Short answer
A BCG case interview is usually candidate-led: you build the structure, state a hypothesis and steer toward the data you need. Cases are often open-ended and creative, though most still contain real math. Before interviews, most candidates complete an office-specific screen such as the Casey online case or the CCA, and some offices still use a written case.
Key takeaways
- BCG cases are mostly candidate-led, so you are expected to propose the structure and drive the analysis.
- BCG cases often reward creative, qualitative thinking, and most still include calculations you must get right without a calculator.
- BCG has no single global test: Casey, the CCA, numerical tests and occasionally Pymetrics vary by office.
- Some offices still use a written case, where you analyze a data pack and present slides to a partner.
- A hypothesis-driven profit tree is the fastest way to show BCG-style thinking in the first five minutes.
What is a BCG case interview?
A BCG case interview is a 30-40 minute business problem in which you lead the analysis: you clarify the goal, propose a structure, form a hypothesis and work toward a recommendation. Interviewers act as sparring partners and hand over data when you ask for the right thing.
This candidate-led style is the main contrast with McKinsey's interviewer-led cases. At McKinsey you answer a sequence of set questions. At BCG you choose the sequence yourself, and the interviewer watches whether your choices make sense.
How the BCG interview process runs
The process varies by office, which is the single most important thing to know about BCG recruiting. A typical path looks like this:
- Online screen: Casey, the CCA or a numerical test, depending on office.
- Optional screening call: some offices hold a short phone or video interview on motivation and experience.
- First round: two or three case interviews with consultants and project leaders, each with a fit section.
- Final round: two or three interviews with partners, sometimes including a written case.
Ask your recruiter which steps your office uses. Candidates who prepare for the wrong screen lose weeks.
Which online assessment will BCG give you?
BCG has no single global test, so the answer depends on your office and role. Prep providers and candidate reports describe these formats:
| Assessment | Where it appears | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| Casey (Online Case Experience) | Many offices worldwide, sometimes via HireQuotient | A chatbot-led case of about 35 minutes, 8-10 questions, ending with a 1-minute video recommendation |
| Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) | Mainly North America | Problem solving and business reasoning |
| Numerical tests | Some European offices | Data interpretation and calculation speed |
| Pymetrics | A few offices | Cognitive and behavioral games |
| BCG Potential Test | Legacy format | Multiple-choice data and reasoning questions |
Back in 2012 I wrote about a computer test used in Western European offices. That format has since given way to Casey in most places. Our BCG Potential Test guide covers the legacy test for anyone who still meets it.
The written case
Some BCG offices still use a written case, usually in the final round. You receive a data pack of 20-40 pages (market data, financials, interview notes), around an hour to analyze it, and you then present three or four slides to a partner who challenges your logic.
The skills it rewards are the ones the old McKinsey PST trained: reading dense exhibits fast, doing calculator-free math and isolating what the client needs to decide. Prioritize ruthlessly. Most of the pack is noise, and the partner wants to see that you found the three facts that matter.
Worked example: a hypothesis-driven profit tree
BCG interviewers like to see a hypothesis early. Suppose the prompt is: "Our client, a regional bakery chain, has seen profits fall 20% in two years. What is going on?"
Step 1: state a hypothesis. "My initial hypothesis is that rising costs, likely ingredients, explain most of the decline. To test it, I would split profit into revenue and costs."
Step 2: build the tree.
- Profit = Revenue - Costs
- Revenue = number of loaves sold x average price
- Costs = fixed costs (rent, equipment, salaried staff) + variable costs (flour, butter, energy, hourly labor)
Step 3: test with data. You ask for a cost breakdown. The interviewer shows that revenue is flat, fixed costs are flat and variable costs rose 30%, driven by flour and energy prices.
Step 4: refine. The hypothesis holds, so you move to solutions: price increases on premium products, supplier renegotiation, energy-efficient ovens and a smaller range to cut waste.
The structure is MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive), which keeps you from double counting. Our guide to MECE and the Pyramid Principle shows how to build trees like this quickly.
Qualitative and creative, with math still required
My original 2012 article described BCG cases as "more qualitative" and in the next breath told readers to polish their math. Both statements hold, and here is how they fit. BCG interviewers give more room to open discussion: brainstorming new growth options, judging a market entry or weighing qualitative risks. That room rewards creative, well-structured ideas.
Yet almost every BCG case still contains at least one calculation or chart, and a math error there is one of the fastest ways to fail. The safe approach is to treat creativity as the way you differentiate and math as the gate you must pass. Practice both, using our case interview math drills for the second.
Stephan's note: When I coached students for BCG, the ones who stood out showed real curiosity about the client's business. They asked one or two questions an owner would care about, and the interviewer leaned in.
What BCG looks for beyond the case
BCG puts visible weight on motivation and energy. Interviewers want to know why consulting, why BCG and why this office. Read about BCG's history, from the experience curve to its current focus on AI, so you can connect your interests to the firm's work in a sentence or two.
To build exhibit-reading speed for Casey or a written case, The Key to the PST gives you 26 timed written-case questions with a full answer guide. The PST itself is retired, though the sub-skills it trains map directly onto BCG's screens.
Frequently asked questions
How many interview rounds does BCG have?
Most offices run two rounds of two or three interviews each, with seniority rising toward partners in the final round. Some offices add a short screening call before the first round.
What is BCG's Casey assessment?
Casey is a chatbot-led online case of roughly 35 minutes with about 8-10 questions, ending in a short recorded video recommendation. It is used in many offices before first-round interviews, according to candidate reports and prep providers.
Is the BCG Potential Test still used?
It is a legacy format. Most offices have moved to Casey or the Consulting Career Assessment (CCA), though a few still use numerical tests of their own.
Are BCG cases easier on math than McKinsey or Bain cases?
BCG cases tend to give more room to creativity and open discussion, yet most include at least one calculation or exhibit. Treat the math as a pass-fail gate and prepare it as seriously as for any firm.
What does BCG look for besides case performance?
BCG interviewers look for genuine curiosity, energy and clear motivation for consulting and for BCG specifically. A candidate who solves the case flatly can lose out to one who solves it with visible interest.