What to expect in BCG Riyadh interviews?

Hi! I think I have around a dozen of former mentees currently work in BCG Riyadh. 

Let me clarify a few things (because there’s a lot of confusion resulting from all the nonsense that is spread out there):

1. Duration:
You’ll typically see ~45–60 minutes per case interview. The exact length varies slightly by interviewer and seniority, but not by office. Riyadh, like most Middle East offices, runs on the same global structure: a short fit portion (10–20 minutes), followed by a ~25–35 minute case. Final rounds can sometimes go longer depending on the partner’s style and curiosity, but the substance doesn’t change.

2. Structure:
Expect a single, end-to-end business case.
You’ll start with a short prompt, structure the problem, run through data analysis (usually one quantitative exhibit), then conclude with a recommendation.
Middle East offices sometimes lean a bit more toward qualitative reasoning (client empathy, judgment, sense for applicability) rather than hyper-technical analytics. That’s because many clients in the region evaluate consultants more on insight, logic, and trust, not just data rigor. So your ability to communicate clearly and think like an advisor matters more than doing math at lightning speed.

3. Quant side:
Let’s kill a persistent myth:
You will never be asked to calculate NPV, IRR, or do any form of discounted cash flow math in a BCG (or McKinsey or Bain) interview.

Not “rarely.”
Never.

In fact, it’s explicitly prohibited in interviewer training. The MBB firms do NOT test financial modeling or formula memorization!!! They test thinking. They want to see if you can logically approach a business situation, define value drivers, estimate magnitudes, and interpret results.

So yes, you should understand what NPV and IRR mean conceptually. But you’ll never do discounting math in the room. The level of quant expected is:

• Simple arithmetic (additions, subtractions, percentages, growth rates)
• Profit, margin, ROI-style calculations
• Sometimes CAGR as an intuitive percentage growth concept - but again, no formulas to memorize.

So, to prepare efficiently:

• Focus on clarity of thought, not formula depth.
• Learn to build a rigorous logic based on problem solving principles - understand why numbers matter, not how to crunch them.
• Practice structuring, communication, and synthesis.

That’s what separates candidates who sound smart from those who actually think like consultants.

Hope this helps!
Sidi

___________________

Dr. Sidi S. Koné

Former Senior Engagement Manager & Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant at BCG | Co-Founder of The MBB Offer Machine™ (500+ mentees now consultants at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain)

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from BCG!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

• First of all, the typical interview duration for BCG across the globe is ca. 45 minutes. Around 10-15 minutes are usually spent on personal fit questions, 20-25 minutes on the case study, and ca. 5 minutes for your questions for the interviewer.
• Moreover, you should expect a standard case format, again aligned with global standards: a business scenario, problem structuring, one or two exhibits and/or some basic quantitative and/or qualitative questions, and potentially a recommendation. I would strongly advise you not to overthink the situation, since regional or local specificities are really not common with global strategy consulting firms.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming BCG interviews, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi! congrats on the interview invite. Perhaps the duration discrepancy is resulting from people differentiating between the case length and the total interview length. I would say it is more around the 35-40 mins mark with the first 10 mins or so spent on intros and some fit questions (linked to CV/cover letter) and the remaining on case. At the end, hopefully time will permit for you to ask a couple of question to the interviewer as well.

The case interview structure can be any of what you've described actually. Expect to be tested across areas such as framework, quant, and creativity. 

With regard to the quant side of things, remember that the goal is to test your ability to think logically and process information quickly vs. your ability to do quick math calculations. Payback period is definitely common, but I think the expectation would be to also be familiar with the concepts of NPV, CAGR, and IRR. Rest assured, the numbers won't be very complicated as the interview is short and they want to test your overall problem solving ability 

Good luck!

Hi,

I used to be an interviewer - so here's how it really goes as an Interviewer:

1. Interview slots are standardized within the firm - for BCG this is a 45min interview
2. Interviewers are given a guideline on what to do in the 45mins (e.g. suggested amount of time to be spent on case interview vs fit questions)
3. Interviewers are given a standardized evaluation form to fill up that will test several aspects/traits that are important to the firm/role

Therefore

1. There is no 'correct' timing. An interviewer at BCG has full control over how they spend the time, as long as they believe that they can confidently score you
2. There is no 'set' or 'standard' list of questions you will be asked. As an interviewer, I can decide what questions and how many questions to ask you, in order to fill up the form accordingly (though of course a case structure follows a typical cadence, but realizing that "i will need to structure a problem" doesnt really help you that much right?)
3. You are being tested on quantitative thinking and reasoning, and not on formulas (e.g. I know this because I studied History and never did finance before my interview)

In summary, your concern and desire to prepare efficiently is great, but you are actually not prepping efficiently/effectively if you are worrying about questions like the above. 

What should you do instead?

1. Identify the key traits firms are looking for
2. Understand your level of capability/mastery and the gap for those key traits
3. Get quality feedback to improve those key traits 

Ask the interviewer. They are always going to give you the most up to date perspective on the process specifically for your role in that office. 

Typically, BCG interviews are an hour long, with the case component being 30-40 minutes and the fit component being 20-30 minutes. 

The case can be from any industry, esp if you're applying for a generalist roles. Typically you go through 3-4 sub-questions during this time (e.g., structuring, chart, calculation, brainstorming). 

If you want a cheatsheet with the main formulas you should know, you can use the following:

• Cheatsheet: The Must-Know Consulting Terms for Interviews

On the fit component, the question are motivation and experience related. 

Feel free to reach out directly if you have any follow-up questions or if you'd like to do a full mock of the interview. 

Best,
Cristian

Hey there :)

BCG Riyadh interviews are usually around 30–35 minutes, slightly shorter than in Europe, and the format stays consistent across rounds. Expect a focused case: one core question, a few data exhibits, quick math, and a concise recommendation. Brainstorming is lighter but still appears, often tied to regional context or implementation ideas. Quant questions stay on standard business math: profitability, percentages, growth rates, rarely NPV or IRR unless your background is very finance-heavy.

best,
Alessa :)