How Oliver Wyman Interviews in 2026: Process, Questions & What They Score

• A market-sizing or guesstimate question opening the case, e.g. 'How many golf balls are sold in the United States each day?' (reported by multiple candidates)
• 'How many ATMs would a remote island (example given: in Greece) need?' (reported by multiple candidates)
• Estimate the size of the potable/drinking water market in a specific city for a client considering entry: mirrors Oliver Wyman's own published 'Oil & Gas Price Strategy' practice case, in which an Indian midstream oil & gas company evaluates diversifying into drinking-water distribution in Bangalore against a 5-year payback requirement (note: despite the case's title, it's a market-entry/growth-strategy case, not a pricing case)
• A profitability / new-business-line case for a supermarket owner considering adding a pharmacy, evaluated against a payback-period hurdle: mirrors Oliver Wyman's published 'Supermarket Pharmacy' practice case (despite sounding operational, it's primarily a profitability and market-entry case, testing framework-building and payback analysis)
• 'What's driving declining foot traffic (or declining profitability) at a retail chain?' style diagnostic case
• 'How should a company enter a new or adjacent market (e.g., a beverage company entering the health-drinks category)?' style market-entry case
• General market-sizing exercises (e.g., gym memberships in a country/region, the rice market in a specific country, demand for a new airline route), reported across many candidate interview write-ups as a recurring first-round element

• Given a packet of charts, exhibits, and background context, prepare a structured recommendation within roughly 30 minutes
• Present your recommendation to a panel of senior consultants/partners in a self-contained talk (candidates are advised to plan for roughly 15-20 minutes of talking, though reported total presentation windows vary by source from ~15 to ~30 minutes)
• Field follow-up questions and challenges from the panel, reported to sometimes include interruptions during the presentation itself, not only at the end
• Case-presentation topics reported by candidates mirror live-case themes: a profitability decline to diagnose, a market-entry or expansion decision, an operational-efficiency problem, or a growth-strategy recommendation

• Walk me through your resume
• Tell me about a time you led a team through a difficult or challenging situation
• Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a teammate, colleague, or boss and how you resolved it
• Tell me about a time you had to change someone's mind, or persuade a group that disagreed with you
• Tell me about a time you overcame a really difficult challenge
• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with incomplete information
• Tell me about a time you used your analytical skills to solve a problem (reported directly on Glassdoor)
• Tell me about a time you set a goal and how you reached it (reported directly on Glassdoor)

• Why consulting?
• Why Oliver Wyman (as opposed to other firms)?
• Why this practice area or office?
• What do you know about Oliver Wyman's culture or a recent piece of its work?

Oliver Wyman's process has 5 stages, in order: Online application, Online assessment, First-round interviews, Final round, Decision.

Oliver Wyman evaluates candidates against Oliver Wyman's published case-interview approach and assessment criteria, plus the firm's core values: Case-solving approach, Step 1 - Pinpoint the issue: ask clarifying questions and summarize your understanding, Case-solving approach, Step 2 - Break it down: identify smaller sub-problems and structure your thinking, Case-solving approach, Step 3 - Pick an approach: state assumptions and show alternative angles, Case-solving approach, Step 4 - Analyze the issues: incorporate data and ask for additional information, Case-solving approach, Step 5 - Use numbers: demonstrate quantitative/mental-math skill, Case-solving approach, Step 6 - Make a recommendation: summarize findings and connect back to the key issue, Case-interview evaluation criteria (as published by the firm and echoed by prep sites): approach/structure, analytical and creative thinking, application of data, communication clarity, and business acumen/common sense, Firm core value - Be Brave: 'We stand behind our beliefs while exploring what drives them', Firm core value - Lead With Heart: 'We build relationships with clients and colleagues that last, grounded in transparency, authenticity, and trust', Firm core value - Strive For Breakthroughs: 'We bring deep expertise and profound curiosity to the pursuit of ambitious ideas and uncommon insights', Firm core value - Work As One: 'We succeed as a unified team of colleagues and clients, achieving together what separately would be beyond our reach', Firm core value - Own Our Impact: 'We act as entrepreneurs and stewards of the firm... with integrity at every step'.

Oliver Wyman's question bank spans 4 categories: Case interviews and market-sizing / guesstimate questions (first round and live case); Written case / case presentation (final round); Behavioral / Personal Experience Interview (PEI) questions; Fit / motivation questions.

This playbook is high confidence, compiled from 15 public sources, and last verified July 7, 2026. It describes one well-documented shape of Oliver Wyman's interviews, not a guarantee of what any individual loop will look like.