Real problems, real judges, real proof. A growing record of what students build and how they think, one event at a time.
Next up: 2nd Consulting Career Hackathon · September 2026 · registration opening soon.
Every participant works on their own project, built from their CV and target role, so no two submissions are the same.
Reviewed and scored by people working in the field on reasoning and judgement, not automated marks.
The project, your reasoning and the feedback stay on a proof profile you can use in applications and interviews.
Not a case competition
| Traditional case competition | Arete hackathon |
|---|---|
| One shared case for everyone | A personalised project built around you |
| A team, and one winner | Everyone builds their own evidence, judged on merit |
| A day, then it is over | A proof profile and reasoning you keep and reuse |
| Judged on the final answer | Judged on how you think, not just the output |
The second round of the Consulting Career Hackathon. Same format: your own project, shaped around your background and target role, defended to practitioner judges. Registration opens soon.
The October edition opens up. Five different industry tracks, one hackathon, so more students can build proof for the role they are actually aiming at. More soon.
Each participant built their own consulting project, shaped around their background and the role they were aiming for, then defended their reasoning to practitioner judges. Not one shared case study for everyone.
Winning projects
1st place
Consulting Recommendation Pack for Tech-Driven Market Entry
A market-entry recommendation built end to end, from sizing the opportunity to the trade-offs behind the final call.
2nd place
Market and Competitor Benchmarking Memo for Brightwell Retail
A benchmarking memo that reads the competitive set and turns it into where the retailer can realistically win.
3rd place
Strategic Options Brief for a UK EdTech Platform’s Course Completion Challenge
A strategic options brief on course completion, weighing each route against the platform’s constraints.
Final presentations
Watch the final presentations
Judged by
Jarrod ChanFounder, Pagoda
Ramim RahmanFounder, Uprise Consulting
Alice ChengIncoming ConsultantJudges’ backgrounds
Judged on structured thinking, the quality of the recommendation and how well each finalist defended their trade-offs, not on the topic they picked.
Each participant built a personalised finance project from their own CV and target role, not one shared brief, then turned it into career proof through a five-minute demo and live judging.
Winning projects
1st place
Runrate — Deal Intelligence Web App
Automates institutional-grade financial analysis from seven company inputs, pairing modelling methodology with product thinking.
2nd place
Budget & Forecast Assumptions Pack
A three-year budget and forecast for a leading algorithmic-trading firm, with scenario analysis and growth recommendations.
3rd place
Process Improvement Brief — Asset Management Ops
Portfolio rebalancing across ETFs, index funds and active portfolios for an asset-management operation.
Judged by
Jason Lum
Alexander ChuaJudges’ backgrounds
Judged on reasoning, strategic upskilling, execution, reflection and career-evidence potential, not on the project topic itself.
This archive grows with every event, so future students can see the work, the judges and the winners, and understand the bar before they enter.