So, you’ve landed an interview at Bain.
Firstly - congratulations! As few as 15% of applicants make it to the interview stage at all, so you’ve already differentiated yourself from the crowd. Now, you need to prepare for your consulting interview to make the most of this opportunity.
Not sure where to start? You’re in the right place.
At PrepLounge, we’ve helped thousands of motivated candidates land their dream job at top consulting firms like Bain. In this guide, you’ll find the strategies you need to excel in your consulting interview - and how to apply them with confidence.
If you want to prepare effectively, it helps to have a bird’s eye view of the interview process you’re going to be participating in. Bain & Company’s interview process is designed to be flexible. Interviews are customized based on role, so it’s difficult to predict precisely what the process will look like.
That said, four kinds of interviews and assessments might come up:
Entry Level Tests:
You’ll be asked to complete various assessments designed to test your mathematical, logical reasoning, problem-solving, and commercial awareness skills. The goal is pretty simple - to show off your analytical abilities.
Case Interviews:
You’ll be asked to work through the problem faced by an actual Bain client. The goal is to demonstrate that you’re able to draw sensible conclusions from data, work with numbers quickly and accurately, and build on input from peers.
Written Cases:
You’ll be asked to work through a Bain case without oversight, usually within 3 days. You may also be asked to present your work when you’ve finished.
Personal Fit Interviews:
This last round is an in-depth ‘fit’ interview. The goal here is a bit more complex - you need to demonstrate that you’re the perfect fit for Bain and the role in question.
The exact order of these interviews isn’t set in stone, but for consulting roles, you’ll likely face all of them at some point during the process.
Now, with the basics out of the way, let’s talk about how you can prepare.
Effectively preparing for your Bain interview will require at least 14 days of dedicated effort.
We say at least because many applicants need significantly longer to prepare - sometimes up to 12 weeks or longer.
To maximize your chances of success during the interview process, we recommend you break down your preparation process into three phases:
Understanding the Process:
In this stage, you’ll research Bain’s structure, culture, and the types of questions you may be asked to get a better sense of what to expect during the interview process. This article is a great place to start!
Understanding Tests, Tasks and Techniques:
In this stage, you’ll work on specific exercises designed to hone your skills and get you ready for your practice. You also read up on specific Bain techniques that you would need to be familiar with, such as the Bain SOVA test.
Practice:
In this stage, you’ll start taking practice tests and build up your knowledge in areas such as market sizing, math, logical reasoning, case studies, and more.
Preparing for Bain’s entry-level tests is all about mastering your fundamentals. The goal is to quickly and accurately answer a range of questions that might come up on the job.
Key areas to review include:
The PrepLounge resources above are great places to start.
For each area, you can set a difficulty level you’re comfortable with and work your way up to more challenging questions. Your progress will be tracked on your PrepLounge dashboard, so you can see exactly how far you’ve come.
Key Concepts:
Arithmetic
Percentages and probability
Logic
Case interviews are arguably the most complex aspect of Bain’s interview process.
As we discussed above, case interviews involve working through a client problem with the oversight of an interviewer. Your client could be a real business or a hypothetical example. You need to demonstrate your ability to reach sound conclusions, while also communicating your work process.
To prepare for this type of interview, practicing cases is a must.
With PrepLounge, you get access to a library of 200 interactive cases - each with detailed solutions to check your work against. You can choose to work through these cases solo or with the help of one of PrepLounge’s expert coaches.
Hypothesis-driven approach
Business insights and recommendations
Bain's RAPID decision-making model
Client engagement simulations
Stakeholder alignment
Personal fit interviews require a detailed understanding of Bain’s culture and values. This interview format is designed to evaluate how well you’d fit in with the firm - both professionally and socially.
This interview relies heavily on your personality, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare.
Start by reading up on the company’s values and making sure you can speak to them in depth. Then practice an interview framework like STAR or CAR to make sure you’re prepared for the types of questions that will come up.
For extra preparation, you can also book a mock interview session with one of PrepLounge’s 600+ coaches. With questions specific to Bain, these coaches can help you hone your answers and boost your confidence.
Experience and projects
Company values and culture
Team fit and interpersonal skills
STAR or CAR framework
Preparing for your interview at Bain can be a daunting process without guidance from people who have been in your shoes.
At PrepLounge, we understand the things Bain applicants struggle with. That’s why we’ve designed a customizable PrepPlan that covers everything you’ll need to know to ace your interview. With access to 600+ coaches, 200+ practice cases, and dozens of free resources, PrepLounge is your one-stop shop for interview prep.
Get started today with a free account.
