BCG first round interview

Question

Hello, i have a first round interview for the intern position in BCG, and was wondering what type of cases do they usually ask in the first round?

Thank you !

Answer 1

Hi Alanoud,

Here are the three most recent questions asked (I track the questions my candidates get - 100+ questions this year):

SE Asian underdeveloped country having challenges with flooding - how do we help them?
South American dairy goods processing company acquiring a milk supplier based in Brazil. Objective is to determine the bidding amount for the acquisition.
Predict the unemployment rate of Saudi Arabia in next 5 years and advise government on how to address it.

Conclusion: They can ask ANYTHING

Answer 2

Hi Alanoud!

The past is usually a good enough indicator of the future.

So do check some of the cases in the current case library for an indication of what to expect in your first round. Here's the link:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases

Aside from this, sharing with you three of my own cases that are based on MBB interviews from this year (including full interviewer notes):

Good luck!
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi Alanoud, there isn't really a separate type of cases for intern positions, or round 1 interviews. Expect all kinds of cases in all kinds of situations.

Hyper-specific preparation may only lead to surprises and disappointments. Say you over-prepare for exhibit-based cases, but end-up getting a zero-exhibit case - that will catch you unaware and might actually lead to lower performance.

I would be happy to guide you through your prep journey. Feel free to write to me if you need any assistance.

Answer 4

Hi Alanoud,

Q: Was wondering what type of cases do they usually ask in the first round?

In general, it’s good to have a holistic preparation allowing you to answer any question.

Nevertheless, in case you would like to know the specific questions asked, I would recommend indicating the office you are targeting for better feedback as there are differences depending on the office.

If you need help please feel free to reach out, I have a DB with 400+ real BCG questions asked in 46 offices.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 5

Hi Alanoud,

According to my experience, the intern candidates are given the same cases but the most difficult parts can sometimes be simplified (e.g. where a more senior candidate has to come up with some tough market sizing assumptions, this data is just handed to an intern).

I would still prepare for the toughest scenario, though, because one can never know for sure.

Good luck!
Nick

Answer 6

Hi,

At BCG, most systems allow their interviewers to build their own cases. Often interviewers will have one or two cases, and they use these cases across all levels.

So there is really no typical set of cases, for most offices.

Previously as an interviewer for BCG, I used to give interns the same case I gave a MBA / experienced hire.

Hope this helps to clarify!

Answer 7

You'll have to do the regular case preparation. In practice, there's no difference vs. other case interviews. Sure, you won't get the most difficult and complex ones… but even if you exclude those, you still have 80% of the possibilities that you need to cover in 100% of your preparation.

Answer 8

Hi there,

BCG has its own private case library. They typically use same cases for first and second round interviews, so there is no such thing as typical first round cases.

I suggest you learn to solve any case as you need to do it several times across the full interview process.

Happy to keep talking about this in private, just send me a message.

Best,

Alberto

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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs