25.1 Why Page Organization Matters
Case interviews move quickly. If your notes are scattered, you may waste time searching for a number, forget an important insight, or repeat analysis you already completed.
A consistent page layout reduces cognitive load. You know where to look for the objective, where calculations belong, and where to record conclusions.
Practical benefit: Better organization leaves more mental capacity for solving the problem rather than managing your notes.
25.2 Setting Up Your Paper
Before or at the beginning of the case, divide your notes into functional areas. You do not need an elaborate template.
A simple system might include:
- Objective area: Client, problem, and success criteria.
- Structure area: Your issue tree or major analytical branches.
- Calculation area: Equations and arithmetic.
- Facts and insights area: Important findings and implications.
Use additional pages as needed. Numbering pages can help you find information quickly during longer cases.
25.3 The Case Objective Area
Keep the client objective visible throughout the interview.
For example:
Objective: Determine why profit declined by $40 million and recommend how to restore it within two years.
Also record important constraints or definitions beside the objective.
Why it matters: When the case becomes complicated, returning to the objective helps you decide which findings matter and which do not.
25.4 The Structure Area
Use a separate section or page for your initial structure. Leave enough room to add information as the case develops.
If your structure has three major branches, number them clearly. This makes it easier to reference them during the conversation.
Example: “I would examine three areas: first, revenue; second, costs; and third, external factors.”
Do not treat the structure as fixed. Cross out branches that become irrelevant and add new ones when evidence changes your understanding.
25.5 The Calculation Area
Keep calculations separate from general notes so your arithmetic remains easy to review.
For each calculation, record:
- Question: What are you calculating?
- Equation: What relationship are you using?
- Inputs: What numbers were provided?
- Result: What is the answer and unit?
Circle or underline final results so you can find them later.
Important: Keep units beside numbers, especially when working with thousands, millions, percentages, or different time periods.
25.6 The Facts and Insights Area
Not every fact deserves permanent space in your notes. Focus on information that changes your understanding of the case.
A useful distinction is:
Fact: Revenue is flat.
Insight: Profit decline is therefore more likely to be driven by costs.
Whenever possible, record both. This makes your notes more useful for synthesis later.
Use symbols or abbreviations if helpful, such as arrows for increases and decreases or a star for especially important findings.
25.7 Recording Exhibits
You usually do not need to copy an entire exhibit into your notes.
Record the information that matters:
- Headline: What is the exhibit’s main message?
- Key numbers: Which figures might be needed later?
- Important comparison: Which segment or trend stands out?
- Implication: How does the exhibit affect your current view?
Good practice: Note the exhibit number or subject so you can refer back to it if the interviewer keeps it available.
25.8 Tracking Hypotheses
Your notes can help you track how your thinking changes.
Write your initial hypothesis briefly, then mark whether later evidence supports or contradicts it.
For example:
Initial hypothesis: Profit decline driven by lower volume.
New evidence: Volume stable → hypothesis weakened.
Updated hypothesis: Higher costs are the likely driver.
This prevents you from unconsciously continuing to pursue an explanation that the evidence has already disproved.
25.9 Maintaining a Running List of Findings
As the case progresses, maintain a short list of the most important conclusions.
For example:
- Revenue unchanged.
- Labor costs up to $25 million.
- Logistics costs up to $20 million.
- Cost increases explain more than total profit decline.
Benefit: A running findings list makes synthesis faster and reduces the risk of forgetting an important result from early in the case.
25.10 Preparing Your Final Recommendation from Your Notes
Your final recommendation should come from your accumulated findings rather than from memory alone.
Before speaking, quickly review:
- Objective: What question must you answer?
- Top findings: What evidence matters most?
- Recommendation: What should the client do?
- Risks: What could undermine the recommendation?
- Next steps: What should be investigated or implemented next?
Your notes should allow you to assemble these elements quickly.
25.11 Note-Taking in Virtual Interviews
Virtual interviews create additional considerations because you may be looking between your notes, screen, and camera.
Keep your paper close to the screen so you do not repeatedly look far away from the interviewer. Make sure you have enough writing space and that your desk is organized before the interview begins.
If digital note-taking is permitted, use it only if you are genuinely faster and more comfortable with it. Do not introduce unfamiliar technology on interview day.
Final principle: Your notes are a working tool, not a record of the entire conversation. Capture the objective, organize the structure, keep calculations readable, record the most important insights, and maintain a running synthesis. Good notes should make the case easier to solve and the final recommendation easier to deliver.
