Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: June 15, 2026

 

The Brattle Group interview is a two round process built around behavioral and fit questions, a research discussion, and a final round case exercise, and it leans more academic and quantitative than a typical strategy consulting interview. This guide breaks down each stage, the exact questions candidates report, current pay, and the preparation that actually moves the needle.

 

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Key Takeaways

 

The Brattle Group runs a friendly two round interview that screens for quantitative skill, research experience, and the ability to explain hard ideas in plain language.

 

• Round one is a 30 minute behavioral screen, usually with HR and an analyst, focused on your resume and motivation

 

• The final round is a half day of roughly five to six interviews, including a case exercise, technical questions, and a lunch interview

 

• Most questions are behavioral, with technical questions on regression, elasticity, and reading charts in the final round

 

• Glassdoor rates the difficulty 2.88 out of 5 in 2026, and the average process takes about 23 days

 

• Associate candidates present a recent research project, while Research Analysts complete a shorter case exercise

 

• Pay ranges from about $85,713 for a Research Analyst to about $177,758 for an Associate, based on 2026 Glassdoor data

 

What Does The Brattle Group Do?

 

The Brattle Group is a global economic consulting firm that answers complex economic, financial, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is best known for expert testimony and litigation support in areas like antitrust, energy, and finance.

 

This matters for your interview because the work is more quantitative than strategy consulting. Brattle consultants apply econometrics, statistical methods, and economic theory to real disputes, then explain those results to lawyers and judges who are not economists. According to Brattle, the firm has worked for more than 80 of the top 100 law firms and 50 of the Fortune 100 companies.

 

The firm keeps a flat three tier structure of Research Analysts, Associates, and Principals. In December 2025, Brattle was named an Outstanding Firm for Competition Economics in the Global Competition Review GCR 100 2026 rankings, which signals just how senior the economists you may interview with can be.

 

What Is the Brattle Group Interview Process?

 

The Brattle Group interview process has two rounds. The first is a 30 minute behavioral screen with HR and an analyst, centered on your resume and why economic consulting. The second is a half day super day of roughly five or six interviews that includes a case exercise, technical questions, and a lunch interview.

 

The exact shape depends on the role you apply for. Research Analyst candidates complete a case exercise, while Associate candidates present recent research. Corporate Services candidates can expect at least three rounds total. Here is how the main stages line up.

 

Stage	Format	Length	Focus
First round	Phone or video	~30 minutes	Behavioral and fit, resume walkthrough, why Brattle
Final round (super day)	5 to 6 interviews	Half day, ~5 hours	Case exercise, technical questions, lunch, behavioral
Decision	Email or call	1 to 2 weeks	Offer, rejection, or further conversation

 

What happens in the first round?

 

The first round is a relaxed 30 minute conversation, often with an HR recruiter and a current analyst. They walk through your resume, ask why you want economic consulting, and probe your research and teamwork experience. Candidates consistently describe this round as friendly and low pressure rather than a gauntlet.

 

You will not face a case in this round. The goal is to confirm you have the quantitative background and genuine interest before Brattle invests a full day in you. Strong answers connect specific past projects to the kind of analytical work Brattle actually does.

 

What happens on the super day?

 

The final round is a half day super day, usually around five hours, where you meet five or six people one on one. You will sit with Research Analysts, Associates, and Principals, and at least one interview is a case exercise. A lunch interview is folded in, and candidates report that teamwork questions sometimes get slipped in over the meal.

 

For on campus applicants, Brattle flies you out, covers a hotel, and runs the day at your office of choice. The mix of interviewers means you should expect some repeated questions, so keep your core stories sharp and consistent. Brattle says decisions for Research Analyst and Associate candidates usually land within 1 to 2 weeks.

 

What Is the Brattle Group Case Interview Like?

 

The Brattle Group case interview is an interactive discussion built around a problem you might face as a Brattle consultant, not a rapid math drill. According to Brattle, interviewers assess your critical thinking, creativity, economic intuition, data interpretation, intellectual curiosity, and oral communication. Candidates describe it as a generic business case with very minimal calculations.

 

This is where Brattle differs from strategy firms. You will not need a library of memorized case interview frameworks to perform well.

 

You will also rarely run a heavy market sizing calculation. The interviewer wants to watch you reason through an ambiguous economic problem out loud.

 

Brattle gives clear guidance on how to perform well. Familiarize yourself with the firm's practice areas and published casework first, take notes, think out loud, and ask for information you are missing. Treat it as a collaborative conversation, because how you get to an answer matters more than the final number.

 

The format is closer to an economic consulting case interview than to a classic strategy case. If you want a faster route to the structured thinking these cases reward, my case interview course walks you through proven methods in as little as 7 days.

 

What Behavioral and Fit Questions Does Brattle Ask?

 

Most of the Brattle Group interview is behavioral and fit based, especially in the first round. Interviewers want to know why you chose economic consulting, why Brattle specifically, and how your past research and teamwork prepared you for the role. They reward specific examples over polished generalities.

 

Candidates report being asked these kinds of questions:

 

• Why economic consulting, and why The Brattle Group

 

• Walk me through your resume and your most quantitative research project

 

• Tell me about a time you worked on a team to solve a hard problem

 

• How do you see economic theory showing up in everyday life

 

• Why did you choose your school, and what were your favorite classes

 

The strongest answer to why economic consulting connects your love of quantitative problem solving to Brattle's actual casework. Vague enthusiasm reads as a red flag here, so build a sharp why consulting story rooted in your research.

 

Preparing a clean two minute tell me about yourself answer also pays off, since you will repeat your story to several interviewers.

 

Because fit carries so much weight at Brattle, polishing these answers is one of the highest value moves you can make. My fit interview course covers 98% of consulting behavioral questions in a few hours.

 

What Technical Questions Should You Expect?

 

The final round adds technical and statistics questions that test the quantitative core of the job. Candidates report being asked to explain what a regression is, discuss elasticity, and interpret graphs and charts. In some interviews you can choose your area, picking economic theory, regression, or chart reading questions.

 

This is the most academic part of the process, and it reflects Brattle's culture. Many Research Analysts later leave for PhD programs, so interviewers love talking about research, econometrics, and technical depth. You should be ready to discuss your own research project in detail and explain it clearly to someone outside your field.

 

You will not need to grind heavy arithmetic the way you would for a strategy firm, so do not over index on speed drills. That said, comfort with the basics of case interview math still helps you stay calm when numbers come up. The bigger win is being able to defend your methods and assumptions under friendly but pointed questioning.

 

How Hard Is It to Get Into The Brattle Group?

 

The Brattle Group interview is moderately difficult, rated 2.88 out of 5 on Glassdoor as of 2026, with 68% of candidates calling the experience positive. The behavioral rounds feel friendly, but the technical and research bar is high because the firm hires future PhDs. Research Analyst and Associate roles are rated the hardest to land.

 

Speed varies a lot by role. The average process runs about 23 days across all positions, based on 2026 Glassdoor data. Human Resources Assistant roles can move in a single day, while PhD Associate roles average around 60 days because of the depth of the research review.

 

As a boutique, Brattle hires far fewer people than a large strategy firm, which raises the practical bar even when the interview itself feels relaxed. If you are weighing it against other specialized players, it sits firmly among the most respected boutique consulting firms in the economic and litigation space. A standout research background is your single biggest advantage.

 

How Much Does The Brattle Group Pay?

 

Brattle Group pay is strong for the economic consulting field. Based on 502 salaries on Glassdoor as of May 2026, base salaries typically range from about $85,713 for a Research Analyst to about $177,758 for an Associate. Pay rises with bonuses, location, and seniority, and major hubs like New York and San Francisco sit at the higher end.

 

Role	Typical base	Background
Research Analyst	~$85,713	Undergraduate
Research Associate	~$107,947	Masters or PhD
Associate	~$177,758	Masters, MBA, or PhD

 

Figures above reflect Glassdoor data as of mid 2026 and represent base pay before bonuses. Hours are lighter than investment banking but can spike during litigation crunches. Brattle employees rate their overall compensation and benefits 4.2 out of 5 on Glassdoor.

 

How Do You Prepare for a Brattle Group Interview?

 

The best way to prepare is to master your own research story, sharpen your fit answers, and practice reasoning through ambiguous economic problems out loud. Below are the tips that have helped my coaching clients break into economic consulting.

 

Tip #1: Know your research projects cold

 

Brattle interviewers dig deep into the projects on your resume, especially the quantitative ones. Be ready to explain your methods, your data, and your conclusions to a smart person who is not an economist. The ability to make complex work clear is exactly what the firm sells to clients.

 

Tip #2: Build a specific "why economic consulting" answer

 

Generic answers about liking problem solving fall flat. Tie your interest to Brattle's real practice areas, such as antitrust, energy, or finance, and reference casework you read on their site. This shows genuine intent rather than a scattershot application.

 

Tip #3: Study Brattle's practice areas before the case

 

Brattle explicitly tells candidates to review its practice areas and recent casework before the case interview. Spend an hour on their work and experts pages so the case context feels familiar. Walking in with a basic feel for how Brattle frames problems gives you a real edge.

 

Tip #4: Think out loud and ask for data

 

The case is a conversation, not a test you complete in silence. Narrate your reasoning, state your assumptions, and ask the interviewer for any information you are missing. They are grading your thought process as much as your conclusion.

 

Tip #5: Prepare for repeated questions across interviewers

 

On a super day with five or six interviewers, you will hear the same questions more than once. Lock in two or three core stories so you stay consistent and energetic by the final interview. Repetition is normal, so do not assume a repeated question means you answered poorly.

 

Tip #6: Get your application materials right first

 

You apply through Brattle's portal with grades, a resume, and a cover letter, so the document quality decides whether you interview at all. A tight, quant heavy consulting resume that highlights research and statistical skills is essential.

 

Pairing it with a focused consulting cover letter that names a Brattle practice area lifts your odds of a callback.

 

Tip #7: Prepare smart questions to ask

 

Most Brattle interviewers leave time for your questions, and thoughtful ones leave a strong final impression. Ask about team structure, mentorship, or a specific practice area rather than logistics you could look up. Having sharp questions to ask ready signals real interest in the firm.

 

What Are the Most Common Mistakes Candidates Make?

 

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is treating Brattle like a strategy firm and over preparing memorized frameworks while neglecting their research story. The case rewards economic reasoning, not template recall, so a candidate who can only run a framework looks shallow. Another common error is failing to explain technical work in plain language.

 

Many strong students also underestimate the fit portion. Because the behavioral rounds feel friendly, candidates show up underprepared and give vague answers about why Brattle. Since many staff pursue advanced degrees, weak engagement with research and econometrics is the fastest way to fall out of contention, and the path is even more research heavy if you are getting into consulting as a PhD.

 

The Brattle Group interview rewards candidates who pair genuine quantitative depth with clear, human communication, so your single most important move is to practice explaining your own research out loud until a non economist could follow it. Do that, prepare specific fit answers, and review Brattle's casework, and you will walk in ready.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is it hard to get into The Brattle Group?

 

The Brattle Group interview is moderately difficult, with candidates rating it 2.88 out of 5 on Glassdoor as of 2026. The behavioral rounds are friendly and low pressure, but the bar on technical and research questions is high because many staff go on to PhD programs. Research Analyst and Associate roles are rated the hardest to land.

 

Does The Brattle Group do case interviews?

 

Yes. The Brattle Group includes a case interview in the final round for both Research Analyst and Associate positions. It is an interactive discussion built around a problem you might face as a Brattle consultant, with very little heavy calculation. Interviewers assess your critical thinking, economic intuition, and how you interpret data out loud.

 

How long does the Brattle Group hiring process take?

 

The Brattle Group hiring process takes about 23 days on average across all roles, based on 2026 Glassdoor data. Brattle says hiring decisions for Research Analyst and Associate candidates are typically made within 1 to 2 weeks of the interview day. PhD Associate roles run the longest, averaging around 60 days.

 

What questions does The Brattle Group ask in interviews?

 

Most Brattle Group questions are behavioral and fit based: why economic consulting, why Brattle, and walkthroughs of your research and teamwork experience. The final round adds technical questions on regression, elasticity, statistics, and reading charts, plus a case exercise. Associate candidates are also asked to present a recent research project.

 

How much does The Brattle Group pay?

 

Based on 502 salaries on Glassdoor as of May 2026, Brattle Group pay typically ranges from about $85,713 for a Research Analyst to about $177,758 for an Associate. Research Associates average roughly $107,947 in base pay. Total compensation rises with bonuses, location, and seniority.

 

Do you need a PhD to work at The Brattle Group?

 

No. Research Analyst roles target undergraduates in economics, statistics, math, or related fields. A graduate degree such as a Master's, MBA, or PhD is expected for Associate roles, and many Research Analysts later leave for PhD programs. So the firm values strong quantitative and research skills at every level.

 

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