BCG potential tests

Hi there,

First: There's not much preparation to do for the potential test other than get familiar with the format and prepare for case interviews.

Second: For any application you should be ready to interview in days. It may not be that fast, but it can be.

Hi there,

For BCG I would try to do at least 2-3 simulations of the Potential Test before the actual one, so I would dedicate at least 3-4 hours. If you can find more tests, that's even better.

I would recommend the following approach to prepare:

1. Look online for reliable BCG test simulations. You can find an example here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/bcg-potential-test-1-13
2. If possible, don’t print the sample tests; rather, do the simulations on your computer. The day of the test you won’t be able write notes near the questions or turn pages. If you practice on a paper version, you will find different dynamics the day of the interview that could impact your performance. You should also do all the simulations with a time constraint
3. After each test write down the mistakes you did. You will probably find that the mistakes have something in common – eg wrong math, too much time wasted on some questions, wrong interpretation of graph
4. Work on each area of improvement. Many candidates do these simulations checking only the final score and don’t spend time analyzing the mistakes - thus they don’t improve
5. Once you have done all the BCG test simulations, move to PST practice. You can find a good number of PST tests online. The PST is different from the Potential Test – in the PST there are multiple cases, the types of questions are different and you have more time available. However, it may still help to improve your performance

As additional notes:

• Remember you are penalized for wrong answers - you should adapt your strategy accordingly
• Aim to identify the main areas of improvements already with the first test - the typical ones are math, graph interpretation and ability to absorb information quickly
• Try to distribute the tests between the day you start practicing and the day of the test for constant learning – avoid to do them just at the end

Until recently the structure for Bain London was the following (you can check with HR if it is still the same).

• Based on SOVA
• Requires around 75 minutes
• Parts include:
  • Personality test – Have to rate what seems closer to your personality
  • Numerical – SHL based. They provide a graph and have to perform calculations based on that
  • Verbal – SHL based. Have to state if answer is true/false/cannot say
  • Logical – More challenging than the equivalent SHL part. Have to identify the pattern in series identifying what’s next

If you want to practice on a real example of a BCG Potential Test, you can find the one I created below:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/bcg-potential-testonline-case-1-13

With this test you will be able to:

• Prepare on the exact same format of the BCG Potential Test – 23 questions in 45 minutes
• Identify your possible improvements thanks to detailed solutions for all the 23 questions
• Practice on material tested by multiple candidates who did the test and successfully passed the Potential Test.

Below you can find a screenshot of the test:

If you need additional support or have any feedback on the test feel free to PM me, I can provide additional tips for free.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

If you have already prepared for case interviews and good at reading charts, analytical thinking, and mental math, then BCG potential is an additional of probably an hour as what you should plan for.

Basically, to prepare you can use some mock potential test, and after every test just look into solution to see where you have gone wrong. 3-4 mock test it would be enough for you to prepare for the potential test.

Regarding Bain, there are very similar.

Cheers,
GB