Why Investment Banking Interview Prep is Broken (and How IB Prepared Fixes It)

Breaking into investment banking has never been more competitive. Each year, thousands of ambitious students and professionals vie for a limited number of spots at top firms like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Barclays. Everyone knows the technicals — accounting, valuation, DCFs, LBOs — are brutal. But here’s the truth: most candidates still approach prep in a way that sets them up for failure.

The Problem with Traditional Prep

If you’re like most candidates, your preparation looks something like this:

• Endless hours on forums like WSO, scouring outdated guides.
• Memorizing technical question banks without context.
• Practicing alone, without real-time feedback.
• Ignoring the behavioral side until the last minute.

The result? Candidates sound robotic. They recite memorized formulas but struggle when interviewers push deeper. Worse, they can’t connect their answers to a convincing story about who they are and why they belong in banking.

Recruiters notice. And it’s the difference between a first-round rejection and a superday offer.

A Smarter Way to Prep

That’s where IB Prepared comes in. We built IB Prepared to give you the real interview experience — not just a list of questions. Our platform combines AI-driven mock interviews, timed technical quizzes, and hands-on financial modeling drills so you’re ready for any curveball.

Here’s how:

• 🎤 AI Mock Interviews Actually talk to the computer. Our AI interviewers challenge you on both technicals and behaviorals — and adapt based on your responses. You’ll know exactly where you stumble, and how to fix it.

• 📊 Technical Quizzes Timed drills on accounting, valuation, LBOs, and markets. No passive flashcards — we recreate the time pressure of real interviews.

• 💻 Financial Modeling Sandbox Practice building DCFs, merger models, and LBOs from scratch. Get instant feedback so you don’t just “know the steps” but actually master the craft.

• 📈 Personalized Roadmap Everyone has different strengths and gaps. Our system builds you a prep plan tailored to your weak spots, with a dashboard that tracks your readiness score over time.

The IB Prepared Edge

Top candidates are no longer just the ones who “know the answers.” They’re the ones who can think under pressure, explain with clarity, and connect technical mastery to a compelling personal story. IB Prepared helps you become that candidate.

Whether you’re a student chasing a summer analyst role or a lateral hire breaking in from another industry, IB Prepared is the training ground that sharpens your edge.