Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 451,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!

Asking for more time to prepare for the first round of interviews

BCG BCG Potential Test case interview preparation First Round
New answer on Mar 04, 2023
8 Answers
929 Views
Anonymous A asked on Mar 01, 2023

I passed the BCG entry test and got invited for the first round of interviews. However, I don´t feel well prepared for the interviews, yet. 

Would it be ok to ask for more time (a couple of months)?

Would I have to do the test again? (in my country BCG only recruits candidates once per semester)

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 02, 2023
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invite!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

  • Yes, based on the information provided, I would highly advise you to ask to postpone the first round of interviews since there is no point for either you or the company to proceed with the interview when you do not feel prepared. Chances are very low that you will need to redo the test, though.
  • Furthermore, I would advise you to develop a proper preparation plan to ensure that you will be ready for the interviews by the rescheduled date.

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

Best,

Hagen

Was this answer helpful?
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 02, 2023
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

Regardless, you don't have a choice! Please ask to delay! Make sure to do it in the right way.

If you're not recruiting in a specific recruiting channel, will likely get a few weeks at most (though it's possible you'll get months, please don't count on it).

However, it sounds like you're doing university recruiting, correct? In which case they will not let you postpone because you are interviewing with a cohort.

This is why I always advise people to be 80% ready before they apply!

Now, if you're timeline is short, the #1 thing you can do to get ramped up quickly is hire a coach. They are a time lever and will stop you from making all the mistakes so many candidates make.

Here's some additional reading to help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

 

Was this answer helpful?
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 04, 2023
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

1) Would it be ok to ask for more time (a couple of months)?

You can ask for more time, although a couple of months seems quite a bit of time. A few weeks is more typical and usually fine. In any case, I would recommend to call instead of sending an email so that you can discuss live with the recruiter.

2) Would I have to do the test again? (in my country BCG only recruits candidates once per semester)

If you are just postponing by a few weeks they should not ask to do the test again.

Good luck!

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Victoria Christine
Expert
replied on Mar 02, 2023
1st&2nd session 33% off|Incoming BCG Consultant ME|President of the Consulting Club|Esade MBA|Offers from McKinsey & BCG

Hello A,

  • It's understandable that you may feel unprepared for the first round of interviews, but it's generally not recommended to ask for several months of delay as it could indicate that you are not serious about the opportunity. Instead, you could ask for a reasonable extension of a few weeks to adequately prepare for the interviews.
  • Regarding the test, typically you do not need to retake the entry test once you have passed it, so you should be able to proceed with the first round of interviews without taking the test again. However, this may vary depending on the specific policies of BCG in your country, so it's best to confirm with them directly.

Best of luck!

Victoria

Was this answer helpful?
Dennis
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 01, 2023
Ex-Roland Berger|Project Manager and Recruiter|7+ years of consulting experience in USA and Europe

Hi,

you should postpone in this case if you think you would not be successful otherwise. 

However, I would generally recommend to be prepared for case interviews already when you submit your application. While sometimes it might take forever to hear back, there are other times when the interview is actually scheduled very shortly after you get the feedback. You want to be ready for that.

Good luck

Was this answer helpful?
Rushabh
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 01, 2023
Limited Availability | BCG Expert | Middle East Expert | 100+ Mocks Delivered | IESE & NYU MBA | Ex-KPMG Dxb Consultant

Hello,

I wouldn't delay it by “a couple of months”. I think the max that you should ask for reasonably is 1-2 weeks with a justifiable reason. 

Especially if you're recruiting through university, they will have strict timelines for rolling out offers for that university. Additionally, you must already be in a competitive pool of talented candidates.

Best,

Rushabh

Was this answer helpful?
Udayan
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Mar 01, 2023
Top rated Case & PEI coach/Multiple real offers/McKinsey EM in New York /12 years recruiting experience

Yes it is always good to ask for time if you feel like you need it. The worst case scenario is that they will say no or move your timelines to a later one, but that’s not usually likely. 
 

You will not be asked to take the test again. 

Was this answer helpful?
Pedro
Expert
replied on Mar 02, 2023
30% off in April 2024 | Bain | EY-Parthenon | Roland Berger | Market Sizing | DARDEN MBA

Yes, you can ask for more time. They're fine with it and would rather have you asking for more time than wasting their (and your) time in an interview for which you are not ready. So yes, go ahead, and ask for a bit more time.

Was this answer helpful?
Hagen gave the best answer

Hagen

CoachingPlus Expert
Premium + Coaching Expert
Content Creator
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years
488
Meetings
15,717
Q&A Upvotes
88
Awards
5.0
414 Reviews