Preparation for AlixPartners Tests & Hiring Process

AlixPartners Assessments and Interview Process

Below you will find more information regarding AlixPartners' hiring process. This is an outline of the typical stages throughout the process, which may differ between positions and locations.

Online Application

To begin the recruiting process you need to submit an application. The application will need to be completed online. To access the application platform, you will first need to search available AlixPartners jobs. Once you have selected a suitable position from the careers webpage, you will be able to complete your application and upload your resume.

Phone Interview

After submitting your application and resume, you may be contacted to participate in a phone interview with a representative from HR. This initial screening usually focuses on your background and work experience. You may also have one or more phone interviews with a director, a consultant, or another team member before moving on to the next stage.

Face-to-Face Interviews

Candidates who do well in the first stages of the process are invited for an in-office assessment. This assessment usually includes face-to-face interviews with a managing director or a director, and sometimes a psychologist interview Note: If your role requires a psychologist interview, this can take place either over the phone or in person.

Case Interview

Anyone applying for a consulting role with AlixPartners would benefit from strengthening their case interview skills. During a case interview, you are presented with an authentic business scenario like those AlixPartners deals with regularly. This type of interview is crucial to assess your ability to craft sound business strategies as well as determining the best course of action to obtain a positive result. Note: The case study will most likely be part of your face-to-face interviews.

Psychometric Testing

The final stage of the process usually requires taking psychometric tests, either as part of the in-office assessment day or separately. For the majority of candidates, this includes a personality test and a Wonderlic cognitive ability test.

Specific assessments

Depending on the position for which you apply, you may be assessed on specific skills required for the job, such as proficiency in Excel or technical assessments such as the understanding of mechanical concepts. An example of this is the AlixPartners’ Analytics Challenge assessment candidates for the Digital team need to take.

Common AlixPartners Job Positions That Require Passing Its Interview Process

• VPs, Senior Directors, Executives, and Directors.
• Consultants.
• Financial analysts.
• MBA Graduates.
• Data Engineers.

AlixPartners Assessment (Wonderlic Style) Example Questions

Vocabulary

The opposite of BRASH is

A. Dull.
B. Polite.
C. Arrogant.
D. Shiny.
E. Plastic.

Explanation
The correct answer is (B)- Polite

Brash is being confident and aggressive in a rude or unpleasant way. Its antonym is Polite- having or showing good manners or respect for other people.

Number Series Sample Question

Please choose the next item in the series.
14 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 21 | ?

Explanation

The correct answer is 1.

There are two rules to the sequence in this question:
(1) In each step the difference increases by |1|; i.e. 1, 2, |3| etc.
(2) The sign allocated to the difference between the steps alternates every two steps: +, +, -, - and so forth.

Analogies Sample Question

Please select a pair of words that have a similar relationship
short : tall

A. red : pink
B. sit : lie
C. running : walking
D. light : dark

Explanation
'Short' and 'tall' are opposites just like 'light' and 'dark'. None of the remaining word pairs are opposites.

The answer is 'light' : 'dark'

Math Word Problems Sample Question

The combined ages of a dog and its owner are 96 years in total. The owner is 3 times older than his dog. How old is the owner?

A. 24.
B. 34.
C. 58.
D. 72.
E. 81.
F. None of these.

Explanation
The correct answer is (D) - 72

If the owner is 3 times older than his dog, we can create an equation letting the dog be X and the owner be 3X (as 3X is three times greater than X), with a total sum of 96 (their combined ages)
3X+X = 96
4X = 96
X = 24

The owner is 3X = 3*24 = 72

The question can also be solved by trying the answers instead of writing a formula. For example:

If answer A is correct, the owner is 24 years old, and the dog would be 24/3 = 8 years old. Together they would be 24+8 = 32 years old. Seeing that this number is much too small, it would be wise to move to a much bigger number.

If answer D is correct, the owner is 72 years old, and the dog would be 72/3 = 24 years old. Together they would be 72+24 = 96 years old.

Note: because the owner is 3 times older than his dog, and their sum of ages is a whole number, the owner's age must be divided by 3 without a remainder. Thus, answers B and C (34 and 58) can be eliminated immediately.

AlixPartners Interview Questions

Here are some of the questions you may encounter during your AlixPartners Interview

• Describe a weakness you have.
• Please describe a project you developed.
• Why do you want to work for AlixPartners.
• Do you identify with the values ​​of AlixPartners?
• Why do you want to join Alix Partners?
• What interest you in Alixpartners?
• Describe a time when you made a bad decision.
• Describe a time when you disagreed with someone at work, and how you handled it.
• Tell me about a project that you had to realize.
• Tell me about a time you stood your ground.
• If you have multiple engagements, how do you handle competing deadlines?
• What advantages can you bring to the team?
• Describe a time when your ethics were tested.

AlixParners Values

The following list is of AlixPartner’s Core Values that may be mentioned in some of the interview Questions.

• Commitment.
• Professionalism.
• Teamwork.
• Common sense.
• Personal respect.
• Communication.

Preparing for the AlixPartners Case Interview

There is a very high probability that you will encounter a case interview task during your recruitment process especially if you’re applying for a consulting position.

During a case interview, you will be asked to solve a business problem in the same way that you would if you were already a worker at the company.

AlixPartners’ case interviews usually focus on management decisions. In other words, you will be expected to take the lead in determining the direction of the case meaning you'll be expected to ask questions, dig into the relevant data, and recommend a course of action.

Here are the steps you must take when dealing with a case interview problem

Step 1 - Understand the Case

In the first step of the case interview, you will get a description and background of the problem. It’s important to take detailed notes while the interviewer is speaking:
Take the time to understand the context and goal of the case.
Ask clarifying questions.
Describe the case background back to the interviewer to make sure you comprehend the objective and key components of the case.

Step 2 - Structure Problem Framework

Next, create a framework for solving the case. Meaning, break the problem into smaller more manageable components.

Walk the interviewer through your framework once you've identified the major issues or areas. There may be a few questions or some feedback provided by him.

Step 3 - In-Depth Research

As soon as you have presented your framework, you will need to explore its various aspects.

In a scenario where the interview is candidate-led, you will be expected to suggest an area of your framework to investigate. Propose an area and explain why you would like to begin there.

If the case interview is interviewer-led, your interviewer will tell you which area of the framework to begin with.

During the process of solving a case problem, you will encounter various challenges.

Quantitative challenges - such as calculating profitability or market share.

Present your solution to the quantitative problem, and if the interviewer approves, all that remains is to execute the math.

Qualitative questions - AlixPartners case interviews may also include qualitative questions. Consider brainstorming a list of potential ideas. Your opinion may also be requested on a business issue.

Brainstorm your ideas and develop a structure to categorize them neatly. Describe your position or stance on a business issue or situation, followed by a list of reasons supporting it.

Step 4 - Make a Recommendation

Focus on summarizing the most crucial facts when making a recommendation - also include possible next steps for further research that you would do if you had more time or data these include additional frameworks that you did not have time to examine; and lingering questions you do not have good answers to.

What Types of Case Interview Question Frameworks Are There?

1. Tree Questions - The interviewer asks you to identify the factors contributing to a problem and break them down into a map issue tree.
2. Market-sizing and guesstimate questions - ‘How many cars are sold each year, globally?
3. Valuation questions - These questions combine guesstimation/market-sizing, math, business, and financial knowledge.
4. Brain teasers - These riddles are designed to test your ability to think creatively, logically, and unconventionally.
5. Chart insight questions - These questions require reading and understanding charts.
6. Value proposition questions require you to identify customer needs and propose solutions for solving them
7. Missing data questions - the question you’ll get won’t have all the data that is required to solve the problem.

Links that May Be Helpful

• Wonderlic Assessment Prepack
• SHL Verify G+ Prep
• Our Case Interview Page
• Test By Leading Finance Employers
• Tests by Leading Employers

JobTestPrep is a leading test prep company that offers accurate practice simulations for hundreds of pre-employment tests. Since 1992, it has helped 1M+ candidates. If you have any additional questions about the AlixPartners Test, feel free to send us an email, we usually reply within 24 hours.