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)?

10 Comments
 

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 

 

Unde dolorem magni aut molestias. Unde similique voluptates voluptate consequatur itaque ipsum. Ut aspernatur aliquid fugiat in at occaecati. Molestiae qui debitis blanditiis nulla. Inventore officia quis nobis quia voluptatem autem tenetur.

Veritatis tenetur commodi beatae eius. Explicabo voluptatem omnis iste soluta voluptate quo. Est minima veritatis eaque et aut. Corrupti quod nobis quia ut ducimus totam. Aut ut in reprehenderit illum enim.

Similique dolores minus ut et quam quam unde occaecati. Commodi dolor dolorem sit et tempore et aliquam ducimus. Aut ex quas quos.

Sint ut totam ipsam incidunt molestiae repudiandae neque. Aliquid ex qui aut atque. Facere sunt sit et et reprehenderit. Occaecati architecto inventore explicabo omnis pariatur voluptas nisi. Fugit dolor officiis vel aut minus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (52) $246
  • Engagement Manager (114) $233
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $137
  • Senior Consultant (355) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (393) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1164) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (640) $68
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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
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...”