Bain & Company Middle East

Question

I applied for Associate Consultant position at Bain & Company. I got an invite for Sova Test. Is the Sova test invite given to everyone or those who pass the CV screening only? Can anyone please provide any links, resources or leads on how to actually prepare for the test ?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Regardless as to whether it's given to anyone or just a select few, remember to focus your energy/thinking/efforts/time on things that matter….no matter what we say what's the result? You need to do the best that you can!

(Answer: depends on the office/region/role/recruiting channel. In some instances it's given to everyone. In others it's for those that pass screening)

FOR YOUR PREP

Unfortunately we can't share links here, but the best way is to really find online tests / questions and practice.

All of these online tests are very similar. The (old) McKinsey PST, BCG Online Test, Bain SOVA test, etc. are all quite similar so leverage resources across all of them.

The principles are mostly the same:

Time management (need to think quick)
Business knowledge/context (incl key formulas)
Critical thinking (answers that are very similar to each other...clues "hidden" in the text)
Ability to interpret data/charts

Think of it as a merge of a case and the GMAT/GRE.

You need to be clear on some key case-related and account formulas (margin, growth, breakeven, etc) as well as be good at critically understanding the question (including nuance to questions) and parsing through complicated text with a fair amount of distraction.

You'll also need to be good at chart/graph reading.

Answer 2

Hi there!

It depends on the geography.

In most offices / regions, you receive the test automatically once they have validated that your application is complete and elegible.

Then once you've taken the test they evaluate the results from the test together with the application package (CV, CL, referral).

I assume you know this already, but make sure that apply broadly. Since consulting firms are really tough at the moment on screening, it's imperative that you apply to multiple of them to increase your chances of passing screening with at least some of them.

Here's an article that walks you through how to design your application strategy:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

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