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OC&C Case Interview Examples: A Worked Practice Case

OC&C cases are commercial, closely probed, and done without a calculator. Work through a full OC&C-style consumer case step by step, check your math as you go, and compare your answers to a model response.

By the Case Prep Team Updated October 1, 2026 15 min read

Online testNumerical and verbal, before interviews

2 roundsTwo cases in each round

Consumer and PEThe firm's core sectors

No calculatorIn the test and the cases

Start the practice case Read the OC&C interview guide

Format

What makes OC&C cases different

OC&C is a pure strategy firm with deep roots in consumer goods, retail, leisure, and private equity work. Its cases tend to be commercial: pricing, channels, brands, and whether a deal or growth move makes money.

Commercial instinct over frameworks

Interviewers want to see that you understand how the business actually makes money. A memorized framework with no commercial insight will not get far.

Expect to be probed

Candidates describe OC&C cases as conversational but closely questioned. Interviewers push on your assumptions and expect you to defend them with logic and numbers.

No calculator, anywhere

Prep guides report that OC&C bans calculators in both its online test and its case interviews. Clean mental math is essential.

OC&C is one of the few firms that offers candidates an interview buddy between the first and final rounds, a chance to ask questions and get guidance. See the OC&C interview guide for the full process.

Case types

Case types OC&C candidates report

These five themes cover most OC&C cases. Each example prompt below is an original OC&C-style prompt, not a real interview question. Pick a tab to see how you would structure it and what math to expect.

Example prompt: A premium craft brewer has been offered national supermarket distribution. Should it accept?
How to structure it: Weigh incremental profit against lower margins, sales taken from existing channels, and the risk to the brand.
Math to expect: Margin per unit by channel, cannibalization, and net profit impact.

Practice case

Worked practice case: Northbrew

This is an original case written in the style OC&C candidates describe: a commercial decision, channel economics, cannibalization math, and a brand risk to weigh. In a live interview you would drive it yourself and be probed along the way. Here, each step shows the question an interviewer would likely ask next.

Answer each step out loud or on paper, without a calculator, before you reveal the model answer.

Channel strategyConsumer goodsAbout 25 minutes

Northbrew: should a craft brewer go into supermarkets?

Your client is Northbrew, a premium craft beer brand that sells 1.4 million cases a year through bars and specialty liquor stores, for $54 million in revenue. A national supermarket chain has offered to stock Northbrew in all its stores, which it expects to sell 1 million cases a year. The founder is excited but worried about the brand. Should Northbrew accept?

If you ask clarifying questions, the interviewer shares:

Northbrew's brewery can produce up to 2.5 million cases a year.
Producing a case costs Northbrew $22, whichever channel it goes to.
Bars are Northbrew's most important channel for building the brand.

0 of 6 steps revealed

Structure the problem

Take about 2 minutes

Interviewer: How would you approach the founder's question?
The deal is worth doing only if the extra profit outweighs what Northbrew could lose. I would look at:
- Supermarket profit: volume times margin per case, after any promotional costs.
- Cannibalization: how many supermarket buyers would otherwise have bought Northbrew in specialty stores.
- Brand risk: whether bars see Northbrew as less premium once it is on supermarket shelves.
- Feasibility: brewery capacity and the cash needed to supply a national chain.
Why it works: it puts the founder's brand worry inside the numbers rather than treating it as a side issue. That is the commercial thinking OC&C looks for.
Read the channel exhibit

Take about 3 minutes

Interviewer: Here is Northbrew's economics by channel. How much gross profit would the supermarket deal make on its own?

Exhibit 1: Economics per case by channel

Channel Cases a year Price to Northbrew Profit per case

Bars 900,000 $40 $18

Specialty stores 500,000 $36 $14

Supermarket (offer) 1,000,000 $30 $6

Supermarket profit is after $2 per case of promotional costs. Illustrative data for practice.

Supermarket gross profit ($M)
Account for cannibalization

Take about 3 minutes

Interviewer: Northbrew estimates that 100,000 of the supermarket cases would come from shoppers who currently buy it in specialty stores. What is the net gain in profit?

Net profit gain ($M)
Price in the brand risk

Take about 3 minutes

Interviewer: Suppose some bars see Northbrew as less special and cut their orders by 10%. What would the net gain be then?

Net profit gain ($M)
Find a smarter way in

Take about 2 minutes

Interviewer: How could Northbrew capture the supermarket opportunity while protecting the brand?
- Range: offer only one or two core beers in supermarkets and keep limited editions for bars and specialty stores.
- Brand: consider a separate label for supermarkets so the flagship brand stays premium.
- Terms: negotiate lower promotional commitments and avoid deep discounts that make the brand look cheap.
- Rollout: start in one region and track bar orders before going national.
- Bars: tell key bar accounts early and give them exclusives, so they feel prioritized rather than replaced.
Turning a yes-or-no question into "yes, but on these terms" is a strong commercial answer.
Make the recommendation

Take about 1 minute

Interviewer: The founder asks what you would do. What do you say?

Channel	Cases a year	Price to Northbrew	Profit per case
Bars	900,000	$40	$18
Specialty stores	500,000	$36	$14
Supermarket (offer)	1,000,000	$30	$6

Math

OC&C case math quick check

OC&C does not allow calculators, so practice these the way you will face them: in your head or on paper. Aim for under a minute each.

A brand cuts its price per case from $40 to $36. By roughly what percentage must volume rise to keep revenue flat?

Volume increase (%)

A product sells for $40 and earns $18 of profit. What is its profit margin?

Margin (%)

A brand sells 1.4 million cases in a 35-million-case market. What is its market share?

Market share (%)

A retailer has 250 stores, each with $2.4M in sales. What is total revenue?

Revenue ($M)

Other formats

The online test and written case

The online test

Before interviews, OC&C candidates take an online assessment with verbal and numerical reasoning sections, reported to follow an SHL-style format. Calculators are reportedly not allowed, so practice reading charts and doing percentages in your head under time pressure.

The written case

Some offices add a written case in later rounds: a pack of data to analyze on your own, followed by a short presentation of your recommendation. Lead with the answer, give each slide one clear takeaway, and be ready to defend your numbers when the interviewer probes.

The exhibit drills are good practice for both formats.

Prep plan

A two-week prep plan for a OC&C case

Days 1 to 3
Practice commercial cases on pricing, channels, and brands. Start with the frameworks guide, then focus on the commercial logic behind each bucket.
Days 4 to 6
Drill math daily with no calculator: percentages, margins, and price-volume changes.
Days 7 to 8
Take a timed numerical and verbal reasoning practice test in the SHL style.
Days 9 to 11
Run full cases with a partner who probes hard on your assumptions. Redo Northbrew from memory and time yourself.
Days 12 to 14
Prepare fit stories and a specific "Why OC&C?" tied to its consumer and private equity work.

Keep preparing

OC&C interview guideRounds, formats, and the interview buddy. OC&C application deadlinesDates and timeline for the next cycle. Oliver Wyman case examplesA worked financial services case. EY-Parthenon case examplesA worked private equity diligence case.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What kind of cases does OC&C give?

Mostly commercial cases in consumer goods, retail, leisure, and private equity: pricing, channels, growth, and investment decisions.

Are OC&C cases candidate-led?

Candidates describe them as conversational and closely probed. You lead, but expect frequent questions and challenges along the way.

Can I use a calculator in OC&C interviews?

Prep guides report that OC&C does not allow calculators in its online test or its case interviews.

What is the OC&C online test?

An online assessment with verbal and numerical reasoning sections, taken before interviews.

What is the OC&C interview buddy?

OC&C offers some candidates a contact between the first and final rounds who can answer questions and help them prepare.

Is the Northbrew case a real OC&C case?

No. It is an original practice case written to match the style OC&C candidates describe. All numbers are illustrative.

Sources

PrepLounge, Free Guide to OC&C Consulting Case Interviews. preplounge.com. Accessed October 2026.
Hacking the Case Interview, OC&C Case Interview guide. hackingthecaseinterview.com. Accessed October 2026.
Road to Offer, OC&C Case Interview: Process, Online Assessment and Prep. roadtooffer.com. Accessed October 2026.

Case Prep is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by OC&C Strategy Consultants. The Northbrew case, example prompts, and all data on this page are original teaching material.