capital one case study interview examples

Hacking the Case Interview

Capital One uses case interviews to identify promising candidates to hire for many of their business roles, including their business analyst, data analyst, and strategy analyst roles.

In a Capital One case interview, you’ll be placed in a hypothetical business situation and asked to develop a recommendation or answer to a business problem.

Capital One’s use of case interviews may be surprising to some people because case interviews   are typically used in consulting interviews. Capital One is a bank and financial institution, not a consulting firm.

However, there are two reasons why Capital One uses case interviews.

The first reason is that compared to other traditional banks, Capital One likes to position itself as a data company that happens to be in the financial services industry. There is a heavy emphasis on using data to drive business decisions. Therefore, case interviews are an effective way to assess problem solving and quantitative thinking.

The second reason is that Capital One hires a lot of former consultants from top consulting firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. A lot of the business divisions at Capital One are run by former consultants who run their teams like a consulting team. Capital One wants to hire people that can do the same type of work that consultants do .

For business analyst, data analyst, and strategy analyst roles, there are typically two rounds of interviews. 

• Capital One first round interview : one 30-minute case interview, also known as a business analyst case interview . There will be minimal time for any behavioral or fit interview questions.
• Capital One final round interview : three to four 30-40 minute interviews. One interview will be focused on behavioral or fit interview questions while all the other interviews will be focused on Capital One case interviews.

In order to receive your Capital One job offer, you will need to nail all 3 to 4 of your case interviews.

If you have an upcoming Capital One case interview, we have you covered. In this article, we'll go through in detail:

• What qualities do Capital One case interviews assess?
• Differences between Capital One and consulting case interviews
• How to solve Capital One case interviews
• Capital One case interview tips
• Capital One case interview examples
• Recommended Capital One case interview resources

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

What Qualities do Capital One Case Interviews Assess?

Capital One case interviews assess four main qualities: logical and structured thinking, quantitative skills, communication skills, and business judgment.

Logical and structured thinking : Capital One looks for candidates that are organized and methodical problem solvers.  

• Can you structure complex problems in a clear, simple way?
• Can you use logic and reason to make appropriate conclusions?

Quantitative skills : Capital One looks for candidates that have strong analytical skills to solve complex business problems and make important business decisions

• Can you read and interpret data well?
• Can you perform math computations smoothly and accurately?
• Can you conduct the right analyses to draw the right conclusions?

Communication skills : Capital One looks for candidates that can communicate in a clear, concise, and persuasive way.

• Can you communicate in a clear and concise way?
• Are you articulate and persuasive in what you are saying?

Business judgment : Capital One looks for candidates with strong business instincts that help them make the right decisions and develop the right recommendations.

• Do you have a basic understanding of fundamental business concepts?
• Do your conclusions and recommendations make sense from a business perspective?

Differences between Capital One and Consulting Case Interviews

There are three main differences between Capital One and consulting case interviews. Capital One case interviews focus on quantitative analysis, Capital One allows calculators, and Capital One cases may require some basic understanding of their financial products.

1. Capital One case interviews focus on quantitative analysis

Traditional case interviews have a balance between answering qualitative questions and solving quantitative problems. Capital One case interviews almost exclusively focus on the quantitative aspects of case.

Let’s consider a case interview in which you are trying to decide whether a friend should open up a mini-golf course as an investment.

In a traditional case interview, you would look into both qualitative and quantitative factors to make a recommendation. You would look at the market attractiveness, the competitive landscape, your friend’s capabilities, and the expected profitability.

For a Capital One case interview, you will focus almost exclusively on the expected profitability. Your framework would look at the expected revenues and expected costs of opening a mini-golf course to see what annual profits would be.

If annual profits are high, you would recommend opening a mini-golf course. If annual profits are negative or low, you would not recommend opening a mini-golf course.

In a Capital One case interview, you may cover some qualitative factors at the end of your calculations when you are discussing risks, but the qualitative factors will not be a critical component of solving the case.

Since most Capital One case interviews come down to setting up and solving math equations, they can be simpler and more straight forward than traditional consulting case interviews.

2. Capital One case interviews allow a calculator

Another big difference between Capital One case interviews and traditional consulting case interviews is that Capital One allows candidates to use calculators.

While this may sound like this makes the case interview easier, that is not necessarily the case. Since you are allowed to use a calculator, you’ll typically be dealing with bigger and messier numbers during a Capital One case interview.

While traditional case interviews use round numbers that are easy to work with, Capital One case interviews use large and more precise numbers. This makes some calculations too tedious to solve by hand, which is why you are allowed to use a calculator.

3. Capital One case requires may require familiarity with financial products

Traditional case interviews don’t require any specialized knowledge in order to solve the case. You do not need to research any industries beforehand.

While this is generally true for Capital One case interviews, it does help to be familiar with how basic financial products work. In your final round interviews, you may be given a case focused on credit cards or checking and savings accounts.

If you understand how these financial products work, you’ll have an easier time with the case interview and the interviewer will not need to explain as much background information to you.

Here are the basics of what you should know.

Credit cards generate revenue through an annual fee, interchange, and interest.  

• An annual fee is a fee that the cardholder must pay in order to keep the credit card active
• When a cardholder uses their credit card at a merchant, the merchant pays the credit card company a small percentage of the transaction amount. This is known as interchange and covers the cost of transaction and the cost to handle fraud.
• Credit card companies charge interest on balances that are not fully paid off at the end of the billing cycle.

The major costs of credit cards are service costs and charge offs.  

• Service costs include the costs to keep the credit card active and the costs to provide support to the cardholder
• Charge offs occur when a cardholder can no longer pay their credit card debt and the credit card company fails to recover the amount of money the cardholder has borrowed on the credit card

Checking and savings accounts are simpler to understand. The bank makes money by lending a portion of the money that customers have deposited into their accounts. They give customers a small amount of interest for their deposits.

The interest rates that banks charge for loans are much higher than the interest rates that the bank pays to customers for their deposits, which is how banks make money.

How to Solve a Capital One Case Interview

There are six steps to solving a Capital One case interview:

• Take notes on the case background information
• Synthesize the information and verify the objective of the case
• Ask clarifying questions
• Create a framework
• Perform calculations
• Discuss the implications of your answer
• Deliver a recommendation

1. Take notes on the case background information

Capital One case interviews begin with the interviewer giving you the case background information. Let’s say that the interviewer reads you the following information:

Interviewer : As an investment, your friend is considering opening up a mini-golf course. Should they do it?

As the interviewer reads you the case information, take notes. It is important to understand what the objective is.

2. Synthesize information and verify the objective of the case

After the interviewer finishes giving you the case information, confirm that you understand the situation and objective. Provide a concise synthesis like the following:

You : To make sure I understand correctly, our friend is considering opening up a mini-golf course as an investment. The goal of this case is to decide whether they should open up a mini-golf course.

Interviewer : Exactly. That is correct.

3. Ask clarifying questions

Next, you’ll be able to ask clarifying questions . Try to limit your questions to only the most critical questions that you need answers to in order to solve the case.

You : Before I begin structuring a framework, can I ask what our friend’s financial targets are for the investment?

Interviewer : Your friend is hoping to make at least $200,000 in profit in the first year.

4. Create a framework

Next, lay out a framework for how you are going to solve the case. A framework is simply a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into simpler, smaller components.

For this Capital One case interview example, your framework may look like the following:

You : To determine whether or not our friend should open a mini-golf course, we will need to calculate the expected annual profit. To do this, we need to calculate expected revenues and expected costs.

To calculate revenues, we need to estimate how many people will visit the mini-golf course per year. 

We can calculate this by estimating the number of people that come per hour and multiply this by the number of hours per day the mini-golf course is open. To annualize this, we can multiply by the number of days per year the course is open

If we know the number of annual visitors, we can multiply by the price that the mini-golf course charges for admission to get total annual revenue.

To calculate costs, we need to add up all of the different costs associated with running a mini-golf course. The major costs that come to mind are construction costs, rent, and staff costs to operate the mini-golf course. There are also other minor costs such as the costs of golf balls and golf clubs.

Interviewer : That approach makes sense to me.

5. Perform calculations

Once you have presented your framework to the interviewer and the interviewer has approved of your approach or given you feedback, you will move onto doing calculations.

When you are performing calculations, make sure you are walking the interviewer through each step. You do not want to be doing calculations in silence.

By walking the interviewer through each step of your math, the interviewer can easily follow what you are doing and provide suggestions or further information to help you.

Interviewer : Let’s move onto the calculations. I have the following information for you.

You : Let’s calculate revenue first. The mini-golf course is open 12 hours per day.

From 10AM – 5PM, the mini-golf course gets 10 visitors per hour. This gives us 70 visitors over seven hours. From 5PM – 10PM, the course gets 50 visitors per hour. This gives us 250 visitors over five hours. So, the mini-golf course gets 320 visitors per day.

The course is open 360 days per year, so 360 days times 320 visitors gives us 115,200 visitors. If each visitor pays $15 for admission, that is $1,728,000 in revenue per year.

Looking at costs, rent is $24,000 per month or $288,000 per year. 

There are 12 staff members at all times. They work 12 hours per day at $12 per hour. This gives us $1,728 in staff costs per day. Multiplying this by 360 days, this gives us $622,080 in staff costs per year.

Adding construction costs, equipment costs, rent costs, and staff costs gives us a total cost in the first year of $1,525,080.

Therefore, profit in the first year is $1,728,000 minus $1,525,080, which is $202,920. 

6. Discuss the implications of your answer

When you have finished your calculations, discuss the implications of your answer. How do the results of your calculations help you answer the overall case question? What are other considerations you should take into account?

Interviewer:  How would you interpret your answer?

You : Since profit in the first year is $202,920, this just meets our friend’s financial objective of reaching $200,000 in profits in the first year.

However, I noticed that construction costs and equipment costs are a one-time fixed cost. Although there will probably be future maintenance costs, our friend would not incur $615,000 of these costs again in the following years. I’d expect profits in year two and beyond to be much larger than the first year.

I also noticed that the mini-golf course employs 12 people at all times. Is there a reason for this? I’m wondering if there are opportunities to use machines to replace some of the repetitive and manual tasks that these employees do. This may further increase profits by decreasing costs.

7. Deliver a recommendation

At the end of the Capital One case interview, the interviewer will prompt you for a recommendation. Make sure to structure your recommendation so that it is clear and easy to follow. You can use this simple, but effective structure:

• State your recommendation
• Provide 2 – 3 reasons that support your recommendation
• Propose next steps

Here is an example of what a recommendation could look like:

Interviewer : Thanks for all of the work that you have done so far. What is your final recommendation?

You : I recommend that our friend should open up a mini-golf course. There are two reasons that support this.

One, the mini-golf course is expected to generate $202,920 in profits in the first year. This meets our friend’s financial objective of having at least $200,000 in profits in the first year.

Two, profits in year two and beyond will be much higher because our friend will not incur another $500,000 in construction costs or $115,000 in equipment costs. There will still be maintenance and repair costs, but profits could be as high as $817,920.

For next steps, I’d want to determine if our friend has the capabilities to successfully run and operate a mini-golf course. I’d also want to look at competitors to see how strong they are. They may try to take away visitors and revenues from our friend’s golf course.

Interviewer : Thanks for the recommendation. This concludes the case interview.

Learn the basics of Capital One case interviews in 30 minutes

We've summarized all of the basics of case interviews in a 30-minute video below. We highly recommend that you watch the video in its entirety.

Capital One Case interview Tips

Follow the five tips below to avoid making common mistakes in Capital One case interviews.

Tip #1: Share your thinking and reasoning out loud

Many candidates make the mistake of not communicating what they are thinking or doing. Remember, you get no credit for great ideas if they are not communicated to the interviewer.

When creating a framework for the case interview, walk your interviewer through it. When performing math calculations, walk your interviewer through each step.

For each decision that you make, communicate why you are making that decision so that the interviewer can understand the approach and rationale that you are using.

This way, the interviewer can give you credit for your ideas and thinking. Additionally, the interviewer may offer you suggestions or guidance to help you solve the case. The interviewer cannot provide you with support if they do not know what you are thinking or planning to do.

Tip #2: There is not always one correct answer

Like most case interviews, there is not always one correct answer. For the same Capital One case interview, two candidates can give completely opposite recommendations and still both receive job offers.

Although math calculations typically only have one right answer, there are many ways to interpret the final figure that you have calculated. As long as your recommendation is supported by data and evidence, your recommendation will be accepted by the interviewer.

Tip #3: Stay organized when working with a lot of data

Capital One case interviews will have a lot of data and information in the form of tables, charts, and graphs. When working with a lot of data, it is important to stay organized.

Make sure you do your calculations on a separate sheet of paper to keep your calculations separate from your notes and framework.

As you calculate different numbers, circle important numbers that you are likely to use over and over again. This makes your numbers easier to find and will prevent you from having to recalculate a figure that you have already calculated.

Draw a box around your final calculated answer to distinguish it from your other numbers and calculations.

Tip #4: Check your units

Make sure to check the units of the data you are working with.

Capital One case interviews often include data that have different units. For example, revenue may be given in terms of revenue per week while costs may be given in terms of costs per month.

Whenever you perform calculations, make sure the numbers are in the appropriate units. Working with the wrong units will make your answer wrong by orders of magnitude.

Tip #5: Know how to use a calculator quickly and efficiently

Capital One case interviews are one of the few interviews where you are allowed to use a calculator. You will most likely need to use the calculator during the interview when you are given large numbers that are tedious to calculate by hand.

Capital One is strict on only allowing standard, non-scientific calculators. Therefore, become familiar with using this type of calculator, which can only perform basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

These calculators have much less functionality than scientific calculators, so it may take some practice to get used to using them.

Capital One Case Interview Examples

Capital One provides a video explaining their case interview process. They also provide examples candidates answering case interview questions. The video is embedded below:

Below are some Capital One case interview questions that candidates have received in the past.

Example #1 : An arcade is considering whether they should be open on Tuesdays, the day of the week in which they typically see the lowest number of customers. We'll start by brainstorming the primary drivers of revenue and costs for an arcade and then calculate expected profits on Tuesdays to make a decision.

Example #2 : What is the typical annual profits of a movie theater? Let's brainstorm what the major sources of revenues are and what the major cost items are. Afterwards, I'll provide you with some data to calculate annual profit.

Example #3 : Let's calculate the average profit per credit card opened. What are the major revenue sources stemming from credit card use? What are the major costs?

Example #4 : A new credit card that is launched typically sees a spike in charge-offs (money lost because the credit card owner cannot make their payments) after 6 to 9 months of launch. What can banks do to: 1) reduce the amount of charge-offs and 2) reduce the spikiness of when they happen?

Recommended Capital One Interview Resources

Here are the resources we recommend to land a Capital One offer:

For help landing interviews

• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple job interviews

For help passing case interviews

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

For help passing behavioral & fit interviews

• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course : Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer.

Learn Case Interviews 10x Faster

Complete, step-by-step case interview course. 30,000+ happy customers.

Capital One Case Interview (questions, process, prep)

Case interviews can be very difficult, whether you’ve done them before or not. Capital One case interviews, in particular, are known to be heavy on quantitative questions, so that’s an added challenge to the entire process. So, if you’re applying for any role at Capital One that entails a case interview, you’ll want to extensively prepare for it.

But no need to worry. To help you prepare and boost your chances of success, we've put together the ultimate guide to the Capital One case interview, along with an overview of the company’s interview process. We’ve also included useful interview tips, free review resources, and a prep plan you can easily follow. (You can also check this out if you're specifically looking for Capital One product manager case interview questions .)

Here's an overview of what we'll cover here:

• Introduction to Capital One
• Capital One interview process
• Case interviews
• Product questions
• Behavioural questions
• Capital One case interview examples
• Preparation plan

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with case interview experts

1. introduction to capital one ↑.

Capital One is unique. Despite being founded as a single-business bank in 1994, it has grown to become the 9th largest bank ($475.6bn in assets) in the United States as of this writing, behind firms such as JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs . The business was initially focused solely on credit cards but now includes the following 3 verticals:

• Credit Cards
• Consumer Banking
• Commercial Banking

The company's success is driven largely by its clever use of data . It has developed and continues to develop sophisticated strategies and techniques for identifying and directly marketing to profitable customers. This gave the company a competitive advantage over traditional banks, which have historically focused on broad (rather than targeted) marketing.

With its unusual history and focus on technology, Capital One has more of a "tech firm" feel, which is different from what you'd expect from a giant financial institution. It also has its own strategy group , which serves as its internal consulting firm. 

If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely interested in applying for a role at Capital One that includes case interviews as part of its application process. Or perhaps you’re already preparing for a case interview with the firm. Either way, before we get into the application and interview process, let’s take a look at how much you stand to earn if you land a spot at Capital One.

1.1 Capital One roles and salaries

Below we’ve compiled a summary of the average base pay and compensation of Capital One’s analyst and tech positions, based on Glassdoor reports .

Your interview performance will help determine how much you’ll be offered. That’s why hiring one of our case interview coaches can provide such a significant return on investment.

And remember, compensation packages are always negotiable. So, if you do get an offer, don’t be afraid to ask for more. If you need help with salary negotiation, consider booking a salary negotiation coaching session with one of our experts to put yourself in a stronger position.

2. Capital One interview process ↑

Capital One hires for roles ranging from call centre reps to software engineers and business analysts. The nature of the interview process you can expect at Capital One depends on the role you’re applying for. Not every role will have a case interview.

Here are the roles that undergo case interviews at Capital One:

• Strategy analyst
• Operations analyst
• Data analyst
• Strategy consultant
• Strategy associate
• Product manager

The application process for these roles includes 5 main stages:

• Resume and cover letter submission
• Virtual Job Tryouts (online assessment tests)
• Recruiter screening
• Mini case interview
• Power Day (3-5 interviews)

The application process for the different roles is more or less the same: largely focused on case interviews. Some roles, like the strategy consultant and strategy associate roles, may include a written case interview, along with the standard ones during the Power Day. 

Before we dive more deeply into case interviews, let's take a closer look at each step of the Capital One interview process.

2.1 Resume & cover letter submission

First, recruiters will look at your resume and assess if your experience matches the position you’ve applied for. 

To help tailor your application to the position you’re targeting, use our free resume guide and free cover letter guide .

If you’re looking for expert feedback, you can also get input from our team of expert recruiters , who will cover what achievements to focus on (or ignore), how to get more impact from your bullet points, and more.

2.2 Capital One Virtual Job Tryouts

Once you apply, you’ll get email instructions to join the Virtual Job Tryouts or VJT, Capital One’s version of an online assessment. The VJT consists of different tests and tasks, which vary depending on the role. Here are some examples of the modules you may encounter, based on Capital One’s Career FAQs :

• Manage Relationships: Make decisions and respond to scenarios you’ll commonly encounter in the role.
• Work Your Business Case: Review and integrate information from multiple sources about a fictitious business and offer solutions to help it succeed.
• Tell Us Your Story: Talk about your work experiences and background that have helped shape who you are.
• Describe Your Approach: Talk about your preferred style and approach to work.
• Quantitative Assessment (for business analyst candidates) : Take a standard quantitative test where you’ll be given a data set and 7 to 11 questions to answer. You'll need to use a spreadsheet to solve mathematical and analytical problems.

Below we’ve gathered a few quantitative assessment questions from the VJT as reported on Glassdoor .

Example Capital One VJT Quantitative Assessment questions

• Ali and Sophie are budding musicians who have been playing Thursday night shows at a local live music venue. The venue told them that over the course of the last four weeks, they’ve had 900 tickets sold for their shows. They are curious to see how many people are repeat fans, coming to more than one show. The venue’s recent customer survey says that 60% of fans have come once, 30% have come twice, 6% have come three times, and 4% have come four times. How many unique people have seen an Ali and Sophie show during this period?
• You make a change to your business model and add another employee. Calculate how many weeks it would take for the investment you've made (labour hours, infrastructure changes, training hours, reduced production in the first few weeks, etc.) to pay off and make a profit.
• Two bikers leave from 2 different locations and try to reach a destination. Calculate to determine which biker will reach the location first and in how many hours. These are not static variables, as the speed of each biker changes throughout the journey.

On average, the VJT online assessment tests take 20 to 45 minutes to complete.

2.3 Recruiter screening

If you pass the VJT, a recruiter will contact you to ask you further questions and to speak more about the company and the role. You can expect ‘getting to know’ questions such as:

• Why Capital One?
• Walk me through your resume.
• ​​Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume.
• What’s your biggest accomplishment?
• How did you hear about this position?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

This list of 23 common interview questions by Capital One is a good resource to review with example questions you can use when you practise.

2.4 Mini case interview

During your recruiter call, your recruiter will also tell you about your next steps, the first of which will be a mini case interview. This will be conducted via phone or video call. Be ready to hit the ground running in this interview. Don't expect much "getting to know you" discussion because they usually get straight to the case. This interview will normally last 30 minutes to an hour. 

Not much information about the mini case interview is available online via Capital One’s website, so we only have candidate reports to go by.

According to several PM candidate reports, the PM mini case will likely be about any one of Capital One’s products: the Capital One Shopping browser extension, the Capital One Venture Card, or the Capital One Mobile app. You could also receive other product questions.

As for the mini case for analyst roles, many candidates report getting a quant-heavy case that lasts for about 45 minutes. Your recruiter will give you information about it beforehand, including a sample case which is likely to be very similar to the actual mini case you’ll be given.

2.5 Power Day

Once you pass all the initial steps, you’ll get an invitation to your Power Day or Super Day. This is the final round which consists of 3-5 back-to-back interviews. 

Capital One has fully transitioned to virtual interviews, so you can expect your Power Day interviews to be conducted online. Each interview may last for up to 1 hour. You’ll have a 1-hour break somewhere in between.

Here’s a quick look at what a Power Day looks based on the role:

• Business analyst: 2 case interviews and 1 product interview, behavioural questions at the start of each interview
• Data analyst : 2 case interviews, behavioural interview, coding or data challenge interview
• Strategy associate and strategy analyst: 1 written case interview, 2 standard case interviews, behavioural interview

Now you know the interview process, let's go deeper into the interview questions you can expect to face.

3. Capital One interview questions ↑

In this section, we'll take a look at the type of questions you can expect to face in your Capital One interview. We'll start with the most important, and the most challenging: case interview questions.

3.1 Capital One case interviews

Case interviews are the most important part of the Capital One interview process. The company uses the interviewer-led approach, which is similar to the method used by McKinsey in its case interviews. 

Capital One case interviews are not limited to cases in the financial or banking industry. That’s because what the company wants to test is how you think, versus what you know about Capital One or finance.

3.1.1 Capital One case interview sections

While the industry or business used in Capital One case interviews may vary, its case interviews will always include 3 sections:

• Introduction of the business situation and framework
• Calculations based on key concepts and drivers of the case
• Your recommendation and business decision

We've embedded below a short introductory video by Capital One for your reference. 

Each section of the case interview has particular things you'll need to prepare for. Let's look at each section, breaking down the mock interview in the Capital One video as our example:

A. Introduction of the business situation and framework

The first several minutes of the interview will cover the business scenario and case framework. During this part, your interviewer will introduce the hypothetical business scenario, laying out the different aspects of the situation. 

After introducing the scenario briefly, your interviewer will then ask you a broad question. In the mock interview video, the question is: “Your first task is to increase the profitability of the Giant Bus route from New York City to DC. What factors would you consider to determine profitability?”

For this stage of the interview, you have two objectives:

• Ask clarifying questions to make sure that you understand the situation correctly. Many candidates skip this step, but it's essential because it will help you put together a more relevant framework.
• Put together a simple case framework to answer the interviewer's question. The objective of this framework is to identify and communicate key areas that you will consider to answer the interviewer's main question.

As we’ve mentioned above, Capital One’s case interviews are interviewer-led. You can expect your interviewer to lead the course of the interview with questions along the way. That said, we still recommend that you try and drive the case forward yourself to a certain extent, by communicating the implications of your answer with the interviewer. This will show that you're able to think a few steps ahead and take an active approach to problem-solving.

B. Calculations based on key concepts and drivers of the case

The second stage of the interview is heavily focused on maths skills . The recruiter will provide you with some data, and ask you to perform calculations.

In the mock interview video, the interviewer shows a report of the peak travel time for the bus company, a comparison of three travel methods for the route, and the bus company’s capacity utilisation. While showing the reports, the interviewer asks the candidate to analyse the figures and give their take on the current situation.

At this point, to back up your answer, you’ll need to make a few quick calculations. It's important to ask questions at this stage, as the recruiter may have additional data that they have not yet provided.

Make sure you talk through your logic to show the interviewer your problem-solving skills. This will also help them steer you back on track if you've misread any of the data.

Compared with the case interviews used at consulting firms, the case interviews at Capital One tend to have a greater focus on quantitative questions. So you should expect to spend more time on these types of quant problems during your interview, and less time on other areas, like creative brainstorming.

C. Your recommendation and business decision

In the final stage of the interview, you'll be expected to make a recommendation and defend it. To form your recommendation, draw on the calculations from the previous stage. Consider the numbers, use your intuition, and make a decision. 

For example, the candidate in the mock interview’s final recommendation is to move to a 15-minute frequency for the buses during peak hours, mentioning the risk involved in the recommendation. 

The specific strategy you suggest is less important than your logic and ability to defend it. During this part, expect the recruiter to question your approach. They may ask you how you would go about identifying other opportunities. You could also take the initiative, like the candidate in the mock interview example, to provide additional ideas to explore to achieve profitability.

3.1.2 Capital One case interview example: Ice Cream Corporation

Here’s a breakdown of another mock case interview by Capital One. It’s a little longer than the latest intro video, but it has a lot of helpful information and shows different interview scenarios. For your reference, we’ve summarised the key takeaways per section.

The interviewer opens the case by introducing the scenario: “You’re the CEO of an Ice Cream Corporation. What are the key factors you would consider when developing a strategy to grow profits for the Ice Cream Corporation?”

In the video, the first candidate asks several clarifying questions about the role of the CEO regarding product and sales. These questions help narrow down the scope of the interview.

After asking these questions and making notes along the way, the first candidate answers the main question regarding the key factors. After discussing these further with the interviewer, the candidate comes up with “pricing” as the key factor, and the key concepts to keep in mind: “role of promotional pricing, temporary to avoid a price war, and risk of the stocking-up effect”.

The video shows other examples of key factors that other candidates might bring up. This shows that there is no right or wrong way to get to an answer. It also shows an instance where the interviewer redirects the candidate’s answer, to show that it’s common for a Capital One interviewer to provide cues and hints to lead you to a specific topic so that you can do a deeper dive into it.

What follows is the quantitative section of the interview where the interviewer will present some data and ask you to perform some calculations. As we’ve mentioned above, these calculations form the basis for your final recommendation.

In the sample case, the candidate is asked to calculate the total monthly profit for Ice Cream Corporation, given the following data:

Price per carton = $5

Cost per carton = $1

Demand = 100 cartons/month

As you will see in the video, the first candidate asks how much of the cost is variable versus fixed. Don’t reserve your clarifying questions for the introduction; ask clarifying questions wherever you feel they’re necessary. 

Variable cost per carton = $1

Fixed cost per carton = $0

At this point, the calculation is straightforward.

($5-$1) X 100 cartons = $400 profit

Talk through your calculations as the candidates do in the mock interview. This doesn’t just highlight your maths skills but also your problem-solving skills.

Most calculations at Capital One case interviews tend to be simple. But based on this mock interview sample, you’ll see that you might encounter calculations that vary in terms of complexity, like elasticity of demand and break-even calculations. These require a little extra work, but your approach should be the same:

• Understand the data provided
• Ask for more information when necessary
• Lay out your approach
• Perform the calculations

If you’re not familiar with a concept, don’t be afraid to ask for further clarification.

The mock interview examples show different recommendation approaches. You can go conservative or bullish. There’s no right or wrong answer, as long as you can defend your recommendation, as the candidates in the mock interview video do. 

Another thing that interviewers do in the mock interview is challenge the candidates further by questioning their approach or asking them how they might address their own apprehensions about the strategy.

3.1.3 Additional tips for your Capital One case interview ↑

Here are a few more helpful tips to keep in mind during your case interview at Capital One. 

#Expect to be given a case from outside the finance industry

As we mentioned above, Capital One likes to use cases from different industries. It’s because what they want to test you on is how you think and not how much you know about the finance industry or Capital One as a company. It’s also a preview of the scope of work you might do at Capital One if you do land a job there. 

#Brush up on your maths and bring a calculator

Capital One case interviews are known for being more quantitative-focused compared to other companies. For this reason, you’ll want to brush up on your maths. 

Here are some common calculations that might occur during your Capital One case interview:

• Weighted average
• Expected value
• Contribution margin

Capital One allows you to bring a calculator during your case interview, so be sure to bring one that’s easy to use.

#Take notes 

As the interviewer describes the case, be sure to take notes so you have all the information you need as you answer each question and make your final recommendation.

#Pause before you speak

Don’t be afraid to ask for a moment to gather your thoughts whenever you need to. Give yourself a minute to look back at your notes to make sure you understand everything before speaking out.

#Listen carefully and ask clarifying questions

Your first task during the case interview is to make sure you understand the situation correctly by asking the right clarification questions.

This is what analysts at Capital One and other consulting firms do with clients. They sit down with them, listen carefully to the problem they have, and ask clarification questions before trying to solve the problem. They do this because it's impossible to solve a business problem you don't understand in detail. Therefore, you should follow a similar approach in your cases.

Additionally, if there are any concepts brought up that you don’t understand, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. It’s also good practice to repeat the explanation in your own words so you interviewer can validate your understanding.

#Talk through your thought process, show your work as you do it

What Capital One wants to see in your case interview is your approach to solving business problems. They want to see how you think, so you’ll need to show them. Talk through your decision-making process and calculations and state any assumptions you’re making. Show them your notes while you’re at it. Capital One conducts virtual interviews, so you may want to use the Whiteboard function or Screenshare function over Zoom. 

#Listen for hints and cues

Capital One’s case interviews are interviewer-led, so your interviewer will often steer the conversation to a specific topic or focus if they deem it necessary. Listen carefully for such hints and cues. This might sound obvious but candidates sometimes get so stressed that they don't pick up on the hints interviewers give them.

#Avoid talking about your resume or qualifications

You only have an hour to showcase your skills during your case interview, so focus on the case itself instead of trying to insert your credentials. You’ll have a chance to do this in the behavioural parts of your Power Day interviews.

3.2 Capital One behavioural and fit i nterview questions ↑

In addition to case interviews, Capital One also uses behavioural questions/interviews, as most companies do. If you’re applying for a business analyst role, you may not get a whole interview devoted specifically to behavioural questions. Instead, you can expect to face them at the start of your case and product interviews.

Behavioural interview questions asked at Capital One fall into two main categories:

• Fit questions. These are generic questions such as “Why financial services?” or “Why Capital One?”
• Personal Experience Interview (PEI) questions. These are questions such as “Tell me about a time when you led a team through a difficult situation” Or “Tell me about a time when you had to manage a team conflict.”

We've written extensively about fit / PEI questions in other guides. But in summary here are the top 5 fit and PEI questions you should prepare for at Capital One or other firms.

Example Capital One behavioural questions: fit

• Why financial services?
• Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume.
• Tell me about your greatest accomplishment.

Example Capital One behavioural questions: PEI (Tell me about a time when…)

• You failed at work .
• You worked in a team and had to manage a conflict .
• You had a disagreement with a colleague / boss .
• You had to change someone's / a group's mind
• You led a team through a difficult situation .

Capital One is known to favour the STAR method when it comes to answering behavioural questions. So, for your interview, plan to answer behavioural questions using the following format:

S - Situation

This approach will help you to answer each question in a clear, and methodical way, which are great qualities to demonstrate when interviewing with Capital One.

3.2.1 "Why Capital One?" interview question ↑

You're almost guaranteed to be asked this question, so let's dive a bit deeper into how you should answer it. Here are 3 ways to make your answer stand out:

Name-drop: Before the interview, make an effort to meet with or call one or more current employees of the firm. Ask them what it’s like working there, why they chose Capital One and what’s unique about it. This will give you specific talking points for your answer, and mentioning their names shows the interviewer that you’ve put in effort to get to know the company.

Be specific. Test out your answer by swapping another bank’s name with the one you’ve got in mind. If your answer could also apply to this other bank, then you need to fine-tune it.

Keep up with recent activity: Being aware of the latest deals and developments in the department you’re applying to will give you an idea of what kind of projects you’ll get to work on, and whether they sound interesting to you. Bringing them up in the interview will show the interviewer that you’ve done your research and stay up to date on market news.

Example answer: "Why do you want to work at Capital One?"

“I want to work at Capital One for three main reasons. First, I want to work in a very data-driven environment and to have access to a vast amount of data when working strategically. I've been really impressed with Capital One's pioneering use of data and machine learning in the banking sector, which has helped the company gain market share across its verticals.

Second, I've been impressed with Capital One's strategy regarding a banking-as-a-service model and embedded finance. I saw an interview with CEO Richard Fairbank talking about how all banks needed to collaborate with fintech apps to provide instantaneous results for customers, rather than working in silos, and I thought he articulated a really strong vision.

Finally, I’ve had a few conversations with Seth White and Tamara Grey, associates in the McLean office, and they gave me a great impression of the firm as a whole. Seth in particular encouraged me to apply to the Travel team, as we share a similar educational background, and he was complimentary of the opportunities he’s been given to succeed."

Read our guide on how to answer the "Why this company?" interview question .

3.3 Product questions

If you're interviewing for a business analyst role, one of your Power Day interviews will be a product interview. Compared to the very quantitative case interviews, the product interview is a lot more qualitative, meaning you'll need to demonstrate creative thinking.

In almost all the interview reports we've seen, the candidate was asked to improve a product in some way. We recommend you read our article on how to answer product improvement questions to help you structure your response.

Example Capital One product questions from business analyst candidates:

• Describe 12 uses for an alarm clock
• How would you redesign an alarm clock?
• What is the customer base for this product?
• Describe 10 ways to improve an umbrella
• How would you improve this water bottle?
• What's your favorite product and how would you improve it?

4. Capital One case interview examples ↑

Now that you know how case interviews at Capital One work, it’s time to get some practice. One of the best ways to do so is to study case interview examples. There are many free examples online, and we’ve listed a few here for your reference:

• Magazine publishing case interview (by Capital One)
• Sandwich shop case interview (by Capital One)
• Case interview playbook (by Capital One)
• Independent coffee shop case interview (by Capital One)
• Phone card case interview (by TBS Education)

Check out our list of case interview examples from other top consulting firms . The companies listed here are consulting companies rather than banks, but it’s helpful to study them as Capital One uses examples from all sorts of industries

5 . How do I prepare for a Capital One case interview? ↑

Practising case interview examples is an important part of your preparation, but it’s not the only thing you can do. Here’s how we recommend structuring your Capital One case interview prep plan, with links to resources to help you round out your preparation:

5.1 Use Capital One real case study examples for research

Case interviews require no prior knowledge. However, you can bet that overall your interviews at Capital One will go a lot better if you go in having done some research on the company and the wider financial industry.

Capital One shares case studies on its website, such as this one on real estate treasury management, which are well worth looking over. You might also want to take a look at some of the articles on Capital One's insights center . This piece about Capital One’s pioneering work with data analytics and AI provides a good overview of the company’s tech-forward approach to banking.

If you're coming from a finance background, you may already have a good knowledge of Capital One's place in the sector. If not, check out Investopedia for a brief summary.

5.2 Become really confident with your maths skills

You don't have to have a perfect GPA or GMAT score to succeed at case interview maths. And in any case, during your Capital One interviews, you will be allowed to use a calculator. That said, it will help if you're confident performing mental maths quickly and accurately.

In order to do this, it’s essential to know the formulas for common metrics such as: 

it’s also useful to know a few shortcuts to help you solve problems more quickly. To learn more about these topics, check out our free guide to case interview maths .

In our experience, the most successful applicants start their interview preparation by practising maths skills, so make sure you prioritise this step.

5.3 Develop a consistent method to crack cases

One of the biggest challenges of interviewing with Capital One is solving cases that you’ve never seen before. Each case can be difficult, and you’ll have to perform well across multiple case interviews to get an offer.

That’s why it’s critical for you to have a consistent approach to solving cases. Capital One uses interviewer-led case interviews, which can be broken down into the following types of questions:

• Framework development
• Quant question – Data provided
• Creativity question
• Recommendation

If you can crack each type of question (within a case), then you can crack the overall case. 

Check out our suggested structured method for answering case interviews or come up with your own. Choose a method that you can consistently incorporate when practising solving case interviews.

5.4 Learn from every mistake you make

During case interview preparation, the quality of your preparation is just as important as the quantity of time that you dedicate. It's better to do 20 cases thoughtfully than to rush through 40 cases. 

We recommend keeping a notebook where you record improvement opportunities and specific things you did well for each case. 

The notebook and self-evaluation will help you become more strategic and efficient with your preparation. It's also a good idea to go back and redo old cases. For example, after you have done case #20, you could go back to case #1, to make sure you are not repeating the same mistakes.

The minimum preparation time required to succeed in case interviews is probably around 30 hours. However, if you don't prepare thoughtfully, it may take much longer. So take notes, be strategic, learn from your mistakes, and keep practising!

5.5 Do mock interviews

How you solve each case is important, but your interviewers will also be evaluating how you communicate your answers. Learning to speak in a concise and structured way is important, as you want your interviewers to easily follow and understand your points.

The best way to hone your communication skills is to practise interviewing out loud, and you can do that in three ways:

• Interview yourself (out loud)
• Practise interviewing with friends or family
• Practise interviewing with ex-interviewers

Practising by yourself is a great way to get started. It can help you get more comfortable with the flow of a case interview. However, this type of practice won’t prepare you for realistic interview conditions. 

After getting some practice on your own, you should find someone who can do a mock interview with you, like a friend or family member.

We’d also recommend that you practise 1-1 with ex-interviewers from top consulting firms. This is the best way to replicate the conditions of a real case interview and to get feedback from someone who understands the process extremely well.

Click here to book your mock case interview

Related articles:

Capital One case interview

Capital One Financial Corporation is one of the few non-consulting firms famous for using case interviews in the recruitment process.

Lately, I’ve getting a lot of questions on Capital One case interviews from people with various backgrounds and goals, so today I’ll invite you all to tackle this topic with me, and learn how Capital One cases differ from their consulting counterparts.

Capital One hiring process

What is capital one .

Capital One is the 5th biggest commercial bank in the US, with 396M USD in total assets. Capital One specializes in 3 main products: credit cards, retail banking, and commercial banking services. Typically, an employee at Capital One is paid an average annual salary of $101,500, with precise figures ranging from $63,000 to $150,000 depending on his/her position.

Capital One recruitment process includes 4 rounds : (1) resume & cover letter, (2) online assessment test, (3) video interview, (4) Power Day. The whole process typically takes t wo to three weeks. An essential part of last two rounds is the case interview – where candidates are required to solve simulated business problems in about 20-30 minutes.

At Capital One, the position most similar to consulting – which we will talk about in this article – is the Analyst position in Business, Finance, Operation, and Data. It is this position that’s required to go through the case interview process already mentioned.

There is only one reason for Capital One to use this unique selection tool in their recruitment: Capital One has an in-house strategy division – that operates as internal consultants for the bank, planning strategies that help Capital One differentiate itself from other competitors in the market.

To be a part of this division, the employees must be very well-qualified with problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills, along with creativity, positivity, and flexibility. And there is no comprehensive way to recruit such a talent like this, but Case Interview.

Understanding the fundamental concepts behind a recruitment process is a good start, from then on, forms the right mindset, prepares thoroughly, approaches the case properly, and is ready to win the game!

Now, go with me and I will show you.

Capital One – Resume screening

Most people get rejected during resume screening – yet most people don’t spend enough effort on perfecting their resume. Since the result-oriented and peculiar nature of consulting resumes are also helpful in other areas, I would advise you to read this comprehensive guide on resume writing . Here’s the short version of the guide:

Your resume must vigorously address three attributes of leadership, achieving, and problem-solving, by covering these three factors.

• Content: display the most valuable achievements, and strengthen them with quantitative results rather than merely job description
• Language: professional and straight-to-the-point
• Visual: consistent, easy to read; using a consulting resume template is highly recommended.

Keep in mind that every firm has its own “scoring standard” to mark your paper, and you only have one side of the A4 page to prove “I am the one you’re looking for.” Therefore, ensure that you do understand Capital One’s recruiting metrics and utilize every single space to be directly tied to those values.

Capital One – Online assessment test 

There are 3 tests that you need to complete in this online psychometric assessment, which lasts 60 to 90 minutes:  Behavioral Test, Verbal Test , and Numerical Test .

Behavioral test

The online assessment starts with the Behavioral Test. The test consists of multiple-choice questions presenting hypothetical scenarios with common problems in the workplace. Your job is to figure out the most suitable answer (e.g. Most and Least effective response in the situation for situational judgment questions) to the situation among a few possible options.

The purpose of this test is that the recruiters want to know your working style and experience, how you might cooperate with co-workers, and how you contribute to the working environment here.

You work as an advisor in a call centre. Two days ago, you took a call from a customer who needed some specialist advice that was outside your area of expertise. At the time, you were unable to get hold of the internal specialist who would be able to help the customer with their query, so you promised that you would have someone call them back within 24 hours to help them.

You have just realised that you got caught up on other calls, and forgot to send a request to the specialist to contact the customer. You have not heard anything more from the customer since they called two days ago though.

A. Immediately call the customer back, explain your mistake and promise that you will ask a specialist to call them immediately. B. Add a note to the customer’s file saying the query wasn’t followed up but the customer has not been in touch, so the need has likely passed. C. Call the specialist to explain what you have done and apologise to them, but ask whether they could call the customer now. D. Tell your manager what has happened and ask them to contact the customer to apologise on your behalf and see if they still need the help.

You are working as a sales assistant in the technology department of a large department store. You are helping a customer who is interested in purchasing a laptop, and when another customer approaches you, they look very upset. They interrupt your conversation and demand a refund on a fan they had purchased earlier in the week, that isn’t working properly.

As you scan the shop floor to see if another colleague can help the second customer while you finish with the first customer, you quickly realise there isn’t anyone in your eyesight.

A. Apologise to the second customer and explain you are already helping someone but promise that you will assist them immediately afterward. B. Politely ask the first customer you are speaking to if they can wait a moment while you try to resolve the issue for the customer who is upset. C. Apologise to both customers and explain that you will go and find another colleague who can help the second customer resolve their issue. D. Suggest that you call one of the store supervisors and ask them if they can come to your department to help the second customer with their complaint.

Verbal reasoning

Capital One recruiters place high interest in applicants who show a high aptitude for verbal reasoning. So expect that you will be tested with your comprehension ability towards written materials.

The test consists of several short texts and a concluding statement, followed by multiple-choice questions, mainly in the TRUE, FALSE, or CANNOT BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED format. If you have ever taken any type of passage-based standardized testing, then you can get familiar with Capital One’s Verbal Reasoning.

One keynote to take : the answers are only based on the information provided – no past experiences or knowledge involved. Therefore, make sure to focus on only the context given by the test and solve the issue.

Here are a few examples of verbal reasoning questions from SHL.

Many organizations find it beneficial to employ students over the summer. Permanent staff often wish to take their own holidays over this period. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for companies to experience peak workloads in the summer and so require extra staff. Summer employment also attracts students who may return as well-qualified recruits to an organization when they have completed their education. Ensuring that the students learn as much as possible about the organization encourages interest in working on a permanent basis. Organizations pay students on a fixed rate without the usual entitlement to paid holidays or bonus schemes.

Statement 1: It is possible that permanent staff who are on holiday can have their work carried out by students.

A. True B. False C. Cannot Say

Statement 2: Students in summer employment are given the same paid holiday benefit as permanent staff.

Statement 3: Students are subject to the organization’s standard disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Statement 4: Some companies have more work to do in the summer when students are available for vacation work.

Answer - Statement 1

This statement is true  (Option A) as the passage states: “Many organizations find it beneficial to employ students over the summer. Permanent staff often wish to take their own holidays over this period.”

Answer - Statement 2

This statement is false (Option B) as the passage states: “Organisations pay students on a fixed rate without the usual entitlement to paid holidays or sick leave.”

Answer - Statement 3

We cannot say whether this statement is true or false (Option C) as the passage does not make reference to the discipline or grievance procedures for students.

Answer - Statement 4

This statement is true (Option A) as the passage states: “Furthermore, it is not uncommon for companies to experience peak workloads in the summer…”

Numerical reasoning

Numerical reasoning is a fancy term for math tests. You are applying to a bank, for the analyst position. 100% you will need math.

The test includes a total of 30 questions in 35 minutes, based on the format of Cappfinity – a world-leading strengths-based assessment specialized for organization recruitment – which focuses on math questions.

• Statistical tables, charts, and graphs
• Basic mathematical operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
• Simple calculations: ratios, percentages, etc.

Most of the time, these questions are usually carried out in the form of multiple-choice questions. This is a good point. Because even if you don’t know the exact answer, you can always have a back-up plan: guessing and eliminating the wrong ones .

What’s more? You can use a calculator.

Here are a few examples of numerical questions from SHL:

Question 1: Which newspaper was read by a higher % of females than males in Year 3?

A. The Tribune B. The Herald C. Daily News D. Daily Echo E. The Daily Chronicle

Question 2: What was the combined readership of the Daily Chronicle, the Daily Echo, and The Tribune in Year 1?

A. 10.6 B. 8.4 C. 9.5 D. 12.2 E. 7.8

Question 3: In Year 3, how much more than Italy did Germany spend on computer imports?

A. 650 million B. 700 million C. 750 million D. 800 million E. 850 million

Question 4: If the amount spent on computer imports into the United Kingdom in Year 5 was 20% lower than in Year 4, what was spent in Year 5?

A. 1,080 million B. 1,120 million C. 1,160 million D. 1,220 million E. 1,300 million

Answer - Question 1

To answer this question, you need to compare the data in the column ‘Percentage of adults reading each paper in Year 3’ from the Newspaper Readership table. The only newspaper with more female than male readers is the Daily Echo. Therefore, the answer is D

Answer - Question 2

To answer this question, you need to look at the data in the “Year 1 Readership (millions)” column from the Newspaper Readership Table.

To calculate the combined readership for the three newspapers mentioned, add the readership numbers.

Therefore, the solution to this answer would be calculated as follows:

The Daily Chronicle readership = 3.6 million Daily Echo readership = 4.8 million The Tribune readership = 1.1 million

⇒ TOTAL READERSHIP = 9.5 million

Therefore,  the answer is C.

Answer - Question 3

To answer this question, you need to look at the figures from Germany and Italy for Year 3 in the ‘Amount Spent on Computer Imports’ graph.

Germany spent 1,400 million Euros and Italy spent 700 million Euros.

To work out how much more Germany spent than Italy, simply calculate the difference (1,400 million – 700 million), which leaves 700 million euros.

Therefore, the answer is B.

Answer - Question 4

To answer this question, you need to look at the figures from the UK in Year 4 from the ‘Amount Spent on Computer Imports’ graph.

From here, we can see that 1,400 million euros was spent in Year 4.

To calculate the amount spent on computer imports in Year 5, we need to calculate 20% of 1,400 million:

1,400 (million) x 0.20 = 280 million (this is 20% of 1,400 million) 1,400 million – 280 million = 1,120 million.

Capital One – Video interview

Another part of the online assessment round is online interview. You might be in either a video interview on conference tool Zoom, or have a phone interview, which is said as more common to Capital One.

Capital One video interview process

This round covers both fit questions and case questions.

First, you will start with fit questions. They are used to verify your work history, availability, salary expectations, and skill sets. Especially for this part, keep your answers highly structured while displaying the 3 main attributes – leadership, achieving, and problem-solving. Try story-telling techniques as I explained here.

Next is a short case interview. It is where you are going to analyze a hypothetical business situation and give recommendations on how to proceed with the plan, which I will explain in more detail later. A proper case interview prep takes about 1-2 months at least, so it will only do you good to start as soon as possible. Get off on the right foot with my all-in-one guide right here, you can ace this round.

Tips for a successful Capital One video interview

Here is a checklist for a successful online interview:

• Practice first: make sure that you fully understand the context of the interview and go through all possible questions beforehand; have mock interviews with yourself or friends;
• Keep your answers short (but not too short): prepare your scripts in advance, decide whether you tend to be a “drag on” or “cut short” type, then adjust accordingly with you under-time-pressure practice
• Technical setup: find a quiet and private place, away from any possible interruptions; make sure the spot having enough light; check all the technical work such as connection, computer micro, audio, and webcam; close all the unnecessary web browser tabs and applications so that you only focus on your interview; set the phone to silent;
• Materials: have a copy of resume and any other notes for reference; bring a notepad and a pen/pencil aside to take note;
• Dressing: wear professionally, avoid too bright colors.

Once you pass the Online Assessment Round and are shortlisted for the position, you will be contacted for a sit-down interview – the Power Day. A typical interview contains 2 parts: behavioral interview and of course, case interview.

Depending on the nature of the position and its seniority, you may be in one of three forms of interview: 

• One-on-one interview, with a departmental manager
• Panel interview, with departmental managers and HR personnel
• Group interview

Capital One – Behavioral interview (Power Day)

While video interviews or phone screenings will focus more on an applicant’s previous experience and approach toward their work, this Behavioral interview will be more concerned with the job seeker’s behavioral characteristics and his/her work ethics. At this section, Capital One looks for 3 attributes in their candidates:

• Leadership: the ability to influence people, and work effectively in teams
• Achieving: the willingness to go beyond what is asked, and strive for the best results
• Problem-solving: the ability to break down problems in a structured, top-down approach

The questions asked at Capital One will fall into two main categories:

(a) Motivational questions, ask you to explain why you are applying to this specific industry and this firm. Normally, the interviewers may want you to connect the unique features, projects, and people of Capital One to your future plan and personal values, showcasing that you are ready for long-term commitment

• Why do you want to work for Capital One?
• Why are you applying for this job?
• What do you know about Capital One?

(b) Personal Experience Interview (PEI) questions , test how you behave in particular situations in the firm’s working environment. No matter what the questions might be, you must cover all the three attributes above with authentic, engaging, convincing stories.

• Discuss a time when you had to address a difficult customer. 
• What are your strengths/weaknesses?
• If we give you a book containing 100 accounts, how would you organize it?
• How would you motivate an employee who was not performing their duties?
• Name a time you had to learn something new.

In this section, you can use the  STAR format (Situation – Task – Action – Result) to plan for the behavioral question clearly and methodically.

Capital One – Case interview (Power Day)

What is case interview.

A case interview is a job interview where the candidate is asked to solve a business case or problem. It is the cornerstone of consulting recruitment playing a decisive role in final results, however is also used as a significant hiring process of Capital One. Case interviews are modelled after the course of actions real consultants do in real projects, where candidates are tested with the ability to think analytically, probe appropriate questions, and make most client-friendly pitches. Therefore, excellent performance in this section means that you are a good analyst for Capital One.

Here are a few example case questions: 

• “We have a restaurant called “In-and-out Burger” with recently falling profits. How can you help?”
• “The CEO of a cement company wants to close one of its plants. Should they do it?”
• “A top 20 bank wants to get in top 5. How can the bank achieve that goal?”

Generally, there are 2 styles of conducting case: Candidate-led and Interviewer-led. At Capital One, they use the Interviewer-led style , of which the interviewer controls the process. However, I heartfeltly advise you to ignore this and try to control the case as if it’s candidate-led . It shows you having that leading and proactive personality, which is highly interested by Capital One recruiters.

Capital One case interview example

Looking at this tutorial, two features set Capital One case interviews apart from their consulting cousins:

• Very math-intensive. As I had mentioned before, you are applying to a bank. You are expected to excel in doing mental math and understanding the numerical content. So you would want to double your preparation in the math aspect of case interviews. 
• Surprisingly non-MECE. Perhaps because they are not a consulting firm, structure and MECE are not as important. When I watched their tutorial video, I couldn’t help but see a lot of obvious non-MECE holes in their illustrative cases. However, should we not use structure and MECE anymore? Well, the answer is, you’d better ignore this difference, and keep pretending as if you are interviewing with a highly structural-minded firm. Structure will become your habit and you will do fine in every case regardless of which firm you apply to.

Chances are, you don’t have a lot of time and the topic of case interview is too big. So, my advice here is to apply the 80-20 principle, learn the most time-effective principles of case interviews, just enough to do well. Spend the time that you saved on math.

Capital One case interview question

There are 9 types of question in Capital One case interviews:

This means the question types at Capital One are quite similar to consulting interviewer-led cases – and that means you can use consulting prep materials to prepare for Capital One case interviews, too.

Here are a few articles I’ve written on these question types:

• Case Interview Questions
• Market Sizing and Guesstimate Questions
• Brain Teaser Interview Questions

How to prepare for Capital One interviews

Step 1: familiarize with interviewer-led case examples.

Expose yourself to as many interviewer-led cases as possible. Use materials from this updated list of 35 case interviews examples from McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and Other. Or check out our Case Interview E2E Secret Program – complete, detailed feedback, all in video format.

Step 2: Practice consulting math

Master your math, especially mental math. It might be difficult, but you can practice and get used to the question format. Here are a few tips:

• Use your head. Practice mental calculations, everyday. This helps speed up your mathematical process as well as improve the accuracy over the time.
• Flatten the learning curve: At the start, a piece of scratch paper and a 5% margin of error really help; once you are confident, discard the paper and narrow down the margin.
• Establish a Routine: It might seem hard to stick to the plan at first. However, once you’ve overcome the inertia, you can literally feel the improvement.

Visit this  in-depth consulting math article and train our Mental Math methodology to ace the test efficiently.

Step 3: Develop business intuition

You can improve your natural sense of the business world by reading consulting publications from McKinsey Insights, BCG Perspectives, and Bain Publications; train case interview questions occasionally; and apply what you read into real-life circumstances at the workplace – “What senior managers are doing?” “What’s the rationale for their decision, and how has it impacted the organization?”

Step 4: Learn the case interview question types

Master each and every question type I have mentioned before, start from basic to more complex and less predictable ones. In our Case Interview Questions, each type is well explained with tips and techniques to deliver ideal answers. Key takeaways: treat them like mini-cases, be structured, always use the MECE approach.

Step 5: Perform mock interviews

The best way to get good at something is to do it.

Find yourself a former consultant to help you practice; they’ve been through countless case interviews, both real and mock, they know what’s required of a candidate, so they’re the best people to run your simulations with.

Fortunately, MConsultingPrep does offer a coaching service where you can choose a highly experienced coach. They will provide you with their insider knowledge of how to stand out in a case interview. Your meeting with coaches will be tailored to your specific wishes and you’ll get detailed feedback on your weak areas.

Study your cases down to the smallest details. Replay them over and over and over again, take notes of the interviewer’s feedback, and look for other areas you can improve.

Bonus: Dress Code

Not the utmost, but is crucial to make a good impression.

• For gentlemen: Tie and suit, always. Think of the well-groomed gentleman walking down the streets from “The Wolf of Wall Street” or “Suits” – that’s how you want to look. Remember to choose a tie and dark socks that match your suit also.
• For ladies: wear a skirt at a medium length, not too tight, and keep heels at a sensible height.

And, that’s it. Keep your chin up and rock the interview. Good luck!

Want a more in-depth look into details in interview-led cases and other secrets to smash through any case interview? Check out our End-to-End Secrets Program , all in one package! 

Scoring in the McKinsey PSG/Digital Assessment

The scoring mechanism in the McKinsey Digital Assessment

Related product

Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program

Elevate your case interview skills with a well-rounded preparation package

A case interview is where candidates is asked to solve a business problem. They are used by consulting firms to evaluate problem-solving skill & soft skills

The Capital One Case Interview: Everything You Need to Know

• Last Updated April, 2024

The Skills Capital One Looks for in Candidates

A capital one case example, what the capital one interview process looks like, 7 tips on how to prepare for the capital one case interview, how capital one cases differ from traditional strategy consulting cases, frequently asked fit interview questions.

Capital One is a pretty unique company: it’s a bank, with a culture that’s more like a tech or data firm. And therefore, the Capital One case interview is also pretty unique.

If you’re interviewing with consulting firms, you’ll recognize the overall format of a Capital One case interview. It is structured more like a strategy consulting case (and not like a typical bank interview). 

BUT the Capital One case interview contains more math, and often requires some knowledge of financial products.

Don’t worry! We can tell you what to expect and how to prepare.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• The skills Capital One looks for in candidates,
• What their interview process looks like,
• How their cases differ from traditional strategy consulting cases,
• A Capital One case example,
• 7 tips on how to prepare, and
• A list of frequently asked fit interview questions.

Let’s get started!

In your Capital One Case interview, the interviewer will assess you on problem-solving, fluency on business concepts, communication skills, and especially, quantitative skills.

Just like other case interviews, in the Capital One case interview, you want to demonstrate how you think. 

You will have to be structured and organized, and communicate clearly throughout the case. To review some of the basics of how to ace the case interview, you should check out Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep .

While the Capital One case interview resembles a typical case interview, it will be focused mainly on assessing your quantitative capabilities. Capital One is very data intensive, and they want to bring on employees who are excited to solve problems using math. 

In other words, Capital One wants to hire people who are fluent in making data-driven decisions. So during your Capital One case interview, you’ll want to demonstrate that you are very comfortable with math. 

There’s a big difference between forcing your way through a tough math problem and dare I say… enjoying it. 

You’ll want to feel super confident in your skills and your Capital One case prep. So even if you get tripped up or stumble during the case, you should look at the Capital One case interview as a puzzle to solve rather than the oral-math-test-that-ruins-your-life-and-disappoints-grandma.

One of our consultant advisors who gave input on this article shared this example: 

“ I got a “D” on my first finance mid-term in undergrad. I was so mad that I became a finance major and got a job in finance at a bank after college. I used to struggle with using new financial concepts, but now I have a great skillset to wrangle financial, marketing, and data challenges.”

You’ll want to display that kind of playful grit as you work through the Capital One case interview. They are meant to be tough and put people on their toes. 

We’ll talk more about how the Capital One case is different and outline a sample case below. 

Before we get to the details, we want to emphasize that you can practice your way to being prepared for this kind of math-heavy case .

In a Capital One case interview, the interviewer will also assess your communication skills based on your ability to:

• Drive the discussion
• Communicate complex ideas in simple terms

Driving the discussion

In the Capital One case interview, the interviewer wants you to play the role of a business owner as opposed to a consultant. This small change shifts the dynamic to you to drive the conversation. 

DON’T be thrown by the fact that your interviewer is not offering up clear next steps or sometimes withholds key information. 

DO get comfortable with asking questions when you need to know more. 

DO practice transitions so you can smoothly flow from each small conclusion to the next topic. 

To help with transitions, you can use something like the phrase “Well now that we’ve concluded X, I’d like to get a better understanding of Y.”

Communicating Complex Ideas in Simple Terms

You will likely need to be able to explain difficult concepts to someone who is (pretending) not to be an expert on the subject. 

Be prepared to break your analysis down into simple, logical steps, and walk your interviewer through what you’re doing. Communicating about your analytical approach is often more important than getting the math right. 

Do take good notes during the interview, especially on data you may need for calculations.

DO use structured thinking to outline how you want to analyze the problem and to ask questions about the data points you need to make decisions. 

DON’T dive into a calculation before you’ve walked your interviewer through your analytical structure. 

We’ve heard many stories of consultants who outlined their logic, flubbed the math a little, made a correction, adapted their answer, moved on to the recommendation, and got an offer.

Your ability to adjust your approach based on feedback is important, so if you’re able to quickly understand your error, you will probably get a pass on a simple math mistake if you were able to outline the correct logic and keep moving through the case without getting flustered. 

Now that we’ve reviewed what Capital One is looking for, let’s review their overall interview process. 

Overall the Capital One interview process looks similar to other firms. 

If you’re recruiting on-campus for various analyst roles, the process typically looks like this: 

• Resume drop (no cover letter)
• First round of interviews (2 interviews – case and behavioral)
• Final round of interviews (4 interviews – case, product, and behavioral)

Try to finish working through your case with enough time left for a few fit questions, and for your questions for the interviewer. 

If you’re applying from a school that doesn’t have a formal Capital One recruiting program, or as an experienced hire, there may be some additional elements to your application and interview process including: 

• A cover letter, and
• An online assessment.

Now that you’ve got the basics on the interview process, let’s talk about how the Capital One case interview is different from other interviews you’ve done!

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

The Capital One case interview demands more from candidates than a typical case interview. Here’s an overview of the main differences: 

• The Capital One case interview is very math-heavy.
• You can use a calculator!
• There is less focus on working with clients.
• You should be prepared to drive the case with a “business owner” mindset.
• There may be more than one right answer to the overall case.
• There may be cases about financial products.

The Capital One Case Interview Is Very Math-heavy

Capital One is looking to get a clear assessment of your data-driven decision-making capabilities. 

What does that even mean? 

In the Capital One case interview, you will cover fewer ambiguous concepts than in other case interviews. In a typical management consulting case interview, a smart, organized, great communicator who happens to be weak on math could ‘logic’ their way to some pretty solid recommendations. 

That’s not possible in the Capital One case interview.

A Capital One Case interview will have multiple discrete math problems. They often involve Algebra. Remember solving for “X”? Me neither. But you should revisit basic algebra and how to solve for unknown variables. 

There will be right answers to each of those problems, and they should steer you towards a final recommendation.

Capital One Cases Often Involve Break-even Analysis

The most frequent type of math problem in a Capital One case interview is a break even analysis. What the interviewer is often looking for is a recommendation on whether a particular strategy and investment will be ‘worth it’ for the company. 

In order to determine whether an investment meets the client’s expectations, it’s a good idea to ask your interviewer what their goals are. Example: would they be happy with a 3-year payback timeline? Or would a profit margin of 25% meet their expectations?

One of the most frequent types of break-even analysis is the time to break even. Here’s a sample formula. 

      Break-even:  Investment cost / annual profit = years to break even 

A break-even case might be structured likes this: 

• Evaluate a new strategy for a company (e.g., the firm is launching a new product, changing pricing, etc.)
• Assess the cost of this new strategy (both upfront and changes to ongoing costs).
• Assess the impact to revenue over time,
• Calculate the impact to profit (note how much higher profits will be once we hit a steady-state).
• Estimate the break-even time.
• Make a recommendation on whether the effort seems ‘worth it’. 

The recommendation you make may be subjective based on your experience, here’s a few examples: 

• Break-even is two years, and profits increase 2%.
• Break-even is two years, and profits increase 10%.
• Break-even is ten years, and profits increase 20%.
• Break-even is ten years, and profits increase 5%.

If you’ve asked your interviewer about the client’s profitability expectations, use their answer to determine whether the project meets them. If the interviewer does not provide concrete expectations, you will have to use your business judgment. 

For my money, options B and C appear worth it. Options A and D take too long or yield too little of a return in general.

Capital One Cases Are Sometimes Missing Essential Data

Another tricky element that may pop up in a Capital One case interview is that some essential data may be missing. 

If this happens in your case, DON’T FREAK OUT! 

You will have to make some basic assumptions using your business knowledge and simple logic. 

For example, you may want to calculate expected pricing over the next two years to estimate revenue. BUT your interviewer may not have that data. 

What would you do? You can make assumptions. 

Talk your interviewer through your assumptions. Here’s some ideas for the example above: 

• Use the typical cost-of-living figures to grow pricing (e.g. 3%),
• Use high and low scenarios to create boundaries for pricing over the next few years.

The idea of using high and low scenarios to test the financial impact of a financial decision is actually very common. It’s often considered overly precise to create a true forecast without detailed financial modelling. 

But it’s very common to start with low and high expected outcomes and narrow in from there as you get more data throughout the case.

You Can Use a Calculator!

It may feel overwhelming to use scenarios during a case interview, but another variation of the Capital One case interview is that you can use a calculator. 

So organize the math on the page and tap tap tap away at those scenarios. 

Just like open-book exams, this is a blessing and a curse. 

It’s great to have access to a calculator so you don’t have to worry about long division brain freeze during the Capital One case interview. But it also means that the math problems are slightly harder, and typically require a bunch of small calculations to get to the bigger answer. 

We recommend that you write out the framework for analysis, and then fill in numbers along the way. That way if you make a calculation mistake it’s easier for you or your interviewer to spot it. 

This is actually how teams work together to solve problems on a real case. 

DON’T dive right into a 15-step calculation on your little calculator. 

DO outline the analysis you’re planning to do either verbally or on paper. 

Note: you can only use a simple calculator, so leave the TI-whatever-thousands at home! 

Since you probably don’t use these kinds of calculators often, you may want to practice with them during your prep.

Capital One Interviews Focus Less On Working with Clients...

If you get a role at Capital One, you likely won’t be working directly with any external clients. Instead, you’ll be helping to run a piece of their business like a credit card line.

So the Capital One case interview is typically structured as if you are a business owner. 

DON’T refer to giving options to the client, asking the client, etc.

… So Be Prepared to Drive the Case with a ‘Business Owner’ Mindset

In the Capital One case interview, the interviewer is typically looking for you to drive the discussion as a business owner. 

The interviewer will describe a business dilemma and then let you lead the rest of the discussion. You should aim to: 

• Outline how you would approach the problem.
• Propose the analysis you will do.
• Request the information you need.
• Weigh available options.
• Make a recommendation and support it using the insights you’ve gathered throughout the case. 

This expectation is similar to Bain or BCG’s interviewee-led case interview. It’s basically the opposite of a McKinsey case where they walk you through specific questions and provide specific prompts. 

Your interviewer might actually leave you hanging without some data, to see if you can reason out what you need and make reasonable estimates. 

This interview format requires you to take a more assertive tack on how you’re going to navigate the interview. Have a lot of confidence in the path you want to pursue and really “own” it. 

DON’T wait for the interviewer to spoon feed you questions. 

DO think of yourself as a business leader. What would YOU do if given the information in the case?

There May Be More Than One Right Answer to a Capital One Case

O.K., so this is true with any case, but it might be more true with the Capital One case interview. 

There could be a few possible good answers based on the discussion you’ve had and the information you’ve received. That’s true with any project you might work on. There could be multiple options that work. 

You will still have to choose the path you believe in most. 

So be prepared to highlight multiple paths to pursue, pros and cons of each path, and why you chose your recommended path.  

Capital One Cases Are Sometimes About Financial Products

Most candidates also have multiple Capital One case interviews, so you’re highly likely to have at least one case that involves financial products. 

To be fair, you could go into a Capital One case interview with zero knowledge about financial products and if you ask the right questions you’ll be fine. 

But why risk it? 

You don’t need to become an expert in financial products overnight, but do yourself (and your interviewers) a favor: do some homework. 

Spend a few hours learning about financial products like credit cards, savings and checking accounts, and how companies like Capital One make money from offering those products. Also, read up on other financial companies like Venmo and PayPal make money, so you understand competitive threats to Capital One’s products. Investopedia is a good source for this.

The Bottom Line:

Do lots of practice cases and become fluent in the Capital One case. Let’s practice now!

For this case, let’s say your interviewer tells you that you’re a Senior Pricing Director at Paper Mill Plus, a producer of basic white copy paper. Paper Mill Plus sells to various paper distributors and retailers across the country. You’ve been asked to explore price reduction strategies that will boost sales by 10%.

You’ll want to outline all the elements you need to make a recommendation. In this example, we’re going to dig deep into the Annual Sales number until we get to average pricing. 

• Annual Sales = # of Customers X Average Annual Customer Spend
• Average Annual Customer Spend = Monthly Customer Spend X 12
• Monthly Customer Spend = Cases of Paper / Month * Average Annual Price per Case

Now we’ve got a logical outline of the dimensions we’ll need for our analysis. Let’s get one step closer to the answer by mapping out how we’ll estimate the growth needed: 

• Annual Sales x 1.1 = Sales growth of 10% or Targeted Annual Sales

We’re ultimately going to use the Targeted Annual Sales number to back into our recommended strategy. 

You can ask your interviewer for any of the above data points. In this example, they provided you with the following: 

• Annual Sales = $100,000,000,
• The cost to the customer of a case of paper is $30, and
• Paper Mill Plus has 1,000 customers.

From here, we’re going to have to back into a few numbers. Let’s start with firming up the Targeted Annual Sales number. 

Therefore, our new pricing strategy would have to bring in about $110 million in annual sales in order to hit our goal. 

We’ve got the price per case, but the interviewer did not share volumes. Let’s dig deeper into the current state to determine the current volume of paper sales. 

Now we can calculate the average number of cases per customer. 

* Note: if you recreate the calculations at home and truncate any decimals, you will calculate slightly different, but directionally correct, numbers. Directionally correct is a term that means it will provide you with the same insight and lead you to the same conclusion. 

So now we know that on average our customers purchase 278 cases per month. But how many cases will they buy if we reduce the price? 

You can ask your interviewer if there’s any research on the impact to the number of cases purchased when they raise or lower the price. 

Your interviewer might be a bit cagey here and say they have no data. 

They do know that most end-users have fairly consistent demand for paper and very limited places to extra store paper, so distributors and retailers don’t like to overstock too heavily. 

Distributors and retailers typically do have some extra storage capacity and they enjoy padding their margins even just a little, so they are likely to buy at least a little more. 

So you’re not going to get hard data from your interviewer and you should make a reasonable assumption. 

The simplest way to do this is to say for every $1 drop in price, customers will buy X more cases. 

The interviewer did not make it sound like your customers are very price sensitive, so it’s best to be conservative with your assumption. You could suggest this assumption to your interviewer like this: 

“Since we don’t know the exact impact that a price reduction has on the cases of paper sold, let’s make an assumption: for every $1 drop in price, on average customers will buy 20 more cases. Are you comfortable with this assumption?” 

Your interviewer will either agree, or nudge you to go higher or lower. 

Our advice is to choose numbers that will allow for simpler math.

Now let’s calculate the new sales number using our estimate for a $1 price drop, which would mean cases per customer per month would rise to 298. 

This is shy of our goal of $110 million, so let’s see if another larger price reduction gets us there. Here we assume a $4 price reduction and an increase in cases per month of 80. 

Recommendation

Great! $111.6 million is greater than our goal of $110 million, so reducing the price per case by $4 is a pricing strategy that could meet our goals as long as on average our customers buy 80 additional cases per month. 

As you discuss this strategy with your interviewer, you should explore the pros, cons, and risks of this strategy. 

There are certainly other issues to consider, such as:  

• How competitors may react to your price drop.
• Will customers over-buy for a few months and then reduce demand because they are overstocked on paper? 
• Will this impact customer buying behavior over the long term? E.g., will they pressure your sales team for more and more deals? 

So while the data indicates there is a path to hitting 10% sales growth, there are risks to review with your interviewer and more than one possible ‘correct’ recommendation. 

This is just a sample analysis to show you how to think through the math for a Capital One case interview, and how it can factor into your final recommendation.

1. Do some homework on financial products.

2. practice break-even cases and mathematical logic., 3. outline the analysis you’re planning to do either verbally or on paper., 4. communicate complex ideas in simple terms., 5. get comfortable with asking questions when you need to know more., 6. practice transitions so you can smoothly flow from each small conclusion to the next topic., 7. drive the discussion as if you are a business owner..

Capital One asks fit or behavioral questions as well as case questions, so prepare for these as well. 

For more insight on how to prepare for the fit part of the interview, check out our article on Fit Interview Questions .  

For a quick intro, here’s our list of the most frequently-asked fit interview questions:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Walk me through your resume.
• Why are you interested in working for Capital One?
• What’s something you’ve worked on outside of school?
• Tell me about a time you dealt with a tough problem.
• Tell me about a time you led others.
• When did you have to convince someone to change their mind on something important to them?
• Tell me about a failure.
• What do you like to do for fun?

Now go find your calculator from third grade, and you should be ready to prep for your Capital One case interview! 

In this article, we’ve covered:

• What Capital One looks for in candidates.
• What the Capital One case interview process is like.
• How Capital One cases differ from typical management consulting cases.
• An example of the type of case used by Capital One.
• 7 tips that will set you up to ace the case.
• The most common fit interview questions.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about the Capital One case interview, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s case coaches will answer them.

Other people prepping for the Capital One interview found the following pages helpful:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep
• Business Situation Framework
• Capital One Online Assessment

Help with Case Study Interview Prep

T hanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for help prepping for your Capital One case interview. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Julien was able to get his offer from Capital One.

© My CONSULTING Offer

3 Top Strategies to Master the Case Interview in Under a Week

We are sharing our powerful strategies to pass the case interview even if you have no business background, zero casing experience, or only have a week to prepare.

No thanks, I don't want free strategies to get into consulting.

We are excited to invite you to the online event., where should we send you the calendar invite and login information.

What Is the Capital One Assessment Test?

Capital one case interview, how to prepare for capital one interview questions and assessments, tips for the capital one case interview, frequently asked questions, final thoughts, a full guide to the capital one assessments & interview.

Updated November 18, 2023

In this comprehensive guide , you’ll discover everything you need to know about the Capital One assessment and interview process.

These are designed to help the company select the best candidates for its team. To increase your chance of getting hired, it's important to be prepared.

Find out what to expect, how to prepare and the skills and qualities Capital One hiring managers are looking for in a candidate.

Capital One is an established financial services company with a focus on technology and innovation.

To become an employee, or ‘associate’, at Capital One you'll need to pass a series of online assessments and interviews .

The Capital One hiring process is as follows:

Take a Practice Capital One Assessment at JobTestPrep

• Complete your application on the Capital One Workday system
• Upload your resume and supporting documents
• Complete online assessment
• Virtual interviews online
• Power Day interview – The final round

You will be sent a link for online assessments through your Workday account.

Interviews are generally held online using Zoom, but telephone interviews may also be required.

Capital One Online Assessment

The Capital One Virtual Job Tryout (VJT) is the most common online interactive assessment tool used by Capital One.

It is used to assess the skills and potential of applicants during the recruitment process.

The online test simulates job-related tasks and scenarios you are likely to encounter in the role you apply for.

The VJT consists of a series of modules. The specific modules you take will vary depending on the position applied for.

For example, a VJT for a customer service position may assess problem-solving and communication skills.

The question types include:

• Simulated workplace scenarios
• Multiple-choice questions
• Interactive exercises

The total test time is between 60 to 90 minutes .

The VJT gives candidates a preview of the job and the work environment. It is also used to identify candidates who are a good fit for the company culture and values .

Examples of areas covered include:

• Customer service – This could involve simulated scenarios to assess your ability to handle customer inquiries and complaints effectively.
• Teamwork and collaboration – This evaluates your ability to work constructively as part of a team, including collaboration and conflict management.
• Data analysis – This assesses your numerical reasoning and ability to analyze and interpret data using tables and charts.
• Problem-solving – These questions assess critical thinking. Candidates need to analyze information and present suitable solutions.
• Leadership – These questions assess your ability to make effective decisions in challenging situations and demonstrate strong leadership skills.

Each section is designed to assess different skills, including those below.

Numerical Reasoning

Numerical reasoning is the ability to manipulate and analyze numerical data. You will be presented with charts, diagrams and graphs.

Candidates can use a calculator but will need a good understanding of basic mathematical concepts.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the ability to comprehend texts and select relevant information.

You will be presented with a series of questions that relate to a text and asked to identify if statements are true, false or if there is not enough information to determine either way.

Situational Judgment Test

The SJT section involves hypothetical workplace scenarios. You will be given the scenario and asked to decide on a course of action.

You will need to choose an answer that is honest but also reflects the values and company culture of Capital One.

The Capital One coding assessment is only used in applications for technology and cyber-related roles.

For example, you may expect a coding assessment as part of a Capital One software engineer interview.

Refer to the job description and person specification to understand what type of assessment you might need to complete.

Capital One Online Assessment Examples

Numerical reasoning sample questions.

What is the average temperature in the UK for the year?

a) 13.42 b) 15.62 c) 12.54 d) 14.67

How much rain fell in Hawaii and California combined?

a) 15.5 cm b) 24.6 cm c) 28.5 cm d) 30.2 cm

Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions

Read the following passage of text and answer the questions that follow.

According to scientific research, people who exercise regularly are more likely to experience beneficial psychological effects, including reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression and increased mood and self-esteem. Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, memory and overall brain health. Although the benefits of physical activity are well-known, many people struggle to incorporate exercise into their daily routines. To overcome this challenge, experts recommend finding an activity that you enjoy and that fits into your schedule. Some examples include team sports, walking, swimming, yoga or going to the gym. You can also encourage friends and family members to support you. This will help you stay motivated. By making exercise a regular part of your life, you can enjoy the range of benefits it offers for both your physical and mental health.

1. Engaging in exercise has no impact on your psychological health.

a) True b) False

2. Everyone will benefit from and enjoy doing team sports, walking and going to the gym.

3. Friends and family can help keep you motivated to maintain your fitness goals.

Situational Judgment Sample Questions

1. You are helping a customer who is interested in purchasing a television. Another customer approaches you looking upset.

They interrupt your conversation, demanding a refund for a purchase they made earlier in the week.

You scan your surroundings but can’t see another colleague available to help the second customer. What do you do?

a) Apologize to the second customer and explain you’re helping another customer. You promise to help them after you’re done. b) You politely ask the first customer to wait while you try and resolve the issue with the upset customer. c) You apologize to both and explain you’ll go and find another colleague to help the second customer. d) You say you can call the store supervisors and ask them to come and help the second customer with the complaint.

2. Read the following scenario and choose the best response from those given below.

You are working in a large team on a complex project that has a tight deadline. One of your colleagues, Toni, was absent for two days without any explanation and now seems very distracted. This is having a negative impact on other members of the team who are relying on Toni’s output to complete their tasks.

a) Ignore Toni's absence and lack of focus; concentrate on your own workload. b) Talk to your colleagues and try to cover for Toni's absence and lack of focus. c) Reach out to Toni and ask them if they need any help catching up. d) Tell Toni to catch up quickly or you will report their absence to your line manager.

There are two types of Capital One interview:

• Behavioral and job fit interview
• Case interview

The behavioral and job fit interview is used to evaluate a candidate's suitability for the position based on their past behavior and experiences.

For the Capital One behavioral interview questions the hiring manager asks about past work experiences, achievements and challenges to assess how well they align with the requirements of the role.

The Capital One case interview is a practical assessment of a candidate's ability to interpret and analyze a scenario.

Candidates must develop a solution to the problem posed in the scenario. This involves data manipulation and is a rigorous interview.

Examples of Capital One Interview Questions

Behavioral and job fit capital one interview questions, 1. "tell me about a time when you had to work under pressure to meet a deadline.".

Tips for answering:

• Choose a relevant example – Select an example from your professional experience that closely aligns with the job requirements or the skills the employer is seeking.
• Provide context – Provide a brief overview of the project or task, including the specific deadline and the importance of meeting it.
• Describe the challenge – Clearly explain the obstacles or challenges you faced.
• Highlight your actions – Describe the specific actions you took.
• Discuss the outcome – Share the result of your efforts

Example answer:

In my previous role as a project manager at XYZ Company, I faced a situation where we had to meet a critical deadline for a marketing campaign. The design team encountered unexpected technical issues, causing a significant delay. To overcome this setback, I quickly organized a meeting, reallocated resources, extended work hours, and closely monitored progress. Through effective communication and a focused approach, we successfully delivered the campaign on time, receiving positive feedback. This experience reinforced my ability to handle pressure, adapt, and foster collaboration to achieve goals.

This is a good answer because it highlights the candidate's problem-solving skills, ability to adapt to unexpected challenges and their role in successfully delivering the project on time.

The answer also emphasizes important qualities such as effective communication, teamwork, and maintaining a composed demeanor under pressure.

2. "Describe a project you worked on where you had to collaborate with a team."

To help you answer this style of Capital One job fit interview questions, you can:

• Use the STAR method – In your response, describe the situation (S), task (T), action (A) and result (R).
• Describe specific examples which highlight your skills rather than provide a generalized answer.
• Be honest and don’t create examples that aren’t factual.
• Use examples that reflect the desired qualities in the job description.

In my previous role as a business analyst at XYZ Company, I collaborated with a cross-functional team on a time-sensitive data analytics project. We aimed to analyze customer behavior and improve marketing campaigns. I facilitated meetings, coordinated data collection and analysis, and encouraged open communication. Our collaborative efforts resulted in actionable insights that enhanced campaign performance, driving higher conversions and revenue. This experience reinforced the value of teamwork, communication, and adaptability, aligning with Capital One's emphasis on collaboration and innovation.

This is a good answer because the candidate describes a specific project where they had to collaborate with a team, highlighting their role in facilitating meetings, coordinating efforts and encouraging open communication.

The answer also emphasizes the positive outcome of the collaboration, showcasing the candidate's ability to work effectively with others to achieve tangible results.

Additionally, the response aligns the candidate's experience with the desired qualities mentioned in the job description, such as teamwork, communication, adaptability, and a focus on innovation.

3. "Why do you want to work at Capital One?"**

• Research the company – Familiarize yourself with Capital One's values, mission and recent achievements
• Focus on key points – Identify a few key reasons why you are interested in working at Capital One. These could include their technological advancements, customer-centric approach, commitment to diversity and inclusion, or their reputation as an industry leader.
• Make connections to your skills and experiences – Draw connections between your skills, experiences and the qualities or initiatives you admire about Capital One.
• Tailor your answer – Customize your answer to reflect your own motivations and experiences. Avoid using generic statements that could apply to any company. Instead, make your response specific to Capital One and what sets it apart in your eyes.

Example question:

I am enthusiastic about working at Capital One because of its reputation as an innovative leader in the financial industry. I am particularly drawn to the company's commitment to leveraging technology and data analytics to drive positive change. Capital One's customer-centric approach and dedication to delivering exceptional experiences align with my own values. Additionally, I appreciate the company's focus on diversity and inclusion, as well as its investment in employee growth and development. Joining Capital One would provide me with the opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge solutions and be part of a dynamic team shaping the future of finance.

This answer highlights the candidate's genuine interest and enthusiasm for working at Capital One. The answer provides specific reasons that align with the company's values.

By mentioning these key points, the candidate demonstrates their knowledge of the company and its initiatives, showing that they have done their research.

The answer also briefly connects the candidate's skills and experiences to the qualities they admire about Capital One, indicating their potential value as a future employee.

4. "What is your greatest achievement?"

To answer this style of question, you can:

• Show enthusiasm for the company and share what you’ve learned
• Relate to the values and culture of Capital One
• Choose examples that are relevant to the specific job role
• Be humble and acknowledge the part you played as part of a team

One of my greatest achievements was leading a team to successfully implement a complex software solution for a client. This project streamlined processes, resulting in a 30% reduction in processing time and improved accuracy. While I played a significant role, this achievement was a result of strong collaboration and the collective efforts of the team. It aligns with Capital One's values of collaboration, innovation, and delivering value to clients. I look forward to bringing my skills and experiences to contribute to future achievements at Capital One.

This answer is good because it highlights a specific achievement that demonstrates leadership, collaboration and the ability to deliver tangible results.

The candidate emphasizes the positive impact their achievement had on the client's business, showcasing their ability to create value and strengthen business relationships.

The answer also relates the achievement to the values of Capital One, such as collaboration, innovation and delivering value to clients, showing alignment with the company's culture and priorities.

Capital One Case Interview Examples

In the case interview, you will be presented with a business scenario.

Some examples of these scenarios and worked answers are given by Capital One .

They follow a similar format:

• Read and take notes on the scenario
• Check the information given and the objective of the case
• Ask questions to clarify the data
• Devise a framework to solve the problem
• Analyze the data and perform calculations
• Explain your response and recommendations for the case

Remember to communicate your perspective and approach throughout the interview. The hiring manager wants to understand your thought processes.

There may be alternative answers to the one you provide. However, it is your problem-solving methodology and communication that is most important.

If you need to prepare for a number of different employment tests and want to outsmart the competition, choose a Premium Membership from JobTestPrep . You will get access to three PrepPacks of your choice, from a database that covers all the major test providers and employers and tailored profession packs.

Get a Premium Package Now

Step 1 . Understand the Role You’re Applying For

A clear understanding of the role you are applying for can help in a number of ways:

• Help you anticipate the type of questions you will be asked
• Allow you to tailor your responses to meet the person specifications
• Let you answer questions more effectively
• Enable you to demonstrate your knowledge of the financial industry
• Let you highlight relevant past experience

The hiring manager wants to know you are the right fit for the company. Remember that the core values of Capital One are ‘excellence’ and ‘do the right thing’.

You need to know exactly what they are looking for to align your responses to meet these requirements.

This will help set you apart from other candidates in your recruitment pool.

Step 2 . Take Practice Tests Online

Take practice tests online to help you understand the types of questions you are likely to face in the assessment.

Practice tests can help identify areas you need to focus on. For example, these could be numerical reasoning or verbal reasoning.

Sitting tests under timed conditions helps you manage your time more effectively. This can increase your chance of success on test day.

Most importantly, an awareness of the types of questions improves your confidence.

Take a range of personality tests to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Step 3 . Read About Capital One Case Study Interview Samples

Capital One offers a valuable resource of sample case interview questions . These are similar to the ones you may encounter during your case interview.

It is recommended that you review these Capital One case interview examples before your interview. This helps familiarize you with the format, style and structure of the questions.

It can help prompt you to think of any potential questions you could ask on the day. For example, you might recognize common business strategies or frameworks you can research.

Step 4 . Review Basic Math and Logic Theories

A good foundation in math is crucial given Capital One’s focus on finance and data analysis.

Revise mathematical concepts such as algebra, probability, statistics and financial calculations .

Consider how you can apply these to real-world scenarios and solve problems. Without these skills, candidates may struggle to perform well in the assessments or interviews.

Try reading relevant textbooks, practice mathematical problems and locate resources online to build your skills.

This will help you demonstrate your aptitude for mathematics and position yourself as a valuable contributor to the organization.

Step 5 . Record Yourself Answering Mock Capital One Interview Questions

It can be more difficult to make a good impression online compared to face-to-face.

Recording your answers can help you identify areas you can improve. For example, this may be by answering more concisely or keeping to the topic.

You will be able to analyze your body language and tone of voice to see how you present to others.

If you feel nervous, it can help increase your confidence by rehearsing your responses.

Additionally, you can share your recording with a friend or mentor and ask for advice.

Step 6 . Make Sure Your Technology Works

Don’t get caught out on the day of your assessment or interview. Make sure everything is working in advance.

Check your internet connection is working and the speed is good. Charge, or plug in, the devices you need.

If you are using Zoom, test it out beforehand so you understand the features and how it works.

Check that you have access to all the links you need so you are prepared and ready to start.

Step 7 . Be Professional

Take your online assessment in a quiet room, free from distraction . This will help you concentrate on your test.

Assessments and interviews can feel stressful and nerve-racking. Try to remain calm and relaxed.

Wear a professional outfit to help you feel confident during your interview.

For your online interview, make sure your background is neutral and not distracting. Sit in good lighting so the hiring manager has a clear view.

Try to be yourself and appear enthusiastic and interested.

Tips for interview success include:

• Take notes during the interview
• Ask for clarification if necessary
• Pause before answering to organize thoughts
• Explain each step of your thought process
• Break down the problem into manageable parts
• Use data to support your recommendations
• Check the accuracy of your analysis throughout

The Capital One case study interview is your opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving ability, communication skills and business insight.

By preparing thoroughly for the Capital One interview process, you can demonstrate your potential to contribute positively to the organization.

What is the Capital One assessment test?

The Capital One assessment is an online test designed to select suitable candidates to hire. It consists of a range of different tests depending on the role applied for.

Some examples include numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and situational judgment style questions. Candidates who pass will be selected for an interview.

Is the Capital One online assessment hard to pass?

The online assessment is designed to determine whether candidates are a good fit for the organization. The questions may be unfamiliar so it is important to prepare fully.

Results are compared with other applicants so a higher score offers more chance of success. If selected, you will progress to the next stage of the recruitment procedure.

How to prepare for the Capital One case interview?

To prepare for the Capital One case interview, read some examples of case interviews. Work methodically through the situation presented.

Consider all the options and review your solutions. This gives you a useful framework to guide you in the actual interview.

Which company is better to go with in the Capital One case interview?

You will be given a specific scenario in the Capital One technical case interview; you don’t get to choose a particular company.

The case study is designed to assess your communication skills, problem-solving abilities and quantitative analytical skills.

What kind of questions are asked in the Capital One case interview?

In the Capital One case interview, you will be asked to put yourself in the place of a business owner.

You will be presented with a situation and the costs. Then you must use this information and data to decide on the best response to the given scenario.

What is the next step after taking the Capital One case interview?

If you are successful at the Capital One case interview you will be invited to a Power Day.

This is a day consisting of four interviews lasting around four hours. This is the final stage of the recruitment process.

Where can I get sample questions for the Capital One online assessment?

You can find sample questions for the Capital One online assessment at JobTestPrep .

You can also practice free numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and situational judgment tests online.

How to pass an online job assessment test for Capital One?

To pass the online job assessment test you need to practice and prepare in advance. Take practice tests online and brush up on your math skills.

What is the Capital One pass score for the assessment test?

Candidates are expected to achieve at least 50% in the online Capital One assessment test.

The passing score can vary depending on which role you have applied for.

How long is the Capital One assessment test?

The Capital One assessment test is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes. This depends on which sections you have been asked to complete.

How to know if you have passed the assessment test for Capital One?

As the Capital One assessment test is completed online, you will usually receive your scores by email.

They may be posted in your Capital One Workday online account.

Where can I find a complete guide for the Capital One online assessment?

A complete guide for the Capital One online assessment can be found at JobTestPrep.

The guide includes helpful tips and practice questions to help improve your chance of success.

The recruitment process for careers at Capital One is very competitive .

Research the role you are applying for as well as the core company values. The hiring manager is looking for candidates who fit with the workplace culture as well as the position.

Prepare effectively by practicing similar tests online and developing your interview skills.

This helps position you as a strong candidate and improves your chance of success.

You might also be interested in these other PRT articles:

• Capital One Case Interviews: How to Prepare in 2024

So, you’re trying to get a job at Capital One.

Great choice – but great jobs don’t come easy and the selection process for Capital One is particularly intense.

To get an offer, you will have to get through screening tests and culture fit interviews like any similar banking role.

However, Capital One significantly ups the ante by requiring applicants to also solve a case interview .

In this article, we will show you what to expect in a Capital One case interview. We compare this to the more typical a management consulting case interviews and advise you on how to prepare optimally.

Who are Capital One?

Before we get to the nuts and bolts of how the selection process works and how you can prepare, it will help to understand what sets Capital One aside from other players in their sector and what has driven their expansion. This is what has ultimately driven Capital One’s adoption of case interviews and determines the qualities they look for in applicants.

Of course, despite their interview style, Capital One remains a bank. And not just any bank: it is the fifth-largest consumer bank and eighth-largest bank of any kind in the US, with total assets of 396 billion dollars !

Apart from credit cards (of which it is the 3rd largest issuer ), Capital One offer retail banking and commercial banking services .

It was founded in 1994 as a spin-off to Signet Financial Corp, focusing on credit cards, with Richard Fairbank as a CEO (he remains CEO to this day), and operate in the US, Canada and the UK.

Importantly for you, the applicant, Capital One have also been consistently considered amongst the best places to work for (no. 17 on Fortune's 100 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ as well as in multiple Glassdoor reports).

What Makes Capital One Unique?

So far, Capital One sounds much like any other bank – if a particularly large and successful example.

However, Capital One’s rapid rise to prominence can largely be attributed to the fact that it does not function like any other bank. This is ultimately what drives its atypical recruitment practices.

In practice, Capital One operates as something like a hybrid between a bank, a tech company and a consulting firm.

Let’s see how:

1) The importance of data

In their own words, Capital One believe that banking can be revolutionized through technology and information , which explains their initial focus on credit cards.

They have fueled their success with an “information-based strategy”, using tech tools that allow them to identify the most profitable borrowers and come up with a targeted marketing strategy that differentiates them from their competitors’ generic, blanket marketing operations.

This “data oriented” approach defines Capital One’s whole approach to business. In the words of a Capital One analyst , a phrase that they often use is “truth seeking”. According to her, this means “looking at as much data as possible, talking to customers and having a real understanding of the situation before making the best decision”.

2) A consulting firm in disguise?

Capital One also effectively have an in-house consulting firm, embodied by their strategy division and employing many former consultants from top firms such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. In fact, Capital One’s CEO was previously head of the banking practice at Strategic Planning Associates (now Mercer Management Consulting)!

This strong consulting influence within the business extends to recruitment practices, where Capital One have appropriated the famously effective (if intense!) methods used by McKinsey and others to find the talent they need to keep driving innovation.

Of course, this is what is relevant to you the applicant, so we will take a closer look at why Capital One have borrowed from the consulting selection process. Understanding this lets us begin to understand how we can prepare.

What is a case interview?

The most important thing Capital One have borrowed from a consulting interview process is the case interview .

A case interview means the interviewer will present you with a business problem. It is structured as follows:

you will be presented with a business problem and expected to employ efficient problem-solving, analytical and communication skills

you will be asked to make calculations pertaining to the problem based on data provided

you will be asked to make a recommendation to deal with the problem

Why does Capital One use case interviews?

Like most top companies, Capital One receives many applications from people with a variety of backgrounds. Therefore, quantifying and comparing their experience can prove difficult.

Case interviews present them with the opportunity to directly test the skills that will be required for a position. Capital One stresses that they look for:

problem-solving skills

communication skills

analytical skills

flexibility

No one qualification is going to prove meet these criteria. In practice, then, there is no better way to test for this skillset skills than simply to give an applicant a relevant problem and watch how they deal with it.

This allows the interviewer to see the applicant’s thinking process, what solutions they come up with and – most importantly – how they communicate and support them . But in order to showcase all these skills, you will have to know what to expect and prepare thoroughly – this is what we’re going to tackle next!

What can I expect in a Capital One interview?

Before the case interview, there are other hoops you must jump through first:

Application Screening

The majority of applicants will be cut based simply on their resume and cover letter, so you need to take these very seriously. A perfect place to start is our free resume and cover letter guides.

Online Assessments

This includes both verbal reasoning and math components. GMAT or PST resources should be useful to prepare.

If and only if you make it through these initial filters, you will proceed to the real challenge of case interview. Let’s zoom in on the requirements there:

Format of a Capital One case interview

Capital One prefers an interview scenario that is interviewer led. This means the interviewer will often steer you in the direction in which they want the conversation to go.

A case interview is an opportunity to prove your skills rather than just talk about them. The important thing to remember is Capital One isn’t particularly interested in your resume or your previous experience in the case interview itself – this will be discussed in a fit interview. You should expect the interviewer to move quickly into the case itself.

1) A case interview can be any business problem

Remember – just because you’re interviewing at a bank doesn’t mean the case will have to do strictly with the financial or banking sector .

Capital One deal with issues well outside banking, as they point out in their video on how to prepare for a case interview . As such, they want to see how potential employees cope with these kinds of problems.

As with any time the case interview format is employed, the emphasis is strongly on how you think through a problem as opposed to how much you know about a certain industry . So be prepared to be taken outside your comfort zone and be ready to encounter any business scenario.

2) How are Capital One case interviews different?

However, Capital One remains a bank rather than a consultancy and there are differences in its selection process.

The primary difference between other case interviews and Capital One case interviews is that the data-driven nature of Capital One’s business in turn drives the interview process, resulting in far more emphasis on the quantitative portion of the interview.

2.1) More quantitative analysis

Unlike a consulting interview, Capital One allows the use of a calculator, which means you will be dealing with trickier, more complex mathematics.

In turn, this will mean your math skills will have to be razor sharp and – crucially – there will be much greater onus on you to generate precisely correct answers.

It is expected that your final recommendation will heavily depend on the precise data . As such, Capital One recommend that if you make a calculation error, you should aim to rectify it as soon as possible.

2.2) Creativity

As a relatively young and fast-growing business operating at the frontiers of its sector, Capital One needs to maintain its innovative edge. As such, the bank strongly emphasizes creative thought within its case interviews.

Capital One strongly believes in the importance of adaptability and using your own experience and thinking , which means there isn’t only a right way to solve a problem .

Therefore, while calculations are important, candidates should remember that there is more than one way to reach a certain result, and should use the one that suits them best.

2.3) More difficult concepts

You shouldn’t expect all your calculations to be as easy as, say, calculating the profit of a company.

Capital One’s business is not just data-heavy, but also structurally complex. As such, you can expect questions to be conceptually difficult, with all kinds of complications to account for as you move through your quantitative analysis – crucially, whilst always getting the right answer.

This might sound daunting but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for clarifications from the interviewer if you don’t understand these concepts. Remember, Capital One is trying to see how you think, not what you know.

Join thousands of other candidates cracking cases like pros

How can i prepare for a capital one case interview.

Despite the differences in format and content we have discussed, the higher-level process of actually preparing for a Capital One case interview is much the same as for their management consulting counterparts.

Let’s go through some major tips for how to approach you Capital One interview prep. As you will see, there is a lot to get on top of, so we’ll then move on to look at what resources are available to help you out.

1) Start early and get a lot of practice!

Case interviews are not something you can prepare for the night before – you need to practice A LOT! 

However, practicing without understanding the basic principles of case interviews is like trying to learn a language by immersion with no textbook! First, you need to grasp the fundamentals of approaching and solving cases.

The best places to start are our comprehensive guide on case-interviews and MCC Academy course .

We also provide you with a free extensive case bank which can be tailored to find exactly the type of problems you’ll encounter in a Capital One interview.

2) Make sure your math is in top shape

Make sure your math is razor sharp. Don’t simply review the principles, but make sure you can practice working through problems quickly and elegantly.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but despite the fact you will have a calculator, you shouldn’t neglect your mental math.

Of course, nobody is going to be impressed if you have to reach for the calculator for very basic arithmetic. Beyond this, though, having solid mental math allows you to constantly “sense check” your work as you go along, having a better idea if the figures you are generating seem reasonable and thus helping to ensure you reach those crucial correct final answers.

3) Take notes

Get in the habit of staying organized and writing down the information you are given. Capital One emphasizes the importance of being able to quickly call to mind information from previous stages of the interview.

Being organized in this way also helps you to avoid forgetting things and getting lost in your own analysis and ensures that you work in a structured way.

4) Communicate efficiently

Make sure you are also organized in the way you structure and communicate your arguments.

Get used to talking the interviewer through your work and ideas, especially calculations as in this way you’re more like to spot errors! Keep the interviewer onboard with your reasoning, so they understand what you are doing and why at every step in your process.

If you make use of technical concepts, make sure to break them down and explain them in a way that can be understood by anyone - Capital One values mutual understanding and the ability to explain concepts as if to someone from outside your own industry!

This is crucial – remember that case interviews fundamentally evaluate how you solve problems , so you need to convey your method as clearly as possible.

5) Ask questions and clarifications

Make sure you’re getting as much data out of the interviewer as you need to solve your problem. This means not being afraid to ask questions and clarifications to obtain important new information.

If the interviewer introduces a concept that you’re not familiar with, ask them to clarify. Understanding and then immediately using new concepts confidently in a case interview is essential to Capital One.

However, you should avoid asking questions that are not relevant or redundant, as you will come off as disorganized or unstructured. Our articles on Identifying the Problem , MECE and the Hypothesis Driven Approach will help you structure your thoughts and questions in the best possible manner.

6) Build fundamental skills

Perhaps the most fundamental case interview skill is being able to logically break down complex issues into smaller problems. This is an area where we can learn a great deal directly from the consulting world. In particular, consultants’ use of issue trees and similar structures to logically break down problems will directly translate to Capital One’s case studies. You can read more in our article on the Problem Driven Structure method.

7) Back-up your final recommendation with data

At the end of your analysis, you’ll be asked to make a recommendation. Just like we emphasized before, make sure that this is primarily based on data but also your judgement.

Whilst they do care about your calculations being correct, Capital One doesn’t care so much about getting the right specific recommendation from you. For one thing, there might not be a single correct answer in that case, but generally they really want to see you come up with a creative solution and effectively back it up with data from the quantitative portion of the interview.

Always expect to be challenged on whatever recommendation you give and be able to show that you’ve carefully considered the risks and rewards.

8) Avoid frameworks and generic answers

The majority of case interview candidates will turn to frameworks to solve any given problem.

However, Capital One greatly values the ability to produce a unique solution directly and specifically leveraging the data at hand . One of the biggest mistakes you could make is trying to fit the problem you are given in a pre-existing, generic framework to try and spit out a generic answer.

We have explained the dangers of generic frameworks in case studies in our article on the famous resource Case in Point .

Remember: Capital One values original thinking ! Don’t try to reproduce generic information that isn’t applicable - learn how to approach problems like a consultant !

Prep the right way

One-stop case interview prep.

We’ve established that practice makes perfect when it comes to case interviews, but you might think that you can’t be expected to be left in the middle of the ocean and be expected to find the Americas.

In other words, how do you start practicing case interviews when you’re not sure exactly where to start?

My Consulting Coach can provide you with everything you need to crack cases like a professional:

course material that will give you the comprehensive skill-set any Capital One analyst needs

coaching with case interview experts

an all-encompassing mentoring package that will give you the best chance of securing the job you want

1) Your first stop: MCC Academy

The best place to acquire the required background knowledge and reasoning skills – that is learn how to use the winds and navigate by watching the stars – is with our MCC Academy case interview course.

This is a comprehensive, structured course of full-length, high quality, animated video lessons. It guides you through the rough oceans of case interviews by steering you through finance and accounting basics to advanced reasoning skills, consulting math and our Problem Driven Structure case method .

Our method, devised as a streamlined, four-step version of the seven-step roadmap used by McKinsey consultants on real engagements, will keep you away from the pitfalls of unreliable frameworks and over-standardization.

Learn more about MCC Academy here .

2) Practice with a real consultant

Naturally, the best way to practice case interviews is to simulate the real interview situation with another person. You might do so with another interview candidate, using our free meeting board and case library However, there’s only so much you can get out of each other when neither of you have actual consulting experience!

The single best way to simulate a case interview is with an experienced professional. There, you will receive the kind of detailed, actionable feedback which takes your skillset to the next level and greatly increases your chances of landing a job.

MyConsultingCoach offers the best quality coaching experience on the market . All of our coaches have at least two years consulting experience with either McKinsey, Bain or BCG, combined with well as extensive coaching expertise. In short, these are case interview experts.

Synergizing with the MCC Academy, our coaching experience provides not only the skills necessary to successfully complete a case interview, but also detailed feedback on what skills you need to focus on in the process.

Learn more about coaching here .

3) Mentoring: the optimal path to your dream job

Finally, the most time-saving and efficient way to prepare is to sign up for our comprehensive mentoring program.

Let an experienced MBB consultant take personal charge of planning and overseeing your whole case interview preparation!

From editing your resume and cover letter, to advising on networking and guiding you through our course material, mentoring gives you the best possible chance of getting the job!

Find out more about mentoring here.

Candidates who sign up to our free services are 3 times more likely to land a job in one of their target firms . How?

• We teach how to solve cases like consultants , not through frameworks
• Our Meeting Board lets you practice with peers on 100+ realistic, interactive cases.
• Our AI mentor creates a personalised study roadmap to give you direction.
• All the advice you need on resume, cover letter and networking.

We believe in fostering talent, that’s why all of the above is free .

Account not confirmed

You’re located near

You’re interested in

What to expect during your Capital One interview

Your application is complete, and a recruiter has been in touch to discuss your qualifications—the interview phase has officially kicked off!

From recruiter calls to Power Days, a series of interviews about you and the skills and insights you bring to your work, you’ll complete a series of steps on your journey to joining Capital One. And, you’ll be able to complete your interviews from the comfort of your home! Given the success of our virtual interviewing model, and the flexibility it allows for both interviewers and candidates, we continue to utilize virtual interviewing as we settle into our hybrid model of working.

Capital One requires that candidates use video for all virtual interviews. Please be prepared to remain on video for the duration of your interview(s). If there are any extenuating circumstances that will prevent you from doing so, flag this to your recruiter or interview scheduling coordinator as soon as possible.

While the interviews vary depending on the position , we’re here to help you prepare and confidently approach your conversations. That’s why we’re giving an inside look into our general process, which usually includes several key milestones.

Take a look below at the types of interviews you can expect during your interview process!

Initial conversations and tasks

Once you apply, you may be asked to complete an automated assessment that evaluates job-related skills like communication, customer focus, leadership and problem solving. If you pass the assessment, a recruiter will review your experience and connect with you about the next steps.

Recruiter Screen: A Capital One recruiter will have an initial phone conversation with you about the position, your resume and the enterprise.

Virtual Test: Depending on the position, you may have to take an hour-long virtual exam that tests your knowledge of the position.

Hiring Manager Pre-Screen: After you pass the recruiter screen and virtual testing, a recruiter will set up a 30-minute phone interview with the hiring manager. The hiring manager will discuss the position and your background to see if you are fit for the role and Capital One.

Data Science Challenge: If you’re a candidate applying for a data science role , you will have to take a Data Science Challenge. The challenge is a take-home assignment you will complete before the Power Day. The challenge will focus on data and engineering analytics, written communication and predictive modeling.

Power Day interviews

Once you successfully complete the initial application steps, your recruiter will invite you to a series of interviews as part of the Power Day. Depending on the position, the interviews may include:

Job Fit Interview: All candidates will complete one or two job fit interviews during the Power Day. Job fit interviews assess your aptitude for the role, team and Capital One culture .

Behavioral Interview: Behavioral interview questions evaluate how you handled a particular experience. These questions typically follow the format of, “Tell me about a time when…” Behavioral interviewers assess competencies such as problem solving, influence or results focus. Behavioral interviews are used for most positions.

Case Interview: A case interactive is an interview where you must solve a real-life business problem. The interviewer will gauge your strategic thinking, analytical and quantitative skills.

Mini-case interviews are conducted in about 30 minutes. Campus, business analyst, product manager and finance positions typically require a case or mini-case interview.

Success Tips for Students and Grads

If you’re getting ready to graduate college soon or are a recent grad, our Students & Grads Programs might be the perfect fit! These roles are full-time positions that give you an opportunity to explore different jobs and teams , earn hands-on experience and gain valuable mentorship. Check out our helpful guide on how to prepare for our Students & Grad positions, as well as seven handy tips for applying .

No matter your unique skill set and professional experience, it’s time to find a job you’re interested in and ace the interview. We’re excited to have you join Capital One!

Related Content

Your guide to Capital One internships

Discover how Capital One’s internships can help students launch a successful career in everything from tech to banking to product development.

7 tips for students & grads applying to Capital One

Use these seven tips from recruiters to find the right Student and Grads program, nail the interview and thrive during the application process.

• Lead AI Engineer R200696
• Senior Software Engineer - Full Stack R200399
• Lead Software Engineer, Back End R200684
• Senior Software Engineer, DevOps R200698
• Senior Lead Machine Learning Engineer R197029
• Senior Software Engineer, Full Stack R199585
• Senior Lead Software Engineer (Bank Tech) R199577
• Lead Software Engineer R199571
• Lead Design Researcher R199596
• Risk Manager, ERM Assessments R199369
• Director, Finance Employee Communications R197401
• Senior Associate, Endpoint Operations and Policy Management R198471

Copyright © 2024 Opinions are those of the individual author. Statements are deemed accurate at the time of posting. Unless otherwise noted, Capital One is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any company mentioned. All trademarks and intellectual property used or displayed are the property of their respective owners.

Don’t miss a thing. Stay in the know about opportunities you may be interested in!

Email Address

Job Category Select a Job Category Applied Research Audit Branch Ambassador Brand Business Analyst Business Banking Café Commercial Banking Concierge Services Customer Care Cyber Data Analyst Data Science Design Engineering Finance Human Resources Investment Banking Legal Marketing and Communications Operations Process and Project Management Product Risk Management Software Engineer Strategy Technology

• United States (Country) Remove

Are you interested in Student & Grad opportunities? Select No Yes

Confirm Email

*Required Field