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Do you have any tips/advice regarding Oliver Wyman's Numerical Reasoning Test?

numerical reasoning test Oliver Wyman Oliver Wyman numerical reasoning test
Recent activity on Jun 15, 2018
3 Answers
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Anonymous B asked on Jun 15, 2018

How to prepare, what to do right before the test etc.

Any advice welcome!

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Anonymous replied on Jun 15, 2018

Couple of points to add to previous responses:

If you haven't done basic highschool maths in a while, I would revisit the topics of geometry/trigonometry, probability and basic statistics.

While I agree GMAT quantitative section is a good way to practice, don't go overboard with buying GMAT material. Also, only do the "problem solving" questions - the OW test doesn't ask any of the "data sufficiency" type questions. You can find plenty of free content online - also, you can download the "Gmat test simulator" for free and do the math section. Unless you are planning on doing the GMAT soon as well, I would not invest into materials to prep for this.

Finally, being able to fast mental maths is not important, since you can use a calculator. So don't focus on this for the test (but definitely practice it for the actual interview).

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Francesco
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replied on Jun 15, 2018
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi Anonymous,

when I prepared for it some years ago, I mainly focused on the GMAT, paying a lot of attention to the time constraint.

Topics of the test include:

  • Probability
  • Permutations
  • Percentages
  • Geometry
  • Ratios

The questions are not super hard once you have understood the general logic. The most difficult thing – where many people fail – is time management.

The test is 30 questions in 20 minutes, which means that you have less than one minute per question. Together with the fact that you get penalized for wrong answers, this implies that you should leave blank some questions initially. If you don’t do this you won’t manage to obtain a good performance.

You can find some sample questions at the link below:

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/oliver-wyman-numerical-reasoning-test

When I did mine, I covered 23-24 questions, skipping 6-7. As I finished with a couple of minutes left, I went back to the previous questions, managing to complete 2-3 additional ones.

Hope this helps,
Francesco

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Vlad
Expert
updated an answer on Jun 15, 2018
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

  1. It's similar to GMAT Math part and covers the same topics. The best way is to go through GMAT Official Guide, concentrating on Math Part. Manhattan guide will give you the right math theory and topics. Also, you can purchase an official GMAT tool that will simulate the right experience.
  2. The key thing - do all the GMAT tests with a time limit, similar to the real GMAT. You'll have 2/3 of a minute per question in the real test. Time management is the key.
  3. You'll have less than a minute per question and wrong answers will decrease your score, thus don't hesitate to skip some.
  4. Learn Fast Math:
  • Learn how to multiply double digit numbers fast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYrgjMubh-c)
  • Learn the division table up to 1/11 (i.e. 5/6 = 83.3)
  • Learn how to work with zeros (Hint: 4000000 = 4*10ˆ6)
  • Use math tools (Mimir math for iOS), Math tool on Viktor Cheng website to practice

Best!

(edited)

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