FTI Consulting: 60-Second Prep Strategy for Video Interview 2027
The FTI 60 second prep strategy is simple: spend the first 20 seconds picking your structure, the next 20 seconds loading 2-3 specific details, and the final 20 seconds rehearsing your opening line. FTI Consulting's pre-recorded video interview gives you roughly 60 seconds to prepare and up to 2 minutes to record each answer — and with no interviewer to buy you time, candidates who walk in without an FTI 60 second prep strategy freeze, ramble, or run out of time mid-answer.
Why the FTI 60 Second Prep Strategy Decides Your Score
Sixty seconds sounds generous until the timer starts. Most candidates waste the first 30 seconds deciding which story to tell, then improvise the structure while recording — the result is a wandering answer that never lands its point. FTI assessors score structure and specificity. An answer that opens with a clear framework and hits concrete details in the first 30 seconds of recording scores far higher than one that takes a minute to find its footing.
The FTI 60 Second Prep Strategy, Step by Step
Seconds 0-20: Choose the structure. Decide your framework before anything else. For behavioural questions, lock in STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result). For motivation questions, lock in a three-part structure: hook, evidence, link to FTI. Write the framework as three short phrases on your scratch notes.
Seconds 20-40: Load the specifics. Pick 2-3 concrete details that make the answer real: a number, a timeline, a name of a project or team. Generic answers fail at FTI; specifics are what separate a rehearsed answer from an improvised one.
Seconds 40-60: Rehearse the opening line. Say your first sentence in your head. If you know exactly how you start, the rest flows. Candidates who nail the opening sound confident even when the middle is slightly improvised.
Practicing the FTI 60 Second Prep Strategy Before the Real Thing
This strategy only works if it is muscle memory. Set a timer for 60 seconds, read yourself a practice question, and force yourself to follow the 20-20-20 split. Do it ten times with different questions. Time your recorded answers too — 2 minutes is shorter than it feels, and most candidates either rush through in 60 seconds (looking underprepared) or get cut off mid-sentence.
Sixty seconds of prep plus two minutes of recording, one attempt per question, no interviewer to save you. That is the whole game. The candidates who treat the 60 seconds as a drill — structure, specifics, opening line — walk out with clean, confident recordings. The ones who improvise walk out wondering what just happened. FTI's 2027 intake process is running during the 2026 application season (confirm exact deadlines on FTI's official careers page), so start drilling now.
FAQ
How much prep time does FTI Consulting's video interview give? Approximately 60 seconds of preparation and up to 2 minutes of recording per question.
Should I write a full script during the 60 seconds? No — write only a framework and key details. Full scripts sound robotic and you will not finish writing one in 60 seconds.
Can I use notes during the FTI video interview? You can typically have scratch notes visible, but reading from a script is obvious on camera and hurts your score. Use bullet points only. Preparing for FTI Consulting's Pre-recorded Video Interview - Format? Our 2027 FTI Consulting Pre-recorded Video Interview & Online Assessment Tutorials has the exact questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.
