Type · personal-impact
Describe a situation where you had to influence a key stakeholder or a group of people to adopt your recommendation or perspective, especially when there was initial resistance. How did you approach it?
How to Pass the Terna Strategy Consultant Interview in 2026
Enterprise · Strategy Consultant Interview Guide
Sign up to see ATSHeadquartered in ItalyInterview language: English
The Terna DNA (TL;DR)
Terna's 'Driving Energy' strategic plan emphasizes candidates' capacity to innovate within grid modernization and sustainability, aligning with values like 'Integrity' and 'Meritocracy.' The interview loop seeks individuals who can articulate their contribution to complex infrastructure projects, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to energy transition challenges.
The Terna Interview Loop
Your onsite loop will typically consist of 5 rounds.
- 1
Round 1
Recruiter ScreenMotivation, fit, why consulting. - 2
Round 2
Case InterviewMarket sizing, profitability, market entry, M&A - structured problem-solving with hypothesis-driven analysis. - 3
Round 3
PEI / Personal ExperienceSTAR-style stories on leadership, entrepreneurial drive, personal impact. - 4
Round 4
Fit / Partner RoundWhy this firm, why this office, deeper resume walkthrough with senior partner. - 5
Round 5
Behavioral / LeadershipPast evidence of ownership, influence, resolving conflict.
The Danger Zone: Top Reasons Candidates Fail
Based on our database of Terna interview outcomes, avoid these common traps:
- Describing a situation where they delegated heavily without demonstrating personal accountability.
- Not considering the specific regulatory frameworks and competitive landscape for offshore wind in different Mediterranean countries.
- Ignoring the impact of the trade-off on secondary stakeholders like local regulators or environmental agencies
- Failing to quantify the benefits, such as reduced downtime, optimized maintenance, and improved grid stability, or neglecting potential risks like data security breaches.
Test Yourself: Real Terna Questions
Three real prompts pulled from our database.
Type · entrepreneurial-drive
Tell me about a time you identified an opportunity or a problem that others had overlooked and took the initiative to address it, even if it wasn't explicitly part of your responsibilities. What did you do, and what was the impact?
Type · leadership
Describe a time you had to lead a team through a significant change or uncertainty, perhaps related to a project deadline or a shift in strategic direction. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?
+ many more questions, signals, and worked examples
Sign up to unlock the full Terna grading rubric
Terna Interview Question Bank
A sample from our database, grouped by round. Sign up to see the full set.
8 of 12 questions shown
1
Recruiter Screen
1- 1
Type · motivation
Terna is a leading energy infrastructure operator in Italy, focusing on electricity transmission and distribution. What specifically about Terna's mission and operations in the evolving energy landscape excites you most as a strategy consultant?
2
Case Interview
5- 2
Type · market-sizing
Estimate the total market size for grid modernization services in the European Union over the next five years. Consider investments in smart grids, digitalization, and cybersecurity for transmission and distribution networks. - 3
Type · profitability
Terna is considering investing in advanced analytics to predict and prevent grid failures. Analyze the potential profitability of this initiative. What are the key revenue streams or cost savings, and what are the major investment costs? - + 3 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
3
PEI / Personal Experience
3- 4
Type · leadership
Describe a time you had to lead a team through a significant change or uncertainty, perhaps related to a project deadline or a shift in strategic direction. What was your approach, and what was the outcome? - 5
Type · entrepreneurial-drive
Tell me about a time you identified an opportunity or a problem that others had overlooked and took the initiative to address it, even if it wasn't explicitly part of your responsibilities. What did you do, and what was the impact? - + 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)
4
Fit / Partner Round
1- 6
Type · firm-fit
Terna operates in a highly regulated and capital-intensive industry. How do you see your skills as a strategy consultant contributing to Terna's long-term success, particularly in navigating regulatory changes and managing large-scale infrastructure investments?
5
Behavioral / Leadership
2- 7
Type · ownership
Tell me about a time you took full ownership of a task or project, even when it became significantly more difficult or complex than initially anticipated. What steps did you take to ensure its successful completion? - 8
Type · conflict-resolution
Terna often balances the urgent need for grid infrastructure deployment with the environmental and social concerns of local communities. Describe a time you had to reconcile two competing project priorities that were both critical to the success of a long-term initiative. How did you determine which trade-offs were acceptable, and how did you communicate that decision to the parties involved?
Unlock all 12 Terna questions, free
No credit card. Every question with its framework, the grading signals interviewers score against, and a worked answer for each.
Interview tracks at Terna
How Terna's DNA translates across functions. Pick your role.
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Practice Terna interviews end-to-end
Terna Mock Interview
Run a live mock interview with our AI interviewer using Terna-style prompts. Get scored on structure, signal, and answer length - exactly how the real loop grades you.
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STAR Stories for Terna Behavioral Rounds
Build a Story Bank of your past wins, mapped to the leadership signals Terna interviewers grade on. Reuse them across every behavioral round.
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Terna Interview Prep Hub
The frameworks behind every Terna round: CIRCLES for product sense, hypothesis-driven debugging for analytical, STAR for behavioral. Learn each one in 10 minutes.
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Interview Frameworks
CIRCLES, STAR, AARRR, RICE, MECE. The exact frameworks that make Terna interviewers nod instead of frown. Step-by-step playbooks with the moves and the pitfalls.
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Sample answers
What a strong answer to these Terna interview questions shows.
Describe a situation where you had to influence a key stakeholder or a group of people to adopt your recommendation or perspective, especially when there was initial resistance. How did you approach it?
A strong answer shows: Demonstrates understanding of stakeholder motivations and concerns.; Uses data, logic, and tailored communication to build a compelling case.; Achieves a positive outcome or buy-in..
Tell me about a time you identified an opportunity or a problem that others had overlooked and took the initiative to address it, even if it wasn't explicitly part of your responsibilities. What did you do, and what was the impact?
A strong answer shows: Identifies a novel problem or opportunity.; Takes ownership and demonstrates initiative to develop and implement a solution.; Quantifies the positive impact of their actions..
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Terna interview process take?
Most candidates spend between 4 and 8 weeks from recruiter screen to offer. The onsite loop itself runs in a single day or is split across two half-days, with debrief and offer typically within 5 business days after.
How should I prepare specifically for Terna?
Focus on three things: (1) the company DNA shown above - what they actually grade for, (2) the rounds in your loop, especially the round most candidates underestimate, and (3) drilling on the question types in this guide using a structured framework like CIRCLES or STAR.
Does this apply to engineering or design roles at Terna?
The DNA stays the same - what changes is the round mix. SWE candidates face coding screens instead of Product Sense; designers face portfolio reviews and design exercises. The "what they value" and behavioral signals carry across all functions.
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