The firms do not run one "consulting online assessment." They run different screens that reward different skills under different clocks, and most candidates burn the week before on the wrong one. McKinsey publishes a game-based Solve with an in-task tutorial and an explicit no-prep stance; BCG splits Associate recruiting into a Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) and a separate online case; Bain's invite names Sova or Test Gorilla and clocks the digital step at about 30 to 40 minutes. After this piece you will read your invitation the way a recruiter wrote it, run a protocol for that assessment type, and put a two-week calendar on the wall.
Start from what the firm publishes
Prep sites invent a single syllabus. The careers pages do not. Before you open a simulator or a math drill, copy three fields from the email: provider or product name, stated duration, and any "no preparation" or sample-link language. Those three fields decide 80 percent of your calendar.
| Firm signal (as of 2026-09-24) | What the firm itself says | What that implies for practice |
|---|---|---|
| McKinsey Solve | Game-based assessment; approach with curiosity; no need to prepare; invitation sets length; untimed tutorial per task | Train data decisions and constraint discipline, not leaked game skins |
| BCG CCA (US Associate) | Sent 30–90 minutes after apply; ~30–35 minutes; 48 hours to finish | Short, multidimensional screen; numerical pacing plus work-style honesty |
| BCG online case | Select candidates ~2 weeks after deadline; ~35 minutes | Case reasoning under a chatbot clock; exhibits and synthesis |
| Bain digital assessment | Invite names Sova or Test Gorilla; ~30–40 minutes; AI tools prohibited | Match the named platform; Bain points Sova candidates to Sova samples |
| Big Four SHL-style | Employer invite + SHL Direct practice types | Timed numerical, verbal, inductive, or SJT — follow the named battery |
Primary sources for that table: McKinsey's Solve careers page and Solve FAQ (Aug 2025); BCG's US Associate recruiting page; Bain's digital assessment hub; SHL's practice tests.
Firm-specific deep dives already exist on CoachNed. Use this page as the cross-firm map, then open the matching guide rather than rereading the same format facts twice.
McKinsey Solve: practice decisions, not the skin
McKinsey says Solve showcases problem-solving, that performance is weighed with the rest of the application, and that AI tools, notes, screenshots, and help from others are out of bounds. Duration lives in your invitation; older FAQ PDFs once cited a fixed window, while current guidance points you back to the email and an untimed tutorial before each task.
Candidate folklore names modules (Redrock, Sea Wolf, ecosystem-style builds, newer lab variants). Folklore is useful only as a skill hint: read exhibits fast, track constraints, choose under incomplete information. It is not a guarantee of which modules you will see.
Protocol (four sessions): (1) cold chart-to-decision reps — write the relationship before the arithmetic; (2) timed constraint puzzles with one clear objective; (3) a full mock on the modules named in your invite using independent simulators; (4) a logistics rehearsal (device check, quiet block, no second screen of notes). Module detail: McKinsey Solve guide, Redrock, Sea Wolf. Independent practice surfaces: /mckinsey-red-rock, /mckinsey-sea-wolf, /mckinsey-sfl.
BCG: Casey and CCA are different screens
BCG's US Associate page is unusually clear. After you apply, the CCA invitation arrives within about 30 to 90 minutes; you have 48 hours; the assessment takes roughly 30 to 35 minutes. A select group later gets an online case of about 35 minutes. Mixing those two into one study plan is the most common Associate mistake I see.
CCA protocol: one cold timed numerical mock, classify misses (setup vs arithmetic vs chart selection vs pace), then honesty-consistent work-style items if your version includes them. Do not reverse-engineer a "BCG personality." Detail: CCA practice guide and CCA prep. Simulator: /tools/bcg-cca-simulator.
Casey / online-case protocol: treat it like a compressed case interview. Structure, exhibit read, one clean calculation, short recommendation. BCG's case interview preparation page stresses approach and reasoning quality over a single right answer — that is the scoring spirit, even when the delivery is a chatbot. Detail: Casey guide. Practice case: /casey/urbanbrew-coffee-margin-case.
Bain: Sova or Test Gorilla, named in the email
Bain does not pretend every office uses the same vendor. The digital assessment page says consulting interns and full-time applicants may be required to take a digital step, that the email names Sova or Test Gorilla, that the assessment runs about 30 to 40 minutes, and that applications without a completed required assessment may not be considered. Calculators are allowed for the digital assessment only. AI tools during the test are prohibited. Sova candidates are pointed to Sova's candidate preparation samples; Test Gorilla candidates are told no preparation is needed and to use Chrome when possible. Sova need not be finished in one sitting; Test Gorilla should be.
Sova protocol: sample questions from Sova's hub, then timed numerical and logical blocks, then consistent situational and behavioral answers. Simulator option: /bain-sova. Guide: Bain SOVA.
Test Gorilla protocol: read the welcome screen for section count and time, then drill only the cognitive families it lists. Guide: Bain TestGorilla. Do not prepare from leaked item banks.
Big Four and SHL-style batteries
Many Big Four graduate and consulting routes still use SHL-family numerical, verbal, inductive, or situational judgment tests, sometimes wrapped in an employer-branded immersive. SHL's own Verify Interactive numerical product lists a 23-minute completion time for that specific test; verbal managerial/professional sits near 30 minutes on SHL's product page. Your invitation's battery and cut score still govern. SHL Direct publishes free practice tests that mirror question types without claiming identical difficulty.
Protocol: two SHL Direct practices cold, log accuracy and seconds per item, then drill the weaker family only. If the invite says immersive or job simulation (common at Deloitte), follow that title — see Deloitte immersive and the SHL consulting guide. Adjacent CoachNed drills (/drills/math, /drills/charts, /drills/quick-math) build transferable speed; they are not the employer's interface.
Worked example: pacing math you can reproduce
Suppose your CCA-style numerical mock is eight questions on a shared 12-minute clock (CoachNed's practice format, not a BCG cutoff). That is 90 seconds per item if you spend evenly. Now invent a mini exhibit:
HarborLight Logistics reports Q1 revenue of $48m and Q2 of $54m. Contribution margin is 22 percent in both quarters. Fixed costs are $9.6m per quarter. What is the change in operating profit from Q1 to Q2?
Q1 contribution = 0.22 × 48 = 10.56; operating profit = 10.56 − 9.6 = 0.96.
Q2 contribution = 0.22 × 54 = 11.88; operating profit = 11.88 − 9.6 = 2.28.
Change = 2.28 − 0.96 = $1.32m.
If that setup took you 70 seconds and the arithmetic another 40, you are already past the 90-second budget. The miss is pacing allocation, not "being bad at math." Log it that way and move on. That classification habit transfers to Solve constraint choices and to SHL table items.
Ned's rule. Prep the invitation, not the brand. If the email says CCA, another hour of Casey-style chatbot cases is calendar theft. If it says Solve, another hour of SHL verbal True/False is the same theft dressed as diligence.
A two-week calendar that respects the invite
Assume you have fourteen days and one named assessment. Adjust volumes if you are applying to two firms in the same window — never merge their protocols into one generic "aptitude week."
| Day | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read invite + firm FAQ; device and quiet-room check | Written checklist of rules (AI, calculator, sitting rules) |
| 2–3 | Official samples only (Sova hub, SHL Direct, BCG case tips) | Baseline accuracy and time log |
| 4–6 | Skill protocol for the named type (see sections above) | Three timed blocks; miss taxonomy |
| 7 | Full mock under invite duration | Score + three miss themes |
| 8–10 | Only the weakest theme; rest days if accuracy rises | Second mock |
| 11–12 | Case or PEI light work if interviews follow | Keep assessment sharp, not exhausted |
| 13 | Logistics dress rehearsal | Same machine, same browser, no notes tab |
| 14 | Sleep and show up | No new material after noon |
If the firm says no preparation is needed, days 2–6 shrink to logistics, one familiarization pass, and composure work. That is not laziness; it is reading the primary source.
Run one real mock today
Open the path that matches your invite. For McKinsey modules, use /mckinsey-red-rock, /mckinsey-sea-wolf, or /mckinsey-sfl. For BCG, start /tools/bcg-cca-simulator or /casey/urbanbrew-coffee-margin-case. For Bain Sova-style reasoning, try /bain-sova. For transferable chart and math speed, use /drills/charts and /drills/quick-math. Everything on CoachNed is open for seven days with no card; then $120 for a recruiting season or $49 a month. Simulators are independent practice tools, not affiliated with the firms.
Assignment: one cold timed mock tonight, miss taxonomy in three lines (setup / arithmetic / interpretation / pace), and no second mock until you have drilled the weakest line for thirty minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the McKinsey Solve assessment?
Your invitation email sets the length. McKinsey's current FAQ language points candidates to that email and notes an untimed tutorial at the start of each task. Older FAQ PDFs and some office pages have cited fixed windows around an hour; treat those as dated or office-specific, not as a universal promise.
What is the difference between BCG's CCA and the online case?
On BCG's US Associate track, the CCA is the short multidimensional assessment sent soon after you apply, with about 48 hours to complete. The online case (often discussed as Casey) is a later, select-candidate step of roughly 35 minutes. Prepare the one named in your messages.
Does Bain use Sova or TestGorilla?
Either, by office and cycle. Bain's digital assessment page states that the application email will say whether you must complete Sova or Test Gorilla. Prep the named platform; do not assume a single Bain format.
Can I use a calculator on consulting online assessments?
Follow the invitation. Bain allows a calculator for its digital assessment (not for later interviews). McKinsey Solve and many game or immersive screens do not. SHL-style batteries vary by employer configuration. Guessing wrong is an avoidable integrity risk.
Are third-party simulators the same as the real test?
No. Independent simulators train transferable skills and pacing. Firms prohibit recording, AI assistance, and shared notes on the live assessment. Use practice tools honestly and treat cut scores on mocks as training feedback, not firm thresholds.
Sources
- Solve, McKinsey's assessment game — official description, integrity rules, no-prep framing. Checked 2026-09-24.
- McKinsey Solve FAQ (Aug 2025) — invitation governs length; untimed tutorials; no business or gaming background required. Checked 2026-09-24.
- BCG US Associate job opportunities — CCA timing (30–90 minutes after apply, ~30–35 minutes, 48-hour window) and online case (~35 minutes for select candidates). Checked 2026-09-24.
- BCG case interview preparation — official emphasis on approach and reasoning quality. Checked 2026-09-24.
- Bain digital assessment — Sova vs Test Gorilla naming, ~30–40 minutes, calculator and AI rules, sitting rules. Checked 2026-09-24.
- SHL Direct practice tests — official familiarization for numerical, verbal, inductive, and related question types. Checked 2026-09-24.
- SHL Verify Interactive – Numerical Reasoning — example product completion time (23 minutes) for one SHL numerical form. Checked 2026-09-24.
CoachNed is not affiliated with McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, SHL, Sova, or TestGorilla.