Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: March 23, 2026

 

Virtual case interviews are now the default format at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and most other consulting firms. According to Glassdoor data, over 80% of first-round consulting interviews are conducted over video conference platforms like Zoom. Whether you are interviewing for an Associate, Consultant, or experienced hire role, you need to know how to succeed in a virtual format.

 

This guide covers everything you need to ace a virtual case interview: tech setup, environment preparation, virtual whiteboard strategy, firm-specific differences, and the exact tips that separate candidates who pass from those who do not.

 

But first, a quick heads up:

 

McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and other top firms accept less than 1% of applicants every year. If you want to triple your chances of landing interviews and 8x your chances of passing them, watch my free 40-minute training.

 

What Is a Virtual Case Interview?

 

A virtual case interview is a case interview conducted over a video conference platform instead of in person. You and the interviewer connect through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or a similar service. The interviewer presents a business problem, and you work through it together in real time, exactly like you would across a table at a consulting office.

 

The case itself is identical to an in-person case. You will be asked to structure a framework, perform calculations, interpret charts, answer qualitative questions, and deliver a recommendation. The evaluation criteria are the same too. The only difference is the medium: a screen instead of a conference room.

 

Virtual case interviews became the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they have stuck around because they are more efficient for both firms and candidates. Firms save on travel reimbursement and office logistics. Candidates avoid the stress and expense of flying to an office for a 30-minute interview. According to McKinsey's careers page, their goal is for virtual interviews to match the in-person experience as closely as possible.

 

How Is a Virtual Case Interview Different from an In-Person Case Interview?

 

The core skills being tested are exactly the same: structured thinking, analytical problem solving, business acumen, communication, and cultural fit. However, the delivery medium creates real differences that you need to prepare for. Here is a side-by-side comparison.

 

Factor	In-Person	Virtual
Note sharing	Slide paper across the table	Hold up paper to camera or screen share
Rapport building	Handshake, walk to room, small talk	Limited to first 1-2 minutes on camera
Communication	Natural eye contact and body language	Must look at camera, not the screen
Environment	Firm controls the room	You control your own space
Tech risk	Minimal	Internet drops, audio lag, webcam issues
Chart/data delivery	Paper handout across table	Screen share or emailed PDF

 

Do Virtual Case Interviews Test the Same Skills?

 

Yes. Every major consulting firm has confirmed that the evaluation criteria, difficulty level, and passing bar are identical for virtual and in-person cases. You are scored on the same dimensions: how you structure the problem, the quality of your analysis, the accuracy of your math, and how clearly you communicate your recommendation.

 

In my experience as a Bain interviewer, the only thing that changes is how you present your work. In person, you can slide your paper across the table. On video, you need to either hold it up to the camera or use a screen-sharing tool. That shift in delivery requires practice, but the underlying case skills are no different.

 

Are Virtual Case Interviews Easier or Harder?

 

Neither. They are different. Some aspects are easier: you are in a familiar environment, you do not have to travel, and you have your own desk setup. Other aspects are harder: building rapport is trickier, sharing your notes requires extra effort, and tech issues can break your concentration.

 

The candidates who struggle with virtual interviews are almost always the ones who did not practice in the virtual format. If you prepare specifically for the video medium, you will not find virtual cases harder than in-person ones.

 

Which Consulting Firms Use Virtual Case Interviews?

 

Nearly every major consulting firm uses virtual case interviews for at least part of their process. However, the specifics vary by firm, office, and interview round. Here is a summary based on the latest available information from firm career pages and candidate reports.

 

Firm	Platform	First Round	Final Round	Whiteboard Use
McKinsey	Zoom	Virtual (most offices)	Often in-person	Paper to camera preferred
BCG	Zoom	Virtual (most offices)	Mixed	Varies by office
Bain	Zoom	Virtual (most offices)	Often in-person	Paper to camera typical
Deloitte	Teams/Zoom	Virtual	Mixed	Digital whiteboard common
PwC	Zoom	Virtual	Mixed	Digital tools encouraged
EY-Parthenon	Teams/Zoom	Virtual	Mixed	Varies
Oliver Wyman	Zoom	Virtual	Often in-person	Paper to camera

 

If a firm gives you the choice between virtual and in-person for your final round, in-person is generally the better option. It is easier to build a personal connection with your interviewer, and that connection can be the tiebreaker between two strong candidates. But if virtual is your only option, it is absolutely possible to ace it.

 

How Should You Set Up Your Tech for a Virtual Case Interview?

 

Tech failures are the number one avoidable reason candidates underperform in virtual case interviews. A choppy video feed, muted mic, or frozen screen will distract you and frustrate your interviewer. Test everything at least 48 hours before your interview, not the morning of.

 

What Computer and Webcam Do You Need?

 

Use a laptop or desktop computer. Never use a phone or tablet. You need a large enough screen to see your interviewer, read shared charts, and potentially use screen sharing. If your laptop has an older, low-resolution webcam, consider buying an external 1080p webcam. Logitech models in the $50 to $80 range work well.

 

Position your camera at eye level. If you are using a laptop on a desk, place it on a stack of books so the camera is not looking up at your chin. This small adjustment makes a noticeable difference in how professional you look on screen.

 

How Do You Test Your Internet Connection?

 

Run a speed test at speedtest.net. You need at least 10 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload for a stable HD video call. If your Wi-Fi is unreliable, use a wired ethernet connection. Close all other browser tabs and applications before the interview to free up bandwidth.

 

Have a backup plan ready. Keep your phone charged with a mobile hotspot available. If your internet drops during the interview, switch to your phone hotspot immediately. The 15 to 30 seconds it takes to reconnect is far better than losing the rest of the interview to a bad connection.

 

What Audio Setup Works Best?

 

Use earbuds or a headset with a built-in microphone. Your laptop's built-in speakers and mic will pick up echoes, background noise, and keyboard sounds. Noise-canceling earbuds are ideal. AirPods Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds, or a simple wired headset all work well.

 

Test your audio by doing a practice Zoom call with a friend. Ask them to confirm that your voice sounds clear and there is no echo or background noise. Do this from the exact room and setup you plan to use on interview day.

 

Should You Disable AI Note-Taking Tools?

 

Yes. McKinsey's interview tips page explicitly tells candidates to disable previously installed AI software, including note-taking tools and virtual assistants, before the interview. These tools may unintentionally record or appear to assist with the interview, which could raise red flags with your interviewer.

 

Before your interview, close or uninstall any AI meeting assistants like Otter.ai, Fireflies, or Grain. Turn off any browser extensions that auto-summarize or transcribe calls. You do not want anything running in the background that could be detected or that could cause unexpected pop-ups during your case.

 

How Do You Set Up Your Physical Environment?

 

Your room setup matters more than most candidates realize. A cluttered background, poor lighting, or cramped desk space will distract your interviewer and make you look unprepared. Here is exactly how to set up your space.

 

Choose a quiet, private room with a door you can close. Tell everyone in your household that you have an interview and cannot be interrupted. Put your phone on silent (unless it is your hotspot backup).

 

Face a window for natural lighting, or place a desk lamp behind your computer screen to illuminate your face evenly. Avoid having a bright window behind you, which will turn you into a dark silhouette on camera.

 

Set your background to be clean and simple. A plain wall, a neat bookshelf, or a tidy room all work. Zoom virtual backgrounds can look glitchy, so a real clean background is better.

 

Push your computer farther back on the desk than you normally would. You need room in front of the camera for several sheets of blank paper, a pen, and a clipboard. Having your notes in the camera's field of view helps the interviewer see that you are taking notes and working through the problem, even if they cannot read the specific words.

 

How Do You Share Your Work in a Virtual Case Interview?

 

Sharing your framework and calculations is one of the biggest adjustments in a virtual case interview. In person, you simply turn your paper around and slide it across the table. On video, you have three options, and you should be comfortable with all of them.

 

Should You Use a Virtual Whiteboard or Pen and Paper?

 

Pen and paper is the safest default. Most interviewers at MBB firms expect you to use paper and hold it up to the camera when sharing your framework or math. Paper is faster to write on, easier to organize, and does not require you to fumble with screen sharing.

 

However, some firms (especially Deloitte, PwC, and Capital One) may ask you to use a digital whiteboard or share your screen using a Word document or Google Sheet. If the firm tells you in advance that they expect screen sharing, practice with that specific tool before interview day.

 

How Do You Hold Up Notes to the Camera?

 

Use a clipboard. Write your framework or calculations on a sheet of paper clipped to a clipboard, then hold the clipboard up to the camera at a slight angle. This is much steadier than holding a floppy piece of paper with one hand.

 

Practice this before interview day. Record yourself on Zoom holding up your clipboard and watch the playback. Check that your handwriting is legible, the paper fills most of the frame, and you are holding it steady for at least 5 to 10 seconds so the interviewer can read it. Use a dark marker or thick pen so your writing is visible on camera.

 

What Virtual Whiteboard Tools Should You Know?

 

Zoom has a built-in Whiteboard feature that supports both text and freehand drawing. To access it, click Share Screen at the bottom of your Zoom meeting, then select Whiteboard. This is the most commonly requested digital tool in virtual case interviews.

 

Other options include Google Jamboard, Miro, or simply sharing a Google Sheet or Word document. If you are not sure what tool to use, ask the firm's recruiting coordinator before interview day. Knowing the tool in advance eliminates one source of stress.

 

How Do You Build Rapport with an Interviewer Over Video?

 

Building rapport over video is harder than in person because you lose the handshake, the walk to the room, and the natural small talk that happens before an interview. According to Glassdoor reviews, candidates who establish a personal connection with their interviewer are significantly more likely to receive positive feedback. You cannot skip this step just because you are on a screen.

 

Look at the camera when speaking, not at the interviewer's face on your screen. This simulates eye contact. It feels unnatural at first, but it makes a big difference in how engaged you appear. Practice this during mock calls with friends.

 

Smile when you greet the interviewer. Use the first 30 to 60 seconds for brief small talk if the interviewer initiates it. Ask a genuine question about their day or their project work. Keep it short and natural.

 

Dress in full business professional attire, including shoes. This sounds extreme for a video call, but dressing fully puts you in a professional mindset. Having coached hundreds of candidates, I have seen that candidates who dress up for virtual interviews consistently perform better than those who wear a blazer over pajama pants.

 

Pay attention to your body language. Sit up straight, keep your hands visible when you are not writing, and nod occasionally when the interviewer is speaking. Adjust your camera distance so the frame shows you from the chest up, not just your face. This lets the interviewer see your gestures and energy.

 

What Are the Best Tips for Acing a Virtual Case Interview?

 

After coaching hundreds of candidates through virtual case interviews, these are the 10 tips that make the biggest difference. Many of these are specific to the virtual format and are not covered in general case interview prep.

 

1. Over-recap at the beginning. After the interviewer reads the case prompt, give a thorough recap of the situation and objective. In a virtual setting, there is more uncertainty about whether you caught all the details. A strong recap proves you are paying full attention and sets a confident tone.
   
   
2. Verbally walk through your entire framework. Since the interviewer may not be able to read your handwritten notes, describe every bucket and sub-bullet of your framework out loud. Say something like: "I want to look into three areas. First, market attractiveness. Under that, I want to understand market size, growth rate, and profit margins. Second..." This level of verbal detail is more important on video than in person.
   
   
3. Narrate your math step by step. Talk through every calculation as you write it down. Say the numbers out loud: "240 million times 10% gives us 24 million." This helps the interviewer follow your work and also reduces the chance you make an arithmetic error.
   
   
4. Signal transitions clearly. When you move from one section of your framework to the next, say it explicitly: "I have finished analyzing market attractiveness. I would now like to move on to the competitive landscape." These signposts keep the interviewer oriented, especially when they cannot see your notes.
   
   
5. Pause before answering. In person, a brief pause feels natural. On video, silence can feel awkward, so candidates tend to rush. Fight this impulse. Take 2 to 3 seconds to gather your thoughts before responding. Say "Let me take a moment to think about that" if you need more time.
   
   
6. Ask for confirmation frequently. Every few minutes, check in with the interviewer: "Does that make sense so far?" or "Would you like me to go deeper on this area?" This replaces the visual cues (nodding, leaning in) that you would pick up in person.
   
   
7. Give a firm recommendation with extra clarity. At the end of the case, state your recommendation, two or three supporting reasons, and potential next steps. Be even more structured and explicit than you would be in person. The worst answer is "we need more data." That answer will fail you in any format.
   
   
8. Manage your screen real estate. If the interviewer shares a chart via screen share, you may need to shrink the Zoom window to take notes on paper. Practice toggling between the shared screen and your physical notes so it feels natural.
   
   
9. Have water nearby. Your voice is your primary tool in a virtual interview. A dry throat or a cough can derail your delivery. Keep a glass of water within reach, but off camera.
   
   
10. Do a full dress rehearsal. Two days before your interview, do a complete mock case on Zoom with a practice partner. Use the exact setup you plan to use: same room, same computer, same camera position, same outfit. Record it and watch the playback to spot anything you want to fix.

 

How Do You Practice for a Virtual Case Interview?

 

Practicing case interviews in general is essential. The average successful candidate spends 60 to 100 hours preparing. But you also need to practice specifically for the virtual format. Here is how.

 

First, find a case partner and schedule practice sessions on Zoom or another video platform. Do not just practice cases in person and assume the skills will transfer. The transition from paper-on-table to paper-on-camera is more awkward than it sounds, and you need repetitions to make it smooth.

 

Second, record every practice session. Watch the playback and evaluate yourself on camera presence, eye contact, clarity of your verbal structure, and how well your notes show up on screen. Most candidates are surprised by how much they learn from watching their own video. You can learn more about solo practice methods in our guide on how to practice case interviews by yourself.

 

Third, simulate tech problems during practice. Have your partner deliberately mute themselves for 10 seconds or turn off their camera. Practice saying "I think we may have lost connection. Can you hear me?" without panicking. The more you rehearse handling disruptions, the calmer you will be if they happen on interview day.

 

If you want to learn case interview frameworks and strategies quickly, my case interview course walks you through proven methods in as little as 7 days. Every lesson in the course can be applied directly to a virtual case interview format.

 

What Should You Do If Your Tech Fails During the Interview?

 

Tech failures happen. The good news is that interviewers understand this and will not hold a brief technical glitch against you. What matters is how you handle it. Here is a simple protocol to follow.

 

If your video freezes or your audio cuts out for a few seconds, stay calm and wait. Most brief disruptions resolve themselves within 10 to 15 seconds. When the connection stabilizes, say: "It looks like we had a brief connection issue. Could you repeat the last point so I make sure I have it right?"

 

If you lose the connection entirely and get dropped from the call, rejoin immediately. Switch to your mobile hotspot if your Wi-Fi is down. If you cannot rejoin within 60 seconds, call or email the recruiter to let them know. Firms will almost always reschedule or give you extra time.

 

If screen sharing is not working, have a backup plan. Say: "Screen sharing seems to be having issues. Let me hold my notes up to the camera instead." Interviewers will appreciate your composure and adaptability. After all, troubleshooting on the fly is exactly what consultants do on client projects.

 

Virtual Case Interview Checklist

 

Use this checklist the day before and the morning of your virtual case interview. You can also find more general preparation tips in our case interview tips guide.

 

• Test your internet speed (minimum 10 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up)

 

• Test your webcam and microphone on a practice Zoom call

 

• Charge your laptop fully and plug in the charger

 

• Set up your mobile hotspot as a backup internet connection

 

• Close all unnecessary browser tabs and applications

 

• Disable AI note-taking tools, virtual assistants, and browser extensions

 

• Prepare 5 or more sheets of blank paper, a dark pen, and a clipboard

 

• Set up your desk with the computer pushed back to create writing space

 

• Position your camera at eye level (use books or a stand if needed)

 

• Check your lighting (face a window or use a front-facing desk lamp)

 

• Clean your background (plain wall or neat bookshelf)

 

• Inform household members that you cannot be interrupted

 

• Dress in full business professional attire

 

• Have a glass of water within reach

 

• Download and test the video platform the firm will use (Zoom, Teams, etc.)

 

• Log in to the meeting link 5 minutes before the scheduled start time

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Can You Use a Calculator During a Virtual Case Interview?

 

No. Calculators are not allowed in virtual case interviews, just as they are not allowed in person. Interviewers are trained to spot candidates who are using a calculator based on response speed and typing sounds. Do all mental math by hand on paper. If you need to sharpen your case math, our case interview course includes 100+ targeted math practice problems.

 

Should You Use Paper or a Laptop for Notes?

 

Paper is strongly recommended. It is faster to write on, easier to organize into a framework layout, and simpler to hold up to the camera. Typing on a laptop during the interview can sound distracting, and interviewers may wonder if you are doing something else on your screen. If you want to type notes, ask the firm in advance if that is acceptable.

 

What Should You Wear for a Virtual Case Interview?

 

Wear the same business professional attire you would wear to an in-person interview. For men, this typically means a suit and tie or a blazer with a button-down shirt. For women, a blazer with a professional blouse or dress. Dressing fully (including shoes) puts you in the right professional mindset and protects you if you need to stand up for any reason.

 

How Long Does a Virtual Case Interview Last?

 

A virtual case interview typically lasts 30 to 45 minutes, which is the same duration as an in-person case interview. Some firms schedule interviews in blocks of 60 minutes, which includes time for a fit interview portion and a few minutes of Q&A at the end. You can learn more about the full consulting interview process in our case interviews for beginners guide.

 

Can You Do a Virtual Case Interview on Your Phone?

 

No. A phone screen is too small to see your interviewer clearly, read shared charts, or use screen-sharing features. Always use a laptop or desktop computer. A phone should only be used as a backup mobile hotspot in case your primary internet connection fails.

 

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