Assessment centre
Case study exercise practice
A written case pack, a memo answer and structured feedback.
Example brief
Harrowgate Packaging Group, a listed UK packaging manufacturer, is considering a bid for a smaller competitor, Calder & Rowe Packaging, funded by a mix of new debt and new shares. You are an analyst in the corporate development team. Using the pack, write a memo to the CFO that recommends whether to proceed, at what enterprise value range, and how to fund the deal, and that sets out the main risks and next steps.
- Time
- 45 to 50 minutes
- Pack
- 6 to 9 pages with 5 to 11 tables
- Answer
- A memo of 500 to 800 words
A pack of documents and numbers for a fictional firm, 45 to 50 minutes, answered as a memo with a recommendation. Banking, markets and corporate finance.
Practise this format
Need extra time or a different format? Every timed practice has 1.25x and 1.5x options. See reasonable adjustments.
About this test
A written case study gives you a pack of documents, such as a brief, financial extracts and notes, and asks for a recommendation or a memo within a time limit. It tests how you structure a problem, use evidence and communicate a clear conclusion.
Our case packs run 5 to 10 pages, 30 to 60 minutes, in a fictional firm. Feedback covers structure, use of evidence and clarity against a rubric. It does not judge whether your recommendation is the right one in any real investment sense, and nothing here is financial advice.
What we know about this format
Each point carries a badge showing where it comes from. Where only candidates have reported something, the badge says so.
What do the confidence badges mean?
- Vendor-published Stated in the test publisher's own document or practice site.
- Academic From peer-reviewed research.
- Official employer Stated on the employer's own page.
- Near-official Near-official: an employer-run practice portal, or a vendor or employer-quoted press release naming the employer.
- Candidate-reported Reported by candidates. Treat as likely but unconfirmed.
- Third-party From prep sites, press or forums. Not confirmed by the employer or publisher.
- Official employer
Fast Stream written exercise (online): 55 minutes, 4 tasks, one of three exercises each marked by a different assessor.
- Official employer
Fast Stream case study assessment: 7 background documents then 24 situations, untimed.
- Academic
Assessors use the same anchored rating scale across exercises and combine ratings arithmetically, per the BPS assessment centre standard.
- Third-party
Firm-specific case study formats and marking are rarely published.
Written case study
- Third-party
Written case exercises usually last 30 to 60 minutes. Kvanta packs are 45 to 50.
- Official employer
The Fast Stream written exercise gives 55 minutes to review information and complete 4 written tasks, about 20 minutes reading and 35 writing.
Source · Public sector rather than finance.
- Third-party
The output is a written recommendation or report. Some case studies ask for a presentation instead.
- Third-party
No employer or university source states a standard pack length. Kvanta packs have 6 to 9 pages with 5 to 11 tables.
Source · One prep site gives a range of 2 to 20 pages. Treat our page count as our own design.
- Near-official
Case memos are rated against behaviourally anchored descriptors for each competency, which is how structured assessment is designed to work.
Source · BPS 2015 clause 4.31 asks for descriptive anchors on the rating scale.
Questions people ask
What is a written case study exercise?
It is a timed exercise where you read a pack and write a short document, such as a memo or email, setting out a recommendation and the reasons.
How should I structure my answer?
Lead with the answer, give two or three supporting points with evidence from the pack, note the main risks and state next steps. Keep it short and specific.
How long should I spend reading versus writing?
A sensible split is about a third reading and two thirds writing, but follow your own instructions. Ours is timed to practise that.
Does the feedback say whether my recommendation is right?
No. Feedback covers structure, evidence use and clarity only. It does not judge merit, and it is not financial advice.
How long is a real case?
Published public-sector examples run 55 minutes for four written tasks. Firms vary, and few publish theirs.
Do I need finance knowledge?
Usually only what is in the pack, plus basic arithmetic. Commercial awareness helps you spot what matters, and the daily question helps with that.
Is this a real firm case?
No. Every pack is original and set in a fictional firm.
Where this appears in firm processes
- Citi Official employer
- BDO UK Official employer
- BlackRock Official employer
- Deutsche Bank Official employer
- Grant Thornton UK Official employer
- Macquarie Group Official employer
- Nomura Official employer
- Rothschild & Co Official employer
- RSM UK Official employer
See all firm pages. Check your own invitation, because processes change each cycle.
Independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any test publisher or employer.
Practice builds familiarity. Assessment centres vary a lot between firms, and assessors score against criteria we cannot see, so treat this as rehearsal, not prediction.
Use Kvanta to practise and learn. In a live assessment, do not use AI tools, notes or another person unless the employer says you may. Read our approach to integrity.