Does Roland Berger accept applicants from non-Russell-Group universities?

Yes. While the firm recruits heavily from core targets like Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial and Warwick, applications are evaluated holistically. Standout candidates from any university who demonstrate excellent quantitative skills, high analytical capability and an entrepreneurial profile are actively considered.

What is the format of the online reasoning test?

It is an adaptive Korn Ferry (Talent Q) Elements assessment, framed as a roughly 90-minute GMAT-lite screen, combining numerical data interpretation, verbal logic and diagrammatic or pattern reasoning. It runs on a strict per-question timer, and difficulty adapts to your answers.

What is the dress code for the in-person assessment centre?

Strict business formal: a well-tailored business suit, a collared dress shirt, a tie (optional but recommended) or equivalent professional business attire with formal dress shoes. The same standard applies to virtual interviews.

Strategy Consulting

Roland Berger Application Guide

Q: How hard is it to get an offer at Roland Berger London?

It is highly competitive. The London office hires a targeted, selective cohort each year rather than the large intakes of the Big 4 or major US houses, so the selection ratio is low. Roughly 25-30% of applicants pass the CV screen, only 15-20% of HireVue completers advance to live rounds, and around 25-35% of assessment-centre attendees secure offers. Success requires an outstanding academic record, top psychometric performance and strong candidate-led case execution.

Q: Does Roland Berger use interviewer-led or candidate-led cases?

The firm primarily uses candidate-led case studies. The interviewer describes a broad scenario, and it is up to you to structure the problem, form a clear hypothesis, request the necessary data and drive the analysis to a recommendation. If you stop talking and wait for a prompt, the interview stalls.

The leading global strategy consultancy of European heritage, with deep industrial, automotive and restructuring expertise. Every stage of the process, the questions Roland Berger actually asks, and the prep that gets candidates through, in one place.

Practise for Roland Berger

Freeno card

Start practising on Intervyo. Free tools, scored feedback, no payment.

CV Checker, scored against Roland Berger
HireVue practice, AI-scored
Live AI mock interviews with Vyo
Psychometric tests in real formats
Application Tracker

Start practising free

Every interview stage, with AI feedback

Upgrade any time, no commitment

The firm

About Roland Berger

The business today

Roland Berger is the only top-tier global strategy consultancy of European heritage. Founded in Munich in 1967 by its namesake, it has grown into a premium alternative to the traditional American strategy houses. While the industry is historically dominated by MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain), Roland Berger sits at the top of the second-tier strategy firms globally, competing directly on pure strategy mandates while holding an unchallenged position in functional fields like restructuring, operations and industrial transformation.

The business runs a pure advisory, project-based fee model. Rather than depending on long-term implementation, technology outsourcing or auditing, it deploys agile, elite teams to solve high-impact corporate issues: market-entry strategies, cross-border commercial due diligence (CDD), operational turnaround and complex corporate restructurings. Globally it spans over 50 offices across all major continents, and in June 2026 it posted a record year with global revenues crossing EUR 1.01 billion for fiscal year 2025, driven by industrial transformation, process digitisation and cross-border supply-chain reorganisation.

In the UK, Roland Berger operates a focused single-office hub in London (Baker Street), led by UK Managing Partner Michael Knott. The London practice acts as an entrepreneurial challenger against firms like Oliver Wyman, Kearney, Strategy& and L.E.K., differentiating through a highly integrated European staffing model and a legacy in deep industrial sectors. Over the last two to three years the office has shifted to capture high-growth themes: the EV supply-chain ecosystem, energy transition and green-tech infrastructure, and AI-driven operational efficiency.

Culturally, the firm avoids the hyper-standardised, rigid environment of some US competitors. Employees describe London as an entrepreneurial start-up mindset with a premium global brand. Teams are smaller, exposure to senior leadership is immediate, and junior staff are expected to own workstreams far earlier than peers at larger houses. Globally the firm operates under an elected executive management team including Global Managing Partner Stefan Schaible.

Why people apply to Roland Berger

Advises on supply-chain optimisation, procurement and operational efficiency, including network consolidation and decarbonisation roadmaps. Heavy on operational metrics: capacity utilisation, scrap rates, OEE and procurement cost structures.

Interview style

Operational value-chain cases with pragmatic, asset-heavy structuring and clean cost breakdowns.

Moderate-high difficulty

Try it now

Score your CV against Roland Berger's sift

Roland Berger talent acquisition screens thousands of CVs per cycle. Most are read in under 30 seconds. The candidates who get to interview have CVs that signal commercial relevance fast, in the format Roland Berger expects.

What Roland Berger looks for in a CV

Quantified impact

Numbers in every bullet: deal size, team size, percentage uplift, revenue managed. "Led a team" is filler, "led a 6-person team that delivered £400k of revenue" is a signal.

Named firms and deals

Roland Berger recruiters skim for brand names they recognise. Name your prior internships, the deals you observed, the clients you worked on. Specifics beat generic descriptions.

Industry-relevant language

Use the vocabulary of the strategy consulting world: DCF, comps, LBO, league tables, deal flow. Generic "analysed data" reads as not-yet-in-the-industry; the right terms read as ready.

Tight, structured layout

One page max. Reverse-chronological. Three to five bullets per role. No long paragraphs, no dense blocks. The skim test decides the read.

Try it on your own CV

Free, no card. We score on the five dimensions above and tell you what to fix.

CV Review · Demo

Target role (optional)

Drop your CV here

PDF, DOCX, or paste below

Or paste CV text

Free, no card required. Your CV stays private.

The application

How Roland Berger hires

5 stages, real interview questions, the criteria that decide it, and the moves that separate offers from rejections.

The process, stage by stage

1
Online application and CV sift
Opens early September, rolling close late Oct / early Nov
Applications are assessed first-come, first-served. Apply early; a one-page, quantified CV with a firm-specific motivation statement clears the sift.
2
Online reasoning test
Sent within days of passing the CV screen; 7-day window
Korn Ferry (Talent Q) Elements, adaptive with a per-question timer. Accuracy and time discipline beat completion; a wrong answer drops the next question's difficulty and your ceiling.
3
HireVue video interview
Invitation within 3-7 working days of clearing the CV
5 questions, 30s prep, up to 3 minutes recording, no retakes. Lead with an executive summary and reference Roland Berger's European, industrial positioning.
4
First-round interviews
October through December (internships November-January)
Two back-to-back 45-60 minute interviews, each roughly 50/50 fit and a candidate-led case. You own the wheel: structure, hypothesise and ask for data proactively.
5
Final-round assessment centre
November through January, two to three weeks after first round
A 5-7 hour in-person day in London: case rounds, a written case and presentation, a group exercise and a Partner interview. Collaborate, do not dominate the group.

What Roland Berger asks at each round

Motivation

Why strategy consulting, and why specifically Roland Berger over an MBB peer?
Which of our global corporate values resonates most with your personal working style, and why?
What draws you to our positioning in the UK market compared with our footprint in continental Europe?
Which of Roland Berger's public insights or recent industry reports has caught your eye, and what is your take on it?
Why are you applying for our London office rather than continental hubs like Munich or Paris?

Behavioural

Tell me about a time you built something from scratch when there was no blueprint or guidance available.
Describe a situation where you had to convince a senior stakeholder who completely disagreed with your analytical approach.
Give an example of a project where you failed to meet your own expectations. What did you do next?
Tell me about a time you had to lead a diverse team under a tight deadline with incomplete information.
What is the most entrepreneurial thing you have done during your time at university?

Commercial awareness

What is your view on how supply chain decoupling is impacting UK mid-market manufacturing companies?
Advising a major UK legacy automotive dealership network, what structural risks would you flag about the EV transition over the next three years?
Name a major corporate restructuring or bankruptcy in Europe recently. What went wrong structurally?
How should a traditional UK high-street retailer alter its capital expenditure strategy to defend against low-cost digital-native competitors?
What specific industry or business trend are you following closely, and how will it impact our UK clients?

Case and technical

A Tier-1 UK automotive component supplier faces a 12% margin contraction despite stable volumes. Help them figure out why.
A European private equity firm wants to acquire a UK commercial waste management provider. How would you structure the market attractiveness assessment?
Estimate the total annual market size for electric vehicle fast-charging stations along the UK motorway network.
A UK aerospace parts manufacturer is considering moving production to Central Europe. Walk me through the financial and operational trade-offs.
A UK packaging manufacturer faces rising raw material costs but long-term contracts prevent price increases. How can it protect its margins?

Curveballs

Your initial hypothesis was just disproved by the cost data. If the client CEO is in the room, how do you explain your error without losing their trust?
Sell me this half-empty water bottle, but you cannot mention its price or its ability to hydrate.
If I told you your fit performance was below our passing threshold, how would you change your strategy for the remaining 20 minutes?
Describe a scenario where having access to more data would actually degrade a CEO's decision-making.
If you could add a fourth core value to our triad of Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Empathy, what would it be and why?

What Roland Berger looks for

Academic standing

A consistent First or high 2:1 from a recognised university, ideally with strong A-levels (around A*AA), reviewed holistically under contextual grading. Heavy recruiting from Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Warwick, Durham and UCL plus top continental schools such as HEC Paris, Bocconi and St. Gallen, though standout non-target profiles are evaluated.

Quantitative discipline

Fast, accurate mental maths under pressure: currency conversions, percentage changes, CAGR and margin calculations done out loud. STEM and economics backgrounds are well represented, but humanities and law graduates with strong analytical aptitude are actively considered.

Entrepreneurial spirit

Roland Berger prides itself on being less rigid than US competitors. They look for resourceful self-starters who can run with a problem independently, without needing a detailed checklist, and who take ownership of a workstream early.

Candidate-led case ability

You drive the case. Tailor a bespoke framework, state a clear hypothesis, request the exact data you need and propose the next step rather than waiting to be led.

Structured communication

Explaining complex financial or operational concepts simply and logically, with top-down synthesis and clear signposting, without leaning on corporate jargon.

Empathy and coachability

Collaborating maturely in lean teams, taking real-time feedback and adjusting when an interviewer challenges an assumption rather than getting defensive. Multi-language European fluency is a strong asset, though not required for London.

The edge: what separates offers from rejections

Specific moves most applicants skip. None of them need talent, only preparation.

01Reference Roland Berger's European heritage and its industrial, automotive and restructuring leadership in your "why Roland Berger", not generic prestige.
02Name a real UK or European focus area (EV supply chains, energy transition, industrial AI, grid access) and the trend driving it.
03Master the candidate-led case: structure a bespoke issue tree, state a hypothesis and explicitly request the data you need.
04Build operational frameworks (industrial value chain, restructuring and liquidity, supply-constrained market sizing) rather than dropping textbook 4Ps or Porter's Five Forces.
05Do case maths out loud, state your units and tie every number back to the client's objective with a clear "so what".
06In the group exercise, facilitate: set the time plan, synthesise others and keep the team to the clock instead of dominating.

Prep, stage by stage

Drill each Roland Berger round

Dedicated pages for the four rounds Roland Berger runs. Practise each one free on Intervyo.

Psychometric Tests

SHL, Cappfinity, Watson-Glaser and more, in the exact format Roland Berger uses.

HireVue

Real Roland Berger questions, identical timer, scored on six competencies.

Live Interview

Conversational mocks tuned to Roland Berger's style, with follow-ups.

Assessment Centre

Case work, technicals, group exercises. Full-day rehearsal.

Pay & culture

Working at Roland Berger

What they pay

Graduate

£60,000-£65,000

Internship

Pro-rata of the £60,000-£65,000 base across the summer placement

Perks

Sign-on / relocation payment of £3,000-£5,000Private medical insurancePension schemeCorporate gym accessEarly, direct exposure to Partners and C-suite clients in lean teamsCross-border European project staffing

Firm	Comp	Hours / week	Exit options
McKinsey / BCG / Bain	£65,000-£72,000	High, structured	Elite PE, hedge funds, top MBA, FTSE strategy
Oliver Wyman	£65,000-£70,000	Fast-paced	Strong PE and corporate strategy
Kearney	£60,000-£65,000	Project-driven	Operations leadership and corporate strategy
L.E.K. / OC&C	£55,000-£63,000	Rapid case sprints	Mid-market PE and corporate development

What working at Roland Berger is like

An entrepreneurial, start-up mindset paired with a premium global brand; described as more flexible and less corporate than rigid US houses.
Lean teams and a flat hierarchy: junior consultants work directly alongside Partners and own complex models and client-facing decks early.
Hours are project-driven: roughly 08:30 to 19:30-20:00 on corporate strategy work, extending past 22:00-23:00 on private equity due diligence or fast-turnaround restructuring; weekend work is rare and actively managed.
A practical hybrid policy: typically three days a week in the office or on client site, with flexibility to work remotely the rest of the week.
Core values of Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Empathy anchor the culture (the first-round material also cites Teamwork as a fourth), with entrepreneurship weighted heavily in the UK.

Timeline

When Roland Berger programmes open and close

By programme. Use these dates to plan applications across the cycle and submit early on rolling lines.

Programme	Opens	Closes	Assessment	Offers	Notes
Graduate / Junior Consultant (direct hire and returning interns)	Early September	Late October / early November (can close early)	October - December	November - January	Assessed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis. Applying early provides a distinct advantage before interview slots fill.
Penultimate-year summer internship	September	Mid-November	November - January	December - February	A formal end-of-summer review converts strong performers into direct graduate-scheme return offers.
Off-cycle internship	Ad-hoc (typically mid-winter or spring on project need)	Rolling	Rolling, often within 48 hours of an aligned CV	Year-round	Runs for 3 to 6 months. Prized by graduates or masters students with flexible graduation timelines.
Spring week / first-year insight	October / November	Early January	January - February	February onwards	A 3-to-5-day immersion of skills workshops, networking and a mock case. High performers can fast-track to the summer internship interviews.

FAQ

Roland Berger application questions

How hard is it to get an offer at Roland Berger London?

It is highly competitive. Because the London office hires a targeted, selective cohort rather than the large intakes of the Big 4 or major US houses, the selection ratio is low. Roughly 25-30% of applicants pass the CV screen, only 15-20% of HireVue completers advance, and around 25-35% of assessment-centre attendees secure offers. Success requires an outstanding academic record, top psychometric performance and strong candidate-led case execution.

What exact undergraduate grade profile do I need?

You generally need a verified or predicted First Class or high 2:1 honours degree from a recognised university, ideally with strong A-levels (around A*AA). The firm reviews applications holistically under contextualised grading.

What is the exact format of the online reasoning test?

It is an adaptive Korn Ferry (Talent Q) Elements assessment, framed as a roughly 90-minute GMAT-lite screen across numerical data interpretation, verbal logic and diagrammatic / pattern reasoning. It runs on a strict per-question timer, and the difficulty of each question adapts to your previous answer.

Does Roland Berger use interviewer-led or candidate-led cases?

Primarily candidate-led. The interviewer describes a broad business scenario, and it is up to you to structure the problem, form a clear hypothesis, request the necessary data and drive the analysis to a recommendation. If you wait passively for prompts, the interview stalls and you fail the candidate-led bar.

What happens if I make a mathematical error during a case interview?

A minor arithmetic mistake will not automatically disqualify you if your underlying logic is sound. If you realise you made an error, stay calm, walk the interviewer through your correction out loud, and adjust your calculations systematically. The firm cares more about practical problem-solving logic than robotic perfection.

Are international language skills mandatory for the London office?

No. English is the baseline operating language for London. However, given Roland Berger's deep European integration and cross-border project staffing, fluency in a second European language such as German, French or Italian is a valuable asset.

What is the conversion rate from a summer internship to a full graduate offer?

The conversion rate is traditionally high. If an intern demonstrates strong quantitative skills, collaborative teamwork and structured problem-solving over the summer, the firm looks to extend a permanent return offer for the graduate scheme via a formal end-of-summer review.

What is the reapplication policy if I am rejected?

The firm typically implements a 12-month cooling-off period. Candidates unsuccessful at the CV sift or interview stages are encouraged to reapply during the following academic year's cycle, using the time to build their profile through analytical roles, case competitions and leadership positions.

Does Roland Berger sponsor visas for international applicants?

Yes, on a case-by-case basis. Roland Berger evaluates Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for its core full-time graduate intakes, subject to candidates meeting prevailing Home Office salary thresholds and criteria. International graduates of UK universities can also use the two-year Graduate Route visa before transitioning to long-term sponsorship.

Does the firm provide detailed feedback after a rejection?

Due to the high volume of early-stage applications, the firm cannot provide individual feedback at the CV sift or online-assessment stages. However, personalised professional feedback is typically offered to candidates who reach the interview and assessment-centre rounds.

How not to fail

Mistakes that cost candidates Roland Berger offers

Specific failure modes the firm screens out. None of these need talent to avoid, only awareness.

01Treating cases as interviewer-led. Waiting passively for the next data point stalls a candidate-led case. State your hypothesis and explicitly request the specific data you need to move forward.
02Using memorised, generic frameworks. Dropping a rigid Porter's Five Forces or 4Ps onto a complex industrial or operational case looks formulaic. Tailor your structure to the specific business issue.
03Failing the "so what" test. Presenting numbers without explaining their strategic significance. Always connect findings back to the client's core objectives.
04Neglecting the fit component. Over-preparing cases and ignoring your personal narrative. A weak motivation or experience story can block an offer even with strong case performance.
05Dominating the group case study. Controlling the final-round group session or shutting down peers signals a lack of the collaborative teamwork consulting requires.
06Weak commercial awareness. Being unable to discuss basic current trends like supply-chain regionalisation, energy transition or industrial AI integration.
07A wordy, non-quantitative CV. Describing past responsibilities in long paragraphs without clear, data-backed metrics that demonstrate real impact.

If you are rejected

What to do next

Receiving a rejection is a common part of elite consulting recruitment. Roland Berger maintains a strict 12-month reapplication policy: use the time to secure an analytical or corporate-strategy role, strengthen quantitative skills through case competitions or certifications, and take on leadership roles that add clear impact metrics to your CV for the next cycle.

Second-tier strategy houses

Kearney, Oliver Wyman, Strategy& or L.E.K. Consulting recruit across the UK market on similar timelines.

Specialist and independent boutiques

OC&C Strategy Consultants, Cordence Worldwide or sector-specific advisory boutiques.

Big 4 management consulting

Deloitte (including Monitor Deloitte), EY-Parthenon, KPMG or PwC strategy streams.

Diagnose and fix the stage

If you fell at the CV or test, sharpen quantified bullets and drill adaptive Korn Ferry practice; if at interview, rehearse candidate-led cases and coachable responses to pushback.

Practise free

Walk into Roland Berger prepared

Practise every stage on Intervyo with AI-scored feedback: HireVue, psychometrics, live mock interviews, and CV. Free to start, no card required.

Start practising free

Free tools, upgrade any time

Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Roland Berger. Process details are sourced from past applicants, the firm's published guidance and our own research; verify timings on the firm's official careers site before applying. Last updated 2 July 2026.

Roland Berger