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The reason why BCG potential test is so difficult is because of the time constraint.
So what I did was work on any questions from the BCG potential test I could find and try to solve them super quickly. For example, this question should be solved in 30 seconds
"One of the biggest global airlines has decided to buy new aircrafts. The ratio of first class, business and economy seats in the new aircrafts will be 1 to 3 to 8 and the total number of seats will be 240.
Average ticket prices for popular destinations are expected to be €700 for first class, €300 for business and €150 for economy. The average duration of these flights is 3 hours.
First and business customers get free Wi-Fi on board but economy customers need to pay €2 / hour to use Wi-Fi.
Assuming that only 5% of economy customers use Wi-Fi all the time, what are the expected revenues from a flight to a popular destination using a new aircraft at its full capacity?
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School
Hi,
Try to find as many people in your country as you can who have done the test. Ask them for the topic, industry and questions they remember. For example in one of the countries there was a test about airlines and reading a couple of articles / company reports / wikipedia artticles with industry terms could significantly improve performance
Try to practice tests with strict time-management. McKinsey PST from the official web site and all mck and bcg -like tests you can find online
Additional recource can be GMAT Integrated reasoning from the official guides and apps if you feel that you are not p[erforming well
As far as I remebmer calculator is allowed on BCG test. Make sure you know how to simplify calculations and use it fast
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I agree with Vlad, I reported below some additional tips based on a previous post:
One of the most important thing to do well in the case is to do at least a couple of Potential tests before the actual test date. Unlike the McK PST, there are not so many available online, but you should be able to find a few at least.
Commit to a time for each question, and go on if you surpass that time. If you do not set discipline, you will end eating too much time for some questions (these tests sometimes are actually structured to have some questions it is better to skip and review at the end). If time and test allows, you can then go back to the questions at the end.
Practice a lot of math before – it is normally a key component of all the tests
Practice graph interpretation: take some random graphs, give yourself 30 seconds and check if you can get the main insides from them. Then repeat till when you get a sufficient level of accuracy
Practice quick reading and quick understanding of key information only: get a Harvard Business School case, give yourself 2 minutes and check how much information you can absorb. Then repeat till when you get a sufficient level of accuracy
Finally, you have to take into account you get penalized for wrong answers in the Potential test, so you should adapt your strategy accordingly.
That being said, BCG has been rolling out a new BCG Online Case (also called the Chatbot Interview) since 2019. It is a 8-10 questions test structured in 2 parts:
8-10 questions to be taken in 25-30 minutes
1 video interview question at the end, where you have to provide a recommendation
The main differences compared to the previous version (BCG Potential Test) are the following:
8-10 questions instead of 23
25-30 min instead of 45
Calculators allowed
Presence of open questions
Video sum up at the end
The main challenges based on the candidates I helped are the following:
Time. Questions are not particularly difficult, however you will feel time constraints also due to the fact you don’t know how difficult the next questions could be - thus how much time they may require
Chatbot interaction. Unlike a test like the McK PST, you cannot proceed “at your own pace”. You will have to follow the evolution of the test as questions are revealed one by one
Math. Candidates often find the math quite challenging given the time constraint
If you want to prepare in the best possible way, I created a guide exactly for that.
This guide will:
Show you the perfect strategy to answer the 5 types of questions in the Chatbot
Offer you a clear strategy to optimally structure the One-Way Video Assessment
Provide insider information from previous applicants who succeeded the Online Case
Structure a clear preparation plan based on 6 FREE PSTs and Potential Tests
Replicate the same experience of the interview thanks to 2 FREE Complete Chatbot Cases (Casey-style)
As an extra bonus, I am currently offering the BCG Potential Test #1 (worth $39) and Graph Analysis Cheat Sheet (worth $29) for free with the guide. That may change in the future so hurry up if you are interested ;)
If you need additional support or have any questions on the guide please feel free to PM me, I will reply within 12 hours.
Bain London PE practice / ex-Interviewer and recruiting lead at Bain / I will coach you to rock those interviews
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BCG Online Case
The BCG Online Case has now been rolled out globally and has replaced the BCG Potential Test in all but a few offices. So if you're applying to BCG, you'll probably have to take the new BCG Online Case. In the BCG Online Case (also called the Chatbot Interview), a chatbot named Casey presents you with a real case, similar to the one you might receive from human interviewers.However, because it's a chatbot interview, the case is not guided by an interviewer, which means you have little to no control over the process.The case contains 8 to 10 questions that are asked through an instant messenger-like interface and must be solved in 25 to 30 minutes. These questions take 2 forms:Multiple-choice questions where candidates must select what data they need to move forward, what analysis they want to do next, or what their findings/conclusions areOpen-ended questions where candidates must explain their answers to the previous multiple-choice questions or answer a math or creative questionAfter this procedure, there is a one-page video interview question at the end where you are asked to make a recommendation. You have 1 minute to prepare and another minute to present your conclusion to the client. Because there are open-ended explainer questions, your score is not as easy as other, more traditional screening tests like the McKinsey Imbellus and the BCG Potential Test. Instead of a standardized score (i.e., how many questions a candidate answered correctly), you will likely be evaluated holistically on the key consulting competencies mentioned earlier, and your performance will be compared to that of other candidates.You will receive your results within 2 weeks. In some cases, the test is given as part of the first round interviews. Your performance in the test will be evaluated together with your performance in the case interview. You will then be notified of the results accordingly.You only have one chance to pass the new test - if you don't pass, you can't try again for another 1 to 2 years. Therefore, it is important that you prepare yourself very well to master the case.The differences from the BCG Potential Test are as follows:Calculators are allowedOnly 25-30 minutes to solve the case instead of 45 minutes8-10 questions instead of 23Open-ended questions instead of multiple-choice questionsIt ends with a video summary*box-open* In our shop you will find everything you need to prepare for your case interview at BCG! Among other things, you can get the helpful BCG Online Case Combo and the BCG Online Case Secrets. *box-close*The skills that will be assessed are math skills, structuring, interpreting graphs, business acumen, and synthesisBCG's basic hypothesis in introducing this test is that if you do well in these areas, you should also do well in a real case interview and in live situations with the client.You should master the following key skills:Structured Thinking: You must be able to break down complex problems into smaller, manageable pieces and develop a clear structure for solving the problem.Analytical Skills: You must be able to quickly analyze and interpret data to gain insight and make informed decisions.Creativity: you must be able to develop creative solutions and find alternative approaches to solve complex problems.Communication: You must be able to communicate your thoughts clearly and concisely, and explain complex concepts in an understandable way.Time Management: You must be able to plan and prioritize effectively to make efficient use of the time available.Collaboration: you must be able to work with others and foster effective teamwork to develop collaborative solutions.If you master these key skills and prepare specifically for the BCG Online Case interview, your chances of a successful interview are good.
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In this article, expert Francesco explains what you can expect as a potential employee in Singapore and why Singapore is so important in the consulting industry. You will learn about all the consultancies that are based in the Asian city. Furthermore, it will be discussed what kind of competition you can expect as an employee in Singapore and why it will still be worthwhile.
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