Case interview prep

McKinsey

Interviewer-led

The case

The interviewer holds a script of three to five set questions: structure this, read this exhibit, compute this, recommend. You are marked on how complete and well organised each answer is. Cases often have a public-sector or social theme.

The fit interview

The Personal Experience Interview: fifteen to twenty minutes on one story, probed a dozen questions deep for what you personally did and decided.

Before the interview

McKinsey Solve, a 65 to 85 minute online game (the Redrock data study, the Sea Wolf ecosystem game) sent before interviews. McKinsey says no preparation is needed and bans calculators and AI during it.

• Interviewer-led cases
• Exhibits and maths under a clock
• PEI stories in the course

BCG

Candidate-led

The case

You drive: after the structure you say where you want to start, ask for data, form a hypothesis and test it, with the interviewer nudging when you stall. BCG's own guidance lists clear communication, logical thinking, business intuition and creativity.

The fit interview

Background, ambitions, why BCG, and one deep-dive example.

Before the interview

Casey, a chatbot case of eight to ten questions in about 25 to 35 minutes, multiple choice plus typed answers, no clarifying questions and no going back, ending with a 60-second recorded recommendation. Some offices add a Pymetrics-style game battery.

• Candidate-led cases
• Structure drill
• Pymetrics-style games

Bain

Candidate-led, with a written case

The case

Candidate-led cases drawn from real client work, often with several exhibits and a heavier quantitative load (Singapore candidates report the most exhibit-heavy cases). Later rounds can include a written case: a data pack, time to prepare, then a short presentation and questions.

The fit interview

A structured behavioural interview on teamwork, listening, empathy and why Bain, roughly forty-five minutes in London.

Before the interview

An online assessment from Sova in most offices (numerical, logical and behavioural, with a situational judgement section) due within days of applying. Southeast Asia has reported a mini-case multiple-choice pre-screen.

• Exhibit-heavy cases
• Numerical reasoning (Sova style)
• Logical statements

London

• Full-time: BCG's London Associate window ran 9 September to 18 October 2026; Bain's Associate Consultant applications closed 15 October 2026 with the Sova assessment due days later, first-round cases in mid November and finals from late November; McKinsey's London Business Analyst deadline was 12 October 2026.
• Internships: McKinsey and BCG summer windows open in January; Bain's ACI penultimate-year internship is expected to open in November 2026.
• First and penultimate years: McKinsey Discover UK (two days in April, deadline in March), BCG's London Insight Programme (two days in September, applications by mid March, then a numerical test and interviews), and BCG's autumn insight days.

Hong Kong

• BCG Greater China runs campaign-based hiring: the full-time deadline was 18 October 2026 and Summer Associate applications open in January; Chinese and English at C2, Cantonese preferred.
• McKinsey Hong Kong recruits in the early autumn on the same interviewer-led case and PEI, with Mandarin strongly preferred; Bain Hong Kong dates were not published at the time of writing, so check the firm page.
• Case style is the same as London. The difference is language: expect at least part of the fit conversation in Cantonese or Mandarin where the role serves Chinese clients.

Singapore

• BCG Southeast Asia hires Associates year-round and closes its Summer Associate campaign in October or November; English only.
• Bain Southeast Asia's ACI internship runs ten weeks from June for penultimate-year students, with the full-time campaigns in February and March and two to three case rounds, usually on NUS, NTU and SMU campus deadlines.
• Bain Singapore cases are reported as candidate-led and more quantitative, with several exhibits; BCG Southeast Asia leans toward discussion.