Oliver Wyman Internship Assessments

Hi Laura,

Yes, this is a very standard Oliver Wyman assessment, and what you’re experiencing is common. A few practical tips to help you prepare efficiently:

1) Competency / values questions
This part isn’t something you can “study” in the traditional sense. The key is:

• Answer consistently rather than trying to game the test
• Respond based on how you actually behave at work or in teams
• Keep OW’s culture in mind: problem solving, collaboration, ownership, and integrity
  There’s no need to overthink individual questions — contradictions are the biggest risk here.

2) Numerical thinking (graphs & tables)
AssessmentDay is a good resource and very similar in style. Since your main issue is time pressure and information overload, focus on process, not difficulty:

• Start by reading the question first, then scan the data for only what you need
• Ignore extra information deliberately — not all data is relevant
• Use approximations where possible
• If a question is taking too long, guess and move on rather than panicking

Most OW numerical tests do not penalize wrong answers, but unanswered questions hurt you. So it’s better to attempt everything.

3) How to improve quickly before the 12th

• Do at least one or two full timed mocks to get used to pressure
• Practice staying calm when the exhibit looks busy — slow down for the first 5–10 seconds
• Remind yourself that the math is usually simple; the challenge is filtering information

Overall, OW is testing how you think under pressure, not advanced math. If you can manage time, stay selective with data, and keep composure, you’ll be in a good position.

Happy to help you prep - feel free to reach out!

Best,
Evelina

Laura, 

Great that you're looking into this. 

Re whether there is negative scoring for mistakes - check with the recruiter directly. 

You might also want to ask the recruiter to recommend some examples to practice or send you a sample, if they offer some. It's perfectly ok to ask and thus prove interest in wanting to do really well. 

Otherwise, historically, OW has a very similar format to Roland Berger tests, so that's another place you could look into.

If you need any help, reach out. I've had several candidates go to OW in the past. 

Btw, this might also prove useful:

• • Cheatsheet: The Must-Know Consulting Terms for Interviews

Best,
Cristian

This is a common hurdle, and the stress you're feeling about the time and the sheer volume of information is exactly what these tests are designed to induce. It's not about being a math major; it's about decision-making under stress.

For the numerical section, you need to shift your focus immediately away from generic math and onto data triage. OW's tests, like others in the industry, feature highly complex, often interactive data sets to mimic the messy dashboards you face on a client site. Your goal isn't to calculate every number perfectly, but to rapidly identify which chart, which table, and which two data points are relevant to the specific question asked, ignoring 90% of the noise. When practicing, don't just calculate; force yourself to articulate the "three facts" needed before you even pick up the calculator.

Regarding the competency and values scenarios, understand that these questions are often integrity checks designed to build a consistent psychological profile. There are no "right" answers, but the system looks for dramatic inconsistencies. Answer honestly and quickly, reflecting how you actually make judgment calls, not how you think a consultant should. Do not overthink them—they are testing your authentic perspective.

Finally, the good news: in modern standardized assessments like this, the risk of negative marking (minus points for wrong answers) is extremely low. The firm is optimizing for efficiency and accuracy under pressure. Given your tight deadline, prioritize practice on speed-reading the question and filtering data noise over brute-force calculation. You know the math; you need to master the speed.

All the best with the deadline!

Since you are short on time, let me skip the fluff and give you exactly what to focus on.

Values and scenarios:

• Do not overthink it. No tricks. They are checking if you think like a consultant: client first, collaborative, ethical, structured.
• Be thoughtful and consistent. Inconsistency is what flags you, not any single answer.

Numerical reasoning:

• Your problem is not math ability. It is time pressure and information overload. That is fixable.
• Read the question first, then go to the data. Most people do it the other way around and waste 30 seconds absorbing everything before they know what is being asked.
• Practice under tighter time than the real test. If you get 90 seconds per question, practice at 60. The real test will feel much calmer.

On negative marking:

• Oliver Wyman has changed formats before so do not assume either way. If you can eliminate one or two options, take the guess. An unanswered question is a guaranteed zero, a smart guess at least gives you a chance.

Between now and the deadline:

• Do not just grind more practice tests. Focus on changing your approach: question first then data, tighter time limits, and reviewing mistakes for patterns. That is more valuable than doing 50 more tests.