Is BCG Online Case (Casey) representative of the case interview level of difficulty?

Question

Hi all,

I'm curious to know if the BCG Online Case (Casey) is representative of the actual round 1 case interview in terms of type of math, difficulty etc.?

I understand it being interviewer led (vs. BCG's candidate led style) makes a difference, but curious to hear what people's experiences have been!

Answer 1

Hi there,

In many respects the Casey test is similar to case interviews, in the sense of they type of question and math you need to do, the difficulty of the analysis and so forth.

However, obviously its online (vs F2F), written and sometimes multi-choice so for some folks that will make it easier or less stressful than for others.

From my perspective, one important difference is that it is a less ‘open’ format, by which I mean you may get to choose to receive more info from a set of options (vs a case interview where you’re not given any prompts) or you may get prompted on the right structure (vs coming up with it yourself). I think is one of the harder(-est) parts of case interviews.

Hope that helps,

B.

Answer 2

Hi there,

Hmmm, ok, so it's representative of it in the sense of the topic/industry/math/business acumen that's required.

And that's exactly why one should to case prep BEFORE applying and even before the case chatbot (it helps you in these tests).

But, I'd argue it's harder on the actual math side and the business terminology side.

On the other hand, the case interview is harder on the frameworking, case leadership, chart/exhibit interpretation, communication, and presence side.

Answer 3

Hi there,

Yes and no:

Yes:

The general topic of the case and context
The types of questions and problems you need to solve

No:

The math is a bit harder since you are allowed to use a calculator
For most, the timer is a big source of stress which is differently perceived if you are sitting across an interviewer (even though the interview time is also limited)

All the best,

Florian

Answer 4

The test is significantly easier.

Basically, think of these different stages of the interview process as milestones.

The screening case is just trying to understand whether you have the basic skills necessary to make it worth interviewing you.

The actual interview, aided by the fact that it's live, makes it significantly more complicated. Arguably, it's also more enjoyable, interactive and closer to what the job is in real life (so a huge plus in that sense).

Best of luck with the prep for the test!
Cristian