Breaking | Into Wall Street Investment Banking Interview Guide Pdf [portable]
This article provides an in-depth review of the BIWS Interview Guide, covering its core structure, how it's evolved for 2025, and a step‑by‑step preparation blueprint to maximize your chances of landing the investment banking role you want. We'll also compare it with other top resources, such as Wall Street Prep's offerings and the Wall Street Oasis course, to help you build a complete preparation toolkit.
Technical skills get you the interview, but behavioral answers secure the job. Bankers work 80+ hours a week and want to hire people they enjoy working with. 1. Crafting the Perfect "Walk Me Through Your Resume"
Never mention the money, prestige, or lifestyle. Instead, anchor your answer on three sustainable pillars:
Walk me through the three financial statements. This article provides an in-depth review of the
It provides frameworks for answering behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
The guide includes with full answer keys. Do not read passively. Test yourself before looking at the answers. Write out your responses and compare them to the answer keys.
Handling high-pressure situations and teamwork. 3. Why Choose the Breaking into Wall Street Guide? Bankers work 80+ hours a week and want
: Valuation based on trading multiples of comparable public peers.
In addition to technical questions, you'll also be asked behavioral questions to assess your fit with the company culture and your ability to work in a team environment. Some common behavioral questions include:
Technical knowledge is non‑negotiable. According to BIWS, if you cannot explain the financial statements, valuation, or DCF analysis, you have eliminated yourself before the interview even begins. The guide is designed to help you focus on the most important concepts using quizzes and Excel files. Rather than memorizing hundreds of questions and answers, the emphasis is on understanding the underlying principles so you can adapt to any question. Instead, anchor your answer on three sustainable pillars:
(Demonstrating you understand the long hours). "Why Our Firm?" (Showing firm-specific research).
I look forward to the next steps.
It provides detailed examples of how to connect complex topics (e.g., how a debt write-down impacts a model). 4. How to Use the Guide Efficiently