Key Insights:
- What It Is: The Bain Gorilla Test is a 45 to 50 minute aptitude assessment used between application and first round interviews. It evaluates problem solving, numerical reasoning, business judgment, and leadership. No prior casing knowledge is required.
- Why Bain Uses It: The test offers a standardized, bias-reducing way to assess candidate potential. It allows applicants with less polished resumes to stand out and helps Bain quickly identify those who are most likely to succeed in the consulting role.
- How to Prepare: Candidates should practice analytical and reasoning questions, understand the test structure, and simulate real test conditions. Management Consulted’s practice resources and TestGorilla sample questions are excellent prep tools.
Are you applying to work at Bain & Company this year? If so, you may be wondering how to tackle the new Bain Gorilla test. Although Bain has historically used online assessment tools like Sova to assess the cognitive skills of their prospective candidates, the Gorilla test is a recent addition to their screening process.
No need to stress - Management Consulted has all the resources you need to excel on this new standardized test and build the skills needed to land you a Bain offer.
Looking for a Bain Gorilla practice test? Click here to take it today.
What Is The Bain Gorilla Test?
The Bain Gorilla test is a timed aptitude assessment (~45-50 minutes) that is typically conducted between your resume submission and first-round interview. It consists of a series of multiple-choice questions which test your logical reasoning, numerical strength, business acumen, and situational awareness.
This ultimately helps Bain assess prospective candidates by evaluating cognitive abilities that cannot be quantified by your resume. The objective of the Gorilla Test is to boost the efficiency of Bain’s recruiting process by weeding out any candidates who lack certain skills that are required to excel in the interview stages. The Bain Gorilla Test does not require any prior casing knowledge, although it can be helpful to sharpen your analytical skills through casing beforehand.
TestGorilla Details
TestGorilla conducts talent assessments for a variety of companies such as PayPal, Equifax, and PepsiCo by evaluating behavioral and analytical skills that can make an application more skills-focused, rather than solely accomplishment-driven. Similar online assessment tools, such as the BCG Pymetrics Test and the McKinsey Solve Game, are used by other consulting firms. Assessments by TestGorilla are typically comprised of 4 sections, each 8 to 15 minutes long that test skills such as:
-
- Problem solving
- Numerical reasoning
- Time management
- Communication
- Logical reasoning
- Verbal reasoning
- Business acumen
The Bain Gorilla Test is typically split into four main sections: numerical reasoning, business judgment, leadership, and problem solving. Note, however, that we have heard from candidates who have only been asked to complete three of the sections. Numerical reasoning always seems to be a part of the test, even if you’re only asked to complete three sections.
Applicants may take the test at their convenience if their timing falls within a certain window of dates provided by Bain after their application is submitted.
Sample Questions
Below is an example of a question you might see on Bain’s TestGorilla assessment. Answering this question requires strong critical thinking and logic skills. Many of the questions you encounter on the Bain Gorilla test will be similar—they may involve an exhibit, some background information, and a list of potential solutions. You may be seeing some parallels between TestGorilla questions and practice casing questions, or perhaps GMAT questions. If you are already preparing for and familiar with casing questions or GMAT/GRE questions, you are more likely to be ready for the Bain Gorilla test.
Scoring
Each section of the exam is broken up into various skills which Bain can assess its candidates on. For instance, in the “Problem Solving” section above, test-takers are evaluated by their ability to create and adjust schedules, interpret data, prioritize and apply order based on a given set of rules, and analyze information to draw conclusions.
Each particular skill is given a score of 1, 2, or 3, and an average is displayed to represent the candidate’s performance on the section as a whole. The time taken to complete the section is included as well, but don’t feel the need to finish early - Bain is more likely to hire a candidate who answers the questions correctly than a candidate who rushes through the exam and dismisses answer quality.
Video Interview
Bain has recently introduced an optional, non-evaluative video component at the end of its Gorilla Test, consisting of two short questions focused on working style and team experience. While the firm emphasizes that responses are not formally scored, this addition gives candidates an opportunity to humanize their application and provide context beyond the structured problem-solving format of the test.
In practice, it functions as a low-stakes way for Bain to gain insight into communication style, professionalism, and cultural fit - areas that are otherwise difficult to assess through multiple-choice gameplay alone. Candidates should treat it as an informal behavioral prompt: Preparation isn’t about memorizing answers, but rather articulating clear, concise examples that reflect collaboration, adaptability, and impact in team settings.
Why Is Bain Using The Test Gorilla Assessment?
Using online assessment tools such as the Test Gorilla Assessment helps firms like Bain eliminate bias in the recruiting process by offering a standardized method of testing candidates. This allows candidates who may not have an outstanding resume or access to stellar resume editing services to demonstrate their cognitive abilities, pushing them to the top of the pile of applicants.
Likewise, it also may filter out candidates who have impressive resumes, yet lack the cognitive abilities to excel in the consulting world. TestGorilla sends Bain detailed data about each and every candidate, allowing Bain to develop a better understanding of how well each candidate fits the role, thereby streamlining the hiring process. The Bain Gorilla test does not require knowledge of business or management, ensuring that applicants who studied business and applicants who did not are competing on the same playing field.
TestGorilla is also highly accessible for Bain applicants, specifically those who may need accommodations. Because the Gorilla test can be taken anywhere at any time, Bain does not need to schedule interviews with working employees, making the hiring process more efficient and cost-effective. Although the information provided by employees during the interview process is valuable, modern online assessments like the Gorilla test provide data on candidates that allows Bain to analyze their performance more quickly and easily.
How To Prepare For The Bain Gorilla Test
The goal of the Bain Gorilla test is to evaluate your strategic mindset as well as your emotional and cognitive traits. Therefore, the best way to prepare is to explore practice questions which engage those cognitive skills.
TestGorilla Practice Test
At Management Consulted, we have developed a TestGorilla practice exam for our readers. This exam will prepare you for the types of questions you will encounter on the Bain Gorilla test. Click the link above to start practicing.
Note: The test above is a proxy for the actual test. We've developed an up-to-date simulation that replicates each section of the Bain Gorilla Test. This is available for premium Management Consulted clients only. Get access through our All Access Pass and start practicing today.
Here are 5 additional tips for preparing for the Gorilla Test:
- Use TestGorilla Practice Questions
- TestGorilla has developed a full test library for companies to experiment with when developing their firm-specific psychometric assessments. The library offers practice questions for a wide variety of skills. These questions are not only a great resource for firms like Bain, but for Bain applicants as well!
- For the Bain Gorilla test, we specifically recommend completing practice questions for Problem Solving, Verbal Reasoning, Critical Thinking, Numerical Reasoning, Business Judgement, and Leadership and People Management.
- Prepare for the Sova Assessment
- The Bain Gorilla test will assess candidates similarly to the Bain Sova test. Therefore, those who prepare for the Sova assessment will likely be in a better spot for the Bain Gorilla test. Learn more about the Sova test here.
- Understand How the Exam is Structured
- Becoming familiar with the format, timing, and scoring of the Bain Gorilla test is a great step towards excelling on the exam. When doing practice exercises, set a timer to make sure you can finish the test on time!
- Tell Bain if you are not a Native English Speaker
- While the assessment is only available in English, Bain does offer accommodations for individuals who are not native English speakers. On the starting page of the assessment candidates are asked whether they are fluent in English. By responding 'No' they are automatically granted extra time.
- Prepare your Space
- We recommend that you take the Bain Gorilla test in a quiet place with a strong internet connection. Losing your internet access during the exam could force you to miss questions and thereby lower your score.
Bain Gorilla Test Video Demo
Katie - ex-MBB, Management Consulted Black Belt Advisor - demonstrates several sample questions from the Gorilla Test so you can get a taste of what to expect.
Conclusion
The Bain Gorilla test is a psychometric exam designed to assess each candidate’s aptitudes before moving them on to live case interviews. Over the years, assessments like the Gorilla test have become an increasingly common and integral part of Bain’s screening process at various offices. Therefore, it is important to be prepared for it when you submit your application — the link to the exam may land in your inbox just a few days later.
However, try not to overthink the Bain Gorilla test either — although there are resources available that candidates can use to prepare, at the end of the day, the assessment is only testing your aptitude, and there is no specialized knowledge required to do well on it.
If you are considering working at a company like Bain, you likely already have many of the traits they are looking for in an applicant! Trust that your driven, hard-working mindset is what got you to this point, and that your strengths are bound to shine through on this exam.