Experts agree on many of the fine points for approaching case interviews:

• Practice extensively before undergoing a case interview. Use books and Web sites in our resources section for practice cases. Some companies that use case interviews provide good information on their own Web sites. Boston Consulting Group, for example, provides an interactive case you can work through for practice, as well as additional cases you can rehearse with friends. Vault.com , which has some of the best resources on the Internet regarding case interviewing, suggests starting out by practicing explaining something like how to change a tire. Move on to assessing a situation for friends or family members, such as which bank they should choose for a checking account. In all cases, try to avoid "um's" and other filler words. Practice summarizing in a minute or less, advises Vault.com. A lot of resources from various places have been provided in the resources section.
• Listen carefully to the question. Paraphrase it back to the interviewer to ensure your understanding. As StudentAdvantage.com puts it in its article on case interviewing, "Listening is the most important skill a consultant has. The case isn't about you or the consultant; it's about the client." You may also want to take notes; in most cases the interviewer will allow you to do so.
• Silence -- but not too much of it -- is golden. The interviewer expects you to take a minute or so to collect your thoughts, so don't be afraid of silence. It's a nice idea, however, to ask the interviewer if it's OK to take a moment to ponder the case. And don't take too much time.
• Remember that rarely is there one "right" answer for analyzing a case. Your process for reaching your conclusions is more important to the interviewer as is the conclusion itself. In fact, the interviewer wants to observe as much of that process as possible, so it's important -- once you've taken the time to gather your thoughts -- to "think out loud" as you're working through the case. Although there is probably not one right answer, the McKinsey representative who spoke at Columbia warns against "wrong approaches," including "ignoring or forgetting important facts, defending impossible ideas, and force-fitting the wrong structure onto a problem."
• Don't be afraid to ask questions. The case interview is meant to be interactive, with lots of back and forth between you and the interviewer. Questions are expected, especially because the information provided about the case will likely be incomplete. The interviewer will be looking at your resourcefulness in collecting information. Make sure you ask your questions in a logical -- not random -- progression.
• Construct a logical framework with which to explore the critical issues of the case. Frame works include Porter's Five Forces, the SWOT analysis, Value Chain Analysis, and the Four P's of marketing. If you have some business experience, you can can also draw on applicable situations you've encountered. Make sure your conclusion is grounded in action, not just theory. Be able to explain and defend your reasoning. Please refer to resources section for detailed material on frameworks.
• Prioritize the issues and objectives. Don't get bogged down trying to deal with every aspect of the case.
• Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Creativity and brainstorming may be just what the interviewer is looking for.

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