Adapting from McK to BCG interview style (DACH)

Question

I'm currently in the process of interviewing with McKinsey and BCG. I’ve gone through two rounds with McKinsey and have my final round coming up soon. I also have my final round with BCG this week.

Fit Interview
The BCG fit interview feels more unstructured and vibe-based compared to McKinsey’s PEI. At McKinsey, the PEI is highly structured, with clear rating criteria that make it easier to prepare and understand what interviewers are looking for. In contrast, the BCG fit interview seems less standardized and more about whether the interviewer “clicks” with you.

Case Interview Differences
BCG’s case interviews also seem simpler and less time-intensive. While McKinsey’s cases are longer (typically around 40–45 minutes), BCG’s cases are much shorter, often lasting only 20–25 minutes (50-55min total, 20-25 fit case each). This leaves less time for detailed frameworks or hypothesis-driven exploration, resulting in a narrower scope and less thoughtful/ deep frameworks.

My Questions:

Would you agree with the observations, and or add/ change anything?
How would you suggest adapt from McKinsey’s interview style to BCG’s?
Does BCG have an equivalent to McKinsey’s emphasis on being hypothesis-driven, deep, broad, and insightful? For instance, is BCG more focused on fast thinking, generating multiple options, or being pragmatic?

Answer 1

I think the distinctions you are making are too arbitrary and not really as useful to preparing well for the second round.

Are there differences between the formats (time spent on each question, style of interviewer's question etc) -> sure there is some difference.

Are there differences between what the firms are looking for? -> No

Unless you believe that logic, critical thinking etc differs between firms, then the fundamental skills you are being tested on actually still stay the same.

You may 'feel' that BCG doesnt require you to be 'hypothesis driven, deep, broad, and insightful', but I can assure you as a former interviewer, that is not the case. You still are expected to demonstrate all of these. Unless you are saying BCG does not want to hire insightful people, or use hypothesis driven thinking on the job.. which is kind of weird...

So practically - think about what a good answer / trait means and how it should be demonstrated. e.g. "what does it mean to be hypothesis driven?" Once you actually understand the meaning and principles behind these traits, then it doesn't matter what the style/format of the question is.

Answer 2

Based on my personal experience, BCG interviews tend to be more hypothesis-driven—you are expected to lead the conversation, ask insightful questions, and apply business judgment to determine where to focus within the issue tree. This requires a more tailored framework rather than a broad, all-encompassing one. In contrast, McKinsey interviews follow an interviewer-led format, where the interviewer guides the discussion more explicitly

Answer 3

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with McKinsey and BCG thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

First of all, while I think some of your observations are correct, I wonder why you ask for other people's opinions when you have already experienced the truth of the interview process yourself. What is the reason for that?
Moreover, yes, you have to adapt to each and every interview, not only on a consulting firm basis, but also on an interviewer basis. But you seem to have been successful in doing so anyway, because otherwise you wouldn't have been invited to the final round of interviews.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming final-round interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 4

Hey!

You're absolutely right in your observations! BCG’s interviews are more interviewee-led, requiring you to take charge and proactively drive the case forward, whereas McKinsey’s are more structured and hypothesis-driven.

The fit interview at BCG is also more conversational, so building rapport and showing personality is key. To adapt, focus on being more flexible in case structuring, leading the problem-solving, and thinking on your feet rather than following a strict framework. BCG values creativity, multiple solution paths, and pragmatism, so showing structured but adaptable thinking will help. I can relate, as I also successfully interviewed at both McKinsey and BCG—let me know if you need any support! 😊

Alessa

Answer 5

Hi there!

First of all: congratulations on having advanced in the interview process for both companies! That’s great!
I assume your question relates to your upcoming interviews and your preoccupation in acing them by acting according to what each firm expectations.

I would say: don’t worry too much about the format of questions and case style of each firm. Rather, focus on being always structured, hypothesis driven and proactive during the case. What I mean by that is

- Even if you feel that BCG has a more loose approach in PEI, you must be structured in your answers.

- Even if you feel that there is no time to craft a complete structure for the framework and brainstorm session, you must aim for one.

- Even if McKinsey has an interviewer-led style, you should proactively state what you would evaluate as a priority and why.

I wish you luck, feel free to DM if you have additional questions or would like a professional session before the big days!

Best,

Mari