BCG Platinion R2 Interview

Hi there,

Great job making it through to Round 2. The feedback you got is very common and quite actionable with a week to go.

1. Business judgement

• Expose yourself to business cases quickly: Read short case write-ups (e.g., from Victor Cheng’s LOMS transcripts, MBA casebooks, or consulting blogs). Focus less on complex math and more on “what would a client actually care about here?”
• Practice framing trade-offs: When you suggest an option, add one sentence on why it matters for the client (e.g., “This would improve margins, but we need to check scalability”).
• Stay close to first principles: Think revenue, cost, risk, and implementation feasibility. If you’re stuck, anchor back to these.

2. Precision in answers

• Structure before speaking: Take 15–20 seconds, jot down 2–3 bullet points, and then deliver them clearly. This avoids rambling.
• Close the loop: After walking through logic, finish with a 1-line recommendation. Even if it’s preliminary, it shows decisiveness.
• Use numbers to ground your answers: If given data, calculate a quick ratio or percentage – it adds concreteness and signals precision.

3. How to practise this week

• Do 5–6 live cases focusing on short, sharp communication – tell your partner to stop you whenever you drift into vagueness.
• After each case, ask yourself: “Did I answer the exact question asked? Did I give a recommendation?”
• For business judgement, skim 2–3 consulting firm reports (BCG, Bain, McKinsey publish many) and observe how they frame problems and recommendations. Try to mirror that concise style.

With these tweaks, you’ll come across as sharper and more client-ready in Round 2.

Happy to help you prep – feel free to reach out.

Best,

Evelina

hi!

Congrats on making it to round 2! For business judgment, try to anchor your answers in real-world logic: use simple industry benchmarks (e.g. “EBIT margins in retail are usually single-digit”), think about feasibility and practicality (would a client actually do this?), and prioritize what matters most for the business instead of listing everything. You can practice by quickly sanity-checking numbers in news articles or short market sizing drills.

For precision, structure your thoughts before speaking: give a clear headline first, then only the 2–3 key arguments. Avoid rambling, and close with a short recap sentence. Mocking yourself with a friend or recording your answers for 1–2 questions per day can help you hear where you’re vague.

You have a week, so short daily drills on these two aspects will already make a big difference.

best,
Alessa :)

You have to practice more top-down communication and "one message, one bullet point" type of communication.