Oliver Wyman's Online Assessment Test Results - Negative?

Question

Hi all! I completed the Oliver Wyman's Assessment for the 2026 internship and they came back with my competency assessment results. They indicated that my top 2 strengths are Adaptability "Your responses suggest that you are likely to thrive during change. You are comfortable with uncertainty and can adapt quickly to new situations and requirements." and Collaboration "Your results indicate you have a strength in Collaboration. This means you enjoy achieving goals through teamwork and are able to use the expertise of others to deliver the best results."

However, my lowest strength was Grit "Your responses suggest that you may find it challenging or draining to persist through difficulties or setbacks. When faced with obstacles, you might be inclined to quit or lose interest, particularly when progress is slow."

I'm feeling pretty worried about why my grit was perceived to be my lowest strength from my answers, I didn't intend to portray it that way. Given that obviously grit is important in consulting, will this impact my application and not get me the first round interview invite? I appreciate any insights you could share.

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with Oliver Wyman thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

Unfortunately, no one can answer the question of whether your pre-interview assessment results will be enough to secure an invitation to the first interview round. I would strongly advise you to remain optimistic, continue preparing for the interviews, and wait to hear back from the recruiter.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming Oliver Wyman interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Honestly, I wouldn’t stress too much about the "grit" result. These assessments are just one part of the process, and they’re not always perfect. Plus, if you get to the interview stage, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate grit through your personal stories, make sure to make that shine in your preparation.

Answer 3

hi!

It’s understandable to feel concerned, but one lower competency score like grit likely won’t disqualify you on its own. Oliver Wyman looks at the overall fit, and your strengths in adaptability and collaboration are highly valued in consulting. If your academic and professional background are strong, and other parts of your application align well, you still have a solid chance. Use this as feedback to reflect and prepare stronger examples for future interviews that highlight resilience and perseverance.

Alessa

Answer 4

Honestly, all of the dimensions that they have there are important.

And it's impossible to score highly on all of them. You'll always be great at some things and rather poor at others.

It might be more helpful to actually embrace this and start switching the thinking to - how can I make the most of my strengths and how can I improve on my disadvantages?

Finding a mentor or a senior consultant to discuss this with might be useful.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

All aspects of the assessment are important, but I don’t think a low score on one element will disqualify you.

You can make sure to demonstrate your grit and resilience in your first round interview!

Answer 6

Hello there,

Agree with the points above, hard to say how relevant this is to your overall evaluation.

Keep your eyes open to other opportunities and proactively apply to other firms to take the pressure of OW from you - that’s my advice.

Best,

Mari

Answer 7

It's an assessment. Some traits will be at a higher level, some other traits at a lower level... It's hard to tell what is the implication, but I wouldn't worry too much about this, as it is (and probably was) out of your control.