Consulting Q&A – Ask Questions about Your Career

In this overview, you will find all the questions asked so far by the PrepLounge community. Anyone can ask questions and write answers. Our coaches are also happy to share their expertise. If you like an answer, give it an upvote so that it rises to the top. Here you can also find our guidelines and FAQs for the Consulting Q&A.

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Applying to MBB for a third time?

MBB
Most recent answer 30 minutes ago
The best answer (on Sep 25, 2023) is from:
Benjamin
Expert
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer with ~5 years of interviewing experience
Benjamin
Expert
gave the best answer on Sep 25, 2023
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer with ~5 years of interviewing experience
Hi, You won't be at any disadvantage. I was an interviewer for multiple years at BCG and at no point in time did a candidates' number of attempts surface.  You are judged at application on your current application stren ... (read entire answer)
6
Answers
65
Views
5
Total Upvotes
30 min ago 30 minutes ago
Last Activity

What would be a reason not to hire you?

PrepLounge: Personal Fit
Most recent answer 37 minutes ago
The best answer (on Feb 04, 2020) is from:
Ian
Expert
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep
Ian
Expert
gave the best answer on Feb 04, 2020
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep
This is a hidden "weakness" question. Find a weakness that isn't really one, and also explain why it isn't even really an issue anymore. Additionally, you can pick something that is a weakness elsewhere, but not at we ... (read entire answer)
18
Answers
2.2 k
Views
16
Total Upvotes
37 min ago 37 minutes ago
Last Activity

Entry level consultant thoughts

entry level management consulting Middle East Saudi Arabia
Most recent answer 42 minutes ago
The best answer (on Sep 25, 2023) is from:
Cristian
Expert
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate
Cristian
Expert
gave the best answer on Sep 25, 2023
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate
Hi there! Congrats! Sounds like you have loads of exciting things ahead of you! Actually, I wrote a couple of articles that funnily enough address exactly the questions you asked and give you an indication of how to be ... (read entire answer)
6
Answers
65
Views
5
Total Upvotes
42 min ago 42 minutes ago
Last Activity

Pay cut from Big 4 to MBB

BCG Big 4 Big Four - Strategy mbb big4 Pay salary negotiation
Anonymous A asked 49 minutes ago
Anonymous A asked 49 minutes ago
I currently work as a second year Business Consulting Associate at a Big 4 firm. I applied to BCG for an Associate role and have now gone through the process and received an offer for a Business Analyst role instead. Th ... (read entire question)
0
Answers
14
Views
0
Total Upvotes
49 min ago 49 minutes ago
Last Activity

Additional Utilization cost of the integration production - struggling to understand method

Paper Print
Anonymous A asked 51 minutes ago
Anonymous A asked 51 minutes ago
In this question, we are asked to calculate the total savings of the integrated production.  We are told that in the integrated production process, all machines except Harris Sunday press run at full capacity. We are th ... (read entire question)
0
Answers
9
Views
0
Total Upvotes
51 min ago 51 minutes ago
Last Activity

Need your help - how to communicate effectively / precisely (in interviews)?

communication
Most recent answer 1 hour ago
The best answer (5 hours ago) is from:
Cristian
Expert
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate
Cristian
Expert
gave the best answer 5 hours ago
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate
Hi there! Congrats on making it this far! Sounds like it was really close.  Based on how you describe it, it rather sounds like you weren't spot on answering to what the interviewer was asking.  Most of these issues ten ... (read entire answer)
5
Answers
54
Views
4
Total Upvotes
1 hr ago 1 hour ago
Last Activity

UK Medical Student (MBBS) looking to pivot into consulting

CV internship MBB Medicine
Anonymous A asked 1 hour ago
Anonymous A asked 1 hour ago
I am a 2nd year Medical Student at UCL looking to undertake an internship this summer. I have been focusing on writing a strong consulting CV from someone with a science based background and was looking for some advice. ... (read entire question)
0
Answers
15
Views
0
Total Upvotes
1 hr ago 1 hour ago
Last Activity

What to do when Cover Letter not required

Bain Cover letter LEK
Most recent answer 1 hour ago
Anonymous A asked 2 hours ago
Hi all, I have noticed that some companies state ‘we do not require a Cover Letter’ in their application information, e.g. LEK and Bain in London. Does this mean it's not worth writing one, or is it always worth writing ... (read entire question)
1
Answer
18
Views
0
Total Upvotes
1 hr ago 1 hour ago
Last Activity

Does it make sense to change career to consulting in mid 30's?

associate consultant BCG
Most recent answer 2 hours ago
The best answer (on Sep 25, 2023) is from:
Lorenzo
Expert
University of St.Gallen graduate | Learn to think like a Consultant | Personalized prep | CV review
Lorenzo
Expert
gave the best answer on Sep 25, 2023
University of St.Gallen graduate | Learn to think like a Consultant | Personalized prep | CV review
Hi, Switching from a computer science background with some years of experience in industry to a career in consulting, such as at a firm like BCG, can certainly make sense, and it's a path that many professionals have su ... (read entire answer)
6
Answers
74
Views
8
Total Upvotes
2 hrs ago 2 hours ago
Last Activity

Consulting interview books

Books case interview preparation
Most recent answer 2 hours ago
The best answer (17 hours ago) is from:
Ian
Expert
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep
Ian
Expert
gave the best answer 17 hours ago
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep
Hi there, In general, simply reading has rapidly diminishing returns. Books like Case in Point and casebooks are good for beginners. However, if you want to truly process to intermediate/advance, you need to very much m ... (read entire answer)
7
Answers
54
Views
5
Total Upvotes
2 hrs ago 2 hours ago
Last Activity

Mckinsey Solve Score

Interview McKinsey McKinsey
Most recent answer 3 hours ago
The best answer (10 hours ago) is from:
Francesco
Expert
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
Francesco
Expert
gave the best answer 10 hours ago
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
Hi there, Q: I recently received a McKinsey Solve score of 524 but don't know my percentile score. Does anyone know if this is a good score? You can request the percentile score to HR and they should be able to provide ... (read entire answer)
4
Answers
59
Views
2
Total Upvotes
3 hrs ago 3 hours ago
Last Activity

Challenges of transitioning from strategy consulting to corporate strategy

Corporate Strategy
Most recent answer 3 hours ago
The best answer (on Sep 25, 2023) is from:
Benjamin
Expert
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer with ~5 years of interviewing experience
Benjamin
Expert
gave the best answer on Sep 25, 2023
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer with ~5 years of interviewing experience
Hi, I too faced a similar situation when looking out for roles at the Consultant position / Project Leader position when I was in consulting. Sharing some perspective based on my experience: 1. How do I position and sel ... (read entire answer)
5
Answers
47
Views
6
Total Upvotes
3 hrs ago 3 hours ago
Last Activity

How to Answer "Why Consulting?" in Interviews

AT Kearney Bain BCG consulting consulting job FIT fit interview management consulting MBB McKinsey motivation PEI PrepLounge: Personal Fit reasons strategy consulting The Boston Consulting Group tier2 why why consulting why mbb
Most recent answer 4 hours ago
Anonymous gave the best answer on Oct 04, 2017
I would recommend spending about 1 - 2 minutes on each question. You have a lot to get to in the interview. Less than a minute will make you seem rehearsed and shallow and more than 2 minutes for each will take up too m ... (read entire answer)
154
Answers
142.7 k
Views
458
Total Upvotes
4 hrs ago 4 hours ago
Last Activity

Problem in referrals

referrals
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (22 hours ago) is from:
Lorenzo
Expert
University of St.Gallen graduate | Learn to think like a Consultant | Personalized prep | CV review
Lorenzo
Expert
gave the best answer 22 hours ago
University of St.Gallen graduate | Learn to think like a Consultant | Personalized prep | CV review
It can be frustrating and disheartening when someone offers or promises to refer you for a job opportunity but then doesn't follow through. This situation can occur for various reasons, and it's not necessarily a reflec ... (read entire answer)
5
Answers
51
Views
5
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity

Top tier/tier2/tier3 consulting firms??

consulting consulting firms consulting industry germany MBB order tier1 tier2 tier3 Top tier
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (on Oct 21, 2021) is from:
Christine
Admin
PrepLounge Community & Marketing Manager
Christine
Admin
gave the best answer on Oct 21, 2021
PrepLounge Community & Marketing Manager
Hi there,  Thank you for this question! It's not stupid at all. Everyone starts somewhere and I believe the answers by our case coaches have helped a lot of candidates to get a feeling of the industry. If you have alrea ... (read entire answer)
24
Answers
203.1 k
Views
126
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity

Through which channel do MBBs inform you about the outcome of your interview?

interview feedback MBB
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (11 hours ago) is from:
Cristian
Expert
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate
Cristian
Expert
gave the best answer 11 hours ago
#1 McKinsey Coach by rating & recommendation rate
Hi there! They almost always call.  It's usually one of the two interviewers you had in the round you just did.  Sometimes, they also let you know over email, but that's rare.  Just call them back if you missed their ca ... (read entire answer)
6
Answers
71
Views
9
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity

Can I apply to more than one Oliver Wyman office?

Oliver Wyman
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (22 hours ago) is from:
Lorenzo
Expert
University of St.Gallen graduate | Learn to think like a Consultant | Personalized prep | CV review
Lorenzo
Expert
gave the best answer 22 hours ago
University of St.Gallen graduate | Learn to think like a Consultant | Personalized prep | CV review
Applying to multiple offices within a consulting firm like Oliver Wyman is generally feasible and is a common practice. However, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind: Timing: If you have already subm ... (read entire answer)
4
Answers
41
Views
1
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity

Office relocation within the Middle East and relocation costs

dubai Middle East office preferences relocation riyadh salary negotiation tier2
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (10 hours ago) is from:
Francesco
Expert
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
Francesco
Expert
gave the best answer 10 hours ago
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
Hi there, Congratulations on the offer! In terms of your questions: 1) Now that I have the offer, what's the best way to inquire about the possibility of being placed in the Dubai office?  Unless you have another offer ... (read entire answer)
3
Answers
41
Views
1
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity

BCG ban period

application process BCG BCG CV records
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (on Sep 25, 2023) is from:
Margot
Expert
Ex-BCG & Deloitte I Affordable tailored coaching I 100+ cases solved on PrepLounge
Margot
Expert
gave the best answer on Sep 25, 2023
Ex-BCG & Deloitte I Affordable tailored coaching I 100+ cases solved on PrepLounge
Hello there, depending on the firm, the ban period might start from the moment you applied or from the moment you got rejected. If in doubt, just give a call to HR to avoid reapplying too soon. I advise you to also cons ... (read entire answer)
5
Answers
70
Views
1
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity

Bain's Online Assessment

Assessment Bain
Most recent answer 5 hours ago
The best answer (17 hours ago) is from:
Ian
Expert
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep
Ian
Expert
gave the best answer 17 hours ago
MBB | 100% personal interview success rate (8/8) and 95% candidate success rate | Personalized interview prep
Yes, but we're not allowed to share external links here. As part of coaching I provide a ton of practice materials + tests. Lucky for you the McKinsey PST, BCG Online Test, Bain SOVA test, etc. are all quite similar so ... (read entire answer)
2
Answers
40
Views
1
Total Upvotes
5 hrs ago 5 hours ago
Last Activity
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