Consulting Online Assessments: Which Test Will McKinsey, BCG or Bain Send You?
Every online test MBB uses before interviews (Solve, Casey, Sova and TestGorilla), in funnel order, with timelines and where to start your prep.
Updated · 11 min readTopic · 7 articles
MBB online assessments: articles and guides
McKinsey, BCG and Bain each put an online test between your application and your first interview, and each test measures something different. McKinsey Solve is a set of games, BCG Casey is a chatbot case, and the Bain test is a timed aptitude battery. Preparing for one does not fully prepare you for the others.
This hub covers the questions that cut across the three firms: how the tests compare, when in the recruiting calendar they arrive, and how to spend a limited prep budget. The MBB online assessments guide is the overview. The articles below go into each question.
How do the three MBB tests differ?
They differ in format, in what they reward and in how much time pressure they apply. Our side-by-side comparison sets out format, length and the skills each one tests.
When will you take the online test?
Usually within days of applying, and well before the first interview. Deadlines are short, so prepare before you apply. The assessment timeline maps the typical sequence firm by firm.
Free or paid prep?
Free material covers the basics. Paid practice earns its cost when it reproduces the real format and timing. Our free vs paid breakdown and platform comparison explain the trade-offs and disclose how we compared.
Top articles on MBB online assessments
Which Cognitive Aptitude Test Will You Get at a Consulting Firm?
The Bain SOVA test section by section (verbal, numerical, deductive, inductive), how it compares with Pymetrics and Arctic Shores, and how to prepare.
Updated · 4 min readWhen Do Consulting Firms Send Online Assessments? Timeline by Firm
When McKinsey, BCG, Bain and other firms send online assessments, how long you get to finish, and when to start preparing for campus and experienced hires.
Updated · 4 min readMore articles on MBB online assessments
- BCG Casey vs Bain SOVA vs McKinsey Solve: How Do the MBB Tests Compare?MBB online assessments · Sep 23, 2026
- What Are the Best Consulting Assessment Prep Platforms?MBB online assessments · Sep 23, 2026
- Which McKinsey Solve Prep Tools Match the Real Test?MBB online assessments · Sep 23, 2026
- Free vs Paid Consulting Assessment Prep: Is Paying Worth It?MBB online assessments · Sep 23, 2026
All articles · McKinsey Solve · BCG Casey · Bain online test · Case skills