BCG Casey chatbot: the complete practice guide.

What is Casey?

Casey is BCG's proprietary AI case simulator — a chat-style interface that replaces the first-round human case for most candidates. You get a short business prompt, then Casey walks you through 8 to 10 questions covering structuring, quant, and exhibits, and finishes with a recorded video recommendation.

It replaced BCG's older Potential Test in most offices from 2021 onward. Today Casey (or the closely related CCA) is the dominant BCG online case format worldwide.

How Casey works, step by step

1. Prompt (60–90 seconds). A short business situation — client, industry, decision to make.
2. Structuring (2–4 minutes). Open-text answer: how would you break the problem down?
3. Quantitative questions (3–5 items). Short numeric or multi-select math under a per-question timer.
4. Exhibit interpretation (1–3 items). Charts and tables — pull the insight, don't summarize the chart.
5. Synthesis. A short open-text or multi-select framing the recommendation.
6. Video pitch (60 seconds). Camera-on recommendation to the client.

What Casey actually tests

• Structured thinking under time pressure — MECE breakdowns without an interviewer to nudge you.
• Numeric fluency — clean mental math without a calculator, typical questions 20–90 seconds.
• Chart reading — extracting the driver behind a movement, not describing the chart.
• Executive communication — the video pitch is a proxy for Day-1 client presence.
• Composure — behavioral signals on the video weigh heavily.

How Casey is scored

Scoring runs in two layers. First, BCG's automated engine grades text answers on structure, MECE quality, and numeric accuracy, and grades the video on clarity, pace, and recommendation strength. Second, shortlisted candidates get human review — a real consultant reads your transcript and watches your video.

You never see your score. What you see is a downstream signal: an interview invitation, or a polite rejection.

A time-management framework

Most candidates fail Casey on timing, not content. A repeatable rule set:

• Structuring — commit at 60 seconds. Perfect MECE beats no answer.
• Numeric — round hard. 12% of $487m is "roughly $60m", not 58.44.
• Exhibit — write the insight first, then the number that proves it.
• Video — Recommendation → 3 reasons → 1 risk → next step. Under 60 seconds.

Common failure modes

• Over-structuring — writing five buckets when three would land.
• Freezing on math — hunting for exact figures when a round estimate is enough.
• Describing the exhibit instead of interpreting it.
• Rambling on the video — burying the recommendation in the last 10 seconds.
• Ignoring the client lens — treating the pitch like a math oral, not a client conversation.

Casey vs the CCA

The Casey Capacity Assessment (CCA) is BCG's newer hybrid format used in some markets. It combines Casey-style case work with a longer cognitive block. If your invitation email says "CCA" or "Casey Capacity Assessment", read the CCA guide instead — the prep overlap is high but not identical.

Casey vs the live case

Casey removes the interviewer, which removes the crutches. There's no one to clarify the prompt, throw you a bone on the math, or steer you back on structure. The upside: no interviewer chemistry to worry about. Prep for Casey by drilling first-answer discipline, not conversation skills.

A 2-week Casey prep plan

1. Days 1–2: Read this guide plus the online case guide. Run one full untimed Casey simulation to feel the flow.
2. Days 3–5: Drill mental math (percentages, ratios, growth rates) 20 minutes/day.
3. Days 6–8: Two timed Casey simulations. Review the coach report.
4. Days 9–11: Record five 60-second video pitches for old case prompts.
5. Days 12–13: One final full simulation under real timing.
6. Day 14: Rest. Sleep. Don't touch new material.

The day before

• Test camera, mic, and internet on the exact device you'll use.
• Prepare a clean, well-lit space and a glass of water.
• Sleep 7+ hours. Casey rewards composure more than caffeine.

Related: BCG online case · Online assessment hub · Pymetrics · Cognitive Test.