How important is length of answers during the BCG Casey test?

Hi there,

They will tell you how many lines are allowed. From all the tests I have seen, they pretty much all say 2, 3, or 4 lines. I'd be very surprised if they want 7-10 lines and I disagree that “a good answer requires 7-10 lines”.

Remember that a good consultant is clear and concise…not verbose.

Agree with Ian here - usually the firm is quite prescriptive in that respect and a strong answer should never require 7-10 lines.

Focus on a top-down conclusion with clear, concise supporting points, then real estate constraints should usually not become an issue. Quality over quantity.

Feel free to reach out to me or any of the other coaches, if you'd like to learn how to consistently apply a concise top-down approach to communication.

Regards, Andi

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• BCG will always be very precise when it comes to the length of open answers. For instance, they might indicate that the answer should be a maximum of 3-4 lines or 2-3 sentences, which also seems to be standard.
• Moreover, please rest assured that none of the questions asked in the BCG Casey will require an answer that is longer than indicated. I would advise you to reconsider your answers in practice thus far since top-down and concise communication is key in strategy consulting, and you will also be assessed on this skill.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on authentic BCG Casey sets, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Sould be a top down concise answer.

Usually consultants follow the rule of three.

One recommendation supported by three key arguments. Of course, may be 2, may be 4 or 5. Depends on the situation.

Then, each of them supported by ~3 sub-arguments/evidence.

I don't see why it would be different in the Casey test.

Hello A,

I agree with what everyone has already mentioned. The length of your answers is not as important as the quality and clarity of your thinking. The test is designed to assess your ability to analyze and solve business problems under time pressure. Therefore, it's essential to focus on providing concise, logical, and well-structured answers that address the question asked.

Having said that, yes you might need to write 7-10 lines. During my MBA I have talked with multiple people who have taken the test (including myself) and on multiple occasions, 2-3 lines were not enough at all, especially in the initial structure (if you have an open-ended question and not a multiple choice one).

Best of luck with everything!

Victoria