20 mins time limit is a deal breaker?

No, it is not. Unless you have a very junior and bad interviewer.

What I want, as an interviewer, is “quality time” :)

If you are showing strong potential, good structure, logical answers, good communication, being a bit slower is no problem at all.

Here's the deal: sometimes candidates take long because they don't know how to progress in the case and they are boiling the ocean. Here the problem is not being slow, but rather having the wrong approach.

So being slow is a symptom of a problem, but is not the problem itself. If you are slow, but doing the right things, no problem.

Hi,

I have 2 points to make

1. The interviewer controls the time, not you
   • Of course, at MBB and at BCG, we were given guidelines to adhere to and interviewers of course try to respect this
2. It shouldn't matter to you how much time is spent on what
   • Your preparation for fit or case really shouldn't be driven by ‘how long it takes in the interview’
   • A strong story is a strong story - and an authentic one (you actually lived it) means you'll be able to go into enough depth and insightful discussion as needed

Hi,

20 mins time limit is a deal breaker?

It's not a deal breaker, and at MBBs the interviewer will manage the timing. So trust the process.

Cheers,

Alexandre

At MBB the interviewer will do the time management so do not worry. PEI is ~15min and Case 30-40min. Best, Frederic 

Hi there,

I agree that the interviewer is in charge for leading you through the different interview sections. It is in their best interest to test you in the different dimensions so they won't just wait for the candidate to move things forward.

Best wishes

Hi there,

It is not inherently!

In some interviews it is, in others it isn't. As the others have indicated, this basically depends on the interviewer/firm.

But, 20 minutes is not some magic number/hard stop.

What matters is moving through the case effectively, and communicating clearly, etc.

Here's some reading to help:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/dos-and-donts-in-a-case-interview
 

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/candidate-led-cases-what-to-expect-and-example-cases

Hi there,

It's good practice to simply check with the interviewer up front and proactively manage time if it's a candidate-led interview, unless you're being told not to. Wouldn't be the first time that this makes a positive impression on the interviewer.

If you manage time based on any arbitrary number we give you here, it might seem a little strange. For example, you blast through the case in 20 min and compromise on some results, when actually had 30 min. That's not a good look.

For practice purposes, anything between 20-40 minutes is reasonable depending on case complexity.

Hope this helps Best of luck!

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Hi there,

Time management is done by interviewer. Focus on preparing great for fit and case interviews, considering around 15 min for first part and around 30 min for the second but don't go crazy with timing.

Happy to keep talking about this in private, just send me a message.

Best,

Alberto

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While it is true that there is typically a time limit for interviews, it is important to focus on delivering a well-structured and concise response rather than fixating on the exact minutes. The key is to effectively communicate your thoughts and provide relevant examples within the given timeframe.

During the interview, it is crucial to demonstrate your ability to think critically, analyze information, and communicate your ideas clearly. This applies to both the FIT (personal experience) and case portions of the interview. It is recommended to practice and refine your responses to ensure they are concise, yet comprehensive.

While there may be some variation in interview styles and time management preferences, the general principle remains the same: showcase your problem-solving skills and demonstrate your ability to think on your feet. Remember, it is not just about the time spent, but the quality of your responses and the impact you make during the interview.

I hope this provides some clarity and guidance for your preparation strategy. Best of luck with your upcoming interviews at BCG and Bain in the Middle East!

Time management is the interviewer’s job, not yours. I had interviews that went as long as 30 minutes. And interviews where the interviewer cut me off during my structure because there was no time (still got great feedback from that interview).

Hi!

Timing differs between firms, offices, role you're interviewing for, and ultimately, interviewers. 

As a candidate, you should actually not be thinking about timing as much. That's something that the interviewer will manage. 

Basically, you should be optimising for quality and depth, timing is only a distant second. So try to move as fast as you can WHILE ensuring that the quality and accuracy are as good as they can possibly be. 

Even if you appear slow to an interviewer, you still have more chances of passing as somebody who is rushing for some imagined timeline and not providing good answers in the process.

Good luck!
Cristian

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Hi there,

Q: 20 mins time limit is a deal breaker?

In most cases an interview will be 45 minutes, with 30-35 min of cases and 10-15 min of fit, plus some time for your questions.

There are exceptions though. For example:

• BCG Germany tends to have shorter case interviews
• Bain has interviews without any fit part in some offices (and then a specific interview just on fit)

I don’t think you need to focus on the time of the interview. Rather, I recommend focusing on answering the questions asked as best you can. The time management part should be handled by the interviewer.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi,

The usual interview structure is as follows:

1. FIT - 15 mins;
2. Case - 30-35 mins;
3. Questions for the interviewer - 5 mins.

But can sometimes vary.

Regards,
Nick