One of the most renowned management consulting firms in the world, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) employs more than 6,200 consultants globally and provides advice to some of the biggest names in the public and private sectors. Let us know What are the ‘BCG Interview Questions’.
BCG Interview Questions
Graduates who are interested in applying for entry-level positions with titles such as “associate” or “consultant” can anticipate being subjected to a tough application procedure that will include at least two rounds of interviews and an online test. At each step of the interview process, case studies receive a lot of weight to replicate the type of client work done by consultants at the company.
Typically, the application procedure goes like this:
1. Reviewing resumes
2. Online test.
3. The interview phase
Stage 1: Review of CV
Although submitting your CV can seem like a very normal step in any interview process, you should never take it lightly. Due to the extraordinarily high calibre of applications that BCG draws, only a tiny percentage of CVs advance to the interview stage. Make certain that yours is one of them. Read more about writing a strong CV and examine several CV examples to get ready.
Tip: To make sure your CV stands out from the crowd, it must first be crystal clear, succinct, and simple to read. Ensure that the important details—your accomplishments, including exam results, awards and scholarships, and work experience—are presented in a straightforward and cogent manner. The individual reviewing your application won’t have time to pore over your resume in search of the obscure information that underlies all of your accomplishments. The hard work needs to be done for them by your application.
Stage 2: online test
You will be asked to take an online case study test if your resume passes the initial evaluation stage. This is essentially a computerised replica of the real-life case study you’ll be given during the application and interview stage.
You must respond to 23 questions, each of which is based on a different set of “cases” or issues. These have a strong math component and ask you to choose the best solution out of four options before calculating the problem’s solution. You receive 3 points for each correct answer, 1 point for each incorrect response, and 0 points for any unsolved questions. You have 45 minutes to finish the test’s questions and are free to go back and forth as many as you like.
Tip: It goes without saying that one of the primary things to watch out for in this situation is speeding your responses and losing points by guessing the incorrect answer to a question. It is best to spend time answering the questions you can figure out and to skip the ones you are unsure of.
Stage 3: The interview
You might do more interviews than others, depending on the candidate. Successful candidates will normally go through at least two rounds of interviews, usually separated by a few weeks. Separate meetings with two (often mid-level) BCG workers, lasting around 45 minutes each, are more likely to occur in the first round.
Each interview consists of three distinct sections:
• CV-based (focused on background and experience)
• Based on a case study (involving a problem or task to work through)
• A last round of questions with your interviewer
The same structure will then be used for the second and, if necessary, third round of interviews, which will typically entail you getting invited back to repeat the same procedure with more senior personnel of the company.
Here is an overview of each phase: BCG Interview Questions
Interview based on a CV:
Normally, the first 15-20 minutes of the interview are reserved for introductions. The main goal of it is to assess your suitability and “fit” as a BCG employee. Several behavioural questions will be asked of you in addition to the usual inquiries about your credentials, interest in the position, and familiarity with the firm. These will be experience-based and call for you to provide concrete examples of prior successes in addition to obstacles or challenges you’ve encountered and how you overcome them.
Here are some examples of the types of questions you can anticipate getting at this point:
1. Why are you drawn to a career in consulting?
2. Why did you want to work at BCG?
3. In five years, where do you see yourself?
4. What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
5. Tell me about a time when you successfully led people.
6. Describe your weaknesses.
7. Describe a situation when you went after a goal with vigour.
8. Describe an occasion when you guided a team to accomplish a certain objective.
9. Give an example of when you failed.
10. Has an idea of yours ever been rejected? If so, what did you do?
Advice: Although you should not undervalue the personal questions, the behavioral-style questions require more of your preparation time. Have a thorough understanding of your resume.
Spend some time thinking about particular instances of difficulties you have overcome and accomplishments you have made in order to get prepared for competency-based questions. When arranging your responses, the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a fantastic place to start. For additional guidance on this subject, be sure to look through our competency-based interview guide and competency-based interview questions.
Interview for a case study:
The case study portion of the interview is likely the most crucial step in the BCG hiring process because it gauges the talents you’ll need to succeed as an associate or consultant with the company.
This portion of the interview, which usually lasts 25 to 30 minutes, will usually involve being given a request or problem from a fictitious client and being asked to come up with a solution.
Here, reasoning, analytical prowess, and commercial awareness are the main competencies being examined. Your interviewer will briefly describe the client’s issue at the start of this session. You will have the chance to ask questions and may receive additional information. You are then required to present your solution to the challenge.
Here are some illustrations of case studies that might be given to you:
1. Analyze a possible merger with a Chinese company
2. Analyze a new umbrella company’s market opportunity
3. What would you put a value on the following company?
4. How would you save a struggling paper business?
5. How may you boost an oil company’s profitability?
Advice: Based on the types of questions or “problems” mentioned above, you should be able to narrow down the case study you may expect to be given. However, this is impossible to predict in advance. Take your time, be as rational in your presentation of your strategy and thought processes, provide a concise structure, and, whenever feasible, provide justifications for your choices.
There isn’t always a “correct” or “wrong” answer to the question, and the interviewer won’t expect you to have an intrinsic awareness of a certain business or sector (although some prior reading on significant areas like the energy sector might likely prove useful). It’s crucial to be able to show strong commercial acumen and recognise the pressing challenges that require your attention.
A prior grasp of the case study interview style is necessary; you can practise on a number of online versions, which, while they can’t completely replace the in-person version, will help you start organising your ideas and putting your argument together.
Q&A Session:
Each interview round concludes with a Q&A session when you get the opportunity to ask questions and grill your interviewer on their position with the company and life in general at BCG. Typically, this portion of the interview will run little more than 10 minutes.
It should go without saying that you should be open to inquiries and demonstrate a sincere desire to learn more about the job being done by the firm. Don’t count on being able to think of these questions on the fly; having a few thoughtful, intelligent questions prepared will help you avoid the possibility of brain freeze and will show that you are well-versed in the firm’s operations.
You could want to ask the following questions, for instance:
1. Which of your past projects has been the most intriguing?
2. Have you ever had the chance to work abroad?
3. What aspect of your profession do you find most enjoyable?
4. What about your job do you find most difficult?
5. Have you ever encountered a client who didn’t agree with the guidance you were providing?
6. You participated in a business deal, right? How did that feel?
Conclusion
Now We’ve learnt about ‘BCG Interview Questions’, You can pass hours searching the internet for the most effective way to conduct case interviews.
Furthermore, you won’t have as much time to focus on REAL preparation the longer you spend sifting through competing ideas and fragmented data.
Instead, we suggest that you focus on perfecting a certain, rigorous approach to concluding case interviews.
