Some interviewer guidance is normal. Case interviews are interactive, and a nudge can redirect you, test whether you adapt, or simply move the case forward.

What matters is the size and frequency of the help and what you do with it. A small prompt is different from requiring the interviewer to solve each step.

If you incorporated the hints quickly and continued independently, do not assume the interview failed. If useful, this guide on first-round consulting interviews gives more detail.

I got hints and passed R1. not automatically a fail.