•7 min read•FlashcardPrep Team
A 4-Week Prep Plan for Investment Banking Interviews
Consistent daily reps beat cramming. Here's exactly what to study, week by week.
#prep#interviews#strategy
Week 1 — Accounting foundations
Master the three statements and how they connect. Know depreciation walkthroughs cold — this is the classic screening question.
- Daily: 20 flashcards on accounting
- Deep-dive: link the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow
Week 2 — Valuation
DCF, comparable companies, precedent transactions. Understand why one method might give a different answer than another.
- Daily: 20 flashcards on valuation
- Deep-dive: build a one-page DCF from scratch
Week 3 — M&A and LBO
Accretion/dilution, synergies, LBO mechanics. Practice paper LBOs until you can do them in under 3 minutes.
- Daily: 20 flashcards on M&A + LBO
- Deep-dive: walk through a recent deal (S&P Global research is free through most schools)
Week 4 — Behavioral and mocks
Technicals get you the interview; behaviorals get you the offer. Prepare 5–7 stories and rehearse with a peer.
- Daily: 10 review cards + 1 mock interview
- Deep-dive: refine your "why banking" answer
Consistency is the whole game
Twenty focused minutes a day beats a four-hour weekend cram. Set a streak and don't break it.