BCG case interviews dont have to be complicated. Over the years, we’ve come up with a simple, step-by-step way to answer the question “What are case interviews like at BCG?” and arrive at the answer “I am sure I can get a job at BCG.”
We’ve helped more than 30,000 people get ready for consulting interviews. This guide will help you get ready for your BCG case interviews by highlighting the most important things you need to know.
Interviewing at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) for a consultant role can be an intense and nerve-wracking experience. As one of the top strategy consulting firms in the world BCG only hires the best of the best. Their interview process is designed to thoroughly assess your problem-solving abilities leadership potential, and overall fit with the BCG team and culture.
With preparation and practice, you can master the BCG interview and land your dream job as a strategy consultant. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the 10 most frequent BCG consultant interview questions, provide sample answers, and explain what the interviewers really want to hear from you.
Why BCG?
This is often one of the very first questions you will encounter in a BCG interview. The interviewer wants to understand why you specifically chose to interview with BCG over other top consulting firms or employers. They are looking for unique reasons that show you have done your research and are truly excited about BCG.
Sample Answer I chose to interview with BCG because of your unmatched healthcare expertise globally. As someone passionate about driving change in healthcare, I was drawn in by BCG’s work with pharma leaders like Pfizer to shape the future of medicine as well as your partnerships with payers and providers to promote value-based care Beyond healthcare, BCG’s social impact mission also resonates with my personal values I’m inspired by initiatives like the Productivity Practice, which supports economic growth in developing nations. I know I could make a real difference as a BCG consultant.
Why Consulting?
The interviewer wants to determine if you are signing up for the right career. They will look for evidence that you fully understand the consulting lifestyle and are prepared for the challenges.
Sample Answer: I want to become a consultant because I am an obsessive problem-solver by nature. I love tackling complex, multidimensional problems and finding creative solutions. Consulting also appeals to me because of the level of responsibility and impact given to young professionals. As an undergrad, I co-led a university project on food waste reduction that uncovered $100K in potential annual savings. Consulting will allow me to drive that kind of impact from day one. I’m prepared for the demanding travel schedule and am excited by the diversity of projects and industries I would get exposure to as a consultant.
Walk Me Through Your Resume
This is your chance to guide the interviewer through your resume/CV highlights and connect the dots between your past experiences and passions. Structure your answer as a story tying together your accomplishments and interests.
Sample Answer: My passion for problem-solving and operations was sparked early on through my work as a restaurant hostess in high school. I streamlined the shift changeover process which increased customer satisfaction. This led me to pursue industrial engineering at Purdue where I could apply process improvement across organizations. My capstone project on reducing patient wait times resonated with my desire to improve healthcare delivery. While interning at Johnson & Johnson last summer, I worked on a market access project in Europe which solidified my interest in healthcare consulting. As a TA for operations research, I also discovered how much I enjoy teaching others and mentoring teams. Consulting will enable me to combine my interests in problem-solving, healthcare, and leadership.
What Accomplishment Are You Most Proud Of?
The goal of this question is to learn about your capabilities, impact, and motivations through a real example. Pick an achievement that showcases problem-solving, leadership, initiative, resilience, or collaboration. Make sure to explain the full context and why it matters to you.
Sample Answer: The accomplishment I’m most proud of is the water conservation campaign I spearheaded this year to address droughts in my local community. Through a student organization on campus, I brought together a team of 12 students to educate residents on ways to reduce water usage. We conducted surveys to identify perceptions and barriers to conservation, hosted educational events, and lobbied our local leaders. In just one semester, we exceeded our goal of 250 pledges from households to reduce water use by 20%. For me, this exemplified my passions for sustainability and community impact. I solved a real-world problem by uniting people around a common purpose.
Tell Me About Something That Is Not On Your Resume
BCG wants candidates who are well-rounded, so use this question to showcase dimensions beyond academics and work. Share an interesting hobby, community involvement, or unique life experience that reveals something about your personality, values, or skills. Pick something you can speak passionately about.
Sample Answer: Something not on my resume is that I’m an avid salsa dancer. I train and compete with my university’s ballroom dance team which has taught me commitment, creativity, and communication. Dancing pushed me outside my comfort zone as an introvert while allowing me to build a community. On the competition floor, you must think creatively to improvise in the moment while fully trusting and responding to your partner’s cues. My coaching helped me understand how to motivate teammates and deliver constructive feedback. Dance has provided invaluable lessons that I will carry with me into consulting.
Tell Me About a Time You Had to Lead a Team
BCG wants leaders who can build alignment, coach others, manage complex group dynamics, and drive results. Reflect on your best qualities as a team leader. Provide details like the team size, makeup, challenges faced, and your specific actions.
Sample Answer: As president of my university’s Management Consulting Club, I led a team of 10 officers in providing pro-bono consulting to local nonprofits. Our members had diverse backgrounds ranging from finance to engineering, and balancing their perspectives was challenging. When disagreements emerged on our strategy for a food bank client, I listened closely to objections from both sides. I identified the root causes of the discord and found common ground. Together, we developed hybrid options that integrated everyone’s insights. This unanimous solution increased volunteer participation by 15% and donations by 8% for the client. Through patience, empathy, and consensus-building, I unified my team around shared goals. This experience reinforced my strengths in diplomacy and my passion for social impact consulting.
Final Tips for Acing Your BCG Consultant Interview
With rigorous preparation, you can tackle any question thrown your way and impress interviewers with your capabilities and motivations. Here are some closing tips:
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Research BCG’s values, mission, client work, and consultant lifestyle in depth. Make connections to your own story.
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Review your resume and think about meaningful accomplishments, challenges overcome, and lessons learned.
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Reflect on your passions, motivations, and multidisciplinary interests. Link them to your desire to become a consultant.
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Prepare stories to showcase both soft skills and hard skills required to excel at BCG.
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Practice aloud until your answers flow smoothly and conversationally. Time yourself to stay concise.
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Come armed with thoughtful questions that show your engagement. Request insights from the interviewers on things like career development and office culture.
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Express genuine enthusiasm and interest in joining the BCG team throughout your interactions.
With diligent preparation and a stellar interview performance, you will be one step closer to launching your consulting career at one of the world’s top firms. So put in the hard work upfront to master the art of the interview. If consulting is your true calling, then absolutely nothing should stop you from pursuing this goal and realizing your full potential. You’ve got this!
Part 2: BCG case questions
What should you expect at your BCG interviews? Let’s look at the different parts you need to prepare for. Well begin with case questions. The video below will give you a good overview of what BCG case interviews are like:
6 Tip #4: Follow the BCG case interview dress code
A second thing that people often wonder before their first case interview with BCG is what they should wear. There are a few things that you should keep in mind when it comes to the dress code. Here are some of the most important points. You can also read more in our article about what men and women should wear to a consulting interview.
First, follow recruiter instructions. If your HR contact tells you to dress business professional, do it. If they say business casual, dress accordingly. If they havent specified the dress code, you should feel free to ask your recruiter. They get these questions all the time and will be happy to answer.
Second, dont try to impress interviewers with how you dress. You should dress conservatively for your BCG interview. This may surprise you, but your goal for attire should be to NOT stand-out. Your BCG interviewers are far more interested in your analytical and communication skills than your wardrobe.
Finally, I think the only reason an interviewer would remember what you wore is if you dressed badly. So dont take unnecessary risks, and avoid wearing anything flashy or attention-grabbing, like big jewelry and cuff links. Below is the typical attire for BCG case interviews, for both men and women.
Typical dress code for men:
- Suit in a neutral color (e.g. black, grey)
- Button-up shirt in a simple style and color (e. g. white, light blue).
- Tie without flashy patterns
- Black or brown dress shoes that go with your suit
Typical dress code for women:
- Dress or pantsuit that isn’t too flashy and comes in simple colors
- If you wear a pantsuit with a blouse, the blouse should be white.
- No big or loud jewelry, just small, plain pieces are fine.
- Shoes should be conservative and comfortable
Use your judgment in choosing your interview attire. It’s helpful to ask your HR person about the dress code, especially for events or mixers where it’s not clear. When in doubt, choose clothes that are professional and conservative. Its better to go unnoticed than for interviewers to be distracted by your wardrobe choices.
Next, well turn our attention to the fit and PEI questions that BCG uses.
Interviewing at BCG
FAQ
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