Before you reach a live case interview, McKinsey, BCG, or Bain may ask you to complete an online assessment.
You may hear several names during recruiting: McKinsey Solve, the BCG Consulting Career Assessment, BCG Casey, and Bain TestGorilla. These assessments are not identical, but you do not need to start your preparation from scratch for each one.
The same skills that make you a strong case interview candidate will help you here: careful reading, structured thinking, accurate math, data interpretation, business judgment, and clear communication.
| Assessment | The simplest way to think about it | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| McKinsey Solve | A computer strategy and problem solving game | Varies by assigned tasks, check your invitation |
| BCG CCA | A timed aptitude and workplace assessment | About 30 to 35 minutes |
| BCG Casey | A self guided digital case delivered through a chatbot interface | About 35 minutes |
| Bain TestGorilla | A collection of short timed skills tests | Varies by assigned sections, check your invitation |
Solve is a game. The CCA is an aptitude assessment. Casey is a digital case. TestGorilla is a collection of timed skills tests.
Can you be rejected after an online assessment?
Yes. Completing an online assessment does not guarantee that you will receive an interview.
For BCG, many North American candidates complete the CCA before receiving Casey, although the exact sequence can vary. Candidates may be screened out before Casey or after completing both assessments.
McKinsey considers Solve alongside the rest of your application. Bain similarly uses its online assessment as one input in the screening process. Neither assessment should be viewed as a standalone test where reaching a certain visible score automatically produces an interview.
You also may not receive an immediate score or a separate notice saying that you passed. In many processes, the next meaningful update is an interview invitation or an application decision.
Treat every assessment seriously, but remember that the firm may still consider your resume, experience, office preferences, and the strength of the overall applicant pool when deciding whom to interview.
McKinsey Solve
What it is
McKinsey Solve is a gamified digital assessment designed to evaluate how you solve problems.
Solve feels like a game, not a traditional case interview. You are learning the rules of a digital environment, making decisions, and working through information within that environment. You are not speaking with an interviewer or walking someone through a normal case structure.
The exact modules can change. Current candidates may encounter exercises involving data interpretation, quantitative reasoning, logic, optimization, and judgment. You may see module names such as Redrock, Sea Wolf, or Sustainable Futures Lab in preparation materials.
Your normal case preparation helps with some of the underlying thinking, but it does not recreate the Solve format. You still need to identify the objective, separate relevant information from noise, make sound calculations, and reach a defensible conclusion. However, you must apply those skills within the rules and interface of the game.
How to prepare
Use McKinsey's official materials to familiarize yourself with the interface and technical requirements.
- Learn the rules and objective of each exercise before acting.
- Read the objective and constraints carefully.
- Practice interpreting charts, tables, and written information under time pressure.
- Set up calculations clearly and check whether your answers are reasonable.
- Stay organized when several pieces of information must be considered together.
- Avoid getting stuck trying to make every decision perfect.
Do not use AI tools, websites, prepared notes, screenshots, or another person's help during the assessment. McKinsey requires candidates to complete Solve independently.
BCG Consulting Career Assessment
What it is
The BCG Consulting Career Assessment, commonly called the CCA, is a short online exercise designed to help BCG understand your skills and potential beyond what appears on your resume.
The CCA is separate from BCG Casey. For many North American candidates, the process is application, CCA, Casey, and then a live interview invitation. However, the sequence can vary, and completing one stage does not guarantee the next.
For current United States Associate recruiting, BCG describes the CCA as taking approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Your invitation will provide the exact deadline and instructions.
How to prepare
Start with the official instructions and any preparation materials included with your invitation. You do not need to memorize consulting frameworks for the CCA.
- Read each question carefully.
- Apply logic consistently.
- Interpret quantitative information accurately.
- Manage your time without rushing.
- Answer behavioral questions honestly and consistently if they appear.
Make sure you know whether your invitation permits a calculator, paper, or other materials before you begin.
BCG Casey
What it is
BCG Casey is the name commonly used for BCG's Online Case Experience. It is an online business case guided by a chatbot.
You work through a business problem, analyze information, complete quantitative questions, and develop a recommendation. The assessment may also include a recorded video response.
Casey is the closest of these assessments to a traditional case interview. The biggest difference is that you have less conversational support. A live interviewer can clarify a question or react to your reasoning. In Casey, you must interpret the information and communicate your answer within a more standardized process.
How to prepare
Your regular case interview preparation is highly relevant.
- Identify the exact question before solving.
- Structure calculations before entering an answer.
- Read exhibits carefully.
- Connect each insight to the business problem.
- Make recommendations that are concise and supported by evidence.
For exhibits, state what the exhibit shows, identify the most important insight, and explain why that insight matters for the case.
For a recorded recommendation, lead with your answer. Support it with the two strongest reasons, acknowledge the most important risk, and end with a practical next step. Do not spend your limited time reciting every number you calculated.
Bain TestGorilla
What it is
Many current North American Bain candidates receive an online assessment through TestGorilla.
The exact content can vary by role and recruiting process. The assessment may include case skills, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, data interpretation, business judgment, or behavioral questions.
TestGorilla is the platform, not one universal Bain test. Your invitation should tell you which sections you will complete and which rules apply.
How to prepare
Read your invitation before choosing preparation materials. Confirm which sections are included, how long you have, whether you can return to previous questions, whether a calculator and paper are permitted, and whether your camera must remain on.
Then practice the skills named in the invitation.
For quantitative and data questions, write down the equation before calculating and keep track of units. For critical thinking questions, identify what the information actually proves rather than making assumptions. For business judgment questions, consider the objective, the stakeholders, and the practical consequences of each option.
If behavioral questions appear, answer honestly and consistently. Do not try to reverse engineer a perfect Bain personality.
Take a deep breath
These assessments are constantly changing, and the exact format can vary by office, role, and recruiting cycle. Always refer to the firm's official careers site and the instructions in your own invitation for the latest information.
Most importantly, take a deep breath. These assessments are not testing a completely new set of skills that you have never seen before. Your normal case preparation already gives you practice with the most important ones: structured thinking, quantitative reasoning, exhibit interpretation, business judgment, and concise communication.
Understand the format, complete the official practice materials, and trust the skills you have already been building.
Once you reach the live interview, The Case Room helps you practice those same skills in a realistic case conversation and shows you how an interviewer would evaluate your answer.
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