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Case Study Interview Brief Template

How do you set a fair take-home or live case study for candidates?

Write a fair, focused case study brief for a take-home or live interview exercise: the business context, the task, what to deliver, how long to spend, the data provided, weighted evaluation criteria, the presentation format and a clear note that you won't use the candidate's work commercially.

How the case study brief is structured

A case study shows how a candidate approaches the real work of the role, but only if the brief is clear and the effort is reasonable. The template sets out the context and a single task, fixes the deliverable and its length, caps the time, lists the data provided and states the weighted criteria every candidate is judged on. It closes with a confidentiality and IP note and the submission details. Keeping the task short respects candidates who are still working full time — and a few focused hours shows how someone thinks just as well as a weekend of work.

Take-home: The candidate works on the task in their own time and submits it by a deadline.
Live case: The candidate works through the task during the interview, thinking aloud.
Weighted criteria: The 3–5 things you score, each with a share of the total, agreed before you read any submission.
Deliverable: What the candidate hands in — a deck, memo, model or prototype — with a length limit.

Before you send it

Keep the time to a few hours at most. If the task genuinely needs more, we recommend paying candidates for their time and saying so in the brief.
Use made-up or anonymised data. Never send real client names, confidential figures or a live business problem you intend to use.
Agree the criteria and weights with the panel before any submission arrives, and score each one independently.
Only set a case study for candidates who are seriously in contention — usually after a first interview — so you are not asking dozens of people for unpaid work.

Assess the whole process

Score the presentation with the interview scorecard template and plan the full interview with the interview kit builder. Invite shortlisted candidates with the interview invitation email, and make sure the role itself is clear with the job description generator.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a take-home case study take?

A few hours at most. A short, focused task tells you how someone structures a problem and communicates, which is what you need to judge. Candidates who are still employed often have limited time, and long unpaid tasks make strong candidates drop out. Say the expected time in the brief and design the task to fit it.

Should I pay candidates for a case study?

For tasks longer than a few hours, paying for the candidate's time is good practice and signals respect. If you do, state it in the brief and explain how payment works. For short tasks, the more important commitment is not to use the work commercially.

Can we use a candidate's case study work in our business?

You shouldn't. The brief states that the work is for assessment only, that you will not use it commercially and that the candidate keeps the rights to what they create. Use invented or historical problems so there is no doubt — and no reason for a candidate to suspect you are getting free consulting.

What should the evaluation criteria be?

Three to five criteria tied to the role, each with a weight — for example, structure of the analysis, use of data, quality of recommendations and clarity of communication. Share them in the brief so every candidate knows what good looks like, and score against the same criteria for everyone.

Take-home or live case study — which is better?

Take-home tasks suit analytical and written work and give candidates time to think; live cases show how someone reasons under time pressure and collaborates. Many Gulf employers use a short take-home followed by a live presentation and questions, which combines both.

How do I set a fair deadline in the Gulf?

Give at least a few working days and include a weekend, remembering that the weekend is Saturday–Sunday for most UAE employers and Friday–Saturday elsewhere in the GCC. During Ramadan, or around Eid holidays, allow more time or offer to move the deadline — and say candidates can ask.

Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.

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Free HR tool · No sign-up

Case Study Interview Brief Template

How do you set a fair take-home or live case study for candidates?

Step 1 · Role & format1/3

Company name

Role

Case study format

Take-homeLive (in the interview)

Step 2 · Context & task0/5

Business context

2–4 sentences: the situation the candidate is stepping into. Use made-up or anonymised numbers.

The task

One clear question or problem. Mirror real work in the role.

Deliverables

Length limit

Data and materials provided

Step 3 · Time & payment1/3

Time to spend

Keep it short. A few hours is plenty to see how someone thinks.

We pay for the candidate's timeRecommended for tasks longer than a few hours.

Step 4 · Evaluation criteria0/5

Evaluation criterion 1 (with weight)

Evaluation criterion 2 (with weight)

Evaluation criterion 3 (with weight)

Evaluation criterion 4 (optional)

Evaluation criterion 5 (optional)

Step 5 · Presentation & submission0/4

Presentation format

Submission deadline or session date

Contact name

Contact email

CASE STUDY BRIEF

CASE STUDY BRIEF [Role] (to fill in) — [Company name] (to fill in) Format: Take-home exercise

Thank you for taking part in this stage of our process. This exercise is a chance to show how you approach a problem like the ones you would handle in the role. There is no single right answer — we are more interested in how you think than in polish.

1. Business context [Business context] (to fill in)

2. Your task [The task] (to fill in)

3. What to deliver [Deliverables] (to fill in) Length: [Length limit] (to fill in)

4. Time Please spend no more than [Time limit] (to fill in) on this. We have kept the task short on purpose: we respect your time, and a focused answer tells us more than a long one. If you run out of time, note what you would do next.

5. Data and materials [Data and materials provided] (to fill in) Where information is missing, make a reasonable assumption and state it.

6. How we will evaluate it • [Evaluation criterion 1 (with weight)] (to fill in) • [Evaluation criterion 2 (with weight)] (to fill in) • [Evaluation criterion 3 (with weight)] (to fill in) Every candidate receives the same brief and is assessed against the same criteria.

7. Presentation [Presentation format] (to fill in)

8. Confidentiality and your work This exercise is for assessment only. We will not use your work commercially or in our business, and you keep the rights to what you create. Please keep this brief and any data we provide confidential, and use them only for this exercise.

9. Submission Please send your work to [Contact email] (to fill in) by [Deadline] (to fill in). If you have questions about the brief, or need an adjustment (for example, more time because of Ramadan working hours or a disability), contact [Contact name] (to fill in) at [Contact email] (to fill in). Asking a clarifying question will never count against you.

Good luck — we look forward to seeing your approach. [Contact name] (to fill in) [Company name] (to fill in)

Send the same brief to every candidate at this stage. Remove any real client names or confidential figures before sending.

15 fields still show as [highlighted placeholders] — fill them in or edit after copying.

Get this case study brief in your inbox to reuse for your next hire.

How the case study brief is structured

Take-home: The candidate works on the task in their own time and submits it by a deadline.
Live case: The candidate works through the task during the interview, thinking aloud.
Weighted criteria: The 3–5 things you score, each with a share of the total, agreed before you read any submission.
Deliverable: What the candidate hands in — a deck, memo, model or prototype — with a length limit.

Before you send it

Keep the time to a few hours at most. If the task genuinely needs more, we recommend paying candidates for their time and saying so in the brief.
Use made-up or anonymised data. Never send real client names, confidential figures or a live business problem you intend to use.
Agree the criteria and weights with the panel before any submission arrives, and score each one independently.
Only set a case study for candidates who are seriously in contention — usually after a first interview — so you are not asking dozens of people for unpaid work.

Assess the whole process

Frequently asked questions

How long should a take-home case study take?

Should I pay candidates for a case study?

Can we use a candidate's case study work in our business?

What should the evaluation criteria be?

Take-home or live case study — which is better?

How do I set a fair deadline in the Gulf?

Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.

Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Post a job free

More free HR tools

Skills Assessment Picker

Which pre-hire assessment suits each role, what it shows and what to watch out for.

Open tool

Technical Interview Questions

60 practical technical questions across 8 role families, with what good answers cover.

Open tool

Interview Scorecard Template

A weighted, printable interview scorecard with anchored 1–5 ratings.

Open tool

Interview Kit Builder

One document with the stage plan, interviewer briefing, questions and logistics.

Open tool

See all free hiring tools →