Messed Up Bain TestGorilla Numerical Reasoning – Should I Reach Out or Wait It Out?

Question

I messed up the Bain TestGorilla digital assessment, specifically the numerical reasoning component. I’m a first-year MBA student from a T10 school applying for a summer internship. Is this likely to result in a rejection? Would it make sense to write a note to OCR or the recruiter explaining the situation, or should I just hope for the best?

Answer 1

Hi there,

It’s usually not helpful to email the recruiter or OCR to explain or justify the test. They can’t adjust the score, and drawing attention to it can backfire. Just imagine if everyone reached out to HR whenever candidates feel like they did not perform well in the test... Unless there was a genuine technical issue during the assessment, the best approach is to wait for the official outcome.

A weaker performance on the numerical reasoning section can matter, but it does not automatically mean rejection, especially for MBA internship recruiting. Bain looks at the assessment together with your resume, school, and overall profile.

Wait for Bain to reach out and give the process time. If the rest of your profile is solid, you still have a real chance of advancing.

Answer 2

Hi there,

Unfortunately, the TestGorilla numerical section is a meaningful filter for Bain’s internship process, so a weak performance can impact the outcome — but it’s not an automatic rejection, especially for MBAs from top programs. Bain looks at the whole profile, and strong grades, leadership, and a solid CV can still carry weight.

Reaching out to the recruiter won’t help unless there was a clear technical issue during the test. If you simply feel you underperformed, it’s better not to draw attention to it. Recruiters can’t override the assessment score based on a message, and emailing them risks coming across as anxious instead of confident.

Your best move now is to wait it out.

Best,
Evelina