Oliver Wyman's hiring process is an application with your CV and cover letter, an online test for some roles, then several rounds of conversational and case interviews. The steps vary by office and role, and each job posting sets out its own. Oliver Wyman doesn't publish what its online test contains.
Everything below comes from Oliver Wyman's careers pages and its own job postings, linked as we go. Where Oliver Wyman doesn't say something, we say so. The interview questions are ones to prepare for; Oliver Wyman doesn't publish its questions.
The Oliver Wyman hiring process at a glance
| Stage | What happens | Where Oliver Wyman documents it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Apply | CV and cover letter through Marsh's careers site. Some offices also ask for a transcript. | Most postings we checked (Tokyo, London, Newcastle, Milan) |
| 2. Online test | An online test between screening and interviews, for some roles and offices. | Tokyo entry-level consultant; Middle East internship |
| 3. HR interview | A conversation with HR before the case rounds, on some postings. | Middle East internship |
| 4. First-round interviews | Case interviews, sometimes alongside CV interviews. Often virtual. | Tokyo (one 30-minute case interview); Newcastle (virtual) |
| 5. Later and final rounds | More case and CV interviews. | Tokyo (two 60-minute interviews in each of two rounds) |
| 6. Offer | Not described on the pages we checked. | Not published |
Oliver Wyman's interview preparation page describes the interviews themselves: a mix of conversational and case interviews, in a process it calls "challenging, exciting, and fun".
How do you apply to Oliver Wyman?
You apply online through the Apply Now link on Oliver Wyman's careers pages, which takes you to Oliver Wyman's job search on Marsh's careers site. Oliver Wyman is now one of the brand legacies within Marsh, so its postings sit there.
- What to send: most postings we checked ask for a CV and a cover letter. Oliver Wyman's Tokyo entry-level posting also asks for an academic transcript, combined with the CV and cover letter in one PDF.
- Eligibility is set on each posting. Oliver Wyman says it welcomes all academic majors and doesn't require specific industry experience for entry-level roles.
- Deadlines are set per posting too. Its Tokyo summer internship reviews applications on a rolling basis and asks you to apply to only one role and office, so applying early helps.
Oliver Wyman says it looks for people who show "initiative, intuition, creativity, and a strong problem-solving mindset". Its UK and Ireland page adds that it wants team players who are "intellectually curious and entrepreneurial".
Cohesyve
Get some practice in before you apply to Oliver Wyman
Try an AI job simulation of the everyday work in roles like these and see where you lost marks. 3 free practice assessments, no card.
What is the Oliver Wyman online assessment?
It's an online test that some Oliver Wyman roles use after CV screening and before interviews. Oliver Wyman's postings name it as a stage but don't describe its content, length, provider or pass mark.
Two current postings list it:
| Posting | Selection process as listed |
|---|---|
| Entry-level Consultant (March 2028), Tokyo | Application screening, online test, first-round case interview (30 minutes), second-round case and CV interviews (2 × 60 minutes), final-round case and CV interviews (2 × 60 minutes) |
| Internship Middle East 2027 (Dubai or Doha) | Screening, online test, HR interview, case interviews |
Treat question types, timings and pass marks you read elsewhere as unconfirmed. If you're invited:
- Check the invitation for what the test covers and how long you have, and ask the recruiting team if it isn't clear.
- Use a reliable computer and connection, somewhere quiet, in one sitting.
- Brush up on fast, accurate arithmetic. Oliver Wyman's own case advice is to "be careful with simple calculations", and the same habits help in any timed numerical test. Our guide to SHL numerical reasoning shows how one widely used numerical test works, though Oliver Wyman doesn't say who runs its test or whether it's numerical.
Oliver Wyman also points students to a virtual job simulation on The Forage, to practise example tasks before applying. It isn't part of the assessment.
Does every Oliver Wyman role have an online test?
No. Oliver Wyman's Tokyo summer internship posting lists application screening, then a first round and a final round of case and CV interviews, with no online test. Its London summer internship posting describes conversational and case interviews and doesn't mention a test. Check the "selection process" section of your posting.
Some specialist teams use their own assessments. Oliver Wyman's energy trading and risk roles in Bengaluru, for example, say the process "typically includes functional and/or technical assessment, case study or practical exercise, behavioral interviews, and team fit discussions."
What is the Oliver Wyman interview process?
It's a mix of conversational interviews and case interviews, over two or three rounds on the postings we checked. Oliver Wyman says the mix helps it get to know you and helps you learn about its people and business.
Conversational interviews
You talk about your background, interests and career goals. Oliver Wyman says interviewers want to understand your interest in business, your goals, and your accomplishments and experiences. You can also ask questions about the firm. Some postings, such as Tokyo's, list "CV interviews" alongside case interviews.
For experienced hires, Oliver Wyman's Milan principal posting says the interviews explore your experience, leadership approach, sector expertise, commercial judgement and problem-solving.
Case interviews
Oliver Wyman calls the case interview "an interactive exercise in analytical thinking", often based on real-world challenges like those it solves for clients. It lists what interviewers look for:
| Oliver Wyman asks | What that means in the room |
|---|---|
| How do you approach unstructured challenges? | Break a messy problem into logical parts |
| Can you evaluate data and build it into your analysis? | Use the numbers you're given, and ask for more |
| Can you think outside the box? | Offer fresh ideas when the obvious route stalls |
| Can you apply common sense? | Keep your solution practical |
| Can you ask the right questions? | Find the priority issues early |
| Can you communicate your ideas? | Explain clearly, as you would to a client |
Its advice is to "think of your case interviewer as your client" and work through the problem together, in six steps: pinpoint the issue, break it down, pick an approach, analyse the issues, use numbers, and make a recommendation.
What does an Oliver Wyman practice case look like?
Oliver Wyman publishes six practice cases on its interview preparation page, each with sample answers. Its Urban Grocers case runs in five parts: structure the problem, do two rounds of calculations, brainstorm risks and how to reduce them, then give a recommendation as if to the client's CEO. Oliver Wyman's tip for that last part is to start with a clear answer, follow with supporting detail, and keep it to roughly 30 seconds to a minute.
Work through all six out loud, ideally with a partner playing the interviewer.
How long does the Oliver Wyman hiring process take?
Oliver Wyman doesn't publish a general timeline. Individual postings give dates: its Tokyo entry-level posting runs from application screening on 26 November to final-round interviews on 17 and 18 December 2026, and warns that final interviews may run later. Its Newcastle data and analytics analyst posting closes on 30 October 2026, with first-round interviews held virtually in the week of 16 November. Check your posting for its own dates.
What interview questions does Oliver Wyman ask?
Oliver Wyman doesn't publish its interview questions. These are common consulting questions, with how to answer each in a way that fits what Oliver Wyman says it values: Be Brave, Lead With Heart, Strive For Breakthroughs, Work As One and Own Our Impact, plus initiative, intuition, creativity and problem-solving. Use the STAR method for the "tell me about a time" questions.
| Question | How to answer it for Oliver Wyman |
|---|---|
| 1. Walk me through your CV. | Two minutes, in order, ending on why consulting. Pick the moments that show initiative and problem-solving. |
| 2. Why consulting, and why Oliver Wyman? | Name something specific: a practice, a piece of its published research, or a person you met at a recruiting event. Oliver Wyman's values give you its own words to connect to. |
| 3. Tell me about a time you took the initiative. | Own Our Impact asks colleagues to "act as entrepreneurs". Show something you started without being asked. |
| 4. Tell me about a time you held a view others disagreed with. | Be Brave means standing behind your beliefs while exploring what drives them. Show you held your view and listened. |
| 5. Tell me about something your team achieved that you couldn't have done alone. | Work As One. Be clear about your own part and how you helped others succeed. |
| 6. Tell me about a time you built trust with someone. | Lead With Heart is about lasting relationships built on transparency and trust. A client, customer or teammate example works. |
| 7. Describe a creative solution you came up with. | Strive For Breakthroughs and Oliver Wyman's focus on creativity. Explain why the obvious answer wasn't enough. |
| 8. Tell me about a time you used data to reach a decision. | Case interviewers check whether you can evaluate data. Say what the data showed and what you did with it. |
| 9. (Case) Our client is considering a major decision. How would you approach it? | Restate the objective, ask clarifying questions, then lay out a structure before diving in. |
| 10. (Case) Calculate the change in costs from these figures. | Talk through your maths and check it. Oliver Wyman warns about simple calculation errors. |
| 11. (Case) What are the risks, and how would you reduce them? | Brainstorm widely, then group your ideas. Oliver Wyman's practice case asks you to "be creative". |
| 12. (Case) What should the client do? | Lead with the answer, then the two or three reasons, in about 30 seconds to a minute. |
| 13. What questions do you have for us? | Ask about training, staffing on projects or the practice you'd join. |
For more practice on the conversational side, see our list of behavioural interview questions.
How to prepare for Oliver Wyman's hiring process
- Read your posting's selection process to see whether it includes an online test, an HR interview or a set number of rounds.
- Write a cover letter for Oliver Wyman specifically, and check whether your office wants a transcript too.
- Prepare for the online test if your posting lists one: practise quick, accurate arithmetic and take it somewhere quiet.
- Do all six of Oliver Wyman's practice cases out loud, then practise more with a partner.
- Prepare five or six STAR stories that map to the five values and to initiative, creativity and problem-solving.
- Practise your CV walk-through until it takes about two minutes.
- Run a mock interview with someone who will push back the way a client would.
- Attend a recruiting event if one runs near you. Oliver Wyman lists campus events and workshops on its recruiting events page.
Practising realistic work tasks
Case interviews reward structured thinking under time pressure, and that improves with practice on realistic tasks. Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, runs practice job simulations for your role, with a scored report on where you lost marks. It isn't affiliated with Oliver Wyman and doesn't use Oliver Wyman's tests or questions.
FAQs
Does Oliver Wyman have an online assessment?
For some roles. Its Tokyo entry-level consultant and Middle East internship postings list an online test after screening. Other postings, such as its Tokyo summer internship, go straight to interviews.
What is in the Oliver Wyman online test?
Oliver Wyman doesn't publish its content, length, provider or pass mark. Check your invitation, and ask the recruiting team if anything is unclear.
How many interview rounds does Oliver Wyman have?
It depends on the posting. The Tokyo entry-level consultant process has three rounds after the online test: one 30-minute case interview, then two rounds of two 60-minute case and CV interviews. The Tokyo summer internship has a first and a final round.
Are Oliver Wyman case interviews interviewer-led?
Oliver Wyman doesn't use that label. Its own guidance says to treat the interviewer as your client and work through the case together, and its practice cases move through set questions one at a time.
Do I need a business degree to join Oliver Wyman?
No. Oliver Wyman says it welcomes all academic majors and doesn't require specific industry experience for entry-level roles. Check your posting, because some teams, such as data and analytics, ask for a quantitative degree.
Is Oliver Wyman part of Marsh?
Yes. Oliver Wyman's postings describe it as a business of Marsh, and its careers pages send applicants to Marsh's careers site.
Sources
Oliver Wyman's own pages and job postings, checked 27 October 2026:
- oliverwyman.com: Interview preparation and the Urban Grocers practice case
- oliverwyman.com: Students and recent graduates
- oliverwyman.com: Recruiting events and the UK and Ireland recruiting page
- oliverwyman.com: Our values
- marsh.com: Our brand
- Oliver Wyman job postings on Marsh's careers site: Entry-level Consultant (March 2028), Tokyo, Internship Middle East 2027, Summer Intern (2027), Tokyo, Summer Internship 2027, London, Data & Analytics Analyst, Newcastle 2027, Energy & Natural Resources Principal, Milan and ETRM Analyst, Bengaluru