Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview

Bain Second Round

Hello, I have a second round interview with Bain next Friday for their ACI position. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to prepare for this interview round, ie. specific types of cases, behaviorals etc. Thank you so much! 

3 Answers
200+ Views
17
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
on Aug 10, 2024
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Q: I have a second round interview with Bain next Friday for their ACI position. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to prepare for this interview round.

A final round normally has the same structure as the first round (fit + case + your questions).

In a final round, the interviewers might:

  1. Spend more time on fit and your alignment with the company.
  2. Ask questions related to the areas of improvement for which you got feedback after the first round.
  3. Not use a “standard” case. During one of my finals I had one interview made by two market sizing questions and a brainteaser, without any business case.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To prepare, you can work on the following:

  1. Review your fit answers – they might spend more time on the fit part compared to the first round.
  2. Work on the case areas they mentioned you could improve, if any (you can base that on the feedback they provided if present).
  3. Focus your case prep on the weakest areas. If you are tracking your performance, do drills for the areas where you are struggling the most / review cases where you made mistakes.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Extra reading:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Good luck!

Francesco

on Aug 10, 2024

Hi there, I have just gone through recruitment for Bain. Feel free to dm me!

11
Florian
Coach
on Aug 12, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hey there,

Congrats!

95% of partner rounds are just as standardized as the first round. The reason why you read about freestyle partner experiences is that they deviate from what people expect, hence they post about it more frequently online, hence giving others the impression it is much more common.

Additionally, partner rounds are often perceived as more challenging, just because it's a partner sitting across the table rather than a more junior colleague. It is purely based on the impression and not on the content. :-)

If there are any deviations from the standard interviewer guidelines, expect them to be in the following realm:

  • Focus on one or two areas where you were perceived as not as strong in round one, which can be specific case questions or fit interviews
  • Only doing a case, only doing fit interview instead of both
  • Doing two shorter cases in quick succession
  • Challenging your answers more
  • Not providing any time for you to think about the answer, making it more conversational
  • Asking more behavioral questions (stories and hypotheticals) instead of traditional fit questions

In any case, the most important thing is not to be startled by this and just keep working on the case or the fit in a calm manner.

All the best for your second round!

Cheers,

Florian

Similar Questions
Consulting
Time to apply and the intake for new hire?
on Feb 29, 2024
Global
7 Answers
4.4k Views
Top answer by
Florian
Coach
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU
131
7 Answers
4.4k Views
+4
Consulting
Bain's application process
on Feb 26, 2024
Global
6 Answers
3.7k Views
Top answer by
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach
146
6 Answers
3.7k Views
+3
Consulting
McKinsey vs Bain 1st round 2024
on May 29, 2024
Global
6 Answers
1.5k Views
Top answer by
Ian
Coach
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate
45
6 Answers
1.5k Views
+3
How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or fellow student?
0 = Not likely
10 = Very likely
You are a true consultant! Thank you for consulting us on how to make PrepLounge even better!