Should I apply now or later? (McKinsey / BCG)

Question

Hi there,

I have two questions regarding McKinsey and BCG as I wanted to apply for both but I now have big concerns regarding whether to apply.

McKinsey:

I just solved McKinsey's PSG test and I am fairly confident I will not pass it given the RedRock study (I ran out of time for the cases). I think I did fairly well on the ecosystem one, but perhaps not all species survived, possibly (hopefully) 7. I would be able to get a recommendation for McKinsey but I am not sure what happens now. I originally applied for a McKinsey event, not yet for a position, but I know test results are valid for 12 months. How is the test assessed, is it a pass or fail? With such results and with McKinsey hiring less people than before, is it even worth it for me to get that referral and apply?

BCG:

Now that I basically screwed up my test at McKinsey for a year, I am rather concerned about whether I should apply to BCG now (Mar. 15) vs. for the next deadline (Aug. 31), as I am not super well prepared for the case interviews yet, and if I apply now I would probably most likely need to do the test in ~2 weeks and have my first interview within 1 month. I usually am a very fast learner, and used to get amazing grades for even courseworks at university even when I did them during an all-nighter, but still. I do not know if a few weeks would be enough in any way. (I haven't practiced cases in real life with other candidates, just studied online and did a course so far.) What would you guys recommend me to do?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Answer 1

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:

First of all, please rest assured that applications for specific programs and full-time positions are treated separately, even when it comes to potential pre-interview assessments that need to be conducted beforehand. Even if you do not succeed in the McKinsey Solve for the event, you may still apply for a full-time position.
Regarding BCG, unless there are strict time periods in which the interviews have to be conducted, I would highly advise you to indicate your availability in the cover letter when submitting your application files. If, however, this is not possible, I would advise you to do some soul-searching to determine how much time you can allocate for your preparation and how well-prepared you want to be for the interviews.
Lastly, please keep in mind that there are many other great strategy consulting companies besides McKinsey and BCG. As such, I would highly advise you to apply to other firms and see where you receive an offer and where you would like to work the most during your preparation and interview process.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi there,

1) How is the test assessed, is it a pass or fail?

After the test they should provide a result based also on your application material (there could also be differences based on the office – at least, that’s what happened in the past with the previous versions of the PSG).

Please keep in mind that you don’t need to complete all the Redrock 10 cases to pass – I helped candidates that didn’t finish the test and passed anyway.

2) With such results and with McKinsey hiring less people than before, is it even worth it for me to get that referral and apply?

Yes. Because if you don’t try you have zero chances. So applying is still better.

3) I am rather concerned about whether I should apply to BCG now (Mar. 15) vs. for the next deadline (Aug. 31). I would probably most likely need to do the test in ~2 weeks and have my first interview within 1 month. What would you guys recommend me to do?

We don’t know how many hours you can dedicate in the 2 weeks and one month and your current level, so it is difficult to comment. The timeline you have could be fine, but we would need more information to answer properly.

In terms of the BCG test, I provided some info below.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You can find 10 key tips to prepare for the test here:

▶ 10 Must-Know Tips to Master the BCG Online Case

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If you want to prepare for the BCG Online Case in the best possible way, I created a software simulation replicating exactly the chatbot and one-way video interviews.

You can get access to the software simulation and guide instantly here:

▶ BCG Online Case Software Simulation

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For any questions on the test please feel free to PM me, I will reply within 12 hours.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 3

Hi there,

if you want to end up in consulting, you should cast a wide net in your application process. Rather than only trying to get one shot at MBB once in a blue moon, you should apply to a bunch of Tier 2 and 3 as well. You can always decide which offer to take in the end but first you will need an offer.

Your chances increase if you get into the flow of the consulting recruiting process and case interviews. The more you do under real conditions, the better prepared you get. That said, there is merit in going through a recruiting process of a company that is not necessarily your first choice - use it as training at the very least.

With respect to your question number 2, there is no point in applying to BCG if you are not case-ready yet and you don't have the opportunity to now fully commit to that preparation for the next month - that would just be wasting your opportunity (assuming you get invited to first round interviews).

Depending on how serious you are about this, I would rather aim for the August timeframe, make sure you prepare properly over the next months and apply to some other consulting firms as well so you are in really good shape when tying out for BCG.

Good luck

Answer 4

Hi there,

on McK: I would recommend not to get too hung up on the PSG test - it is done and valid for 12m. I.e., assuming you want to apply within the next 12m it does not matter whether you do it now or in 3 months time.

on BCG: I would recommend to do the application in synch w. the other consulting appications you do (e.g., the McK one). Preparing for interviews in parallel definitely creates some synergies. 1m prep time should be enough if you are able to do it intensively & with experienced partners.

Pls send PM in case I can be of any help.

Best regards,

Andreas

Answer 5

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that the test with McKinsey didn't go so well.

First of all, yes the results of the test are stored for about a year and this is also the period in which they don't accept for you to reapply.

If you haven't received a rejection already, there might still be a chance that you'll pass to the next round - the results of the test are assessed together with the rest of your application (CV, cover letter, referral) and if the latter is good then they don't mind the test.

If you have received a rejection, the best to do at this point is to apply in other places for the next year or so. Here's an article on how to use coffee chats to network and get referrals - How to network and get referrals

Secondly, regarding BCG, yes, if you don't feel prepared for the interviews then it doesn't make sense to apply. I usually tell my candidates to apply when they are about 80% ready for the interview. What I would suggest instead is that your work with an expert to develop a proper application strategy, plan out your applications in waves to different firms and then start working on perfecting your casing and personal fit skills. Here's an article on how you can improve your structuring and brainstorming skills as a starting point - How to structure and answer brainstorming questions

Best,
Cristian

Answer 6

Hi there,

1) It is hard to tell what happens now, lacking further details - we have seen candidate stories that went in different way after (supposedly) bad test results.

→ Outside-in - I would refrain from using the referral now and potentially use it at a later stage (see below)

2) For BCG - I would really try to postpone to August, if you can afford financially, … .Rationale

- Way less time pressure and sufficient time to really shine on the test and in the case interview

- You could dodge the difficult pipeline “window” (especially in NAMR)

- Having a process with multiple consulting firms helps in the final stages of negotiations

Please also consider applying to other consulting firms - you need to have risk diversification in such a competitive process

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Answer 7

Hi there,

On the McKinsey front I'm quite confused…it sounds like you have already applied?

On the BCG front If you're not feeling case ready you should probably not apply. That said, I don't know what “case ready” for you means. If you're 50% there, and get coaching, 1 month is totally do-able!

If you're at 0/10% and you're going to try to prepare on your own, 1 month is a hard ask!

It's really hard to advise you here without knowing your readiness. But just have a think through whether you will be ready or not by the interview date.

You're also forgetting 2 dozen other firms! Please don't forget to apply to 30+ other firms. BCG and McKinsey are not the end-all-be-all.