boston consulting group case study practice

Hacking the Case Interview

BCG case interviews are the most difficult part of the interview process. BCG interviews consist of case interviews, behavioral or fit interviews, and a written case interview for some offices. You will need to pass every single BCG case interview in order to land a job offer.

The exact BCG interview process may vary, but the vast majority of candidates will have two rounds of interviews before they receive an offer. Every single round of interview will include a BCG case interview.

• BCG First round interviews : typically consists of two 45-minute interviews. The first 10 to 15 minutes will be spent briefly exploring your background and experiences while the remaining 25 to 30 minutes will be spent on the case interview. You may also be given a BCG online case and chatbot interview instead
• BCG Final round interviews : typically consist of two to three 45-minute interviews. The types of questions will roughly be the same mix of behavioral and fit interview questions and case interviews, with the addition of a potential BCG written case interview

If you have an upcoming BCG interview, we have you covered. We’ll cover in detail:

• 6 steps to solve any BCG case interview
• Examples of BCG case interviews
• BCG case interview tips
• The BCG written case interview
• BCG behavioral and fit interview questions
• Recommended BCG case interview resources

6 Steps to Solve Any BCG Case Interview

For BCG case interviews, you’ll analyze a case study and develop solutions for a hypothetical client. Often times, the cases that you see will be based on real BCG consulting projects. These case interviews are meant to give you insight into what it would be like to work at BCG

There are no right or wrong answers. Instead, BCG assesses you on your thinking process, strategic skills, and ability to make a strong case for your recommendations.

BCG case interviews are candidate-led. While your interviewer will provide you with some facts of the case, it is up to you to frame an approach and work through the case. You will need to engage the interviewer and ask for the information that you need to solve the case. Most of the time, the interviewer will have a passive role unless you engage them.

Compared to other candidate-led styles of case interviews at firms such as Bain, Deloitte, or Accenture, BCG cases tend to give you less direction, but more control. You will be left on your own to fully own the process of solving the case. This means that you will be thinking on your feet a lot.

There are six major steps to solving any BCG case interview.

1. Understand the case

The case will begin with the interviewer giving you the case information. While the interviewer is speaking, make sure that you are taking meticulous notes on the most important pieces of information. Focus on understanding the context of the situation, the company, and the objective of the case.

2. Verify the objective

Understanding the business problem and objective of the case is the most important part of the case interview. Not addressing the right business question is the quickest way to fail a case interview.

Make sure that you ask clarifying questions to better understand the business situation and problem. Then, confirm that you understand the case objective with the interviewer. This ensures that you start the case on the right track.

3. Create a framework

Develop a framework to help you tackle the business problem. A framework is a tool that helps you structure and break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components. With a framework, you’ll be brainstorming different ideas and organizing them into different categories.

Afterwards, walk the interviewer through your framework. They may ask a few questions or provide some feedback to you.

For a complete guide on how to create tailored and unique frameworks for each case, check out our article on case interview frameworks .

4. Develop a hypothesis

After creating a framework, you should develop a hypothesis . A hypothesis is an educated guess on the answer based on the data and information that you have so far.

Your hypothesis does not need to be correct. You’ll be continuously testing and refining your hypothesis throughout the case. The purpose of having a hypothesis is to guide your analysis and ensure that you are spending your time answering the right questions.

5. Test your hypothesis

The majority of the case will be spent testing your hypothesis.

After stating your hypothesis, it is up to you to lead the direction of the case. Depending on the context of the case, you may want to ask for data to do some analysis. You may also want to explore qualitative questions that you have. As you uncover more information, your hypothesis will likely have to change. 

Sometimes, your hypothesis will be completely wrong and you’ll need to develop a completely new hypothesis to test. Other times, your hypothesis may be on the right track, but you’ll need to refine or narrow it down further.

Throughout the rest of the case, you’ll be answering a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions. Make sure that after each question, you explain how your answer impacts your hypothesis or answer to the case.

6. Deliver a recommendation

In the last step of the case interview, you’ll present your recommendation and provide the major reasons that support it. You do not need to recap everything that you have done in the case, so focus on summarizing only the facts that are most important.

It is also good practice to include potential next steps that you would take if you had more time or data. These can be areas of your framework that you did not have time to explore yet or lingering questions that you do not have great answers for.

Afterwards, the interviewer may tell you what actually happened in the case if the case was a real BCG project. Don’t worry if your recommendations do not align with what actually happened. You are assessed on your overall process, not on your answer.

BCG Case Interview Examples

BCG provides only a few practice cases that you can work through to improve your case interview skills:

• Climate Case Challenge
• Driving Revenue Growth at a Healthcare Company (scroll to the middle of the page to find it)
• Crafting a Distribution Strategy (same link as the previous case)

BCG used to have two amazing interactive cases on their website. These were long cases that helped you practice driving the direction of the case in a logical and structured way. 

Although BCG has since taken these interactive cases off their website, we do have full-length videos that cover these cases. You can watch the videos below and use the pause button to practice along.

Airline practice case : A profitability case focused on helping a low-cost carrier airline improve profitability. This is an interactive case that lets you practice leading the direction of a case interview. It takes quite a bit of time to get through, but is highly recommended to go through.

Drug company practice case : A pricing case focused on helping a pharmaceutical company determine the optimal price for a new drug. This is also an interactive case and is highly recommended to go through.

For more practice, check out our article on 23 MBA consulting casebooks with 700+ free practice cases .

BCG Case Interview Tips

Below are twelve BCG case interview tips to help you improve your BCG case interview performance:

Tip #1: Ask questions

Make sure that you ask clarifying questions if there is something you do not fully understand. Your interviewer may provide additional data or hints throughout the case, so it is your benefit to ask relevant questions to get more information.

Tip #2: Understand the problem

Don’t rush into doing analysis without having a solid understanding of the problem. You will not be penalized for asking questions to confirm your understanding of the business problem or objective.

Tip #3: Structure the problem and develop a framework

Developing an outstanding framework helps set you up for success in the case interview. Having a mediocre framework can make solving the case more difficult for you. Therefore, dedicate the time to structure a framework before diving into the analysis.

Tip #4: Focus on high-impact issues

You will not have enough time to answer every question that you have. Time is a limited resource in case interviews, so make sure you spend it wisely. Focus your efforts on tackling the issues that have the greatest potential impact on your ultimate recommendation.

Tip #5: Think before speaking

Don’t jump to conclusions too quickly. Whenever you come across new data or information, take the time to organize your thoughts and consider all possibilities. Taking just a few seconds to think before speaking can make your answer much more coherent and intelligent.

Tip #6: Generate a hypothesis

BCG consultants use a hypothesis-driven approach to find solutions to their clients’ problems. You should do the same thing in your BCG case interviews. Your hypothesis will help you lead the direction of the case and focus on what is relevant and important.

Tip #7: Don’t use memorized frameworks

Interviewers can tell when you are using memorized frameworks from popular case interview prep books. BCG values creativity and intellect. Therefore, make every effort to create a custom, tailored framework for each case that you get.

Tip #8: Demonstrate business judgment

Use your business judgment to make hypotheses, conclusions, or recommendations that are reasonable and pragmatic. Consider the client’s situation to determine what is possible and what is too ambitious. 

Tip #9: Make quick and accurate calculations

You’ll likely be doing math calculations at some point during the case interview. Since BCG does not allow the use of calculators during interviews, you’ll need to make sure that your math skills are sharp. You won’t need to know advanced math topics, but you do need to be able to perform basic calculations quickly and accurately.

Tip #10: Don’t defend your solution at all costs

You need to be open-minded and flexible during the case interview. If your interviewer makes strong points that point out flaws in your solution, you need to be able to take feedback and adapt your solution. Don’t be stubborn and stick with your solution if it is not the best one.

Tip #11: Be transparent about your thought process

The interviewer cannot read your mind and know what you are thinking. Therefore, it is good practice to always be transparent on your thought process. Explicitly communicate what approach you are taking, what you are thinking about, and what questions you have. This makes it easier for the interviewer to give tips or feedback if you get stuck.

Tip #12: Engage your interviewer

Remember that a case interview is meant to be a conversation. You should not be talking to yourself the entire time. Make sure that you engage the interviewer by asking questions or asking for their feedback or input. You’ll find the case interview much more stimulating this way.

The BCG Written Case Interview

The BCG written case interview is a completely different variant of the traditional case interview. 

In a written case interview, you’ll be solving the case by working independently rather than by collaborating with the interviewer. Here’s how BCG’s written case interview is structured:

• BCG will provide you with 40 PowerPoint slides that contain data, graphs, charts, and press articles
• BCG will provide 3 to 4 key questions for you to answer
• You will have 2 hours to review the material and make 3 to 5 presentation slides
• You will have 40 minutes to present and discuss your recommendations with the interviewer, who may challenge your analysis and findings

Follow these eight steps to ace your BCG written case interview.

1. Understand the business problem

To efficiently complete a written case interview, the first step is to understand what the overall business problem is. What is the overall question you are trying to answer with the data and information provided?

2. Read the list of key questions

BCG will provide you with a list of 3 – 4 key questions that you will be expected to address or answer. Read through these questions carefully. Knowing what these questions are will help you prioritize your time.

3. Flip through the materials

Afterwards, skim through all of the different slides of information that is provided. If you notice that some information matches the type of information you need to answer a key question, write down the slide number next to the key question.

The goal in this step is not to read and analyze every slide in detail. This would take too much time. The goal is to identify what data you have and what data you do not have.

4. Read and analyze the material 

Afterwards, you’ll start answering the key questions of the case. Start with the question that you think will be the easiest or most straightforward. Save the harder questions for the end.

You’ll likely need to do math at some point during the written case interview, so make sure that you crunch the numbers if it helps you answer a key question.

After answering a key question, write a couple of sentences to summarize your key takeaways or findings. This will help you decide on a recommendation and put together your slides much quicker later on. 

5. Decide on a recommendation

Review the list of key takeaways that you have summarized from answering all of the key questions. If the written case asks for a single recommendation, decide on what recommendation your findings collectively support.

Remember that there is typically no right or wrong recommendation. As long as your recommendation is supported by data and evidence, you will be in great shape.

6. Outline your slides

Once you have a recommendation, it is time to start making your slides. Before you make any individual slide, it is helpful to create a structure for your presentation to make it clear and concise.

We recommend using the following structure for your presentation slides:

• Slide 1: Present your recommendation and the three reasons that support it
• Slide 2: Present your first reason and the data that supports it
• Slide 3: Present your second reason and the data that supports it
• Slide 4: Present your third reason and the data that supports it
• Slide 5: Summarize everything that you’ve covered so far
• Slide 6: Propose potential next steps

Each of your answers to the key questions should be summarized on one slide. These answers will likely support the overall recommendation that you are making.

For each slide, write the title of the slide first. The titles of your slides should be action-oriented and summarize the entire slide. If your interviewer were to just read the titles of your slides, they should be able to understand your entire presentation.

7. Fill in your slides

Once you have your slide outline and slide titles, it is time to fill in the body of the slides. Decide what format of content is most helpful for each slide.

For example, summaries are best illustrated using concise bullet points. Data-driven slides are best illustrated with tables, graphs, or charts. Complex analyses or processes are best illustrated with diagrams or frameworks.

Make sure that the content of the slide supports the title of each slide. However, do not overdue how much content you put on each slide. In general, each slide should have one key message.

8. Prepare for potential questions

If you still have time remaining after you finish your slides, brainstorm potential questions your interviewer could ask you. For example, they may want to know how you performed your analysis or how you reached your conclusions.

Preparing for these potential questions will help your presentation go much more smoothly. In addition, you’ll also feel much more confident while presenting.

For a full guide on written case interviews, check out our consulting written case interview step-by-step guide .

BCG Behavioral and Fit Interview Questions

These are the 10 most common BCG behavioral and fit interview questions you’ll likely be asked:

1.  Why BCG?

How to answer: Provide your three biggest reasons why you’re interested in working at BCG. You could mention that you loved the people that you have met from BCG so far. You can talk about BCG’s thought leadership and innovation, professional development opportunities, or expertise in nearly any industry or function.

2. Why consulting?

How to answer: Again, provide three reasons for why you’re interested in consulting. You could mention the rapid career progression, the opportunity to make a large impact on an organization, or the learning opportunities to develop soft and hard skills that are transferrable to nearly any business role.

3. Walk me through your resume

How to answer: Summarize your work experience, starting with the most recent. Do not cover every single thing that you have done. Instead, focus on highlighting your most impressive and unique accomplishments. At the end, connect your work experiences to why you are interested in consulting.

4. What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

How to answer: Choose your most impressive, unique, or memorable accomplishment. Structure your answer by providing information on the situation, the task, the actions you took, and the results of your work. Explain why the accomplishment is so meaningful to you.

5. Tell me about something that is not on your resume

How to answer: This is an opportunity to highlight an accomplishment that is not related to your professional work experience. You could mention a non-profit that you volunteer at, a side project or business that you work on, or a hobby that you have pursued for many years. Select an accomplishment that is impressive and interesting. Avoid mentioning experiences that don’t have quantifiable results or impact.

6. Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team.

How to answer: For these behavioral interview questions, make sure you prepare at least 3 to 5 stories beforehand. This way, no matter what type of experience questioned is asked, you’ll always have an experience that you can share. 

For this question, choose a time when you directly managed a person or a team. Structure your answer by providing information on the situation, the task, the actions you took, and the results of your work. This is known as the STAR method and is a common way of answering behavioral or fit interview questions efficiently.

7. Describe a time when you faced conflict or disagreement.

How to answer: When answering this question, focus on emphasizing the steps you took to resolve a conflict or disagreement. Speak about the interpersonal skills you had to use in order to mediate the situation. 

Did you have to be patient, persuasive, or decisive? Interviewers want to know that you can handle conflict in a constructive way.

8. Give an example of a time when you successfully persuaded someone.

How to answer: Choose a time when you were able to change someone’s mind. Focus on emphasizing the steps that you took to persuade that person and what impact this had on the organization. Interviewers want to know that you are a great communicator and have good people skills.

9. Tell me about a time when you failed.

How to answer: Choose a time when you failed to meet a deadline or did not meet expectations. However, don’t pick a failure that is too big or embarrassing. This may raise a red flag to the interviewer.

Focus on emphasizing what you learned from the experience and how you used that experience to improve yourself. Interviewers want to see that you can learn from your past failures and are the type of person that constantly works on improving themself.

10. Are there any questions that you have for me?

How to answer: Make sure that you  prepare questions to ask  beforehand. BCG looks at this question as a way to assess your interest in consulting and the firm. Therefore, ask follow-up questions about the case that you just solved to demonstrate your interest in consulting cases. Ask the interviewer what their favorite project has been so far or what they enjoy most about the job to demonstrate interest in their career.

For a step-by-step guide on how to best answer all of these questions and more, check out our complete guide on consulting behavioral interview questions .

Recommended BCG Case Interview Resources

Bcg case interview books.

After free resources, the next cheapest option to preparing for BCG case interviews are case interview prep books.

Case interview prep books are great resources to use because they are fairly inexpensive, only costing $20 to $30. They contain a tremendous amount of information that you can read, digest, and re-read at your own pace.

Based on our comprehensive review of the 12 popular case interview prep books , we ranked nearly all of the case prep books in the market.

The three case interview prep books we recommend using are:

• Hacking the Case Interview (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• Case Interview Secrets (available on Amazon): This book provides great explanations of essential case interview concepts and fundamentals. The stories and anecdotes that the author provides are entertaining and help paint a clear picture of what to expect in a case interview, what interviewers are looking for, and how to solve a case interview.

BCG Case Interview Online Courses

Case interview courses are more expensive to use than case interview prep books, but offer more efficient and effective learning. 

You’ll learn much more quickly from watching someone teach you the material, provide examples, and then walk through practice problems than from reading a book by yourself.

Courses typically cost anywhere between $200 to $400.

If you are looking for a single resource to learn the best BCG case interview strategies in the most efficient way possible, enroll in our case interview course .

Through 70+ concise video lessons and 20 full-length practice cases based on real interviews from top-tier consulting firms, you’ll learn step-by-step how to crush your BCG case interview.

We’ve had students pass their BCG first round interview with just a week of preparation, but know that your success depends on the amount of effort you put in and your starting capabilities.

BCG Case Interview Coaching

With case interview coaching, you’ll pay anywhere between $100 to $300 for a one-hour mock case interview session with a case coach. Typically, case coaches are former consultants or interviewers that have worked at top-tier consulting firms.

Although very expensive, case interview coaching can provide you with high quality feedback that can significantly improve your case interview performance. 

By working with a case coach, you will be practicing high quality cases with an expert. You’ll get detailed feedback that ordinary case interview partners are not able to provide.

Know that you do not need to purchase case interview coaching to receive a consulting job offer. 

The vast majority of candidates that receive offers from top firms did not purchase case interview coaching. By purchasing case interview coaching, you are essentially purchasing convenience and learning efficiency.

Case interview coaching is best for those that have already learned as much as they can about case interviews on their own and feel that they have reached a plateau in their learning. 

For case interview beginners and intermediates, it may be a better use of their money to first purchase a case interview course or case interview prep book before purchasing expensive coaching sessions.

If you do decide to eventually use a case interview coach, consider using our case interview coaching service .

There is a wide range of quality among coaches, so ensure that you are working with someone that is invested in your development and success. 

If possible, ask for reviews from previous candidates that your coach has worked with.

Summary of Best BCG Case Interview Resources

Here are the resources we recommend to learn the most robust, effective case interview strategies in the least time-consuming way:

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with former consulting interviewers
• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course : Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer
• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple interviews

Land Multiple Consulting Offers

Complete, step-by-step case interview course. 30,000+ happy customers.

BCG Online Case Chatbot: Reports, Examples, Guide (2024)

BCG recently developed a new iteration of Online Case aptitude test called BCG Casey - a chatbot simulating a traditional case interview. This tool is being used more by BCG as it is still proving effective and is gradually becoming a mandatory test when applying to BCG in almost every office at present.

There are a lot of uncertainties around it since this online assessment is a novel experience for prospective BCG consultants. Hence, this paper will provide you with more details regarding the format, interface, and nature of the content so that you can comprehend and become accustomed to this online chatbot interview.

Please remember that all images of the chatbot interface in the article are taken from the BCG Casey Simulation tool of MConsultingPrep

What is BCG Online Case Experience (BCG Casey)?

You will be interviewed by a chatbot named casey.

BCG Online Case Experience or “Casey” is a business case under a conversation format including a set of questions regarding interactive chatting environment . It is an online test that was developed in 2020 and used more frequently in 2021. Candidates can do it from any location where they feel most comfortable.

Time limit is 25-30 minutes with 6-8 questions

The duration of the BCG Casey test ranges from 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of questions involved (normally 6-8 questions). It is important to note that once the assessment begins, you will not have the option to pause it, and you will experience tremendous time pressure.

The BCG Casey test lasts 25-30 minutes, with 6-8 questions. You cannot pause during the test. Every five minutes, the bot notifies you of the remaining time (e.g. “15 minutes left”); this adds to the already-stressful time pressure.

Video record section at the end

After finishing your conversation with the chatbot, you will receive a prompt to record yourself on camera and present your final pitch for the entire case. You will be given 60 seconds for preparation and an additional 60 seconds to deliver your presentation . It is important to note that this time allocation is separate from the 30 minutes provided in the previous section.

The case context provided is typically concise and uncomplicated, usually involving a client who is facing emerging concerns or news. You will be provided with the necessary information regarding the context before you do anything further.

There are four answer formats

Eventually, there will be four types of answer format that will appear when you take the test including: multiple-select multiple choice, single-select multiple choice, long-text freeform, short-text freeform. Each answer format will typically have different material and approach methods, which I will elaborate on later in the article.

BCG Casey Simulation (Legacy Edition)

Pass the BCG Online Case Experience (also known as the Casey / Chatbot Interview) with a comprehensive, interactive mock test and practice environment

Interface & answer format

Multiple-select multiple choice.

This is the most popular question format in the BCG Online Case Experience accounting for 40% to 60% of all questions. This type of format is displayed like the below image. After reading the question, click on see options to pop up all the choices. Some questions like the example below can have up to 10 choices so it is going to take up the whole screen.

In terms of strategy, notice that in every question of the multiple-select multiple choice format the question always gives you a clue as to how many choices to select. Sometimes it gives you an exact number like select three best, but sometimes it is just a hint. 

Single-select multiple choice

This particular format closely resembles the multiple-select multiple choice format, with the key distinction being that there is only one correct choice. Unlike the previous multiple-select type, all available options will be displayed directly within the answer box. It is essential to note that there is a single correct option, and once you click on any choice, your answer will be immediately submitted without the option to revise it.

Long-text freeform 

The user interface for this answer format is relatively simple. It features a message box reminiscent of messaging applications, with a send icon located on the right-hand side, allowing for submission by pressing the enter key. 

It is important to note that special text formatting options are not available, thus the use of hyphens and capitalizations serves as the preferred means of emphasizing ideas. BCG explicitly emphasizes that the optimal answers should be concise and adhere to a limit of no more than four to six lines.

Short-text freeform 

On the other hand, the short text answer format only allows you to enter in numbers. It often comes with math questions and the question will always clearly instruct you on rounding or how many decimal places to include. Hence, be careful when pressing the enter key into this answer format as it will submit the answer and there is no undo.

Final pitch (video answer)

Once you finish chatting with the AI, your final assignment entails recording yourself on camera and delivering your ultimate recommendation in the form of a pitch for the entire case. You will be granted 60 seconds for preparation and an additional 60 seconds for the actual presentation. 

It is essential to note that this timeframe is separate from the 30 minutes allocated for the preceding section.The time limit here is very strict as candidates have reported instances of automatic cutoffs when exceeding the allotted duration.

Question types by content logic

Structuring/Information question

These questions often present a scenario or problem and ask candidates to identify the most helpful option or the type of information that should be gathered . While they may appear to be data-focused questions on the surface, they actually require candidates to employ structuring techniques and create an issue tree.

Every BCG online case starts with a structuring or information question, for instance:

• Which of the following would be most helpful
• What statistics about ABC should the team gather
• Which piece of information would help ECG move forward with the project and Etc

When approaching these questions, it is advisable to carefully read through the provided options and mentally construct an issue tree based on the available choices. The issue tree helps in organizing the different aspects of the problem and identifying the most comprehensive and relevant options among the choices.

Candidates should aim to select options that collectively cover the issue tree and address the various components of the problem. This demonstrates their ability to think critically, analyze complex situations, and identify the most relevant information or factors to consider when structuring a case.

Quantitative question

Each case typically includes approximately two quantitative/mathematical questions. These questions are usually presented in a short text answer format, with occasional instances of single select multiple choice. 

The majority of quantitative questions are accompanied by an exhibit, providing around 20 data points, of which approximately half may be extraneous information.

It is not necessary to possess knowledge in accounting or finance, as the calculations and formulas involved are generally straightforward. Common mathematical concepts revolve around weighted averages, probabilities, and compound percentages . Familiarizing yourself with these types of mathematical problems through practice can greatly enhance your performance.

In these quantitative questions, you can typically determine whether your answer is correct or incorrect based on the follow-up question. If you are asked to provide further elaboration on how you arrived at the answer, it indicates that your response is correct. However, if the chatbot prompts you to address specific calculations or smaller steps, there is a possibility that your initial attempt was incorrect.

Critical thinking & logical question

The critical thinking and logical questions in the BCG Casey chatbot test assess your ability to analyze a given scenario, apply logical reasoning, and make informed judgments. 

These questions often involve evaluating different courses of action, determining cause-and-effect relationships, or identifying the most logical conclusion based on the provided information.

An example of critical thinking & logical questions is: which of the following course of action would likely make you more rich? However, you need to pay attention to the wording and notice if there is any “qualifier”, which is how airtight the logic has to be? The example question can be asked with several different qualifiers from weak to strong: 

• Which of the following courses of action would LIKELY MAKE you more rich?
• Which of the following courses of action would MAKE you more rich?
• Which of the following courses of action would CERTAINLY MAKE you more rich? 

This is important because we would grade each of the answer choices on the following scale. 

In some cases, the context of the scenario may influence the logic and reasoning behind your answer choices. Take into account relevant factors, constraints, or specific conditions mentioned in the question when evaluating the options.

Intuition/Insight question

The final category of questions in the assessment consists of intuition or insights questions. These particular questions are highly popular but also the most challenging to master. There is no predefined formula or universal strategy to approach them, and improving in this area requires diligent practice. 

As the name implies, these questions require you to generate or select a range of insights, elements, factors, and so on, based on a given context . The specific insights, elements, or factors can vary significantly, encompassing root causes, effects, solutions, and more.

For instance, in the aforementioned example of how to become rich, some examples of Intuition or Insights questions include:

• What are some personal expenses that tend to increase after getting married
• How can one become more disciplined in saving money?
• What are effective talking points to persuade a life partner to reduce spending on clothing?
• What are potential reasons for the underperformance of the stock market in the past six months?
• In what situations would one need to utilize an emergency fund?

These questions highlight the nature of intuition or insights questions, which demand thoughtful analysis and the ability to derive meaningful conclusions based on given scenarios

Scoring and criteria 

Other BCG online assessment tools utilized a negative scoring system for incorrect answers. Consequently, it was advisable to abstain from guessing when encountering a question for which one lacked any relevant knowledge, as incorrect responses would directly result in point deductions from the final score.

However, this aspect is no longer a factor in Casey, the current iteration of the online case format. In Casey, the selection of candidates is not solely based on the accuracy of their answers, but also on their approach to problem-solving and their ability to break down complex issues. 

Candidates are obligated to provide an answer for each question in order to progress to the subsequent one, leaving no alternative but to make an educated guess even when uncertain of the correct response.

Regarding the evaluation criteria, while BCG does not disclose official information, insights can be gleaned from the BCG Interactive Case Library. The majority of criteria focus on the problem-solving aspect of the consulting role:

Problem-structuring

In the BCG Casey chatbot, candidates are evaluated based on their problem-structuring skills. This involves approaching problems in a structured and mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive (MECE) manner.

Additionally, the test evaluates the candidate's capability to gather data and test hypotheses during the problem-solving process . This is one of the most visible criteria in this test that highlights its importance in demonstrating strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, a crucial skill for management consultants. 

Qualitative and quantitative processing

In the BCG Casey chatbot Test, candidates' math and analytical skills are evaluated, specifically their ability to analyze and process both qualitative and quantitative information within the case.

This assessment tests their proficiency in performing relevant mathematical calculations, with an emphasis on common business-world calculations such as percentages, averages, and working with large numbers. The test aims to determine how effectively candidates can apply these processing skills to the given scenarios and derive meaningful insights.

Business intuition 

Another trait that also falls into the grading criteria of the BCG Casey chatbot is candidates' business intuition. The test focuses on their capacity to evaluate potential costs and benefits, make informed decisions, and provide sound conclusions and recommendations based on their business knowledge and experience.

The objective is to determine how well candidates can apply their business intuition toward complex scenarios and provide relevant insights and directions tailored to the specific business context presented in the case.

Data synthesis & interpretation

Last but not least, candidates' aptitudes for data synthesis and interpretation are also a criteria assessed in the BCG Casey chatbot. This entails their proficiency in summarizing and synthesizing all relevant information to derive viable solutions for the client. Hence,  it measures their ability to draw meaningful conclusions from data, adopting a hypothesis-driven mindset. 

Candidates are expected to either incorporate their conclusions into existing hypotheses or generate new hypotheses that are relevant to the case at hand. The test aims to assess candidates' ability to analyze and interpret data effectively to make informed decisions and provide valuable insights to the client (in the case).

Casey vs actual case interview

“How similar is this compared to an actual case interview?" is always one of the most asked questions by candidates. Initially, this assessment uses the case structure and flow quite similar to an actual case interview, it even utilizes a chatbot to create a feeling of two-way communication like in the case interviews.

However, in reality, there are still clear distinctions between it and a real case interview . A few of these distinctions are as follows:

More time pressure

Case interviews are typically characterized by time constraints, but candidates frequently express that Casey, in particular, intensifies this pressure. Unlike the McKinsey Solve assessment, which allows for sufficient time and avoids rushing candidates excessively, Casey adds to the sense of urgency. 

Throughout the assessment, there are constant reminders displaying the remaining time, and candidates are abruptly stopped if they fail to complete the recording of their final video recommendation within the allocated time frame.

There is no interviewer feedback

In a conventional case interview, the interviewer has the ability to guide and support the candidate to navigate through a question. This is not only about supporting, but it also allows the interviewer to gain a comprehensive understanding of the candidate's thought process at each stage of the problem, rather than stopping the assessment immediately after one mistake is made. 

However, in the case of Casey, this supportive element is absent, which means that initial calculation errors or mistakes in structuring the problem can significantly disrupt the candidate's approach to a question or even impact the overall performance in the entire test.

Calculators are allowed

One notable distinction from a traditional case interview is the allowance of calculators and other similar tools in the Casey test. Similar to the McKinsey Solve assessment, BCG does not impose any restrictions on the resources you have at your disposal while taking the Casey test from the comfort of your own home. 

This may initially appear as a glimmer of hope for candidates with limited quantitative backgrounds. However, it is important to note that this provision actually introduces additional difficulties  when you take a real-life case interview.

Heightened demands on Mathematical Skills 

The heightened emphasis on mathematical proficiency in Casey compared to a traditional case interview is a direct consequence of the previous factors. With basic arithmetic being facilitated by the calculator, Casey has the freedom to assess your mathematical abilities in other aspects. 

The true challenge lies in your ability to devise a well-structured approach to the question and the specific path you navigate through the calculations, rather than solely focusing on number manipulation. This particular aspect may be advantageous for individuals with a background in "academic math" compared to a standard interview.

Interpret Text Fast

Last but not least, even though a case interview is verbal, Casey demands you to swiftly read, comprehend, and grasp fairly lengthy amounts of text. Combined with the above time pressure factor, this might be seen as a significant obstacle for the contenders of this online assessment since it requires more in terms of soft skills in computing.

BCG Casey chatbot vs others online assessments

It will be challenging to judge whether an assessment is difficult or easy because it is based on each person's subjective perspective. Thus, this section will place more emphasis on clarifying the difference of BCG Casey chatbot from other online assessments of MBB consulting firms.

Logic & Structuring and Business intuition are the two criteria that BCG Casey chatbot requires candidates to meet at the highest level . This is consistent given that the BCG Casey seeks to imitate an interviewer-led case and that the two criteria are the two major traits in the consultant case interview.

The BCG Casey chatbot places a stronger priority on testing these two areas than the majority of other online tests from McKinsey or Bain, as well as their own product - potential tests. 

However, it is also comparable to other online assessments in that they put a strong emphasis on time management, frequently setting a time limit that is tightly associated with the amount of queries . This is a difficult point of BCG Casey chatbot that candidates are often frightened.

On the contrary, the 2 criteria that are said to be the easiest of BCG Online Case Experience are numerical and verbal reasoning. This tool is less focused on accuracy or presentation as well as more on business than math compared to other tests like BCG potential test or McKinsey PST.

Finally, interface complexity of Casey chatbot is also reported as being on the more difficult side of the spectrum . The majority of candidates are concerned since they do not know which button will actually submit their answer while there is no reverse button.

Nevertheless, this issue can be solve by practicing the BCG Casey simulation to get used to the interface before doing the real test

BCG Online Case Experience vs BCG Potential test

I have to separate a part about the BCG potential test because there are similarities and confusion between these 2 assessments.

Although the BCG Casey chatbot takes the place of the BCG Potential Test, they are fundamentally different – the Online Case Experience, as the name suggests, is a virtual, chatbot-based interview, while the Potential Test is a standardized test similar to GMAT, GRE or PST.

The biggest implication of this information is that the candidate must prepare for case interviews sooner than before – however, this should be viewed as good news, since instead of having to spread the time and effort between case interview and test practice, the candidate can focus on the case interview side only and still pass through the whole recruitment process.

Additionally, the chatbot interview seems to have a more dynamic time constraint – good judgment and good luck will lead to lower numbers of questions (since there’s no need for “redirection”).

Some useful tips! 

Prepare everything within reach.

One of the most basic things that many candidates overlook and neglect to adequately prepare for is to ensure that you have all the necessary tools and resources readily available during the BCG Online Case Experience. Before starting the test, make sure you have your calculator, paper, pen, and any other materials that you may require. 

Although this is only at a basic level, being well-prepared will ensure that you perform your best on the assessment. Having all relevant tools at hand will save you valuable time and enable you to navigate through the test seamlessly.

Find a comfortable seat

Secondly, creating a conducive environment is essential for optimizing your performance during the BCG Casey chatbot. Remember you are at your house, find a comfortable seat that provides proper back support and ensures ergonomic comfort. 

Additionally, try to select a bright place where it will not interfere with your work process. Also, a strong and stable internet connection is also crucial to avoid any disruptions during the test. By selecting a suitable seat, you can eliminate unnecessary distractions and maintain your focus on the assessment.

Take Notes After Each Question

As you progress through the BCG Casey chatbot, it is advisable to take notes after completing each question. This practice is particularly important because some questions may require insights or data from previous questions within the same case. By jotting down key points, important calculations, or relevant information, you can quickly refer back to them when needed. 

In addition, taking notes helps you maintain a logical flow of thought and ensures that you provide accurate and well-structured answers. It also allows you to keep track of your progress and easily review your responses before submitting them.

Do Not Be Distracted by the Time Limit

Maintaining concentration and avoiding getting distracted by the time limit of the BCG Casey chatbot is indeed significant but it is challenging to execute. The reminders about the remaining time can create a sense of urgency, but it is important to maintain a steady pace and not rush your decisions. 

Prioritize accuracy and thoughtful analysis, taking time to understand each question and approach it strategically. Effective time management is key - allocate sufficient time to each question while keeping the overall time limit in mind.

Stay composed, think critically, and deliver well-structured responses. By staying focused and managing your time effectively, you can optimize your performance in the test.

Professionalism

Although the BCG Casey Chatbot is conducted online, it is crucial to maintain a certain level of professionalism throughout the assessment. Remember that at the end of the test, you will be required to record a video presenting your final pitch for the entire case. 

Dress appropriately and ensure that your background is clean, tidy, and free from any distractions. Creating a professional appearance and setting reflects your dedication and commitment to the assessment. It also contributes to a positive first impression, which can make a difference in how your responses are perceived.

Scoring in the McKinsey PSG/Digital Assessment

The scoring mechanism in the McKinsey Digital Assessment

Related product

The BCG Online Case (also known as the Casey Chatbot) is a challenging, 20-30 minute test with 6-8 questions of the case interview and GMAT types

The BCG Pymetrics Test has 12 mini-games to measure 9 key traits (risk-taking, emotional intelligence, fairness, etc.) reflective of a BCG consultant.

Case interview is the last round of BCG hiring process with 3 phases: resume, online tests and interviews. Candidates will have 4-6 interviews in 4-8 weeks.

• The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview
• Consulting Career Secrets
• Cover Letter & Resume
• McKinsey Solve Game (Imbellus)
• BCG Online Case (+ Pymetrics, Spark Hire)
• Bain Aptitude Tests (SOVA, Pymetrics, HireVue)
• Kearney Recruitment Test
• All-in-One Case Interview Preparation
• Industry Cheat Sheets
• Structuring & Brainstorming
• Data & Chart Interpretation
• Case Math Mastery
• McKinsey Interview Academy
• Brainteasers

The Complete Guide to the BCG Online Case Experience: Conquering the Casey Chatbot (2024)

Last Updated on March 26, 2024

Cracking the door to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is no easy feat. Out of the numerous hopeful applicants, only 1-3% secure a consulting job offer with the firm. One key stepping stone in this journey is the BCG Online Case Assessment, also known as the Casey Chatbot Interview. The assessment’s pivotal nature has made it a crucial part of the BCG recruiting process.

If you’ve ever dreamed of being a part of BCG’s team, understanding this new assessment model is your first step. Looking for how to prepare for the BCG Casey Chatbot Interview? You’re in the right place to start your journey.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unpack everything about the BCG Online Case Experience and the Chatbot interview. From what it entails, the skills it assesses, and how you can most effectively prepare, we’ll cover it all. So, let’s get started!

The content of this article has been updated in January 2024 to reflect the current version of the Casey.

BCG Online Case Experience: A Quick Overview

BCG Online Case Assessment, also known as the Casey Chatbot Interview, is a digital assessment where you’re guided through a specific business case by a chatbot named Casey. This chatbot interview has replaced the BCG Online Case or BCG Potential Test, assessing applicants’ problem-solving skills within a time-constrained environment.

Here are a few quick facts about the assessment:

Refer to practice guides for online case interviews to familiarize yourself with the question types and formats you’ll encounter. Our ultimate guide to BCG assessment preparation is designed to provide you with the resources and strategies you need to excel.

BCG Online Case: The Insider Guide

The BCG Online Case Guide is your resource to ace the Casey Chatbot Guide in no time with targeted preparation and test-taking strategies, skill building, and BCG-like, interactive practice tests.

Understanding the Purpose

The Casey Interview serves two primary goals:

• Efficiency & Cost-effectiveness : As a swift and economical method, it enables the assessment of a vast number of candidates. This additional step in the recruiting funnel lessens the number of candidates moving forward to case interviews, consequently reducing the hours consultants spend on interviewing applicants, thereby reducing the cost of recruitment over time. This is akin to the McKinsey Solve Game or the Bain SOVA test . The convenience of administering this test from home makes this an even more valuable investment for BCG, as HR resources only need to get involved lightly.
• Standardization & Comparability : The test, although involving different cases, is highly standardized with the same evaluation metrics. This enables BCG to compare candidate performance objectively, adding another layer of fairness to the process, a trait highly valued by top-tier consulting firms during recruiting.

Introducing the BCG Casey Chatbot Interview

In 2020, feedback regarding a new testing format that was initiated in Asian BCG offices and later extended to European and North American offices emerged. Since 2023, it appears that almost all offices use the Casey chatbot during the assessment. Nonetheless, we recommend reaching out to the HR department of your desired BCG office before applying to pre-empt any surprises.

The rise of chatbots has paved the way for them to be utilized in the hiring process, and BCG, being a forward-thinking top-tier consulting company, hopped on the bandwagon partnering with Casey, thereby replacing the former BCG Online Case and Potential Test (which was also computer-based but had to be taken from the local office, often in combination with the first-round case interview).

While the new format essentially tests the same skills as the classic online case – problem decomposition, analysis, and providing a recommendation – there are certain nuances to be aware of.

Key Features of the BCG Online Case Assessment

• Fully Online : The assessment is entirely online and can be taken from home before your interviews.
• Duration & Structure : The test lasts around 30 minutes (including the video recommendation) and comprises a maximum of 8-10 questions. This contrasts with the old format’s 45-minute duration and 23 questions.
• Open Questions : Unlike the previous single/multiple-choice questions, there are some open-ended questions.
• Scoring : The scoring of answers isn’t transparent as they also encompass qualitative elements, however, no points are deducted for incorrect answers.
• Use of Calculators : Since the test is taken from home, calculators or the use of Excel are allowed. The emphasis is on quickly devising the right calculation approach.
• Video Recommendation : At the conclusion of the test, a brief, 1-minute video recording is required where you explain your recommendations and analytical approach to a fictional client.

Understanding the Skillset Assessed by BCG’s Casey Chatbot

For those seeking an edge in their consulting job application, mastering the BCG Casey Chatbot strategy is essential.

BCG has developed the Casey chatbot to replicate the dynamic environment of a traditional case interview online. But what exactly are the skills Casey evaluates during an online case assessment? Here’s an in-depth look at each skill and practical examples of how they manifest during the test-taking stage.

Idea Generation and Creativity

Mastering business case analysis for BCG is a key component of your preparation, enhancing your ability to tackle complex problems effectively. The ability to think outside the box and generate innovative ideas is a critical skill assessed by BCG. The firm values individuals who can produce fresh perspectives and creative solutions to complex problems. For example, during the online case assessment, you might be given a scenario where a company is experiencing a decline in sales. A creative solution might involve leveraging untapped markets or developing novel marketing strategies rather than simply reducing costs.

Business Sense and Intuition

A strong business acumen, encompassing an understanding of market dynamics, industry trends, and economic factors, is another vital skill for potential consultants. During the assessment, you might be presented with a case about a firm planning to launch a new product. A test-taker with a keen business sense would consider aspects like potential competition, target audience, and economic conditions before deciding on the feasibility of the product launch.

Analytical Rigor and Logical Thinking

Improving problem-solving skills for consulting is vital, as these skills are at the heart of what BCG looks for in candidates. BCG seeks individuals capable of rigorous analysis and logical reasoning. This skill involves breaking down complex issues into manageable parts, identifying patterns, and making data-driven decisions. For instance, in a case scenario involving a company with declining profits, you would need to analyze different aspects like revenue, costs, market share, and competitors. Using logical thinking, you’d pinpoint the root causes of the problem and suggest appropriate solutions.

Mental Math and Affinity for Numbers

Strong quantitative skills, particularly mental math, and comfort with numbers are crucial in management consulting. BCG’s online case assessment may present you with numerical data, graphs, or charts that you must interpret quickly and accurately. For example, you might be asked to calculate the company’s profit margin or forecast future sales based on given data.

Top-Down Communication

Effective communication, especially the ability to present complex information succinctly, is another skill assessed by BCG. The online assessment may require you to explain your solutions or strategies concisely. In a practical scenario, you might be asked to summarize a complex turnaround strategy for a struggling business in a few key points.

Lastly, BCG values maturity, which they define as the ability to handle pressure, make sound judgments, and demonstrate professional behavior. In a case assessment, this could be reflected in how you handle time management or how you present yourself at the end during the video recommendation. Maturity could also be evaluated indirectly by looking at how you manage a crisis situation for a client or make tough decisions that balance business goals with ethical considerations.

In summary, BCG’s online case assessment evaluates a wide range of skills crucial in the management consulting field. By understanding these key areas and how they might be tested, you can better prepare and enhance your performance in the assessment.

Key Themes in the BCG Online Case Assessment

The Online Case Assessment is an in-depth examination of your consulting skills, drawing parallels to the interviewer-led case interviews used by other top-tier firms like McKinsey. This test revolves around four central themes – each evaluating your skills discussed above. Let’s delve into these themes, provide an understanding of their relevance in the online case assessment, and present practical examples that can appear during the test.

Structuring

At the heart of problem-solving lies the art of structuring. BCG’s online case assessment evaluates your ability to dissect a complex issue into more manageable components. It’s about creating a roadmap at the onset of the case interview that will guide your investigation process. For example, if you’re asked to devise a strategy for boosting a company’s declining sales, you might structure the problem into key areas such as market analysis, competitive landscape, internal processes, and customer behavior.

For more information on case frameworks and structures, read our article here:

The Complete Guide to Case Interview Frameworks and Structuring

Chart Interpretation

An essential aspect of the case assessment is chart or data interpretation. This skill tests your ability to extract vital insights from charts or data sets and relate them back to the case question and the client’s situation. For instance, you might be given a graph showing a company’s sales performance over several quarters. The task could involve identifying trends or anomalies in the data and providing a meaningful interpretation relevant to the client’s challenge.

For more information on chart interpretation, read our article here:

The Complete Guide to Charts and Exhibits in Case Interviews

Case Interview Math

Another theme emphasized in the BCG online case assessment is case interview math. Here, you’re expected to apply mathematical business analysis to a problem, followed by a qualitative investigation of the resulting numerical data or deriving specific recommendations. A practical example could involve determining the breakeven point for a new product launch. You would have to calculate the number of units needed to cover the product’s fixed and variable costs and then derive strategic implications from the result.

For more information on case interview math, read our article here:

The Complete Guide to Case Interview Math

The final theme is synthesis, which demands you compile all your collected insights and formulate a strategic recommendation for your client. Synthesis allows you to showcase your big-picture thinking and your ability to draw conclusions from a wide array of data. For example, after analyzing market trends, customer preferences, and internal capabilities for a product expansion case, you might need to provide a clear and actionable recommendation, such as expanding into a particular market or enhancing certain product features.

For more information on case interview communication, read our articles here:

How to Communicate in a Case Interview

Case Interview Language

The Pyramid Principle: A Guide to Effective Business Communication

The Question Types of the BCG Online Case

Taking up to 30 minutes (with the video recommendation), the BCG Chatbot interview stands as a test of your ability to navigate complex business problems. Unlike the typical candidate-led style at BCG, the Casey chatbot leads you through the case, posing questions that will ultimately guide your analysis to a fruitful conclusion.

The eight to ten questions you’ll encounter are presented in different question formats and revolve around integral aspects of a case study. This includes the structuring of your analysis, identifying the appropriate data needed for problem-solving, employing simple case math, and interpreting exhibits. It’s worth noting that these questions may build upon each other, emphasizing the importance of recalling previous answers as you progress.

Finally, you’ll be given two attempts to record a 1-minute synthesis and recommendation, wrapping up your analysis succinctly and effectively. This finale is crucial in demonstrating your understanding of the case and providing strategic advice akin to a real consulting scenario.

Understanding the various question types in the BCG Online Case Assessment is key to maximizing your performance. This guide will closely examine the different formats and share strategic tips for tackling each type.

Let’s look into the question types and format more closely.

Single-Choice Questions

In the context of the BCG Online Case, a single-choice question is a type of question that presents several options but requires you to select only one correct or most appropriate answer. These questions are used to assess your problem-solving skills, business acumen, or analytical abilities.

For instance, you might be asked, “Which of the following strategies should the client implement to boost their revenue growth?” The options could include various strategic initiatives such as market expansion, product diversification, cost reduction, etc. Your task is to select the single strategy that you believe is the most suitable based on the case information provided.

Multiple-Choice Questions

A multiple-choice question in the BCG Online Case allows you to select more than one correct answer from the options provided. These questions typically surface when there are multiple valid responses to a given problem or scenario in the case.

For example, the question could be, “What data should we gather to analyze the company’s declining profits?” The answer options might encompass various data points such as sales data, cost structure, market trends, and competitor analysis. Here, depending on the context of the case, several of these data types could be relevant, and you would select all that apply to analyze the problem at hand effectively.

Both single-choice and multiple-choice questions can offer a range of 2 to 10 choices. Case queries may adhere to any of the following formats:

• Hypothesis-forming questions: “What assumptions would you make in addressing this issue?”
• Problem-solving queries: “Given these obstacles, what remedies would you propose to our client?”
• Value proposition queries: “What should the client provide to meet their customers’ needs?”
• Evidence-seeking questions: “What information would you like to analyze to understand this better?”

As a general rule, start by eliminating responses that seem irrelevant before focusing on the more plausible answers. Consider using decision tree logic for a structured approach to each question, whether it involves math or a word problem.

1. Carefully Read the Questions and Answers: Before diving into the options, ensure you fully understand the question. A misinterpreted question can lead to an incorrect answer. Similarly, thoroughly read through all the answer choices. Some options may be designed to sound correct but could be misleading.

2. Process of Elimination: If you’re unsure about the correct answer, use a process of elimination. Identify choices that are clearly incorrect or irrelevant and eliminate them. This can narrow down your options and increase your odds of selecting the correct answer.

3. Look for Cues in the Question: Sometimes, the question itself can provide cues or hints towards the correct answer. Watch for any specific words or phrases that could guide you to the correct choice.

4. Don’t Overthink: While you should consider all options carefully, avoid overthinking. Typically, the most straightforward answer is often the correct one.

5. Beware of the “All of the Above” Option: If one of the options is “all of the above” or “none of the above”, consider it carefully. These options can be correct, but they can also serve as distractors.

6. Use Your Case Knowledge: Your understanding of the case and its details can help you make an informed choice. If an option doesn’t align with the case details you’ve studied, it’s likely not the correct answer.

Open-Format Questions

Open-format questions are more interested in your thought process rather than the final result. Unlike multiple-choice questions that provide a product score, these questions allow BCG to gain insight into your analytical thinking and award a process score. You might be asked to describe your logic for a numerical answer or write about your thought process around a particular issue or analysis outcome.

For example, “If you had to prioritize one answer from above, state which one and why?”

Approaching open-format questions in the BCG Online Case requires a blend of critical thinking, clarity in communication, and a solid understanding of the case context. Here are a few tips on how to effectively tackle these questions:

1. Understand the Question Fully: Before you begin to formulate your response, make sure you understand what the question is asking. It may be helpful to rephrase the question in your own words to ensure you’ve grasped the core ask.

2. Prioritize Logical Thinking: Remember, these questions are designed to assess your thought process more than the final outcome. Make sure you showcase your logical and analytical thinking in your responses. For example, if you’re asked to describe your logic for a numerical answer, don’t just provide the number; explain how you arrived at it step-by-step.

3. Be Structured and Coherent: Given these questions often require written responses, it’s crucial to be clear and structured in your explanation. Use clear language, follow a logical flow, and break down complex thoughts into smaller, understandable parts.

4. Justify Your Choices: Whenever you make a decision or a choice, be sure to provide justification. If a question asks you to prioritize an answer, explain why you chose that particular one. Highlight the reasons behind your choice, linking back to the case’s details, objectives, or challenges.

5. Keep it Concise: While it’s important to be thorough in your explanations, avoid being overly verbose. Strive to communicate your thought process as succinctly and directly as possible.

6. Review and Edit: Finally, don’t forget to proofread your response for clarity, grammar, and coherence before moving on. It’s important that your thought process comes across as clear and polished.

Fill-In Questions

Fill-in questions require you to provide a numerical answer or complete a statement. These questions typically assess your ability to understand and interpret data.

An example could be, “Variable manufacturing cost increased by <xx.x%> over the last year.”

1. Understand the Context: Before you start calculating or formulating an answer, ensure that you fully understand the context of the question. Know what’s being asked and how the data you’re working with relates to the overall case.

2. Check the Unit of Measurement: When dealing with numerical answers, it’s crucial to confirm the unit of measurement the question requires. Whether it’s a percentage, a currency, or a unit of volume, getting the unit right is as important as getting the number right.

3. Use a Systematic Approach: When tackling numerical problems, try to break them down into smaller, manageable steps. This will make your calculations easier to handle and also reduce the chance of errors.

4. Review Your Calculations: Double-check your calculations to ensure accuracy. A small computational error can lead to a significantly wrong answer, which could impact your overall performance.

5. Be Concise and Direct: When completing a statement, be concise and direct. Avoid unnecessary jargon or complex sentence structures. The goal is to communicate your answer clearly and effectively.

6. Refer Back to the Case Details: If you’re unsure about your answer, refer back to the case details. There might be information there that can guide you to the correct response.

Video Recommendation

For the video recommendation, you’ll need to record a one-minute statement summarizing the case and offering a recommendation. This closely mirrors the synthesis and summary section of a traditional case interview.

The trick here is to structure your answer using the pyramid principle: start with your recommendation (“Based on our analysis, I recommend the following <x> actions”), signpost your arguments (“because of the following <x> reasons”), provide supporting arguments (First, …, Second, …), and discuss next steps and potential risks (“This entails certain risks,…”, “To mitigate we would need to…”).

Remember, you’re given one attempt for this section. So, make your shots count!

As an example, “Provide a recommendation for the client on resolving their low revenue situation.”

Video recommendations in the BCG Online Case represent an opportunity to bring together all your insights from the case and articulate a cohesive strategy for the client. Here are some tips on how to effectively approach this question type:

1. Practice Clear and Concise Communication: Remember, you only have one minute to deliver your recommendation. Make sure your message is clear and direct. Avoid using jargon or overly complex sentences.

2. Follow a Logical Structure: A well-structured recommendation can significantly boost its effectiveness. A recommended structure might be:

• Begin with a brief summary of the case (not critical for success)
• State your main recommendation.
• Provide supporting arguments or evidence.
• Discuss potential risks and ways to mitigate them.

3. Leverage the Pyramid Principle: The pyramid principle is a communication technique where you start with your most important point (your recommendation) and then provide supporting arguments. This ensures that even if your time is cut short, the most crucial information has been communicated.

4. Be Persuasive: Your recommendation should be persuasive. Clearly articulate why your proposed solution is the best way forward, leveraging data and insights from the case.

5. Showcase Your Presentation Skills: Use this opportunity to demonstrate your presentation skills. Speak clearly, maintain a good posture, and try to appear confident and composed. Remember, your communication style can be as important as the content of your recommendation.

6. Review and Practice: Before you record your final take, practice your recommendation a few times. This can help ensure a smooth delivery and also helps identify any areas that need refinement. You have two attempts to record your video, but it’s best to aim to get it right the first time.

7. Keep Time Constraints in Mind: Keep your recommendation succinct and on-point, respecting the time limit. Having a timer nearby while practicing could be helpful.

If you inadvertently select the “incorrect” choices in the multiple-choice questions or gravitate towards an area with minimal scope for improvement, the chatbot will attempt to guide you back on track through a series of follow-up questions.

The easiest way to spot these questions is to identify if they’re aiming to dispute, modify, or cast uncertainty over your case approach (e.g., “Are you confident you’ve gathered enough information to draw that inference?”).

Sometimes, it could be that you’ve fully explored one aspect of the problem, finding no root cause or potential for improvement. However, in other instances, it may indicate that there’s a flaw in your strategy. So, when confronted with these types of questions, it’s advisable to take a brief pause to ensure you haven’t overlooked any aspects of your case dissection.

Optimize Your BCG Online Case Assessment Preparation

The BCG Online Case Assessment has been a key feature of the interview process for some time now, resulting in candidates being generally well-equipped and leading to a noticeable uptick in overall scores. To truly distinguish yourself and impress Casey in this new landscape, you’ll need to adopt innovative strategies in addition to established ones.

We’ve broken down the preparation process into a manageable 2-step strategy designed to help you outshine your peers in your upcoming assessment. Follow these BCG Online Case prep tips:

• Our comprehensive guide on the BCG Chatbot Case, featuring real sample tests
• BCG Invitation Email and PDF
• BCG Online Case Assessment Practice Test
• This very article
• Sample Tests from StrategyCase.com
• BCG Interactive Case Library
• Previous BCG Online Cases and Potential Tests
• McKinsey interviewer-led cases
• Former McKinsey Problem Solving Tests
• Live case practice with mentors and fellow aspirants
• Business school case compendiums
• Business and financial periodicals

Devote particular attention to developing the following skills:

• Math : Practice creating equations to determine a specific value or figure. Certain questions in the case might require you to calculate a particular number. This could be straightforward arithmetic (for example, calculating a growth rate with three variables), or more complex scenarios where you need to devise an intricate calculation strategy. Hence, honing the skill of constructing formulas in complex systems is key.
• Reading comprehension: Learn to extract key points from intricate business texts and interpret their core statements.
• Chart, table, and data interpretation: Strengthen your ability to comprehend, interpret complex data, and draw accurate conclusions from it.
• Logical reasoning: Perfect your deductive skills to discern correct statements from various information sources. Preparing for GMAT reasoning questions can prove extremely beneficial for this.
• Top-Down Synthesis and Communication : To tackle summary and synthesis questions, you’ll need to master the pyramid principle, similar to a case interview.

In this preparation journey, both a holistic approach to the test and a strategic response to each individual question are crucial for your success.

Maximize Your Performance During the Test

What habits can boost your performance during the test?

Stay calm. The competencies evaluated and the variety of questions are identical to those in the case interview. Here are some essential tips to adhere to before and during the examination.

Test-Taking Habits for the BCG Online Case

Optimize Your System Setup

• Ensure your computer and internet connection are compatible with the sample test before initiating the actual exam. Have a backup internet connection ready via your mobile device.
• Chrome is the recommended browser for the exam, so make sure it’s ready for use.
• Verify that your webcam is functional and not obstructed by other applications.
• Keep a coffee or water handy before commencing the final segment of the assessment.

Manage Your Surroundings

• Choose a tranquil environment with no background noises for the test.
• Minimize potential distractions and inform those around you to avoid disturbing you for the upcoming 30 minutes.

Focus on the Questions

• Pay close attention to the instructions and question briefs to avoid simple errors and traps.
• Jot down the most crucial facts to keep them accessible throughout the assessment.
• Keep all exhibit tabs open for future reference as you can’t revisit previous answers and exhibits.

Maintain a Finisher Mindset

• Be prepared with a strategy to tackle every question type and decision, such as eliminating incorrect options for multiple-choice questions.
• Progress through each question quickly and accurately. Remember that once an answer is submitted, it’s final, and questions must be answered in the order they appear.

Monitor the Clock

• Stay mindful of the overall test timing and the timing for each question.
• Don’t allow frustration over a previous question to slow your pace for the remainder of the exam.

Avoid Falling into Common Pitfalls

Feedback from our client interviews about the assessment highlighted four primary challenges they encountered:

• The persistent time pressure throughout the assessment.
• The increased difficulty level compared to the BCG’s practice test, particularly for math questions.
• The overall format left some test-takers uncertain about the best way to answer questions.
• The stress induced when an incorrect answer was selected, as the chatbot immediately informs you in order to progress the case in the correct direction.

Your Comprehensive Guide to BCG Online Case Experience

We’ve developed an all-in-one solution for all BCG Aptitude assessments. The BCG assessment guide offers detailed insights into navigating the complexities of the Casey Chatbot Interview. Our extensive 123-page BCG Casey Chatbot Interview guide, created in collaboration with previous test-takers and BCG insiders, covers the chatbot interview, the online case, the one-way video interview, and the Pymetrics. The guide provides:

• A thorough breakdown of each assessment, the skills tested, and tips on the best ways to approach each.
• The most effective preparation advice, tools, and exercises for each assessment.
• Insider strategies for taking the tests to optimize your scores for each test and game.
• 5 sample Casey tests to mirror the real BCG Online Case Assessment experience.

By following this guide, you’ll be able to

• answer all questions accurately within the stipulated time
• present yourself impressively for the recommendation part
• practice most efficiently and save time
• stay confident that you’re always preparing for the most current version

SALE: $ 89 / $54

Frequently Asked Questions about the BCG Online Case

Welcome to our FAQ section, where we aim to address your most pressing queries about the BCG Online Case Experience. Let’s dive in.

What is the BCG Online Case Assessment, and how does it work? It’s a digital assessment tool used by BCG to evaluate candidates’ problem-solving skills through a business case study, guided by a chatbot named Casey.

How can I prepare for the Casey Chatbot Interview effectively? Familiarize yourself with the format, practice case study elements, and drills, improve your data analysis and problem-solving skills, and utilize professional practice resources.

What skills does the BCG Casey Chatbot Interview assess? The assessment focuses on problem-solving, analytical thinking, business acumen, logical reasoning, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.

Are there any tools or resources to help practice for the BCG Online Case? BCG offers specific preparation resources, including sample cases and practice tests. Additionally, we offer useful guides, practice tests, drills, and mock interviews.

How is the BCG Online Case Assessment structured? The assessment includes 8-10 analytical questions, covering multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, open-ended questions, and a final video recommendation, within a 30-minute time frame.

Can I use a calculator or other aids during the BCG Online Case? Yes, the use of calculators and Excel is permitted to help with calculations and data analysis during the assessment. You can even use AI tools such as ChatGPT to help you with your answers.

What happens if I don’t pass the BCG Online Case Assessment? Candidates who do not pass the assessment may have to wait before they can reapply. It’s essential to check with BCG’s specific reapplication policies .

How does the BCG Online Case Experience compare to traditional case interviews? While traditional case interviews involve interactive problem-solving with an interviewer, the online case assessment is digital and self-guided, testing similar skills in a different format.

What are the best strategies for approaching the video recommendation part? Organize your thoughts clearly, start with a strong recommendation, support it with key arguments, and practice delivering your points concisely within the time limit.

Utilize these BCG Casey Chatbot Interview strategies to navigate the digital assessment with confidence and poise. By navigating the BCG Online Case Experience effectively, you’re not just preparing for an assessment; you’re laying the groundwork for a successful career in consulting.

We hope this guide offers you a solid foundation for your BCG Online Case Experience preparation.

If you have any specific questions or need further clarification on any topic mentioned here, please feel free to ask in the comments section below. We are eager to help you conquer the Casey Chatbot and advance in your consulting career journey!

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Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. He started StrategyCase.com to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. He ranks as the most successful consulting case and fit interview coach, generating more than 500 offers with MBB, tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms through direct coaching of his clients over the last 3.5 years. His books “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview” and “Consulting Career Secrets” are available via Amazon.

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Breaking Down BCG Interviews: What to Expect and How to Prepare

If you're preparing for a BCG interview, this article is a must-read. Learn what to expect and how to prepare for the case and behavioral interviews.

Posted December 4, 2023

Featuring Alex S.

De-Mystifying the McKinsey Interview

Wednesday, may 15.

10:00 PM UTC · 45 minutes

Table of Contents

If you have been invited to attend a BCG (Boston Consulting Group) interview, congratulations! This is a great achievement and a big step forward in your career. However, preparation is crucial if you want to succeed and get hired by this prestigious consulting firm. In this article, we will break down the BCG interview process, talk about the types of interviews you might face, and provide you with tips and strategies to help you ace the case and fit interviews.

Understanding the BCG Interview Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

The BCG interview process typically consists of two rounds, with each round comprising of several interviews. The first round usually consists of two case interviews and one fit interview, while the second round generally includes one case interview and two fit interviews. The goal of the interview process is to assess your problem-solving skills, communication skills, and cultural fit with BCG.

During the case interview, you will be given a business problem to solve. You will need to demonstrate your ability to analyze the problem, come up with a structured framework, and develop a recommendation based on sound logic. The fit interview, on the other hand, focuses on your personal and professional experiences, your leadership potential, and your motivation to work at BCG.

The Types of BCG Interviews: Which One Will You Face?

BCG conducts different types of interviews, depending on the position you are interviewing for. For example, if you are applying for an associate position, you will typically face a case interview and a fit interview. However, if you are interviewing for a senior position, you may also face a leadership interview or a technical interview.

The leadership interview is designed to assess your leadership potential, your ability to lead a team, and your communication skills. The technical interview, on the other hand, focuses on your technical expertise, such as your understanding of a specific industry, your knowledge of advanced statistical techniques, or your programming skills.

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Preparing for the BCG Case Interview: Tips and Strategies

Preparing for the case interview is crucial if you want to succeed at BCG. Here are some tips and strategies to help you prepare:

• Practice, practice, practice: Use case interview books and websites to find practice cases and work through them with a partner
• Develop a framework: Learn how to develop a structured framework to help you analyze the problem and develop a recommendation
• Use mental math: Improve your mental math skills to help you do calculations quickly and accurately
• Be confident: Practice your communication skills, learn how to be concise and to the point. Be confident and make eye contact during the interview
• Stay organized: Keep a notebook, use a whiteboard or a piece of paper to help you structure your thoughts and stay organized during the interview

How to Ace the BCG Fit Interview: Behavioral Questions Demystified

The fit interview is just as important as the case interview. Here are some tips to help you ace the fit interview:

• Research the company: Learn as much as you can about BCG's culture, values, and clients
• Prepare your stories: Develop a set of stories from your personal and professional experiences that demonstrate your leadership potential, your problem-solving skills, and your motivation to work at BCG
• Be specific: Use the STAR (Situation-Task-Action-Result) framework to answer behavioral questions. Be specific, provide details, and highlight your role in the situation
• Show your interest: Ask thoughtful questions about BCG, its culture, and its clients. Show your interest in the company and the consulting industry

The Most Common Mistakes in BCG Interviews and How to Avoid Them

Despite your best efforts, you may still make some common mistakes during the interview. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

• Not listening to the interviewer: Make sure you understand the problem and the instructions given by the interviewer
• Not asking clarifying questions: Don't assume anything, ask questions to clarify any doubts and to demonstrate your analytical skills
• Not being structured: Develop a structured framework, use it to analyze the problem, and communicate it to the interviewer
• Using jargon: Avoid using technical terms or jargon that the interviewer may not understand. Use simple and clear language to communicate your ideas
• Not showing passion: Show your enthusiasm for the industry and BCG. Show your interviewer that you are genuinely interested in the company and the work it does

What BCG Interviewers Look for in Candidates: Key Skills and Traits

BCG interviewers look for candidates who demonstrate the following skills and traits:

• Problem-solving skills: The ability to break down a complex problem into manageable components, and the ability to develop a logical and structured framework to solve it
• Communication skills: The ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, using simple and concise language. The ability to listen actively and to ask thoughtful questions
• Leadership potential: The ability to take charge, to motivate and inspire others, and to lead a team to success
• Personal and professional experiences: Relevant experiences that demonstrate your analytical skills, your communication skills, and your motivation to work at BCG
• Cultural fit: The ability to fit into BCG's culture, which values teamwork, innovation, collaboration, and diversity

Sample BCG Case Interview Questions and Answers for Practice

Here are some sample BCG case interview questions and answers to help you practice:

• Case question: A company that produces ketchup is facing declining sales. How would you help them turnaround their business?
• Answer: I would start by understanding why sales are declining. I would research how other condiment companies are performing, and analyze customer behavior to understand why they are not buying ketchup. I would then develop a strategy that includes product innovation, marketing, and sales improvements.
• Case question: A pharmaceutical company wants to enter the Chinese market. How would you advise them?
• Answer: I would start by researching the Chinese market, including the regulatory environment, customer preferences, and competitors. I would then analyze the risks and benefits of entering the market, develop a strategy based on the company's strengths and weaknesses, and launch a pilot program to test the strategy.

How to Structure Your Responses in a BCG Interview: A Framework

Developing a structured framework is crucial if you want to succeed in the case interview. Here is a sample framework:

• Problem statement: Restate the problem and ask questions to clarify any doubts
• Hypothesis development: Develop a hypothesis that provides a solution to the problem. This hypothesis should be based on the information provided in the case and your own assumptions
• Data analysis: Gather and analyze data to test your hypothesis. Use charts, graphs, and tables to organize your data and to communicate your findings
• Recommendation: Develop a recommendation based on your data analysis and your hypothesis. Communicate your recommendation using clear and concise language

From Research to Presentation: How to Approach a BCG Case Study

The case study is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and your ability to communicate your findings. Here are some steps to help you approach the case study:

• Read the case carefully, look for clues, and develop a hypothesis
• Structure your approach using the framework described above
• Gather and analyze data to test your hypothesis
• Develop a recommendation based on your data analysis and your hypothesis
• Present your findings clearly, using charts, graphs, and tables to support your argument

What to Wear, What to Bring, and Other Essentials for Your BCG Interview Day

On the day of your interview, make sure you are well prepared and professional. Here are some tips:

• Dress in business attire: Wear a suit and polished shoes
• Bring a pen, a notebook, and a calculator: You can use these tools during the interview to take notes, structure your thoughts, and do calculations
• Arrive early: Be punctual, arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled interview time
• Be polite and professional: Greet your interviewers with a smile and a firm handshake. Use professional language and avoid slang or informal expressions

Dealing with Nerves and Anxiety in a BCG Interview: Techniques That Work

It's normal to feel nervous and anxious before an interview, especially if it's for a job you really want. Here are some techniques to help you stay calm and focused:

• Practice, practice, practice: The more you practice, the more confident you will feel during the interview
• Use visualization: Visualize yourself succeeding in the interview. Imagine yourself answering questions confidently and professionally
• Breathe: Take deep breaths to calm your nerves. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds
• Exercise: Exercise before the interview to release stress and boost your energy levels
• Stay positive: Focus on your strengths and your achievements. Believe in yourself and your abilities

Follow-Up Strategies After a BCG Interview: Dos and Don'ts

After the interview, it's important to follow up with a thank you note. Here are some dos and don'ts:

• Do thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to interview
• Do highlight specific points that were discussed during the interview that you found particularly interesting or relevant
• Do reiterate your interest in the position and the company
• Don't be too pushy or aggressive: Give the interviewer some space and time to make their decision
• Don't send a generic thank you note: Make sure the note is personalized and shows that you are genuinely interested in BCG and the work it does

Remember, the BCG interview is a great opportunity to showcase your skills and talents. Use the tips and strategies in this article to prepare yourself thoroughly and confidently, and you will increase your chances of getting hired by this prestigious consulting firm. Good luck!

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BCG Case Interview: Preparation Advice from a Former-BCG Consultant

• Last Updated January, 2024

Former BCG Consultant

What Sets BCG Apart from others?

BCG Case Interview Example

What Does BCG Look for in Candidates?

BCG Behavioral Interview

The Interview Process – An Overview

5 Tips For Passing Your BCG Interview

The bcg case interview.

BCG, short for The Boston Consulting Group, is one of the top strategy consulting firms in the world. BCG invests a lot in training and coaching its consultants so it’s no surprise that it ranked several times in the top 5 on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.”  

Working at BCG is also a sign of being a top performer. It will remain on your resume for life and the experience you’ll get there will help propel your career forward. 

Every year, many candidates from undergraduates to MBAs, Ph.D.s, MDs, and experienced hires apply for a chance to join the ranks of BCG Associates and Consultants. It’s not easy to get an offer among such a competitive crowd: preparation is required to shine through the BCG case interview and behavioral interview.

But don’t worry, I can help you get ready. In this article, I’ll discuss:

• What sets BCG apart from other top consulting firms,
• What BCG looks for in candidates,
• The BCG interview process,
• The BCG case interview,
• An example of a BCG case interview,
• The BCG behavioral interview, 
• Tips for passing your BCG interview, and 
• Further resources.

Let’s get started!

What Sets BCG Apart from Other Top Consulting Firms?

Bcg is one of the mbbs.

BCG is among the top 3 management consulting firms alongside Bain and McKinsey, forming a group referred to as “the big three” or “MBB.” This isn’t to say that other firms are not tackling extremely complex problems brilliantly or that their staff is not composed of some of the brightest people you’ll ever meet. It does mean however that these 3 firms are better known and that Fortune 500 companies might pick them for their highest stake problems. 

Working at any of these 3 firms will give you:

• More exposure to those high stakes projects,
• More exposure to the executives who sponsor them, 
• More connections for your exit opportunities whenever you feel ready for your next chapter, and 
• A higher paycheck while working there. 

Pro-tip! Never ask about the pay in a BCG interview. It’s seen as caring about the wrong things.

Working for BCG, Bain, or McKinsey also allows you to cover a wide variety of industries and functions as a “generalist” before you choose a specific industry or area of expertise.  (They are not the only firms offering this either though.) 

What Makes BCG Different From Its 2 Main Competitors? 

• BCG is often seen as the nerd among the 3. Still influenced today by the mindset of its founder Bruce Henderson, BCG strives to develop tools and insights that influence business thinking. Ever heard of the growth-share matrix ? That’s a BCG concept.
• BCG tailors its approach to each client’s specific needs and situation , instead of replicating an existing recipe. 
• BCG values unique points of view and fosters them through encouraging diversity in its recruiting and staffing. I especially remember Women@BCG and Pride@BCG as being two very active internal networks, be it for mentoring or organizing events. 
• BCG offers clients digital and start-up incubation services in addition to strategy consulting. BCG Gamma for AI and big data or BCG Digital Ventures for internal disruptions (they design and incubate start-ups within a client, it’s pretty cool) help clients overcome challenges and make transformations. As a consultant, most cases you’ll be staffed on will not involve those other entities, but if you show interest you might very well be able to join your dream project disrupting the industry you’re most passionate about. 
• BCG’s people are unique. In all likelihood, what will end up making the biggest difference for you no matter which firm you pick is the people. There are real differences in fit among the three firms. When you work such an intense job, it’s really important to get along. 

BCG’s People

For the people, it’s not about which firm is “best” but which you like most. During your recruiting process, attend as many networking events and presentations from as many different firms as you can. Talk to the presenters, ask friends and friends of friends (or reach out to alumni from your school or any other club you’re part of) who work in these firms to chat with you and ask them what they like about working there. 

It’s hard for me to contrast BCG’s culture with either Bain or McKinsey since I have not worked for the other two. From what I’ve seen during my time at BCG, people there care tremendously about each other and managers are very involved in your development. I know that some of the friends I made there I’ll likely keep in touch with my entire life. A former BCG recruiter agrees on the people being the biggest determinant and the people at BCG being awesome. 

In terms of center of interests, most undergrads were what you’d expect of your average first-job-in-the-city 20-something (I was part of the NY office), and most MBAs/PhDs/experienced hires were pretty family-oriented in their free time (and some had cool hobbies or were high performers in their sport of choice). Company events were wholesome and typically welcomed partners and children. 

During my recruiting process, I went through “Bridge to BCG,” an immersive workshop for Ph.D. students (I was finishing up my dissertation at that time). On top of having a recruiting track tailored for Ph.D.s, which let me know that BCG valued my profile, the people I met at BCG, from consultants to partners, are really what convinced me BCG was the best match. 

And that contributes to self-selection: two guys I met when going through that recruiting event were also aiming for offers from BCG. We became good friends, practiced together like crazy, and all got offers. They’re still among the best friends I made during my time at BCG.

Personally, I was so set on wanting BCG that when I got the offer, I canceled my final round with McKinsey. If an additional offer wasn’t going to change my mind, I might as well start celebrating.

Alright, now let’s dive into how you can get there too. 

I’ll first cover what all top consulting firms want, and then color my answer with some BCG green. Do not skip the first part if you’re not familiar with it though – these things matter tremendously and honing on the specifics for the BCG case interview is pointless if you’re not at the bar yet on the basics. 

What All Top Consulting Firms Expect 

All firms are looking for the same basics: smart people, able to think fast, accurately, creatively, and by themselves, and communicate the solutions they come up with concisely and eloquently. They are looking for people who are open to feedback, care about making an impact, are inspiring leaders to others, and thrive when working in teams. 

The entire point of the case interview and the behavioral interview is to test precisely these skills. If you’re not familiar with these yet, the case interview is a business problem that you solve in real-time with prompts and data from the interviewer, while the behavioral interview is an opportunity for you to showcase soft skills such as leadership or impact through relating past experiences. 

My colleague Rebecca (former McKinsey) dives a lot deeper into the basics of the case interview in our Guide to Case Interview Prep and also gives a few tips about the Behavioral Interview . It’s worth reading these if you haven’t already. 

As you go through the interview, you are graded independently and methodically on all these skills to allow for easy comparison across candidates. At the end of the day though, the question the interviewer is answering internally is: “Would I want to staff this person on my team?” It’s that simple. 

What BCG Emphasizes More Than Bain & McKinsey

All the firms care about the attributes below. Moreover, one thing my time in consulting convinced me of is that there is still more variation within firms than across firms in terms of personalities and style, so each interviewer will have slight skews in preferences on what they deem most important in a candidate based on who they’d like on their team. 

That being said, here are 3 things that were regularly important in BCG recruiting decisions during my time there: 

• A Tailored Approach
• The BCG Attitude

#1 – Drive

The most important thing to ace your BCG case interview is your ability to drive the case. This means always being in the driving seat as you go through the case interview: 

• knowing where to go next, 
• getting there by yourself, and 
• explaining to the passengers (i.e. the interviewer) where to, why, and exactly what they need to know about it. 

One way to do this is the “hypothesis-driven” approach that BCG talks a lot about, which simply means having a running hypothesis and driving toward testing it. For instance, once you are done laying out the structure of the case, do not wait for the interviewer to tell you what to do and take an initiative: 

Example: “My hypothesis at this point is that the profit decline is due to a change in our client’s pricing since you mentioned attendance remained stable. Do we have any data on the pricing and membership model our client used over the last 5 years and have there been any recent changes?”

Drive is not just the ability to know what to do next and move toward it smoothly, it’s also the ability to constantly explain why you are doing it. It shows your interviewer that you have both the ability to think well and take someone by the hand through your thought process as you do so. 

Example: “Now that we’ve established the revenues of our site each year, I’d like to compute the total cost to know whether these revenues are enough for our client to meet their target of breaking even in 2 years. Do we have any data on costs at this point? Maybe starting with investment costs?”

Why Is Drive So Important?

Because that’s what you need to do constantly on the job.  As a consultant, your clients are paying your team a lot of money so they expect to know exactly what you are doing with that expensive time and why. It also helps prevent you from taking any wrong turn, as they are still the experts on their own business. 

As a team member, your manager’s stress level will also go down by a lot if when they come out of the meeting, they hear you say that given the partner’s remarks you took the initiative to stress-test the results of the analysis you are showing the client tomorrow. They’ll know they don’t need to constantly tell you what to do: you’ll know what’s needed and you’ll be a good communicator about what you are focusing on so they don’t need to obsess over monitoring you either. 

Drive also means knowing what to do with the results you find, and spontaneously getting to what we call 2nd level insight . 

1st level insight: Using the result to answer the question you were asked. Example: “The total cost is $1.2M.Therefore, given the revenues we computed earlier, it will take us 3 years to breakeven.” 

2nd level insight: The next-step that pushes the problem-solving forward. Example: “This does not match our client’s objective of breaking even in 2 years, so at this point, we’d have to recommend that they do not enter this market. Before doing so though, I’m wondering if we could explore additional revenue streams to see if they can make this a viable opportunity. Is it ok with you if I take a moment to brainstorm options?”

By getting to 2nd-level insights, you show you’re not just an analyst. You’re a consultant and you have the skills to do everything for the client if you had to. 

I once saw a documentary about the recruiting process for the acrobatic show Cirque du Soleil . One applicant was told “Power went down, everybody else is injured, you’re the Cirque tonight. What do you do?” Some days on the job will feel exactly like that. That’s why you need drive.

#2 – A Tailored Approach

The second thing that is emphasized at BCG is the ability to tailor your approach to the situation at hand. As explained earlier, BCG is proud of coming to each client and business problem not with a pre-made solution, but with all their expertise and a commitment to developing what is best for the client in that case. This trickles down to the BCG case interview.

During the case interview, your structure will still rely on some basics that you might have seen in a book, such as “external/internal factors.” But as way you lay out your structure, and as you interact with the interviewer throughout the entire case, you are putting yourself in the shoes of a consultant that’d be visiting a plant, the client’s headquarters, or talking with the Vice President of Sales about their rollout strategy for this new left-handed stapler to address the situation at hand. 

You can foster that skill for yourself by “using the words of the case.”

Example: Don’t say “volume is going down” but “the number of cases ordered by the supermarket went down so we’ve been shipping fewer bottles.’ Ask clarifying questions about the business model of the client during the opening of the case: imagine that you are trying to understand how your best friend is making a living. The hypothesis-driven approach is also helping you tick that box. 

Similarly in any brainstorming question during the BCG case interview (for which you should also answer using buckets/a mini-structure by the way), use specifics of the case to structure your brainstorming.

Example: If asked about additional revenues opportunities, you could think about it each step along the customer journey of your client’s clients, or you could use “options within the client’s expertise area” vs. “options in adjacent areas” vs. “options in new areas of expertise.”

The goal is really to show your interviewer that you are not just a machine at rehashing models and frameworks. You know how to look at every situation with new eyes, and you’ll be able to catch the subtleties of each client.  

#3 – The BCG Attitude

Last but not least is the attitude you project. I just came up with the term “BCG attitude” so no need to Google it, but what I mean by it is a combination of being personable, being coachable, and having a go-getter mindset . 

In conversations among interviewers, I’ve seen candidates who did quite well on the case interview being disfavored compared to others because they failed to demonstrate these qualities. The logic is that if the interviewer does not feel comfortable having you represent them and BCG in front of the client or if they think you wouldn’t get along with the rest of your teammates (or that your teammates wouldn’t get along with you), there are plenty of other stellar candidates that day who would be a better fit.

Being personable . I don’t mean being a stand-up comedian or as charismatic as Barack Obama, simply that interacting with you is pleasant. The interviewer can naturally start chit-chatting with you, and ideally, as you go through the interview both you and the interviewer get the feeling of working together.

Anything perceived as arrogance is likely to be a turn-off for the interviewers: they don’t want to send someone who would project that vibe to a client. If you stay professional and make the effort to care about whoever is in front of you, you’ll be just fine.

Being coachable. Like other consulting firms, BCG has a feedback-heavy culture. You are constantly reviewed (upward and downwards, i.e. by both your managers and the people you manage, if any). There is a culture of sharing feedback directly and regularly (there is even a culture of discussing how you like your feedback to be given to you). Hell, that’s how you progress in these firms. 

It’s not that you’re not expected to know everything when you start: it’s that you’re expected to not know most things, and be able to learn them fast, and then get feedback, and then course-correct even faster. So someone who does not take feedback well is unlikely to thrive in that environment. 

In practice, try not to ignore cues the interviewers might be giving you on where to go during the BCG case interview. Abstain from showing annoyance at any point. 

Having a go-getter attitude. This means always being game for more if need be. 

On the job example : The team is exhausted. It’s already late Thursday, we have a presentation tomorrow. The client just completely changed their mind on what they want to see. Your manager doesn’t want to be worried about you throwing your laptop at the wall or being passive-aggressive in the windowless team room. 

Instead, being able to take a breath and say: “Ok, it is what it is. What do we need to do and how can we do it efficiently so that we still get to sleep?”

Of course, all of these soft skills are hard to measure. But if you collapse when you realize that your numerical answer was off by a factor 100, the interviewer might have less faith in your ability to endure and perform under pressure. If that happens, just acknowledge it, explain why it makes no sense, and show the same structured approach in tracking down the error. 

In summary, showing that “BCG attitude” is not some magic trick: stay humble, stay hungry, and try to have a good time. That’s about it. 

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

The BCG Interview Process – An Overview

How many interviews will i have .

As with most questions in management consulting, the answer is “it depends.” It is likely to vary with the country you are applying in as well as the recruiting channel (i.e., undergraduates, MBAs, advanced degree candidates such as Ph.D.s and MDs, experienced hires, etc).

Recently, BCG introduced the BCG Pymetrics Test and One-way Interview as pre-screening assessments in North American and other worldwide offices. They’ve also introduced the BCG Chatbot Interview as a round one case interview.

What was most standard in the US pre-COVID for the BCG interviews was to have 2 rounds of in-person interviews, each round composed of 2 interviews back-to-back. 

• First round: 2 interviews back-to-back with Consultants to mid-level managers (i.e., Project Leaders or Principals)
• Decision round: 2 interviews back-to-back with more senior managers (i.e., Principals, Partners, or Partners and Managing Directors)

Each one of the interviewers would go through both a BCG case interview and a BCG behavioral interview (also known as “fit”) with you, so that’d mean 4 case interviews and 4 behavioral interviews in total. After the first round and the decision round, you’d hear back from the recruiting team to know whether or not you are moving on to the next round (or getting an offer) within a few hours to a few days, sometimes longer. 

These calls would usually also involve some feedback on what you did well and what you could do better: BCG cares about people’s development, even here, and they want you to succeed.

There are exceptions to this schedule. Back when I was a Ph.D. student, I first applied to an immersive recruiting workshop called “Bridge to BCG” with a cover letter and a behavioral phone interview, which then led to a standard first round after the workshop. For my decision round, one of the two interviews was a written case.

BCG North America’s format for fall interviews is:

• First round: 1 25-minute fit interview. Candidates are asked 2-4 fit questions from a firm-wide standard list.
• Decision round: 2 back-to-back case interviews. These cases will be specific to the offices hosting the interviews.

The implication of this change is that BCG candidates will need to prepare their fit interview stories earlier in the recruiting process. See our article on “ Why BCG? ” for help with preparing for BCG fit interviews.

For the next season and beyond, it’s not clear how things will vary country by country. The result will likely be an overlap of general company policy and office discretion in each. 

While in-person interviews are likely to come back soon, it also seems reasonable to expect online case interviews to remain as part of the recruiting process.

In summary, you should prepare for something like 2 rounds of 2 interviews each, with some combination of in-person interviews, virtual interviews, and an automated online case study (at least for the first round), and be ready for any variation that might come your way. 

The good news is that the skills required are pretty consistent throughout, and they are the ones you need to pass both the BCG case interview and the BCG behavioral interview. 

What’s In a Typical One-on-One BCG Interview?

Whether you are in person at your campus, in a BCG office, or sitting in front of your laptop at home, here is what to expect when you are interacting with a (human) BCG interviewer, in chronological order.

One interview typically lasts about 45 minutes. If you are there in person, your two interviews will probably be back-to-back. One of your interviewers will probably either walk you or pick you up from the first room to the second. 

The Intro (~5min)

If you are there in person, think about this part as starting the moment the interviewer comes and picks you up to walk you to the interview room. As they do so, they might chit-chat, asking whether you stayed in the city the night before or mention something they’ve noticed on your CV. Once seated, they will take about 5 minutes to introduce themselves and remind you of the agenda for the interview. 

The Behavioral Interview (aka, the fit) (~10min)

The interviewer will ask you a couple of questions about your motivation, your experience, or how you’d handle a certain hypothetical situation. The goal is to showcase the skills such as Leadership, Impact, Coachability, as well as your motivations and fit for the firm. This part lasts about 10 minutes. Read more on that below in the penultimate section. 

The BCG Case Interview (~30min)

This is the meat of the interview and lasts about 30 minutes-maybe less if you’ve been efficient. While you are rated holistically throughout the entire interview, most of what is tested is through the case interview. In the next two sections, I will go more in-depth on what makes the BCG Case Interview different from other firms and go through an example of a BCG case interview.

The Q&A (~2-3min)

Your Interviewer should make sure there is at least a couple of minutes left after the case interview for you to ask any questions you have about the job or the firm. 

Those questions are your last shot to become memorable in the mind of an interviewer who might be seeing up to 9 other interviewees that day while having to think about answering 100+ client emails by Monday (and that one email from their Partner definitely tonight).

Pro-tip! Don’t ask about something that’s easily Googlable, as this shows a lack of preparation. Don’t ask about the pay or the hours: these topics are seen as inappropriate in the interview. If you’ve done your research, you know that the pay is good and that the hours can be long, and the assumption is that if the exact number matters to you enough to ask about it here, someone else wants this job more than you and will be a better fit.

So don’t neglect to give a thought to a few questions in advance. Of course, if something came up during the intro or the case that got you curious, go for it: the point is also to be authentic. If it looked like your interviewer was passionate about the industry you just talked about you might want to probe them on that; or if they mentioned having young kids and you’re expecting or would like to be soon, you probably care about how they managed and that’s also a great way to build rapport. 

I enjoyed asking some of my interviewers what were the good and bad surprises on the job. Feel free to use that, or take a few minutes at some point during your preparation to come up with something you’re genuinely curious about. 

The BCG case interview is a business problem that you are solving live with the help of the interviewer. It involves showing that you know how to think in a structured way, that you are able to drive toward an answer, have solid arithmetic skills, and the ability to communicate clearly. The interviewer of course knows the answer and hands you the relevant data and exhibits as you are making progress towards it. 

Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep explains exactly what the case interview is and details its various stages: 

• The opening, 
• The structure, 
• The analysis, and
• The conclusion.

It also gives you tips on how to become proficient at each.

In my experience, BCG cases are pretty standard compared to most you will encounter during your preparation. What is characteristic about the BCG case interview is to expect the interviewee to take the lead and be the driving force throughout. This is different from McKinsey, where the interview is led by the interviewer who really drills down on topics through a series of scripted questions (to prioritize an exhaustive assessment of your skills over this ability of driving the case).

As with any case interview, expect a fair amount of math, exhibit reading, brainstorming questions, or market sizing. BCG case interviews tend to have more variation than other firms in terms of industry, topic, or exact composition of the case. For instance, there are more often cases that are not about profitability, or you might solve a problem for a non-governmental organization (NGO). 

Some cases end up being very math heavy while others are frankly mostly qualitative. I had a case during my first round where a financial services firm had a turnover problem coming from a culture mismatch after merging with a Japanese counterpart. In my decision round, a partner asked me about what I thought that Galileo, tired of being a broke scientist, should do to make a ton of money after having invented the binocular (whether or not any of that is historically accurate).

That being said, for the vast majority of the cases you’ll encounter, you can still expect some form of profitability or growth case for your BCG case interview, with a couple of exhibits, some math, and a market sizing and/or a brainstorming question. From your point of view at the beginning of the case, think about it as an open map in front of you that it is for you to explore to find a treasure: strategically, heading toward your most likely guess, and taking your interviewer by the hand on the way. 

Let’s dive into an example. 

The BCG Case Interview – An Example

“Your client is the Health Ministry of a small developing country. They want to roll out a polio vaccination program for young kids. How should they go about it and what will be the cost?”

Opening 

The first thing to do is to repeat the main info in the prompt to the interviewer to make sure you got it right, and ask clarifying questions. If you don’t know what polio is or how old the kids receiving the vaccine against it are, it would be a good idea to ask your interviewer. Turns out polio is an infection caused by a virus that can lead to paralysis, and let’s assume we are targeting kids age 6 to 8. The location of the country does not particularly matter here.

Now is also the time to establish the client’s key success metrics: “What would success look like to the government of this country? Is there anything else they are worried about beyond costs?” Here, they simply care about reaching as many children as feasible in the country and want to estimate the costs. 

You’d now ask for a minute to lay down your thoughts so that you can build your structure. Notice that this case prompt is not your average profitability question so you can’t just use a framework you learned. 

Pro-tip! Take a moment to think about what you’d do before reading ahead, that’ll be infinitely more helpful to you. 

Here’s one proposal you could go with: 

• How many kids do we have to reach?
• What are the biggest locations across the country?
• How do we make sure families are aware of our program?
• How will kids enroll in our program? Do we go to them or do they get to us? (homes, hospitals, schools, etc.)
• Any adjustment in rural vs urban areas? What’s the topography like?
• Medical: Doctor, medical personnel, etc.
• Logistics: drivers, receptionist, etc. 
• Do we need security guards?
• Can we use any existing buildings?
• If not, a pop-up tent, or is it worth building?
• A medical bus?
• Vaccine storage
• How many vehicles?
• Any specialized storage needs? (frozen, etc.)
• Any shipping costs? (for refills?)
• Have they done other vaccination programs in the past?
• Do they have specialized medical staff who are public servants?
• NGOs (such as Doctors without Borders)?
• Private actors? (private clinic, etc.)
• Neighboring countries with expertise?
• Who is responsible? 
• How is accountability measured?
• Is there a budget? 
• Do we need to apply for grants or international help?
• If partnership, share costs?
• How much will we save in health expenditures down the line with fewer sick children? 
• Can we also use this program to test/vaccinate for other usual suspects among children’s diseases?
• What are our relations with the rest of the government? 
• Do they see polio as a priority?
• How is the general population seeing the Health Ministry in that country? 
• Could we leverage this program for a PR campaign?

This structure is pretty exhaustive. Don’t worry if you didn’t come up with every bullet point on your own.

In practice since you only have a couple of minutes at most to lay it out during your BCG case interview, you would not necessarily write these full questions on your piece of paper but a couple of keywords for each bucket and each sub-bucket.  

If you’d like to learn more about how to create a case structure, see our article on the Pyramid Principle .

Analysis 

Turns out the structure above is also pretty spot on. The first thing the interviewer would do after you lay it out is prompt you to brainstorm in-depth on the various ways to reach the kids, so if you’ve already alluded to it in your structure that gives you a headstart. 

On brainstorming questions, you’ll be rated on both your structure and your creativity. Make sure to always articulate the logic behind your ideas, using your past experience, analogies, or your general knowledge (“I remember when we got vaccinated for measles in our school…”). One way to go about it could be: 

• Pop-up locations by neighborhood
• Have primary care providers refer them to us (is that feasible in this country?)

And the most pragmatic answer is of course to go where kids already are spending the most time, which is schools. Opt-in programs where recipients have to go somewhere end up having reliably lower reach, for various reasons from opportunity costs to the social stigma associated with going to locations like hospitals.

Once aligned with your interviewer on that, what would you ask next? (Remember the importance of drive?) 

Sample follow-on question: “Do we have any data on the school repartition in this country?”

You’d then be handed a first exhibit: a map detailing the number of schools in each area of the country and the average number of students per school. Let’s say that there are 5 schools in area 1, 3 in area 2, 2 in area 3, and 10 schools in area 4. Each school has on average 400 students in our target age range. There are thus 20 schools with 400 students per school on average. 

A great candidate will comment right away on the total number of students we are targeting, which is 8,000, and ask about any differences in the various areas that would require different logistics. There are none here.

At this point, knowing that we will be touring schools, the interviewer would ask you to brainstorm further all the precise cost items associated with that. This is already done a bit in our structure above (told you it was spot on) but you can give it a try for yourself. 

Once satisfied, they’ll give you a second exhibit, this time with the following data. In each area, there will be a team composed of: 

• 1x doctor ($50/day)
• 4x technicians ($40/day)
• 1x driver + vehicle ($110/day)
• Vaccines ($2/vaccine)

When seeing this, you might first want to ask about the slight ambiguity on the technician cost: it’s $40/day for all 4 of them, not for each. It’s up to you now to take the initiative to compute the cost of the program. 

Take a break and try now. What do you notice? 

You’re missing a very important piece of data: how many kids can we see per day? Only when asked about this would the interviewer share with you that it takes a technician 6 minutes to inoculate a vaccine to a kid. We’re almost there. Great, and how many hours can we work per day? You might ask if it’s ok to go with a standard assumption of 8 hours/day and your interviewer would let you know that in this case, it’s actually closer to 5 hours/day. Now we have everything we need! 

A great candidate will also notice right away that since we only have variable costs here, the total cost will be the same whether we consider one team per area or one team touring all areas, so we can group all the computations at once to avoid doing it area by area (of course touring the areas simultaneously will however shorten the program length).

Each technician can therefore see 10 kids per hour, hence you can vaccinate 40 kids per hour in total with 4 technicians in a school. With 5 hours of work a day, that’s 200 kids per day which means exactly 2 days per school for each team. 

Since there are 20 schools at $200 per day per school in staff cost and it takes 2 days per school, the total staff cost is $8,000 for 40 days of man-work. And of course, 20 schools times 400 students that’s 8,000 students which represent $16,000 in vaccine costs at $2/vaccine. The total cost of the program is $24,000 to tour all the schools once. 

When getting to any kind of number, always take a moment to sanity check whether they make sense and comment on them. Big picture, $24,000 feels like a low number for a national program, and it is; you can link that back to the overall low number of schools (only 20 for the whole country). Whether that’s a lot of money for the Health Ministry is however an open question, and you might also wonder whether all kids in the country are covered by these schools: were these only the public schools? What about the rate of absenteeism in this country?

You can also comment on the overall timeline: it will be driven by the biggest area which will take the longest to tour. It had 10 schools, hence the program can be over in 20 working days assuming that transportation and school schedules do not slow it down. 

Notice how doing the math methodically helped me realize that some data was missing? It also made the computations flow easily. Without a structured approach, it would have been easy to run around in circles or compute tons of useless intermediate results instead.

“The right hand of the Health Minister walks into the team room and asks you about your findings before she jumps on a call with her boss. What do you tell her?”

The final synthesis of your BCG case interview should lead with your recommendation to the client and details the key reasons supporting that recommendation. It then mentions any risks to consider which might impact the outcome and the next steps that you’d suggest to either cover these risks or double down on the analysis. There is no need to repeat everything you covered during the case: be succinct and stick to the key arguments.

What would you say? Give it a try before reading the end!

“We recommend rolling out the polio vaccination program for kids aged 6-8 by touring schools with one medical team in each area of the country. This program is reasonably low cost and would only represent $24,000 in funding and take only 4 to 5 weeks to reach all the schools in the country. 

One concern we’d like to address next is whether absenteeism is an issue that would prevent us from reaching kids, especially in rural areas. That might inform whether running this program once a year is enough.” 

Congrats, you made it through your first BCG case interview!

The BCG Behavioral Interview

The BCG Behavioral interview (or “fit”), is the portion of the interview that allows you to showcase the soft skills that would make you a good consultant and a worthy addition to their team. Here are a few do’s and don’ts that apply to all firms , including BCG.

At BCG, each interviewer you’ll encounter asks two different questions about you and your experience. 

You can expect with a probability close to one that one of these questions will be what I’ll call a “motivation” question, which are things like: 

• “Why consulting?”
• “Why BCG?” or 
• “Walk me through your CV.” 

These are not opportunities to ramble or be exhaustive about everything you’ve ever done in your life, but instead, tell convincing and alluring stories that make it obvious that you are exactly where you ought to be right this moment. 

Personally, I talked about how during my Ph.D., while I enjoyed solving complex problems, I realized that I was longing for faster-paced environments that would give me a breadth and depth of exposure to many different issues and industries. I also mentioned that the people that I met during my recruiting (actually naming them and their office) convinced me that BCG would be a fantastic place to do that while building amazing relationships. There was a bit more color to it, but that was the backbone of my answer. 

Other questions will typically ask you about “a time where you did X” or “what you’d do in hypothetical situation Y” (in which case, feel free to tell the interviewer about a time when you did exactly Y). 

The main themes that come back for these questions are: 

• Leadership – your ability to inspire others, 
• Impact – how much effect you have on your environment and the lives of others,
• Influence – your ability to change someone else’s mind, and
• Resilience – how you fare against adversity such as after a setback or failure. 

Within the same round, the interviewers are supposed to coordinate themselves so that the themes they ask you about do not overlap.

When answering any of these questions, it’s important to be able to do so pretty much the same way you answer the BCG case interview: with a structured answer, taking your interviewer by the hand. The “A STAR(E)” framework is an amazing way to do just that.

My Consulting Offer’s founder Davis provides an example of using this framework at the link above. I will just emphasize 2 ingredients that my interviewers complimented me for when I went through BCG interviews myself. 

• Use your stories to show you are intentional and structured in the way that you tackle the Action (the second A in “A STAR(E)”). Instead of simply relating the series of steps that you took in that awesome story of you turning the tables over during that team project Sophomore year, also explain how you came up with the solution, and why. Example:   “I knew that to convince our adviser to give us that extension, I’d have to show her that there would be additional value for the lab, so I first contacted my favorite Professor to get them on board…”. You get the gist.  
• Use that final bracketed E, the Effect: what did you learn, about yourself or people? Which self-reflections did that story lead to? What did you or what will you change going forward given what happened then? A story about you overcoming a team disagreement that led to a deadlock will go a lot further if you wrap it up with reflections on team dynamics and the role you can play in those. Example: “One thing this episode taught me is that if my team reaches a dead end, it doesn’t matter who has the best idea. Now, if I see a situation like this coming up, I take the time to listen to every stakeholder to understand why they are so attached to their solutions. This always helps find common ground for the team to pivot and move forward.”

Of course, that exercise is worth doing by itself. It will contribute to making you a better consultant and a better colleague whichever firm you end up working for. 

And with all that preparation under your belt, sometimes a more senior interviewer like a Partner and Managing Director might just chat with you about a hobby you both share before diving into the case interview.  

1. Be Methodical in Your Casing Prep

Commit to practicing regularly with a wide array of case partners. Make sure some are at your level and some are more experienced (and don’t turn down casing with a couple of beginners once you have more preparation). 

Don’t overdo it. You don’t want to become blasé or a casing robot-but set a serious but realistic schedule for yourself between now and your BCG interview-whether that’s in 3 months or 5 days.

2. Make Sure You’re at the Bar on Each Part

When preparing, ask for detailed feedback on the various parts of the case and act on that feedback. Someone thought your conclusion was weak and gave you tips to improve? Go back to past cases you’ve done and rehearse the conclusions in front of a mirror. Get particularly comfortable doing math fast and accurately, reading exhibits, and coming up with structured answers on the go.

3. Focus on the Drive

Now that you have the skills, it’s time to embody a consultant. Demonstrate your ability to solve a business problem in collaboration with someone. When in doubt, walk your interviewer through your thought process. Same if you need to make an assumption at any point: explain why, how you are choosing it, and see if your interviewer is on board with that.

4. Don’t Skip the Fit

Have those 5 or 6 stories about your experience ready using the A STAR(E) framework, plus your answers to the motivation questions. Make sure to touch on all the typical themes and train with friends to alter your delivery of those stories in real-time to answer the plethora of prompts that might come up.

5. Enjoy yourself

At the end of the day, the BCG case interview is also a way for you to see whether you’d like the job. If even after solid preparation the idea of solving a business case live in front of the interviewer sounds horrific to you, this might not be the job for you. 

Once interview day comes, go with the intent to really enjoy the process. Remember, the people across the table want you to succeed. They are investing time that they could allocate to their clients into finding their best future teammates instead. 

They want that to be you.

Further Resources

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep
• Behavioral Interviews
• The BCG Online Case

In this article, we’ve covered:

• What sets BCG apart from other top firms,
• What makes a good BCG consultant,
• How to ace your BCG case interview,
• A BCG case interview example,
• What to expect in your BCG behavioral interview, and
• 5 tips to pass your BCG interview.

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about the BCG case interview, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s case coaches will answer them.

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3 Top Strategies to Master the Case Interview in Under a Week

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Acing the BCG Online Case Interview – 2024 Guide

What’s the BCG Online Case Interview?

It’s a business problem you must solve.

But unlike the traditional case interview, you must solve this problem by interacting with a chatbot, Casey, on your computer.

No more one-to-one discussion with an interview.

For this chatbot case, you’re on your own.

And acing the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Online Case interview is no easy feat.

Not only does it require adapting to a unique interview format, but also having case-cracking skills that outshine the other candidates.

Hence, in this comprehensive guide, we will explore the ins and outs of the BCG Online Case, discussing its components, differences from traditional case interviews, and tips for success.

Let’s dive in right now.

Table of Contents

Key takeaways.

• The BCG Online Case is an assessment used to simulate real-life problem-solving scenarios. This is a case simulation via chatbot followed by a one-way video assessment.
• It assesses various skills, including problem-solving, business judgment, mathematical aptitude, graph reading, and logical reasoning.
• BCG uses this test during the screening phase to select the candidates who will be invited for interviews.
• The BCG Online Case is mainly used in the US offices right now (but seems to be rolled out worldwide). Alternative screening tests include the BCG Potential Test (also known as BCG online assessment) or the BCG Pymetrics Test.
• After a presentation of a client’s context and problem, candidates have 25 to 30 minutes to answer 8 to 12 questions (the time and number of questions might change, so be careful).
• Also, candidates must record a one-minute video to answer a final question and end the BCG online assessment.
• The online case must usually be performed within 3 days after receiving the link. Candidates hear back within 2 weeks.
• Candidates who fail the test are usually banned for 12 to 18 months.
• Time management is an important factor in acing the BCG online case assessment.

Understanding the BCG Online Case

The BCG Online Case (also called the BCG chatbot case or BCG Casey) plays a significant role in the recruitment process of the Boston Consulting Group.

Because the BCG Online Case evaluates if applicants have the skills to become best-in-class consultants before interviewing those applicants.

During this unique assessment, candidates engage with a chatbot, Casey, that presents a business case study.

Then, the case includes 8 to 12 questions assessing applicants’ critical thinking, data analysis, and strategic insights.

This online case experience aims to challenge candidates by offering a snapshot of the actual case interview process, simulating real-life problem-solving scenarios encountered by BCG consultants daily.

Finally, the candidates who fail the test are not invited for interviews.

Plus, they are usually banned for a 12 to 18-month period.

Key Components

The BCG Online Assessment is composed of a mix of question formats, ranging from multiple-choice to open questions, and culminates in a final video recommendation.

Candidates must complete the 8 to 12 questions within the 30-minute window, followed by a precisely timed 1-minute video on their webcam, presenting their final recommendation.

A sample multiple-choice question:

A sample open question:

A sample one-way video question:

This unique format tests the candidate’s ability to think on their feet and communicate their ideas effectively, similar to a live case interview, making it an essential part of the interview process.

Important : The candidates must answer the questions one by one. In other words: there is no possibility to skip a question or pause the test.

Skills Assessed

A wide range of skills are evaluated in the BCG Online Case, including:

Problem-solving (structuring)

Business judgment

Logical reasoning

Mathematical aptitude

Graph reading and interpretation

Candidates must demonstrate their understanding of business principles and showcase their overall business knowledge to excel in this assessment.

The BCG Online Case emphasizes proficiency in basic math concepts, data interpretation skills, and tackling math questions, all of which are crucial in solving real-life business problems.

Later in this guide, we’ll discuss how to master the different types of questions used to test those 5 skills.

But first, let’s have a quick overview of how the BCG Casey case compares to the aptitude tests used by the other top-tier consulting firms.

Next, let’s talk about the differences between the BCG Casey case and the traditional case interviews.

Differences Between BCG Online Case and Traditional Case Interviews

While the BCG Online Case shares some similarities with traditional case interviews, such as presenting a business problem to be solved, there are notable differences.

The most significant distinction is the use of Casey, a chatbot, which eliminates the need for a human interviewer and offers a more interactive experience through the BCG Interactive Case Library, which features various online cases.

Additionally, the online interview format presents unique time management challenges, as candidates do not receive the same level of interviewer feedback as in traditional case interviews.

Interaction with Casey Chatbot

In the BCG Online Case, success hinges on adapting to interaction with Casey, the non-human interviewer.

Candidates must navigate through questions without guidance, relying on their problem-solving skills and ability to structure their thoughts effectively.

Given the lack of feedback from the chatbot, a solid initial structure and a well-prepared approach are necessary to ensure smooth progression through the questions.

Time Management Challenges

In the BCG Online Case, time management is crucial as candidates must balance accuracy and speed within strict time limits.

The lack of interviewer feedback and the need to think and respond swiftly create a demanding situation, requiring candidates to prioritize questions, avoid getting stuck on difficult problems, and know when to skip or guess.

Calculator are allowed

Candidates can use a calculator during the BCG Casey test. 

While it seems to make the test easier, especially for candidates with limited quantitative backgrounds, remember that calculators are not allowed during live case interviews.

Hence, sooner than later, all candidates must develop strong calculation skills.

Okay, now let’s talk about how to ace the different types of questions asked in the BCG online cases:

• Structuring questions
• Business acumen questions
• Math questions
• Chart questions
• One-way video (or synthesis) questions

Mastering the structuring questions

The structuring questions are most likely asked at the beginning of the assessment.

In this type of question?

The chatbot asks you to choose 2-4 answers among 8 different options.

This is similar to creating an issue tree at the beginning of a live case interview. 

Check this article if you don’t know what an issue tree is.

How to correctly answer Structuring questions

Use the following approach to answer the structuring questions:

Step 1: Understand which metric the client wants to optimize

Step 2: Read each option provided one by one and select ALL the options that can influence this metric

For example, the client wants to optimize its profits.

And the factors that influence the client’s profits include “total costs per segment,” “the number of products per segment sold by the client,” and “the price of products per segment sold by the client.”

How to develop this skill

Refining problem-solving skills is crucial for success in the BCG Online Case.

Practicing mock case interviews is the best way to develop your structuring skills.

All case interviews include structuring questions.

For instance, when developing an issue tree at the beginning of the case.

Or during the case, when answering brainstorming questions such as “Which factors influence the market growth?”

You can practice independently, with friends, or with an expert.

Regardless of how you practice, you must track your mistakes and improvement.

Practice Resources

You can find a library of 280 case examples on this page .

These case examples?

They are directly from top-tier firms’ websites or case books from prestigious universities like Wharton, Harvard, or INSEAD.

Get 4 Complete Case Interview Courses For Free

You need 4 skills to be successful in all case interviews: Case Structuring, Case Leadership, Case Analytics, and Communication. Join this free training and learn how to ace ANY case questions.

Acing the business acumen questions

Strong business judgment is what separates the good from the best consultants.

And BCG wants to assess how strong your business judgment is.

In other words:

They want to know if you understand how “business forces” can influence a situation or an environment.

But these “business forces” can take many forms, such as supply & demand, competition dynamics, regulation, etc.

Hence, you must develop a strong business culture to be able to understand how these “business forces” work.

How to correctly answer Business Acumen questions

Use the following approach to answer the business acumen questions:

Step 2: Select, from the list of options provided, the factors that can influence this metric

For example, the client wants to optimize its pricing.

And the factors that influence the client’s pricing include “the willingness to pay of the customers” and “the sales of competitors for different price levels.”

One of the useful tactics for learning to ‘think business’ is when you learn about recent business events, try to figure out the (direct and indirect) implications of the event.

For example, imagine that the OPEC nations have decided to restrict oil supply. 

A first direct implication can be that gas prices will increase, which means that oil company revenues will increase as well. 

An indirect implication can be that the sales of SUVs will decrease, which means that  Auto companies will be offering more sales promotions on SUVs.

Another indirect implication can be that the use of public transportation will increase.  

And so on… you can think of dozens of other implications. 

If you want to learn more about developing your business acumen, check out our coaching program on this page or sign up for our free case interview training.

I recommend reading business articles from the following websites:

McKinsey.com

Business insider ( the strategy section )

When reading these articles, try to understand the underlying business forces that created or solved a problem.

Mastering the Math questions

For all consulting firms, including BCG, a strong correlation exists between a candidate’s quantitative skills and the probability that this candidate will become a best-in-class consultant.

That’s why top consulting firms love asking quantitative questions in case interviews.

And the Casey chatbot interview is no exception.

Hence, you’ll have to answer Math questions like this one:

How to correctly answer Math questions

Use the following approach to answer the math questions:

Step 1: Understand the objective and the data presented (units, titles, etc.)

Step 2: Develop the formula you need to answer the question

Step 3: Plug the numbers provided in your formula and do the Math

Step 4: If you have time, do a quick sanity check of your answer

For example, the client wants to optimize its pricing to maximize revenues.

Since revenues are equal to volumes times price, you need to add all the units per price level and multiply the total volumes by the price levels.

The answer will be the price level that maximizes the client’s revenues.

Note : calculators are allowed during the BCG test.

To sharpen your quantitative skills, practice with mock quantitative tests such as:

Mock GMAT Tests: These tests are excellent for practicing various quantitative problems.

Case Interviews: Simulate the real experience using case interviews that include math questions.

Mock McKinsey PST or BCG Potential Test .

Don’t limit yourself to traditional methods.

Various online platforms and apps are designed to help you practice mental calculations and case-specific math problems.

By mastering case interview math, you’re not just showcasing your ability to crunch numbers.

You’re proving that you can think critically, make data-driven decisions, and lead a case to its logical conclusion.

Acing the Chart questions

Analyzing lots of data is part of the daily routine of a consultant.

And these data come in many forms: charts, data tables, texts, etc.

Hence, you’ll have to answer Chart questions like this one:

To answer a chart question, you might have to analyze more than one chart.

How to correctly answer Chart questions

Use the following approach to answer the chart questions:

Step 3: Find the data you need in the charts presented

Step 4: Plug numbers from these charts into your formula and do the math.

This is important to do step 2 before step 3.

You don’t want to jump aimlessly in the chart.

Instead, have a clear goal (know what you’re looking for) before wasting your precious time reading the chart.

As for the Math questions, you can practice with mock quantitative tests like GMAT, McKinsey PST, or BCG Potential test.

Additionally, this article shares more tips on developing your analytical skills (including chart reading).

First, you can practice with GMAT tests.

Here are some examples .

Besides, visit websites full of charts like The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, etc.

Find charts, draw conclusions from these charts, and read the article to check if your conclusions make sense. 

Also, practice with the case examples you can find in these case books .

Additionally, here are more resources:

• SHL practice tests ( here )
• SHL verbal reasoning questions ( here )
• SHL numerical reasoning questions ( here )
• SHL inductive reasoning questions ( here )
• Free aptitude test examples ( here )
• Kearney mock recruitment test ( here )
• McKinsey PST examples ( here , here , and here )

Finally, you can use a platform like JobTestPrep to practice with tests that mimic real tests.

Tackling the one-way video question

With this question, BCG will test your communication skills and capacity to synthesize your work.

Most of the time, the one-way video question asks you to give a recommendation to the client’s CEO.

The one-way video question looks like this:

How to correctly answer One-Way Video questions

Use the following approach to answer the one-way question:

Step 1: Repeat the objective

Step 2: Provide an answer-first conclusion (following the pyramid principles)

Step 3: Discuss potential next steps and risks

Your answer is very similar to the conclusion you must provide in a real-life case interview.

For instance:

“ Our objective was to understand why profits declined and how to fix this problem. The drop in profits comes from an increase in our client’s labor costs. A solution is outsourcing some administrative activities in a low-labor-cost country such as [X]. For the next steps, I would estimate the impact of our client’s labor costs and analyze the potential risks, such as the impact on our client’s brand image and quality of services. “

There is a must-read book if you want to become a consultant.

The pyramid principle by Barbara Minto.

If you don’t have this book in your library, buy it now.

As for structuring questions, use this library of 280 case examples to practice giving recommendations and improving your communication skills.

Frequently Asked Questions (and final tips)

Is the online case important for bcg.

The Online Case is an integral part of the BCG recruitment process and provides the firm with a way to evaluate essential consulting skills, such as structuring, business sense, math skills, graph interpretation, and synthesis. As such, it is highly important for BCG.

What is BCG online case experience?

BCG Online Case Experience is a 25-minute assessment that challenges candidates with a fictional client case presented by the online chatbot ‘Casey’, requiring them to answer 8-12 questions to demonstrate their business skills.

How much does the BCG online case matter?

BCG online case is important because if your performance on the test isn’t up to the mark, then it doesn’t matter what other documents you provide; you won’t be invited to the first round of interviews.

What is the passing score for the BCG online case?

BCG’s online test is not used to filter candidates, but an average performance would be considered a good result with 70% of questions answered correctly.

What is the role of the chatbot, Casey, in the BCG Online Case?

Casey is an AI-powered chatbot that facilitates the BCG Online Case, assessing candidates’ critical thinking, data analysis, and strategic insights through various question formats.

Will I have to take the test from home?

Yes. BCG will send you a link to take the test.

Can I pause the game once it has started?

No. You must go through all the questions at one time once you have started.

Hence, it’s important to have an effective time management strategy.

Effective time management strategies for the BCG Online Case include avoiding getting stuck on difficult problems and knowing when to skip or guess.

Any last advice?

Before starting the test, ensure you are in a silent room (mute your phone) and check your internet connection.

BCG online case: final words

In conclusion, acing the BCG Online Case requires thorough preparation, mastery of relevant skills, and effective time management.

So, I hope you enjoyed this guide about the BCG online case.

And that you feel more confident about taking this online test, paving your way to a successful career with the Boston Consulting Group.

Now, I’d like to hear from you: What’s your biggest challenge in answering the 10 questions?

Managing your time effectively?

The one-way video assessment?

The numerical questions?

Let me know by leaving a quick comment below right now.

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