How and when European firms hire

• BCG London: the 2026 graduate Associate window is 9 September to 18 October 2026. The consulting internship window is 1 to 24 January 2027, for eight weeks in July and August. BCG says all decisions are made after the deadline, so applying later in the window is not a disadvantage.
• Bain London: the 2026 Associate Consultant applications close on 15 October, the online assessment is due by 20 October, first rounds are in mid-November, and final rounds run from late November to early December. Bain London lists start dates several times a year. It asks candidates to use AI only to check grammar and spelling in their CV, and says that for the online assessment or virtual interviews, use of AI is not permitted. Applications for its 2027 Associate Consultant Intern programme are expected to open in November 2026.
• Roland Berger London: the Junior Consultant 2027 posting closes on Sunday 18 October, with online tests, an assessment day and case study workshop in the week of 26 October, first-round interviews in person on Saturday 7 November, then final-round case interviews. Start: autumn 2027.
• KPMG UK (2026-27 intake): Launch Pad assessment days run from 17 November 2026 in London to 5 May 2027 in Leeds, and KPMG says offers follow within 2 working days.
• EY UK says its 2027 applications are open for some programmes only, and each closes once places are filled. Strategy& UK says it has no information on opening or closing dates to share.

• Many offices hire on a rolling basis for set start dates (reported). For example, Roland Berger asks candidates to apply three to six months before their preferred start date (its pages give both three or four and four to six months) and says the process takes about six to eight weeks.
• BCG publishes its timing by country (checked 2026-09-28). Most offices, including Germany and Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, and the Nordics, hire year-round; Paris recommends applying 6 to 7 months before your start date; Spain hires from September to July; Italy's summer program is typically in January; Amsterdam has fixed windows for each intake; and Lisbon lists deadlines of 28 February 2027 (Visiting Associate) and 15 July 2027 (Associate).
• Language: in many continental offices clients work in the local language. For example, candidates report that MBB offices in Germany expect business-fluent German and may hold part of the interview in German. Check each office's page.

• The graduate windows above are for bachelor's and master's students. MBA hiring at European business schools usually runs through the school's careers office, with firm presentations, networking events, and interview slots on the school's own calendar. Your careers office's dates beat any list here.
• One-year programmes fit recruiting into a few months, so your first interviews can come soon after you start. Two-year programmes usually recruit for summer internships in the first year and for full-time roles through those internships.
• You usually apply to one office, or rank a few, and many continental offices expect the local language. Say early which office you want and check its language rule.
• The usual MBA entry title is Associate at McKinsey and Consultant at BCG and Bain (see the table below). Expect the same case formats as other entry levels, often with a higher bar for business judgement, and fit interviews that probe stories from your pre-MBA work.

• Written cases: BCG Netherlands lists a written case of about 2.5 hours in its final round. Written cases are also reported at L.E.K., Kearney, Roland Berger, KPMG, and some Bain offices. Separately, Bain lists a take-home written assignment among the interview types it uses across all roles.
• Group cases and assessment days: KPMG UK runs an in-person assessment day called Launch Pad. Group exercises are also reported at Roland Berger, Kearney, and Deloitte in some offices.

Firms candidates often target

• McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.
• Roland Berger, Oliver Wyman, Kearney, Arthur D. Little, L.E.K., Simon-Kucher, and OC&C.
• Strategy&, Monitor Deloitte, EY-Parthenon, and KPMG.
• Other firms also recruit in Europe, for example Porsche Consulting, Horváth, and Capgemini Invent. We have not reviewed their processes in this library yet.

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

• BCG: UK Associate jobs (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/locations/united-kingdom/associate-jobs
• Bain: London Associate Consultant recruiting (official): https://www.bain.com/careers/recruiting/london-recruiting/
• Bain: Interviewing (official): https://www.bain.com/careers/hiring-process/interviewing/
• BCG Netherlands: application process (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/locations/the-netherlands
• Roland Berger: Careers FAQ (official): https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Join/Your-application/FAQ/
• Roland Berger: Selection process (official): https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Join/Join-Us/Career-Starter/Selection-Process/
• KPMG UK: Our application process (official): https://www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/graduate/applying-to-kpmg/application-process/
• BCG: International opportunities, application timing and languages by country (official): https://careers.bcg.com/global/en/locations/united-kingdom/international-opportunities
• Roland Berger: Junior Consultant 2027, London (job posting) (official): https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Join/All-Jobs/Junior-Consultant-2027-REF4503I.html
• EY UK: Student application process (official): https://www.ey.com/en_uk/careers/students/application-process
• Strategy& UK: Graduates and interns (official): https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/uk/en/careers/graduates-and-interns.html
• Reported: PrepLounge forum, language used in interviews in Germany: https://www.preplounge.com/consulting-forum/language-used-in-interviews-in-germany-15689
• Reported: Hacking the Case Interview, McKinsey Germany recruiting: https://www.hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/mckinsey-germany-recruiting
• Reported: MyConsultingOffer, L.E.K. written case: https://www.myconsultingoffer.org/case-study-interview-prep/lek-written-case/
• Reported: IGotAnOffer, Kearney case interview: https://igotanoffer.com/blogs/mckinsey-case-interview-blog/at-kearney-case-interview