BCG Case Exhibits + Quant Questions - Looking for a case coach

Hi Aisha,

I do a session exactly on that, please feel free to PM me if useful.

In general I would recommend the following approach for graphs and math.

GRAPHS:

1. Read the graph

• Ask for 30 seconds to understand the graph
• Summarize what the graph is about. Read in particular the graph title (often forgotten), the axes and the legend

2. Analyze the graph and find the main insights

• Repeat the question you have to answer. Many people don’t spend time to clarify the question; consequently, they answer the wrong question. Don’t be one of them and be sure to restate what is the main insight you have to derive
• Provide an analysis related to the question. Analyze how the graph can help to answer the question you just repeated and provide an answer

3. Propose the next steps

• State your hypothesis or suggestion or what to do next. As a last step, a great candidate will present what should be done next to help further the client
• Ask a question related to what you need to move forward. This will show you are a proactive candidate

MATH APPROACH:

1. Repeat the question – sometimes candidates do mistakes answering the wrong question
2. Ask for time and present how you would like to proceed from a theoretical point of view
3. Perform the math and present the interim steps to keep the interviewer aligned – don’t just say the final number
4. Continue with the computations until you find the final answer
5. Propose next steps on the basis of the results you found

MATH TIPS:

1. Use correctly 10^ powers in your math computation. For example 3.2B/723M can be transformed in 3200*10^6/732*10^6, which makes it easier to deal with math
2. Ask if it is fine to approximate. When you have to deal with math in market sizing - and sometimes even in business cases - you are allowed to approximate math to simplify the computation. In the previous example you could transform the computation in 320*10^7/70*10^7
3. Keep good notes. One of the reasons people do mistakes with big numbers is that they don't keep their notes in order and forget/misreport numbers
4. Divide complex math in logical steps. This is something you can use for big numbers after the application of the 10^ power mentioned above. For example: (96*39)*10^6 à 96*40 - 96*1 = 100*40 - 4*40 - 96*1 = 4000 – 160 – 100 + 4 = 3744*10^6
5. Use shortcuts for fractions. You can learn by heart fractions and thus speed up/simplify the computation - the most useful to know are 1/6, 1/7, 1/8, 1/9.

Best,
Francesco

Hi Aisha,

I'll join the group of coaches posting here.

Can't tell you how many candidates i've helped with Exhibits + Quant question prep!

Hi Aisha,

Happy to help, feel free to check out my profile & reviews and send a direct message.

Please also search the Q&A forum for this topic as there are plenty of threads with tons of tips and tricks.

All the best!

Hi,

I can support you with that!

Reach out to me for more information and if you wish to have some prep material specifically for BCG.

Good luck,

Antonello

Hi Aisha,

I'd be happy to help. Over the last couple of years working as a coach, I've helped many candidates who were struggling with these exact stages.

Cheers,

GB