BCG Online Case Assessment

User reference guide & helpful tips

2021
Welcome to BCG!

In preparation for your upcoming Online Case

Assessment with BCG, we have created this
short document to help you get ready.

Please take the time to read through this

document, which explains what you can
expect during the Online Case Assessment,
and provides some tips and tricks to help you
be successful!

Best of luck!

1
What is BCG's Online Case Assessment?
What can you expect?

Format
100% online, taken from your home on your personal computer;
conducted by our chatbot, Casey

Duration
~30 minutes: short introduction video + 25 min to complete the
case + 1-min video recording at the end

Assessment Details
Case consists of 8-10 questions + a video recording at the end

Questions can be multiple choice, short answer, or fill-in

At the end, you will be asked to answer a question over video. You
will have 1 minute to prepare, and 1 minute to record the video.
2
Example of the case interface (1 of 3)

Casey will guide you through the test questions, and give
you relevant context as needed 3
Example of the case interface (2 of 3)

You will be asked some

multiple-choice questions;
please read the questions
carefully

Casey will occasionally remind

you of remaining time until the
end of the test
You can also view the running
countdown clock in the top right
corner
4
Example of the case interface (3 of 3)
Start screen Preparing your answer (60 sec) Recording your answer (60 sec)

At the end, you will need to After you click “Start Recording”, Once recording starts, a timer on
record a video of yourself the question will appear. There the top left will let you know how
will be a countdown to let you many seconds you have left to
When prompted, please allow know how many seconds you record.
myInterview.com to use your have left.
microphone and camera
The recording starts after the
Click “Start Recording” to countdown runs out, or click
begin the process. “Start Now” to begin recording.
5
Tips to set you up for success before
you take the online case assessment
• We recommend that you complete this practice case prior to your formal
assessment, to familiarize yourself with the format.
Note: the practice case is shorter than the real case and does not include the video recording. But it has the
same level of the difficulty as the real assessment.

• You will have 25 mins to complete the assessment. Casey will help you keep track
of time, however, please plan accordingly.

• You will not be able to go back and reference exhibits, review, or change previous
answers.

• All answer submissions are final. You must work through the case in the order of
questions asked. You will not receive your final score.

• You will have only 1 attempt to record your 1-min video at the end of the
assessment:
– You will be given 1 min to prepare your answer, and 1 min to record your delivery via video

• Please refer to the following FAQs for additional technical information

6
Tips & tricks during the assessment: time management
Countdown clock on the right
corner helps you to track how
much time left

Before every question, you'll

see question number and how
many questions left
Every 5 minutes you'll have a
pop-up reminder on how much
time left
7
Assumed knowledge & glossary of key terms
Remember, this is a 'real' case study assessment, you should prepare for this test as you would a regular case study
interview. That means some business knowledge will be required, as well as some analytical problem solving – we
strongly recommend that you practice case study interviews before attempting the test. In order to help get you started
we have included an initial & non-exhaustive glossary of business terms below, to give you an idea of the kind of
language that may be used in the assessment.

• R evenue/Sales: the total amount of money received by a business for providing goods and services. This is often calculated as the number of units sold multiplied by the price.

• Fi xed costs: business costs that are not dependent on the amount of goods or services produced by the business. Fixed costs usually include things like rent and interest.

• Variable costs: business costs that change as the amount of goods and services produced by a business changes. Variable costs may include things like raw materials or delivery
costs. Variable cost per unit refers to total variable costs divided by units sold.

• Gross profit: the income of a business remaining after the costs of production and distribution (typically, the variable costs associated with producing the goods or services) have
been subtracted from revenue.

• N et profit: the income of a business given by revenue minus all costs and expenses that the business incurs.

• M arket share: the portion of an industry controlled by a given business. A firm's market share by revenue is typically calculated as its revenue divided by the combined revenue of
all businesses in the same industry.

• Complementary goods: products which tend to be consumed together share a beneficial relationship with other products (e.g. an iPhone and mobile applications). Thus, increasing
demand for one tends to increase demand for the other.

• Substitute goods: products which can be used for the same or similar purposes. Substitute goods can be considered interchangeable (e.g. skim milk and semi-skim milk).

• Expected profit: The profit that a business expects to make, weighted by the probability of all potential profit outcomes. For example, if there is a 60% chance that a business will
make $100,000 on a deal, and 40% chance that it will lose $50,000, then the expected profit on the deal is 60% x $100,000 + 40% x (-$50,000) = $40,000.
8
 How do I access the test? What if I don't receive an invitation email?
An invitation email will be sent to you from our technology partner, Impress. Please follow the
instructions on the invitation email to start the assessment.

If you do not receive the email, please check your junk/spam folder for an email from
website@impress.ai.

If you still do not see an email, reach out to your recruiter and they will re-send you the link

Frequently What hardware and other technical requirements are needed to complete this test?

Asked A webcam-enabled laptop and a calculator are both required for this test. Do not access the test on
a mobile phone.

Questions Please use Chrome, Firefox, or Opera as the web browser. Do not use Internet Explorer. Google
Chrome is the preferred browser for this test. Please disable VPN.

(1 of 3) Please ensure that you have a stable internet connection while taking the test, especially because
you will need to record a video of yourself and the end.

8
 Do I have to complete the test in one sitting?
Yes, you need to complete the test in one sitting, as the timer will continue to run even if you are
logged out.

If you are interrupted, you can log back in using the same invitation email and password. You will
be brought back to the same place where you left off, but time will have elapsed.

Frequently I can't see all of the question content in my test browser – what should I do?
You may find it useful to zoom out on your browser in order to fit all the text in one screen. (For

Asked instructions on how to do this in Chrome, click here)

Questions How do I troubleshoot if my webcam isn't properly connected to the technical platform
for the video portion of the exam?
(2 of 3) Your webcam should automatically connect to the platform. However, in the unlikely event that this
occurs, please ensure that other applications that may access or interfere with your webcam (such
as other videoconferencing apps) are switched off. If your browser continues to experience issues
accessing your webcam, try rebooting, changing to another approved browser (Chrome, Firefox,
Opera), or to another computer.

Do note that if the internet connection is slightly unstable, the video service may take up to 30
seconds to connect and initiate. If you continue to experience issues, please try again with another
Internet connection.

9
 What if a testing session is interrupted because of poor internet connection or accidental
closure of the chat bot?
Click “Refresh” on your browser. You will not lose the progress that you have made and will be able
to get back to the same question through the invitation link within 25 mins after the moment when
your test began. All answers will be recorded in the platform. Delays can be minimized by ensuring
that you have a stable internet connection.

Frequently My exhibits won't load / open in one of the questions – what do I do?

Asked Please refresh the page if you face delays in loading either the exhibit or the bot (click on the
refresh button on the browser, or highlight the weblink and press enter).

Questions
What do I do if I am unable to record the video portion?
(3 of 3) While unlikely this will happen, we will still have your quantitative/general test results. We suggest
you self-record your answer to the video recommendation prompt using your mobile phone or
other device and send this recording to your recruiter.

Will I know my score at the end of the interview?

No. Similar to a live or face-to-face case interview, you will not know how you scored in the Online
Case Assessment. Note that scoring varies by question type, and each question may carry a
different weight.

10
bcg.com