Semiconductors

Sample Case Interview Prompt

The domestic semiconductor industry is beleaguered – brutal price competition from the Japanese, accusations of “dumping” against the Japanese etc. Domestic semiconductor manufacturers are clamoring for protection from Washington, and some of the public policy solutions being proposed are things like research consortia sponsored by the government, trade restraints etc.

You are a consultant at a major firm. You are concerned that the public policy debate ignores basic issues regarding industry economics and whether the solutions being proposed will solve any problems for your clients. You know that each generation of memory chips lasts only 4-5 years. Also, to start, a company will need $250M in research and $600M in plants.

What are some of the factors you will consider to determine the potential impact of shared research by US manufacturers?

Case Overview

This is a McKinsey sample case interview. Start by reading through the prompt. In the case, you are researching the semiconductor industry in order to determine the financial impact of potential public policy changes.

The Market Study Framework can be a starting place for your case interview framework. However, don’t rely on any singular framework. Pick and choose from the basic frameworks, incorporating your own business acumen, to create a custom structure that will best help you solve the problem in the case.

Prepping for a final round at McKinsey? This sample case interview will help you prepare. The case has a qualitative difficulty of 3/4. In addition, there are no math exhibits in the case.

McKinsey Interview Pointers

1 tip to crush your McKinsey case interview: make sure you are a frame-working pro. The firm is all about structure from start-to-finish – from recap to math to recommendation.

Don’t feel ready to tackle a McKinsey case? Book an hour of case practice with an ex-MBB coach today.

1 more tip for this sample case interview: focus on your communication, with the goal of being clear, structured, and succinct.