As a Research Analyst at Oliver Wyman, you are the analytical engine behind the firm's industry-leading insights. Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting, and its client solutions depend heavily on rigorous, data-driven market intelligence. In this role, you do not merely gather data; you synthesize complex market trends, conduct deep-dive industry analyses, and deliver actionable intelligence that directly shapes strategic recommendations for Fortune 500 clients.

You will work closely with consulting teams, practice groups, and specialized research divisions across various sectors, including financial services, energy, transportation, and consumer goods. The problems you will tackle are highly complex and fast-moving, requiring you to pivot quickly between broad market sizing exercises and granular competitive benchmarking. Your work directly impacts client pitches, project delivery, and the firm’s proprietary intellectual property.

This position offers an exceptional launchpad for professionals who thrive on intellectual curiosity, structured problem-solving, and collaborative teamwork. While the role demands high analytical rigor and the ability to work under tight deadlines, it provides unparalleled exposure to senior leadership and diverse business models, making it a highly rewarding career path within global consulting.

The questions you will face during the Oliver Wyman hiring process are designed to evaluate your structured thinking, business acumen, and behavioral alignment with the firm's collaborative culture. The following questions are representative of what candidates experience in actual interviews and are categorized to help you identify key patterns.

Case Study & Estimation Questions

These questions assess your ability to break down complex, ambiguous business problems and perform structured quantitative analysis under pressure.

• Estimate the annual market size for commercial electric vehicle charging stations in the United Kingdom.
• A major retail bank is experiencing a 15% decline in profitability despite an increase in customer acquisition. How would you analyze this problem?

Preparing for the Research Analyst interview process at Oliver Wyman requires a balanced approach that combines rigorous case study practice with structured behavioral storytelling. You must demonstrate both the intellectual capacity to solve complex business puzzles and the communication skills required to present your findings clearly to senior stakeholders.

Structured Problem-Solving – You must be able to decompose ambiguous business challenges into logical, mutually exclusive, and collectively exhaustive (MECE) frameworks. Interviewers evaluate how logically you navigate a problem, not just whether you arrive at a perfect numerical answer. Practice structuring your thoughts out loud and walking the interviewer through your methodology step-by-step.

Data Synthesis & Analytical Rigor – As a researcher, your value lies in your ability to filter out noise and extract high-impact insights from vast amounts of data. You will be assessed on your mental math, data interpretation skills, and your ability to make reasonable, defensible assumptions when data is scarce.

Communication & Executive Presence – Whether you are explaining a framework during a 45-minute case interview or pitching to Managing Directors, your communication must be structured, concise, and top-down. Start with your key recommendation or conclusion, and then provide the supporting data points.

Culture Fit & Collaboration – Oliver Wyman values a highly collaborative, non-hierarchical, and entrepreneurial working style. Show that you are receptive to feedback during case interviews, comfortable working in diverse teams, and genuinely curious about the industries the firm serves.

The interview process for the Research Analyst position at Oliver Wyman is thorough, structured, and highly competitive. It is designed to test your analytical capabilities, communication style, and endurance through multiple stages of evaluation. While the exact flow can vary slightly depending on your location, the overall structure remains consistent globally.

You will typically begin with a casual recruiter screening call to assess your background and interest in the firm. This is followed by formal behavioral and case study rounds. In many offices, the process culminates in an intensive, multi-round final day that may include a timed case assessment or a 24-hour take-home case study where you must pitch your strategic recommendations directly to Managing Directors.

The timeline above outlines the standard progression from your initial application to the final offer decision. The initial stages focus on screening and baseline analytical capabilities, while the later rounds dive deep into live case-solving and executive-level presentations. You should use this timeline to pace your preparation, ensuring you are fully practiced in case frameworks before reaching the intensive multi-round stages.

To succeed in the Oliver Wyman interview process, you must understand the specific mechanics of each evaluation area. The firm utilizes distinct formats to test different facets of your analytical and professional capabilities.

Case Study Interviews

The case study is the core of the evaluation process. These are typically 45-minute to 1-hour interactive sessions where you are presented with a real-world business problem faced by an Oliver Wyman client.

You are expected to structure the problem, ask clarifying questions, analyze qualitative and quantitative data, perform mental calculations, and deliver a concise recommendation. The interviewers are looking for structured thinking, business intuition, and comfort with numbers.

Be ready to go over:

• Framework formulation – Developing customized, structured approaches to break down market entry, profitability, or operational efficiency problems.
• Quantitative analysis – Performing accurate mental math, percentage calculations, and data interpretation from charts or tables.
• Business acumen – Demonstrating an understanding of macroeconomics, competitive dynamics, and industry-specific value chains.

Advanced concepts (less common):

• Interpreting complex regulatory impacts on financial institutions.
• Evaluating the strategic viability of emerging technologies (e.g., AI integration in supply chains).

Example scenarios:

• "A major European airline is considering launching a low-cost carrier subsidiary. Analyze the market dynamics and recommend whether they should proceed."
• "An investment firm wants to acquire a mid-sized logistics provider. Walk me through how you would conduct the commercial due diligence."

24-Hour Case Study & Pitch

In select offices (such as Singapore), the final round features a highly intensive 24-hour take-home case study. You will receive a comprehensive dataset and a prompt detailing a complex business challenge. You have exactly 24 hours to conduct research, build an analytical slide deck, and prepare a presentation.

The round concludes with a live pitch to a panel of Managing Directors (MDs), followed by a rigorous Q&A session where they will stress-test your assumptions, methodology, and strategic recommendations.

Be ready to go over:

• Rapid secondary research – Navigating databases, industry reports, and financial filings under intense time constraints.
• Slide design & synthesis – Creating professional, executive-ready PowerPoint slides that tell a clear, data-driven story.
• Q&A defense – Defending your recommendations confidently when challenged by senior leadership, demonstrating poise and adaptability.

Example scenarios:

• "Develop a comprehensive market entry strategy for a global payment processor looking to expand into Latin America, including target segments and risk mitigation."