● 2026 recruiting cycle — updated for the latest consulting assessment formatsEN · VNsupport@drillcase.com
Consulting Assessment Glossary
Every consulting assessment term explained — from McKinsey Solve and BCG Casey to MECE and Superday. 30+ definitions with format details and preparation context.
McKinsey Solve is the primary online assessment used by McKinsey & Company to screen candidates before interviews. Formerly known as the Problem Solving Game (PSG), it is a gamified assessment that tests data analysis, pattern recognition, and systems thinking through interactive mini-games including Redrock and ecosystem simulations. Candidates typically complete the assessment in 60-70 minutes, and scores determine whether they advance to case interviews.
Redrock is a mini-game within the McKinsey Solve assessment where candidates analyze geological data to make mining decisions. The scenario tests data interpretation and quantitative reasoning by requiring candidates to evaluate rock samples, assess mineral deposits, and optimize extraction strategies under constraints. Performance on Redrock contributes to the overall Solve score alongside other mini-game components.
The Ecosystem Simulation is a core component of McKinsey Solve where candidates manage a virtual ecosystem by selecting species, balancing food chains, and optimizing environmental conditions. Candidates must demonstrate systems thinking by understanding how changes to one variable cascade through the entire ecosystem. The simulation evaluates multi-variable reasoning and the ability to maintain stability in complex, interdependent systems.
Sea Wolf is a scenario within the McKinsey Solve assessment that involves marine ecosystem management. Candidates must balance competing variables across a marine environment, testing systems thinking and multi-variable optimization. The scenario requires understanding predator-prey dynamics and resource allocation in an ocean-based setting, similar in structure to the land-based ecosystem simulation.
The Sustainable Futures Lab is a newer scenario added to the McKinsey Solve assessment, focused on sustainability decision-making and data-driven environmental analysis. Candidates evaluate environmental data, make resource allocation decisions, and assess trade-offs between economic and ecological outcomes. SFL reflects McKinsey's increased focus on sustainability consulting and tests analytical reasoning in an environmental context.
PSG, or Problem Solving Game, is the former name for McKinsey Solve. The assessment was rebranded under the Solve name, though many candidates and prep resources still refer to it as the PSG. The format remains the same: a gamified online assessment with interactive mini-games that evaluate analytical and systems-thinking capabilities. If you see references to the McKinsey PSG, they describe the same assessment now called McKinsey Solve.
BCG Casey is an AI chatbot-based case assessment used by Boston Consulting Group to evaluate candidates before live interviews. Candidates interact with a conversational interface to solve business cases, interpreting data exhibits, performing calculations, and answering follow-up questions. Each case contains 8 questions with increasing difficulty. BCG Casey replaced the traditional written case format and tests the same analytical skills in a digital, timed environment.
BCG Online Case is an alternative name for BCG Casey. Both terms refer to the same chatbot-based case assessment that BCG uses as part of its candidate screening process. The assessment presents business scenarios through a conversational AI interface where candidates analyze data, perform calculations, and provide structured recommendations. When candidates or recruiters mention the BCG Online Case, they are describing BCG Casey.
The BCG Case Completion Assessment (CCA) is an older BCG assessment format that is being phased out in favor of BCG Casey. The CCA tested case analysis through structured multiple-choice questions rather than a chatbot interface. Candidates received a pre-written case with data exhibits and answered questions about the analysis, conclusions, and recommendations. Some BCG offices may still use the CCA during the transition period.
A data exhibit is a chart, table, graph, or data visualization presented during a digital case assessment. Data exhibits are central to BCG Casey and McKinsey Solve, where candidates must interpret visual data to answer questions. Common exhibit types include stacked bar charts, waterfall charts, scatter plots, bubble charts, and multi-row data tables. The ability to quickly extract insights from data exhibits is one of the most-tested skills in consulting assessments.
Bain SOVA is a cognitive aptitude test used by Bain & Company as part of its candidate screening process. Developed by Sova Assessment (now part of Aon), it contains four modules: Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, and Inductive Reasoning. The test is timed, and candidates must complete all four sections in a single sitting. Scores across the four modules determine whether candidates advance to Bain's interview rounds.
SOVA Verbal Reasoning is the first module of the Bain SOVA assessment. It measures a candidate's ability to extract inferences from written passages, going beyond surface-level reading comprehension. Questions present a short passage followed by statements that candidates must evaluate as true, false, or impossible to determine based solely on the information provided. Strong verbal reasoning requires distinguishing between what the text states and what it implies.
SOVA Numerical Reasoning is the second module of the Bain SOVA assessment. It tests interpretation of numerical data presented in charts, tables, and graphs. Candidates answer questions that require calculations such as percentages, ratios, averages, and growth rates. A calculator is provided for this section. The challenge lies not in computational difficulty but in quickly identifying the correct data from complex exhibits and selecting the right operation.
SOVA Deductive Reasoning is the third module of the Bain SOVA assessment. It presents logic-based questions using diagrams, syllogisms, and conditional statements. Candidates must determine which conclusions necessarily follow from a set of premises. This section tests formal logical reasoning ability and is often the most unfamiliar question type for candidates who have not encountered logic puzzles or symbolic reasoning problems before.
SOVA Inductive Reasoning is the fourth module of the Bain SOVA assessment. It presents abstract pattern recognition and sequence completion questions. Candidates must identify the underlying rule governing a series of shapes, symbols, or figures, then select the next item in the sequence. No prior mathematical or verbal knowledge is required — the section purely tests the ability to recognize patterns in visual information.
Pymetrics is a neuroscience-based assessment platform that uses behavioral games to evaluate cognitive and emotional traits. Some Bain offices use Pymetrics instead of or alongside SOVA as part of their candidate screening. The games measure attributes such as attention, risk tolerance, effort, and fairness through short interactive tasks. Unlike traditional aptitude tests, Pymetrics does not have right or wrong answers — it builds a behavioral profile that is compared against successful consultants at the firm.
Arctic Shores is a gamified psychometric assessment platform used by several consulting and professional services firms for cognitive and behavioral evaluation. The platform presents candidates with interactive game-based tasks that measure traits such as processing speed, decision-making under uncertainty, and adaptability. Unlike traditional aptitude tests, Arctic Shores assessments feel more like mobile games, though they are rigorously designed to evaluate specific cognitive and behavioral dimensions.
Cappfinity
Cappfinity is an assessment provider offering strengths-based evaluations used by consulting and professional services firms. Their assessments focus on identifying a candidate's natural strengths and preferred working styles rather than testing specific aptitudes. Cappfinity assessments often include situational judgment tests and self-report questionnaires. Several Big Four and strategy consulting firms use Cappfinity as part of their early-stage candidate screening.
PEI (Personal Experience Interview)
The Personal Experience Interview (PEI) is McKinsey's behavioral interview format. Candidates share specific personal experiences that demonstrate leadership, personal impact, and the ability to work with others to achieve results. Unlike generic behavioral interviews, the PEI requires candidates to describe one detailed story per dimension, with the interviewer probing deeply into motivations, actions, and outcomes. PEI preparation requires identifying and rehearsing 3-4 strong stories that cover all three dimensions.
A case interview is a structured problem-solving interview where candidates work through a business scenario with the interviewer. The traditional consulting interview format, case interviews require candidates to structure ambiguous problems, analyze data, perform calculations, and synthesize findings into a recommendation. While online assessments like BCG Casey and McKinsey Solve now serve as screening tools, case interviews remain the primary in-person evaluation method at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.
Market sizing is a type of case interview question that asks candidates to estimate the size of a market, population, or quantity using structured assumptions and calculations. Examples include estimating the number of gas stations in the US or the annual revenue of a hotel chain. Market sizing tests a candidate's ability to decompose a problem into components, make reasonable assumptions, and perform mental math under pressure. It is a core skill tested in both live case interviews and digital assessments like BCG Casey.
MECE stands for Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. It is a structuring principle used in case interviews and business analysis where every category in a framework is distinct (no overlaps) and together all categories cover every possibility (no gaps). MECE thinking is the foundation of consulting problem-solving: issue trees, hypothesis structures, and framework breakdowns all rely on MECE logic. Interviewers explicitly evaluate whether a candidate's structure is MECE.
Framework
In consulting assessment context, a framework is a structured approach to breaking down business problems into analyzable components. Common consulting frameworks include profitability analysis (revenue vs. cost decomposition), market entry evaluation, growth strategy, and competitive analysis. During case interviews and digital assessments, candidates use frameworks to organize their thinking and ensure they address all relevant dimensions of a problem. Strong candidates adapt frameworks to the specific case rather than applying them mechanically.
A fit interview is a behavioral interview that assesses cultural fit, motivation, and interpersonal skills. It is distinct from both case interviews (which test problem-solving) and technical assessments (which test aptitude). Fit interview questions typically ask about a candidate's reasons for pursuing consulting, examples of leadership, and how they handle conflict or ambiguity. At McKinsey, the fit interview takes the form of the PEI. At BCG and Bain, fit questions are typically woven into the case interview round.
Superday
A Superday is a full day of interviews at a consulting firm, typically the final stage of the recruiting process. Candidates complete multiple rounds of case interviews and fit interviews back-to-back, usually 3-5 interviews in a single day. Superdays are high-stakes: they follow successful completion of online assessments and initial screens, and result in a final hiring decision. Preparation for a Superday requires stamina, consistent performance across multiple interviews, and the ability to recover between rounds.
Platform & Technical Terms
Format Match Rate
Format match rate is the percentage of users who report that a practice simulation accurately matched the format of the real assessment they subsequently took. DrillCase reports a 92% format match rate based on systematic post-assessment surveys of candidates who used DrillCase simulations before completing real consulting assessments. The metric is measured across five dimensions: question types, exhibit formats, timing constraints, interface behavior, and overall difficulty.
A candidate debrief is a structured report from a candidate who completed a real consulting assessment. The debrief documents question types, data exhibit formats, interface details, timing constraints, difficulty level, and overall experience. DrillCase has collected and analyzed 500+ candidate debriefs across McKinsey, BCG, and Bain assessments, forming the basis of every simulation on the platform. Debriefs are anonymized at the point of collection and cross-referenced for accuracy.
An AI voice interview is a practice interview conducted with an AI system that responds in real-time via voice, simulating a human interviewer conversation. The AI asks case interview questions, follows up based on the candidate's responses, and evaluates performance across multiple dimensions including structure, analysis, communication, and synthesis. DrillCase offers AI voice interview practice that mirrors the format and evaluation criteria of live consulting case interviews.
A cognitive aptitude test is a standardized assessment that measures reasoning abilities across verbal, numerical, logical, and abstract domains. Consulting firms use cognitive aptitude tests as screening tools to evaluate a candidate's raw problem-solving capacity before interviews. The Bain SOVA is an example of a cognitive aptitude test designed specifically for consulting recruitment. These tests are timed, and performance depends on both accuracy and speed.
An assessment center is a multi-stage evaluation process used by some consulting and professional services firms. It combines online tests, group exercises, case interviews, presentations, and sometimes written analyses into a structured evaluation day or multi-day process. Assessment centers are more common at firms outside MBB, including Big Four consulting practices and boutique strategy firms. They evaluate candidates across a broader range of competencies than a standard case interview round.
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DrillCase is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, or any other consulting firm. All assessment format information is sourced from publicly available candidate experiences.
