Bain & Co. London online assessment components - does it include video interview?

Please please be careful! Regardless as to what we say it could have changed. That's because they might have changed it or because they might give different versions in different situations.

Be prepared to record yourself answering fit.

That said, your #1 priority is getting ready with the 2nd part, as that's the hardest to prepare for.

In terms of prep:

The best way is to really find online tests / questions and practice. Regardless as to whether is a new or old test, the principles are mostly the same:

• Time management (need to think quick)
• Business knowledge/context (incl key formulas)
• Critical thinking (answers that are very similar to each other...clues "hidden" in the text)
• Ability to interpret data/charts

Think of it as a merge of a case and the GMAT/GRE.

You need to be clear on some key case-related and account formulas (margin, growth, breakeven, etc) as well as be good at critically understanding the question (including nuance to questions) and parsing through complicated text with a fair amount of distraction.

You'll also need to be good at chart/graph reading.

The (old) McKinsey PST, BCG Online Test, Bain SOVA test, etc. are all quite similar so leverage resources across all of them.

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from Bain!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, based on the experiences of my coachees and my personal network, video recordings during Bain's Sova pre-interview assessment are only used in a few Asian countries. Nevertheless, I would highly advise you to be prepared for it.
• Generally speaking, the Bain Sova pre-interview assessment will be very similar to the reasoning section of the GMAT. You will be required to solve numerical, verbal, and abstract reasoning exercises, as well as complete a psychometric personality test.
• Therefore, I would highly advise you to familiarize yourself with the format and types of questions and utilize any practice materials or mock tests that might be available. Since it is very similar to the GMAT, official GMAT preparation material should suffice if you cannot find any old Bain Sova tests.
• For the personality test, I would advise you to carefully consider the personality traits being tested and how they would be desirable in a (Bain) consultant. This might guide you in answering the questions.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for the Bain Sova pre-interview assessment and your upcoming Bain interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

Q: Now to me it kind of tells that the one-way video interview Bain used to apply is not going to be present

Indeed from what you shared it should not be included in your test. 

Based on the candidates I helped, the one-way video interview has been used mainly in Bain SEA, although as mentioned by Ian things could change in the future.

Good luck!

Francesco

I suggest just dropping the recruiting team an email to say thank you for the invite, could they tell you a bit more about the format and mode of the interview. Either they'll decline to answer which won't be a ‘black mark’ against you or anything like that, or they'll give you more information rather than trying to guess. 

Good luck! 

Hi there, 

One point that isn't discussed enough - you can push / postpone even the dates for these sorts of tests. 

You can just say that you are having some personal issues that you need to deal with and unfortunately you cannot take the test in the timeline they suggested. 

Best,
Cristian

Hi, have you done your test? I have mine coming up as well. How was it? Did you find it difficult? How many questions were there? How much time did it take you? 

Thank you in advance:))

Hello,

From the information you've provided, it indeed seems like they won't be using the video interview for you at this stage. That being said, I would check this with the recruiter from the London office. These processes vary by roles and are sometimes changing, so it's best to ask directly to be aware of what you will be expected to encounter, and there's absolutely no harm in asking. Best of luck!