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

BCG test in Milan

Hello! I have been told by the BCG Milan office that the online test will be a business case of 40 min with a short video interview at the end. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prepare for it? I assume that this test is different from the BCG potential test? It would be great to hear from anyone who has taken this test before. Thank you so much :) 

4
1.5k
10
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
on Feb 03, 2022
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success: ➡ interviewoffers.com | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

BCG is using the Chatbot + Video interview in Milan.

The new BCG Online Case (also called Chatbot Interview) is a new 8-10 questions test BCG started to use in the last years and now expanded globally. It is structured in 2 parts:

  • 8-10 questions to be taken in 25-30 minutes
  • 1 video interview question at the end, where you have to provide a recommendation

The main differences compared to the previous version (BCG Potential Test, which sometimes was also called BCG Online Case) are the following:

  1. 8-10 questions instead of 23
  2. 25-30 min instead of 45
  3. Calculators allowed
  4. Presence of open questions
  5. Video sum up at the end

The main challenges based on the candidates I helped are the following:

  1. Time. The questions are not particularly difficult, however you will feel time constraints also due to the fact you don’t know how difficult the next questions could be - thus how much time they may require
  2. Chatbot interaction. Unlike a test like the McK PST, you cannot proceed “at your own pace”. You will have to follow the evolution of the test as questions are revealed one by one
  3. Math. Candidates often find the math quite challenging given the time constraint

You can find 10 key tips to prepare for the test here:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/bcg-online-case

If you want to prepare for the Online Case in the best possible way, I created a software simulation replicating the chatbot and one-way video interview.

It includes the following and more:

  • 2 Software Simulations of the Chatbot. These are live chatbots simulating exactly the same chatbot environment of the test (meaning you will receive questions by an actual chatbot with a flow equivalent to the one of the test).
  • 2 PDF Simulations of the Chabot. These are additional tests Casey-style, meaning you will have 4 different Casey Chatbots to train.
  • 2 One-Way Video Interviews. These come with Artificial Intelligence reports, so that you can see how the Video Software will perceive your performance in terms of voice, speech clarity, energy and more.
  • Free access to 6 PSTs and Potential Tests for further practice.
  • Deep explanation of all the 5 types of questions asked in the BCG Online Case thanks to the complimentary 144-page guide.

You can get access to the software simulation and guide instantly here:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-and-guides-2/bcg-online-case-combo-software-simulation-79

For any questions please feel free to PM me.

Best,

Francesco

Ian
Coach
on Feb 02, 2022
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hmmm this sounds like the BCG Casey Chatbot.

All of these online tests are very similar

The best way is to really find online tests / questions and practice. Regardless as to whether is a new or old test, the principles are mostly the same:

  • Time management (need to think quick)
  • Business knowledge/context (incl key formulas)
  • Critical thinking (answers that are very similar to each other...clues "hidden" in the text)
  • Ability to interpret data/charts

Think of it as a merge of a case and the GMAT/GRE.

You need to be clear on some key case-related and account formulas (margin, growth, breakeven, etc) as well as be good at critically understanding the question (including nuance to questions) and parsing through complicated text with a fair amount of distraction.

You'll also need to be good at chart/graph reading.

The (old) McKinsey PST, BCG Online Test, Bain SOVA test, etc. are all quite similar so leverage resources across all of them.

Clara
Coach
on Feb 04, 2022
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Most of the online tests are very similar, and test the same skillset. It´s a good thing, since you can prep for them with a very unified approach. Although this may not seem so at first sight since the formats may differ, what is important here -as well as when solving cases- is the core skillset they are trying to test. This is common, and the most important skills are:

80-20 analysis: capacity to analyze, interpret and extract conclusions quickly and in a agile way from a ton of data -of which not all is useful-

Analytic and critical thinking: many ways tested with graphs, charts and tables, that you need to understand and derive decisions or insights from

Mathematical skills: are always somehow present, for which you need to be fast int he basics

The way to get better is practicing as much as possible with similar exercises -those targeted at the same skillset-. Hence, I would strongly recommend you practice it with the Integrated Reasoning part of the GMAT exam.

There are free exams in the internet that you can use for practice (the one of LBS MBA page, VERITAS prep, as well as some free trials for courses such as the one of The Economist (gmat.economist)

Furthermore, you can leverage the MBB tests (in myconsultingoffer, psychometricinstitute, and many others)

Hope it helps!

Best,

Clara

Lucie
Coach
on Feb 02, 2022
10+yrs recruiting & BCG Project leader

Hi there, 

 You can find most of the information about the process here: http://media-publications.bcg.com/BCG-Online-Case-Example.pdf

 But let me summarize, the case is to simulate the type of cases we solve at BCG and you should be good with math, economical principles, and logical reasoning. 

I would suggest preparing for the normal business case interview:

1. example of the business case questions and answers

2. Type of cases, economical principals: https://www.preplounge.com/en/bootcamp.php

3. Practice GMAT (there are quite similarities)

4. Get a coach, practice with peers. 

Good luck!

Lucie

Was this answer helpful?

Similar Questions
Consulting
How to prep 1st round of interviews with BCG in less than 1 week?
on Jul 29, 2024
Global
9
11.6k
Top answer by
Tiago
Coach
ex-BCG Consultant & Interviewer | +150 interviews | Tackle any case w/o memorizing frameworks | Harvard MBA
354
9 Answers
11.6k Views
+6
Consulting
BCG Knowledge DIRECTOR SALARY
on May 31, 2024
Global
6
3.3k
Top answer by
Florian
Coach
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU
80
6 Answers
3.3k Views
+3
Consulting
When can I expect to hear back from BCG Final/Decision Round for North America Intern
on Jun 27, 2024
Global
6
5.5k
Top answer by
Hagen
Coach
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience
249
6 Answers
5.5k Views
+3
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely
Thanks for your feedback! Your opinion helps us make PrepLounge even better.