Time to finish the case

Question

Are you penalised for the amount of time it takes you to finish the case? Heard from someone that for BCG you have to finish in 15 - 20 mins and no more.

Answer 1

Hi

Its not really about the time it takes you to finish the entire case. It does not send the right impression if you are spending too much time (/struggling) in tackling the individual elements of the case you are tested on (e.g., putting together a structured framework, laying out the algorithm for market sizing etc.)

Good luck!

Answer 2

Hi there,

15-20 min seems short, but in reality experienced interviewer usually is able to decide YES/NO in such a short time, even actually shorter. I would not worry much about the time, nor to finish the case. During my interview, we got stuck on FIT and my case was around 20 min as well and it didnt penalize me at all.

Good luck,

Lucie

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Answer 3

Hi,

The short answer is yes. But not in the way you're thinking.

It's not like Candidate A solving in 15 minutes gets a higher score than Candidate B solving in 23.

Rather, you need to move effectively/efficiently through the problems in an objective-driven way. Your communication/thinking needs to be clear and concise.

If you do these things, you will naturally be faster. Taking a long time is directly correlated with not being a good caser.

Finally, remember that live interview cases move much faster and more challenging than the ones you practice with your peers. That's why it's so important to schedule a mock or two with a professional coach!

Answer 4

Hey there,

For candidate-led cases, the time you take is an indirect indication of your case performance. Naturally, the faster you have arrived at understanding the root cause of the problem, then deriving remedies, the more effective was your

problem-solving
analytics
chart interpretation
quantitative reasoning
communication

While time alone is not important, the other skills mentioned above are.

Change your perspective. By mastering the skills mentioned above, the shorter time to solve a case will come naturally.

All the best!

Florian

Answer 5

Hello!

Yes, there is a time constraint for finishing the cases. However, not in a stopwatch way as you describe, but overall: if you take longer if because you are getting stuck and not being fluent in the resolution, and that is what would penalize you.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara