Key Insights:
- One Case, One Shot: The BCG Casey online case is a single chatbot-led business case with 8 to 10 questions in about 25 to 35 minutes, then a 60-second video recommendation. You can't pause or go back.
- Same Test, New Platform: Casey, the BCG Online Case, the Online Case Experience (OCE) and the HireQuotient online assessment are the same test. The platform changed, but the case format did not.
- Format Prep Wins: The math is basic. Candidates who struggle usually lose time on pacing and the video, so practice timed chatbot cases and record your recommendation before test day.
If BCG just invited you to its online case, this guide is for you. You'll see how the BCG Casey online case works in 2026, every question type with a sample answer, a full worked case, a minute-by-minute time plan, and video scripts you can adapt tonight.
The BCG Casey online case is the first time BCG sees you solve a business problem. It comes before any live case interview, so a strong result moves you to Round 1. Want to see the format before you read further? Open our sample chatbot case.
BCG Casey At A Glance
The BCG Casey online case is one business case, run by a chatbot, followed by a short recorded video. Here are the facts recent candidates report most often.
| Format | One business case led by a chatbot named Casey |
| Questions | 8 to 10, in a fixed order (some have sub-parts) |
| Time | About 25 to 35 minutes for the chatbot section, with a reminder every 5 minutes |
| Video | 5 minutes to prepare, then a 60-second recorded recommendation |
| Platform | HireQuotient, in a chat window that looks like a messaging app |
| Calculator | Recent candidates report a calculator is allowed. Confirm in your invitation |
| Going Back | Not possible. Answers are final once submitted |
| Attempts | One per application. Candidates who took it before won't be asked to take it again |
What Is The BCG Online Case (Casey)?
The BCG online case is a digital case interview where a chatbot named Casey walks you through one client problem, from framing to recommendation. You read prompts and exhibits on screen, answer questions in a chat window, and finish by recording a short video.
The test goes by several names, which confuses many candidates. Casey, the Casey chatbot, the BCG Online Case, the Online Case Experience (OCE) and the BCG HireQuotient online assessment all describe the same test. BCG now delivers it on the HireQuotient platform, which added tighter proctoring and a new look, but the case, timing and skills tested stayed the same. Our BCG HireQuotient online assessment guide covers the platform itself.
Unlike a live case, you can't ask clarifying questions. The case moves one step at a time, and each answer locks before the next prompt appears.
Who Gets The BCG Online Case, And When?
BCG sends the online case to candidates who pass its first screen, not to every applicant. For U.S. campus roles, the online case is the standard step between your application and Round 1. Most invitations arrive within about two weeks of the application deadline, and some candidates receive theirs within days of applying.
Watch your inbox and spam folder for an email with the subject line "Invitation to HireQuotient Online Assessment." You'll have a set window to finish the test, so book a quiet hour early in that window instead of waiting for the last day.
Here's how the BCG process runs for most U.S. applicants:
- Application: Submit your resume and cover letter.
- CCA: All U.S. applicants receive the Consulting Career Assessment 30 to 90 minutes after applying, with 48 hours to complete it.
- Online Case: Candidates who pass the screen receive the Casey invitation.
- Round 1: Live case and fit interviews.
- Final Round: More senior interviewers and deeper cases.
Other offices use different steps. Germany, for example, uses its own cognitive test instead of the CCA. Our BCG recruiting guide covers deadlines and timelines by cycle.
How Is Casey Different From The CCA, Pymetrics And The Potential Test?
Casey is the only BCG online test that gives you a full business case. The others screen for reasoning or behavior. Use this table to identify which test landed in your inbox.
| Casey Online Case | One chatbot business case plus a 60-second video. About 25 to 35 minutes. Sent after the first screen. |
| Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) | Working style questions plus about 8 problem-solving questions in about 12 minutes. 30 to 35 minutes total. Sent to all U.S. applicants within 90 minutes of applying. |
| Pymetrics | Short behavioral games that measure traits like risk tolerance and memory. Used by some offices. |
| Potential Test | An older logic and math test. Phased out in most offices as of 2026. |
| Live Case Interview | Candidate-led cases with a BCG consultant in Round 1 and the final round. See our BCG case interview guide. |
What Questions Does The BCG Casey Online Case Ask?
The BCG Casey online case mixes six question types: dataset selection, structuring, quant, exhibit reading, short written answers and the final video. Each one below has a sample question and a strong answer.
Dataset Selection
The first question is almost always a dataset task. Casey lists about 8 data sources and asks which ones you need. This is your first structuring signal.
Sample: A gym chain wants to know why profits fell. Which three datasets would you review first? Strong answer: Revenue per member over time, member count by location, and cost per location. Skip "social media followers" and "CEO interviews," since neither explains the profit change.
Structuring
Some versions ask you to write a short structure. Others give you a list of categories to select and rank. Either way, keep it MECE and tied to the client's question. Our case interview frameworks guide shows how to adapt a structure to the problem instead of forcing one.
Sample: Rank the four areas to explore first. Strong answer: Lead with the area that answers the client's question directly (for a profit drop, revenue and costs), then market changes, then options to fix it.
Quant
The math covers percentages, margins, breakeven and simple growth. It's basic arithmetic, so speed and accuracy count more than difficulty.
Sample: A product sells for $40 with a 25% margin. What is the profit per unit? Strong answer: $40 x 25% = $10.
Exhibit Reading
Casey shows a chart or table and asks for the takeaway. Read the title, units and axes before you read the bars.
Sample: A chart shows sales by region for three years. Which region should the client prioritize? Strong answer: The region with the fastest growth and a meaningful share of sales, not just the largest region today.
Short Written Answers
Some questions ask for a sentence or two, such as a risk or a next step. Answer first, then give one reason. Write in full sentences, since BCG reads these.
Video Recommendation
The case ends with a 60-second video. You get 5 minutes to prepare, then one take. We cover the template and two scripts below.
What Does A Full BCG Casey Case Look Like?
A full BCG Casey case moves from framing, to math, to judgment, to a recommendation. Here is an MC practice case built in the same style, so you can see how the steps connect.
The Prompt: FreshCrate, a U.S. meal-kit subscription company, wants to know whether it should start selling its kits in grocery stores.
- Pick The Data: Casey offers 8 datasets. Choose grocery meal-kit sales by region, FreshCrate's cost per retail kit, and competitor kit prices in stores. Skip employee survey results, website traffic and office lease costs.
- Structure The Problem: Rank market attractiveness, profit per kit, fit with FreshCrate's operations, and risks. Profit per kit and market size come first, since they decide whether the idea pays.
- Profit Per Kit: A retail kit sells for $24, and the grocer keeps 30%. FreshCrate receives $24 x 70% = $16.80. Cost per kit is $12.60, so profit is $4.20 per kit, a 25% margin on what FreshCrate receives.
- Annual Profit: The plan covers 400 stores selling 30 kits per store per week for 50 weeks. That's 400 x 30 x 50 = 600,000 kits, and 600,000 x $4.20 = $2.52 million in profit per year.
- Read The Exhibit: A survey chart shows 20% of in-store buyers are current subscribers who would switch. Each switch costs $6 of subscription profit. Lost profit is 120,000 kits x $6 = $720,000, so net profit is $1.8 million per year.
- Payback: Launch costs, including shelf fees and a packaging line, total $5 million. Payback is $5 million / $1.8 million, or about 2.8 years.
- Name The Risks: Short shelf life and food waste, grocer bargaining power on price, and lost subscribers beyond the survey estimate.
- Choose The Next Step: Of four options, pick a pilot in about 50 stores in one region to test sell-through and switching before a full launch.
Notice the pattern. Every answer builds on the one before it, so one early math slip carries through the case. Write each number down as you go.
How Do You Answer The 60-Second Video Recommendation?
Answer first, give two or three reasons with numbers, name one risk, and close with a next step. This follows the pyramid principle: the answer comes before the support. BCG is checking whether you communicate like a consultant talking to a client.
- Recommendation (10 Seconds): State yes or no in your first sentence.
- Reasons (30 Seconds): Give two or three reasons, each with one number from the case.
- Risk (10 Seconds): Name the biggest risk and how to reduce it.
- Next Step (10 Seconds): Say what the client should do this quarter.
Script A, A "Yes" Answer: "FreshCrate should launch in grocery stores, starting with a pilot. First, each retail kit earns $4.20 in profit. Second, after lost subscribers, the launch adds about $1.8 million a year and pays back in under three years. The main risk is more subscribers switching than the survey suggests, so we should track switching closely. Next, FreshCrate should run a 50-store pilot in one region this quarter."
Script B, A "No" Answer For A Market Entry Case: "The client should not enter this market now. The market is shrinking about 5% a year, and the client would earn only 8% margins against a 15% target. The biggest risk of waiting is a competitor locking up the best retail partners, so the client should revisit the decision in 12 months. Next, the team should focus on raising margins in the current business."
Use your 5 prep minutes to write three short bullets, not a full script. Reading a script on camera sounds stiff. Practice recording yourself on a webcam until 60 seconds feels natural.
How Should You Pace The 25 To 35 Minutes?
Aim for about 3 minutes per question, front-load your care on the first two questions, and save a 4-minute buffer. Here's a sample plan for a 30-minute case with 8 questions.
| Question 1: Dataset Selection | 3 minutes |
| Question 2: Structuring | 4 minutes |
| Questions 3 To 5: Quant And Exhibits | 4 minutes each, 12 minutes total |
| Questions 6 To 8: Judgment And Short Answers | 2 to 3 minutes each, 7 minutes total |
| Buffer | 4 minutes |
| Video | 5 minutes to prepare, 60 seconds to record |
Use Casey's 5-minute reminders as checkpoints. If you're more than one question behind at a reminder, make your best call on the current question and move on.
How Do You Prepare For The BCG Casey Online Case?
Prepare for format and pacing as much as content: drill basic math, practice timed chatbot cases, and rehearse the video on camera. Your plan depends on how much time you have before your window closes.
If You Have 2 Weeks
- Week 1: Do 15 minutes of math drills a day and work 3 to 4 timed chatbot cases. Review every miss.
- Week 2: Work 3 to 4 more chatbot cases under full test conditions, and record a 60-second recommendation after each one.
If You Have 3 Days
- Day 1: Read this guide, then work one chatbot case untimed to get used to the flow.
- Day 2: Work two timed cases and record two videos.
- Day 3: Work one final timed case, then review your notes on pacing and mistakes.
The Night Before
- Test Your Setup: Check your webcam, microphone, browser and internet connection.
- Clear Your Space: Have paper, a pen and a calculator if your invitation allows one.
- Rest: Skip the late cram. Pacing depends on a fresh head.
Our 28 BCG-style Chatbot Cases mirror the real format, with timed questions, exhibits and a video prompt. They're included in the All Access Pass, and Black Belt clients get them along with coaching from former BCG consultants.
Watch An Ex-BCG Coach Solve A Chatbot Case
Katie, MC's Black Belt Advisor and a former BCG consultant, walks through one of our BCG chatbot cases from the first prompt to the final recommendation.
What Is BCG Looking For In The Online Case?
BCG scores the online case on the same skills it tests in every live interview: structure, analytical thinking, business judgment and communication. The format is new, but the signal is the same.
- Structure: Do you pick the right data and organize the problem before you calculate?
- Analytical Rigor: Are your numbers right, and do you turn them into a "so what"?
- Judgment: Can you make a call with incomplete information and defend it?
- Communication: Is your video short, top-down and confident?
What Are The Most Common BCG Online Case Mistakes?
Most candidates who miss on the BCG online case lose points to pacing and format, not to hard content. Avoid these six.
- Rushing The First Question: Dataset selection sets up the whole case. Take the full 3 minutes.
- Overspending On One Question: No single answer is worth falling 5 minutes behind.
- Skipping The Units: Misreading thousands as millions on an exhibit carries an error through every later question.
- Not Writing Numbers Down: Later questions reuse earlier results. Keep a running list on paper.
- Burying The Answer In The Video: Say your recommendation in the first sentence.
- Treating It Like A Quiz: Casey tests how a consultant thinks. Tie every answer back to the client's question.
The BCG Casey online case feels unfamiliar the first time, and that's the point of practicing it. The math is basic, the cases are standard business problems, and the format rewards preparation. Work a few timed chatbot cases, record your recommendation until it's automatic, and you'll walk into your window ready. When you want expert feedback, our Black Belt program pairs you with former BCG consultants. About 80% of Black Belts land at least one offer, compared with under 3% industry-wide.
Additional Resources:
- BCG HireQuotient Online Assessment
- BCG Consulting Career Assessment (CCA)
- BCG Case Interview
- BCG Pymetrics Test
- BCG Recruiting
- Sample Chatbot Case
- Case Interview Math
- McKinsey Solve
- Case Interview: Complete Prep Guide
BCG Online Case FAQs
Recent candidates report that a calculator is allowed on the BCG online case, unlike a live case interview. Check your invitation email to confirm the rules for your version, and keep paper and a pen nearby to track numbers that later questions reuse.
No. Each answer locks once you submit it, and you can't pause the test. Take enough time on each question to be confident, but don't let one question put you more than a few minutes behind.
The chatbot section takes about 25 to 35 minutes for 8 to 10 questions. After that, you get 5 minutes to prepare and 60 seconds to record your video recommendation. Plan for under an hour in total.
Yes. The HireQuotient online assessment is the current version of the Casey chatbot. BCG moved the test to the HireQuotient platform, which changed the interface and proctoring, but the case format, timing and skills tested stayed the same. See our BCG HireQuotient guide.
No. BCG sends it to candidates who pass the first screen. For U.S. campus roles, it is the standard step before Round 1, and most invitations arrive within about two weeks of the application deadline. Look for the subject line "Invitation to HireQuotient Online Assessment."
No. You get one attempt per application, including one take of the video. BCG also says candidates who have taken the online case before won't be asked to take it again, so treat your first attempt as the one that counts.
BCG doesn't publish how it weighs each part. The video is the only place BCG hears you communicate, so give it the same care as the case questions. Lead with your answer, give two or three reasons with numbers, and close with a next step.
The CCA is a 30 to 35 minute screen of working style and quick problem-solving that all U.S. applicants receive soon after applying. Casey is a full chatbot business case with a video, sent only to candidates who pass the screen.