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Anonymous A

on May 07, 2022

Global

Using BCG/Bain's Approach to tackle McKinsey's cases

Hi PrepLounge Community,

I was wondering if it would be okay to use BCG/Bain's approach to tackle McK's cases, for example, the framework exploration method where we cross out irrelevant root causes prior to moving to the next ones?

Understand that McKinsey allows us to take our time to structure our approach; for BCG and Bain, I believe they want us to analyse straight from the start without developing a detailed framework.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks a lot!

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Top answer

Cristian

Coach

on May 07, 2022

#1 Rated McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates

Hi there,

Yes and no.

Yes, you can recycle many of the structuring techniques that you use for BCG and Bain for a McKinsey interview.

But no in the sense that the expectations from a McKinsey structure are rather different. McKinsey want you to go deeper and broader, whereas BCG and Bain are rather looking for more target, hypothesis-driven structures that will allow you to drill down to a clear answer. McKinsey instead wants you to show them that you are aware of all the parts of the problem, that you understand them deeply and that you can break them down into mini-problems that are easier to handle.

Clara

Coach

on May 07, 2022

McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

In my opinion and according to my experience during the years, this McK style vs. Bain and BCG style creates more harm than benefit for more people, who get obsessed trying to nail a style and lose focus to much more important stuff.

What you will be given, in any of the 3, is a business problem. In front of you, you will have someone good at that who will test how well you problem solve and reason. Simple as that, forget about styles.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Ian

Coach

on May 08, 2022

Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

For the case itself, remember that McKinsey is interviewer-led - so no, you cannot drive the case in the same way!

However, for frameworks, the answer is a resounding yes. There is no major difference between frameworking across the 3 (by its very definition framework is a pretty clear/defined thing!).

I don't differentiate across the 3 when training my candidates, and there's a reason! Learn how to framework. Period. That's what matters!