain what the candidates did well on each dimension and where they could have improved.

Math is a critical prerequisite to handling cases and is something you should be comfortable with before you begin practicing. Our Case Math Course – provided as part of the Interview Prep Course – will help you brush up your skills. It contains 21 video lectures that cover everything you need to know, including the four operations, key math concepts, our pro tips, and business math.

After watching all our Interview Prep and Case Math video lectures, we recommend heading to the ‘Drills’ area of CaseCoach, where you can start practicing specific skills. Drills are interactive exercises that pose rapid-fire questions and provide instant feedback. They help you build your skills and confidence in specific case dimensions quickly, allowing you to make the most of your live case practice with partners. Our Interview Prep Course includes a comprehensive set of drills in four key areas: structuring, calculation, case math and chart interpretation.

When it comes to succeeding in a case interview, nothing beats live practice with a partner. Most candidates who go on to receive an offer from a top consulting firm like McKinsey, BCG or Bain complete at least 25 live practice sessions before their interview.

To practice live cases with a partner, you’ll need access to both case material and practice partners. In our Case Library , you’ll find over 100 cases – complete with solutions – developed by former management consultants. You can download eight of these cases right away by creating a free CaseCoach account. You’ll find a diverse community of fellow candidates who are all available for case interview practice in our Practice Room , where we facilitate over 3,000 practice sessions a week.

You can learn more in our article on how to practice case interviews .

Working with a coach

Some candidates choose to supplement their preparations by working with a consulting interview coach who has been an interviewer at a top firm.

These coaches have the skills and experience to gauge your level of performance and help you identify your areas of strength and weakness. They can also provide you with accurate and helpful feedback on your case-solving skills. This insight can help you accelerate your preparation and improve your performance. Getting used to interviewing with a professional should also help to reduce the stress of the consulting interview experience.

Here at CaseCoach, our coaches are all former consultants and interviewers who have been handpicked from the alumni of top firms such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain.

Do your research

Although employers who use case interviews all test candidates using similar methods, none of them approach the interview process in exactly the same way.

For instance, if you expect to interview with McKinsey, Bain or BCG, it’s helpful to know that these firms all give cases of similar complexity. However, there are some key differences. For example:

• Bain has been known to use estimation questions, such as market sizing, in interviews for its most junior (i.e. Associate Consultant level) roles.
• BCG and Bain occasionally use written cases.
• When it comes to the ‘fit’ interview, McKinsey uses its Personal Experience Interview format, while most Bain offices now use a ‘behavioral interview’ . Only BCG consistently uses the classic fit interview format .

Other differences include the number of rounds of interviews each firm conducts, and their preference for using interviewer-led or candidate-led cases. Wherever you interview, it’s vital to do your research and find out what you might be able to expect.

When it comes to getting ready for the case interview, knowing what you will be assessed on, learning how to succeed, and having access to the best practice resources can all go a long way. Now, you need to put in the hard work and prepare! Good luck.

Continue to learn

Explore other resources

Search resources, we value your privacy.

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By clicking "Accept all", you consent to our use of cookies. You can read our Privacy Information to learn more about how we use cookies.

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

Learn the Secrets to Case Interview!

Join countless other successful candidates around the world with our Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program ! 10 example cases with 100+ real-time feedbacks on tips and techniques, 50+ exercises on business intuition and 1300+ questions for math practice!

Scoring in the McKinsey PSG/Digital Assessment

The scoring mechanism in the McKinsey Digital Assessment

Related product

Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program

Elevate your case interview skills with a well-rounded preparation package

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

28 Case Interview Examples for Consulting Interview Prep (2024)

• Last Updated January, 2024

Rebecca Smith-Allen

Former McKinsey Engagement Manager

How to Use Case Interview Examples

Video Case Interview Example: Questions & Answers

Tips for Acing Your Case

Free Case Interview Examples (Consulting Firms)

Free Case Interview Examples (Consulting Clubs)

Practice is the key to passing your consulting interviews. To practice, you’ll need some examples of case interview questions and answers to work with.

We’ve got links to loads of them below.

In addition, we have:

• Tips on how to use case interview examples to prepare for your consulting interviews,
• A video case interview example with My Consulting Offer founder Davis Nguyen, and
• Insight into the difference between average and exceptional answers to case interview questions.

Get ready to dive deep into structuring your analysis of business problems, identifying the key issues, and recommending solutions!

Keep reading to find out how to use case interview examples to ace your case.

How to Use Case Interview Examples to Ace Your Case

1. start your case interview preparation early..

You’ll need to practice dozens of case interview examples to get good enough to receive an offer from one of the top consulting firms. This is not something you can cram the night before an interview.

Start as soon as possible.

2. Don’t Read Straight through Sample Case Interview Examples or Passively Watch Videos.

Some people think that the best way to improve their chances of passing a case interview is by reading as many cases interview examples as they can.

This is like reading about how to play tennis but never picking up a racket. To get better at tennis, for example, you need to actually pick up a ball and be active. The same applies to your interview preparation.

Stop and think at each step in the case interview question. Come up with your own answer and say it out loud. Practice driving each part of the case interview example yourself.

• How would you structure your analysis of the problem?
• What questions would you ask the interviewer?
• How would you set up the case math problem?
• What recommendation would you make to the client?

After you’ve developed your answer, compare it to the suggested answer for the case.

What did you get right?

How did your answer and the case interview example answer differ?

Are there things you miss consistently across multiple case interview examples?

The answers to these  case interview examples can look simple when you just read through them, but it’s not easy to come up with all the key aspects of the solution on your own.

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

3. Find Partners to Practice Case Interviews with.

Teamwork is an important part of consulting work, so get ready for it now. Find a case interview practice partner, preferably someone else who’s applying to jobs in the management consulting industry because they’ll know more about what recruiters are looking for.

Practicing cases with a partner provides the opportunity to get feedback from someone else on what you’re doing well and what you need to improve. Additionally, you’ll learn a lot by watching how your partner solves sample case studies.

Look for aspects of their approach that are effective as well as what they could do better. Working with a partner will make your consulting interview practice feel more real.

Similar to how you need a tennis partner to feel what is like to play tennis, you need a case partner to experience what a case interview is like.

4. Master the 4 Parts of the Case Interview.

In our article on Case Interview Prep , we discussed the 4 parts of the case interview: the opening, structure, analysis, and conclusion. As you practice with consulting case interview examples, practice each of these 4 parts to ensure you’re strong at them all.

5. Avoid Case Burnout.

A case zombie is someone who’s grown tired of casing from doing too much of it. Their answers feel rehearsed, not conversational. 

They may seem bored, not engaged in solving the problem. They’ll be less creative in their solutions. They certainly won’t pass the airport test!

Avoid becoming a case zombie by practicing smarter, not harder.

Video: Case Interview Examples – Questions & Answers

In the following case interview example, Davis Nguyen, founder of My Consulting Offer solves McKinsey’s SuperSoda case.  The video is broken into 4 parts of the case interview.

Remember, don’t just watch the video. Stop the video and provide your own answer before listening to Davis’s  answer to the case question.

Step 1: Case Interview Example Opening – Ensure you understand the client and the problem you’ll be solving in the case.

Step 2: case interview example structure – break the problem down into smaller parts. make sure you cover all key case issues., step 3: case interview example analysis – ask questions, gathering information from graphs and charts provided by the interviewer, do case math, and provide insight into the client’s business problem based on what you learn., step 4: case interview example recommendation – develop a rational recommendation for the client based on all you’ve learned throughout the case interview., tips for acing your consulting case interviews – the difference between average & exceptional, case interview opening.

The opening is a great point to ask “dumb” questions because, at this point, you’re not expected to know much about the client and their business. 

Here your goal is to understand the client, their business, and what a successful project will look like.

Don’t shy away from asking for clarification on things that will help you better understand the business problem and solve it. For example, if you don’t know how life insurance works and the case is about life insurance, then ask.

After ensuring you understand the client and their problem, the next thing to ask about is key metrics of success. 

For example, the client may want to find new avenues for growth. Are they looking for a 5% increase in revenue or to double their business?

Finding out what success looks like in the client’s eyes will ensure you work to deliver a solution that meets their expectations, not one that’s underwhelming.

After you find out what success looks like, ask further probing questions to better understand the client, their business, and any constraints on solving the case.

Examples of Relevant Questions to ask Your Interviewer 

Examples of relevant questions about the client might include the geography they operate in or the sector of their industry they are strongest in. 

Examples of relevant questions about their business might include what products or services are most profitable or most important to their customers. 

Examples of relevant questions about the problem might include whether there are any costs that can’t be cut or what the maximum amount the client is able to invest in developing a new product. 

Asking these types of questions up front will give you a better context for solving the client’s problem and make it more likely that you will solve the case interview.

Case Interview Structure

You’ll need a framework to make sure your analysis covers all key aspects of the consulting case. 

You can use one of the many standard Case Interview Frameworks we’ve outlined , but top interviewees develop their own framework for analyzing the case interview question. 

Their frameworks may include pieces of one or more of the standard frameworks but are tailored to the particular business problem they’re discussing. 

Good frameworks are hypothesis-driven, that is to say they can be tested similar to the science experiment, so that the answer is either a “yes” or “no.” For example, examining your bank account to see, “if I have $400 for a ticket” is an example.

Second, good frameworks cover all topics relevant to the answer. For example, if the client is opening up a new hotel in a foreign country, checking out the existing competition should be part of the framework.

As you study more about interactive case interviews and practice them you’ll develop a sense for what factors are relevant or not relevant to the case at hand.

Finally, a good structure will be  MECE  or mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive.

This means the framework will break down the market or population being analyzed into segments that include every part of the whole (collectively exhaustive), and each segment of the market or member of the population will show up in one and only one category without overlap (mutually exclusive). 

For example, if you divide the target market for a retail product into segments by age, these segments would be MECE:

•  10-19,
• 40-49, etc.

The categories 15-25, 20-30, 27-35 would not be MECE because people could be counted twice. 

Case Interview Analysis

In the analysis phase of your case interview example, you’ll ask questions to get the information you need to solve the client’s business problem. Your questions will likely lead you to one of the 4 types of analysis that are common in consulting interviews: market sizing, brainstorming, quantitative reasoning (case math), or reading exhibits. 

No matter which of these types of analysis comes up, there’s a 4-step method that ensures you can crack the case. 

This 4-step method is:

• Ask for data,
•  Interpret the data,
•  Provide insight, and 
• Outline next steps. 

The data you ask for will depend on the case interview question you’re solving. For example, if the question is about profitability, you’ll need to know about the client’s finances: dig into revenues and costs. 

For example, if you find that the client’s revenues are flat while their costs have been rising, you’ll know that the problem is in the cost structure and that you’ll need to examine costs more closely.

Next, provide insight. As you examine costs further, you’ll find out why they’ve grown faster than revenues. 

This insight will naturally lead to the next steps. What does the client need to do to get costs under control and fix their profitability problem? 

You may need to go through this 4-step method a couple of times, focusing on different aspects of the client’s business problem. 

Once you’ve examined and developed insight into all key aspects of the problem, your next step will be to conclude the interview with a recommendation for the client.

Case Interview Conclusion

At this point, you’ve hopefully cracked the case and are ready to present your recommendations to the client (your interviewer). 

The best way to do this is to use the 5R approach:

• Recap – restate the business problem you’ve analyzed. In consulting this is done because a CEO might have hired 5 McKinsey teams and can’t remember which one you are on. 
• Recommendations – Provide the solution your analysis led to. We lead with the recommendation because it is the most important piece of information. Stating it first and clearly puts everyone on the same page.
• Reasons – Summarize the key facts and insights that lead you to your recommendations. 
• Risks – Outline any risks the client should be aware of as they implement your recommendations. No recommendation has a 100% probability of success. Clients need to be aware of business risks in the same way patients need to understand the side effects of drugs.
• Retaining the client – Provide next steps for how you can help the client ensure success. As consultants, we are paid for helping our clients. If there is a natural extension of the work as the client implements the team’s recommendations, we should tell them how we can provide further assistance (and ultimately make money for your firm). 

While most candidates will address their recommendations and possibly the reasons for their recommendations, few will hit all these points. 

In particular, outlining risks and further ways you can help the client will differentiate you from other candidates and help you to advance  to the second round of interviews or get the offer.

Free Online Case Interview Examples from 7 Top Consulting Firms

Now that you’re familiar with how you should use case interview examples and what differentiates an average answer from an exceptional one, you need sample questions to practice with.

Below, we provide links to dozens to help you hone your business problem-solving skills.

1. McKinsey Case Interview Examples

Disconsa – Help a not-for-profit develop better financial-service offerings for remote Mexican communities.

Electro-Light – Help a beverage manufacturer prepare for a new product launch.

GlobalPharm – Help a pharmaceutical industry client manage with its merger and acquisitions strategy.

Transforming a National Education System – Help a country’s education ministry develop a new strategy for educating the country’s children. 

2. BCG Case Interview Examples

Climate Challenge – Help a global consumer goods company reduce its environmental impact.

Driving Revenue Growth at a Healthcare Company – Help a medical devices and services company to increase revenues following an acquisition. (The same one that is highlighted above in our example)

3. Bain Case Interview Examples

Coffee Shop Co. – Help a friend decide whether they should open a coffee shop.

F ashionCo. – Help a fashion company understand why its revenues have been going down.

Private Equitas – Help a private equity company maximize its investment in a portfolio company.

4. Deloitte Case Interview Examples

Footloose  – Help a footwear company improve their market share in the boots category.

Recreation Unlimited – Help a global apparel and sportswear company improve its digital customer experience and its revenue.

Agency V – Help a large federal agency recover from a front-page scandal that sparked investigations and congressional hearings.

Federal Benefits Provider – Help a federal agency that provides benefits to millions of U.S. citizens prepare for a major expansion of its mandate.

5. AT Kearney Case Interview Examples

Promotion Planning – Help a national grocery and drug store chain improve its product promotion strategy.

6. PWC Case Interview Examples

Modernizing a Hotel’s Loyalty Platform – Help simplify and modernize the platform, providing customers with immediate access to their data.

Green Energy – Help an energy company transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Nonprofit Impact – Help a community organization respond to client needs during the pandemic.

Love at First Byte – Help a data management client comply with new regulations.

Prioritizing Ethics and Integrity – Help a software company leverage data analytics to comply with regulations.

7. Accenture Case Interview Examples

Sustainability – Help drive sustainability for an auto manufacturer.

IT integration strategy – Driving merger integration by linking technology systems.

We have more on how to Accenture Case Interviews in our article.

8. Capital One Case Interview Examples

Ice Cream Corporation – Help the president of Ice Cream Corporation grow profits.

9. Oliver Wyman Case Interview Examples

Wumbleworld – Help a China-based theme park operator identify the reasons for declining profits and develop options for reversing the trend.

Aqualine – Help a manufacturer of small power boats determine why its sales growth has slowed and identify opportunities to boost sales.

10. LEK Case Interview Examples

Theater chain – Help a large theater chain identify revenue growth opportunities.

Free Online Case Interview Examples from Consulting Clubs

Need more case interview examples? Here are links to MBA case books compiled by INSEAD, Harvard, Wharton, Darden, and several other business schools.

Recent Consulting Case Interview Examples

• Darden School Of Business 2021-2022 Casebook
• NYU Stern MCA 2020-2021 Casebook
• The Duke MBA Consulting Club Casebook 2021-2022
• Notre Dame Casebook 2022
• Kellogg Consulting Club 2020 Casebook
• FMS Consulting Casebook 2021-22
• INSEAD Consulting Club Casebook 2021
• IIMC Consulting Casebook 2021-22
• UCLA Case Book 2019 – 2020
• Columbia Business School 2021 Casebook
• IIM Lucknow Casebook 2022
• Cornell MBA Johnson Consulting Club Casebook 2020-2021
• Darden School Of Business 2020-2021 Casebook

Older Consulting Case Interview Examples

• 2019 Berkeley Haas School of Business Consulting Club Interview Preparation Guide and Case Interview Examples
• The Duke MBA Consulting Club Casebook 2018-2019
• 2017-2018 McCombs University of Texas at Austin Consulting Case Interview Examples
• Columbia Business School Management Consulting Association Case Interview Examples 2017
• Duke Fuqua School of Business MBA Consulting Case Interview Examples 2016-2017
• NYU Stern MBA MCA Case Interview Examples: 2017
• UCLA Anderson School of Management Consulting Association Case Interview Examples 2015-2015
• Darden Consulting Club Case Interview Examples: 2014-2015
• Yale Life Sciences Consulting Case Interview Examples 2014
• ESADE MBA Consulting Club Case Interview Examples 2014
• Darden Consulting Case Interview Examples: 2012-2013 Edition
• Kellogg Consulting Club Case Interview Examples and Interview Guide: 2012 Edition

Even More Consulting Case Interview Examples

• The Cornell Consulting Club Interview Interview Examples
• Harvard Business School Management Consulting Club Case Interview Examples
• The MIT Sloan School of Management Consulting Club Case Interview Examples and Interview Guide – October 2001
• The Berkeley MBA Haas Consulting Club 2006 Case Interview Examples
• London Business School – The 2006 Consulting Club Case Interview Examples 
• Columbia Business School Management Consulting Association Case Interview Examples – 2006
• Torch the Case – The NYU Stern Consulting Case Interview Examples – 2007 edition 
• Michigan – the Ross School of Business Consulting Club 2010 Case Interview Examples
• Wharton Case Interview Examples by the Wharton Consulting Club – December 2010
• The Duke MBA Consulting Club Case Interview Examples – 2010-2011
• Case Interview Examples by the ESADE MBA Consulting Club 2011  
• INSEAD Consulting Club Handbook and Case Interview Examples – 2011

Still have questions?

If you still have questions on case interview examples, leave them in the comments below. We’ll ask our My Consulting Offer coaches and get back to you with answers.

We have tons of other articles to help you get an offer from one of the top consulting firms. Check out our pages on:

• Case Interview Math
• Case Interview Types
• Case Interview Formulas
• Market Sizing Questions

Help with Case Study Interview Preparation

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on case study interview prep. My Consulting Offer has helped almost 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with get a job with top management consulting like Bain, BCG and McKinsey .  For example, here is how Conor was able to get his BCG offer after previously failing.

If you want a step-by-step solution to land more offers from consulting firms, then  grab the free video training series below.  It’s been created by former Bain, BCG, and McKinsey Consultants, Managers and Recruiters.

It contains the EXACT solution used by over 700 of our clients to land offers.

The best part?

It’s absolutely free. Just put your name and email address in and you’ll have instant access to the training series.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

© My CONSULTING Offer

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

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

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

We are excited to invite you to the online event., where should we send you the calendar invite and login information.

• The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview
• Consulting Career Secrets
• Cover Letter & Resume
• McKinsey Solve Game (Imbellus)
• BCG Online Case (+ Pymetrics, Spark Hire)
• Bain Aptitude Tests (SOVA, Pymetrics, HireVue)
• Kearney Recruitment Test
• BCG Cognitive Test Practice
• All-in-One Case Interview Preparation
• Industry Cheat Sheets
• Structuring & Brainstorming
• Data & Chart Interpretation
• Case Math Mastery
• McKinsey Interview Academy
• Brainteasers

Case Interview Examples (2024): A Collection from McKinsey and Others

Last Updated on January 11, 2024

Whenever you prepare for case interviews, you have to practice as realistically as possible and mimic the real case study interview at McKinsey , BCG , Bain , and others. One way to do this and make your preparation more effective is to practice real cases provided by the firms you apply to.

It will help you to understand what the differences are across firms, how they structure and approach their cases, what dimensions are important to them, and what solutions they consider to be strong.

Below is a steadily expanding selection of real case interview examples provided by different management consulting firms.

Before wasting your money on case interview collection books that use generic cases, use original cases first. Additionally, use professional case coaches, who interviewed for the top firms , to mimic the real interview experience and get real, actionable feedback to improve.

Please be aware that cases are just one part of a typical consulting interview. It is equally important to prepare for behavioral and fit interview questions .

McKinsey Case Interview Examples

• Loravia – Transforming a national education system
• SuperSoda – Electro-light product launch
• GlobaPharm – Pharma R&D
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Diconsa financial services offering
• Beautify – Customer approach
• Shops – DEI strategy
• Talbot Trucks – Electric truck development
• Conservation Forever – Nature conservation

We have written a detailed article on the McKinsey application process, the McKinsey interview timeline, the typical McKinsey case interview, and the McKinsey Personal Experience interview here . You can expect similar cases regardless of your position (e.g. in a McKinsey phone case interview or interviewing for a McKinsey internship as well as a full-time BA, Associate, or Engagement Manager role).

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Case interview Examples

• Consumer Goods – Climate strategy
• Banking – Client satisfaction
• Consumer Goods – IT strategy
• Chateau Boomerang – Written case

Bain and Company case interview examples

• NextGen Tech
• FashionCo .

Ace the case interview with our dedicated preparation packages.

Deloitte Case Interview Examples

• Federal Agency – Engagement strategy
• Federal Benefits Provider – Strategic vision
• Apparel – Declining market share
• Federal Finance Agency – Architecture strategy
• MedX – Smart pill bottle
• Federal Healthy Agency – Finance strategy
• LeadAuto – Market expansion
• Federal Bureau – Talent management

Strategy& Case Interview Examples

• Strategy& tips and examples  (case examples included )

Accenture Case Interview Examples

• Accenture interview tips and examples (case examples included )

Kearney Case Interview Examples

• Promotional planning

Roland Berger Case Interview Examples

• Transit-oriented development Part 1
• Transit-oriented development Part 2
• 3D printed hip implants Part 1
• 3D printed hip implants Part 2

Oliver Wyman Case Interview Examples

• Wumbleworld – theme park
• Aqualine – boats

LEK Case Interview Examples

• Video case interview example (currently unavailable)
• Market sizing video example
• Brainteaser (scroll to the bottom of the page)

Simon Kucher Case Interview Examples

• Smart phone pricing

OC&C Case Interview Examples

• Imported whiskey in an emerging market – business strategy
• Leisure clubs – data interpretation

Capital One Case Interview Examples

• How to crack case interviews with Capital One (includes case examples)

Bridgespan Case Interview Examples

• Robinson Philanthropy – Strategy
• Reach for the Stars – Student success
• Home Nurses for New Families – Expansion strategy
• Venture Philanthropy – Charity

Consulting Clubs Case Interview Books

Contact us at [email protected] for a collection of consulting club case interview books (from Harvard, ESADE, LBS, Columbia, etc.).

How We Help You Ace Your Case Interviews

We have specialized in placing people from all walks of life with different backgrounds into top consulting firms both as generalist hires as well as specialized hires and experts. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we help you by

• tailoring your resume and cover letter to meet consulting firms’ highest standards
• showing you how to pass the different online assessments and tests for McKinsey , BCG , and Bain
• showing you how to ace McKinsey interviews and the PEI with our video academy
• coaching you in our 1-on-1 sessions to become an excellent case solver and impress with your fit answers (90% success rate after 5 sessions)
• preparing your math to be bulletproof for every case interview
• helping you structure creative and complex case interviews
• teaching you how to interpret charts and exhibits like a consultant
• providing you with cheat sheets and overviews for 27 industries .

Reach out to us if you have any questions! We are happy to help and offer a tailored program to help you break into consulting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. He started StrategyCase.com to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. He ranks as the most successful consulting case and fit interview coach, generating more than 500 offers with MBB, tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms through direct coaching of his clients over the last 3.5 years. His books “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview” and “Consulting Career Secrets” are available via Amazon.

Most Popular Products

Search website

Strategycase.com.

© 2024 | Contact: +43 6706059449 | Mattiellistrasse 3/28, 1040 Vienna, Austria

• Terms & Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Universities & consulting clubs
• American Express

Click on the image to learn more.

Case Interview Preparation

Perform at your best during your case interview., bcgers share their case study interview tips., follow these dos and don ’ ts to ace your case prep:, test your case interview skills with these interactive quizzes., set out a climate strategy for a client., restore client satisfaction at a digital bank..

What Is a Case Study?

What is a case study interview, how to prep for a case study interview, case study interview example questions, during the case study interview.

• Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn

Forage puts students first. Our blog articles are written independently by our editorial team. They have not been paid for or sponsored by our partners. See our full  editorial guidelines .

Table of Contents

A case study interview isn’t your average interview. While most interviews ask you to give examples of how you use your skills on the job, in a case study interview, you’ll use those skills in front of the interviewer to solve a real-life problem.

It’s like auditioning for the school play. But instead of showing you can sing and dance, you’re using a case interview to show how you provide innovative solutions to pressing business problems. Not sure how to get ready for this kind of interview? We’ve got you covered. This guide explains how to prep for a case study interview.

Case studies are used across a variety of industries — everything from business to medicine. They are an in-depth examination, analysis, and critique of a real-world scenario the company experienced. People discuss the situation and explore what they learned while forming new solutions to try when they face a similar situation in the future and hope to improve their performance.

For example, doctors and nurses use case studies to improve how they diagnose and treat patients. Using real patient information, the medical team analyzes the case to see what the team may have missed and why they missed it. Learning from these errors helps the team better prepare for similar cases in the future to improve patient care.

While many industries use case studies to iterate and improve their performance, not every company uses case study interviews. This type of interview is very common at consulting companies (no matter what kind of consulting it is). But it’s not unusual for companies outside of consulting to use case interviews for marketing or operations roles.

In a case study interview, you’re given a real-world situation the company has faced and are tasked with analyzing it and suggesting a course of action.

Future Innovator in Training

Experience what it's like to work as a consultant in this free course from Accenture. Help your client redesign a web page and improve the user experience.

Avg. Time: 5-6 hours

Skills you’ll build: Prioritizing, planning, data analysis, error spotting, communication, strategic thinking

Businesses use case study interviews to assess your abilities in real-time. While you’ll probably draw on a variety of skills, most case study interviews assess:

• Strategic thinking
• Analytical skills
• Common sense

The advantage of a case study interview is that the interviewer can evaluate your ability in each of these areas and see how you’ll actually use them on the job.

What Is a Fit Interview?

Some people use “case study interview” and “fit interview” interchangeably. While a fit interview and a case study interview both ask behavioral interview questions , they are not the same thing.

A case study interview assesses your ability to do the job. It primarily evaluates how you approach business problems and use your skills to solve them. A fit interview is about company culture fit. The interviewer asks questions that assess how well you’ll fit into the company, like asking you questions about what motivates you or how you lead .

Fit and case interviews are important parts of the evaluation process. Getting the job done is just as critical as getting along with coworkers and supporting the company’s mission. Depending on where you interview, you may have one fit interview and one case study interview, or the fit interview may be a smaller part of the case study interview.

What You’ll Learn in a Case Study Interview

A case study interview allows the hiring manager to see your skills in action and how you approach business challenges. But it also teaches you a lot about the company (even if you’re doing most of the talking).

In a sense, you’re behaving as an employee during a case study interview. This gives you a peek behind the curtain, allowing you to see the company’s inner workings, like how they approach business problems and what they expect from you and your performance.

For example, you may offer a novel approach to solving a problem during a case interview. How does the interviewer react to it? Are they impressed? Surprised? Is there a scowl or frown on their face? Their reaction gives you insights into how the company will likely receive your solutions.

Introduction to Strategy Consulting

Discover what consulting is all about in this free course from BCG. Learn how to reframe questions and challenge assumptions.

Avg. Time: 2 hours

Skills you’ll build: Critical thinking, creativity, brainstorming

Depending on the specific company, you may have the case study interview questions in advance, but you may not. Whether you do or don’t, here’s how to prepare for a case study interview.

Conduct Deep Research

Good interview prep for any interview means researching the company. That includes things like learning more about the company’s mission and the challenges the industry faces. But when you’re preparing for a case study interview, your research needs to go deeper. 

When you answer a case study question, your answer has to be specific to the company’s clients or business objectives. For example, if you’re interviewing for a role in strategy consulting , your answer shouldn’t focus on aspects of human resources consulting (unless it’s particularly relevant).

Your research needs to include the kinds of clients the company works with and what types of problems the company solves. For example, the company may only consult for Fortune 100 companies that need accounting advice. Keep these facts in mind as you prepare for the interview.

Case Study Interview Formats

There are four types of case study interview formats:

• Candidate-led: The interviewer asks you a specific question (or gives you a prompt), and you walk the interviewer through a detailed answer.
• Employer-led: The interviewer leads you through a series of specific (and predetermined) prompts and questions, no matter your answers.
• Presentation: You’re given a problem in advance to create and present a detailed case study.
• Video: Similar to a presentation case study interview, you’ll create a video presentation of the case study.

Most companies will tell you in advance which style of case study interview you should prepare for. But if they don’t, reach out to your recruiter or check the company’s website. Many include the essential details you need to prepare for the case study interview.

Seek Out Company-Specific Tips

Speaking of companies and their websites, not only do many companies that use case study interviews tell you the format, they often include helpful tips and tricks to help candidates prepare. This includes what to expect, what the company is looking for skill-wise, and what kinds of responses they want. They may even have a few practice questions and videos you can use to help you prep.

Unlike other common interview questions , it’s not as easy to prepare an answer to case study interview questions. Even though you know it’s a case study interview, you don’t necessarily know the specifics of the case or what problems you’ll be asked to solve.

Cybersecurity

Work through a case experience in this free course from PwC Switzerland. Create a pitch, conduct a risk assessment, and explain your findings.

Skills you’ll build: Risk management frameworks, cause analysis, risk impact assessment, system security

That said, it’s likely your case study interview questions will cover one or several of these concepts:

• Entering new markets
• Increasing profits
• Cutting costs
• Turnarounds
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Pricing strategy
• Developing new products
• Industry analysis
• Competitive response

While there are many ways to answer case study interview questions, a few basic prep tips can help you get ready for every question.

In addition to what you usually bring to a job interview , make sure you bring a notepad and pen or pencil to a case study interview. Taking notes will help you better understand the questions and formulate your answers. It also gives you a place to calculate numbers and figures if you need to. Not every case study interview allows calculators, so you’ll need to be ready to do your calculations manually.

Ask Specific Questions

As you’re working through the case study, you can and should ask any clarifying questions you need. The interviewer wants to hear specific, detailed answers that solve the problem. So, whenever you’re unclear, ask a follow-up question to not only get what you need but to give the interviewer what they need. 

That said, your question(s) should be very specific. You need to verify exactly what the interview is asking so you can create an appropriate answer. Say the interviewer gives you a broad question: The client’s revenue is falling. How do you help them increase it? You can follow up with a very specific question or two to make sure you understand what the interviewer is asking:

You’re asking how I would help the client raise revenue, correct? Are you also asking how I would help them increase their profit and cut costs?

>>Related: 5 Top Questions to Ask in an Interview (and Why You Should Ask Them)

Talk Them Through It

A big part of the case study interview is seeing you in action. However, in this case, “see” really means “how you think.” Since the interviewer can’t hear your inner monologue, you’ll need to practice thinking out loud.

While the interviewer wants to hear your solution, they also want to hear how you got there. That means talking through your entire thought process. Instead of saying, “I’d do X,” you have to explain how you arrived at your decision while you’re getting there.

Because not everyone thinks out loud, it may feel unnatural to you, and you likely won’t be expected to do it on the job. But it’s crucial to practice this skill — and it is a skill — because the interviewer is expecting you to do it in a case study interview.

Want to give a case study a shot? Try out a Forage consulting virtual simulation program and gain the skills you’ll need to ace a case study interview.

Image credit: Canva

Related Posts

Interview angst here’s what not to say in an interview, how to prep for consulting interview questions, 22+ financial analyst interview questions (and answers), upskill with forage.

Gain job skills you can talk about in interviews.

100 Best Case Study Questions for Your Next Customer Spotlight

Published: November 29, 2022

Case studies and testimonials are helpful to have in your arsenal. But to build an effective library, you need to ask the right case study questions. You also need to know how to write a case study .

Case studies are customers' stories that your sales team can use to share relevant content with prospects . Not only that, but case studies help you earn a prospect's trust, show them what life would be like as your customer, and validate that your product or service works for your clients.

Before you start building your library of case studies, check out our list of 100 case study questions to ask your clients. With this helpful guide, you'll have the know-how to build your narrative using the " Problem-Agitate-Solve " Method.

What makes a good case study questionnaire?

The ultimate list of case study questions, how to ask your customer for a case study, creating an effective case study.

Certain key elements make up a good case study questionnaire.

A questionnaire should never feel like an interrogation. Instead, aim to structure your case study questions like a conversation. Some of the essential things that your questionnaire should cover include:

• The problem faced by the client before choosing your organization.
• Why they chose your company.
• How your product solved the problem clients faced.
• The measurable results of the service provided.
• Data and metrics that prove the success of your service or product, if possible.

You can adapt these considerations based on how your customers use your product and the specific answers or quotes that you want to receive.

What makes a good case study question?

A good case study question delivers a powerful message to leads in the decision stage of your prospective buyer's journey.

Since your client has agreed to participate in a case study, they're likely enthusiastic about the service you provide. Thus, a good case study question hands the reins over to the client and opens a conversation.

Try asking open-ended questions to encourage your client to talk about the excellent service or product you provide.

Free Case Study Templates

Tell us about yourself to access the templates..

Categories for the Best Case Study Questions

• Case study questions about the customer's business
• Case study questions about the environment before the purchase
• Case study questions about the decision process
• Case study questions about the customer's business case
• Case study questions about the buying team and internal advocates
• Case study questions about customer success
• Case study questions about product feedback
• Case study questions about willingness to make referrals
• Case study question to prompt quote-worthy feedback
• Case study questions about the customers' future goals

Showcase your company's success using these three free case study templates.

• Data-Driven Case Study Template
• Product-Specific Case Study Template
• General Case Study Template

Download Free

All fields are required.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Customer's Business

Knowing the customer's business is an excellent way of setting the tone for a case study.

Use these questions to get some background information about the company and its business goals. This information can be used to introduce the business at the beginning of the case study — plus, future prospects might resonate with their stories and become leads for you.

• Would you give me a quick overview of [company]? This is an opportunity for the client to describe their business in their own words. You'll get useful background information and it's an easy prompt to get the client talking.
• Can you describe your role? This will give you a better idea of the responsibilities they are subject to.
• How do your role and team fit into the company and its goals? Knowing how the team functions to achieve company goals will help you formulate how your solution involves all stakeholders.
• How long has your company been in business? Getting this information will help the reader gauge if pain points are specific to a startup or new company vs. a veteran company.
• How many employees do you have? Another great descriptor for readers to have. They can compare the featured company size with their own.
• Is your company revenue available? If so, what is it? This will give your readers background information on the featured company's gross sales.
• Who is your target customer? Knowing who the target audience is will help you provide a better overview of their market for your case study readers.
• How does our product help your team or company achieve its objectives? This is one of the most important questions because it is the basis of the case study. Get specifics on how your product provided a solution for your client. You want to be able to say "X company implemented our solution and achieved Y. "
• How are our companies aligned (mission, strategy, culture, etc.)? If any attributes of your company's mission or culture appealed to the client, call it out.

How many people are on your team? What are their roles? This will help describe key players within the organization and their impact on the implementation of your solution.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Environment Before the Purchase

A good case study is designed to build trust. Ask clients to describe the tools and processes they used before your product or service. These kinds of case study questions will highlight the business' need they had to fulfill and appeal to future clients.

• What was your team's process prior to using our product? This will give the reader a baseline to compare the results for your company's product.
• Were there any costs associated with the process prior to using our product? Was it more expensive? Was it worth the cost? How did the product affect the client's bottom line? This will be a useful metric to disclose if your company saved the client money or was more cost-efficient.
• What were the major pain points of your process prior to using our product? Describe these obstacles in detail. You want the reader to get as much information on the problem as possible as it sets up the reasoning for why your company's solution was implemented.
• Did our product replace a similar tool or is this the first time your team is using a product like this? Were they using a similar product? If so, having this information may give readers a reason to choose your brand over the competition.
• What other challenges were you and your team experiencing prior to using our product? The more details you can give readers regarding the client's struggles, the better. You want to paint a full picture of the challenges the client faced and how your company resolved them.
• Were there any concerns about how your customers would be impacted by using our product? Getting answers to this question will illustrate to readers the client's concerns about switching to your service. Your readers may have similar concerns and reading how your client worked through this process will be helpful.
• Why didn't you buy our product or a similar product earlier? Have the client describe any hesitations they had using your product. Their concerns may be relatable to potential leads.
• Were there any "dealbreakers" involved in your decision to become a customer? Describing how your company was able to provide a solution that worked within those parameters demonstrates how accommodating your brand is and how you put the customer first. It's also great to illustrate any unique challenges the client had. This better explains their situation to the reader.
• Did you have to make any changes you weren't anticipating once you became a customer? Readers of your case study can learn how switching to your product came with some unexpected changes (good or bad) and how they navigated them. If you helped your client with troubleshooting, ask them to explain that here.

How has your perception of the product changed since you've become a customer? Get the interviewee to describe how your product changed how they do business. This includes how your product accomplished what they previously thought was impossible.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Decision Process

Readers of the case study will be interested in which factors influenced the decision-making process for the client. If they can relate to that process, there's a bigger chance they'll buy your product.

The answers to these questions will help potential customers through their decision-making process.

• How did you hear about our product? If the client chose to work with you based on a recommendation or another positive case study, include that. It will demonstrate that you are a trusted brand with an established reputation for delivering results.
• How long had you been looking for a solution to this problem? This will add to the reader's understanding of how these particular challenges impacted the company before choosing your product.
• Were you comparing alternative solutions? Which ones? This will demonstrate to readers that the client explored other options before choosing your company.
• Would you describe a few of the reasons you decided to buy our product? Ask the interviewee to describe why they chose your product over the competition and any benefits your company offered that made you stand out.
• What were the criteria you used when deciding to buy our product? This will give readers more background insight into the factors that impacted their decision-making process.
• Were there any high-level initiatives or goals that prompted the decision to buy? For example, was this decision motivated by a company-wide vision? Prompt your clients to discuss what lead to the decision to work with you and how you're the obvious choice.
• What was the buying process like? Did you notice anything exceptional or any points of friction? This is an opportunity for the client to comment on how seamless and easy you make the buying process. Get them to describe what went well from start to finish.
• How would you have changed the buying process, if at all? This is an opportunity for you to fine-tune your process to accommodate future buyers.
• Who on your team was involved in the buying process? This will give readers more background on the key players involved from executives to project managers. With this information, readers can see who they may potentially need to involve in the decision-making process on their teams.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Customer's Business Case

Your case study questions should ask about your product or solution's impact on the customer's employees, teams, metrics, and goals. These questions allow the client to praise the value of your service and tell others exactly what benefits they derived from it.

When readers review your product or service's impact on the client, it enforces the belief that the case study is credible.

• How long have you been using our product? This will help readers gauge how long it took to see results and your overall satisfaction with the product or service.
• How many different people at your company use our product? This will help readers gauge how they can adapt the product to their teams if similar in size.
• Are there multiple departments or teams using our product? This will demonstrate how great of an impact your product has made across departments.
• How do you and your team currently use the product? What types of goals or tasks are you using the product to accomplish? Get specifics on how the product actively helps the client achieve their goals.
• If other teams or departments are using our product, do you know how they're using it? With this information, leads can picture how they can use your product across their teams and how it may improve their workflow and metrics.
• What was the most obvious advantage you felt our product offered during the sales process? The interviewee should explain the benefits they've gained from using your product or service. This is important for convincing other leads you are better than the competition.
• Were there any other advantages you discovered after using the product more regularly? Your interviewee may have experienced some additional benefits from using your product. Have them describe in detail what these advantages are and how they've helped the company improve.
• Are there any metrics or KPIs you track with our product? What are they? The more numbers and data the client can provide, the better.
• Were you tracking any metrics prior to using our product? What were they? This will allow readers to get a clear, before-and-after comparison of using your product.
• How has our product impacted your core metrics? This is an opportunity for your clients to drive home how your product assisted them in hitting their metrics and goals.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Buying Team and Internal Advocates

See if there are any individuals at the customer's company who are advocates for your product.

• Are there any additional team members you consider to be advocates for our product? For example, does anyone stick out as a "power user" or product expert on your team? You may want to interview and include these power users in your case study as well. Consider asking them for tips on using your service or product.
• Is there anyone else on your team you think we should talk to? Again, the more people can share their experience using your product, the better.
• Are there any team members who you think might not be the biggest fans of our product or who might need more training? Providing extra support to those struggling with your product may improve their user experience and turn into an opportunity to not only learn about their obstacles but turn them into a product fan
• Would you share some details about how your team implemented our product? Get as much information as possible about the rollout. Hopefully, they'll gush about how seamless the process was.
• Who from your company was involved in implementing our product? This will give readers more insight into who needs to be involved for a successful rollout of their own.
• Were there any internal risks or additional costs involved with implementing our product? If so, how did you address them? This will give insight into the client's process and rollout and this case study question will likely provide tips on what potential leads should be on the lookout for.
• Is there a training process in place for your team's use of our product? If so, what does it look like? If your company provided support and training to the client, have them describe that experience.
• About how long does it take a new team member to get up to speed with our product? This will help leads determine how much time it will take to onboard an employee to your using your product. If a new user can quickly get started seamlessly, it bodes well for you.
• What was your main concern about rolling this product out to your company? Describing their challenges in detail will provide readers with useful insight.

Case Study Interview Questions About Customer Success

Has the customer found success with your product? Ask these questions to learn more.

• By using our product can you measure any reduced costs? If it has, you'll want to emphasize those savings in your case study.
• By using our product can you measure any improvements in productivity or time savings? Any metrics or specific stories your interviewee can provide will help demonstrate the value of your product.
• By using our product can you measure any increases in revenue or growth? Again, say it with numbers and data whenever possible.
• Are you likely to recommend our product to a friend or colleague? Recommendations from existing customers are some of the best marketing you can get.
• How has our product impacted your success? Your team's success? Getting the interviewee to describe how your product played an integral role in solving their challenges will show leads that they can also have success using your product.
• In the beginning, you had XYZ concerns; how do you feel about them now? Let them explain how working with your company eliminated those concerns.
• I noticed your team is currently doing XYZ with our product. Tell me more about how that helps your business. Illustrate to your readers how current customers are using your product to solve additional challenges. It will convey how versatile your product is.
• Have you thought about using our product for a new use case with your team or at your company? The more examples of use cases the client can provide, the better.
• How do you measure the value our product provides? Have the interviewee illustrate what metrics they use to gauge the product's success and how. Data is helpful, but you should go beyond the numbers. Maybe your product improved company morale and how teams work together.

Case Study Interview Questions About Product Feedback

Ask the customer if they'd recommend your product to others. A strong recommendation will help potential clients be more open to purchasing your product.

• How do other companies in this industry solve the problems you had before you purchased our product? This will give you insight into how other companies may be functioning without your product and how you can assist them.
• Have you ever talked about our product to any of your clients or peers? What did you say? This can provide you with more leads and a chance to get a referral.
• Why would you recommend our product to a friend or client? Be sure they pinpoint which features they would highlight in a recommendation.
• Can you think of any use cases your customers might have for our product? Similar industries may have similar issues that need solutions. Your interviewee may be able to provide a use case you haven't come up with.
• What is your advice for other teams or companies who are tackling problems similar to those you had before you purchased our product? This is another opportunity for your client to talk up your product or service.
• Do you know someone in X industry who has similar problems to the ones you had prior to using our product? The client can make an introduction so you can interview them about their experience as well.
• I noticed you work with Company Y. Do you know if they are having any pain points with these processes? This will help you learn how your product has impacted your client's customers and gain insight into what can be improved.
• Does your company participate in any partner or referral programs? Having a strong referral program will help you increase leads and improve customer retention.
• Can I send you a referral kit as a thank-you for making a referral and give you the tools to refer someone to us? This is a great strategy to request a referral while rewarding your existing customers.
• Are you interested in working with us to produce additional marketing content? The more opportunities you can showcase happy customers, the better.

Case Study Interview Questions About Willingness to Make Referrals

• How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or client? Ideally, they would definitely refer your product to someone they know.
• Can you think of any use cases your customers might have for our product? Again, your interviewee is a great source for more leads. Similar industries may have similar issues that need solutions. They may be able to provide a use case you haven't come up with.
• I noticed you work with Company Y; do you know if they are having any pain points with these processes? This will help you learn how your product has impacted your client's customers and gain insight into what can be improved.

Case Study Interview Questions to Prompt Quote-Worthy Feedback

Enhance your case study with quotable soundbites from the customer. By asking these questions, prospects have more insight into other clients and their success with your product — which helps build trust.

• How would you describe your process in one sentence prior to using our product? Ideally, this sentence would quickly and descriptively sum up the most prominent pain point or challenge with the previous process.
• What is your advice to others who might be considering our product? Readers can learn from your customer's experience.
• What would your team's workflow or process be like without our product? This will drive home the value your product provides and how essential it is to their business.
• Do you think the investment in our product was worthwhile? Why? Have your customer make the case for the value you provide.
• What would you say if we told you our product would soon be unavailable? What would this mean to you? Again, this illustrates how integral your product is to their business.
• How would you describe our product if you were explaining it to a friend? Your customers can often distill the value of your product to their friends better than you can.
• What do you love about your job? Your company? This gives the reader more background on your customer and their industry.
• What was the worst part of your process before you started using our product? Ideally, they'd reiterate how your product helped solve this challenge.
• What do you love about our product? Another great way to get the customer's opinion about what makes your product worth it.
• Why do you do business with us? Hopefully, your interviewee will share how wonderful your business relationship is.

Case Study Interview Questions About the Customers' Future Goals

Ask the customer about their goals, challenges, and plans for the future. This will provide insight into how a business can grow with your product.

• What are the biggest challenges on the horizon for your industry? Chances are potential leads within the same industry will have similar challenges.
• What are your goals for the next three months? Knowing their short-term goals will enable your company to get some quick wins for the client.
• How would you like to use our product to meet those challenges and goals? This will help potential leads understand that your product can help their business as they scale and grow.
• Is there anything we can do to help you and your team meet your goals? If you haven't covered it already, this will allow your interviewee to express how you can better assist them.
• Do you think you will buy more, less, or about the same amount of our product next year? This can help you gauge how your product is used and why.
• What are the growth plans for your company this year? Your team? This will help you gain insight into how your product can help them achieve future goals.
• How can we help you meet your long-term goals? Getting specifics on the needs of your clients will help you create a unique solution designed for their needs.
• What is the long-term impact of using our product? Get their feedback on how your product has created a lasting impact.
• Are there any initiatives that you personally would like to achieve that our product or team can help with? Again, you want to continue to provide products that help your customers excel.
• What will you need from us in the future? This will help you anticipate the customer's business needs.
• Is there anything we can do to improve our product or process for working together in the future? The more feedback you can get about what is and isn't working, the better.

Before you can start putting together your case study, you need to ask your customer's permission.

If you have a customer who's seen success with your product, reach out to them. Use this template to get started:

Thank you & quick request

Hi [customer name],

Thanks again for your business — working with you to [solve X, launch Y, take advantage of Z opportunity] has been extremely rewarding, and I'm looking forward to more collaboration in the future.

[Name of your company] is building a library of case studies to include on our site. We're looking for successful companies using [product] to solve interesting challenges, and your team immediately came to mind. Are you open to [customer company name] being featured?

It should be a lightweight process — [I, a product marketer] will ask you roughly [10, 15, 20] questions via email or phone about your experience and results. This case study will include a blurb about your company and a link to your homepage (which hopefully will make your SEO team happy!)

In any case, thank you again for the chance to work with you, and I hope you have a great week.

[Your name]

If one of your customers has recently passed along some praise (to you, their account manager, your boss; on an online forum; to another potential customer; etc.), then send them a version of this email:

Hey [customer name],

Thanks for the great feedback — I'm really glad to hear [product] is working well for you and that [customer company name] is getting the results you're looking for.

My team is actually in the process of building out our library of case studies, and I'd love to include your story. Happy to provide more details if you're potentially interested.

Either way, thank you again, and I look forward to getting more updates on your progress.

You can also find potential case study customers by usage or product data. For instance, maybe you see a company you sold to 10 months ago just bought eight more seats or upgraded to a new tier. Clearly, they're happy with the solution. Try this template:

I saw you just [invested in our X product; added Y more users; achieved Z product milestone]. Congratulations! I'd love to share your story using [product] with the world -- I think it's a great example of how our product + a dedicated team and a good strategy can achieve awesome results.

Are you open to being featured? If so, I'll send along more details.

Case Study Benefits

• Case studies are a form of customer advocacy.
• Case studies provide a joint-promotion opportunity.
• Case studies are easily sharable.
• Case studies build rapport with your customers.
• Case studies are less opinionated than customer reviews.

1. Case studies are a form of customer advocacy.

If you haven't noticed, customers aren't always quick to trust a brand's advertisements and sales strategies.

With every other brand claiming to be the best in the business, it's hard to sort exaggeration from reality.

This is the most important reason why case studies are effective. They are testimonials from your customers of your service. If someone is considering your business, a case study is a much more convincing piece of marketing or sales material than traditional advertising.

2. Case studies provide a joint-promotion opportunity.

Your business isn't the only one that benefits from a case study. Customers participating in case studies benefit, too.

Think about it. Case studies are free advertisements for your customers, not to mention the SEO factor, too. While they're not promoting their products or services, they're still getting the word out about their business. And, the case study highlights how successful their business is — showing interested leads that they're on the up and up.

3. Case studies are easily sharable.

No matter your role on the sales team, case studies are great to have on hand. You can easily share them with leads, prospects, and clients.

Whether you embed them on your website or save them as a PDF, you can simply send a link to share your case study with others. They can share that link with their peers and colleagues, and so on.

Case studies can also be useful during a sales pitch. In sales, timing is everything. If a customer is explaining a problem that was solved and discussed in your case study, you can quickly find the document and share it with them.

4. Case studies build rapport with your customers.

While case studies are very useful, they do require some back and forth with your customers to obtain the exact feedback you're looking for.

Even though time is involved, the good news is this builds rapport with your most loyal customers. You get to know them on a personal level, and they'll become more than just your most valuable clients.

And, the better the rapport you have with them, the more likely they'll be to recommend your business, products, or services to others.

5. Case studies are less opinionated than customer reviews.

Data is the difference between a case study and a review. Customer reviews are typically based on the customer's opinion of your brand. While they might write a glowing review, it's completely subjective and there's rarely empirical evidence supporting their claim.

Case studies, on the other hand, are more data-driven. While they'll still talk about how great your brand is, they support this claim with quantitative data that's relevant to the reader. It's hard to argue with data.

An effective case study must be genuine and credible. Your case study should explain why certain customers are the right fit for your business and how your company can help meet their specific needs. That way, someone in a similar situation can use your case study as a testimonial for why they should choose your business.

Use the case study questions above to create an ideal customer case study questionnaire. By asking your customers the right questions, you can obtain valuable feedback that can be shared with potential leads and convert them into loyal customers.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

ACV: What It Means & How to Calculate It

What Is An Account Development Manager? (And How to Become One)

Strategic Account Managers, Here's How to Amplify Your Efforts

3 Questions that Ensure Key Account Success

Account Management vs. Sales: What's the Difference? [FAQ]

Showcase your company's success using these free case study templates.

Powerful and easy-to-use sales software that drives productivity, enables customer connection, and supports growing sales orgs

Download Chapter

You will receive additional complimentary videos/ updates by email. To complete the process please click the link in the email we will send you.

Download Preview

Welcome back!

Or, sign in with your email

Don’t have an account? Subscribe now

Download The Strategy Journal

Case interview examples – mckinsey, bcg, bain (mbb), deloitte, etc..

Case interview examples – McKinsey, BCG, Bain (MBB), Deloitte etc.

Consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain ( MBB ), Deloitte etc. use the case interview process to assess candidates. It is very difficult to be invited to a consulting case interview, especially with McKinsey, BCG, Bain and Deloitte. And it is even more difficult to do well at case interviews without preparing for them properly. And there are a lot of free case interview examples out there, but it’s difficult to know where to start. So in this article we have listed some of the best free consulting case interview examples available, in one place.

We will cover interactive case interview samples provided by consulting firms, video case interview examples, case books, and materials developed by the team here at FIRMSconsulting.

Before we dive into business case examples, we would like to share with you 2 free resources we prepared for you as a gift, based on FIRMSconsulting book on brain teasers and another FIRMSconsulting book on solving business cases and overall consulting case interview preparation. These downloads include 20 brain teasers including explanations on how to approach solving each of those brain teasers. It also includes a comprehensive estimation cases guide. Estimation cases are very often used in consulting, either as a separate case or as part of a larger case. As part of your preparaton for consulting case interviews, you will certainly come across various estimation cases. It is crucial for you to learn how to solve them. You can get links to download copies of both resources below. It is completely free. Get it now and thank us later. Enjoy!

FREE GIFT #1

Bonus tutorial download, 20 brain teasers with answers and explanations.

1. McKinsey case interview examples

• Electro-light case interview (McKinsey website)
• Diconsa case interview (McKinsey website)
• Transforming a national Education system case interview (McKinsey website)
• GlobaPharm case interview (McKinsey website)
• McKinsey cost-benefit approach complex profit case interview example (by FIRMSconsulting.com)
• Comprehensive McKinsey hypotheses based case interview example (by FIRMSconsulting.com)
• Complex McKinsey Interviewer led profitability case in Pharma (by FIRMSconsulting.com) – See below

2. BCG case interview examples

• Interactive case questions (BCG website)
• Distribution strategy for sugar cereals Inc case sample (BCG website)
• Comprehensive BCG interviewer led market entry case interview example (by FIRMSconsulting.com) – See below

3. Bain case interview examples

• Written case interview tips (Bain website)
• Bain case interview questions (Bain website)

4. Deloitte case interview examples

• Finance Strategy Federal Health Agency case question (Deloitte website)
• Footloose case question (by Deloitte)
• Retail Strategy Club Co, case question (Deloitte website)

FREE GIFT #2

A comprehensive estimation cases guide, 5. accenture case interview examples.

• Case interview workbook (by Accenture)

6. Strategy& / PWC case interview examples

• Presentation overview with sample questions and tips (by Strategy& PWC)

7. A.T. Kearney case interview example

• Consulting case book and case interview examples (by A.T. Kearney)
• Promotional planning case sample (A.T. Kearney website)

8. Oliver Wyman case interview examples

• Aqualine power boats case example (Oliver Wyman website)
• Wumbleworld theme park case sample (Oliver Wyman website)

9. OC&C strategy consultants case interview examples

• Imported Whiskey in an emerging market case example (by OC&C strategy consultants)
• Leisure Club data interpretation case sample (by OC&C strategy consultants)

10. Capital One case interview examples

• Case interview study guide for business analysts  (Capital One website)

FREE GIFT #3

Bonus download, proven strategies for effective leadership and results, 11. general case interview examples.

• A comprehensive approach to brainstorming in case interviews (by FIRMSconsulting.com)
• Framework for a Bain, McKinsey, BCG acquisition case (by FIRMSconsulting.com) – See below

• Comprehensive McKinsey, BCG, Bain operations case approach (by FIRMScnsulting.com) – See below

12. Consulting clubs case interview examples

• Harvard case book (2011) 
• MIT case book (2001)
• Wharton case book (2010)
• Berkeley case book (2006)
• Columbia case book (2006)
• Duke case book (2011)
• Duke case book (2014)
• Darden case book (2012-2013)
• Ross case book (2010)
• ESADE case book (2011)
• Goizueta case book (2006)
• Illinois case book (2015-2016)
• LBS case book (2006)
• Notre Dame case book (2017-2018)

Structured case interview preparation approach is needed

If you haven’t done so already, remember to get your copies of 2 free resources we prepared for you that will help you in your consulting case interview preparation. Free gift #2 also includes another free case interview example, an estimation case example with a detailed answer. Please see links below:

If you would like to fast track your case interview preparation and maximize your chances of getting an offer from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte etc, we welcome you to train with us. The Consulting Offer program, which is a part of Premium membership , was designed specifically for this purpose.

There is nowhere else in the world where you can see real candidates trained by former partners from major consulting firms. You will see the candidate’s progression through each step of the case interview preparation process. And you will see candidates receiving real offers from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte etc.

PREMIUM MEMBERS RECEIVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO:

FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAMS AKA CASE INTERVIEWS: TCO Solution Videos TCO I, Felix, McKinsey Offer TCO I, Sanjeev, joins BCG TCO I, Rafik TCO I, Samantha TCO II, Alice Qinhua Zhou joins McKinsey NYC, trained by Kevin P. Coyne TCO II, Michael Klein TCO III, Jennifer Nwankwo joins Bain TCO III, Zach Steinfeld joins Deloitte S&O TCO IV, Assel joins McKinsey TCO IV, Tom & The Experienced Hire Program TCO IV, Sizan & Prepares for McKinsey & BCG TCO V, Ritika Mohan joins McKinsey Insights from Coaching & TCO

CORE STRATEGY: DETAILED: How McKinsey, BCG et al. Runs an Engagement (275 videos) First 90 Days in Consulting Business Case Analysis

All conveniently available as: 900+ hours of partner-led training No Internet required. Sync videos to watch offline, or connect with Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G Push App to the background and play audio Streaming videos Automatically beam videos from your phone to your Chromecast or AirPlay-enabled devices Create playlists Pick up where you left off

It’s all included, every month that you choose to be a member.

Any other case interview examples to include?

If there are any other case interview examples that you think are worthwhile to be included on this page, please let us know.

Our contact details: [email protected]

Want to learn more about how FIRMSconsulting can help your organization?

Related articles, the hidden cost of choices.

“To choose is to renounce.” — André Gide Every time we decide to focus on something, we make a choice to ignore everything else. In management consulting, when you decide to get yourself onto a 3rd banking project that year, you know you are starting to go down the financial…

Corporate Strategy for Asset/Wealth Management (Executive Update 1)

Over the weekend, we released the first part of Executive Update 1 for the Corporate Strategy for Asset/Wealth Management Study in the Strategy Control Room, Advanced Level. *** Every so often, we release a study that is so powerful, so fundamental, that if you take the time to read it multiple times…

Team First. Mission First

The question is: Will You Rise to the Occasion? In this new Legacy program, we cover a critical mindset shift required to be considered CEO material within your organization. It's based on the work Michael and I have been doing with clients worldwide at a senior level, and even at not-so-senior…

Sign up for emails

Never miss an insight. We'll email you when new articles are published on this topic.

All content remains the property of FIRMSconsulting LLC. When using material from this website, including but not limited to tools, frameworks, concepts and methodologies, please provide the proper citations and attributions.

Have you downloaded our free guides?

Case interview resume template used in The Consulting Offer . Offers from McKinsey, BCG, Bain et al.

Overall approach used in well-managed strategy studies PDF guide

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• Open access
• Published: 08 September 2024

Longitudinal analysis of teacher self-efficacy evolution during a STEAM professional development program: a qualitative case study

• Haozhe Jiang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7870-0993 1 ,
• Ritesh Chugh   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0061-7206 2 ,
• Xuesong Zhai   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4179-7859 1 , 3   nAff7 ,
• Ke Wang 4 &
• Xiaoqin Wang 5 , 6  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  1162 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

28 Accesses

Metrics details

Despite the widespread advocacy for the integration of arts and humanities (A&H) into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education on an international scale, teachers face numerous obstacles in practically integrating A&H into STEM teaching (IAT). To tackle the challenges, a comprehensive five-stage framework for teacher professional development programs focussed on IAT has been developed. Through the use of a qualitative case study approach, this study outlines the shifts in a participant teacher’s self-efficacy following their exposure to each stage of the framework. The data obtained from interviews and reflective analyses were analyzed using a seven-stage inductive method. The findings have substantiated the significant impact of a teacher professional development program based on the framework on teacher self-efficacy, evident in both individual performance and student outcomes observed over eighteen months. The evolution of teacher self-efficacy in IAT should be regarded as an open and multi-level system, characterized by interactions with teacher knowledge, skills and other entrenched beliefs. Building on our research findings, an enhanced model of teacher professional learning is proposed. The revised model illustrates that professional learning for STEAM teachers should be conceived as a continuous and sustainable process, characterized by the dynamic interaction among teaching performance, teacher knowledge, and teacher beliefs. The updated model further confirms the inseparable link between teacher learning and student learning within STEAM education. This study contributes to the existing body of literature on teacher self-efficacy, teacher professional learning models and the design of IAT teacher professional development programs.

Similar content being viewed by others

Primary and secondary school teachers’ perceptions of their social science training needs

Investigating how subject teachers transition to integrated STEM education: A hybrid qualitative study on primary and middle school teachers

The mediating role of teaching enthusiasm in the relationship between mindfulness, growth mindset, and psychological well-being of Chinese EFL teachers

Introduction.

In the past decade, there has been a surge in the advancement and widespread adoption of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education on a global scale (Jiang et al. 2021 ; Jiang et al. 2022 ; Jiang et al. 2023 ; Jiang et al. 2024a , b ; Zhan et al. 2023 ; Zhan and Niu 2023 ; Zhong et al. 2022 ; Zhong et al. 2024 ). Concurrently, there has been a growing chorus of advocates urging the integration of Arts and Humanities (A&H) into STEM education (e.g., Alkhabra et al. 2023 ; Land 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Uştu et al. 2021 ; Vaziri and Bradburn 2021 ). STEM education is frequently characterized by its emphasis on logic and analysis; however, it may be perceived as deficient in emotional and intuitive elements (Ozkan and Umdu Topsakal 2021 ). Through the integration of Arts and Humanities (A&H), the resulting STEAM approach has the potential to become more holistic, incorporating both rationality and emotional intelligence (Ozkan and Umdu Topsakal 2021 ). Many studies have confirmed that A&H can help students increase interest and develop their understanding of the contents in STEM fields, and thus, A&H can attract potential underrepresented STEM learners such as female students and minorities (Land 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ). Despite the increasing interest in STEAM, the approaches to integrating A&H, which represent fundamentally different disciplines, into STEM are theoretically and practically ambiguous (Jacques et al. 2020 ; Uştu et al. 2021 ). Moreover, studies have indicated that the implementation of STEAM poses significant challenges, with STEM educators encountering difficulties in integrating A&H into their teaching practices (e.g., Boice et al. 2021 ; Duong et al. 2024 ; Herro et al. 2019 ; Jacques et al. 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ). Hence, there is a pressing need to provide STEAM teachers with effective professional training.

Motivated by this gap, this study proposes a novel five-stage framework tailored for teacher professional development programs specifically designed to facilitate the integration of A&H into STEM teaching (IAT). Following the establishment of this framework, a series of teacher professional development programs were implemented. To explain the framework, a qualitative case study is employed, focusing on examining a specific teacher professional development program’s impact on a pre-service teacher’s self-efficacy. The case narratives, with a particular focus on the pre-service teacher’s changes in teacher self-efficacy, are organized chronologically, delineating stages before and after each stage of the teacher professional development program. More specifically, meaningful vignettes of the pre-service teacher’s learning and teaching experiences during the teacher professional development program are offered to help understand the five-stage framework. This study contributes to understanding teacher self-efficacy, teacher professional learning model and the design of IAT teacher professional development programs.

Theoretical background

The conceptualization of steam education.

STEM education can be interpreted through various lenses (e.g., Jiang et al. 2021 ; English 2016 ). As Li et al. (2020) claimed, on the one hand, STEM education can be defined as individual STEM disciplinary-based education (i.e., science education, technology education, engineering education and mathematics education). On the other hand, STEM education can also be defined as interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary education where individual STEM disciplines are integrated (Jiang et al. 2021 ; English 2016 ). In this study, we view it as individual disciplinary-based education separately in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (English 2016 ).

STEAM education emerged as a new pedagogy during the Americans for the Arts-National Policy Roundtable discussion in 2007 (Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ). This pedagogy was born out of the necessity to enhance students’ engagement, foster creativity, stimulate innovation, improve problem-solving abilities, and cultivate employability skills such as teamwork, communication and adaptability (Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ). In particular, within the framework of STEAM education, the ‘A’ should be viewed as a broad concept that represents arts and humanities (A&H) (Herro and Quigley 2016 ; de la Garza 2021 , Park and Cho 2022 ). This conceptualization emphasizes the need to include humanities subjects alongside arts (Herro and Quigley 2016 ; de la Garza 2021 ; Park and Cho 2022 ). Sanz-Camarero et al. ( 2023 ) listed some important fields of A&H, including physical arts, fine arts, manual arts, sociology, politics, philosophy, history, psychology and so on.

In general, STEM education does not necessarily entail the inclusion of all STEM disciplines collectively (Ozkan and Umdu Topsakal 2021 ), and this principle also applies to STEAM education (Gates 2017 ; Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ; Quigley et al. 2017 ; Smith and Paré 2016 ). As an illustration, Smith and Paré ( 2016 ) described a STEAM activity in which pottery (representing A&H) and mathematics were integrated, while other STEAM elements such as science, technology and engineering were not included. In our study, STEAM education is conceptualized as an interdisciplinary approach that involves the integration of one or more components of A&H into one or more STEM school subjects within educational activities (Ozkan and Umdu Topsakal 2021 ; Vaziri and Bradburn 2021 ). Notably, interdisciplinary collaboration entails integrating one or more elements from arts and humanities (A&H) with one or more STEM school subjects, cohesively united by a shared theme while maintaining their distinct identities (Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ).

In our teacher professional development programs, we help mathematics, technology, and science pre-service teachers integrate one component of A&H into their disciplinary-based teaching practices. For instance, we help mathematics teachers integrate history (a component of A&H) into mathematics teaching. In other words, in our study, integrating A&H into STEM teaching (IAT) can be defined as integrating one component of A&H into the teaching of one of the STEM school subjects. The components of A&H and the STEM school subject are brought together under a common theme, but each of them remains discrete. Engineering is not taught as an individual subject in the K-12 curriculum in mainland China. Therefore, A&H is not integrated into engineering teaching in our teacher professional development programs.

Self-efficacy and teacher self-efficacy

Self-efficacy was initially introduced by Bandura ( 1977 ) as a key concept within his social cognitive theory. Bandura ( 1997 ) defined self-efficacy as “people’s beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives” (p. 71). Based on Bandura’s ( 1977 ) theory, Tschannen-Moran et al. ( 1998 ) defined the concept of teacher self-efficacy Footnote 1 as “a teacher’s belief in her or his ability to organize and execute the courses of action required to successfully accomplish a specific teaching task in a particular context” (p. 233). Blonder et al. ( 2014 ) pointed out that this definition implicitly included teachers’ judgment of their ability to bring about desired outcomes in terms of students’ engagement and learning. Moreover, OECD ( 2018 ) defined teacher self-efficacy as “the beliefs that teachers have of their ability to enact certain teaching behavior that influences students’ educational outcomes, such as achievement, interest, and motivation” (p. 51). This definition explicitly included two dimensions: teachers’ judgment of the ability related to their teaching performance (i.e., enacting certain teaching behavior) and their influence on student outcomes.

It is argued that teacher self-efficacy should not be regarded as a general or overarching construct (Zee et al. 2017 ; Zee and Koomen 2016 ). Particularly, in the performance-driven context of China, teachers always connect their beliefs in their professional capabilities with the educational outcomes of their students (Liu et al. 2018 ). Therefore, we operationally conceptualize teacher self-efficacy as having two dimensions: self-efficacy in individual performance and student outcomes (see Table 1 ).

Most importantly, given its consistent association with actual teaching performance and student outcomes (Bray-Clark and Bates 2003 ; Kelley et al. 2020 ), teacher self-efficacy is widely regarded as a pivotal indicator of teacher success (Kelley et al. 2020 ). Moreover, the enhancement of teaching self-efficacy reflects the effectiveness of teacher professional development programs (Bray-Clark and Bates 2003 ; Kelley et al. 2020 ; Wong et al. 2022 ; Zhou et al. 2023 ). For instance, Zhou et al. ( 2023 ) claimed that in STEM teacher education, effective teacher professional development programs should bolster teachers’ self-efficacy “in teaching the content in the STEM discipline” (p. 2).

It has been documented that teachers frequently experience diminished confidence and comfort when teaching subject areas beyond their expertise (Kelley et al. 2020 ; Stohlmann et al. 2012 ). This diminished confidence extends to their self-efficacy in implementing interdisciplinary teaching approaches, such as integrated STEM teaching and IAT (Kelley et al. 2020 ). For instance, Geng et al. ( 2019 ) found that STEM teachers in Hong Kong exhibited low levels of self-efficacy, with only 5.53% of teachers rating their overall self-efficacy in implementing STEM education as higher than a score of 4 out of 5. Additionally, Hunter-Doniger and Sydow ( 2016 ) found that teachers may experience apprehension and lack confidence when incorporating A&H elements into the classroom context, particularly within the framework of IAT. Considering the critical importance of teacher self-efficacy in STEM and STEAM education (Kelley et al. 2020 ; Zakariya, 2020 ; Zhou et al. 2023 ), it is necessary to explore effective measures, frameworks and teacher professional development programs to help teachers improve their self-efficacy regarding interdisciplinary teaching (e.g., IAT).

Teacher professional learning models

The relationship between teachers’ professional learning and students’ outcomes (such as achievements, skills and attitudes) has been a subject of extensive discussion and research for many years (Clarke and Hollingsworth 2002 ). For instance, Clarke and Hollingsworth ( 2002 ) proposed and validated the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth, which illustrates that teacher professional development is influenced by the interaction among four interconnected domains: the personal domain (teacher knowledge, beliefs and attitudes), the domain of practice (professional experimentation), the domain of consequence (salient outcomes), and the external domain (sources of information, stimulus or support). Sancar et al. ( 2021 ) emphasized that teachers’ professional learning or development never occurs independently. In practice, this process is inherently intertwined with many variables, including student outcomes, in various ways (Sancar et al. 2021 ). However, many current teacher professional development programs exclude real in-class teaching and fail to establish a comprehensive link between teachers’ professional learning and student outcomes (Cai et al. 2020 ; Sancar et al. 2021 ). Sancar et al. ( 2021 ) claimed that exploring the complex relationships between teachers’ professional learning and student outcomes should be grounded in monitoring and evaluating real in-class teaching, rather than relying on teachers’ self-assessment. It is essential to understand these relationships from a holistic perspective within the context of real classroom teaching (Sancar et al. 2021 ). However, as Sancar et al. ( 2021 ) pointed out, such efforts in teacher education are often considered inadequate. Furthermore, in the field of STEAM education, such efforts are further exacerbated.

Cai et al. ( 2020 ) proposed a teacher professional learning model where student outcomes are emphasized. This model was developed based on Cai ( 2017 ), Philipp ( 2007 ) and Thompson ( 1992 ). It has also been used and justified in a series of teacher professional development programs (e.g., Calabrese et al. 2024 ; Hwang et al. 2024 ; Marco and Palatnik 2024 ; Örnek and Soylu 2021 ). The model posits that teachers typically increase their knowledge and modify their beliefs through professional teacher learning, subsequently improving their classroom instruction, enhancing teaching performance, and ultimately fostering improved student learning outcomes (Cai et al. 2020 ). Notably, this model can be updated in several aspects. Firstly, prior studies have exhibited the interplay between teacher knowledge and beliefs (e.g., Basckin et al. 2021 ; Taimalu and Luik 2019 ). This indicates that the increase in teacher knowledge and the change in teacher belief may not be parallel. The two processes can be intertwined. Secondly, the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth highlights that the personal domain and the domain of practice are interconnected (Clarke and Hollingsworth 2002 ). Liu et al. ( 2022 ) also confirmed that improvements in classroom instruction may, in turn, influence teacher beliefs. This necessitates a reconsideration of the relationships between classroom instruction, teacher knowledge and teacher beliefs in Cai et al.’s ( 2020 ) model. Thirdly, the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth also exhibits the connections between the domain of consequence and the personal domain (Clarke and Hollingsworth 2002 ). Hence, the improvement of learning outcomes may signify the end of teacher learning. For instance, students’ learning feedback may be a vital source of teacher self-efficacy (Bandura 1977 ). Therefore, the improvement of student outcomes may, in turn, affect teacher beliefs. The aforementioned arguments highlight the need for an updated model that integrates Cai et al.’s ( 2020 ) teacher professional learning model with Clarke and Hollingsworth’s ( 2002 ) Interconnected Model of Professional Growth. This integration may provide a holistic view of the teacher’s professional learning process, especially within the complex contexts of STEAM teacher education.

The framework for teacher professional development programs of integrating arts and humanities into STEM teaching

In this section, we present a framework for IAT teacher professional development programs, aiming to address the practical challenges associated with STEAM teaching implementation. Our framework incorporates the five features of effective teacher professional development programs outlined by Archibald et al. ( 2011 ), Cai et al. ( 2020 ), Darling-Hammond et al. ( 2017 ), Desimone and Garet ( 2015 ) and Roth et al. ( 2017 ). These features include: (a) alignment with shared goals (e.g., school, district, and national policies and practice), (b) emphasis on core content and modeling of teaching strategies for the content, (c) collaboration among teachers within a community, (d) adequate opportunities for active learning of new teaching strategies, and (e) embedded follow-up and continuous feedback. It is worth noting that two concepts, namely community of practice and lesson study, have been incorporated into our framework. Below, we delineate how these features are reflected in our framework.

(a) The Chinese government has issued a series of policies to facilitate STEAM education in K-12 schools (Jiang et al. 2021 ; Li and Chiang 2019 ; Lyu et al. 2024 ; Ro et al. 2022 ). The new curriculum standards released in 2022 mandate that all K-12 teachers implement interdisciplinary teaching, including STEAM education. Our framework for teacher professional development programs, which aims to help teachers integrate A&H into STEM teaching, closely aligns with these national policies and practices supporting STEAM education in K-12 schools.

(b) The core content of the framework is IAT. Specifically, as A&H is a broad concept, we divide it into several subcomponents, such as history, culture, and visual and performing arts (e.g., drama). We are implementing a series of teacher professional development programs to help mathematics, technology and science pre-service teachers integrate these subcomponents of A&H into their teaching Footnote 2 . Notably, pre-service teachers often lack teaching experience, making it challenging to master and implement new teaching strategies. Therefore, our framework provides five step-by-step stages designed to help them effectively model the teaching strategies of IAT.

(c) Our framework advocates for collaboration among teachers within a community of practice. Specifically, a community of practice is “a group of people who share an interest in a domain of human endeavor and engage in a process of collective learning that creates bonds between them” (Wenger et al. 2002 , p. 1). A teacher community of practice can be considered a group of teachers “sharing and critically observing their practices in growth-promoting ways” (Näykki et al. 2021 , p. 497). Long et al. ( 2021 ) claimed that in a teacher community of practice, members collaboratively share their teaching experiences and work together to address teaching problems. Our community of practice includes three types of members. (1) Mentors: These are professors and experts with rich experience in helping pre-service teachers practice IAT. (2) Pre-service teachers: Few have teaching experience before the teacher professional development programs. (3) In-service teachers: All in-service teachers are senior teachers with rich teaching experience. All the members work closely together to share and improve their IAT practice. Moreover, our community includes not only mentors and in-service teachers but also pre-service teachers. We encourage pre-service teachers to collaborate with experienced in-service teachers in various ways, such as developing IAT lesson plans, writing IAT case reports and so on. In-service teachers can provide cognitive and emotional support and share their practical knowledge and experience, which may significantly benefit the professional growth of pre-service teachers (Alwafi et al. 2020 ).

(d) Our framework offers pre-service teachers various opportunities to engage in lesson study, allowing them to actively design and implement IAT lessons. Based on the key points of effective lesson study outlined by Akiba et al. ( 2019 ), Ding et al. ( 2024 ), and Takahashi and McDougal ( 2016 ), our lesson study incorporates the following seven features. (1) Study of IAT materials: Pre-service teachers are required to study relevant IAT materials under the guidance of mentors. (2) Collaboration on lesson proposals: Pre-service teachers should collaborate with in-service teachers to develop comprehensive lesson proposals. (3) Observation and data collection: During the lesson, pre-service teachers are required to carefully observe and collect data on student learning and development. (4) Reflection and analysis: Pre-service teachers use the collected data to reflect on the lesson and their teaching effects. (5) Lesson revision and reteaching: If needed, pre-service teachers revise and reteach the lesson based on their reflections and data analysis. (6) Mentor and experienced in-service teacher involvement: Mentors and experienced in-service teachers, as knowledgeable others, are involved throughout the lesson study process. (7) Collaboration on reporting: Pre-service teachers collaborate with in-service teachers to draft reports and disseminate the results of the lesson study. Specifically, recognizing that pre-service teachers often lack teaching experience, we do not require them to complete all the steps of lesson study independently at once. Instead, we guide them through the lesson study process in a step-by-step manner, allowing them to gradually build their IAT skills and confidence. For instance, in Stage 1, pre-service teachers primarily focus on studying IAT materials. In Stage 2, they develop lesson proposals, observe and collect data, and draft reports. However, the implementation of IAT lessons is carried out by in-service teachers. This approach prevents pre-service teachers from experiencing failures due to their lack of teaching experience. In Stage 3, pre-service teachers implement, revise, and reteach IAT lessons, experiencing the lesson study process within a simulated environment. In Stage 4, pre-service teachers engage in lesson study in an actual classroom environment. However, their focus is limited to one micro-course during each lesson study session. It is not until the fifth stage that they experience a complete lesson study in an actual classroom environment.

(e) Our teacher professional development programs incorporate assessments specifically designed to evaluate pre-service teachers’ IAT practices. We use formative assessments to measure their understanding and application of IAT strategies. Pre-service teachers receive ongoing and timely feedback from peers, mentors, in-service teachers, and students, which helps them continuously refine their IAT practices throughout the program. Recognizing that pre-service teachers often have limited contact with real students and may not fully understand students’ learning needs, processes and outcomes, our framework requires them to actively collect and analyze student feedback. By doing so, they can make informed improvements to their instructional practice based on student feedback.

After undergoing three rounds of theoretical and practical testing and revision over the past five years, we have successfully finalized the optimization of the framework design (Zhou 2021 ). Throughout each cycle, we collected feedback from both participants and researchers on at least three occasions. Subsequently, we analyzed this feedback and iteratively refined the framework. For example, we enlisted the participation of in-service teachers to enhance the implementation of STEAM teaching, extended practice time through micro-teaching sessions, and introduced a stage of micro-course development within the framework to provide more opportunities for pre-service teachers to engage with real teaching situations. In this process, we continuously improved the coherence between each stage of the framework, ensuring that they mutually complement one another. The five-stage framework is described as follows.

Stage 1 Literature study

Pre-service teachers are provided with a series of reading materials from A&H. On a weekly basis, two pre-service teachers are assigned to present their readings and reflections to the entire group, followed by critical discussions thereafter. Mentors and all pre-service teachers discuss and explore strategies for translating the original A&H materials into viable instructional resources suitable for classroom use. Subsequently, pre-service teachers select topics of personal interest for further study under mentor guidance.

Stage 2 Case learning

Given that pre-service teachers have no teaching experience, collaborative efforts between in-service teachers and pre-service teachers are undertaken to design IAT lesson plans. Subsequently, the in-service teachers implement these plans. Throughout this process, pre-service teachers are afforded opportunities to engage in lesson plan implementation. Figure 1 illustrates the role of pre-service teachers in case learning. In the first step, pre-service teachers read about materials related to A&H, select suitable materials, and report their ideas on IAT lesson design to mentors, in-service teachers, and fellow pre-service teachers.

Note: A&H refers to arts and humanities.

In the second step, they liaise with the in-service teachers responsible for implementing the lesson plan, discussing the integration of A&H into teaching practices. Pre-service teachers then analyze student learning objectives aligned with curriculum standards, collaboratively designing the IAT lesson plan with in-service teachers. Subsequently, pre-service teachers present lesson plans for feedback from mentors and other in-service teachers.

In the third step, pre-service teachers observe the lesson plan’s implementation, gathering and analyzing feedback from students and in-service teachers using an inductive approach (Merriam 1998 ). Feedback includes opinions on the roles and values of A&H, perceptions of the teaching effect, and recommendations for lesson plan implementation and modification. The second and third steps may iterate multiple times to refine the IAT lesson plan. In the fourth step, pre-service teachers consolidate all data, including various versions of teaching instructions, classroom videos, feedback, and discussion notes, composing reflection notes. Finally, pre-service teachers collaborate with in-service teachers to compile the IAT case report and submit it for publication.

Stage 3 Micro-teaching

Figure 2 illustrates the role of pre-service teachers in micro-teaching. Before entering the micro-classrooms Footnote 3 , all the discussions and communications occur within the pre-service teacher group, excluding mentors and in-service teachers. After designing the IAT lesson plan, pre-service teachers take turns implementing 40-min lesson plans in a simulated micro-classroom setting. Within this simulated environment, one pre-service teacher acts as the teacher, while others, including mentors, in-service teachers, and other fellow pre-service teachers, assume the role of students Footnote 4 . Following the simulated teaching, the implementer reviews the video of their session and self-assesses their performance. Subsequently, the implementer receives feedback from other pre-service teachers, mentors, and in-service teachers. Based on this feedback, the implementer revisits steps 2 and 3, revising the lesson plan and conducting the simulated teaching again. This iterative process typically repeats at least three times until the mentors, in-service teachers, and other pre-service teachers are satisfied with the implementation of the revised lesson plan. Finally, pre-service teachers complete reflection notes and submit a summary of their reflections on the micro-teaching experience. Each pre-service teacher is required to choose at least three topics and undergo at least nine simulated teaching sessions.

Stage 4 Micro-course development

While pre-service teachers may not have the opportunity to execute the whole lesson plans in real classrooms, they can design and create five-minute micro-courses Footnote 5 before class, subsequently presenting these videos to actual students. The process of developing micro-courses closely mirrors that of developing IAT cases in the case learning stage (see Fig. 1 ). However, in Step 3, pre-service teachers assume dual roles, not only as observers of IAT lesson implementation but also as implementers of a five-minute IAT micro-course.

Stage 5 Classroom teaching

Pre-service teachers undertake the implementation of IAT lesson plans independently, a process resembling micro-teaching (see Fig. 2 ). However, pre-service teachers engage with real school students in partner schools Footnote 6 instead of simulated classrooms. Furthermore, they collect feedback not only from the mentors, in-service teachers, and fellow pre-service teachers but also from real students.

To provide our readers with a better understanding of the framework, we provide meaningful vignettes of a pre-service teacher’s learning and teaching experiences in one of the teacher professional development programs based on the framework. In addition, we choose teacher self-efficacy as an indicator to assess the framework’s effectiveness, detailing the pre-service teacher’s changes in teacher self-efficacy.

Research design

Research method.

Teacher self-efficacy can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively (Bandura 1986 , 1997 ; Lee and Bobko 1994 ; Soprano and Yang 2013 ; Unfried et al. 2022 ). However, researchers and theorists in the area of teacher self-efficacy have called for more qualitative and longitudinal studies (Klassen et al. 2011 ). As some critiques stated, most studies were based on correlational and cross-sectional data obtained from self-report surveys, and qualitative studies of teacher efficacy were overwhelmingly neglected (Henson 2002 ; Klassen et al. 2011 ; Tschannen-Moran et al. 1998 ; Xenofontos and Andrews 2020 ). There is an urgent need for more longitudinal studies to shed light on the development of teacher efficacy (Klassen et al. 2011 ; Xenofontos and Andrews 2020 ).

This study utilized a longitudinal qualitative case study methodology to delve deeply into the context (Jiang et al. 2021 ; Corden and Millar 2007 ; Dicks et al. 2023 ; Henderson et al. 2012 ; Matusovich et al. 2010 ; Shirani and Henwood 2011 ), presenting details grounded in real-life situations and analyzing the inner relationships rather than generalize findings about the change of a large group of pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy.

Participant

This study forms a component of a broader multi-case research initiative examining teachers’ professional learning in the STEAM teacher professional development programs in China (Jiang et al. 2021 ; Wang et al. 2018 ; Wang et al. 2024 ). Within this context, one participant, Shuitao (pseudonym), is selected and reported in this current study. Shuitao was a first-year graduate student at a first-tier Normal university in Shanghai, China. Normal universities specialize in teacher education. Her graduate major was mathematics curriculum and instruction. Teaching practice courses are offered to students in this major exclusively during their third year of study. The selection of Shuitao was driven by three primary factors. Firstly, Shuitao attended the entire teacher professional development program and actively engaged in nearly all associated activities. Table 2 illustrates the timeline of the five stages in which Shuitao was involved. Secondly, her undergraduate major was applied mathematics, which was not related to mathematics teaching Footnote 7 . She possessed no prior teaching experience and had not undergone any systematic study of IAT before her involvement in the teacher professional development program. Thirdly, her other master’s courses during her first two years of study focused on mathematics education theory and did not include IAT Footnote 8 . Additionally, she scarcely participated in any other teaching practice outside of the teacher professional development program. As a pre-service teacher, Shuitao harbored a keen interest in IAT. Furthermore, she discovered that she possessed fewer teaching skills compared to her peers who had majored in education during their undergraduate studies. Hence, she had a strong desire to enhance her teaching skills. Consequently, Shuitao decided to participate in our teacher professional development program.

Shuitao was grouped with three other first-year graduate students during the teacher professional development program. She actively collaborated with them at every stage of the program. For instance, they advised each other on their IAT lesson designs, observed each other’s IAT practice and offered constructive suggestions for improvement.

Research question

Shuitao was a mathematics pre-service teacher who participated in one of our teacher professional development programs, focusing on integrating history into mathematics teaching (IHT) Footnote 9 . Notably, this teacher professional development program was designed based on our five-stage framework for teacher professional development programs of IAT. To examine the impact of this teacher professional development program on Shuitao’s self-efficacy related to IHT, this case study addresses the following research question:

What changes in Shuitao’s self-efficacy in individual performance regarding integrating history into mathematics teaching (SE-IHT-IP) may occur through participation in the teacher professional development program?

What changes in Shuitao’s self-efficacy in student outcomes regarding integrating history into mathematics teaching (SE-IHT-SO) may occur through participation in the teacher professional development program?

Data collection and analysis

Before Shuitao joined the teacher professional development program, a one-hour preliminary interview was conducted to guide her in self-narrating her psychological and cognitive state of IHT.

During the teacher professional development program, follow-up unstructured interviews were conducted once a month with Shuitao. All discussions in the development of IHT cases were recorded, Shuitao’s teaching and micro-teaching were videotaped, and the reflection notes, journals, and summary reports written by Shuitao were collected.

After completing the teacher professional development program, Shuitao participated in a semi-structured three-hour interview. The objectives of this interview were twofold: to reassess her self-efficacy and to explore the relationship between her self-efficacy changes and each stage of the teacher professional development program.

Interview data, discussions, reflection notes, journals, summary reports and videos, and analysis records were archived and transcribed before, during, and after the teacher professional development program.

In this study, we primarily utilized data from seven interviews: one conducted before the teacher professional development program, five conducted after each stage of the program, and one conducted upon completion of the program. Additionally, we reviewed Shuitao’s five reflective notes, which were written after each stage, as well as her final summary report that encompassed the entire teacher professional development program.

Merriam’s ( 1998 ) approach to coding data and inductive approach to retrieving possible concepts and themes were employed using a seven-stage method. Considering theoretical underpinnings in qualitative research is common when interpreting data (Strauss and Corbin 1990 ). First, a list based on our conceptual framework of teacher self-efficacy (see Table 1 ) was developed. The list included two codes (i.e., SE-IHT-IP and SE-IHT-SO). Second, all data were sorted chronologically, read and reread to be better understood. Third, texts were coded into multi-colored highlighting and comment balloons. Fourth, the data for groups of meanings, themes, and behaviors were examined. How these groups were connected within the conceptual framework of teacher self-efficacy was confirmed. Fifth, after comparing, confirming, and modifying, the selective codes were extracted and mapped onto the two categories according to the conceptual framework of teacher self-efficacy. Accordingly, changes in SE-IHT-IP and SE-IHT-SO at the five stages of the teacher professional development program were identified, respectively, and then the preliminary findings came (Strauss and Corbin 1990 ). In reality, in Shuitao’s narratives, SE-IHT-IP and SE-IHT-SO were frequently intertwined. Through our coding process, we differentiated between SE-IHT-IP and SE-IHT-SO, enabling us to obtain a more distinct understanding of how these two aspects of teacher self-efficacy evolved over time. This helped us address the two research questions effectively.

Reliability and validity

Two researchers independently analyzed the data to establish inter-rater reliability. The inter-rater reliability was established as kappa = 0.959. Stake ( 1995 ) suggested that the most critical assertions in a study require the greatest effort toward confirmation. In this study, three methods served this purpose and helped ensure the validity of the findings. The first way to substantiate the statement about the changes in self-efficacy was by revisiting each transcript to confirm whether the participant explicitly acknowledged the changes (Yin 2003 ). Such a check was repeated in the analysis of this study. The second way to confirm patterns in the data was by examining whether Shuitao’s statements were replicated in separate interviews (Morris and Usher 2011 ). The third approach involved presenting the preliminary conclusions to Shuitao and affording her the opportunity to provide feedback on the data and conclusions. This step aimed to ascertain whether we accurately grasped the true intentions of her statements and whether our subjective interpretations inadvertently influenced our analysis of her statements. Additionally, data from diverse sources underwent analysis by at least two researchers, with all researchers reaching consensus on each finding.

As each stage of our teacher professional development programs spanned a minimum of three months, numerous documented statements regarding the enhancement of Shuitao’s self-efficacy regarding IHT were recorded. Notably, what we present here offers only a concise overview of findings derived from our qualitative analysis. The changes in Shuitao’s SE-IHT-IP and SE-IHT-SO are organized chronologically, delineating the period before and during the teacher professional development program.

Before the teacher professional development program: “I have no confidence in IHT”

Before the teacher professional development program, Shuitao frequently expressed her lack of confidence in IHT. On the one hand, Shuitao expressed considerable apprehension about her individual performance in IHT. “How can I design and implement IHT lesson plans? I do not know anything [about it]…” With a sense of doubt, confusion and anxiety, Shuitao voiced her lack of confidence in her ability to design and implement an IHT case that would meet the requirements of the curriculum standards. Regarding the reasons for her lack of confidence, Shuitao attributed it to her insufficient theoretical knowledge and practical experience in IHT:

I do not know the basic approaches to IHT that I could follow… it is very difficult for me to find suitable historical materials… I am very confused about how to organize [historical] materials logically around the teaching goals and contents… [Furthermore,] I am [a] novice, [and] I have no IHT experience.

On the other hand, Shuitao articulated very low confidence in the efficacy of her IHT on student outcomes:

I think my IHT will have a limited impact on student outcomes… I do not know any specific effects [of history] other than making students interested in mathematics… In fact, I always think it is difficult for [my] students to understand the history… If students cannot understand [the history], will they feel bored?

This statement suggests that Shuitao did not fully grasp the significance of IHT. In fact, she knew little about the educational significance of history for students, and she harbored no belief that her IHT approach could positively impact students. In sum, her SE-IHT-SO was very low.

After stage 1: “I can do well in the first step of IHT”

After Stage 1, Shuitao indicated a slight improvement in her confidence in IHT. She attributed this improvement to her acquisition of theoretical knowledge in IHT, the approaches for selecting history-related materials, and an understanding of the educational value of history.

One of Shuitao’s primary concerns about implementing IHT before the teacher professional development program was the challenge of sourcing suitable history-related materials. However, after Stage 1, Shuitao explicitly affirmed her capability in this aspect. She shared her experience of organizing history-related materials related to logarithms as an example.

Recognizing the significance of suitable history-related materials in effective IHT implementation, Shuitao acknowledged that conducting literature studies significantly contributed to enhancing her confidence in undertaking this initial step. Furthermore, she expressed increased confidence in designing IHT lesson plans by utilizing history-related materials aligned with teaching objectives derived from the curriculum standards. In other words, her SE-IHT-IP was enhanced. She said:

After experiencing multiple discussions, I gradually know more about what kinds of materials are essential and should be emphasized, what kinds of materials should be adapted, and what kinds of materials should be omitted in the classroom instructions… I have a little confidence to implement IHT that could meet the requirements [of the curriculum standards] since now I can complete the critical first step [of IHT] well…

However, despite the improvement in her confidence in IHT following Stage 1, Shuitao also expressed some concerns. She articulated uncertainty regarding her performance in the subsequent stages of the teacher professional development program. Consequently, her confidence in IHT experienced only a modest increase.

After stage 2: “I participate in the development of IHT cases, and my confidence is increased a little bit more”

Following Stage 2, Shuitao reported further increased confidence in IHT. She attributed this growth to two main factors. Firstly, she successfully developed several instructional designs for IHT through collaboration with in-service teachers. These collaborative experiences enabled her to gain a deeper understanding of IHT approaches and enhance her pedagogical content knowledge in this area, consequently bolstering her confidence in her ability to perform effectively. Secondly, Shuitao observed the tangible impact of IHT cases on students in real classroom settings, which reinforced her belief in the efficacy of IHT. These experiences instilled in her a greater sense of confidence in her capacity to positively influence her students through her implementation of IHT. Shuitao remarked that she gradually understood how to integrate suitable history-related materials into her instructional designs (e.g., employ a genetic approach Footnote 10 ), considering it as the second important step of IHT. She shared her experience of developing IHT instructional design on the concept of logarithms. After creating several iterations of IHT instructional designs, Shuitao emphasized that her confidence in SE-IHT-IP has strengthened. She expressed belief in her ability to apply these approaches to IHT, as well as the pedagogical content knowledge of IHT, acquired through practical experience, in her future teaching endeavors. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

I learned some effective knowledge, skills, techniques and approaches [to IHT]… By employing these approaches, I thought I could [and] I had the confidence to integrate the history into instructional designs very well… For instance, [inspired] by the genetic approach, we designed a series of questions and tasks based on the history of logarithms. The introduction of the new concept of logarithms became very natural, and it perfectly met the requirements of our curriculum standards, [which] asked students to understand the necessity of learning the concept of logarithms…

Shuitao actively observed the classroom teaching conducted by her cooperating in-service teacher. She helped her cooperating in-service teacher in collecting and analyzing students’ feedback. Subsequently, discussions ensued on how to improve the instructional designs based on this feedback. The refined IHT instructional designs were subsequently re-implemented by the in-service teacher. After three rounds of developing IHT cases, Shuitao became increasingly convinced of the significance and efficacy of integrating history into teaching practices, as evidenced by the following excerpt:

The impacts of IHT on students are visible… For instance, more than 93% of the students mentioned in the open-ended questionnaires that they became more interested in mathematics because of the [historical] story of Napier… For another example, according to the results of our surveys, more than 75% of the students stated that they knew log a ( M  +  N ) = log a M  × log a N was wrong because of history… I have a little bit more confidence in the effects of my IHT on students.

This excerpt highlights that Shuitao’s SE-IHT-SO was enhanced. She attributed this enhancement to her realization of the compelling nature of history and her belief in her ability to effectively leverage its power to positively influence her students’ cognitive and emotional development. This also underscores the importance of reinforcing pre-service teachers’ awareness of the significance of history. Nonetheless, Shuiato elucidated that she still retained concerns regarding the effectiveness of her IHT implementation. Her following statement shed light on why her self-efficacy only experienced a marginal increase in this stage:

Knowing how to do it successfully and doing it successfully in practice are two totally different things… I can develop IHT instructional designs well, but I have no idea whether I can implement them well and whether I can introduce the history professionally in practice… My cooperation in-service teacher has a long history of teaching mathematics and gains rich experience in educational practices… If I cannot acquire some required teaching skills and capabilities, I still cannot influence my students powerfully.

After stage 3: “Practice makes perfect, and my SE-IHT-IP is steadily enhanced after a hit”

After successfully developing IHT instructional designs, the next critical step was the implementation of these designs. Drawing from her observations of her cooperating in-service teachers’ IHT implementations and discussions with other pre-service teachers, Shuitao developed her own IHT lesson plans. In Stage 3, she conducted simulated teaching sessions and evaluated her teaching performance ten times Footnote 11 . Shuitao claimed that her SE-IHT-IP steadily improved over the course of these sessions. According to Shuitao, two main processes in Stage 3 facilitated this steady enhancement of SE-IHT-IP.

On the one hand, through the repeated implementation of simulated teaching sessions, Shuitao’s teaching proficiency and fluency markedly improved. Shuitao first described the importance of teaching proficiency and fluency:

Since the detailed history is not included in our curriculum standards and textbooks, if I use my historical materials in class, I have to teach more contents than traditional teachers. Therefore, I have to teach proficiently so that teaching pace becomes a little faster than usual… I have to teach fluently so as to use each minute efficiently in my class. Otherwise, I cannot complete the teaching tasks required [by curriculum standards].

As Shuitao said, at the beginning of Stage 3, her self-efficacy even decreased because she lacked teaching proficiency and fluency and was unable to complete the required teaching tasks:

In the first few times of simulated teaching, I always needed to think for a second about what I should say next when I finish one sentence. I also felt very nervous when I stood in the front of the classrooms. This made my narration of the historical story between Briggs and Napier not fluent at all. I paused many times to look for some hints on my notes… All these made me unable to complete the required teaching tasks… My [teaching] confidence took a hit.

Shuitao quoted the proverb, “practice makes perfect”, and she emphasized that it was repeated practice that improved her teaching proficiency and fluency:

I thought I had no other choice but to practice IHT repeatedly… [At the end of Stage 3,] I could naturally remember most words that I should say when teaching the topics that I selected… My teaching proficiency and fluency was improved through my repeated review of my instructional designs and implementation of IHT in the micro-classrooms… With the improvement [of my teaching proficiency and fluency], I could complete the teaching tasks, and my confidence was increased as well.

In addition, Shuitao also mentioned that through this kind of self-exploration in simulated teaching practice, her teaching skills and capabilities (e.g., blackboard writing, abilities of language organization abilities, etc.) improved. This process was of great help to her enhancement of SE-IHT-IP.

On the other hand, Shuitao’s simulated teaching underwent assessment by herself, with mentors, in-service teachers and fellow pre-service teachers. This comprehensive evaluation process played a pivotal role in enhancing her individual performance and self-efficacy. Reflecting on this aspect, Shuitao articulated the following sentiments in one of her reflection reports:

By watching the videos, conducting self-assessment, and collecting feedback from others, I can understand what I should improve or emphasize in my teaching. [Then,] I think my IHT can better meet the requirements [of curriculum standards]… I think my teaching performance is getting better and better.

After stage 4: “My micro-courses influenced students positively, and my SE-IHT-SO is steadily enhanced”

In Stage 4, Shuitao commenced by creating 5-min micro-course videos. Subsequently, she played these videos in her cooperating in-service teachers’ authentic classroom settings and collected student feedback. This micro-course was played at the end of her cooperating in-service teachers’ lesson Footnote 12 . Shuitao wrote in her reflections that this micro-course of logarithms helped students better understand the nature of mathematics:

According to the results of our surveys, many students stated that they knew the development and evolution of the concept of logarithms is a long process and many mathematicians from different countries have contributed to the development of the concept of logarithms… This indicated that my micro-course helped students better understand the nature of mathematics… My micro-course about the history informed students that mathematics is an evolving and human subject and helped them understand the dynamic development of the [mathematics] concept…

Meanwhile, Shuitao’s micro-course positively influenced some students’ beliefs towards mathematics. As evident from the quote below, integrating historical context into mathematics teaching transformed students’ perception of the subject, boosting Shuitao’s confidence too.

Some students’ responses were very exciting… [O]ne [typical] response stated, he always regarded mathematics as abstract, boring, and dreadful subject; but after seeing the photos of mathematicians and great men and learning the development of the concept of logarithms through the micro-course, he found mathematics could be interesting. He wanted to learn more the interesting history… Students’ such changes made me confident.

Furthermore, during post-class interviews, several students expressed their recognition of the significance of the logarithms concept to Shuitao, attributing this realization to the insights provided by prominent figures in the micro-courses. They also conveyed their intention to exert greater effort in mastering the subject matter. This feedback made Shuitao believe that her IHT had the potential to positively influence students’ attitudes towards learning mathematics.

In summary, Stage 4 marked Shuitao’s first opportunity to directly impact students through her IHT in authentic classroom settings. Despite implementing only brief 5-min micro-courses integrating history during each session, the effectiveness of her short IHT implementation was validated by student feedback. Shuitao unequivocally expressed that students actively engaged with her micro-courses and that these sessions positively influenced them, including attitudes and motivation toward mathematics learning, understanding of mathematics concepts, and beliefs regarding mathematics. These collective factors contributed to a steady enhancement of her confidence in SE-IHT-SO.

After stage 5: “My overall self-efficacy is greatly enhanced”

Following Stage 5, Shuitao reported a significant increase in her overall confidence in IHT, attributing it to gaining mastery through successful implementations of IHT in real classroom settings. On the one hand, Shuitao successfully designed and executed her IHT lesson plans, consistently achieving the teaching objectives mandated by curriculum standards. This significantly enhanced her SE-IHT-IP. On the other hand, as Shuitao’s IHT implementation directly influenced her students, her confidence in SE-IHT-SO experienced considerable improvement.

According to Bandura ( 1997 ), mastery experience is the most powerful source of self-efficacy. Shuitao’s statements confirmed this. As she claimed, her enhanced SE-IHT-IP in Stage 5 mainly came from the experience of successful implementations of IHT in real classrooms:

[Before the teacher professional development program,] I had no idea about implementing IHT… Now, I successfully implemented IHT in senior high school [classrooms] many times… I can complete the teaching tasks and even better completed the teaching objectives required [by the curriculum standards]… The successful experience greatly enhances my confidence to perform well in my future implementation of IHT… Yeah, I think the successful teaching practice experience is the strongest booster of my confidence.

At the end of stage 5, Shuitao’s mentors and in-service teachers gave her a high evaluation. For instance, after Shuitao’s IHT implementation of the concept of logarithms, all mentors and in-service teachers consistently provided feedback that her IHT teaching illustrated the necessity of learning the concept of logarithms and met the requirements of the curriculum standards very well. This kind of verbal persuasion (Bandura 1997 ) enhanced her SE-IHT-IP.

Similarly, Shuitao’s successful experience of influencing students positively through IHT, as one kind of mastery experience, powerfully enhanced her SE-IHT-SO. She described her changes in SE-IHT-SO as follows:

I could not imagine my IHT could be so influential [before]… But now, my IHT implementation directly influenced students in so many aspects… When I witnessed students’ real changes in various cognitive and affective aspects, my confidence was greatly improved.

Shuitao described the influence of her IHT implementation of the concept of logarithms on her students. The depiction is grounded in the outcomes of surveys conducted by Shuitao following her implementation. Shuitao asserted that these results filled her with excitement and confidence regarding her future implementation of IHT.

In summary, following Stage 5 of the teacher professional development program, Shuitao experienced a notable enhancement in her overall self-efficacy, primarily attributed to her successful practical experience in authentic classroom settings during this stage.

A primary objective of our teacher professional development programs is to equip pre-service teachers with the skills and confidence needed to effectively implement IAT. Our findings show that one teacher professional development program, significantly augmented a participant’s TSE-IHT across two dimensions: individual performance and student outcomes. Considering the pressing need to provide STEAM teachers with effective professional training (e.g., Boice et al. 2021 ; Duong et al. 2024 ; Herro et al. 2019 ; Jacques et al. 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ), the proposed five-stage framework holds significant promise in both theoretical and practical realms. Furthermore, this study offers a viable solution to address the prevalent issue of low levels of teacher self-efficacy in interdisciplinary teaching, including IAT, which is critical in STEAM education (Zhou et al. 2023 ). This study holds the potential to make unique contributions to the existing body of literature on teacher self-efficacy, teacher professional learning models and the design of teacher professional development programs of IAT.

Firstly, this study enhances our understanding of the development of teacher self-efficacy. Our findings further confirm the complexity of the development of teacher self-efficacy. On the one hand, the observed enhancement of the participant’s teacher self-efficacy did not occur swiftly but unfolded gradually through a protracted, incremental process. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the participant’s self-efficacy exhibited fluctuations, underscoring that the augmentation of teacher self-efficacy is neither straightforward nor linear. On the other hand, the study elucidated that the augmentation of teacher self-efficacy constitutes an intricate, multi-level system that interacts with teacher knowledge, skills, and other beliefs. This finding resonates with prior research on teacher self-efficacy (Morris et al. 2017 ; Xenofontos and Andrews 2020 ). For example, our study revealed that Shuitao’s enhancement of SE-IHT-SO may always be interwoven with her continuous comprehension of the significance of the A&H in classroom settings. Similarly, the participant progressively acknowledged the educational value of A&H in classroom contexts in tandem with the stepwise enhancement of SE-IHT-SO. Factors such as the participant’s pedagogical content knowledge of IHT, instructional design, and teaching skills were also identified as pivotal components of SE-IHT-IP. This finding corroborates Morris and Usher ( 2011 ) assertion that sustained improvements in self-efficacy stem from developing teachers’ skills and knowledge. With the bolstering of SE-IHT-IP, the participant’s related teaching skills and content knowledge also exhibited improvement.

Methodologically, many researchers advocate for qualitative investigations into self-efficacy (e.g., Philippou and Pantziara 2015; Klassen et al. 2011 ; Wyatt 2015 ; Xenofontos and Andrews 2020 ). While acknowledging limitations in sample scope and the generalizability of the findings, this study offers a longitudinal perspective on the stage-by-stage development of teacher self-efficacy and its interactions with different factors (i.e., teacher knowledge, skills, and beliefs), often ignored by quantitative studies. Considering that studies of self-efficacy have been predominantly quantitative, typically drawing on survey techniques and pre-determined scales (Xenofontos and Andrews, 2020 ; Zhou et al. 2023 ), this study highlights the need for greater attention to qualitative studies so that more cultural, situational and contextual factors in the development of self-efficacy can be captured.

Our study provides valuable practical implications for enhancing pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy. We conceptualize teacher self-efficacy in two primary dimensions: individual performance and student outcomes. On the one hand, pre-service teachers can enhance their teaching qualities, boosting their self-efficacy in individual performance. The adage “practice makes perfect” underscores the necessity of ample teaching practice opportunities for pre-service teachers who lack prior teaching experience. Engaging in consistent and reflective practice helps them develop confidence in their teaching qualities. On the other hand, pre-service teachers should focus on positive feedback from their students, reinforcing their self-efficacy in individual performance. Positive student feedback serves as an affirmation of their teaching effectiveness and encourages continuous improvement. Furthermore, our findings highlight the significance of mentors’ and peers’ positive feedback as critical sources of teacher self-efficacy. Mentors and peers play a pivotal role in the professional growth of pre-service teachers by actively encouraging them and recognizing their teaching achievements. Constructive feedback from experienced mentors and supportive peers fosters a collaborative learning environment and bolsters the self-confidence of pre-service teachers. Additionally, our research indicates that pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy may fluctuate. Therefore, mentors should be prepared to help pre-service teachers manage teaching challenges and setbacks, and alleviate any teaching-related anxiety. Mentors can help pre-service teachers build resilience and maintain a positive outlook on their teaching journey through emotional support and guidance. Moreover, a strong correlation exists between teacher self-efficacy and teacher knowledge and skills. Enhancing pre-service teachers’ knowledge base and instructional skills is crucial for bolstering their overall self-efficacy.

Secondly, this study also responds to the appeal to understand teachers’ professional learning from a holistic perspective and interrelate teachers’ professional learning process with student outcome variables (Sancar et al. 2021 ), and thus contributes to the understanding of the complexity of STEAM teachers’ professional learning. On the one hand, we have confirmed Cai et al.’s ( 2020 ) teacher professional learning model in a new context, namely STEAM teacher education. Throughout the teacher professional development program, the pre-service teacher, Shuitao, demonstrated an augmentation in her knowledge, encompassing both content knowledge and pedagogical understanding concerning IHT. Moreover, her beliefs regarding IHT transformed as a result of her engagement in teacher learning across the five stages. This facilitated her in executing effective IHT teaching and improving her students’ outcomes. On the other hand, notably, in our studies (including this current study and some follow-up studies), student feedback is a pivotal tool to assist teachers in discerning the impact they are effectuating. This enables pre-service teachers to grasp the actual efficacy of their teaching efforts and subsequently contributes significantly to the augmentation of their self-efficacy. Such steps have seldom been conducted in prior studies (e.g., Cai et al. 2020 ), where student outcomes are often perceived solely as the results of teachers’ instruction rather than sources informing teacher beliefs. Additionally, this study has validated both the interaction between teaching performance and teacher beliefs and between teacher knowledge and teacher beliefs. These aspects were overlooked in Cai et al.’s ( 2020 ) model. More importantly, while Clarke and Hollingsworth’s ( 2002 ) Interconnected Model of Professional Growth illustrates the connections between the domain of consequence and the personal domain, as well as between the personal domain and the domain of practice, it does not adequately clarify the complex relationships among the factors within the personal domain (e.g., the interaction between teacher knowledge and teacher beliefs). Therefore, our study also supplements Clarke and Hollingsworth’s ( 2002 ) model by addressing these intricacies. Based on our findings, an updated model of teacher professional learning has been proposed, as shown in Fig. 3 . This expanded model indicates that teacher learning should be an ongoing and sustainable process, with the enhancement of student learning not marking the conclusion of teacher learning, but rather serving as the catalyst for a new phase of learning. In this sense, we advocate for further research to investigate the tangible impacts of teacher professional development programs on students and how those impacts stimulate subsequent cycles of teacher learning.

Note: Paths in blue were proposed by Cai et al. ( 2020 ), and paths in yellow are proposed and verified in this study.

Thirdly, in light of the updated model of teacher professional learning (see Fig. 3 ), this study provides insights into the design of teacher professional development programs of IAT. According to Huang et al. ( 2022 ), to date, very few studies have set goals to “develop a comprehensive understanding of effective designs” for STEM (or STEAM) teacher professional development programs (p. 15). To fill this gap, this study proposes a novel and effective five-stage framework for teacher professional development programs of IAT. This framework provides a possible and feasible solution to the challenges of STEAM teacher professional development programs’ design and planning, and teachers’ IAT practice (Boice et al. 2021 ; Herro et al. 2019 ; Jacques et al. 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ).

Specifically, our five-stage framework incorporates at least six important features. Firstly, teacher professional development programs should focus on specific STEAM content. Given the expansive nature of STEAM, teacher professional development programs cannot feasibly encompass all facets of its contents. Consistent with recommendations by Cai et al. ( 2020 ), Desimone et al. ( 2002 ) and Garet et al. ( 2001 ), an effective teacher professional development program should prioritize content focus. Our five-stage framework is centered on IAT. Throughout an 18-month duration, each pre-service teacher is limited to selecting one subcomponent of A&H, such as history, for integration into their subject teaching (i.e., mathematics teaching, technology teaching or science teaching) within one teacher professional development program. Secondly, in response to the appeals that teacher professional development programs should shift from emphasizing teaching and instruction to emphasizing student learning (Cai et al. 2020 ; Calabrese et al. 2024 ; Hwang et al. 2024 ; Marco and Palatnik 2024 ; Örnek and Soylu 2021 ), our framework requires pre-service teachers to pay close attention to the effects of IAT on student learning outcomes, and use students’ feedback as the basis of improving their instruction. Thirdly, prior studies found that teacher education with a preference for theory led to pre-service teachers’ dissatisfaction with the quality of teacher professional development program and hindered the development of pre-service teachers’ teaching skills and teaching beliefs, which also widened the gap between theory and practice (Hennissen et al. 2017 ; Ord and Nuttall 2016 ). In this regard, our five-stage framework connects theory and teaching practice closely. In particular, pre-service teachers can experience the values of IAT not only through theoretical learning but also through diverse teaching practices. Fourthly, we build a teacher community of practice tailored for pre-service teachers. Additionally, we aim to encourage greater participation of in-service teachers in such teacher professional development programs designed for pre-service educators in STEAM teacher education. By engaging in such programs, in-service teachers can offer valuable teaching opportunities for pre-service educators and contribute their insights and experiences from teaching practice. Importantly, pre-service teachers stand to gain from the in-service teachers’ familiarity with textbooks, subject matter expertise, and better understanding of student dynamics. Fifthly, our five-stage framework lasts for an extended period, spanning 18 months. This duration ensures that pre-service teachers engage in a sustained and comprehensive learning journey. Lastly, our framework facilitates a practical understanding of “integration” by offering detailed, sequential instructions for blending two disciplines in teaching. For example, our teacher professional development programs prioritize systematic learning of pedagogical theories and simulated teaching experiences before pre-service teachers embark on real STEAM teaching endeavors. This approach is designed to mitigate the risk of unsuccessful experiences during initial teaching efforts, thereby safeguarding pre-service teachers’ teacher self-efficacy. Considering the complexity of “integration” in interdisciplinary teaching practices, including IAT (Han et al. 2022 ; Ryu et al. 2019 ), we believe detailed stage-by-stage and step-by-step instructions are crucial components of relevant pre-service teacher professional development programs. Notably, this aspect, emphasizing structural instructional guidance, has not been explicitly addressed in prior research (e.g., Cai et al. 2020 ). Figure 4 illustrates the six important features outlined in this study, encompassing both established elements and the novel addition proposed herein, describing an effective teacher professional development program.

Note: STEAM refers to science, technology, engineering, arts and humanities, and mathematics.

The successful implementation of this framework is also related to the Chinese teacher education system and cultural background. For instance, the Chinese government has promoted many university-school collaboration initiatives, encouraging in-service teachers to provide guidance and practical opportunities for pre-service teachers (Lu et al. 2019 ). Influenced by Confucian values emphasizing altruism, many experienced in-service teachers in China are eager to assist pre-service teachers, helping them better realize their teaching career aspirations. It is reported that experienced in-service teachers in China show significantly higher motivation than their international peers when mentoring pre-service teachers (Lu et al. 2019 ). Therefore, for the successful implementation of this framework in other countries, it is crucial for universities to forge close collaborative relationships with K-12 schools and actively involve K-12 teachers in pre-service teacher education.

Notably, approximately 5% of our participants dropped out midway as they found that the IAT practice was too challenging or felt overwhelmed by the number of required tasks in the program. Consequently, we are exploring options to potentially simplify this framework in future iterations.

Without minimizing the limitations of this study, it is important to recognize that a qualitative longitudinal case study can be a useful means of shedding light on the development of a pre-service STEAM teacher’s self-efficacy. However, this methodology did not allow for a pre-post or a quasi-experimental design, and the effectiveness of our five-stage framework could not be confirmed quantitatively. In the future, conducting more experimental or design-based studies could further validate the effectiveness of our framework and broaden our findings. Furthermore, future studies should incorporate triangulation methods and utilize multiple data sources to enhance the reliability and validity of the findings. Meanwhile, owing to space limitations, we could only report the changes in Shuitao’s SE-IHT-IP and SE-IHT-SO here, and we could not describe the teacher self-efficacy of other participants regarding IAT. While nearly all of the pre-service teachers experienced an improvement in their teacher self-efficacy concerning IAT upon participating in our teacher professional development programs, the processes of their change were not entirely uniform. We will need to report the specific findings of these variations in the future. Further studies are also needed to explore the factors contributing to these variations. Moreover, following this study, we are implementing more teacher professional development programs of IAT. Future studies can explore the impact of this framework on additional aspects of pre-service STEAM teachers’ professional development. This will help gain a more comprehensive understanding of its effectiveness and potential areas for further improvement. Additionally, our five-stage framework was initially developed and implemented within the Chinese teacher education system. Future research should investigate how this framework can be adapted in other educational systems and cultural contexts.

The impetus behind this study stems from the burgeoning discourse advocating for the integration of A&H disciplines into STEM education on a global scale (e.g., Land 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Uştu et al. 2021 ; Vaziri and Bradburn 2021 ). Concurrently, there exists a pervasive concern regarding the challenges teachers face in implementing STEAM approaches, particularly in the context of IAT practices (e.g., Boice et al. 2021 ; Herro et al. 2019 ; Jacques et al. 2020 ; Park and Cho 2022 ; Perignat and Katz-Buonincontro 2019 ). To tackle this challenge, we first proposed a five-stage framework designed for teacher professional development programs of IAT. Then, utilizing this innovative framework, we implemented a series of teacher professional development programs. Drawing from the recommendations of Bray-Clark and Bates ( 2003 ), Kelley et al. ( 2020 ) and Zhou et al. ( 2023 ), we have selected teacher self-efficacy as a key metric to examine the effectiveness of the five-stage framework. Through a qualitative longitudinal case study, we scrutinized the influence of a specific teacher professional development program on the self-efficacy of a single pre-service teacher over an 18-month period. Our findings revealed a notable enhancement in teacher self-efficacy across both individual performance and student outcomes. The observed enhancement of the participant’s teacher self-efficacy did not occur swiftly but unfolded gradually through a prolonged, incremental process. Building on our findings, an updated model of teacher learning has been proposed. The updated model illustrates that teacher learning should be viewed as a continuous and sustainable process, wherein teaching performance, teacher beliefs, and teacher knowledge dynamically interact with one another. The updated model also confirms that teacher learning is inherently intertwined with student learning in STEAM education. Furthermore, this study also summarizes effective design features of STEAM teacher professional development programs.

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during this study are not publicly available due to general data protection regulations, but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

In their review article, Morris et al. ( 2017 ) equated “teaching self-efficacy” and “teacher self-efficacy” as synonymous concepts. This perspective is also adopted in this study.

An effective teacher professional development program should have specific, focused, and clear content instead of broad and scattered ones. Therefore, each pre-service teacher can only choose to integrate one subcomponent of A&H into their teaching in one teacher professional development program. For instance, Shuitao, a mathematics pre-service teacher, participated in one teacher professional development program focused on integrating history into mathematics teaching. However, she did not explore the integration of other subcomponents of A&H into her teaching during her graduate studies.

In the micro-classrooms, multi-angle, and multi-point high-definition video recorders are set up to record the teaching process.

In micro-teaching, mentors, in-service teachers, and other fellow pre-service teachers take on the roles of students.

In China, teachers can video record one section of a lesson and play them in formal classes. This is a practice known as a micro-course. For instance, in one teacher professional development program of integrating history into mathematics teaching, micro-courses encompass various mathematics concepts, methods, ideas, history-related material and related topics. Typically, teachers use these micro-courses to broaden students’ views, foster inquiry-based learning, and cultivate critical thinking skills. Such initiatives play an important role in improving teaching quality.

Many university-school collaboration initiatives in China focus on pre-service teachers’ practicum experiences (Lu et al. 2019 ). Our teacher professional development program is also supported by many K-12 schools in Shanghai. Personal information in videos is strictly protected.

In China, students are not required to pursue a graduate major that matches their undergraduate major. Most participants in our teacher professional development programs did not pursue undergraduate degrees in education-related fields.

Shuitao’s university reserves Wednesday afternoons for students to engage in various programs or clubs, as classes are not scheduled during this time. Similarly, our teacher professional development program activities are planned for Wednesday afternoons to avoid overlapping with participants’ other coursework commitments.

History is one of the most important components of A&H (Park and Cho 2022 ).

To learn more about genetic approach (i.e., genetic principle), see Jankvist ( 2009 ).

For the assessment process, see Fig. 2 .

Shuitao’s cooperating in-service teacher taught the concept of logarithms in Stage 2. In Stage 4, the teaching objective of her cooperating in-service teacher’s review lesson was to help students review the concept of logarithms to prepare students for the final exam.

Akiba M, Murata A, Howard C, Wilkinson B, Fabrega J (2019) Race to the top and lesson study implementation in Florida: District policy and leadership for teacher professional development. In: Huang R, Takahashi A, daPonte JP (eds) Theory and practice of lesson study in mathematics, pp. 731–754. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04031-4_35

Alkhabra YA, Ibrahem UM, Alkhabra SA (2023) Augmented reality technology in enhancing learning retention and critical thinking according to STEAM program. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10:174. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01650-w

Article   Google Scholar  

Alwafi EM, Downey C, Kinchin G (2020) Promoting pre-service teachers’ engagement in an online professional learning community: Support from practitioners. J Professional Cap Community 5(2):129–146. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-10-2019-0027

Archibald S, Coggshall JG, Croft A, Goe L (2011) High-quality professional development for all teachers: effectively allocating resources. National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, Washington, DC

Google Scholar  

Bandura A (1977) Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Rev 84:191–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6402(78)90002-4

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Bandura A (1986) The explanatory and predictive scope of self-efficacy theory. J Soc Clin Psychol 4:359–373. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.1986.4.3.359

Bandura A (1997) Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman, New York

Basckin C, Strnadová I, Cumming TM (2021) Teacher beliefs about evidence-based practice: A systematic review. Int J Educ Res 106:101727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101727

Bray-Clark N, Bates R (2003) Self-efficacy beliefs and teacher effectiveness: Implications for professional development. Prof Educ 26(1):13–22

Blonder R, Benny N, Jones MG (2014) Teaching self-efficacy of science teachers. In: Evans R, Luft J, Czerniak C, Pea C (eds), The role of science teachers’ beliefs in international classrooms: From teacher actions to student learning, Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, pp. 3–16

Boice KL, Jackson JR, Alemdar M, Rao AE, Grossman S, Usselman M (2021) Supporting teachers on their STEAM journey: A collaborative STEAM teacher training program. Educ Sci 11(3):105. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030105

Cai J (2017) Longitudinally investigating the effect of teacher professional development on instructional practice and student learning: A focus on mathematical problem posing. The University of Delaware, Newark, DE

Cai J, Chen T, Li X, Xu R, Zhang S, Hu Y, Zhang L, Song N (2020) Exploring the impact of a problem-posing workshop on elementary school mathematics teachers’ conceptions on problem posing and lesson design. Int J Educ Res 102:101404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.02.004

Calabrese JE, Capraro MM, Viruru R (2024) Semantic structure and problem posing: Preservice teachers’ experience. School Sci Math. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12648

Clarke D, Hollingsworth H (2002) Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teach Teach Educ 18(8):947–967. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(02)00053-7

Corden A, Millar J (2007) Time and change: A review of the qualitative longitudinal research literature for social policy. Soc Policy Soc 6(4):583–592. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746407003910

Darling-Hammond L, Hyler ME, Gardner M (2017) Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute, Palo Alto, CA

Book   Google Scholar  

de la Garza A (2021) Internationalizing the curriculum for STEAM (STEM+ Arts and Humanities): From intercultural competence to cultural humility. J Stud Int Educ 25(2):123–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315319888468

Article   MathSciNet   Google Scholar  

Desimone LM, Garet MS (2015) Best practices in teachers’ professional development in the United States. Psychol, Soc, Educ 7(3):252–263

Desimone LM, Porter AC, Garet MS, Yoon KS, Birman BF (2002) Effects of professional development on teachers’ instruction: Results from a three-year longitudinal study. Educ Evaluation Policy Anal 24(2):81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737024002081

Dicks SG, Northam HL, van Haren FM, Boer DP (2023) The bereavement experiences of families of potential organ donors: a qualitative longitudinal case study illuminating opportunities for family care. Int J Qualitative Stud Health Well-being 18(1):1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2022.2149100

Ding M, Huang R, Pressimone Beckowski C, Li X, Li Y (2024) A review of lesson study in mathematics education from 2015 to 2022: implementation and impact. ZDM Math Educ 56:87–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-023-01538-8

Duong NH, Nam NH, Trung TT (2024) Factors affecting the implementation of STEAM education among primary school teachers in various countries and Vietnamese educators: comparative analysis. Education 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2024.2318239

English LD (2016) STEM education K-12: Perspectives on integration. Int J STEM Educ 3:3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-016-0036-1

Garet MS, Porter AC, Desimone L, Birman BF, Yoon KS (2001) What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. Am Educ Res J 38(4):915–945. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312038004915

Gates AE (2017) Benefits of a STEAM collaboration in Newark, New Jersey: Volcano simulation through a glass-making experience. J Geosci Educ 65(1):4–11. https://doi.org/10.5408/16-188.1

Geng J, Jong MSY, Chai CS (2019) Hong Kong teachers’ self-efficacy and concerns about STEM education. Asia-Pac Educ Researcher 28:35–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-018-0414-1

Han J, Kelley T, Knowles JG (2022) Building a sustainable model of integrated stem education: investigating secondary school STEM classes after an integrated STEM project. Int J Technol Design Educ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-022-09777-8

Henderson S, Holland J, McGrellis S, Sharpe S, Thomson R (2012) Storying qualitative longitudinal research: Sequence, voice and motif. Qualitative Res 12(1):16–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794111426232

Hennissen P, Beckers H, Moerkerke G (2017) Linking practice to theory in teacher education: A growth in cognitive structures. Teach Teach Educ 63:314–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.01.008

Henson RK (2002) From adolescent angst to adulthood: Substantive implications and measurement dilemmas in the development of teacher efficacy research. Educ Psychologist 37:137–150. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3703_1

Herro D, Quigley C (2016) Innovating with STEAM in middle school classrooms: remixing education. Horizon 24(3):190–204. https://doi.org/10.1108/OTH-03-2016-0008

Herro D, Quigley C, Cian H (2019) The challenges of STEAM instruction: Lessons from the field. Action Teach Educ 41(2):172–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2018.1551159

Huang B, Jong MSY, Tu YF, Hwang GJ, Chai CS, Jiang MYC (2022) Trends and exemplary practices of STEM teacher professional development programs in K-12 contexts: A systematic review of empirical studies. Comput Educ 189:104577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104577

Hunter-Doniger T, Sydow L (2016) A journey from STEM to STEAM: A middle school case study. Clearing House 89(4-5):159–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2016.1170461

Hwang S, Xu R, Yao Y, Cai J (2024) Learning to teach through problem posing: A teacher’s journey in a networked teacher−researcher partnership. J Math Behav 73:101120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2023.101120

Jacques LA, Cian H, Herro DC, Quigley C (2020) The impact of questioning techniques on STEAM instruction. Action Teach Educ 42(3):290–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2019.1638848

Jankvist UT (2009) A categorization of the “whys” and “hows” of using history in mathematics education. Educ Stud Math 71:235–261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-008-9174-9

Jiang H, Chugh R, Turnbull D, Wang X, Chen S (2023) Modeling the impact of intrinsic coding interest on STEM career interest: evidence from senior high school students in two large Chinese cities. Educ Inf Technol 28:2639–2659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11277-0

Jiang H, Chugh R, Turnbull D, Wang X, Chen S (2024a) Exploring the effects of technology-related informal mathematics learning activities: A structural equation modeling analysis. Int J Sci Math Educ . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-024-10456-4

Jiang H, Islam AYMA, Gu X, Guan J (2024b) How do thinking styles and STEM attitudes have effects on computational thinking? A structural equation modeling analysis. J Res Sci Teach 61:645–673. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21899

Jiang H, Turnbull D, Wang X, Chugh R, Dou Y, Chen S (2022) How do mathematics interest and self-efficacy influence coding interest and self-efficacy? A structural equation modeling analysis. Int J Educ Res 115:102058. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.102058

Jiang H, Wang K, Wang X, Lei X, Huang Z (2021) Understanding a STEM teacher’s emotions and professional identities: A three-year longitudinal case study. Int J STEM Educ 8:51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00309-9

Kelley TR, Knowles JG, Holland JD, Han J (2020) Increasing high school teachers self-efficacy for integrated STEM instruction through a collaborative community of practice. Int J STEM Educ 7:14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00211-w

Klassen RM, Tze VMC, Betts SM, Gordon KA (2011) Teacher efficacy research 1998–2009: Signs of progress or unfulfilled promise? Educ Psychol Rev 23(1):21–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9141-8

Land M (2020) The importance of integrating the arts into STEM curriculum. In: Stewart AJ, Mueller MP, Tippins DJ (eds), Converting STEM into STEAM programs, pp. 11–19. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25101-7_2

Lee C, Bobko P (1994) Self-efficacy beliefs: Comparison of five measures. J Appl Psychol 79(3):364–369. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.79.3.364

Li W, Chiang FK (2019) Preservice teachers’ perceptions of STEAM education and attitudes toward STEAM disciplines and careers in China. In: Sengupta P, Shanahan MC, Kim B, (eds), Critical, transdisciplinary and embodied approaches in STEM education. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29489-2_5

Liu M, Zwart R, Bronkhorst L, Wubbels T (2022) Chinese student teachers’ beliefs and the role of teaching experiences in the development of their beliefs. Teach Teach Educ 109:103525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103525

Liu S, Xu X, Stronge J (2018) The influences of teachers’ perceptions of using student achievement data in evaluation and their self-efficacy on job satisfaction: evidence from China. Asia Pac Educ Rev 19:493–509. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-018-9552-7

Long T, Zhao G, Yang X, Zhao R, Chen Q (2021) Bridging the belief-action gap in a teachers’ professional learning community on teaching of thinking. Professional Dev Educ 47(5):729–744. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1647872

Lu L, Wang F, Ma Y, Clarke A, Collins J (2019) Exploring Chinese teachers’ commitment to being a cooperating teacher in a university-government-school initiative for rural practicum placements. In: Liu WC, Goh CCM (eds), Teachers’ perceptions, experience and learning, pp. 33–54. Routledge, London

Lyu S, Niu S, Yuan J, Zhan Z (2024) Developing professional capital through technology-enabled university-school-enterprise collaboration: an innovative model for C-STEAM preservice teacher education in the Greater Bay area. Asia Pacific J Innov Entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJIE-01-2024-0014

Marco N, Palatnik A (2024) From “learning to variate” to “variate for learning”: Teachers learning through collaborative, iterative context-based mathematical problem posing. J Math Behav 73:101119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2023.101119

Merriam SB (1998) Qualitative research and case study applications in education. Jossey-Bass Publishers, Hoboken, New Jersey

Morris DB, Usher EL (2011) Developing teaching self-efficacy in research institutions: A study of award-winning professors. Contemp Educ Psychol 36(3):232–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2010.10.005

Morris DB, Usher EL, Chen JA (2017) Reconceptualizing the sources of teaching self-efficacy: A critical review of emerging literature. Educ Psychol Rev 29(4):795–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9378-y

Matusovich HM, Streveler RA, Miller RL (2010) Why do students choose engineering? A qualitative, longitudinal investigation of students’ motivational values. J Eng Educ 99(4):289–303. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2010.tb01064.x

Näykki P, Kontturi H, Seppänen V, Impiö N, Järvelä S (2021) Teachers as learners–a qualitative exploration of pre-service and in-service teachers’ continuous learning community OpenDigi. J Educ Teach 47(4):495–512. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2021.1904777

OECD (2018) Teaching and learning international survey (TALIS) 2018 conceptual framework. OECD, Paris

Örnek T, Soylu Y (2021) A model design to be used in teaching problem posing to develop problem-posing skills. Think Skills Creativity 41:100905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100905

Ord K, Nuttall J (2016) Bodies of knowledge: The concept of embodiment as an alternative to theory/practice debates in the preparation of teachers. Teach Teach Educ 60:355–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.05.019

Ozkan G, Umdu Topsakal U (2021) Investigating the effectiveness of STEAM education on students’ conceptual understanding of force and energy topics. Res Sci Technol Educ 39(4):441–460. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2020.1769586

Park W, Cho H (2022) The interaction of history and STEM learning goals in teacher-developed curriculum materials: opportunities and challenges for STEAM education. Asia Pacific Educ Rev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09741-0

Perignat E, Katz-Buonincontro J (2019) STEAM in practice and research: An integrative literature review. Think Skills Creativity 31:31–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2018.10.002

Philipp RA (2007) Mathematics teachers’ beliefs and affect. In: Lester Jr FK, (ed), Second handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning, pp. 257–315. Information Age, Charlotte, NC

Quigley CF, Herro D, Jamil FM (2017) Developing a conceptual model of STEAM teaching practices. Sch Sci Math 117(1–2):1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12201

Ro S, Xiao S, Zhou Z (2022) Starting up STEAM in China: A case study of technology entrepreneurship for STEAM education in China. In: Ray P, Shaw R (eds), Technology entrepreneurship and sustainable development, pp. 115–136. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2053-0_6

Roth KJ, Bintz J, Wickler NI, Hvidsten C, Taylor J, Beardsley PM, Wilson CD (2017) Design principles for effective video-based professional development. Int J STEM Educ 4:31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-017-0091-2

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Ryu M, Mentzer N, Knobloch N (2019) Preservice teachers’ experiences of STEM integration: Challenges and implications for integrated STEM teacher preparation. Int J Technol Des Educ, 29:493–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-018-9440-9

Sancar R, Atal D, Deryakulu D (2021) A new framework for teachers’ professional development. Teach Teach Educ 101:103305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103305

Sanz-Camarero R, Ortiz-Revilla J, Greca IM (2023) The place of the arts within integrated education. Arts Educ Policy Rev. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2023.2260917

Shirani F, Henwood K (2011) Continuity and change in a qualitative longitudinal study of fatherhood: relevance without responsibility. Int J Soc Res Methodol 14(1):17–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645571003690876

Smith CE, Paré JN (2016) Exploring Klein bottles through pottery: A STEAM investigation. Math Teach 110(3):208–214. https://doi.org/10.5951/mathteacher.110.3.0208

Soprano K, Yang L (2013) Inquiring into my science teaching through action research: A case study on one pre-service teacher’s inquiry-based science teaching and self-efficacy. Int J Sci Math Educ 11(6):1351–1368. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-012-9380-x

Stake RE (1995) The art of case study research. Sage Publication, Thousand Oaks, California

Stohlmann M, Moore T, Roehrig G (2012) Considerations for teaching integrated STEM education. J Pre Coll Eng Educ Res 2(1):28–34. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284314653

Strauss AL, Corbin JM (1990) Basics of qualitative research. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California

Taimalu M, Luik P (2019) The impact of beliefs and knowledge on the integration of technology among teacher educators: A path analysis. Teach Teach Educ 79:101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.12.012

Takahashi A, McDougal T (2016) Collaborative lesson research: Maximizing the impact of lesson study. ZDM Math Educ 48:513–526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0752-x

Thompson AG (1992) Teachers’ beliefs and conceptions: A synthesis of the research. In: Grouws DA (ed), Handbook of research on mathematics teaching and learning, pp. 127–146. Macmillan, New York

Tschannen-Moran M, Woolfolk Hoy A, Hoy WK (1998) Teacher efficacy: Its meaning and measure. Rev Educ Res 68:202–248. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543068002202

Unfried A, Rachmatullah A, Alexander A, Wiebe E (2022) An alternative to STEBI-A: validation of the T-STEM science scale. Int J STEM Educ 9:24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00339-x

Uştu H, Saito T, Mentiş Taş A (2021) Integration of art into STEM education at primary schools: an action research study with primary school teachers. Syst Pract Action Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11213-021-09570-z

Vaziri H, Bradburn NM (2021) Flourishing effects of integrating the arts and humanities in STEM Education: A review of past studies and an agenda for future research. In: Tay L, Pawelski JO (eds), The Oxford handbook of the positive humanities, pp. 71–82. Oxford University Press, Oxford

Wang K, Wang X, Li Y, Rugh MS (2018) A framework for integrating the history of mathematics into teaching in Shanghai. Educ Stud Math 98:135–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-018-9811-x

Wang Z, Jiang H, Jin W, Jiang J, Liu J, Guan J, Liu Y, Bin E (2024) Examining the antecedents of novice stem teachers’ job satisfaction: The roles of personality traits, perceived social support, and work engagement. Behav Sci 14(3):214. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14030214

Wenger E, McDermott R, Snyder WM (2002) Cultivating communities of practice. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA

Wong JT, Bui NN, Fields DT, Hughes BS (2022) A learning experience design approach to online professional development for teaching science through the arts: Evaluation of teacher content knowledge, self-efficacy and STEAM perceptions. J Sci Teacher Educ. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2022.2112552

Wyatt M (2015) Using qualitative research methods to assess the degree of fit between teachers’ reported self-efficacy beliefs and their practical knowledge during teacher education. Aust J Teach Educ 40(1):117–145

Xenofontos C, Andrews P (2020) The discursive construction of mathematics teacher self-efficacy. Educ Stud Math 105(2):261–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09990-z

Yin R (2003) Case study research: Design and methods. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California

Zakariya YF (2020) Effects of school climate and teacher self-efficacy on job satisfaction of mostly STEM teachers: a structural multigroup invariance approach. Int J STEM Educ 7:10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00209-4

Zee M, de Jong PF, Koomen HM (2017) From externalizing student behavior to student-specific teacher self-efficacy: The role of teacher-perceived conflict and closeness in the student–teacher relationship. Contemp Educ Psychol 51:37–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.06.009

Zee M, Koomen HM (2016) Teacher self-efficacy and its effects on classroom processes, student academic adjustment, and teacher well-being: A synthesis of 40 years of research. Rev Educ Res 86(4):981–1015. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315626801

Zhan Z, Li Y, Mei H, Lyu S (2023) Key competencies acquired from STEM education: gender-differentiated parental expectations. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10:464. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01946-x

Zhan Z, Niu S (2023) Subject integration and theme evolution of STEM education in K-12 and higher education research. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10:781. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02303-8

Zhong B, Liu X, Li X (2024) Effects of reverse engineering pedagogy on students’ learning performance in STEM education: The bridge-design project as an example. Heliyon 10(2):e24278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24278

Zhong B, Liu X, Zhan Z, Ke Q, Wang F (2022) What should a Chinese top-level design in STEM Education look like? Humanit Soc Sci Commun 9:261. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01279-1

Zhou B (2021) Cultivation of Ed. M. to bring up “famous subject teachers”: practical exploration and policy suggestions. Teach Educ Res 33(5):19–26. https://doi.org/10.13445/j.cnki.t.e.r.2021.05.003

Zhou X, Shu L, Xu Z, Padrón Y (2023) The effect of professional development on in-service STEM teachers’ self-efficacy: a meta-analysis of experimental studies. Int J STEM Educ 10:37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-023-00422-x

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research is funded by 2021 National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.62177042), 2024 Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. Y24F020039), and 2024 Zhejiang Educational Science Planning Project (Grant No. 2024SCG247).

Author information

Xuesong Zhai

Present address: School of Education, City University of Macau, Macau, China

Authors and Affiliations

College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

Haozhe Jiang & Xuesong Zhai

School of Engineering and Technology, CML‑NET & CREATE Research Centres, Central Queensland University, North Rockhampton, QLD, Australia

Ritesh Chugh

Hangzhou International Urbanology Research Center & Zhejiang Urban Governance Studies Center, Hangzhou, China

Department of Teacher Education, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA, USA

School of Mathematical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

Xiaoqin Wang

College of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualization - Haozhe Jiang; methodology - Haozhe Jiang; software - Xuesong Zhai; formal analysis - Haozhe Jiang & Ke Wang; investigation - Haozhe Jiang; resources - Haozhe Jiang, Xuesong Zhai & Xiaoqin Wang; data curation - Haozhe Jiang & Ke Wang; writing—original draft preparation - Haozhe Jiang & Ritesh Chugh; writing—review and editing - Ritesh Chugh & Ke Wang; visualization - Haozhe Jiang, Ke Wang & Xiaoqin Wang; supervision - Xuesong Zhai & Xiaoqin Wang; project administration - Xuesong Zhai & Xiaoqin Wang; and funding acquisition - Xuesong Zhai & Xiaoqin Wang. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xuesong Zhai .

Ethics declarations

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

This research was approved by the Committee for Human Research of East China Normal University (Number: HR 347-2022). The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study before data collection.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Jiang, H., Chugh, R., Zhai, X. et al. Longitudinal analysis of teacher self-efficacy evolution during a STEAM professional development program: a qualitative case study. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 1162 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03655-5

Download citation

Received : 27 April 2024

Accepted : 12 August 2024

Published : 08 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03655-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Pardon Our Interruption

As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. There are a few reasons this might happen:

• You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser.
• You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed.
• You've disabled cookies in your web browser.
• A third-party browser plugin, such as Ghostery or NoScript, is preventing JavaScript from running. Additional information is available in this support article .

To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page.

• Brief Report
• Open access
• Published: 11 September 2024

Integration of IPC/WASH critical conditions into quality of care and quality improvement tools and processes: Bangladesh case study

• Martha Embrey 1 ,
• Shahnaz Parveen 2 ,
• Tamara Hafner 3 ,
• Hafijul Islam 4 ,
• Abu Zahid 5 &
• Mohan P. Joshi 3  

Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control volume  13 , Article number:  100 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

45 Accesses

Metrics details

Unsafe patient care in hospitals, especially in low- and middle-income countries, is often caused by poor infection prevention and control (IPC) practices; insufficient support for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and inadequate waste management. We looked at the intersection of IPC, WASH, and the global initiative of improving health care quality, specifically around maternal and newborn care in Bangladesh health facilities. We identified 8 primary quality improvement and IPC/WASH policy and guideline documents in Bangladesh and analyzed their incorporation of 30 subconditions under 5 critical conditions: water; sanitation; hygiene; waste management/cleaning; and IPC supplies, guidelines, training, surveillance, and monitoring. To determine how Bangladesh health care workers implemented the policies, we interviewed 33 informants from 16 public and private facilities and the national level. Bangladesh’s 8 primary guidance documents covered 55% of the 30 subconditions. Interviews showed that Bangladesh health facility staff generally rely on eight tools related to quality improvement (five); IPC (two); and supportive supervision (one) plus a robust supervision mechanism. The stakeholders identified a lack of human resources and environmental hygiene infrastructure and supplies as the main gaps in providing IPC/WASH services. We concluded that the Bangladesh government had produced substantial guidance on using quality improvement methods to improve health services. Our recommendations can help identify strategies to better integrate IPC/WASH in resources including standardizing guidelines and tools within one toolkit. Strategizing with stakeholders working on initiatives such as universal health coverage and patient safety to integrate IPC/WASH into quality improvement documents is a mutually reinforcing approach.

Introduction

In addition to health care access and affordability, the dimensions of safety and quality are critical for universal health coverage to be truly effective and to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Poor quality care is a major problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where it accounts for an estimated 60% of deaths from treatable conditions [ 1 ]. Unsafe care is often caused by poor infection prevention and control (IPC) practices; lack of support for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and inadequate waste management. Of 162 countries reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 34% implement IPC programs nationwide, and only 19% of those have a monitoring system [ 2 ]; up to 61% of health workers do not adhere to recommended hand hygiene practices [ 3 ]; and almost one-third do not segregate health care waste. In the least-developed countries, 50% of health facilities have no basic water supply and 63% have no sanitation services [ 4 ].

Weaknesses in IPC and WASH practices and infrastructure are responsible for a huge proportion of health care-associated infections (HAIs), particularly in LMICs, where the average prevalence is 15.5% [ 5 ]. HAIs in maternal and newborn health (MNH) care settings in LMICs are also highly worrying; for example, studies have shown a high post-cesarean section infection rate of up to 20% in sub-Saharan countries [ 6 ]. Improving standards and service quality, such as effective IPC practices in health facilities, would dramatically reduce HAIs [ 5 , 7 ]. WHO has published extensive guidelines and resources on how to improve IPC programs and practices, including hand hygiene, but LMICs struggle with these practices for reasons ranging from a lack of standards or enforcement of standards to inadequate infrastructure to support IPC and WASH.

In Bangladesh, a nationally representative baseline study of WASH in 875 health care facilities [ 8 ] found that 47% of facilities managed waste adequately; more than 90% of facilities provided basic drinking water service; 46% provided basic sanitation services; 68% provided basic levels for hand washing at point of care; and 26% provided hand-washing facilities for patients/caregivers. Only 2% of 4,676 hand hygiene opportunities among health care workers and caregivers resulted in recommended actions—health care workers followed recommended hand hygiene practices in 9% of 919 opportunities, while family caregivers washed hands with water in 48% of 2,751 opportunities, but only 3% with soap [ 9 ].

WHO provides guidance and assessment and training documents on the core components of IPC and WASH. Footnote 1 But LMICs often face major challenges in implementing IPC, WASH, and waste management due to barriers related to resources, standard-setting, training and education, infrastructure, motivation, and data availability [ 10 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on health system weaknesses, and countries quickly pivoted their attention to strengthen IPC; similarly, LMIC deficiencies in WASH became strikingly evident. How can people wash their hands to reduce viral spread if they do not have clean water or soap? In response, the United Nations announced a new Sanitation and Hygiene Fund to improve the WASH situations in LMICs [ 11 ].

The principles of quality of care (QoC) and quality improvement (QI) are also receiving global [ 1 , 12 , 13 ], and country-level recognition as being critical for effective and safe health care, including in MNH care settings. Since IPC and WASH are fundamental to safe care, they need to be adequately integrated into health systems’ QoC/QI guides and processes. However, a report showed substantial gaps in addressing IPC/WASH in MNH-related global tools on QoC/QI in health facilities; while the tools generally referred to adequate facility conditions, specific crucial conditions related to WASH, environmental cleaning, and IPC were often not described [ 14 ].

Research conducted in a Bangladesh district hospital and mother and child welfare center on delivery and emergency obstetric and newborn care [ 15 ] showed that the QoC scores for IPC were higher than for other areas of care, although the hospital’s QoC scores were still less than 50% for cleaning, decontaminating equipment, using antiseptics, and collecting soiled linen; in addition, scores were higher in the mother and child welfare center compared to the district hospital.

To improve MNH quality of care, US Agency for International Development’s Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), which worked in 23 countries worldwide, reviewed QoC/QI tools (i.e., training materials, implementation guides, and supervision and coaching resources) used in MNH care that they accessed from a wide range of resources including published and gray literature. MCSP determined how complete the tools’ coverage was of critical environmental conditions for safe care, including adequate WASH infrastructure, environmental hygiene items for IPC, and other WASH/IPC-related activities, such as training. Their 2019 report included recommendations on how to integrate these critical environmental conditions into QoC/QI tools [ 14 ]. The US Agency for International Development-funded Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services program built on these MCSP findings by using similar methods to look at Bangladesh policies and guidelines and practices to understand how IPC/WASH adherence in MNH services can be strengthened through QoC/QI approaches but expanded the assessment parameters to include IPC core components. The objectives were to:

Determine the level of integration of IPC/WASH in QoC/QI guides and MNH care guides in Bangladesh.

Compare the Bangladesh findings with those from other select countries.

Characterize the process for implementing and institutionalizing guidelines in the Bangladesh health system.

Our purpose for the case study was to use the results of characterizing the intersection between IPC/WASH and QoC/QI guidelines to direct program priorities. Bangladesh was a suitable case study because its Quality Improvement Secretariat, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (QIS, MoHFW) had published an impressive set of QoC/QI guidance documents and tools, including monitoring and supervision checklists and IPC and WASH guidance and tools. QIS’s mandate is to ensure that facilities meet national health care standards. While the activity focused on MNH-related tools and guides, we also looked at other QoC/QI tools to provide a broader perspective in support of IPC, WASH, and antimicrobial resistance containment.

Methodology

Analysis of ipc/wash policies, guidelines, and tools.

For this analysis, our study team in Bangladesh identified 19 documents related to QoC/QI in the Bangladesh health system with an emphasis on MNH (Table  1 ). Of the 19 documents, we identified 8 documents as primary because the other 11 were limited to specific areas, such as instrument sterilization. We then analyzed 19 similar documents gathered from our Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services partner country teams in Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. We wanted only to get a general sense of where Bangladesh stood relative to other LMICs; therefore, this convenience sample is not suitable for a comprehensive comparison.

We used the same methodology as in the MCSP 2019 gap analysis that was based on five critical conditions: 1) water, 2) sanitation, 3) hygiene, 4) waste management/cleaning, and 5) IPC supplies [ 14 ]. To improve the IPC characterization, we added one new critical condition (IPC core components) with five additional IPC subconditions, four based on the WHO core components 2, 3, 4, 6 (box 1 ) [ 16 ]. Similar to the original analysis, we also included a fifth subcondition capturing “Additional IPC considerations” that covered things outside of the other four subconditions. Table 2 shows the list of six critical conditions used for this analysis and their 30 evaluation subconditions.

We developed the scores for each of the five original critical conditions plus the additional IPC condition by calculating the proportion that each document included; therefore, if a set of guidelines covered three of four subconditions under “Water,” the score would be 75%.

Key stakeholder interviews

To complement the document review, we designed a qualitative study to gather Bangladesh stakeholders’ perspectives on how the various QoC/QI documents produced by the QIS, MoHFW relate to each other, the extent to which they had been implemented throughout the health system, and perceived gaps in the integration of IPC/WASH critical conditions into QoC/QI tools and processes. We engaged with the QIS leadership, specifically the Health Economics Unit, to design and plan this part of the study.

We produced a list of stakeholders to interview at the national and health facility level: the QIS focal person; an MNH provider identified with QIS (i.e., residential surgeon in obstetrics and gynecology [OB-GYN] or labor room in-charge); the member secretary for the facility’s QI committee; and a representative from the MaMoni project, which directly supports all public facilities in six districts and four private hospitals, and whose responses reflected these facilities’ experiences. Over June and July 2021, we interviewed 33 people total; all but four interviews (QIS and MaMoni focal persons and two interviews at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka Division) were conducted remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions. A QIS representative also participated in the interviews.

We worked with QIS to select health facilities from districts representing tertiary, secondary district, and primary upazila levels of care based on their participation in government and other stakeholder interventions to improve MNH quality of care, including IPC and WASH; the relationship between QIS and the facility’s quality improvement committee; and the willingness of facility management to strengthen IPC and WASH practices (Table  3 ). QIS provided official permission to conduct the interviews through a government order shared with the facilities.

We held a workshop for 13 participants who reviewed the questionnaires and made a list of suggestions that were addressed before the QIS finalized the questionnaires. The generic questionnaires were customized for the different stakeholder cadres depending on their job functions (e.g., policy, clinical) and included the following sections:

Guidelines/tools availability.

IPC/WASH statements contained in the guidelines/tools.

Consistency, integration, and completeness of the guidelines/tools.

Quality improvement program.

Orientation, training, and support on the guidelines/tools.

Implementation of the guidelines/tools.

Supportive supervision and monitoring.

Perceptions of tools/guidance and on gaps and challenges.

Recommendations for improvement.

Limitations

One of our study limitations was that during the pandemic, remote interaction and providers’ inability to devote much time due to human resource shortages limited the richness and detail of the stakeholder responses and precluded our ability to directly observe IPC/WASH practices or the availability of guidelines in maternal and newborn settings. In addition, facility-based interviewees represented only a fraction of Bangladesh’s many public and private facilities, however, they did cross all levels of care in a number of districts.

Analysis of QoC/QI policies, guidelines, and tools

We analyzed the proportion of six critical IPC/WASH conditions in each of the primary documents and by document type: MNH documents, QoC/QI documents, and related checklists and indicators. The 2015 National Health Care Standards had the highest coverage of the IPC/WASH conditions at 95%, while the 2015 Strategic Planning on Quality of Care for Health Service Delivery in Bangladesh covered 27% of the conditions. The other six documents had coverage ranging from 36 to 60%. In terms of critical conditions, Sanitation had only 18% coverage overall, while Waste Management/Cleaning and IPC Supplies scored 71% and 75%, respectively. Table  4 presents the findings for the eight primary documents.

Additional Table  1 includes the results of the same analysis for the 19 documents from six other program-supported countries. The comparison shows that Bangladesh documents contained the highest percentage of critical conditions; for example, two documents from Tanzania on standards for MNH health care had scores of 70% and 73% coverage, while most guidelines and policies from the other countries were lower, with seven scoring under 15%.

As Table  5 illustrates, in Bangladesh, the most often-mentioned subconditions in the 19 documents were Sterile instruments (15/19) and Waste segregation and Water availability with 12/19 each. Water, soap, and/or alcohol-based hand rub was commonly mentioned in both the Bangladesh and other country documents (11 and 10, respectively). No country’s documents mentioned Sanitation type (e.g., sewer system, septic tank, pit latrine); 11 of 19 country comparison documents included Functional sanitation, while only one Bangladesh document mentioned that subcondition. Likewise, only one Bangladesh document mentioned Sanitation meets the needs of people with limited mobility, while four documents from the other countries included it.

Key informant interviews

The majority of respondents at secondary and tertiary levels provided the same or similar responses; in fact, lack of human resources was the most commonly mentioned challenge at every level of care. Additional Table  2 summarizes the responses by cadre.

Quality improvement program

According to QIS, every health facility should have a QI committee with work improvement teams. And although QI training was being rolled out, not all upazila-level primary health care facilities had received it yet. All facility respondents confirmed the presence of a QI committee with work improvement teams, and they also agreed that the team members’ capacity needed to be improved. Cox’s Bazar 250-bed District Sadar Hospital had formed two work teams—one for the operating theater and one for OB-GYN. Respondents observed that not all work improvement team members had been trained in QI and the 5S approach [ 17 ]; a couple said that none of the members had been trained yet. The QI committee member secretaries noted that although IPC/WASH was integrated into the quality checklist, it had not been properly incorporated into the QI committees’ terms of reference.

QIS has had a nonmonetary performance recognition emblem for high-performing facilities to display. When asked about incentives or penalties related to use of IPC/WASH tools and adherence to standards, however, only two facilities knew of such a mechanism, and one had received the recognition.

Availability and use of guidelines and tools

QIS provides QI/QoC tools and guidelines including 5S tools and its Plan, Do, Check, and Act Manual for Quality Improvement. All but Keraniganj Upazila Health Complex reported using these QI/QoC tools. All health facility respondents believed that the national QoC guideline includes IPC and WASH components. Some reported using one tool and others used multiple tools. QIS also said that facilities should have separate IPC and WASH guidelines/tools [ 7 ]; specific IPC statements for hospital care; and the Infection Prevention and Control Monitoring & Supervision Checklist that the QIS adapted from a WHO resource. MaMoni reported having their own QoC/QI guidelines that were adapted from government-approved tools and confirmed that the national guidelines covered IPC and WASH; however, its facilities had no stand-alone IPC or WASH guidelines. Although MaMoni staff were familiar with the RMNCAH Quality Improvement Framework, the government facilities that MaMoni supports use this resource according to their project needs.

When asked about completeness of and consistency across QI/QoC and IPC/WASH guidelines and tools, QIS felt that Bangladesh’s IPC/WASH guidance was consistently presented but said that keeping the IPC checklist updated for all levels is a challenge and that “We have created some documents at the initial level. Those were done easily. Later, for the COVID situation, for example, new components were added to the document that need further monitoring and follow-up.” The QIS informant also noted that although the National RMNCAH Quality Improvement Framework does not cover IPC and WASH, the targeted IPC guidelines are sufficient, and that if the RMNCAH framework included a thorough treatment of IPC, it would be too detailed and broad. He added that some facilities had IPC committees that monitor activities as a cross-cutting issue.

The OB-GYN resident surgeons in all but two facilities said that staff receive training and ongoing support in using tools and guidelines, and most said that the QI committee focal person was the go-to for questions. QIS confirmed district-wide training for facilities above primary care. Development partners also help conduct trainings and supply guidelines and tools to facilities in the locations that they support.

In summary, while at least one respondent knew about the tools presented in Table  1 , multiple respondents said that the facilities use the following list of tools:

National RMNCAH QI Framework.

Standard Operating Procedure for Quality Improvement.

Hospital Infection Prevention and Control Manual.

Supportive supervision tool.

Infection Prevention and Control Monitoring & Supervision Checklist.

Rapid-Assessment-of-5S-Activities-at-Hospital.

5S-WIT-Performance-Assessment-Checklist.

Plan, Do, Check and Act Manual for Quality Improvement.

Tools 1–5 were included in the critical conditions analysis with overall scores ranging from 0% of critical conditions covered (supportive supervision checklist) to 60% (Standard Operating Procedure for QI and Hospital Infection Prevention and Control Manual). Informants shared the tools related to 5S and Plan, Do, Check, Act (numbers 6–8 above) during the interviews, which we had not previously identified.

Supportive supervision and monitoring

All OB-GYN and QI interviewees said that their facilities have a quality monitoring mechanism in place, except for Keraniganj Upazila Health Complex, and all reported receiving supportive supervision visits; however, the responsible entities conducting the supervision varied by facility. Monitoring was led mainly by work improvement teams and QI and IPC committees where available, while facilities received supportive supervision visits from a variety of sources including the government (e.g., Directorate General of Health Services, civil surgeon’s office, or National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine) and development partners. The Directorate General of Health Services was cited as the most frequent visitor. All reported having had a visit by an external supervisor within the previous six months and confirmed the supervisors’ use of the QI checklist, Monitoring & Supervision Checklist, and supportive supervision tool.

QIS reported that before the COVID-19 pandemic, the department staff made monthly supportive supervision visits to facilities. After that, they received reports every three months. MaMoni had its own team to provide supportive supervision with government representatives. Their team updates the QIS, MoHFW team, who then provides suggestions. MaMoni also reported receiving a quarterly visit from a national-level supervisor.

Gaps and challenges

When asked about challenges with delivering quality IPC and WASH services while providing maternal and newborn care, the overwhelming responses from the facility representatives concerned the lack of supplies/infrastructure. One labor in-charge at a hospital noted that, “Yes, whenever we do our duty in private hospitals, we get the supplies the next day after we inform them about our requirements. It’s not like that here. There are many gaps in government hospitals. For example, in some months they don’t supply bleach at all. We have to make chlorine solution for infection control. How can we do that? Suddenly we see that there’s no supply. Then we have to buy it on our own.” Two facilities also mentioned waste management, cleaning, and visitor control as difficult issues they faced.

The other most commonly mentioned gap was the alarming lack of human resources—from clinical to security staff. Another labor in-charge said, “We are short of manpower; we have backup for 100 beds, but we have to maintain 250 beds. This is really tough for us.” Several labor in-charges also reported too few cleaners. One complained, “Yes, we have a shortage of cleaners. We really need that. Only a few people cannot take care of the whole ward.” The resident surgeon in the labor ward at another hospital complained about no security guard.

QIS also identified a critical human resource shortage. One respondent noted “There are obviously challenges in a facility where there are only two medical assistants….If we need to ensure the quality of service, we must have supportive human resources. Many hospitals have been updated [infrastructure], but manpower is not increased in any hospital. This is a huge challenge for us.”

Recommendations for improvement

The OB-GYN resident surgeons and labor in-charges felt that the best way to integrate IPC and WASH practices into MNH services was through improved training and monitoring. Their recommendations focused mainly on developing a routine training program and increasing training frequency and participation. One labor in-charge wanted to see training on how to manage patient visitors and caretakers to control infection risk. Clinicians also focused on improving the infrastructure for IPC/WASH and increasing the staffing level.

In response to the question about how to improve IPC and WASH practices, one respondent said that well-performing hospitals have their own IPC officers who present problems to their QI committee, “So, to improve IPC, we need a dedicated IPC officer.” The respondent recommended that dedicated IPC officers in facilities be trained and that IPC activities be monitored regularly. Analyzing infection rates would also strengthen IPC. The respondent also felt strongly that autoclaving equipment and skills were big gaps in QoC for MNH services.

In Bangladesh, after multiple document analyses, our impression was that the QIS, MoHFW had produced a substantial number of policy and guidance documents on using QoC and QI methods to improve health service quality, including IPC and WASH, particularly compared with other countries; however, we were unsure how the documents related to each other or how they should be implemented. For example, many of the documents included guidance on IPC and WASH topics, but guidance was not consistent across and sometimes even within documents. We noted overlaps, particularly among the checklists and standard operating procedures. Interviews with QIS, implementing partner, and facility staff revealed a more cohesive picture, however.

Clearly, facilities widely used the Hospital Infection Prevention and Control Manual and Infection Prevention and Control Monitoring & Supervision Checklist and QI checklist to track performance in IPC/WASH practices, and notably, interviewees were familiar with numerous QI/QoC guidelines and tools. However, considering that the overall inclusion of IPC/WASH critical conditions in Bangladesh’s key QI/QoC documents averaged around 55%, there is considerable room to further integrate these critical conditions in the tools, particularly those related to sanitation, whose inclusion is less than 20%. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the important need to strengthen these areas.

Though facilities used some guidelines consistently, we recommended distributing toolkits with IPC/WASH and QoC/QI guidelines, standards, and checklists to every health facility to help ensure that they are standardized across facilities, approved by the MoHFW, and ideally aligned with those developed by global authorities such as WHO, UNICEF, and Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene [ 18 ]. Toolkits could be grouped by level of care depending on their resource needs, with hospitals requiring more resources than lower-level facilities. Sharing these toolkits with private-sector facilities would further help standardize practices and strengthen monitoring between the public and private sectors.

Functional facility-level QoC committees, but not IPC committees, appeared to be in place, so there was no opportunity for interaction. In addition to emphasizing collaboration between QoC and IPC committees, other effective cross-fertilization could include enhancing IPC committee roles in WASH-related activities and including MNH staff on quality improvement and IPC committees and teams. MNH providers identified QI focal people as primary contacts, so they could become involved to address the gaps in implementation of IPC/WASH services in MNH care in health facilities, especially at primary care-level facilities or below.

While not all facility staff had undergone QI/QoC training, it was being rolled out to health facilities nationwide, with a focus on incorporating IPC and WASH, using 5S and plan, do, check, act approaches. Similarly, supervision mechanisms—both internal and external—applied standards checklists; however, findings need to be turned into action more consistently, which is something that training to fill specific skill gaps in the MNH service setting could help. Additionally, health care facilities could report on their IPC/WASH performance based on checklists completed during supportive supervision visits or through self-assessments. If every facility/level of facility is using a standardized metric, then the MoHFW can make useful comparisons and detect trends to monitor, best practices to scale up, and gaps to address. Pandemic-related programs in other countries, such as Kenya, incorporated cleaners, waste management, and administrative staff involved with IPC/WASH in training and monitoring; although vital, they often are overlooked and under-trained categories of staff. The private sector should also be included in training and monitoring to periodically analyze their initiatives and performance. In addition, in view of other countries’ success [ 19 , 20 ], nonmonetary incentives such as designating IPC linkage nurses and electing doctors and nurses as IPC champions, then providing recognition for good performance, could be a soft but powerful behavior-change approach.

The National Technical Committee, which is the highest-level technical governance body overseeing implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance Containment in Bangladesh 2021–2026 [ 21 ], can provide strategic support because IPC and WASH are important factors in containing antimicrobial resistance. The action plan covers the WHO IPC core components related to programs and committees, guidelines, and training, but it does not cover the WHO core components related to HAI surveillance, multimodal strategies for IPC implementation, workload/staffing, and infrastructure; the latest 2021–2026 action plan de-emphasizes WASH compared to the previous 2017–2022 action plan and roadmap [ 22 , 23 ]. Also, Bangladesh’s 2017–2022 national action plan (but not the 2016–2026 revision) was one of the few national action plans that made some community-specific recommendations including advocacy and social mobilization around issues such as hand washing, hygiene, sanitation, and waste management [ 24 ]. The latest version does call for those issues to be included in educational curricula at all levels.

Bangladesh’s QIS has produced a strong set of guidance documents on quality of care and quality improvement including IPC and WASH. Based on our analysis and interpretation of Bangladesh and other country documents, the key informant interviews with Bangladesh stakeholders, and the previous research and recommendations from the Maternal and Child Survival Program [ 11 ], we developed recommendations for Bangladesh, and potentially other countries, on using QoC/QI approaches to improve IPC/WASH practices in MNH services. Primarily, standardizing the tools and guidance and distributing them as a toolkit to all facilities including those in the private sector will clarify and help institutionalize standard procedures. In addition, standardization will allow for meaningful monitoring and comparisons with similar facilities. Therefore, a goal should be to intensify support to the practical aspects of generating, harmonizing, monitoring, sharing, and celebrating performance data that contribute to QI/QoC efforts in the IPC/WASH domain. Finally, IPC/WASH stakeholders in MNH settings can engage with and seek support from stakeholders working in universal health coverage, patient safety, antimicrobial resistance containment, and pandemic preparedness to enhance IPC/WASH integration and implementation as a mutually beneficial and reinforcing strategy.

Data availability

Data, including deidentified interview notes, are available on request from ME ([email protected]).

See the WHO’s IPC website for extensive links to information and tools: https://www.who.int/infection-prevention/en/ .

Abbreviations

Health care-associated infections

• Infection prevention and control

Low- and middle-income countries

Maternal and Child Survival Program

• Maternal and newborn health

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Obstetrics and gynecology

Quality improvement

Quality Improvement Secretariat

Quality of care

Reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health

Water, sanitation, and hygiene

World Health Organization

Kruk ME, Gage AD, Arsenault C et al. High-quality health systems in the Sustainable Development Goals era: time for a revolution. Lancet Glob Health. 2018;6(11):e1196-e1252. Erratum in: Lancet Glob Health. 2018;: Erratum in: Lancet Glob Health. 2018;6(11):e1162. Erratum in: Lancet Glob Health. 2021;9(8):e1067. PMID: 30196093; PMCID: PMC7734391.

World Health Organization. Global report on infection prevention and control: executive summary. Geneva: WHO; 2022.

Google Scholar  

World Health Organization. Health care without avoidable infections. The critical role of infection prevention and control. Geneva, WHO. : 2016 http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/246235/1/WHO-HIS-SDS-2016.10-eng.pdf?ua=1 . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

World Health Organization and UNICEF. Global progress report on water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities: fundamentals first. Geneva: World Health Organization; Geneva; 2020.

Allegranzi B, Bagheri Nejad S, Combescure C, et al. Burden of endemic health-care-associated infection in developing countries: systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2011;377(9761):228–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61458-4 .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Macintyre A, Wilson-Jones M, Velleman Y. Prevention first: tackling AMR through water, sanitation and hygiene. AMR Control, One Health 31 July 2017. http://resistancecontrol.info/2017/prevention-first-tackling-amr-through-water-sanitation-and-hygiene/ . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. National strategy for WASH in healthcare facilities 2019–2023: a framework for action. Dhaka: MOHFW. 2019. https://www.washinhcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Bangladesh-National-Strategy-for-Wash-in-Healthcare-Facilities-2019-2023-V4-copy.pdf . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

Unicomb L, Horng L, Alam MU, et al. Health-Care facility water, sanitation, and health-care waste management basic service levels in Bangladesh: results from a nation-wide survey. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018;99(4):916–23. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.18-0133 .

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Horng LM, Unicomb L, Alam MU, et al. Healthcare worker and family caregiver hand hygiene in Bangladeshi healthcare facilities: results from the Bangladesh National Hygiene Baseline Survey. J Hosp Infect. 2016;94(3):286–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2016.08.016 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Sastry S, Masroor N, Bearman G, et al. The 17th International Congress on Infectious diseases workshop on developing infection prevention and control resources for low- and middle-income countries. Int J Infect Dis. 2017;57:138–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2017.01.040 .

United Nations. UN-backed fund to address crisis in global sanitation and hygiene, UN News, 17 November 2020. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/11/1077812 . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

Delivering quality health services: a global imperative for universal health coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the World Bank. 2018. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/272465/9789241513906-eng.pdf?ua= 1. Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

The National Academies of Sciences. Crossing the global quality chasm: improving health care worldwide. Washington: NAS. 2018. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25152/crossing-the-global-quality-chasm-improving-health-care-worldwide . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

US Agency for International Development Maternal and Child Survival Program. Brief on tools for improving quality of care for mothers and newborns: a review and gap analysis critical environmental conditions. Washington: USAID MCSP, October. 2019. https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00W834.pdf . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

Biswas TK, Sujon H, Rahman MH, et al. Quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services in two public hospitals of Bangladesh: identifying gaps and provisions for improvement. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019;19(1):488. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2656-1 .

World Health Organization. 2016. Guidelines on core components of infection prevention and control programmes at the national and acute health care facility level. Geneva: WHO; 2016.

Quality-One International. 5S Methodology. https://quality-one.com/5s/#What . Accessed 27 Sep 2023.

World Health Organization/UNICEF. WASH in health care facilities: global baseline report 2019. Geneva: WHO; 2019.

US Agency for International Development Maternal and Child Survival Program. Water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for newborn and maternal sepsis reduction in Nigeria: final activity report. USAID MCSP; 2019.

World Health Organization/UNICEF. Global progress report on WASH in health care facilities: fundamentals first. Geneva: WHO; 2020.

Government of Bangladesh. National Strategy and Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance Containment in Bangladesh: 2021–2026. Dhaka: Government of Bangladesh; January 2022.

Government of Bangladesh. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. National Action Plan Antimicrobial Resistance Containment in Bangladesh: 2017–2022. Dhaka: MOHFW; April 2017.

Government of Bangladesh. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Road map of National Action Plan of Antimicrobial Resistance Containment. Dhaka: MOHFW; April; 2017.

Essack S. Water, sanitation and hygiene in national action plans for antimicrobial resistance. Bull World Health Organ. 2021;99:606–8. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.20.284232 .

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the key informants working in maternal and newborn health services and quality improvement in 16 hospitals in 11 districts for their support and participation in the study.

This work was supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) under contract number (7200AA18C00074). The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government. The funder had had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Global Health Systems Innovation, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA, USA

Martha Embrey

Research Consultant, Arlington, VA, USA

Shahnaz Parveen

USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Arlington, VA, USA

Tamara Hafner & Mohan P. Joshi

Formerly Quality Improvement Secretariat, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Hafijul Islam

USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

ME conducted the analysis and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. ME, TH, MPJ, SP, MHI, and SMAZ, designed the qualitative data collection and SP and MHI collected the qualitative data in the field. TH conducted and interpreted the analysis and edited the manuscript. MPJ was the overall study PI, provided inputs to the data analysis and recommendations, and helped to write and edit the manuscript. All authors contributed to interpretation of the findings and reviewed the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martha Embrey .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Not applicable.

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1

Supplementary material 2, rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ .

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Embrey, M., Parveen, S., Hafner, T. et al. Integration of IPC/WASH critical conditions into quality of care and quality improvement tools and processes: Bangladesh case study. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 13 , 100 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01455-9

Download citation

Received : 27 September 2023

Accepted : 22 August 2024

Published : 11 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01455-9

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH)
• Environmental hygiene
• Waste management
• Patient safety
• Quality improvement/Quality of health care

Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control

ISSN: 2047-2994

• General enquiries: [email protected]