The short version
- Most questions: Wall Street Prep, The Red Book. 1,000 questions and answers, $99.
- Most modeling practice: Breaking Into Wall Street, IB Interview Guide. 17 Excel case studies, $197.
- Most video: Wall Street Oasis, IB Interview Course. $197.
- Lowest cost: free question banks, the mock round timer and the free IB Top 30 guide.
Side by side
| Option | Price | Format and size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall Street Prep, The Red Book | $99 once, $169 with The Blue Book | PDF of 1,000+ questions and answers with a companion video course. Big sections on capital markets (243) and industry groups (380). | Breadth, including FIG, TMT and restructuring questions |
| Breaking Into Wall Street, IB Interview Guide 4.0 | $197 once or 4 payments of $49 | 578+ pages of guides, quizzes, 17 Excel-based case studies, 109+ fit questions with model answers. 90-day money-back guarantee. | Modeling tests and assessment centers |
| Wall Street Oasis, IB Interview Course | $197 | Video course with question bank and guides. | Learning by video |
| Free: this site’s 100 questions, BIWS 400 Questions guide | $0 | Question lists with answers. This site adds answer frameworks, and a sister site has a free self-check that scores what you say. | First rounds and checking your level |
| Free: IB Interview: Top 30 Questions | $0 | 13-page guide with model answers to the 30 most-asked questions, on Gumroad. | A short, focused first pass |
Prices and contents from wallstreetprep.com, breakingintowallstreet.com and wallstreetoasis.com product pages on Nov 1, 2026. Sales and bundles change often. Valenx Press is not affiliated with these companies.
What the paid guides do better
Be honest about the trade-off. The Red Book has ten times as many questions as our free bank. BIWS ships Excel case studies, which no PDF can replace if you face a modeling test. If either of those is your gap, buy that one.
Where the low-cost route wins
- You can check your level for free first. Read 50 deep dives and the full 100-question bank.
- You practice out loud, not just read. The free mock round timer draws random questions and the answer self-check scores what you said.
- You start with the 30 that come up most. The free IB Top 30 guide has model answers to the most-asked questions.
Free guideStart with the free IB Top 30
IB Interview: Top 30 Questions covers the 30 most-asked investment banking interview questions with model answers. 13 pages, free on Gumroad.
Get the free Top 30Which one should you pick?
- Superday in a week, first time studying: the free Top 30 and the 100 free questions, then the Red Book if you still have time.
- Modeling test or assessment center: BIWS for the case studies.
- Industry group interview (FIG, TMT, restructuring): the Red Book’s industry sections.
- No budget: the free bank, the mock round timer and the self-check.
FAQ
What is the best alternative to the Wall Street Prep Red Book? It depends on what you need. If you want more questions, the Red Book's 1,000 is hard to beat at $99. If you want Excel case studies, the BIWS IB Interview Guide ($197) includes 17. If you want to start free, the 100-question bank on this site and the free self-check cost nothing. The free IB Top 30 guide on Gumroad adds model answers to the 30 most-asked questions.
Is the BIWS IB Interview Guide worth $197? Its own page lists 578+ pages, 17 Excel-based case studies, 109+ fit questions with model answers and a 90-day money-back guarantee. If you have modeling tests or assessment centers coming, the case studies are the main reason to pay more.
Are free investment banking interview questions enough? For many first-round interviews, yes, if you practice out loud. Free sources include the 100 questions on this site and the widely shared 400 Questions guide from Breaking Into Wall Street. Paid guides add structure, depth and modeling practice.
How is the free IB Top 30 guide different from the free question bank? The bank gives 100 questions with answer frameworks. The Top 30 is a 13-page guide with model answers to the 30 most-asked questions, as a free download on Gumroad.
Do any of these replace mock interviews? No. Every option here is reading or self-practice. Pair any of them with mock interviews from your club or a mentor.
Are these prices current? Prices were read from each product's own page on Nov 1, 2026. Sellers change prices and run sales, so check the page before you buy.
Free guideStart with the free IB Top 30
IB Interview: Top 30 Questions covers the 30 most-asked investment banking interview questions with model answers. 13 pages, free on Gumroad.
Get the free Top 30