Consulting tests & case skills: from numerical to logic

By Marin Devereux·7 min read·Updated 2026-04-12

Consulting firms use a layered assessment process: online aptitude tests → case interview → partner interview. The aptitude tests are not generic — they are designed to mirror the data-driven thinking a consultant uses daily.

What each firm uses

McKinsey: Solve (game-based) — ecosystem simulation, pattern identification, mathematical optimisation.
BCG: Casey (online case) + Chatbot Interview + Pymetrics games.
Bain: SOVA (numerical, verbal, logical) or SHL, depending on office.
Deloitte / PwC / KPMG / EY: Typically SHL or AON, plus video interviews.

The data slide question

Consulting-style numerical questions present a “data slide” — the kind of chart a consultant would show a client. You have to extract insight, not just calculate.

Market share by segment (%)

Hypothetical SaaS company — use this for the question below.

Data slide question

Total revenue is $420M. If Enterprise grew 12% and all other segments stayed flat, what would the new total revenue be?

Enterprise revenue = 420 × 0.34 = $142.8M. Growth = 142.8 × 0.12 = $17.1M. New total = 420 + 17.1 = $437.1M.

Consulting tests check that you can decompose a total, apply growth to one segment, and recompose. It is not hard maths — it is structured thinking.

Logic puzzles in consulting tests

Consulting logical reasoning is less about abstract shapes and more about scheduling, ordering, and constraint satisfaction. “Five clients meet across three days — which schedules are possible?”

Constraint logic

Three consultants (A, B, C) must present on different days (Mon, Tue, Wed). A cannot present on Monday. B must present before C. What day does B present?

A ≠ Mon → A is Tue or Wed. B before C means B cannot be Wed. If A = Tue, then B = Mon, C = Wed. If A = Wed, then B = Mon or Tue, C after B. B must be Monday in both scenarios.

Think frameworks, not formulas

Consulting tests reward structured decomposition. When you see a problem, break it into components before calculating. “Revenue = Volume × Price” is more useful than any formula you could memorise.

Practise consulting-style questions on forge

Numerical and logical reasoning packs modelled on BCG Casey, Bain SOVA, and Big Four assessments.

Start practising

← Back to Test-Taking Strategy