Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

1. Application and CV screening

Apply through the BCG careers portal or a campus process with a CV and, for some offices, a short cover letter. Screening weighs academic record, leadership roles, internships and evidence of analytical work.

2. Online case assessment

Shortlisted candidates typically complete the BCG Online Case, a chatbot-style assessment known as Casey, in which you work through a business problem by answering a mix of multiple-choice and free-text questions in a limited time. Some offices use a different online test; BCG X tracks may substitute a technical assessment.

3. First-round interviews

Two back-to-back interviews, each around 45 minutes, with consultants or project leaders. Each combines a short fit discussion with a full case interview.

4. Decision round interviews

Two or three interviews with principals, partners or managing directors. Cases are more open-ended and the personal-experience discussion goes deeper. In India this round is usually in person at the office.

5. Offer and onboarding

Offers are usually communicated within days of the decision round, often by the partner who interviewed you. Candidates who are not selected are typically eligible to reapply after a cooling period of about 12 to 18 months. HR then covers compensation, joining date and pre-joining training. The whole process typically takes three to six weeks outside campus season.

Every consulting-track candidate goes through case interviews; the number and seniority of interviewers increase in the decision round.

Round 1: BCG Online Case (Casey)

A roughly 25 to 30 minute chatbot assessment built around one business situation. You answer numerical, judgement and short written questions in sequence and cannot go back. It tests structured thinking under time pressure more than deep business knowledge.

• Reading exhibits and calculating growth, margins and break-even
• Choosing the most relevant next analysis
• Writing a concise recommendation to the client

Round 2: First-round case interview one

A 45 minute interview with a consultant. About 10 minutes of fit questions, then an interviewer-led case with exhibits. You are expected to structure the problem, do arithmetic aloud and form a hypothesis early.

• Profitability decline for a consumer goods company
• Market entry for a telecom or fintech player in India
• Quick mental maths on market size and unit economics

Round 3: First-round case interview two

Same format with a different interviewer, often a project leader, and a case from another industry so that both interviewers can compare notes on consistency.

• Operations or cost reduction case
• Brainstorming creative levers, not just a framework
• Synthesising a recommendation in 60 seconds

Round 4: Decision round cases

Two or three interviews with partners or managing directors. Cases are shorter on data and heavier on judgement; the interviewer may push back on your recommendation to see how you defend or revise it.

• Should a conglomerate exit a business unit?
• How would you advise a state government on a public programme?
• Handling ambiguous or missing information

Round 5: Personal experience interview

Woven into every round rather than separate. Interviewers explore two or three of your experiences in depth to assess leadership, drive, teamwork and how you handle setbacks.