Are there any situations where a referral can allow you to skip pre-interview aptitude tests?

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, it is very unlikely that a referral alone would allow you to skip any pre-interview assessment. These assessments are used to assess a candidate’s cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills, and are considered an important part of the screening process.
• Still, having a strong referral will increase the chances that your application will be reviewed more quickly and receive more consideration from the recruiting team.
• The only situation where you might skip the pre-interview assessment is if you have already completed it recently, and therefore, you do not need to repeat it.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Q: Are there any situations where a referral can allow you to skip pre-interview aptitude tests? For example the McKinsey Imbellus or the BCG Casey test. I know that usually these tests are administrated anyway, but are there any scenarios where you can skip them?

I never heard of a referral being the reason for skipping the test. However if you have high seniority in some cases you don’t have to take the tests.

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In case you have to prepare for the McKinsey Imbellus or BCG Casey chatbot, you can find below some tips to prepare for them:

▶ 10 Must-Know Tips to Master the BCG Online Case

▶ How to Master the 6 Games of the McKinsey Problem Solving Game

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In case you want to prepare further, you can find the test simulations I created at the links below:

▶ McKinsey PSG Solve Video Simulation

▶ BCG Online Case Software Simulation

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

I don't think the referral can help to skip the test because it makes the assessment non-objective.

However, I know about the situations where the candidates were slightly below the mark after the online test but the referral was strong and submitted by someone senior and they were still put through the interview process.

Best,

Lilit 

Nope. You have to do them. 

They gain nothing from having less information about you before deciding whether they want to invite you to interview or not. It's much cheaper to perform a test than it is to invite the wrong person to interview.

Hi there,

waiving aptitude tests is not a matter of referral, it's a matter of your profile and seniority. In my experience, the standard testing requirements are sometimes lifted for more senior / experienced roles, but it's not something I would rely on. A referral won't change that - the HR team does the calibration, not the referrer.

Hope this helps.

Feel free to reach out with more specifics, if you'd like to get a realistic view on your specific situation.

Regards, Andi

Hi there,

No. Referrals do not give you preferential treatment of any sort in regards to your evaluation as a candidate (as in, once you have the foot in the door, you are evaluated the same as anyone else.