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BCG Second Round - Written case

BCG writing test
New answer on Sep 26, 2022
10 Answers
1.4 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Jan 29, 2021

Good evening everyone,

I recently got a Go for a second round at BCG (as an experienced hire with >3 years of experience at consulting). I have 2 questions for the second round

1) I had overall a quite positive feeback. However, one of the areas of improvement is on fit part. The interviewer asked me about an experience where I had an impact. The feedback was that I could have chosen a story with more impact (or tell it diffently I guess) and that I lack concision. Do you have any advice for that? I have chosen an example of a really impactful projet where I had to take a lead at a junior stage while respecting a shortened deadline.

2) I will have a written case at the 2nd round : 2 hours preparation and 40min presentation I think. Do you have in mind any materials to prepare that? And given that I have been a strategy consultant for more than 3 years, do I really need to prepare a lot for that?

Many thanks,

Kind regards

(edited)

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Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 01, 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

On top of the insights already shared in the post, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200

Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201

Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!

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Francesco
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replied on Jan 30, 2021
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

1. IMPACT QUESTION

  • It is unclear if by impact they mean “personal impact” as defined by McK (ie convincing someone) or “impact” in terms of achieving results (ie major achievement). It seems it was the second but would be great if you could provide more details for better answers.
  • To get better feedback, would also be great if you could present the structure of your answer, if needed please PM me

2. WRITTEN CASE

The key areas you may want to cover to prepare are the following.

1. Learn how to define a plan of action and stick to that

The first thing you should do in a written case is to define a plan and allocate in the best possible way your time.

Assuming 120 minutes for the analysis, a good approach would include:

  • initial quick reading – 30 min (this may depend on the amount of material)
  • structure the approach – 10-15 min
  • make slides/answer to the questions adding detailed analysis and math – 60 min
  • final review – 10-15 min

You should practice to stick to the time allocated to maximize your final performance.

2. Practice graph interpretation

You will probably have to analyse graphs as part of the data provided. The best way to practice is to take graphs from online sources and use a timer to test in how much time you can understand the key message. McKinsey PST graphs are good practice for that.

3. Work on quick reading and quick understanding of key information

You won’t have time to read and prioritize everything, therefore you have to understand where to focus. The ideal way to practice is to use long cases such as HBS ones. You should then learn to absorb the key information of the case. Quick reading techniques could also help.

4. Practice quick math

You will probably have some math to do as part of the data analysis. GMAT and McKinsey PST math should work well to prepare on this.

5. Learn how to communicate your slides/answers

When you have to present your findings in the second part, I would suggest the same structure used for a conclusion in a live interview, that is:

  1. Summarize the main questions you have to answer
  2. Present your proposed answer and detail the motivation behind
  3. Propose next steps for the areas you have not covered

As you will not be able to double-check hypotheses with the interviewer while you prepare the presentation, you should clearly state when you are making hypotheses and that you will have to verify them with further analysis.

When you have to prepare slides I would also recommend to work on:

A) Structure the order of the slides

Normally the structure for a 5-slide presentation is the following:

  • First slide summarizes the question and provides the answer
  • Second, third and fourth slide have the supporting arguments for the first slide
  • Fifth slide has the next steps

B) Structure the content of each slide

There are three basic components for slides:

  1. Title
  2. Chart or data
  3. Label for chart

Many people structure the title as the mere description of what the chart is about.

A great title instead shows the implication of the graph as well.

Example: say the graph is showing a cost structure for a division.

  • A bad title would be: Cost structure from 2005 to 2015.
  • A good title would be: Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable”.
  • A great title would be Cost structure of Division XYZ is not sustainable due to ABC, assuming you have insides on the cause.

The rule of thumb for the title is that if you read all the titles of the slides together you should get a clear idea of what is going on.

C) Present the slides

When you present, I would suggest the following steps for each slide:

  1. Introduce the slide:Let’s move to slide 2, which will show us why we have an issue with this division
  2. Present the main message of the slide: “As you can see, we have a cost structure which makes unfeasible to be competitive in this market
  3. Provide details: “The graph, indeed, shows how our fix cost is XYZ, while competitors can benefit from economies of scale. Indeed…

In terms of how to prepare, I do a session exactly on that.

Before the session, I can send you the data source to work on. We can then simulate the presentation during the class, reviewing step-by-step all the improvements needed.

Please feel free to PM me in case you have any questions.

Best,

Francesco

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Anonymous A on Jan 30, 2021

Hi, thank you for your reply. It was "impact" as "achieving a result". I structured my story in a STAR structure. I was told by other candidates that I shouldn't have, because it is different from Mck expectations and that I should have focused on the impact itself (so the R in Star), because the answer is supposed to be shorter at BCG. Thank you

Florian
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Content Creator
replied on Jan 29, 2021
Highest-rated McKinsey coach (ratings, offers, sessions) | 500+ offers | Author of The 1% & Consulting Career Secrets

Hey there,

Question 1: There are a few points here:

1. How does BCG define impact? In the McK interviews, impact refers to you changing the mind/opinion of another person or group.

2. Structure your story differently and communicate top down. First introduce it with one sentence each based on the situation, complication, and resolution, then dive deeper based on a framework I developed.

Situation: Discuss the context in a few sentences

Complication: Discuss what the complication was in a few sentences

Outcome expectation: Discuss what would have happened if you didn't intervene in 1-2 sentences

Remedial action: Discuss what you did to save the day (this is the core of your story where you should go really deep)

End result: Discuss the outcome in a few sentences

I have written a detailed post about it here with a sample story as well: https://strategycase.com/the-score-framework-the-best-tool-to-answer-behavioral-interview-questions/

---

As for question two, I have a few tips as well:

#1 Already have a plan when you go in for the written case

Since time is usually limited, you should have a plan on how long you want to spend on each task of the assignment beforehand.

#2 Focus – quickly separate crucial information from the noise

Written cases usually present you with an information overload that you need to sort out

#3 Graphs and charts – interpret and distill key insights from graphs and charts

Written cases bombard you with charts, graphs, tables, and other visual depictions of data that you should use to test your hypotheses. Learn how to quickly read and interpret them

#4 Math – quickly draft equations and conduct pen-and-paper math

Get into the habit of quickly setting up and simplifying calculations

#5 Storyline – draft a compelling storyline and tell it with visually appealing outputs

Create a top-down storyline of your recommendations. State your primary recommendation, then use supporting arguments to strengthen your position

#6 Presentation and defense – communicate and defend your recommendation top-down

If you have to present your findings at the end of the case, follow the top-down approach of your slide deck. Be confident and engaging when going through your recommendation and supporting arguments.

I have written in great detail about the BCG written case interview in this free article here: https://strategycase.com/how-to-ace-the-bcg-written-case-interview

All the best!

Cheers,

Florian

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Anonymous A on Jan 30, 2021

Hi, thank you for your reply. It was "impact" as "achieving a result". I structured my story in a STAR structure. I was told by other candidates that I shouldn't have, because it is different from Mck expectations and that I should have focused on the impact itself (so the R in Star), because the answer is supposed to be shorter at BCG. Thank you

Adi
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 31, 2021
Accenture, Deloitte | Precision Case Prep | Experienced Interviewer & Career Coach | 15 years professional experience

Practice storytelling please..its very important these days to help you differentiate from others. Most candidates end up sounding so similar. There are plenty of videos on Youtube or some good courses on Udemy.

Structure your answers as follows:

  • Start: explain the context clearly and quickly. Set the scene for the interviewer
  • Middle: explain the situation, what you did, why was what you did unique/right/innovative. This is the TAR part of the STAR
  • End: make this memorable; explain the insight, how did what you did change something, cause something good, improved someone's life, saved money, made more money etc

Feel free to send me message if you want tailor made written cases for practice.

All the best!

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Gaurav
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Content Creator
replied on Jan 30, 2021
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there,

To your first question:

  1. Florian had a point - define impact.
  2. Depending what the answer is, choose a story that fits the best
  3. Structure your story well. Some candidates fail in this part. Imagine a person who doesn't know how to tell a joke - it's because they don't know how to structure a story in a proper way. Storytelling is the key!

​Hope it helps & good luck for the 2nd round|

GB

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Anonymous A on Jan 30, 2021

Hi, thank you for your reply. It was "impact" as "achieving a result". I structured my story in a STAR structure. I was told by other candidates that I shouldn't have, because it is different from Mck expectations and that I should have focused on the impact itself (so the R in Star), because the answer is supposed to be shorter at BCG. Thank you

(edited)

Vlad
Expert
replied on Jan 31, 2021
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I've uploaded some written case samples here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zor4m49eyx5qxal/AABeUN6mtiGkWhEklRjszX2Oa?dl=0

(message me for a password)

Most probably your consulting experience would help. You can check how well you cope with an example.

As for the story, I do not agree with focusing on the R. You should have the full STAR framework, however, your answer should be concise. Feel free to reach out if you need help with fit

Best

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
updated an answer on Jan 31, 2021
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

First, congratulations!

Now remember, the written case applies the same principles as a live case. As in, be really clear in the objective and ruthlessly cut any information that does not help inform the answer.

I have a few real-life written/take-home cases. Happy to take you through some of them for practice!

(edited)

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Ken
Expert
updated an answer on Jan 30, 2021
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

Pretty much what Francesco has written... I will not pretend like I know the BCG process as intimately as he does! :)

(edited)

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Denis
Expert
replied on Jan 30, 2021
Goldman Sachs Investment Banker NYC | Ex-Bain 5 yrs| MBA Chicago Booth | Passed > 13 MBB > 20 IB interviews

Re-iterating Ken here. Francesco and Florian are the benchmark :)

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emmaparkers replied on Sep 26, 2022

Writing any work becomes difficult for me because I am bad at grammar. I think many people have encountered this and had this problem. Perhaps you have heard about ghostwriting services I have been using their help for many years, as I can trust them. They are professionals and I know that they will do everything by the deadline. I understand that making a high-quality essay is hard work, so I offer this option!

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Luca
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 01, 2021
BCG |NASA | SDA Bocconi & Cattolica partner | GMAT expert 780/800 score | 200+ students coached

Hello there,

Since you have been a consultant for 3 years I don't think you will have big problems to prepare for it. Just a couple of notes on this:

  1. Business case are quite different from real cases, be sure that you achieve again that high-level strategic point of view that you build for interviews
  2. Since you are applying as experienced hire and you have been a consultant the will be more demanding in terms of storyline and slide format, be careful

I have some mock written cases that could be useful, pm me if you want to take a look.

Best,
Luca

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