Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 448,000 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!

How likely is it to fail BCG Recruiter phone screening?

BCG phone screen
New answer on Dec 27, 2020
6 Answers
3.0 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Dec 22, 2020

Just out of curiousity. I know I should prepare hard and bring it my best, but I'm interested if anyone has any estimates or if people have personal experiences.

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Francesco
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 23, 2020
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

I know people who failed the screening call. It is usually because of lack of preparation on:

  1. Why BCG
  2. Why consulting
  3. Why that particular division (when you apply for a specific one)

If you are well prepared on the standard fit questions it should work ok. Common questions are the following:

  1. Tell me about yourself
  2. Why consulting
  3. Why BCG
  4. Give me an example of when you led a team
  5. Tell me about a time when you had to convince someone not agreeing with you
  6. What has been your major achievement so far
  7. Why should we hire you

Questions about experiences (4, 5 and 6) are standard at McKinsey, but other companies may ask them as well. To prepare those questions, I would recommend the following checklist:

  1. Understand the difference between, leadership, impact and drive areas. You can find a link with their differences here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mckinsey-pei-difference-drive-and-personal-impact-918#a1780
  2. Identify good stories for each area. Ideally you want to have at least two stories for each area.
  3. Use a structure for your story. I would suggest to use the STARR model (Situation, Task, Action, Rational for Action, Results)
  4. Identify for each story one sentence clarifying what the story is about and start with it. Think of it as the title of a journal article.
  5. Practice live, collect feedback from people listening to you, reiterate until when you get fluent and persuasive

Best,

Francesco

Was this answer helpful?
Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 22, 2020
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

None has those numbers, since HR does never share the funnel results.

In order to prep for this call, that is a FIT call at the end of the day, you can have a look at the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB", that 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:

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

Was this answer helpful?
Anonymous replied on Dec 23, 2020

Hi,

I really don't think that even the recruiter track this data. Howeve, just make sure you prep as if for the an actual fit interview.

  • Relevant background and experiences
  • Motivation why consulting, why BCG and why now
  • Any questions that you might have

Normally they will also walk you through the actual recruitment process and direct you to available prep resources within BCG

Best,

Iman

Was this answer helpful?
13
Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 27, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,

Be prepared on the usual suspects: tell me about yourself, why BCG, why consulting.

Some of the candidates I'm following had this call and the recruiter only wanted to know whether they were ready to start the process, whether they have a preference for a specific practice, and other similar questions.

So, relax and try to communicate your interest to them!

Best,

Antonello

Was this answer helpful?
Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 24, 2020
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi,

I understand the impulse, but thinking this way isn't going to help you!

The odds of getting a BCG offer are low. You need to do your best. That's really all that matters here...

To make sure you pass the screening, you need to be really clear on why you're interested in BCG and consulting in general and you need to have a compelling "life story" told as a resume walkthrough.

Good luck!

Was this answer helpful?
Gaurav
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Dec 23, 2020
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there,

I don't think this data is even registered. Although, a phone screening is not an easy step and I suggest you prepare wisely for it.

Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need any help preparing.

Best,

GB

Was this answer helpful?
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely