Hi there,

Regional variations in interview details, including the seniority of interviewers, do exist. For instance, in Germany, the seniority remains consistent across interview rounds, and the same set of cases is usually used in both rounds, ensuring a consistent experience. In contrast, some regions involve more senior interviewers in the final round. 

Drawing from my experience conducting final round interviews in various regions, I am happy to provide a perspective on your questions.

1) On prepared vs unstructured

The cases are carefully prepared before the interview. Interviewers have the freedom to create cases based on their experience. It's uncommon for an interview to be entirely unstructured, except perhaps in rare partner interviews (no personal experience here). Some cases have no exhibits, interviewers have freedom in preparing them.

2) On brainsteasers

Typically, you won't encounter brainteasers; instead, you'll face real business problems. The scope of these problems can vary widely, extending beyond the mentioned case types. For instance, my favorite case involved addressing corporate culture improvement. The complexity of cases may be influenced by geography, with shorter, self-timed cases limiting intricacy in some regions. Contrasting this with longer interviews often seen e.g. on youtube, one can observe the difference in focus, with shorter cases emphasizing pragmatism and drive.

3) Cases based on candidate CV

Uncommon, with a similar rationale and exception as your first question.

That being said, it's crucial to master a versatile approach to any case and be prepared for diverse scenarios. While understanding the interview mode at a specific firm is beneficial, the bulk of your preparation should focus on developing problem-solving skills applicable to any setting.

Best of luck with that!

Gero

Hi there,

1) For example, do most BCG interviewers prepare the case in advance with supporting material (graphs, charts, etc) or is it less structured? 

It might depend on the office/partner. When I interviewed myself, I got a “standard” final round business case and an interview without any business case/graph (two estimation questions and one brainteaser).

2) I was also wondering whether cases such as the well-known ‘estimate the number of golf balls that can fit in an airplane’ type can be asked on the final round or whether there are more profitability, market entry, M&A kind of cases?

In my final, I had to estimate the number of tennis balls sold in Italy. So estimations are possible. Their frequency depends on the office.

3) Do the BCG interviewers ask questions related to the candidate, i.e. looking at the CV and see that the candidate has some experience working in a restaurant so the case is ‘Estimate the market size of fast food’? Is it common at BCG?  

They might ask questions based on your CV, but based on the candidates I helped is unlikely that they will structure a case based on that.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there!

The short (and probably disappointing) answer is that there are no typical BCG cases. 

They can come in any shape or form, from any industry or case type. 

Let me take your questions one by one:

1) For example, do most BCG interviewers prepare the case in advance with supporting material (graphs, charts, etc) or is it less structured? 

It's rather an industry standard that final-round interviewers are more senior, and thus they tend to step out of the typical interview structure. It's not a BCG thing. I would say, indeed, that exhibits are less common in the second round (but this is based on empirical evidence, not hard data). 

2) I was also wondering whether cases such as the well-known ‘estimate the number of golf balls that can fit in an airplane’ type can be asked on the final round or whether there are more profitability, market entry, M&A kind of cases?

Yes, they do still ask market sizing questions. My last interview with McKinsey was a market sizing question (that I partially bombed). 

3) Do the BCG interviewers ask questions related to the candidate, i.e. looking at the CV and see that the candidate has some experience working in a restaurant so the case is ‘Estimate the market size of fast food’? Is it common at BCG?  

Sometimes. For instance, in one of my interviews, we started chatting about the high turnover rate in consulting (i.e., people leaving in 2 years). So the interviewer came up with a case on the spot so we could solve the ‘turnover’ problem in consulting. It was quite fun and absolutely unstructured, so do expect them to get creative either based on your CV or your chat with them. 

Best,
Cristian

Hey,

1) For example, do most BCG interviewers prepare the case in advance with supporting material (graphs, charts, etc) or is it less structured? 

Most cases are prepared in advance, but in some instances the interview is less structured. For example, I know about a BCG partner who preferred to give a candidate an ad-hoc case from his last project.

2) I was also wondering whether cases such as the well-known ‘estimate the number of golf balls that can fit in an airplane’ type can be asked on the final round or whether there are more profitability, market entry, M&A kind of cases?

You can expect all types of cases during a final round. Also, the cases vary depending on geography. In the Middle East, I've heard, there are a lot of market sizings given.

3) Do the BCG interviewers ask questions related to the candidate, i.e. looking at the CV and see that the candidate has some experience working in a restaurant so the case is ‘Estimate the market size of fast food’? Is it common at BCG?  

Hmm…I've never heard about such examples, but during an interview everything can happen.On the other hand, it makes more sense to test how a candidate would fare in an industry that they have no experience in.

Hope this helps,
Nick

(edited)

Hi there,

There is no specific pattern for second round interviews at BCG. Sometimes you can expect a little less structure and a more conversational / informal case if the interviewer is quite senior.

In any case, you prepare for the second round the exact same way as for the first.

Best,

Alberto

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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs