While many BCG offices have transitioned to Pymetrics or Chatbot Assessments, some are still administering the BCG Potential Test, which is available online or on paper. The online test gives candidates 23 questions to answer in 45 minutes on an individual business case. The paper version asks 53 questions, and gives you 50 minutes for numerous business cases. In both assessments, you are presented with a question booklet and supporting documents. You are asked a series of data interpretation, mathematical reasoning, and literacy comprehension questions to determine your ability to make logical assessments.

Questions are designed to score candidates and give the recruiter an insight into the candidate’s potential in consulting, rather than test their current knowledge, before evaluating them more fully in the case interview.

Included in your BCG Potential Test guide are 4 best-in-class 23 question sample online assessments that give you the best opportunity to familiarize yourself and prepare for the test at BCG, or at any other management consulting company:

Many Prepmatter candidates also find the guide useful to improve exhibit reading and numerical skills, which are highly sought-after in case interviews. 

You can access The BCG Potential Test guide as part of the Prepmatter Online Assessment Package, which includes comprehensive guides for 3 of the McKinsey, BCG, and Bain assessment models. 

The Potential Test is designed to assess the candidate’s powers of deductive reasoning, their facility with numbers and their time management skills. The goal is to reduce recruitment costs for the company by narrowing the field of candidates who are deemed worthy of a face-to-face interview. It is believed that a candidate who comes up short in these areas during the BCG Potential Test would have likely failed a case interview anyway, and that would have been a colossal waste of company time and money.
 
The Potential Test is available in 2 formats: electronic and paper-based; the local office decides which format to use. The main difference between them (aside from the fact that one is virtual and the other is tangible) is that, with the computer-based Potential Test, the applicant has 45 minutes to answer 23 questions. With the paper Potential Test, the candidate is given 50 minutes to answer 53 questions. Questions on the computer-based test are related to a single case, while questions on the paper test cover several different cases. However, in both tests you will be tested mathematically with numerical questions and logically with data interpretation and comprehension questions.
 
Important note: BCG has largely phased out this assessment. As they are moving towards chatbot or pymetrics assessment.

The scoring system is designed to discourage candidates from guessing their way through the test hoping that luck is on their side. 3 points are given for a correct answer, 0 points are given if the answer is left blank and 1 point is deducted for every wrong answer. As you can see guessing can have devastating consequences.

Because business consulting is numbers-intensive some candidates assume they will be able to use a calculator during the BCG Potential Test. In most cases, however, calculators are not allowed and the test is usually taken at the office premises. As such it will be important that you work closely with a Prepmatter coach to sharpen your mental calculation skills prior to sitting for the Potential Test.

Finally, be aware that time is not on your side when it comes to the Potential Test. There is no going back, no pausing the test process and no time extension. You will need to make sure you provide enough correct answers within the 45 or 50-minute time limit. Prepmatter’s BCG Potential Test practice questions will ensure you are prepared and put you in good stead for the test.