Bain Online Assessment

Question

Dear All,

I've received the link to the online assessment.

In the email, it says there are gonna be 3 sections: logical, numerical, and personal questionnaire.

As stated in the email, the test will take approximately 40 mins (I think this is a constraint, not a suggestion).

It is also written that I can avoid taking the assessment in one sitting (I prefer to do it in one sitting). What would you suggest?

Furthermore, I want to understand if they will cumulate the time spent in each of the three sections, and if the personality questionnaire will be counted in the overall timing constraint (should I be fast even for this last section?).

What, in your opinion, is the best time allocation for each section?

Thank you again.

Best,

Marco

Answer 1

Ciao Marco,

From what I’ve seen, the timing is usually managed section by section rather than you having complete freedom on a single cumulative timer across everything.

So I would not over-optimize the allocation too much.

Personally, if possible, I would also do it in one sitting. It helps keep focus and rhythm, especially for the logical/numerical parts.

On the personality questionnaire:

don’t rush it unnecessarily
but also don’t overthink every answer for minutes

The main thing there is consistency. Extremely contradictory answers tend to be more problematic than speed.

For the logical/numerical sections:

speed matters
but accuracy matters more

A common mistake is spending too long on one difficult question and then rushing the rest.

My advice:

keep moving
if stuck, make the best possible choice and continue
maintain concentration throughout rather than trying to “ace” individual questions

And honestly, don’t get too obsessed with the exact minutes per section before even starting. The bigger differentiator is usually:

being comfortable with chart interpretation
percentages/ratios
logical patterns
staying calm under time pressure

That matters much more than whether you spend 12 or 15 minutes on one section.