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Boston Consulting Group
Lesson 1 of 2 Last reviewed 28 September 2026 12 min

Boston Consulting Group: who they are and what they value

Positioning, what they look for, case style, entry titles, and a preparation plan.

Firm processes and online tests change from year to year and differ by office. Use this to prepare, and confirm the exact current steps on the firm's own careers page.

Key takeaways

  • BCG does not say on its pages whether its cases are candidate-led.
  • Associate: for bachelor's and master's students. Some country pages use the title Associate Consultant.
  • Senior Associate: typically for PhD students and junior experienced hires.
  • Consultant: the usual MBA entry title.

What the firm is and how it describes itself

Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is one of the three MBB firms. It works on strategy and large transformation programs across industries and the public sector.

BCG publishes a four-step process for consulting roles: application, skills interview, case interview, and team interview. Many applicants also take online assessments before any interview. In the US these include the Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) and an online case; in the UK, a short numerical assessment.

Independence

So What Club is independent. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any firm named in this library. Firm names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to describe publicly available information about how these firms hire. We never reproduce any firm's test or share confidential interview material.

What it looks for in candidates

  • Integrity
  • Intellectual curiosity
  • Creative thinking
  • Collaborative mindset
  • Drive
How its live cases usually run

BCG does not say on its pages whether its cases are candidate-led. Candidate accounts describe BCG cases as more candidate-led than McKinsey's: you are expected to propose a structure, ask for the data you need, and move the case forward, while the interviewer may redirect you. Be ready for both.

How it runs the fit or experience interview: BCG says its interviews include a behavioral part, and its skills interview explores your experience, skills, and motivation for joining BCG. Expect questions on why consulting and why BCG, and prepare specific examples for each of its five core competencies.

Entry titles

  • Associate: for bachelor's and master's students. Some country pages use the title Associate Consultant.
  • Senior Associate: typically for PhD students and junior experienced hires.
  • Consultant: the usual MBA entry title.
  • Internships are called Summer Associate in the US and Consulting Intern in some other countries.

How to prepare for this firm

  • Practice timed online cases in a chat-style format, including a one-minute spoken summary.
  • Practice leading a case: propose a structure, ask for the data you need, and move the case forward.
  • Practice reading charts and doing calculations quickly and accurately.
  • Prepare specific examples for each BCG competency: integrity, curiosity, creative thinking, collaboration, and drive.
  • Check the BCG careers page for your country for the assessments and deadlines that apply to you.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-28. Sources, official pages first. "Reported" means a secondary source, not the firm or government itself.

  • BCG: Interview process (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/interview-process
  • BCG: Case interview preparation (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/case-interview-preparation
  • BCG: US Associate job opportunities (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/on-campus/united-states-associate-job-opportunities
  • BCG: UK Associate jobs (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/locations/united-kingdom/associate-jobs
  • BCG: Early careers (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/early-careers
  • BCG: International opportunities, application timing and languages by country (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/locations/united-kingdom/international-opportunities
  • Reported: BCG alumni profile of the founder whose startup built the Casey chatbot (not a BCG recruiting page): https://www.bcg.com/alumni/alumni-interview-eugene-goh
  • Reported: Management Consulted, BCG online case: https://managementconsulted.com/bcg-online-case/
  • Reported: CaseBasix, BCG online case guide: https://www.casebasix.com/pages/bcg-online-case-casey-chatbot-guide
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