Weightage between fit and case for BCG and Bain

Bain BCG Case FIT
New answer on Jan 27, 2021
10 Answers
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Anonymous A asked on Jan 25, 2021

Hi PrepLounge,

I understand that for McKinsey, the weightage between the PEI and the case is 50/50. I was wondering if the same applies for BCG and Bain?

Thanks!

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Allen
Expert
replied on Jan 25, 2021
Ex-McK Experienced Hire and EM - I show you how to perform at your best

Hi there,

At McKinsey, the weighting is not 50/50. The weighting is 100/100!

They are essentially two separate interviews. You have to do well on both in order to pass first round. You can't do really well on one of them and so-so on another in order to make it through.

When I was interviewing candidates at McKinsey, I remember multiple occasions where candidates were incredibly impressive in their case performance or their PEI, but we could not recommend them for final rounds since they were weak in the other.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here!

Best,

Allen

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Gaurav
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 25, 2021
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there,

they are both equally important for any company and they always go hand in hand.

Your behaviour is checked during the whole interview process, not only when you're actually answering the fit part questions.

As an ex-McKinsey and part of recruiting team, I've seen candidtes who studied the fit part by heart but then showed themselves rather lost when they needed to perform the case part. It just doesn't work well without one or another.

Hope it helps! If you have any further questions - drop me a line - I will give you a code for 10% discount till the end of this month.

Cheers,

GB

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Pedro
Expert
replied on Jan 25, 2021
30% off in March 2024 | Bain | EY-Parthenon | Roland Berger | Market Sizing | DARDEN MBA

This answer applies to any consulting firm, MBB or any other. There is no weightage. No matter how brilliant or how captivating you are, you will be rejected if you do not perform well on both.

Having said that, there is one difference. The PEI you only need to pass. The case you need to excel. When comparing candidates case performance is much more likely to be the dealbreaker, not the PEI.

One additional note: your personality, attitude, etc., is being evaluated during the case. You may fail on your behavioral evaluation during the case part of the interview.

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Ken
Expert
replied on Jan 26, 2021
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

There's no compromise on either dimension and so I wouldn't worry about the weighting.

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Anonymous replied on Jan 25, 2021

Hi A,

I would say that for all MBB, the weightage is around 50/50. That is because while they will need you to be strong analytically, you also have to sit together in the room 4 days a week for 16+ hrs and work together (at least in normal times). Therefore, it's completely right that there are no shortcuts.

Speaking from experience, I can however say that many candidates underestimate the amount of time that sould be spent practicing the personal fit part, because they overestimate their ability to present themselves. Therefore, in some settings, it might be easier to stick out with a phenomenal personal fit, than with a very strong case performance.

Hope this helps, cheers

Jonas

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Ian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 25, 2021
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

I like Allen's answer best.

I doesn't matter what the weightage is - you cannot mess up either!

Yes, they're generally weighted around 50/50 but you really, don't worry about this split...just make sure you're good in both!

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Denis
Expert
replied on Jan 27, 2021
Goldman Sachs Investment Banker NYC | Ex-Bain 5 yrs| MBA Chicago Booth | Passed > 13 MBB > 20 IB interviews

Dont take any risks - go above and beyond on each dimension!

You will not be interviewed by robots - it matters that you visibly outperform your likely strong competition.

Best,

Denis

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Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 27, 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,

I think it's very hard to tell.

They're equally important for all companies, with differences depending on a lot of variables (e.g., mood, the step of the recruiting process, delays, etc.).

Hope it helps.

Best,

Antonello

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Clara
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 26, 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

Don´t think about this as percentages summing up to 100%, for none of the companies.

Both are a go-no go decision (i.e., no matter how well you do the case, if you don´t do a good fit, you are out, and vice-versa)

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Vlad
Expert
replied on Jan 26, 2021
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

At BCG it'll be similar to McKinsey

Bain puts less pressure on fit, since there are no formal stories and the allocated time is smaller. There are no official numbers (weights), but fit at Bain is just easier to pass. On the opposite, it creates more pressure on cases. Bain cases will very often have one final answer you have to find

Best

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Allen gave the best answer

Allen

Ex-McK Experienced Hire and EM - I show you how to perform at your best
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