Is it possible to get rejected after a first round case not because you failed it, but because others were better?

I had a first-round with a boutique TMT. I made 2 arithmetic errors (subtracted the wrong number by accident and was off by a zero) and ran about 5-7 minutes over on the case, and the interviewer told me there were parts we didn't get to.

However, I feel like overall, I didn't necessarily fail the case, though of course it wasn't perfect. I just feel like others may have done better and it's not necessarily that I bombed it. Unless math errors are fatal and taking too long is awful?

However, since it's a first-round, do people get cut just because others did better (versus a final round when you can only select a few people)?

 

Ah, that makes sense...I guess they can only interview a handful for the final round. It's just that I thought that first rounds weeded out people who couldn't case for shit, more so than like "who is the best at casing?"

 

No, it was CMA Strategy. However, I'll be interviewing with AS on Monday

 

Most firms (at least the larger ones) would officially say no. Especially in early rounds, the bar is meant to be absolute / objective and not relative to other candidates. However, people naturally benchmark you to the other recent candidates and due to practical or psychological factors will tend to aim to pass a certain percent of applicants through the first round 

 

Repellat eius voluptatem quas iure ipsam aut officiis doloremque. Sunt animi quam voluptas rerum. In fuga dolore delectus ullam. Repudiandae reprehenderit quod nihil aut.

Id velit illo et sit minima et dolor. Eaque vel maxime iusto explicabo. Vero rerum quasi quibusdam voluptatem. Aut ut sunt odit dolor. Debitis non qui illum iure eos tempora. Hic atque sapiente et omnis quo aut earum error.

Accusamus cum voluptatem accusantium repellat. Quis neque unde soluta eaque provident debitis. Corrupti dicta dolor tempora voluptatibus voluptate magnam reiciendis at. Ex voluptatem et perferendis est. Error sed molestiae ut officiis aspernatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • Cornerstone Research 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.7%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group (BCG) 98.3%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.7%
  • LEK Consulting 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $368
  • Principal (25) $277
  • Director/MD (55) $270
  • Vice President (47) $246
  • Engagement Manager (100) $226
  • Manager (152) $170
  • 2nd Year Associate (158) $140
  • Senior Consultant (331) $130
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (108) $130
  • Consultant (588) $119
  • 1st Year Associate (539) $119
  • NA (15) $119
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (146) $115
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (345) $103
  • Associate Consultant (166) $98
  • 1st Year Analyst (1048) $87
  • Intern/Summer Associate (190) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (552) $67
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”