This ppt gives tips and techniques and a structured approach to crack case based interviews. for more details visit www.thecatalyst.co.in

1. Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving
Priti Agarwal

2. Learning Outcomes
By the end of this presentation, you will:

Better understand what critical thinking is

Know why critical thinking is important

Use critical thinking techniques in cracking interviews

3. “ (Thinking) . . . which exemplifies the perfections of thinking. . .”
“Disciplined,
self-directed
thinking . . . ”

4. In “everyday” language:
•
Thinking “outside” the box
•
Thinking about thinking
•
“Unlimited” thinking
•
Divergent thinking

5. Why is Critical Thinking Important?
A well cultivated critical thinker:
•raises vital questions and problems,
•formulating them clearly and THROUGH ACTIVITIES
TIME PERMITTING, WORK precisely;
•gathers and assesses relevant information, to
IN YOUR BOOKLET.
interpret it effectively
BE SURE TO THINK CRITICALLY!
•comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing
them against relevant criteria and standards;
•thinks openmindedly within alternative systems of thought,
•communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions
to complex problems.

6. Goal: to become cultivated critical thinkers
Cultivated critical
thinkers . . .

7. By :
--raising vital questions
--formulating questions clearly and
 Raises vital questions and
precisely
problems, formulating them clearly and
precisely;
Raise vital questions
Formulate questions
and problems clearly, precisely

8. •Gather information
•Analyze and assess it
• Evaluate it
By:

Gathers and assesses relevant then
--gathering information,
--assessing it and determining
information, using abstract ideas to
what it means
interpret it effectively, and what it is
worth

9. By:
--drawing conclusions from the
information
presented
--finding possible, plausible solutions and
testing them with relevant criteria
Draw conclusions
Find solutions
Use relevant criteria
to test them

10. Keep an open mind
By
--maintaining an open mind

11. Network w/others;
keep lines of communication open

Communicates effectively with others
By networking with
in figuring out solutions to complex
others and maintaining
problems.
open lines of
communication with
them
and others.

12. To become a cultivated critical thinker:
Dare to think outside the
box!
• Develop a sense of observation and curiosity
• Become interested in finding new solutions
• Share ideas
• Ask pertinent questions
• Assess statements and arguments
• Seek understanding and information

13. Also . . .
• Examine beliefs, assumptions, and
opinions; weigh them against truth
• Listen to others, think about what they say,
give feedback
• Become an open-minded listener and reader

14. Activity
What is half of eight?
8

15. What is the answer ?
Is it
4

16. Any other answer ?
Or is it 2 zeroes
0
0

17. And another ?
3
THAT IS FOR YOU TO DECIDE

18. Activity
Without lifting your pencil from the paper, draw exactly
four straight, connected lines that will go through all
nine dots, but through each dot only once.

19. Problem
I have two 10 litre bottles full of wine and 2 other empty
bottles of 5 and 4 litres. I want to fill 3 litres in each
empty bottles without the help of any additional object and without
pouring out or wasting a single drop of wine.

20. Solution

10 10 00 00
10 05 05 00
10 05 01 04
10 09 01 00
10 09 00 01
10 04 05 01
10 04 02 04
10 08 02 00
10 08 00 02
05 08 05 02
05 08 03 04
09 08 03 00
09 08 00 03
04 08 05 03
04 10 03 03 ---- filled

21. The image shows a huge Bengal Tiger standing in a bamboo
forest. Your mission is to look for "The Hidden Tiger" in the
image below.

22. Who
SHOULD
think critically?
< Video on baby using problem solving techniques>

23. Problem SolvingCase Study Based Interviews

24. Types of Interview Questions
Credential Verification
Experience verification
Opinion questions
10%
predictive
validity
Dumb questions
Maths Questions
Case Questions
Behavioral Questions
Competency Questions
15%
predictive
validity
25%
predictive
validity
55% predictive
validity

25. Types of Interview Questions
Credential
verification
questions - Its
purpose is to
place objective
measurements
on features of
your background.
Sample Questions



What is your CGPA? How does
it compare with the rest of your
batchmates?
How long were you working
at…?
What is your total experience in
supply chain management?

26. Types of Interview Questions
Experience
verification
questions - Its
purpose is to
subjectively
evaluate features
of your
background.
Sample Questions



What did you learn in this
course?
What were your responsibilities
in that position?
Point out three key learnings
from your Summer Internship
Project

27. Types of Interview Questions
Opinion
questions Their purpose is
to subjectively
analyze how you
would respond in
a series of
scenarios.
Sample Questions



What would you do in this
situation?
What are your strengths and
weaknesses?
If you were the prime minister
of India, what are the three key
changes you would bring
about?

28. Types of Interview Questions
Dumb questions
- Their purpose is to
get past your preprogrammed answers
to find out if you are
capable of an original
thought. There is not
necessarily a right or
wrong answer, since it
is used primarily to
test your ability to
think on your feet.
Sample Questions



What kind of animal would you like to
be?
What color best describes you?
If you were a famous personality, who
would you be like?

29. Types of Interview Questions

Math questions
Its purpose is to
evaluate not only
your mental math
calculation skills, but
also your creative
ability in formulating
the mathematical
formula for providing
an answer (or
estimate, as can
often be the case).
Sample Questions




"What is 1000 divided by 73?“
"How many ping pong balls
could fit in a Volkswagen?“
How many litres of milk are
consumed in Delhi everyday?
How many petrol pumps are
there in Chandigarh?

30. Types of Interview Questions

Case questions
Its purpose is to
evaluate your
problem-solving
abilities and how
you would analyze
and work through
potential case
situations.
Sample Questions



"What is your estimate of the
global online retail market for
books?“
What is the future of the luxury
car market in India?
How do you think the 2 wheeler
market will be affected with the
launch of the Tata Nano?

31. Types of Interview Questions

Behavioral
questions
Its purpose is to
anticipate future
behaviors based
upon past
behaviors.
Sample Questions



Can you give me a specific
example of how you did that?
What were the steps you
followed to accomplish that
task?
Can you give me an example
where you organised an event?
How did you go about it?

32. Types of Interview Questions

Competency
questions
Its purpose is to
align your past
behaviors with
specific
competencies
which are required
for the position.
Sample Questions



"Can you give me a specific
example of your leadership
skills?“
"Explain a way in which you
sought a creative solution to a
problem.“
Give me an example where you
helped resolve a conflict
between team members.

33. Agenda




•What is the format and structure of a case interview?
•Which skills are case interviews trying to test?
•What are some common myths about case interviews?
•How do I crack a case interview?

34. OBJECTIVES

Introduce the consulting case interview format



Objectives
Typical structure
Evaluation
Mock case simulation and discussion




Framing
Analysis
Conclusions
Case interview preparation tips

35. Case interviews require interviewees to solve business
problems on‐the‐spot




“The most accurate predictor of future performance is the ability to
solve on the‐job problems in real‐time”
Focused on problem solving abilities:
The interviewee must work with the interviewer to solve business
problems
Q&A format: Interviewer moves on to successive questions with
relatively little discussion thereafter

36. WHAT DO COMPANIES LOOK FOR?
Not “The Answer”
Creativity
Apply a unique
perspective to business
situations
See the big picture
Draw conclusions from
partial information
• Make assumptions,
see patterns, and
generate hypotheses
Poise
Appear excited by the
kinds of issues
consultants face
Are not intimidated by
process or problems
Assimilate information
quickly and effectively
Ask insightful questions
Analytics
Provide structure to
unstructured problems
Break problems into
components
Apply transparent,
logical thinking to each
component
Synthesize discussion
into solution

37. HOW DO I ATTACK A CASE?
Creating a Logical Structure is Key to Success
Framing/organizing
Framing
• Ability to identify key issues which he/she
needs to deal with in order to solve the
problem
Prioritizing issues
• Ability to assess the issues, prioritize them and
form a coherent plan of attack
Analysis
Identifying relevant
information
Drawing conclusions
from facts
Conclusion
Identifying key
implications and next
steps
Communication
• Ability to dig deep enough to find the detailed
information which leads to a meaningful
answer
• Ability to use information given and manipulate
it accurately into a logical conclusion
- identify the key displays or data
dimensions needed to reach a solution
- derive relationships among different
dimensions of data
• Ability to predict relationships and outcomes
based on sound reasoning
- clear logic to conclusion
- delineation of alternatives
skills tested throughout interview

38. INTRODUCTION TO THE CASE



Our client owns and operates an independent “mom and pop” gas station
 Sells gas for 50 per litre
 Operates at break-even profitability
Exxon opened a gas station across the street twelve months ago
 Sells gas for 85 per litre
 Seem to be “blowing and going” based on traffic
What would you advise our client to do?

39. WHAT IS A FRAMEWORK?
Description
Benefits
Examples
 Models, tools or maps that provide a
systematic, logical way of analyzing a problem
 Show cause and effect relationships to focus on Distil
a complex, ambiguous problem to the relevant issues
 Guides intelligent questioning of the interviewer
 Lays out your analysis in a logical, coherent
manner—paints a picture of how you think
 Allows you to apply your experience to an unfamiliar
situation
 SWOT analyses
 Familiar frameworks—5 forces, 7 Cs, 7 Ss, 4 Ps
 Matrices—2x2, more sophisticated multi-dimensional
 Value chain analysis
 Comparative economics
 Product/technology life cycle
 Decision trees
Key is application of, not simply
stating, a framework

40. FRAMING
Do’s
Don’ts
Use one to structure your answer
Force fit a framework
Explain insights derived using
framework
Overuse buzzwords (e.g., Porter’s 5
forces)
Creativity is key
Try to apply a framework that you do
not know well
Get buy-in from interviewer
Ignore direction from interviewer
Use analogies if possible
Practice, practice, practice

41. ANALYSIS
Do’s
Don’ts
Scratch your analysis on paper—even
stream of consciousness thoughts
Overly worry about basic math
mistakes—yet, don’t make too many
of them
Use facts provided to develop support
for your conclusions
Worry about decimal-point precision
Ask for more data, clarifying
information
Lose sight of the issue (get lost in the
details)
Keep your framework in mind (tie
back)
Lose contact with your interviewer
Do math on paper
Use round numbers
Start over if needed
“Think out loud”
Ignore when analytics disprove
original hypotheses
Keep your thought processes to
yourself

42. CONCLUDING THE CASE
Do’s
Summarize your analysis
Provide a clear recommendation or
hypothesis derived from your analysis
Highlight any additional information
you would need to know
Don’ts
Forget to conclude the case—
regardless of progress made or time
constraints
Waffle or be indecisive—have a point
of view and confidently support it
Ask for feedback
Identify any implications of your
recommendations (e.g., competitor
response, client reaction)
Forget the original question

43. PRACTICAL TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Bring a pen/pencil and a pad of paper

Feel free to pause, particularly at the beginning

Don’t panic—ask questions to clarify facts, learn more information

Structure your analysis before you begin

Think out loud

Be clear about your assumptions

Silence can be golden

Do what makes you comfortable—approach with your personal style, not what you think is
expected
Most importantly, have fun!

44. Activity- Problem Solving for following cases

How many pencils are sold annually in the India?

How many dogs are there in Delhi?

What are the chances of rolling double sixes three times in a row?

A pharmaceutical company is trying to decide whether to manufacture
its drugs in-house or outsource; how would you help?

The company that owns “Fruity” drink has seen a decline in revenues
over the past five years; what should it think about?

45. Thank You!!