bain problem solving test

Bain Online Test: Formats, Samples, Guide (2024)

The Bain Online Test seems to be all the rage recently. Considering the spike of interest and questions I receive from my readers, I decided to write this comprehensive guide.

As it turns out, Bain Online Test is not that different from the popular aptitude tests, or the more specialized tests used at McKinsey or BCG. In this article I’ll explain the most common formats of the Bain Online Test, give you a few samples, and tell you how to prepare for each of them. 

Bain Online Test overview & format

What is bain online test.

Bain Online Test or Bain Online Assessment is a collection of pre-interview screening tests used by Bain & Company . It assesses the candidate on verbal, numerical and logical reasoning, often using 25-30 multiple choice questions done in 30-50 minutes. No business background is required. The tests are computer-based, although some offices require physical attendance at proctored sites.

In Bain’s recruitment process, the Online Test stands between resume screening and interviews or accompanies resume screening. The purpose is to filter out candidates without the necessary skills or traits even before interviews – minimizing lost consultant-hours while maximizing recruitment scope and selection effectiveness.

Bain Online Test assesses the candidate on skills and traits necessary for consulting work – no prior experience is needed. However, many tests are put in business context, and under tight time limits, so advance practice and some background knowledge is essential.

Unlike the more well-known McKinsey PST, “Bain Online Test” is not a uniform test applied in all offices across the world. In fact, even whether any test is implemented at all depends on each Bain office. The test designer, format, and specific question types all vary from place to place. Additionally, very little official information is disclosed, making it difficult to prepare with precision as with the PST.

Fortunately, most tests at different Bain offices are similar in structure and underlying principles. That means you can indeed prepare for those tests with the same general approach.

Bain Online Test formats

Currently, the Bain Online Test may include the following components:

• Aptitude Test: tests the cognitive abilities of the candidate – namely logical, numerical, and verbal reasoning – similar to common aptitude tests available online.
• Personality Test: requires the candidate to rate “most likely” and “least likely” on given traits to decide their “fit” with Bain culture and consulting job nature.
• Analytical Test: this format is based on the GMAT, with questions on critical reasoning, data sufficiency, and problem-solving.
• Business Case Test: this format presents a full business case along with multiple-choice questions – similar to the McKinsey PST and BCG Potential Tes t.
• One-Way Video Interview: this is not so much a “test”, but in certain offices, it does appear during the testing round, so make sure to prepare yourself; this interview includes both behavioral and case questions.

In this article, we’ll first address the two common online formats – collectively called  “psychometric test” , before moving on to the less-popular case tests, GMAT-based tests and video interviews.

Bain Online Test passing score / cut-off rate

Bain Online Test passing score / cut-off rate is about about 70-75% according to test-takers’ report, although Bain does not explicitly state an official figure. This score is similar to other consulting screening tests such as McKinsey PST or BCG Potential Test; and since the difficulty of Bain Online Test is not markedly different, one should expect an acceptance rate of around 30-35%.

Aptitude Test Package

Simulating most common test publishers, this package provides you with 1400+ numerical, verbal and logical reasoning questions. Ace the aptitude test with our practical study guides tailored to each question type.

Bain psychometric test – Aptitude test

Aptitude test is currently reported to be the most common format of the Bain Online Test – so make sure to prepare extensively. They are also used in many other firms as well (not just Bain or consultancies), so good practice will enhance your chances in all kinds of jobs.

Certain Bain offices, such as Bain UK, utilize aptitude tests designed by SHL, Cubiks, or SOVA, consisting of 3 question types: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and logical reasoning. Currently, Bain tests from SOVA appears to be the most common among Bain offices.

Question type 1: Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning questions provide the candidate with passages of text, followed by multiple-choice questions, mainly in the True/False/Cannot Say format. They supposedly test the candidate’s ability to comprehend complex written language.

These questions are similar to Reading Facts and Fact-Based Conclusion Questions from the PST. Here are a few examples of verbal reasoning questions from SHL :

EXERCISE – VERBAL REASONING

Many organizations find it beneficial to employ students over the summer. Permanent staff often wish to take their own holidays over this period. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for companies to experience peak workloads in the summer and so require extra staff. Summer employment also attracts students who may return as well-qualified recruits to an organization when they have completed their education. Ensuring that the students learn as much as possible about the organization encourages interest in working on a permanent basis. Organizations pay students on a fixed rate without the usual entitlement to paid holidays or bonus schemes.

Statement 1: It is possible that permanent staff who are on holiday can have their work carried out by students.

C. Cannot Say

This statement is true (Option A) as the passage states: “Many organizations find it beneficial to employ students over the summer. Permanent staff often wish to take their own holidays over this period.”

Statement 2: Students in summer employment are given the same paid holiday benefit as permanent staff.

This statement is false (Option B) as the passage states: “Organisations pay students on a fixed rate without the usual entitlement to paid holidays or sick leave.”

Statement 3: Students are subject to the organization’s standard disciplinary and grievance procedures.

We cannot say whether this statement is true or false  (Option C) as the passage does not make reference to the discipline or grievance procedures for students.

Statement 4: Some companies have more work to do in the summer when students are available for vacation work.

This statement is true  (Option A) as the passage states: “Furthermore, it is not uncommon for companies to experience peak workloads in the summer…”.

Question type 2: Numerical reasoning

Numerical reasoning questions present facts and figures in statistical tables, which the candidate must use to answer multiple-choice questions. In each question, there is only one correct answer. These questions are supposed to test the candidate’s ability to work with quantitative data.

These questions are similar to Word Problems from the PST:

Here are a few examples of numerical questions from SHL:

EXERCISE – NUMERICAL REASONING

Question 1: Which newspaper was read by a higher % of females than males in Year 3?

A. The Tribune

B. The Herald

C. Daily News

D. Daily Echo

E. The Daily Chronicle

Answer: D

To answer this question, you need to compare the data in the column ‘Percentage of adults reading each paper in Year 3’ from the Newspaper Readership table. The only newspaper with more female than male readers is the Daily Echo. Therefore, the answer is D.

Question 2: What was the combined readership of the Daily Chronicle, the Daily Echo, and The Tribune in Year 1?

To answer this question, you need to look at the data in the “Year 1 Readership (millions)” column from the Newspaper Readership Table. To calculate the combined readership for the three newspapers mentioned, add the readership numbers. Therefore, the solution to this answer would be calculated as follows: The Daily Chronicle readership = 3.6 million; Daily Echo readership = 4.8 million; The Tribune readership = 1.1 million => TOTAL READERSHIP = 9.5 million.

Question 3: In Year 3, how much more than Italy did Germany spend on computer imports?

A. 650 million

B. 700 million

C. 750 million

D. 800 million

E. 850 million

To answer this question, you need to look at the figures from Germany and Italy for Year 3 in the ‘Amount Spent on Computer Imports’ graph. Germany spent 1,400 million Euros and Italy spent 700 million Euros. To work out how much more Germany spent than Italy, simply calculate the difference (1,400 million – 700 million), which leaves 700 million euros. Therefore, the answer is B.

Question 4: If the amount spent on computer imports into the United Kingdom in Year 5 was 20% lower than in Year 4, what was spent in Year 5?

A. 1,080 million

B. 1,120 million

C. 1,160 million

D. 1,220 million

E. 1,300 million

To answer this question, you need to look at the figures from the UK in Year 4 from the ‘Amount Spent on Computer Imports’ graph. From here, we can see that 1,400 million euros was spent in Year 4. To calculate the amount spent on computer imports in Year 5, we need to calculate 20% of 1,400 million: 1,400 (million) x 0.20 = 280 million (this is 20% of 1,400 million) 1,400 million – 280 million = 1,120 million. Therefore, the answer is B.

Question type 3: Logical reasoning

Logical reasoning questions are further divided into three types: inductive, deductive, and abductive.

The first type – inductive reasoning – is currently popular at Bain offices – but you should spend some time to prepare for the other types as well.

INDUCTIVE REASONING

Inductive reasoning is about using a specific case to infer general rules.

Inductive reasoning questions – also known as “abstract reasoning questions” – are the most common logical reasoning questions in recruitment processes. In these questions, the candidate is often required to complete a logical sequence (of shapes, numbers, or texts); the result reflects the ability of the candidate to handle abstract concepts and unfamiliar information – essential in problem-solving.

Here is an inductive reasoning question from SHL:

EXERCISE – INDUCTIVE REASONING

Complete the following sequences:

Answer - Question 1: E

In this example, there are two rules to follow. The first is that the centre of the circle follows the pattern that alternate circles have a dot in the centre. Following this rule, the next diagram in the sequence does not have a dot in the centre. Therefore, the correct answer must be C or E. The second rule is that the arrows change the direction that they point from up to down to back up again. Following this, the next diagram in the sequence must contain an arrow that points down. Therefore, the correct answer is E.

Answer - Question 2: D

In this example, there are two rules to follow. The first is that the semi-circle and semi-rectangle swap positions. Following this rule, the next diagram in this sequence will contain a semi-rectangle on the left side of the pattern and a semi-circle on the right side of the pattern. Therefore, the correct answer is C, D or E. The second rule is that small black square rotates clockwise. Following this pattern, the next diagram will contain a small back square at the bottom of the box. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Answer - Question 3: D

In this example, there are two rules to follow. The first is that the circle rotates around the inside of the hexagon in an anti-clockwise direction. Following this rule, the next diagram will have a circle in the top corner of the hexagon. Therefore, the answer must be D. This can be confirmed by following the second rule that the black triangle alternates position from the bottom left of the hexagon to the top right and back to the bottom left again. Following this pattern, the next diagram must contain a black triangle in the top right corner of the hexagon. This confirms that the answer is D.

Answer - Question 4: B

In this example, there is one rule to follow. This is because the square and triangle slowly move towards the centre and finally merge. The next diagram must contain the square and triangle fully merged and therefore, the answer is B.

DEDUCTIVE REASONING

Deductive reasoning is the opposite of inductive – it’s about applying general rules or known facts to a specific case.

Deductive reasoning questions are less common than inductive questions. They often present the candidate with a set of facts, which the candidate must use to decide whether a certain statement is true/not true, or choose a “true/not true” statement from multiple options.

Here is an example deductive reasoning question from SHL:

EXERCISE – DEDUCTIVE REASONING

Nicole and all of her co-workers wear blue uniforms.

Andrew works with Nicole.

Olivia does not wear a blue uniform.

Everyone who wears a blue uniform also wears a white shirt.

Which statement must be true?

A. Olivia wears a white shirt.

B. Olivia does not work with Nicole.

C. Some of Nicole’s co-workers do not wear white shirts.

D. Olivia is a co-worker of Nicole.

E. Nicole does not wear a white shirt.

The question asks us to find the “must be true” statement ⇒ The correct answer must be the statement that is always TRUE based on the given premises.

Option A: Olivia wears a white shirt.

Since “Olivia does not wear a blue uniform” and “Everyone who wears a blue uniform also wears a white shirt”, we cannot be sure whether Olivia wears a white shirt. ⇒ We cannot say option A.

Option B: Olivia does not work with Nicole.

“Nicole and all of her co-workers wear blue uniforms”, but “Olivia does not wear a blue uniform” ⇒ Olivia is not Nicole’s co-worker. ⇒ Option B is true.

Option C: Some of Nicole’s co-workers do not wear white shirts.

As mentioned in the 1st premise, all of Nicole’s co-workers wear blue uniforms and “Everyone who wears a blue uniform also wears a white shirt” ⇒ Option C cannot be true.

Option D: Olivia is a co-worker of Nicole.

All of Nicole’s co-workers wear blue uniforms, but Olivia does not wear a blue uniform. ⇒ Option D is eliminated.

Option E: Nicole does not wear a white shirt.

Nicole wears a blue uniform, and “Everyone who wears a blue uniform also wears a white shirt”. Thus, Nicole also wears a white shirt. ⇒ Option E cannot be true.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

ABDUCTIVE REASONING

Abductive reasoning is the most difficult among these three types, where the candidate must piece together a few facts to reach the most likely conclusion. Abductive reasoning questions rarely appear in recruitment processes, but candidates should at least familiarize themselves with this kind of reasoning to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Here is an example of abductive reasoning:

• When it rains, the trees get wet.
• The trees are wet.
• Therefore, it probably rained.

Bain psychometric test – Personality test

What does it look like.

Many offices of Bain utilize a personality test to assess the “fit” part of the candidate even before interviews. The exact details of the test remain obscure; however, Bain certainly uses a common format for the personality test, where you rate yourself on behavioral tendencies.

Candidates applying to Bain London office have reported a test based on SOVA’s personality test, so here are five example personality questions from SOVA:

How am I assessed?

The SOVA test assesses the following dimensions or traits. Bain’s personality test is likely to be similar – at least that’s what we know for Bain UK.

• Managing Complexity measures your ability to comprehend and solve complex problems
• Engaging with Others measures your leadership, persuasion, confidence, assertiveness, and openness
• Resilience measures your ability to handle stress and pressure
• Learning measures your willingness and ability to learn, as well as flexibility
• Decision-Making measures your strength of opinion and strategic approach
• Innovation measures your creativity and adaptability
• Self-drive / Motivation measures your willingness to spend extra efforts to achieve goals

There’s no hard “passing score” for each trait. These tests use the results to build your personality profile, and if it appears similar to Bain consultants, you will pass.

What should I keep in mind?

Relax and be yourself in these personality tests.

Don’t even think about faking your personality to get in. Here’s why:

• They can spot people who deliberately choose favorable traits – most of the time, the personality profile of those people look unnatural, with many conflicting traits here and there. Additionally, many test systems have trackers to rule them out even during testing.
• If you can cheat your way in, most likely you’ll fail the fit interview . It’s not too hard to trick a machine, but not senior consultants with many years of experience.

Note: Situational Judgment Test

Situational Judgment Tests or SJTs are becoming increasingly common as a substitute for separate aptitude and personality tests.

These tests put the candidate in common workplace situations and ask the candidate to deliver solutions. They are dual-purpose tests, subtly measuring both cognitive abilities and personality traits at the same time, while also being much more relevant to the workplace.

While I have not received any reports about Bain using SJTs, it remains a possibility. Should you come across any information about SJTs at Bain offices, or go through those tests yourself, feel free to comment at the end of this article.

Bain Online Test – Business case test

This format is quite similar to McKinsey PST and BCG Potential Test ; the test is reported as either paper-based and computer-based – although the 2016 “Tips for Candidates” handout of the Sao Paulo office makes no explicit statement. The Business Case Test is used in South America and South-East Asia.

The South American version gives 2 cases, 15 multiple-choice questions, and a time limit of 45 minutes. The South-East Asia version gives 3 cases, 25 questions, and 50 minutes to answer.

The test is chart-heavy, much like real consulting presentations. Each case is accompanied by 5-7 charts. You can get a glimpse in the screenshot below:

4 types of questions exist in business case test:

• Reading facts questions require the candidate to read and understand data (in this case, mostly charts and numbers), then choose a statement that accurately reflects the data.
• Math word problems require the candidate to perform complex calculations – don’t worry, they are no harder than school math, but you do need to be careful handling big numbers.
• Fact-based conclusion questions are similar to deductive reasoning – using facts to identify correct/incorrect statements in a given set.
• Solution-recommendation questions ask the candidate to choose an alternative from a given set, based on the data in the case.

3 out of the 4 questions above are present in the McKinsey PST as well. I have written an extensive guide on the PST, where I go in-depth into each and every question type – so if you want to absolutely nail those questions, check out this article: The ultimate guide to McKinsey PST

Bain Online Test – GMAT-based analytical test

Bain Analytical Test is similar to GMAT; they are either paper-based and computer-based, like the Business Case Test. It is used by Bain’s South American offices. Each test contains 15 questions, to be completed in 25 minutes.

There are 3 kinds of questions – all of them are multiple-choice questions from GMAT:

• Critical reasoning questions combine logical and verbal reasoning. These questions present an argument then ask the candidates to strengthen, weaken, evaluate, negate, etc. the given argument. There are 6 questions of this type in 2016.
• Data sufficiency questions combine logical and numerical reasoning. These questions present a question and two statements, then ask whether the given statements are sufficient to answer the question. There are 5 questions of this type in 2016.
• Problem-solving questions are the same as word problems in the McKinsey PST – which require constructing and solving math problems in worded contexts. The problems are usually quite simple compared to school math. There are 4 questions of this type in 2016.

Bain one-way video interview

This one is not exactly a “test”, but it often features in the testing round, so I feel like it would be better to put in here, instead of the other article on BCG & Bain Interviews.

Bain One-Way Video Interview is conducted through HireVue – a well-known video interview platform. The interview lasts 20-25 minutes in total, with 3 questions. For each question, you are allocated 5 minutes to prepare and 2 minutes to deliver the answer. You have only one attempt at answering each question.

The interview contains both fit questions and case questions. You need to know the basics of case interviews and do some practice in advance – I have written an all-in-one guide right here, so take a look; proper case interview prep takes about 1-2 months at least, so it will only do you good to start even before the tests – heck, even before application.

As for fit questions, be careful to keep your answers highly structured, while displaying the three main attributes of a consultant – leadership, achieving, and problem-solving. Try to apply story-telling techniques – which I discussed in this consulting fit interview guide. The questions are typical for a job interview: “why Bain/why consulting?”, “tell me about that one time you did [insert extraordinary feats]” or “how would you respond in [insert difficult situation]?”.

In all cases, keep your answers short, (but not too short). Your answer should fit nicely into the 2-minute time limit – about 1:50-1:55 is ideal. Prepare your scripts in advance, take note whether you tend to drag on or cut short when under pressure, then adjust accordingly (for example, if you are the “drag on” type, aim for a 1:30-1:40 answer under normal conditions).

Last but not least, dress the part and prepare your setup well. Nothing says “Don’t hire me” like bed hair distorted mic, and lousy lighting. It’s an online, one-way, video interview, but it’s an interview nonetheless, so treat it like any other serious job interview.

How to prepare for Bain Online Test?

Step 1. verify test format.

The first step when preparing for Bain Online Test is to make sure you prepare for the right one!

Do prior research, use your connections, or even contact the target office to find out as many details as possible about their version of the test. Remember, each Bain office is free to decide what, when, where, and how to test their candidates.

Step 2. Practice mental math and numerical reasoning

You cannot escape math. Period.

As I already explained, whatever test format a Bain office uses, there is always going to be math questions. Math is a crucial skill for a consultant, and it is tested in case interviews anyway, so there’s no reason to not start early.

Focus on consulting/business-context math, and mental calculations (because this is a consulting screening test, and calculators are usually prohibited). Most of them are simple calculations/equations, except you need to be careful with large numbers, and you must be quick considering the time pressure.

It’s not difficult to train quick and accurate mental calculations – I believe anyone can do it. Here’s a tried-and-true mental math method I developed and used at McKinsey. 

Step 3. Practice fast reading and verbal reasoning

There is a lot of data to process, but only 30-90 seconds for each question, so you must read fast. Really fast. Luckily, I also know 2 techniques to help you with that. I wrote about them in this article , but here is a quick summary.

• The first one, called “Trackers and Pacers” speed up and smooth out your eye movements. The natural, snappy eye movement is a major bottleneck, preventing your brain from fully using its comprehension ability. That’s why you see many experienced readers using pens/pencils to “guide” their eyes in the reading process.
• The second one, called “Perceptual Expansion” , makes full use of your peripheral vision (your eyes’ ability to see to the sides), so instead of reading from the first to the last words of each line, your eyes only need to go through the center ones.

The whole thing is from an experiment called “The PX Project” – and the best thing is that you need only a few hours to start seeing the benefits.

Step 4. Improve business knowledge

This one is most important if you get a Business Case Test, but it’s beneficial for other types too.

It’s also crucial to good performance in case interviews , and if you get into the firm, you can’t work well without background business knowledge.

If you haven’t got a good grasp of business terminology (because not every candidate comes from business background), check out the Starter Guide section in my Case Interview 101 article. Investopedia is a good place to look up for the more advanced stuff, and you can always go to the business section of the nearest bookstore or local library.

The best sources for regular reading include major business magazines such as Forbes or Business Insider , and consulting publication listings such as McKinsey Insights , BCG Reading Lis t, or Bain Publications. And don’t merely read, think too – ask yourself the “why” and “so what” questions for every article. The content there is often up-to-date and quite insightful; however, they require you to get the basics first.

Step 5. Practice case tests / GMAT

If you are required to take case or GMAT-based tests (or both, as in South America), here’s when you start studying for them.

The reason I place them this late in the prep process, is that you need math, reading, some reasoning skills, and some business knowledge to solve effectively.

There are overlaps between the case test and interview – in both cases, you must perform analyses and deliver solutions to business problems using given data. It’s just that the test is more rigid and question-based. That means the “case experience” you get when preparing for case tests is going to help you in the next stage.

For the GMAT-based one, preparation will also increase your chances in other jobs/courses using the same kind of test. 

Step 6. Perform full mock tests

Here’s when you put everything together and have your first try. Time your mock test and refrain from using any assistance.

Bain offers no or very few mock tests, so you’ll need to piece together something similar to what you’ll see on the actual test. I’ll put the separate mock tests you can use and a few examples from Bain near the end of this article.

Ideally, your mock tests should be harder, and done in a shorter time than the real ones – hard practice, easy game. This is easier said than done, however – Bain hardly releases anything about their Online Test – so the work-around is to find the hardest mock tests, and self-impose strict time limits.

Step 7. Review, adapt, and overcome

Review your mock test results, develop your personal test strategy, look for your weak points, come back to the previous steps, focus your training efforts accordingly. Rinse and repeat.

With this 8-step self-training process, you can pass the Bain Online Test. It’s not something only a genius can do – it’s a typical job screening test, except more competitive and there’s more of it. As long as you are diligent and careful, you’ll have a good chance.

“What if I have the test next month/next week/tomorrow?”

The prep process I described above is  not strictly linear – in real practice, you need to go back and forth between the steps according to your strengths and weaknesses as well as available prep time.

I always advise my readers to  “start early” – a few days of reading and mock tests is often not enough to carry you through. However, if push comes to shove, you can always “squeeze” everything in at the same time. Skill training can be omitted if there is way too little time, but always do mock tests (aptitude, case, GMAT) – if anything, it familiarizes you with the format and helps you avoid unpleasant surprises. You can try the free practice test to see the common formats of Aptitude Test.

Tips & Reminders for Bain Online Test

Tip #1. prepare your equipment.

Get yourself the best possible “gears”.

Equip yourself with the fastest, most convenient computer you can get your hands on. Make sure your Internet is fully operable at maximum speed. Even if those things are not readily available, if you wish to be a future consultant, you should be able to borrow someone’s laptop then go to a cafe with good WiFi and quiet working space.

If anything breaks down during the test and you fail, there’s no one to blame, and no “try again” button. You also need backup solutions, in case things don’t go your way.

Also, use mouse instead of touchpads. Many test sites have old, clumsy, or even buggy interfaces, and you need the precision of the mouse in those conditions.

Tip #2. Ready yourself physically and mentally

Eat, sleep and rest well before the test. You are usually allowed to choose the time, so pick when you are most comfortable and alert. Personally, I always take these tests around 9-10 AM, after a full day’s rest, a good night’s sleep and a decent breakfast.

Don’t try to practice or review anything the day before – you don’t want to perform one of the most important tests in your career with a clogged mind.

And don’t forget to perform your “routine bodily functions” right before the test – and I’m not joking. You don’t want Mother Nature knocking on your doors in the middle of a 20-minute inductive reasoning session. I had that experience once – out of pure bad luck – and I can tell you it didn’t feel good at all.

Tip #3. Tell your friends and family

You need 120% concentration for the test so don’t let anybody or anything disturb you.

Screening tests at home are occasions when I get a bit jealous of people who live alone. Tell your family to go on a picnic somewhere; tell your roommate to shut up; tell your girlfriend or boyfriend to not pick on you during the test; tell your friendly neighbor to turn down his volume, and drug his dog with sleeping pills (I didn’t do the last one, but in hindsight I should have).

The point is, you need to minimize every possible distraction. Every single answer counts.

Tip #4. Read the guidelines (check for calculator permission and guess penalty)

Most firms – Bain included – will give instructions days before the test, and during the test as well.

Take your time to read them carefully, as if your life depends on it (it does – your professional life, that is). Among the instructions, there are two things you should look for, because they affect your test strategy – calculator permission and guess penalty.

Bain offices don’t usually allow calculators in their tests – as with most other consulting firms (because you need mental math skills in consulting ). However, guess penalty (i.e.: substracting points for wrong answers) is somewhat more variable, and more ambiguous – I have seen reports of such penalties in the Bain Online Test, so you need to be sure the light is green before blind-guessing your way through problems you can’t solve.

Tip #5. Timebox and prioritize your efforts

Allocate a specific amount of time for each session and each answer. Remember, you only have 30-90 seconds for each – so timing is king. Don’t waste your time on questions you can’t answer – that will leave you scrambling to the finish line at the end of the test, only to collide with the “Rejected” crash barriers.

Bain Online Test samples & materials

The Bain Brazil’s practice tests, as well as materials on consulting math and fast reading are part of our Prospective Candidate Starter Pack – which you can access free of charge through our shop!

Sample tests – Bain Brazil

• Business Case Test 1 – Case Context
• Business Case Test 1 – Questions & Answers
• Business Case Test 2 – Case Context
• Business Case Test 2 – Questions & Answers
• Analytical Test 1 – Questions & Answers
• Analytical Test 2 – Questions & Answers

Math and reading guides

• MCP – Consulting & Mental Math
• MCP – Fast Reading Techniques

Mock aptitude/personality tests and guides

• SHL – Practice Tests
• Cubiks – Practice Tests
• SOVA – Guidelines and Samples
• MConsultingPrep – Practice Tests

Mock GMAT tests and guides

• GMAT Official Starter Pack + Practice Exams 1 & 2
• London Business School – GMAT Practice Tests
• Magoosh – Practice Tests and Guidelines
• Princeton Review – GMAT Practice Tests

If you wish to perform more practice on the Bain Online Test of the SOVA format –  you can try out our Aptitude Test Package (recommended for Bain candidates) below – it is a one-size-fits-all package that familiarizes candidates with question types along with tips and tricks to nail every question.

Bain Online Test formats by locations

Bain uk (2018-2024).

• SOVA-based aptitude test with four parts: verbal, numeral, logical reasoning. 
• Personality test confirmed, SOVA-based. 
• Total time limit: 75 minutes.

Bain Brazil / South America (2016-2024)

• Business case test – 2 cases, 15 questions, 45 minutes.  
• Analytical test, 15 questions, 25 minutes. 
• Personality test possible, unknown provider.

Bain Singapore / South-East Asia (2018-2024)

• Business case test – 3 cases, 25 questions, 50 minutes. 
• Video interview confirmed, HireVue.

Scoring in the McKinsey PSG/Digital Assessment

The scoring mechanism in the McKinsey Digital Assessment

Related product

Case interview is the last round of Bain hiring process with 3 stages: application, online tests & interviews. This entire process takes from 4 to 6 weeks

The Bain HireVue test is a highly-customized GMAT-type test used by Asia-Pacific Bain offices, testing both cognitive skills and business acumen.

The Bain SOVA test is a tailored aptitude test used by UK/EU Bain offices to measure numerical, verbal, and logical reasoning, as well as your personality

Consulting Articles > MBB Online/Screening Tests > Bain Aptitude Test (SOVA): Ultimate Guide [2024]

Bain Aptitude Test (SOVA): Ultimate Guide [2024]

Updated: September 28, 2023

Table of Content:  

What is bain aptitude test, numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, the importance of practicing bain aptitude test.

When you submit an application to Bain, you may encounter one or more online assessments before being invited to interview. It's important to note that Bain's online tests are not standardized and can differ depending on the specific office and position you are applying for. However, as of now, the most commonly reported format for the Bain Online Test is the Bain Aptitude Test . In the following article, we will describe the format of this test and offer preparation tips.

Keep in mind that all question type images featured in the article are sourced from  CaseBasix's Bain Aptitude (SOVA) Test

The Bain Aptitude Test is a component of Bain & Company's widely used online screening assessment, known as the Bain SOVA Test. It evaluates candidates in verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning through a series of 25 to 30 multiple choice questions, typically completed within a 30 to 50 minute time frame. While these assessments are typically computer-based, certain offices may mandate physical attendance at proctored testing locations. ( Click to see all screening tests by McKinsey, BCG and Bain! )

This test sits in between resume screening and case interview. It's designed to filter out candidates who may not have the needed skills or traits before investing time in interviews. This helps make the hiring process more efficient and effective.

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Bain Aptitude Test: Format & How to Prepare

The Bain Aptitude Test comprises three types of questions:

• Numerical reasoning
• Verbal reasoning
• Logical reasoning

Numerical reasoning in the Bain Aptitude Test assesses your ability to work with quantitative data. There are two question formats: Word Problem and Data Interpretation. 

1. Word Problem:

Objective : Your goal is to solve mathematical word problems presented in business context

What You Will Encounter : You'll encounter word-based mathematical questions framed within business contexts, requiring you to analyze data, perform calculations, and provide solutions.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to apply mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills to practical business scenarios, reflecting skills essential for consulting roles.

How to Approach the Questions: 

• Understand the Scenario : Read the word problem carefully to grasp the situation and what's being asked. Identify key information, numbers, and any relationships mentioned in the problem.
• Build Math Equation : Transform the verbal description into mathematical equations or expressions. Use your understanding of math concepts like fractions, percentages, ratios, and more to set up the problem.
• Solve Systematically : Solve the math problem step by step, ensuring you maintain clarity and accuracy throughout. Pay attention to units and ensure your final answer aligns with the question's requirements. Double-check your work to avoid calculation errors.

2. Data Interpretation:

Objective : Your goal is to analyze and draw meaningful conclusions from data presented in various visual formats, such as charts, tables, and graphs, to solve real-world business problems.

What You Will Encounter : You'll encounter business scenarios accompanied by visual data representations, including charts, tables, and graphs. Your task is to answer questions based on the information provided in these visuals.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to interpret complex data, make data-driven decisions, and apply numerical reasoning skills within a business context.

How to Approach the Questions : 

• Chart Analysis : Begin by thoroughly examining the provided chart or graph. Pay close attention to labels, scales, and any patterns or trends that emerge. Understand the data's structure and what each element of the chart represents.
• Question Alignment : Carefully read the question associated with the chart. Identify the specific information or insights the question is asking you to extract from the chart. Note any calculations or comparisons required to answer the question accurately.

Sign Up for our FREE Bain Aptitude Test Practice to start practicing Numerical Reasoning.

This type of question assesses your capacity to comprehend and analyze written information, including text, passages, and statements, to draw logical conclusions and make informed decisions.

Verbal reasoning questions can come in 3 formats:

Objective : Your goal is to identify a relationship between words and apply the same relationship to find a similar pair of words.

What you will encounter : You'll be presented with a pair of words that share a certain relationship, and you'll need to select another pair of words with a similar relationship from the options provided.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to recognize and apply word relationships, analyze language, and draw logical connections between terms.

• Analyze Word Relationships : Study the relationship between the words in the given pair. Consider how they are related, such as synonyms, antonyms, or associations.
• Find a Matching Pair : Search for a word in the answer choices that has a similar relationship to the provided pair of words. Apply the same logic and reasoning.
• Verify Your Choice : Once you've identified a word that seems fitting, ensure that the relationship holds true for all parts of the analogy.

2. Reading Comprehension

Objective : Your objective is to understand and extract key information from a provided text.

What you will encounter : You'll be given a passage or text, followed by a set of questions. Your task is to read the passage carefully and answer the questions based on the information presented in the text.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your reading comprehension skills, including your ability to grasp the main ideas, identify key details, and draw logical conclusions from written material.

• Read Actively : Engage with the text actively by reading it carefully and paying attention to the main points, supporting details, and the author's perspective.
• Understand the Questions : Before answering, make sure you thoroughly understand the questions. Pay attention to what the question is asking and the context within the text.
• Refer to the Text : When responding to questions, refer back to the text to locate specific information that supports your answers. Avoid making assumptions not supported by the text.

3. Making Inference

Objective : Your objective is to make informed judgments based on the information presented in a text.

What You Will Encounter : You'll encounter statements about a given text and must determine whether they are true, false, or if there is insufficient information to make a conclusion.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to draw logical inferences, critically evaluate information, and make accurate judgments based on textual evidence.

How to Approach the Questions:

• Analyze the Statement : Carefully read the statement and identify key information or clues within the text. Pay attention to details, such as specific facts, dates, or descriptions.
• Evaluate Evidence : Examine the information provided in the text and determine if it supports the statement as true, contradicts it as false, or doesn't provide enough evidence to decide.
• Avoid Assumptions : Base your judgment solely on the information presented in the text. Avoid making assumptions or drawing conclusions beyond what is explicitly stated. If there's insufficient evidence, choose "Cannot Say."

Sign Up for our FREE Bain Aptitude Test Practice to start practicing Verbal Reasoning.

Logical Reasoning

There are 2 types of logical reasoning: Inductive Reasoning and Deduction Reasoning

Inductive reasoning involves using a particular example to deduce broader principles. This usually require you to complete a logical sequence, which assesses your proficiency in handling abstract ideas and tackling unfamiliar information, a crucial skill for problem-solving.

Inductive reasoning can come in 3 formats:

Objective : Your objective is to discover the underlying rules or patterns within a grid and logically complete it by placing the correct elements in the empty cells.

What You Will Encounter : You will be presented with a grid or matrix containing various visual elements, often with some cells left empty.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to identify patterns, make logical connections, and apply deductive reasoning to complete the matrix accurately.

• Presentation Analysis : Start by analyzing the matrix’s layout, observing its size, arrangement, and any noticeable patterns or organization of elements.
• Identify the Rules : Focus on identifying the rules or patterns governing the placement of elements within the matrix. Look for relationships between rows, columns, or individual cells.
• Systematic Completion : Approach filling in the vacant elements systematically, following the recognized rules or patterns. Begin with rows or columns that appear the easiest to complete accurately.

2. Figure Series

Objective : Your goal is to figure out the pattern or sequence in a set of visual images and predict what comes next.

What You Will Encounter : You will come across a series of visual figures or shapes, and your task is to determine the figure that logically continues the sequence.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to recognize visual patterns, make logical connections, and apply deductive reasoning to identify the next figure in the series.

How to Approach the Questions :

• Recognize the Pattern : Start by closely looking at the images and find any repeating patterns, changes, or transformations.
• Apply Logic : Once you identify a pattern, use logical thinking to predict the next image based on that pattern's rules.
• Choose Best Fit Pattern : Double-check your prediction to make sure it matches the established pattern. Choose the image that best fits the recognized pattern.

3. Odd One Out

Objective : Your goal is to identify the item that differs significantly from the others within a group of items, making it the "odd one out."

What you will encounter : You'll be presented with a set of items, often visual elements, that share certain characteristics or attributes.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test evaluates your ability to recognize patterns and distinctions among objects or concepts, demonstrating your aptitude for analytical reasoning.

• Examine the Group : Begin by closely examining each item within the group, paying attention to their characteristics such as shape, color, size, or arrangement.
• I dentify the Odd Item : Look for a unique feature or attribute that sets one item apart from the rest. This might involve spotting differences in patterns, symmetries, or structures.
• Confirm the Odd One Out : Once you've identified the odd item, ensure that it genuinely stands out due to a significant difference, not a commonality with the others. Double-check your choice to ensure it is the true odd one out.

Deductive reasoning involves drawing logical conclusions based on established premises, applying a top-down approach to reach specific, accurate outcomes.

Deductive reasoning questions can come in 3 formats:

1. Syllogism with Quantifiers

Objective : Your objective is to assess the validity of conclusions based on given statements, particularly when quantifiers like "all," "some," or "none" are involved.

What You Will Encounter : You'll encounter a set of statements that include quantifiers such as "all," "some," or "none," and you'll be tasked with determining the truth of certain conclusions based on these statements.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test evaluates your ability to apply logical reasoning and critical thinking to assess the accuracy of conclusions drawn from a given set of statements.

• Understand the Statements : Begin by thoroughly comprehending the statements provided, paying close attention to the quantifiers and their implications.
• Analyze Conclusions : Evaluate each conclusion to see if it logically follows from the given statements, taking into account the meanings of the quantifiers.
• Determine Validity : Decide whether each conclusion is valid, invalid, or if there's insufficient information to make a judgment based on the given statements.

2. Ordering & Arrangement

Objective : Your goal is to determine the correct sequence or order of elements based on the information provided in the statements.

What You Will Encounter : You'll encounter a series of statements that contain information about the relative positions or orders of items, and your task is to arrange these items accordingly.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to use logical reasoning and critical thinking to establish the correct order of items based on the given statements.

• Understand the Statements : Begin by thoroughly understanding the statements provided, focusing on any clues about the order or arrangement of items.
• Organize Information : Organize the information logically to visualize the sequence of items. Use any numerical or positional details to your advantage.
• Determine the Order : Establish the correct order or sequence of items based on the statements, ensuring that your arrangement aligns with the provided information.

3. Grouping

Objective : Your goal is to categorize or group a set of items based on the information provided in the statements.

What You Will Encounter : You'll encounter a series of statements containing information about the characteristics or attributes of items, and your task is to group these items according to their shared traits.

Traits Assessed by Bain : This test assesses your ability to use deductive reasoning and critical thinking to classify items accurately based on the given statements.

• Understand the Statements : Begin by thoroughly comprehending the statements provided, focusing on the traits or characteristics mentioned.
• Identify Commonalities : Identify common traits or attributes among the items mentioned in the statements.
• Group Items : Organize and group the items according to the shared traits you've identified in the statements, ensuring that your categorization aligns with the provided information.

Sign Up for our FREE Bain Aptitude Test Practice to start practicing Logical Reasoning.

Practicing the Bain Aptitude Test is crucial for anyone who want to get into Bain & Company. This assessment evaluates your skills in logical, numerical, and verbal reasoning, which are fundamental in consultancy roles. Without proper preparation, candidates may struggle with the test's format and the nuances of its questions, potentially hindering their performance.

The Bain Aptitude Test can be challenging, even for individuals with strong analytical skills. Through practice, you can familiarize yourself with the test's question types, enhancing your ability to manage your time effectively during the actual assessment. This preparation helps you build confidence in tackling complex scenarios, ensuring that you're well-prepared to demonstrate your critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities during the test.

In the competitive consulting industry, Bain seeks candidates who can think critically, analyze data, and make sound decisions. By investing time in practice, you'll not only improve your test-taking skills but also increase your chances of showcasing your potential and securing a promising career in consulting.

With our FREE Bain Aptitude Test Practice , you can get comfortable with the test format, question types, and increase confidence.

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Bain & Company Tests

• https://www.bain.com/careers/
• 5001 to 10000
• 231 questions

Bain & Company is one of the three largest global strategy consulting firms when ranked by revenue. Set up in 1973, Bain & Company offers management consulting services primarily to Fortune 500 CEOs. It ranks highly for employee satisfaction, consistently winning awards for company culture.

Careers at Bain & Company

Bain & Company consulting roles are highly sought after and extremely competitive, with only a small percentage of those applying receiving an offer.

After completing the first stage of the application process, successful candidates are tasked with completing a number of online tests , which are set out in this article alongside practice tests.

A global management consultant firm with offices in 37 countries, Bain & Company offers a variety of career opportunities, for both graduates and professionals.

Bain & Company was one of the first consulting firms to move beyond only making MBA hires from business schools, by recruiting consultants with a Bachelor’s degree.

Graduates can apply for either an associate consultant role or associate consultant internship.

MBAs or advanced degree candidates can apply for summer associate positions or can make a consultant application.

Roles at Bain & Company are not limited to consultancy . Candidates can apply for roles in Bain’s Advanced Analytics Group (AAG) where teams use data to drive insights and action. Roles including research, engineering as well as marketing and data scientists.

Product Designer, Design Researcher, Software Engineer or Innovation Experts are all roles available in the Advanced Digital & Product Team (ADAPT@Bain®).

Bain also offers legal, finance, administrative, marketing, technology and HR roles in Business Services.

Bain & Company Application Process

Online application, phone interview, psychometric tests, experience interview, case interview, written case interview.

All Bain applications start the same way: with the online submission of your CV. For consulting roles, a small percentage of applicants are then invited to an HR screening interview.

Successful candidates are then invited to take a series of online tests run by Sova, a leading provider of online aptitude tests. These can include a personality test, numerical test, verbal test or logic test .

Candidates who score well on the online tests are then invited to a series of further interviews, which depending on office location and role applied for may be carried out in person or via an online platform such as Zoom.

As one of the most sought after consulting firms, your application to Bain & Company must stand out from the thousands of initial applications. The first stage is to submit your CV, setting out educational and background information, relevant work experience and test scores.

This is uploaded as a Word doc or PDF.

HR screening phone interview

The HR screening interview is most likely to be conducted virtually using an online platform such as Spark Hire.

You will be sent a video asking a series of questions. You’ll then have a brief thinking period and must record a video of your answers, which will be reviewed by the recruiting team at Bain & Company.

Bain Aptitude Tests

The online tests that Bain asks candidates to complete is designed to whittle down the number of candidates. You must pass these tests to continue to the next part of the application process for a consultant role – which may include the experience interview, case interview and/or written case interview.

You may encounter tests such as personality, numerical and analytical reasoning. You may also be asked to take an abstract reasoning test .

Bain personality test

There are no right and wrong answers, so you will need to pick the answer which best represents you from a selection of positive statements (eg "I naturally lead within a group"), ranking them from ‘most likely’ or ‘most like me’ to ‘least likely’ or ‘least like me’.

Read more about how personality tests work .

Bain numerical reasoning test

Using basic arithmetic and math skills, you will need to answer around 25 questions in 20 minutes. The data is likely to be in a graph or table form and you will need to work quickly.

These tests are similar to a financial reasoning test and you should practice ahead of time, so that you are familiar with the types of questions you may be asked.

Bain analytical reasoning test

Analytical reasoning tests are designed to assess skills that include logical and critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving.

Bain logical reasoning test

This test comprises questions relating to sequences of shapes and patterns. In each question there will be a missing step and you will be provided with a number of answers to choose from. These are designed to test your logical reasoning as well analytical skills.

Within two hours of practice I have improved my score from 50% correct to 88%.

Bain Interviews

The number and content of the interviews will depend on the role, and you may face one or more of the interview types twice, in both first and second rounds of the process.

Prepare thoroughly, and particularly in advance of the case and/or written case interview, take the following points into consideration:

• There is no one correct answer - you need a persuasive recommendation and to be able to participate comprehensively in a discussion.
• Prioritization and timing is crucial - you will have limited preparation time, so you will need to only use the key case slides and information
• Only include key details in your summary; save the detail for the discussion.
• Make sure you include data and can quantify what is needed.
• Your recommendation must be something that can be implemented.
• Make sure to take into account both sides of the discussion – be prepared to address the weaknesses as well.

The experience interview is where you’ll be asked questions to gain a better understanding of your career goals and background. You should expect the questions to broadly fit the following pattern: expanding on your CV, why consulting and why Bain.

You should use past experiences and describe how you handled them, remembering that Bain is looking to assess your ability in relation to the following characteristics:

• Problem-Solving Skills
• The Ability to Lead
• Results Delivery

You may also be asked to describe a strategic project you’ve worked on previously, including your approach, hypothesis, recommendation and what steps you took. Make sure to prepare a thorough answer to this.

The case interview is integral to the Bain application process and all consulting role candidates can expect one, regardless as to which office they apply. Some non-consulting roles will also sit a case interview.

The case interview presents a ‘real’ client situation – you’ll be given some background information and then asked to work through your analysis of the situation, the approach you take to solving a problem, how you use data to quantify and make recommendations, and how you suggest implementing your plan.

You’ll want to demonstrate analytical and creative thinking, as well as your communication skills in conveying and presenting ideas.

The written case interview is a more in-depth extension of the concept of the case interview. It is used as part of the consultant and summer associate second-round process.

You will be provided with a deck of 20 to 30 slides outlining a client problem to situation. You must review the slides, identify your key insights and then use the rest of your 55 minutes to write out your recommendations.

The interview part lasts around 40 minutes in which you present your recommendations to the interview – following which you will discuss and defend your assumptions and interpretations with the interviewer.

Practice Aptitude Tests is not associated with Bain & Company. We provide preparation services for Bain & Company psychometric tests. Our tests are not designed to be identical to any style, employer or industry. Visit https://www.bain.com/careers/ to find out more.

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Bain Online Assessment Guide for 2024: How to Prep

• March 20, 2024

Former McKinsey

We’ve confirmed that the Sova assessment is being given to candidates in the London office. Bain says that mainly their European and Middle East offices use this test.

Amsterdam is using the TestGorilla assessment.

The San Francisco office is using the Bain Video Interview.

We’ll add additional offices as we see the Bain online assessment rolling out. But in the meantime, how should you prepare?

What the Bain Online Assessment Looks Like

6 Tips to Pass the Bain Online Assessment

The Best Ways to Prepare for the Bain Online Assessment

How to Avoid Mistakes on the Bain Online Test

The Bain Video Interview

What the Rest of the Recruiting Process is Like After you Pass

Which Offices Use the Bain Online Assessment?

Good news – you heard from a recruiter at Bain!

Also . . . they want you to take an online assessment.

There’s no need to panic. This is really common practice at consulting firms these days. We’re here to help you prepare for the Bain online assessment.

The assessment takes different forms in different offices. If you’re eyeing Bain offices in London, Amsterdam, or the Middle East, check out the section about the online assessments they use. Consulting firms, including Bain, continue to roll out new online assessments and include them in the recruiting process for more offices.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• What the Bain online assessments looks like,
• How to prepare for the Bain online test,
• The Bain video interview, another type of online assessment,
• What offices have rolled out the Bain assessments,
• 6 tips on passing the Bain online test,
• Pitfalls to avoid, and
• What you can expect in the recruiting process after you pass.

Let’s get started!

The Bain Online Assessment – What It Looks Like

There are 3 Bain online assessments used by different offices. These tests run on different platforms: Sova, Pymetrics, and TestGorilla. Bain also has a video interview that some offices use.

The fact that Bain has multiple different online tests can be confusing, so in this section, we’ll go through each one. We recommend asking your Bain recruiter if you’re not sure which one you’ve been asked to take.

Bain Online Assessment – the Sova Assessment

This Bain online assessment, also called the Bain online test, is a 75-minute test that can be taken on your own device from anywhere.

The test will examine how you react in certain situations and how you respond to new information.

The test is powered by Sova assessments and includes 6 sections:

Situational Judgement Test (SJT)

Numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, personality questionnaire.

• Video interview

The Bain online assessment will evaluate situational awareness, numerical and verbal aptitude, and logical reasoning. Because of this, it’s good to practice this type of layered, complex assessments.

Review our tips for each section of the test so that you are not caught off guard by the structure or types of questions you’re asked.

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

How to Prepare for the Bain Online Assessment (Sova)

Practice makes perfect.

Many of the questions will look and feel like GMAT questions. We’ve found that the more often you’ve seen various types of questions, the easier it will be to recognize them during the test.

But if you’ve already aced the GMAT, that doesn’t mean there’s no need to review. Jump down to our “How to Prepare Using the Sova Assessment” for the types of questions that will be new to you.

How To Prepare Using Practice GMAT Tests

• Comprehension – using data already provided in follow-on questions,
• Unconscious bias – letting your own perceptions color your answers rather than using only the data provided, and
• Math – careless errors or inability to set up the math equations.

How To Prepare Using the Sova Assessment

You should prepare for this test by understanding the various types of assessments based on the Sova assessment .

This part of the Bain online test will evaluate how you react in various scenarios that you may encounter as a consultant.

You will be prompted with text, video, imagery, or animation and asked to select the “Most Effective’ and ‘Least Effective response list provided. The list will typically include three to four options.

Make sure to base your answer on only the information provided in the prompt. Do not allow your biases from previous experiences or assumptions about the situation to guide your answer.

It’s a good idea to review Bain’s values before you take the test. If you are unsure about which multiple-choice answer to choose, consider their values and what someone who shares those values would do.

For example, one of the Bain values you hear about most is: “A Bainee never lets another Bainee fail.” So if there is a question about whether you should help a teammate, the answer should always be “yes” unless there are mitigating circumstances (example: you will miss your own deadline by helping your teammate and another teammate has time to help them.)

Ability assessments will include information that may be presented as text, a graph, or a pattern and will gauge how quickly and accurately you can answer the ability questions. We describe the ability assessments below.

Numerical reasoning assessments will evaluate how quickly and accurately you can answer questions about numerical data. These questions are multiple-choice. You must select the best answer from a list of four.

These questions include business math questions like market share, profit margin, and break-even analysis, so you should brush up on your business math skills.

If you are struggling to reach one of the four provided answers, try to eliminate which answers cannot be right. Reducing the consideration set increases your likelihood of selecting the best answer.

This portion of the test will evaluate how quickly you can draw conclusions based on verbal and written information. You’ll receive a verbal prompt and be asked to select the correct answer from multiple-choice options.

The logical test can be difficult, as the answers are not always intuitive.

If this section is late in the assessment, you may have been lulled into a sense of consuming and interpreting information in more traditional ways.

This section is specifically designed to break you out of your typical thought patterns. The questions may ask you to break down and process information in a different way, such as identifying patterns in a visual sequence.

The good news: the logical reasoning section is multiple choice so the answer is right in front of you.

The bad news: if you’re like me, your brain kind of breaks when you get to a question that looks and feels so different from the rest of the test.

This is completely normal!

The best thing you can do is prepare for logic questions ahead of time, so you easily recognize them and aren’t thrown when you get to one.

You can review study guides for the LSAT to learn more about logic questions.

Your reward after preparing for the logical reasoning assessment is that there are no wrong answers in the personality questionnaire! This part of the Bain digital assessment is meant to help Bain understand your behavioral preferences.

There will be several statements grouped into buckets of four. You will respond to each statement with a rating of from 1 to 5, ranging from “Most Like Me” and Least Like Me”.

The Bain online test forces you to rank responses. It does allow you to use the same rating for multiple responses within a group of four.

Again, there is no wrong answer. Choose the rating that best reflects your response or reaction to any statement as it pertains to the workplace environment.

Before taking this test, it’s a good idea to read up on what a day in the life of a consultant looks like. (This article on what consultants do is a good place to start.) It will give you a sense of the behaviors and preferences that help you succeed in the field and consider whether you share them.

Bain Online Assessment – The Pymetrics Assessment

The Pymetrics assessment is a set of games used to assess how you learn, process information, and react to different interpersonal situations. Bain suggests that no preparation is required, but we recommend learning a bit more about this assessment before you take it. If nothing else, it will calm your nerves.

BCG also uses the Pymetrics test and we’ve got a full article on it here .

The Bain Video interview

Questions have been pre-recorded and will play in the video interview with text. You will have 1 minute to review each question and prepare your response. A minute is really just enough time to think through the structure or key points of your answer.

Prior to starting the Bain online test, prepare some anecdotes or insights about yourself. Our article on Consulting Behavioral Interviews can help you with that.

Here are some question prior candidates taking the Bain online test have been asked:

• Why are you interested in working for Bain?
• What are your responsibilities at your current firm? What does success in your position look like? Do you work as part of a team?
• What is your proudest accomplishment and what steps did you take to achieve it?
• Why are you interested in this office?
• Are you interviewing with any other firms? What is your timeline for changing firms?

Once you hear the question, simply jot down some bullets to jog your memory or to help prompt you during your video response. You’ll then have 3 minutes to record your answer.

Before the interview portion of the assessment, you will be given a practice question to test your system. Be sure to test your equipment before starting the assessment so you know that your mic and camera work.

Choose a place to take the Bain online assessment that has a visually clear background and limited background noise. Your friends may love your cool Jaws poster, but it may be distracting in an interview.

Try to relax during your video responses. It’s just weird to have to record answers to interview questions. Pretend like you’re in a normal face to face interview.

Perhaps start your response with an enthusiastic and authentic “What a great question!” or “I’m so glad you asked that.” before you dive into your response. I know I’d get a chuckle out of someone making a transition as if they were speaking with an actual human.

We recommend that you practice the video interview once or twice before you start the Bain digital assessment. You can set up a video or audio recording on your phone and watch your interview to evaluate if your set-up looks professional, and to practice your responses. We have practice questions in our article on Bain Personal Experience Interview .

I hate watching myself on camera or listening to myself, but it may provide you comfort during the actual online assessment, or the ability to improve if you can practice a few times.

Bain Online Assessment – The TestGorilla Assessment

The Bain TestGorilla online assessment is similar to the Sova assessment as it also focuses on numerical, logical, and verbal reasoning sections. The key difference is that the TestGorilla assessment does not have a personality questionnaire or video interview.

The TestGorilla assessment is a series of timed exercises, each tailored to assess a different consulting skill. There will be 4 tests, each 8 to 15 minutes in length in a digital format similar to the GMAT.

Here’s a link to more info on the  Bain TestGorilla online assessment .

What Offices Have Rolled Out the Bain Online Test & Video Interview

We’ll continue to update additional offices as we see the Bain online assessments roll out. For the most accurate information, ask the Bain recruiter in the office you’re applying to.

6 Tips on Passing the Bain Online Assessments

1. practice, practice, practice, 2. read up on what bain’s looking for in candidates and the firm’s values.

Since your characteristics will be compared to those of successful Bain consultants, it doesn’t hurt to have a sense of what that looks like.

3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The Bain online assessment is not terribly long, but it is mentally challenging. Make sure you’re rested.

4. Ensure You Have a Quiet Environment

You only have one chance to take this test and succeed, so find a place with no distractions so you can focus on the test.

5. Take Your Time Understanding the Bain Online Assessment Instructions

The time you spend reading the instructions is not limited, so make sure you understand them before you start.

6. Start With a Strategy

Since you’re not timed while reading the instructions, plan your strategy before you start the game. Adjust your strategy as you go, if needed.

Be ready to absorb data from images flashed quickly on the screen. You may need to respond to the images you see with keyboard entries or remember a number you’ll be asked to recall later.

Pitfalls to Avoid on the Bain Online Test

You will not be able to repeat the test once you have started it, so make sure you are ready with the following:

DO set aside enough time  to complete the test in one sitting.

DO make sure you have pen and paper next to your computer to take notes or do math.

DON’T skim through the instructions.  The time you spend reading the instructions doesn’t count toward your time taking the test. Read the instructions carefully and completely to ensure you don’t make avoidable mistakes. This is probably one of the easiest mistakes you can make but one of the easiest to avoid. DON’T lose track of time  or allow yourself to get stuck on one question. Work methodically through the problems, not rushing, but not taking too much time. You can always go back to difficult questions at the end of the test if you have extra time.

What You Can Expect in the Recruiting Process After You Pass

Whoo-hoo! You passed the test!

Now onto first and final round interviews. You will need to prepare for the Bain case and behavioral interviews. See our links that will help you prepare for these below.

In this article, we’ve covered:

• What the Bain online assessments are like,
• The best ways to prepare for the new Bain online assessment,
• Which offices use the Bain digital assessment.
• 6 Tips to pass the Bain online test, and
• How to avoid mistakes on the Bain digital assessment, and
• What the rest of the recruiting process is like after you pass.

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about the Bain online test, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s coaches will answer them.

Other people prepping for Bain pre-screening tests found the following pages helpful:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep .
• Bain TestGorilla Assessment .
• The Bain Case Interview: Everything You Need to Know .
• Bain Personal Experience Interview .

Help with Consulting Interview Prep

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on consulting interview prep. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Lucas was able to get his offer from Bain.

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3 Top Strategies to Master the Case Interview in Under a Week

We are sharing our powerful strategies to pass the case interview even if you have no business background, zero casing experience, or only have a week to prepare.

No thanks, I don't want free strategies to get into consulting.

We are excited to invite you to the online event., where should we send you the calendar invite and login information.

Bain & Company Assessments

Prepare for the Bain & Company recruitment process with tailor-made practice materials.

CV & Cover Letter Application

Online Tests

Video Interview

Final Interviews

• Careers at Bain and Company

Founded in the US in 1973, Bain & Company is widely regarded today as one of the top three management consultancy firms operating on an international scale. A results driven organisation, its consultancy services include corporate strategy and finance, procurement, private equity, cost transformation, and mergers and acquisitions - to name but a few. It offers these services across all industries, operating from 61 global offices.

Careers at Bain & Company offer the opportunity to work for an award winning employer, ranked number one on Glassdoor's Best Place to Work in 2021. It welcomes applications from undergraduate degree holders, advanced degree holders and working professionals, as well as providing summer internships for those pursuing their bachelor's degree.

All posts require completion of a multi stage application process.

• Bain and Company Application Process

As a candidate applying to Bain & Company, you'll work through a three stage process, completing an online application and a series of aptitude tests before being invited to participate in the final round of interviews. Success at each stage is a requirement for progression to the next.

To help you prepare, we've covered each stage in detail below.

CV and Cover Letter Application

The online application for Bain & Company follows a standard format. You'll be asked to fill out some basic information with regards to your academic qualifications, work history and candidate details.

You'll also have the opportunity to upload your most recent CV and an accompanying cover letter. Make sure these are tailored specifically to your Bain & Company application, using them as a chance to show your understanding of the organisation, and the core values that drive its operation.

• Bain and Company Aptitude Tests

If your initial application is successful, you'll be invited to complete an online assessment. Bain & Company uses Sova as its test provider of choice, and as of 2021, the online assessment for all roles based out of the London offices follows a new format.

This is a 75 minute blended assessment that measures a variety of aptitudes and behavioural qualities, before culminating in a short video interview. Throughout the assessment, you should be prepared for the following question types:

Bain and Company Numerical Reasoning Test

Numerical reasoning questions on the Bain & Company assessment are designed to test your numerical aptitude in a business context. Working with data presented in tables and graphs, you'll solve problems relating to things like break even analysis and profit margin. Each question will be multiple choice with four answer options to choose from.

These are not advanced mathematical calculations, but rather a measure of your ability to correctly interpret data, though you will need a strong grasp of things like percentages, fractions and statistics. There's also added time pressure, as how long you take to respond will be taken into account alongside your accuracy.

Bain and Company Logical Reasoning Test

Logical reasoning questions are a test of your problem solving skills. On the Bain & Company assessment, they're presented visually, using patterns and shapes arranged into logical sequences. For each sequence, you'll need to select either the missing part, or its continuation, from multiple choice options.

On these questions, you'll need to apply logical analysis to identify rules and relationships that lead you to the right answer. Again, you'll need to work at speed since your response times contribute to your overall score.

Bain and Company Verbal Reasoning Test

As the last of the ability tests, verbal reasoning questions challenge you to draw sound, evidence-based conclusions through the interpretation of written information. You'll be required to analyse a short passage of text, after which you'll see a stated conclusion. Your multiple choice options will be three - true, false and cannot say. You'll need to select which of these you deem appropriate based on your understanding of the text in front of you.

Though the ability based questions on the Bain & Company online assessment measure your natural skill rather than any learned knowledge, you can improve your performance by taking plenty of practice tests beforehand.

Bain and Company Situational Judgement Test

As well as measuring natural abilities, Bain & Company uses its online assessment to get a sense of your situational skills, essentially, your ability to understand the best course of action in any given circumstance. This is covered by the situational judgement test , which gives the hiring team insight into how you're likely to behave in the workplace.

You'll be given a range of hypothetical scenarios, all based on common situations you'd encounter as a Bain & Company employee. For each, there will be an accompanying list of three or four possible responses. You'll need to select which you see as the most effective, and which the least.

Bain and Company Personality Test

In this part of the online assessment, Bain & Company is looking at your behavioural characteristics and working preferences. It does this to get a better understanding of your personality type, and how well you'll integrate with its company culture.

You'll be given a series of statements, pertaining to both work based and personal behaviours - for example, "I enjoy working in a structured environment" or "I would describe myself as a competitive person". You'll rank each statement on a scale of one to five, from least like me to most like me. When responding to these questions, keep the type of employee Bain & Company looks for in mind, but stay true to yourself - you should never try and 'trick' a personality questionnaire.

Bain and Company Video Interview

In the final part of the online assessment, you'll take part in a video interview. This consists of a number of prerecorded questions, which you'll have one minute to review and consider before recording your responses, with a three minute time limit for each one.

You should prepare for this as you would any interview by looking back on your academic and professional experiences and considering how these could be used to show you're a suitable candidate. As it can often feel unnatural, it's also wise to hold a 'dummy' video interview and practice recording timed answers. Remember, there's no opportunity for the interviewer to ask follow up questions here, so you need to get your point across clearly and concisely.

Bain and Company Interviews

On completion of their online assessment, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Bain & Company runs three different interview types, and the type you'll take part in will depend on the role you've applied for and the office it's based in. Most candidates can expect to participate in a combination of interview types.

Regardless of what type of interview it is, Bain & Company is looking for a particular candidate profile here - passionate, results oriented individuals with strong problem solving and leadership skills.

Bain and Company Case Interview

These revolve around a hypothetical case. The interviewer will give you a verbal description of a client and the problem they are looking to solve. It's then your job to analyse the case in point and work towards a final recommendation.

You'll need to ask questions to obtain relevant supporting information and discuss all of your ideas, reasoning and analysis with the interviewer. Depending on the specific case, you may need to evaluate financial data or current market conditions, for example.

Unlike a traditional competency based interview, a case interview allows you to demonstrate how you'd go about solving a business problem on behalf of a Bain & Company client.

Bain and Company Experience Interview

This is akin to a traditional interview. You'll be asked more standard resume and behavioural based questions that give the interviewer a chance to learn about who you are, what experience you have, and what your career motivations are.

You should be prepared to explain why you're interested in a position at Bain & Company, as well as to offer real world examples of your skills and talents in practice. Some experience interviews may also comprise a mini case component depending on the specific role.

Bain and Company Written Case Interview

A written case interview often follows on, and is a more in-depth version of, a standard case interview. If invited to participate, you'll be provided with information on a client and situation in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, usually between 20 and 30 slides long.

You'll then have 55 minutes to work through this information by yourself, and come up with a recommendation or recommendations which you'll then need to present to the interviewer. Throughout your presentation, you can expect to be challenged and questioned on both your process and key findings. This part of the interview will last around 40 minutes.

On completion of your interviews or interviews, you can expect Bain & Company to follow up within a few working days to inform you of the outcome, and advise on next steps where applicable.

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The best way to pass your Bain online assessment is to prepare for it. You can practice free test questions here to improve your score.

The test is relatively challenging, as it tests a variety of skills and problem-solving abilities needed to be successful in the role.

There are a number of aptitude tests you can practice in order to prepare for the Bain assessment. Becoming familiar with the format and solving problems under pressure will help improve your score.

Yes, Bain & Company uses Sova as its test provider of choice.

The hiring process at Bain is highly competitive and rigorous; only top candidates are shortlisted during the process which makes it a challenging process.

Bain Test Study: A Detailed Guide to Acing the Bain Assessment

Looking to ace the Bain assessment? Look no further than our comprehensive guide to the Bain Test Study.

Posted May 18, 2023

Consulting Week (Apr 15-18)

Monday, april 15.

10:00 PM UTC · 60 minutes

Table of Contents

If you are looking to join Bain, you need to ace the Bain Assessment, which is one of the essential steps in the recruitment process. There are different types of Bain Tests, and you must be prepared for all of them. This article will give you an in-depth guide to understand the importance of the Bain Test, what it is, why you need to ace it, and how to prepare for it.

Understanding the Importance of the Bain Assessment

The Bain Assessment is an essential part of the recruitment process at Bain. The assessment is used to evaluate your skills, abilities, and knowledge in various areas. It is an excellent tool to help the recruiting team identify the most suitable candidates for the available positions. Therefore, it is crucial that you know what to expect and how to prepare for the Bain Test.

One of the key benefits of the Bain Assessment is that it provides a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. The test covers a wide range of topics, including problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills. By assessing your performance in these areas, the recruiting team can gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and determine whether you are a good fit for the company culture.

Another important aspect of the Bain Assessment is that it is designed to be fair and objective. The test is standardized, meaning that all candidates are evaluated using the same criteria. This ensures that everyone has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities, regardless of their background or experience. Additionally, the test is scored by trained professionals, who use a rigorous and consistent methodology to ensure that the results are accurate and reliable.

What Is the Bain Test and Why Do You Need to Ace It?

The Bain Test is a standardized assessment used in the recruitment process at Bain. It is a combination of multiple-choice questions, case studies, and problem-solving exercises that are designed to test your analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as your ability to work in a team. It is important to ace the test because it is one of the measures that recruiters use to determine whether or not you have the necessary skills and experience to join Bain.

Additionally, performing well on the Bain Test can also increase your chances of being selected for further interviews and ultimately receiving a job offer. The test is a crucial step in the recruitment process and can be a deciding factor in whether or not you are offered a position at Bain. Therefore, it is important to prepare thoroughly and practice your problem-solving and critical thinking skills before taking the test.

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The Different Types of Bain Assessments and How to Prepare for Them

It is crucial to know the different types of Bain Assessments and how to prepare for each. The Bain Test can come in different forms, such as numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, deductive reasoning, and logical reasoning. To prepare effectively, it is essential to practice with past tests, mock questions, and study materials designed explicitly for the Bain Assessment test.

One of the most challenging aspects of the Bain Assessment is the time limit. Most Bain Tests have a strict time limit, and it is essential to manage your time effectively during the test. To do this, it is recommended that you practice with timed tests and learn to prioritize questions based on difficulty and time required to answer them.

Another critical factor to consider when preparing for the Bain Assessment is to understand the company's values and culture. Bain & Company is known for its unique culture, and the assessment is designed to evaluate whether a candidate is a good fit for the company. Therefore, it is essential to research the company's values and culture and align your answers with them during the assessment.

Tips for Preparing for the Bain Assessment: Dos and Don'ts

When preparing for the Bain Test, there are some essential dos and don'ts that you should keep in mind. Dos include studying with a focused mindset, practicing problem-solving exercises, reviewing past tests, and identifying areas where you need improvement. Don'ts involve cramming, procrastinating, and overloading your brain with too much information.

Another important tip for preparing for the Bain Assessment is to get enough rest and sleep. Your brain needs time to process and retain information, and lack of sleep can negatively impact your cognitive abilities. Additionally, make sure to eat a healthy and balanced diet to fuel your brain and body for optimal performance.

It's also helpful to seek guidance and support from others who have taken the Bain Test before. This can include connecting with alumni or current employees of Bain, or joining study groups or forums online. Collaborating with others can provide valuable insights and strategies for success.

Best Study Materials for Preparing for the Bain Assessment

There are different study materials that you can access to prepare for the Bain Test. These include guided practice tests, study guides, online forums, and Bain's official website, which features helpful tips and resources. With these study materials, you can develop the necessary skills, strategies, and approaches to help you ace the Bain Assessment test.

One of the most effective study materials for preparing for the Bain Assessment is the guided practice tests. These tests simulate the actual test environment and help you get familiar with the types of questions and format of the test. Additionally, they provide you with immediate feedback on your performance, allowing you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and focus your study efforts accordingly.

Another useful study material is the study guide. A study guide provides you with a comprehensive overview of the topics covered in the Bain Assessment, as well as tips and strategies for answering different types of questions. It can also help you identify the key concepts and skills that you need to master to perform well on the test.

How to Manage Your Time Effectively During the Bain Test

Effective time management is crucial, especially during the Bain Assessment. To manage your time effectively, you need to understand how much time you have for each section of the test, allocate time properly, answer the questions that you find easy first, and go back to the difficult ones later.

Another important aspect of time management during the Bain Test is to avoid spending too much time on any one question. If you find yourself stuck on a particular question, it's best to move on to the next one and come back to it later. This will ensure that you have enough time to answer all the questions and maximize your score.

Understanding Key Concepts, Strategies, and Approaches to Pass the Bain Assessment

To pass the Bain Assessment, you must familiarize yourself with the key concepts, strategies, and approaches that are frequently tested. For example, you need to understand various schemes of analysis, frameworks, and problem-solving models. By having these strategies and models in mind, you can quickly identify the most relevant techniques to use in various situations.

Additionally, it is important to have a strong understanding of business fundamentals such as finance, marketing, and operations. These concepts are often intertwined in the case studies presented in the Bain Assessment, and being able to apply your knowledge in these areas can greatly improve your chances of success. It is also helpful to practice your analytical and communication skills, as these are essential for presenting your findings and recommendations effectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Taking the Bain Assessment

It is essential to avoid common mistakes while taking the Bain Test. These can include misreading the instructions, rushing to complete the test, failing to ask questions when in doubt, and failing to review your work after completion. Avoiding these mistakes will help you to increase your chances of acing the Bain Assessment.

Another common mistake to avoid when taking the Bain Assessment is not managing your time effectively. The test is timed, and you need to ensure that you allocate enough time to each question. It is recommended that you read through all the questions first and then prioritize them based on difficulty level. This will help you to manage your time better and ensure that you have enough time to answer all the questions.

Strategies for Answering Multiple-Choice Questions in the Bain Test

Multiple-choice questions are a significant part of the Bain Assessment. To answer these questions effectively, you must have a keen eye for detail, speed, and accuracy. Strategies include reading the questions carefully, eliminating obvious wrong answers, and using process of elimination to arrive at the correct answer.

Another important strategy for answering multiple-choice questions in the Bain Test is to manage your time effectively. You should aim to answer each question within a specific time frame, so you have enough time to review your answers before submitting the test. Additionally, it is essential to stay focused and avoid getting stuck on difficult questions. If you are unsure about a question, mark it and move on to the next one. You can always come back to it later if you have time.

How to Tackle Case Studies in the Bain Assessment: Tips and Tricks

Case studies are a significant part of the Bain Assessment. They require you to analyze complex problems and recommend the best solutions. To tackle case studies effectively, it is essential to have a logical thought process, be creative, and be able to communicate your thoughts clearly. Tips include reading the case study carefully, identifying the key issues, brainstorming possible solutions, and prioritizing your recommendations.

The Importance of Practice Tests in Acing the Bain Assessment

Practice tests are essential in helping you ace the Bain Assessment. They help you to get comfortable with the format, types of questions asked, and time limits. They also help you identify your weaknesses, so you can work on them before the actual test. Therefore, make sure to practice with as many past tests as possible to increase your chances of success.

What to Expect After Taking the Bain Test: Reviewing Your Results

After taking the Bain Assessment, it is essential to review your results to determine your strengths and weaknesses and to get feedback. This feedback helps you to identify areas where you need improvement, so you can work on them before the next recruitment stage.

Maximizing Your Chances of Landing a Job with a High Score on the Bain Assessment

To increase your chances of landing a job at Bain, you must aim for a high score on the Bain Assessment. This can be achieved by studying effectively, practicing past tests, reviewing your work, and seeking feedback. By following these steps, you can improve your chances of acing the Bain Assessment and landing your dream job at Bain.

With the information provided in this article, you now have a detailed guide to acing the Bain Assessment. Use the tips provided, study diligently, and practice as much as you can, and you can undoubtedly hit the bullseye when it comes to the Bain Test.

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Bain & Company Assessment Test, Hiring Process & Interviews Online Preparation – 2024

What Is Bain & Company?

Bain & Company is a multinational consulting firm founded in 1973. With offices in thirty-seven countries and half a dozen subsidiaries, they have experience in a variety of demographics and industries. They pride themselves on finding new and innovative ways to effectively serve their clients and strive to learn about the industries they are involved in. Bain & Company looks for people with knowledge of:

• Corporate Finance
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Sustainability

What Is the Bain & Company Hiring Process?

Bain & Company has a fairly simple hiring process. The outline of their interviews is standard but may vary slightly depending on your location and the position you have applied for. The company has a formal, three-stage recruiting process. These include:

Application

• Online Assessments

The application is Bain & Company’s first impression of the candidate. After they briefly review it to ensure all of the entry criteria and qualifications are met, the company will automatically send you to the next stage of the interview process.

Bain & Company favors tailored cover letters. As a community-oriented company, Bain is interested in hearing about your philanthropic endeavors and unique experiences or projects. It is also advantageous to include your strengths and how they make you an asset to the company.

Bain & Company’s Online Assessments

Online assessments are utilized in various selection processes as a tool for objectively measuring aptitude and emotional intelligence. Bain administers these assessments in the second stage in an effort to minimize the candidate pool before they conduct interviews. The number and subject of the tests may vary depending on the position, but the following tests are the entirety of what you may encounter:

• Abstract Reasoning The abstract reasoning test serves Bain & Company by assessing decision-making and problem-solving skills. It is a nonverbal, fifteen-minute assessment featuring a series of shapes. These shapes are split into two sets side by side, each with a different pattern. The objective is to identify the pattern in each set and determine how they relate to one another. Then, provided four novel shapes, select which set each new object belongs to. There are thirty total questions.
• Numerical Reasoning The numerical reasoning assessment examines mathematical abilities and analytical capacity. Given a graph or table, the test-taker must evaluate the numerical data and answer the questions that follow. The numerical reasoning test requires an understanding of basic mathematical operations, level one algebra, fractions, statistics and more. There are twenty-five total questions paired with a twenty-minute time limit.
• Personality Test The personality test offers Bain some insight into how well a candidate’s behavior aligns with the role and how well their disposition fits in with the company’s environment. For example, if they need an outgoing, leadership type, Bain can use these results to decide which candidate best fits this description. The format presents the test-taker with a hypothetical scenario detailing a conflict or situation in the workplace. Subsequently, there will be a statement describing a possible action to take in the given scenario. The test-taker must rate the statement based on how much they agree with it on a scale of one to ten.
• Verbal Reasoning The verbal reasoning exam appraises the ability to comprehend written statements and correspondence, use the correct grammar and punctuation , and basic fundamental literacy. It is multiple-choice and considered to be the easiest of all of the aptitude assessments.

Bain & Company’s Interview

The interview is the final stage of Bain & Company’s hiring process. It will be face-to-face and can occur in one of three fashions:

• Case Study Interview The case study interview is a requirement of all candidates for consulting roles. Bain uses actual problems from past cases they have encountered with clients. There is some math involved and the interviewer expects to hear the thought-process that led you to a particular solution.
• Experience Interview The experience interview may contain a little piece of a case study interview but mainly focuses on the candidate. The questions will discuss the candidate’s resume, background, qualifications, and relevant experience. The behavioral and competency questions may include inquiries such as, “Name a time you made a difficult decision and why you made it” or “What is usually your role in a team dynamic?”.
• Written Case Interview The written case interview is an additional round of those who had a case study interview. Candidates will read twenty to thirty documents containing information about a client’s situation. Then they will have a little less than an hour to come up with a solution, narrow in on the main ideas, and write all of their findings in a brief report. Finally, they will present this report to the interviewer who will question them on their conclusions.

The role description accompanying the job posting will most likely inform you which interview you will be participating in. If not, you will be notified a few days in advance to make preparation a little easier.

How to Prepare for Bain & Company’s Online Assessments?

Bain & Company uses these online assessments to highlight the candidates who are skillful, intelligent, and have the right personality for the job. And, because these tests are specifically for reducing the number of candidates, the stakes are much higher. This is why practicing is so crucial for your success.

Preparing with the help of practice tests is greatly recommended by the company and candidates themselves. Because it imitates the test conditions, you can practice taking the assessment before the scores truly matter. You will become familiar with the structure and content of the questions while navigating the time constraint. After, you will receive your scores and can use them to measure your progress and get an idea of how much longer you need to study for.

Another popular studying method is using sample questions. If you are more concerned with the questions on the test rather than the time limit, sample questions are your best bet. They simulate the material and allow you to focus on your problem-solving approach. Eventually, when you gain confidence you can increase your speed while maintaining your accuracy.

What Do Bain & Company Interviewers Look For?

Bain outlines specific traits they value in their employees. This is a helpful reference for your competency and behavioral interviews. Evaluating these qualities and the wat you relate to them will both boost your confidence and elevate your image in the eyes of the company. Bain & Company looks for the following characteristics:

• Passion & Commitment
• Honesty & Openness
• Team-Oriented

Along with these qualities, they also want to see recruits with great leadership and problem-solving skills. They will ask you for examples of times you have exuded one or more of these traits. For example, “when was a time you were honest with someone even when it was difficult for you”.

Another common question is about a time you made a difference in an organization and how. This could be your school, past places of work, or other organizations.

Interview Tips for Bain & Company

Putting your best foot forward is easier said than done. But above all else, it is important to do your background research on Bain & Company and spend a generous amount of time preparing for the hiring process.

For your case study interview, Bain & Company favors candidates who include potential arguments from a different perspective. This will emphasize your ability to maintain objectivity and strengthen your own resolution. Remember to highlight the key facts and points to preserve your time.

Your preparation for the experience interview should revolve around having your answers ready for behavioral and competency questions. This includes questions like:

• Describe a time you and a team member didn’t agree on something. How did you handle it?
• What outside interests do you have?
• Describe a time you influenced a decision or outcome.

Working at Bain & Company is a golden opportunity that could be in the palm of your hand with just a little bit of time and effort. Use this as your go-to-guide for acing your interview and show Bain & Company why you are the right candidate for them. Best of luck! 

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• BCG and Bain Pymetrics: Full 2023 Guide with Practice Test

BCG, Bain and other firms like Accenture and PWC have all been using the same Pymetrics assessment to help select candidates for consulting roles. Beyond consulting, JP Morgan and others are using Pymetrics to select for finance jobs you might well also be applying for. Crucially, you only get one shot at the Pymetics assessment across all the firms you apply to – so messing up that one test could have an outsize impact on your career prospects in general. This is pretty daunting, not least because the Pymetrics assessment - as a series of video games designed to psychologically profile you - is highly idiosyncratic, and it isn’t necessarily clear what you can do to prepare effectively. Don’t worry, though – MCC is here to help! Here, we’ll run through what the Pymetrics assessment is, how it works and – crucially – how you can prepare for it. Most useful of all, we introduce a detailed simulation put together by a specialist third-party firm to let you practice for this unusual test. Of course, if you’re in a hurry, you can go straight to that practice resource here:

Pymetrics Prep Pack

NB: Know what you are up against

Do note that, especially if you’re applying to BCG or Bain, Pymetrics is not the only online assessment these firms use. BCG has increasingly been leveraging their Casey online case study either alongside or instead of Pymetrics. Similarly, Bain has also been using the Sova assessment . Of course, you should make sure that you are prepping for the right test - reach out to HR if you aren’t sure.

What is the Pymetrics Test?

Pymetrics was originally produced by a start-up of the same name - though the parent company has since changed its name to Harver whilst retaining the Pymetrics brand, including the Pymetrics website . Similar to Imbellus, the  start-up that initially devised McKinsey’s Solve assessment, Pymetrics/Harver have an explicit raison d’etre around broadening access to opportunity and eliminating discrimination in corporate recruitment (more in this article ). The Pymetrics assessment is designed to build a psychological profile of the test-taker that can then be compared to what a specific company is looking for in new hires. This means that the same assessment can be used by many disparate companies to select quite different candidates depending on the kind of profile they are seeking.  Indeed, Pymetrics has been used by firms as diverse as Kraft-Heinz, Astra Zeneca and even McDonald's to recruit for roles ranging from executives to warehouse staff. These “ideal” benchmark profiles will typically be generated by having existing high-performing staff take the same Pymetrics test and averaging their performance across the different attributes tested for. However, in line with the stated goals of the Pymetrics/Harver company, there is an additional step there adjustments are made to the resultant profiles remove any bias and ensure that under-represented groups are not disadvantaged.

Let's look further into the specifics of how it works in practice...

The BCG Pymetrics Test itself consists of a series of games played on your computer at home.

Specifically, in the core assessment, there are 12 games testing your “soft skills” and allowing the software to build a profile of your cognitive and emotional traits.

Each individual game lasts between 2-3 minutes, with a total gameplay time of around 25 minutes. You can pause for a break between different games, but not during gameplay.

Pymetrics can also supplement these 12 games assessing soft skills with two more conventional assessments of quantitative and numerical reasoning. However, Pymetrics does not seem to deploy these at time of writing

Crucially, you cannot repeat games if you feel you have not performed well. Instead, Pymetrics bar you from retaking the test for 330 days - in effect a full year. This is particularly important because these same first results will be sent by Pymetrics to any other firms you apply to who also contract Pymetrics for their screening tests. One reason it’s crucial you put in your best performance possible!

Place in the selection process

The Pymetrics assessment is generally used to help screen candidates between submitting their applications and being invited to case interviews. As mentioned above, Pymetrics might be deployed alongside other online tests or automated interviews at this stage. 

After you complete Pymetrics, you might receive an invitation to interview quite quickly, though candidates have also reported delays, so don’t panic if you don’t hear back immediately.

Of course, for any subsequent firms you apply to also using the Pymetrics assessment, you don't sit the test again. Those firms simply receive the same profile generated the first time you took the test.

Trait Report from Pymetrics

All test takers, whether they are successful or not, will receive a “trait report” from Pymetrics. This will outline the candidate’s character in terms of several different traits, as revealed by their performance on the games, and suggest roles and professions to which they might find themselves particularly well suited.

Prep the right way

Why do bcg, bain and others use pymetrics.

Online tests are very much the future for consulting recruitment in particular. Of course, McKinsey employs the much-discussed Solve assessment , initially developed for them by Imbellus. As noted, Bain have been using the similar Sova tests at many offices, and BCG has developed Casey - an online case administered by a chatbot. Other firms have also been moving in a similar direction.

Importantly, all these consultancies transitioning towards this method of screening candidates are doing so for the same fundamental reasons – and understanding these reasons will help you understand how to approach the Pymetrics assessment to maximise your own chances of going on to land a job.

The Problem for Consulting Recruitment

The likes of BCG or Bain will typically receive dozens or even hundreds of high-quality applications for each vacancy. This is far more individuals than the firms can hope to interview. Indeed, consulting case interviews are particularly expensive and inconvenient for firms to conduct, requiring that consultants (and partners for later rounds) be taken off projects, disrupting whole projects and requiring them to fly back to the office if they are working on location. Thus, the challenge is to minimise the number of interviews required without compromising the integrity of the selection process. This has been easier said than done, though. The need to make large cuts to the applicant pool has, in the past, too readily resulted in strict filters based on criteria like university attended, course studied etc - too readily leaving out talented candidates from elsewhere and potentially serving to bias recruiting away from under-represented groups. Assessments have also been used in the past, though these tended to be GMAT-style, often explicitly business-focussed - with the McKinsey PST as the most well-known example. However, these proved too easy to game and again favoured candidates from a rather narrow set of backgrounds (usually MBA grads). Older tests were also sat in person at company locations, with all the inconvenience for both candidate and firm that entails. Compounding these issues, the changing nature of consulting work itself requires firms to hire staff with a more diverse skillset - with industry experience, technical skills and/or a PhD now being just as useful as an MBA.

The Solution

Pymetrics, then, promises to solve these problems. Case studies on the Pymetics site show how their tests have dramatically decreased recruiters’ workload and even allowed them to remove steps in recruitment pipelines by providing a fully automated means of reliably separating the best candidates in a cohort.

The online nature of Pymetrics’ tests also renders the selection process more convenient for applicants, who will be able to fit the test around work or study and avoid having to travel to a physical location until later rounds. This fulfils the dual purpose of opening up recruitment to those outside hub cities and/or traditional target universities, as well as reducing the carbon footprint from travel associated with their selection process.

Crucially, though, Pymetrics also promises its tests outperform any manual process to select both more diverse and higher quality candidates, who will perform better as real-life management consultants. Again, case studies from Pymetrics show that the performance of those staff selected by their assessment outstrips that of their conventionally recruited predecessors.

If you want to read more about what Pymetrics are offering to the companies that use their tests, their CEO goes into detail in this article in the Harvard Business Review .

Everything you need in one place

How does the test work what does it measure.

As noted, Pymetrics uses the same test to select for radically different jobs – from warehouse staff and entry-level roles at McDonald’s to top-end investment bankers and, of course, management consultants.

The Pymetrics test measures performance against 91 cognitive metrics. The result is a mental profile of the test taker broken down into the following nine trait categories:

• Decision Making
• Risk Tolerance

Obviously, though, employers are looking for totally different candidates across these disparate industries. It isn’t a matter of just scoring “highly” on each trait. This is why Pymetrics say there are no correct or incorrect ways to play their games.

Rather, the specific way you play the games generates a distinct profile of your own cognitive traits. This is then compared to the ideal traits found to be manifested in the best-performing employees in the company to which you are applying. Obviously, this means being compared against a different standard for each different company. Your own profile is not inherently “good” or “bad”, but it may or may not match up with what a given company is looking for .

This is best understood by considering a trait like risk tolerance. In a professional setting, a high or low level of risk tolerance is not inherently good or bad. What matters is context. For example, highly risk-tolerant traders might be sought out to maximise returns for an investment firm. By contrast, an accounting firm might be looking for very risk-averse employees.

At BCG, Bain and other firms, then, high-performing consultants will have been asked to play through the same Pymetrics games. This allows Pymetrics’ system to extract the key mental characteristics typical of a top consultant at each individual company.

Importantly, this output is then reviewed and tested by Pymetrics to filter out any biases percolating up from an unrepresentative sample. This manual intervention helps differentiate Pymetrics’ approach, where cruder tools might simply replicate the same sub-optimal, demographically skewed workforce the firm already had.

In short, then, when you take the Pymetrics test, then, your gameplay is being directly compared to how Pymetrics think an idealised consultant would tackle those same games.

What are the tests like?

So, what are these sophisticated cognition-testing games actually like? We’ll give a brief run-through of each here. However, you can read a fully detailed explanation of all the Pymetrics games – with plenty of images and some great tips and strategies – at this link .

1. Balloon Game

In this game, you have to progressively inflate a series of balloons. The larger you can inflate them without them popping, the more money you earn. However, if a balloon pops, you earn no money from it. Popping is not simply a matter of chance, though – there are patterns as to which colour of balloon can be inflated to which size. Quickly spotting these patterns is the key to doing well.

2. Tower Game

This is a version of the Towers of Hanoi game you have probably played as a kid. Your job here is to re-stack towers of coloured disks into a target configuration with the fewest moves possible.

3. Money Exchange Game I

Here you have to divide $10 between yourself and a character in the game, with some complications thrown in for you to respond to.

4. Money Exchange Game II

This game is quite similar to the last, with you and a game character working together to earn an amount of money and then splitting it between you. You then decide how fair the result is.

5. Keypress Game

This is a pretty straightforward game – you have to press a certain key on your keyboard (typically the enter key or spacebar) as many times as possible within a given period of time (usually around a minute). Importantly, you need to start and stop exactly when instructed.

6. Hard or Easy Task Game

Here, for each of multiple rounds, you are given the choice between an easy task paying a small amount of money and a more difficult one paying a larger amount. To complicate matters, for each round there is a variable chance that you will complete the task you pick and not get paid - introducing the possibility that you can take the trouble to complete the difficult task without any reward.

7. Digits Memory Game

In this game, you have to correctly recall strings of numbers. Those of you with any kind of background in psychology will recognise this as a test of “ digit span ”, which is taken to be indicative of your working memory (which itself correlates with IQ and other measures).

8. Stop Game

Here, you are quickly flashed a sequence of different coloured shapes. When you see a certain shape – such as a red circle – you must press a certain key (generally enter or the spacebar). When you see other shapes – green circles, for example – you must not press any key.

9. Arrows Game

This is similar to the last game, but more difficult. You are flashed a series of groups of arrows. If the arrows are one colour, you have to press a key to indicate the direction of the middle arrow of the group. If the arrows are the other colour, you press a key to indicate the direction of the outermost arrows.

10. Lengths Game

This game is similar in theme to the previous two, but more difficult again. In this case, you will be shown sets of two mouths or moustaches and have to determine which is the longer of each pair. This is made tricky by the fact that the mouths/moustaches are very similar in length and because you have to answer as quickly as you can.

11. Cards Game

This game brings to mind the old Solitaire PC games in that you must draw cards unseen from four decks. Money is earnt depending on each specific card, with your job being to maximise amount of money you have at the end of the game. As with the balloon game, the key to success is to identify patterns in the cards.

12. Faces Game

This game is distinct from the others in testing your emotional ability rather than cognitive capacity. You are presented with a photo of a person’s face and a piece of text describing an emotive situation. Based on this, you have to decide which emotion the person is feeling. Things are made more difficult by the face in the photo seeming to express very different emotions to what would be expected based on the text.

How to prepare for your Pymetrics assessment

An intentional feature of “gamified” assessments like Pymetrics or the McKinsey Solve assessment is that they are harder for candidates to prep for. Specifically, they are notably harder to simulate in order to practice - after all, it’s a lot easier for a third party to generate PDFs of multiple-choice test papers than it is to build a series of video games. Games are supposed to prevent candidates from gaming the system, as it were.

Don’t worry though - there is still a lot you can do to prepare in general and MCC has you covered for practice material in particular.

Before we get to the practice games, though, there are some things you should do to maximise your chances before you play any games at all.

Long-Term - Building modes of thought

According to BCG’s own research on the matter, the traits Pymetrics tests for might be deeply ingrained, but they are not immutable and are amenable to training.

Over the longer term, your general consulting prep will inherently build these traits. The task over the course of weeks or months is thus not so much to prep for Pymetrics directly, but rather to immerse yourself in your wider consulting skill building.

In particular, screening tests will generally be calibrated to predict case interview performance - thus there will be a great deal of carryover from properly preparing for case interview. Of course, we recommend that an ideal case interview prep should begin before applications go in - and thus before any screening tests.

If you haven't already, you can get started with case interview prep with our introductory article here .

Short-Term: Get into the consulting/firm mindset and simulation

In the shorter term, you can also prime yourself to step into the mindset of a consultant at your target firm before you start the games.

An important part of this is to sit down and consider what it is Bain, BCG or whichever other firm you are applying to are looking for in a consultant and how an ideal staff member should approach the Pymetrics games. Ideally, you should have already considered this general subject in some depth when putting together your resume and cover letter . If you haven't already, read through the firm website and anything else you can find about the qualities they look for in staff and the kind of approach to work they try to foster.

The very best thing you can do in the short term, though, is to practice with an accurate simulation of the Pymetric games . This allows you to become accustomed to the precise format of what you will face, whilst also letting you think more clearly about how to answer like a real consultant. Luckily, MCC has sourced just what you need here...

Practice - Pymetrics Simulation

Difficult doesn’t mean impossible, and just because it’s hard to put together a good simulation of the Pymetrics games doesn’t mean MCC doesn’t have one for you.

To offer this, we’ve mirrored the consulting firms themselves and partnered with a specialist psychometric test provider who has built excellent, highly accurate simulations of the Pymetics games for you to practice on before the real deal (these are the same guys who created our Bain Sova simulation ).

This practice version will let you build confidence and develop optimal strategies for each game in advance of the big day itself.

Certainly, you should see meaningful improvements from practising the likes of the keypress, arrows or lengths games, where you can get used to spotting what you need to at speed. If nothing else, though, you can avoid that horrible “rabbit-in-the-headlights” feeling of getting to grips with something totally new under pressure, as well as the risk of misunderstanding what you should be doing at any point in the games.

You can find this practice test here:

Of course, once you hopefully blitz your Pymetrics test, the next step is aceing your case interviews.

Ideally, your case interview prep should start before you have even submitted your application. To get off on the right foot, you can check out our intro to case interviews . From there, you can get down to work with our Case Academy course and coaching sessions with experienced MBB consultants . And don’t forget to also check out our free meeting board for prep partners and our extensive free case library .

Looking for an all-inclusive, peace of mind program?

Candidates who sign up to our free services are 3 times more likely to land a job in one of their target firms . How?

• We teach how to solve cases like consultants , not through frameworks
• Our Meeting Board lets you practice with peers on 100+ realistic, interactive cases.
• Our AI mentor creates a personalised study roadmap to give you direction.
• All the advice you need on resume, cover letter and networking.

We believe in fostering talent, that’s why all of the above is free .

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Online Assessments

MBB and other management consulting firms often use online assessments to screen a large number of applicants before the interview stage. These assessments help identify which applicants share traits with successful consultants. Many offices have now phased-out traditional assessments, such as the McKinsey Problem Solving Test or BCG Potential Test, and are instead using gamified assessments. This is to test candidates’ interpersonal and cognitive skills better, as well as to make the pre-interview stage more fun and unpredictable for applicants.

To help you prepare, we break down the “why” behind the assessment, explain how each test works, and give tips on how to be ready for each assessment type. Our Prepmatter Online Assessment Package includes comprehensive guides for 3 of the McKinsey, BCG and Bain assessment models.

What is included?

Mckinsey problem solving game (solve).

McKinsey Solve is a digital gamified assessment designed to evaluate candidates’ abilities holistically. The online game involves two parts, and candidates are asked to play one game in each part. In part I, candidates play either Ecosystem Creation (Coral Reef) or Ecosystem Creation (Mountain Ridge); in part II, candidates play Plant Defense, Migration Management, Red Rock Study, Disaster Management, or Disease Management. We lay out exactly how Solve works, with publicly-available and remastered in-game visuals, a host of tips to crack the games, and provide you with the best guide available on how to prepare.

The McKinsey Online Assessment i.e., Problem Solving Game, Imbellus or Solve, is intended to assess a candidate based on:

• Systemic thinking - Being aware of cause-and-effect relationships and how they will influence potential consequences.
• Situational awareness - Being mindful of current conditions weighing on a situation and deducing likely outcomes.
• Decision making - Being able to determine the best course of action given a variety of options and variables.
• Metacognition - The ability to capture and process large amounts of information.
• Critical thinking - Critical thinking requires a questioning mindset and involves weighing information from a variety of sources and coming to logical conclusions.

BCG Potential Test

The BCG Potential Test is a variation of the same assessment used in many other management consulting firms, such as the SOVA assessment at Bain, or the Problem Solving Test at McKinsey, as a way to evaluate candidates' numerical, logical, and reasoning skills. The objective is to lower the company's recruiting expenditures by reducing the number of candidates who are considered worthy of a face-to-face interview. A candidate who fails the BCG Potential Test in these areas is likely to fail a case interview anyhow, which would be a huge waste of time and money for the organisation. Included in your BCG Potential Test guide are 4 best-in-class 23-question sample online assessments that are carefully crafted by former BCG consultants and give you the best opportunity to familiarize yourself and prepare for the test.   The Potential Test is accessible in two formats: computerised and paper-based; which format is used is determined by the local office. The key difference between both (apart from the fact that one is virtual and the other is physical) is that the candidate has 45 minutes to answer 23 questions on the computer-based Potential Test. The applicant has 50 minutes to answer 53 questions on the paper Potential Test. The computer-based test has questions on a single instance, but the paper test has questions about multiple separate cases. You will, however, be examined mathematically with numerical problems and logically with data interpretation and comprehension questions in both assessments.   Important note: This examination has been largely phased out by BCG, as they aim to go towards the chatbot or pymetrics evaluation.

Packed with 30 verbal reasoning questions, 30 numerical reasoning questions, 18 logical reasoning questions, and 40 personality test statements, our Bain SOVA prep package is a comprehensive tool designed to facilitate your preparation for the assessment.

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Bain Written Case Interview: The Comprehensive Guide

Last Updated on February 5, 2024

Navigating Bain’s written case interview? This guide distills essential strategies and tips to excel in this critical component of Bain’s hiring process. Discover how to analyze written cases, draft persuasive recommendations, and present your analysis with confidence.

Bain Written Case Interview: A Quick Introduction

Bain & Company employs written case interviews during their recruiting process in addition to the traditional face-to-face case interviews .

What Is a Written Case Interview?

A written case interview is a specialized format employed in management consulting to assess how candidates tackle business problems, mirroring real consultant tasks. It usually unfolds in five stages: receiving case documents and questions that need to be answered, analyzing the information, creating analytical slides, presenting findings in front of one or two interviewers, and engaging in a Q&A session.

A unique aspect of the Bain written case is the preparation time allowed, necessitating a thorough analysis of extensive information. During that time, candidates are required to analyze the situation and craft slides to convey their analysis and recommendations, simulating the consultant’s role in client meetings.

More specifically, the Bain written case interview asks you to draft a recommendation for a challenging client situation. You are presented with a lot of information and facts about the problem as well as a few key questions that need to be solved. You will have ~1 hour to prepare your recommendation, which you have to present and defend in front of one or more interviewers afterward.

Your task is to understand the client’s problem, and develop a sensible recommendation, taking into account the various trade-offs. You are expected to engage in a problem-solving discussion with your interviewer, who acts as a fictitious client to ensure a strong outcome for the client.

In the process, you are bombarded with information. You have to work hypothesis-driven and link the questions to the provided information to quickly zero in on the relevant bits of data and then, conduct your analysis.

Based on this analysis, you should draft a short consulting-style presentation, crafting your own storyline and narrative.

When Does the Bain Written Case Interview Occur?

This written interview typically occurs after passing initial resume screenings and the Bain SOVA and other online tests in the recruitment process.

While the traditional case interview is always part of the Bain assessment, the written case interview serves as an equally critical tool in consulting recruitment for several Bain offices. Yet, you should be aware that the written case interview is not always part of the Bain recruiting process as each individual office can adjust their recruiting process.

Keep that in mind when creating your consulting interview preparation plan .

If the written case is included in your assessment, do not worry.

After all, the written case interview presents you with a slight variation of the classic case interview. Hence, preparing for the case interview also helps you with your performance with the written case and vice versa.

Essential Skills for the Bain Written Case Interview

In the written case interview, Bain assesses various competencies that are critical for success:

• Analytical Thinking : Your skill in dissecting complex datasets to extract vital insights and draw informed conclusions is evaluated.
• Problem-Solving : You’re tested on your ability to hypothesize and devise practical strategies for the case’s business challenges.
• Time Management : Your capability to effectively distribute time across tasks, ensuring a comprehensive analysis and well-prepared recommendations, is crucial.
• Communication : Your presentation must clearly and convincingly convey your solutions and the thought process behind them.
• Detail-Oriented Approach : Your knack for pinpointing and assessing even the minutest but impactful data points is scrutinized.
• Innovative Thinking : Your flair for crafting novel solutions and approaching problems from unique angles is observed.
• Business Insight : Your grasp of the broader business landscape, specific industry knowledge, and the viability of your proposals is assessed.
• Quantitative Proficiency : Your adeptness at executing precise calculations and leveraging data to bolster your case is evaluated.
• Grace Under Fire : Your poise and ability to remain unflustered under the interview’s pressure, particularly when challenged, is gauged.
• Presentation Acumen : The aesthetic and structural execution of your slides, coupled with your proficiency in delivering content compellingly, is judged.

Bain Written Case Fact Pack

• Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes in total (55 minutes to prepare, 40 minutes to present and debate)
• Data: 20-30 slides packed with information on a specific client’s issue
• Output: Slide templates to structure and guide your storyline and recommendations. Fill in the blanks on the specific slides (e.g. provide supporting data and points for an action title, fill results calculations, strengthen graphs and tables with data you have calculated, etc.)
• Format: You prepare several slides to present your recommendation and analysis/ supporting arguments and then get challenged by the interviewer to see how you would react in a real client situation
• Math: The numerical problems are simple and should be tackled with classic pen-and-paper math or estimations; calculators are not allowed
• Focus: All industries or functions are fair game
• Target group: The written case interview is currently employed mostly in Asian and European offices during the second round interviews
• Preparation materials: Case study examples and case study examples for students applying at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain

The Stages of the Bain Written Case Interview

Stage 1: case reception.

Bain presents candidates with the case materials, which may comprise printed PowerPoint slides or A4 documents. The information comprises 20 to 30 slides with text, data tables, and charts and a client objective.

Stage 2: Hypothesis Development and Data Analysis

Prior to crafting their slides, candidates should perform an in-depth analysis of the case materials. This stage is crucial for generating and evaluating hypotheses informed by the data.

Here, candidates must demonstrate their analytical prowess by filtering through the material to pinpoint essential data and formulate initial hypotheses that will inform the creation of their presentation slides.

Dealing with the volume and intricacy of the data requires adept hypothesis generation and evaluation.

Stage 3: Crafting Presentation Slides

With data-driven insights in hand, candidates begin to create their presentation slides. This stage involves a careful selection and analysis of data to back up their hypotheses and the creation of slides that concisely capture their analysis, insights, evidence, and strategic recommendations.

Stage 4: Delivering the Presentation

After 55 minutes of preparation, candidates have around 15 to 20 minutes to present their conclusions and recommendations to interviewers. The presentation should be well-organized, featuring a summary of the case, well-defined hypotheses, supportive charts/graphs/insights, and definitive recommendations.

Stage 5: Engaging in a Q&A Session

The interview process wraps up with a 15 to 20 minute Q&A session, which might delve into more personal aspects or clarify particulars of the candidate’s presentation.

Interviewers will examine the candidates’ conclusions and challenge their reasoning to evaluate their level of preparation and comprehensive understanding.

Candidates should understand that intensive scrutiny of their assumptions and conclusions is a deliberate aspect of the assessment, aimed at testing their composure and the robustness with which they can uphold and justify their recommendations when faced with pressure.

Bain Written Case Interview Tips

Bain recommends the following to tackle their interviews. Keep it in mind when you draft your recommendation!

• Trust your gut.  There is no one correct answer. You need to deliver a persuasive recommendation and participate in a rich discussion about how to achieve results for your client.
• Prioritize.  Preparation time goes quickly, so put aside case slides that seem less important.
• Be concise.  Have your key messages outlined in your summary. Save the details for your discussion.
• Do the math.  Figure out what analytics are necessary for your recommendation, and piece together the required data from the slides.
• Be pragmatic.  Craft a recommendation that can actually be implemented by the client.
• Consider both sides.  Strengthen the rationale behind your recommendation by working through the strongest arguments against it.

While these tips are helpful, they do not allow for a structured problem-solving process. Hence, we created one ourselves for our clients to go through.

Bain Written Case Interview Strategy

We’ve developed a proven strategy designed to navigate this specific type of evaluation successfully. Here is our six-step method for approaching written case interviews, tailored to concentrate your efforts, pinpoint the essential elements of the case, quickly process and integrate the information at hand, and formulate a compelling recommendation.

1. Have a Plan Before You Start the Bain Written Case

Since time is usually limited, you should have a plan on how long you want to spend on each task of the assignment beforehand. For the 55-minute case take

• 2.5 minutes for a quick scan of the documents
• 2.5 minutes to plan your approach (i.e. what do you need to figure out, what information is important, what analyses would you have to do, what output documents do you have to draft)
• 10 minutes to draft your output slides (doing this early helps you to focus your analytical efforts)
• 30 minutes to conduct analyses and work through the case
• 10 minutes to populate your slides with your findings and recommendations.

Utilize case study examples and templates available at this link for your preparation.

Considering the time limitations, it’s practical to anticipate that things may not always proceed as planned. Therefore, it’s crucial to assign definite time segments for each activity during your prep work, while also setting aside a contingency period for unforeseen setbacks or to enhance any aspects of the case needing additional attention.

2. Quickly Separate Crucial Information From the Noise

Written case interviews often inundate you with an excess of information that requires sorting. Initially, identify the essential information needed for your analyses to formulate a recommendation. Document the primary question you need to address and continually reference it throughout your work on the case.

Ensure clarity on the questions posed and develop a hypothesis for each possible response. Given the premium on time, it’s not feasible to explore every analysis and hypothesis comprehensively. Concentrate on the critical questions that fundamentally influence your recommendation, aiming to focus your presentation on the most relevant aspects.

This approach allows you to read with targeted objectives, enhancing your ability to process information quickly. Then, gather the necessary data, organize your analysis strategically, and engage deeply. Adopt a hypothesis-driven method to structure your analysis and reasoning, integrating each piece of your analysis to arrive at well-founded conclusions, akin to the process in a traditional case interview.

You can practice this by looking at business school cases, such as

• HBS case studies
• Ivey case studies
• INSEAD case studies
• MIT case studies (includes free materials)

You can also look at case study examples and case study examples for students that we compiled here . There is also a certain overlap with HireVue interview questions .

Additionally, try to increase your reading speed with apps such as Spreeder, Reedy, or Read Me!

Ace written case interviews with our dedicated preparation packages.

3. Interpret and Distill Key Insights From Charts and Data Tables 

Written cases bombard you with charts, graphs, tables, and other visual depictions of data that you should use to test your hypotheses. Learn how to quickly read and interpret them.

• What are the key messages and insights?
• How does the information of several charts/ tables, etc. relate to each other?
• What information is relevant to the case?

To prepare these skills, go through The Economist, the Wall Street Journal or similar and use their graphs or tables to train your reading and interpretation skills. Alternatively, look at practice McKinsey Problem Solving Test or BCG potential test graphs. Time yourself while doing it, e.g. giving yourself 30 seconds before you are able to communicate what the graph is all about and what you would infer from it (what is the ‘so what’?).

You can also use our Consulting Chart and Data Interpretation Course and Drills to improve how consultants analyze charts and generate insights quickly.

4. Quickly Draft Formulas and Conduct Pen-and-Paper Math

Get into the habit of quickly setting up and simplifying calculations. Practice quick pen-and-paper math as well as estimations similar to what you would do in a normal case interview. To prepare and practice, look into McKinsey PST, BCG potential test exercises as well as GMAT questions.

If you need to brush up on your math skills, we have created a program with detailed insider learning materials and close to 2,000 practice drills that mimic the McKinsey, BCG, and Bain case interview math for you here: the Case Interview Math Mastery .

5. Draft a Compelling Storyline and Tell It With Visually Appealing Outputs

Create a top-down storyline of your recommendations. State your primary recommendation, then use supporting arguments to strengthen your position.

In practice, you would have one key slide talking about your finding and recommendation, i.e. what or how the client should solve the problem, Then, you would have several supporting slides, discussing arguments for your solution, i.e. why your approach is the best. Lastly, put a slide talking about the next steps to hedge your bets (what else would you like to know to make your recommendation even stronger) and demonstrate that you think ahead.

As for the slide design, use an action title on each, then some visual aids like a graph (remember to have a graph title as well) and some supporting bullet points, or if not applicable, just bullet points.

• The action title should convey the so-what of your analysis. You need to show the implication of what you present rather than a description of what you have found.
• The headings of each slide together should tell the full story. Everything below the heading are details to the story and should support your key message

6. Communicate and Defend Your Recommendation

If you have to present your findings at the end of the case, follow the top-down approach of your slide deck. Be confident and engaging when going through your recommendations and supporting arguments.

First, present your headlines, e.g. “The client needs to cut cost by x% to break even within the next 5 years”; then move on to the details of the slide such as “Our manufacturing cost has increased by 25% over the last 3 years,..”

Follow this structure:

• Offer your recommendation succinctly.
• Back it up with compelling evidence and reasoning.
• Outline potential risks linked to your strategy.
• Advise on the next steps to further improve your analysis or move towards implementation.

Remember, reiterating the case prompt isn’t necessary—it’s a prudent use of precious time to dive straight into your insights.

This approach is very much like the recommendation you would give at the end of a normal case interview.

Point out when you are using hypotheses and assumptions that you were not able to fully verify.

Lastly, be open and ready to debate. The interviewers will definitely challenge your recommendation. It is important that you confidently stand your ground unless they make you aware of an obvious mistake on your part. In the latter case, demonstrate that you are coachable and save the situation by providing a plan of action on how to re-do the analysis to cross-check and improve your results.

Learn more about consulting case interview communication here .

Practice for the Bain Written Case Interview

Preparing effectively for the Bain written case interview is crucial to securing that coveted consulting role. For Bain case interview preparation, employ consulting case study tips and robust case interview strategies to navigate the challenges and ace your assessment.

If you want to test your ability to work on a written case, click the following link that redirects you to a real example by BCG.

Here are six key strategies to polish your skills for a standout performance:

• Refine Rapid Reading Abilities : Speed reading is essential due to the voluminous information you’ll face. Learn to quickly identify key data, which is vital when under time constraints. Employ techniques such as using a tracker or pacer and practice using speed reading apps on your computer and phone.
• Hone Consulting Math Proficiency : Sharp mental arithmetic is a must for consultants who work with numbers daily. Using a calculator is not allowed. Strengthen your mental math with daily practice, starting with small steps and building up to complex calculations.
• Develop Data Analysis Skills : The core of a hypothesis-driven approach is the ability to analyze data to support your recommendations. Focus on the three key processes: Analyzing the data presented, contextualizing within the case’s framework, and interpreting the results to drive business insights.
• Grasp Case Interview Basics : The fundamental skills of a traditional case interview apply here too. Familiarize yourself with concepts like issue trees, MECE principles, structured communication, and top-down analysis.
• Master Consulting-Style Slide Creation : In consulting, presentations are the end-product of your analysis. Learn to organize content in a clear, impactful way, even if the actual design isn’t your responsibility. Look for resources that guide you through crafting slides that resonate with a consulting audience.
• Practice with Mock Interviews : Simulate the interview experience with mock sessions. Seek out former consultants and expert interview coaches who can provide informed feedback and guidance.

Diligent practice in these areas can significantly enhance your readiness and confidence for the written case interview, setting you apart in the competitive field of consulting.

How We Help You Get Top-Tier Consulting Offers

We have specialized in placing people from all walks of life with different backgrounds into top consulting firms both as generalist hires as well as specialized hires and experts. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we help you by

• tailoring your resume and cover letter to meet consulting firms’ highest standards
• showing you how to pass the different online assessments and tests for McKinsey , BCG , and Bain
• showing you how to ace McKinsey interviews and the PEI with our video academy
• coaching you in our 1-on-1 sessions to become an excellent case solver and impress with your fit answers (90% success rate after 5 sessions)
• preparing your math to be bulletproof for every case interview
• helping you structure creative and complex case interviews
• teaching you how to interpret charts and exhibits like a consultant
• providing you with cheat sheets and overviews for 27 industries .

To improve your skills in all areas of the written interview, check out our targeted offers below.

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Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. He started StrategyCase.com to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. He ranks as the most successful consulting case and fit interview coach, generating more than 500 offers with MBB, tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms through direct coaching of his clients over the last 3.5 years. His books “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview” and “Consulting Career Secrets” are available via Amazon.

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