Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: July 7, 2026

 

The Strategy& online assessment is a timed cognitive test, usually built by SHL, that screens you on numerical, verbal, and logical reasoning before any live interview, and in some regions adds a short behavioral or game-based section. This guide covers the exact format, how it changes by region, the score you need, and a two-week plan to walk in ready.

 

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Key Takeaways

 

The Strategy& online assessment is a cognitive screening test that you clear by reading data fast, doing quick mental math, and staying calm under tight time limits.

 

• Most versions are SHL-built and test numerical, verbal, and logical (inductive) reasoning

 

• The full assessment usually runs about 60 minutes, often split into a cognitive part and a short behavioral part

 

• Format shifts by region: a case-flavored aptitude test in the Middle East, SHL plus a game-based test in the UK

 

• A calculator is allowed on the numerical section, so speed and data reading matter more than arithmetic tricks

 

• You generally need to land in the top half of the applicant pool to move forward

 

• Two focused weeks of timed, SHL-style practice is enough for most candidates to pass

 

What Is the Strategy& Online Assessment?

 

The Strategy& online assessment is a timed, remotely proctored test that measures your cognitive ability before interviews. Most candidates take an SHL battery covering numerical, verbal, and logical reasoning, plus a behavioral questionnaire. It screens a large applicant pool down to those who can handle data and structured thinking under pressure.

 

Strategy& is the strategy consulting arm of PwC, and it shares much of PwC's recruiting machinery. The test exists for one reason: to thin a very large applicant pool before partners spend hours on interviews.

 

If you applied to PwC's broader management, technology, or risk consulting teams instead, you would sit a similar but not identical PwC assessment test. The Strategy& version leans harder on case-style quantitative reasoning, because the role demands it.

 

What Format Does the Strategy& Online Assessment Take?

 

Most Strategy& online assessments are SHL aptitude tests, split into three reasoning sections plus a personality or behavioral questionnaire. You will not always get all four, since the exact mix depends on your office and role.

 

Section	What it tests	Typical length
Numerical reasoning	Reading charts and tables, percentages, ratios, growth rates	~16 to 18 questions, 18 to 25 minutes, calculator allowed
Verbal reasoning	True, False, or Cannot Say judgments on business passages	~30 questions, around 19 minutes
Logical (inductive) reasoning	Spotting the rule in abstract shape sequences	~12 questions, around 20 minutes
Personality questionnaire (OPQ)	Work style and behavioral preferences, no right answers	Untimed, roughly 25 to 35 minutes

 

Section lengths reflect SHL's published test formats, and you can try official examples on SHL's own practice tests. Your invitation email will tell you which sections you have been assigned, so read it closely.

 

The numerical section trips up the most candidates. The same case interview math habits that help you in interviews, fast percentage and growth calculations, are exactly what carry you through it.

 

What Do Strategy& Online Assessment Questions Look Like?

 

Numerical questions give you a chart or table and ask for a calculation. Verbal questions give you a short business passage and ask you to judge a statement. Working through one of each shows you exactly what speed and accuracy you need.

 

Sample numerical reasoning question

 

Example: A company reports revenue of $200 million in Year 1 and $250 million in Year 2. The numbers below are illustrative, not real Strategy& data.

 

The question: by what percentage did revenue grow from Year 1 to Year 2?

 

The answer: revenue rose by $50 million, and $50 million divided by $200 million is 25%. You should be able to read the two figures and finish this in under 40 seconds, which is the pace the section demands.

 

Sample verbal reasoning question

 

Example: A passage states that a retailer opened 12 new stores last year and plans to open 20 more next year, but it does not mention how many stores closed.

 

The statement to judge: "The retailer will have more stores open at the end of next year than it does today." The correct response is Cannot Say, because the passage never tells you about closures. Judge only what the text supports, never what seems likely.

 

The trap in both formats is the same: you bring in outside assumptions or chase a perfect answer and run out of time. Stick to the data in front of you and keep moving.

 

How Does the Strategy& Online Assessment Differ by Region?

 

Strategy& runs different versions of the online assessment depending on the office, so what a London applicant sees is not what a Dubai or Amsterdam applicant sees. The skills tested overlap, but the exact tools and emphasis change.

 

Region	What to expect
Middle East	A case-flavored cognitive abilities test covering logical reasoning, problem solving, and math, often described as a mix of a case and the GMAT
UK (London)	An SHL aptitude battery, frequently paired with a short game-based assessment
Continental Europe	A roughly 60-minute test split into a cognitive part and a behavioral part
United States	Often lighter or skipped, with screening weighted toward resume and interviews

 

Strategy&'s Netherlands team, for example, states that its assessment runs about 60 minutes across a cognitive and a behavioral part, with a practice test offered beforehand. The Middle East version feels closer to a mini-case, so candidates there should drill chart reading and quick business math the most.

 

Where Does the Online Assessment Fit in the Strategy& Hiring Process?

 

The online assessment is the second stage, sitting right after your application and before any interview. Clear it and a recruiter moves you into the interview rounds. Here is the full path most candidates follow.

 

1. Submit your application: send your CV, transcript, and cover letter through your local Strategy& careers site
   
   
2. Online assessment: complete the cognitive, and sometimes behavioral, test covered in this guide, usually within a week of qualifying
   
   
3. First-round interviews: two interviews that mix fit and case questions, often including a market sizing problem
   
   
4. Final-round interviews: two to three interviews with senior leaders, heavier on advanced cases and personal fit
   
   
5. Offer decision: feedback and, for successful candidates, an offer

 

The online assessment is the easy gate. The real test is the Strategy& case interview, where most offers are won or lost.

 

If you want to be ready for that stage early, my case interview course teaches the structures and math that carry straight over from the assessment.

 

How Hard Is the Strategy& Online Assessment and What Score Do You Need to Pass?

 

The Strategy& online assessment is moderately hard, more about speed than raw difficulty, and you generally need to score better than at least half of applicants to advance. The math is GMAT-level rather than advanced, but the clock is unforgiving.

 

On Glassdoor, candidates rate the Strategy& interview process at 3.45 out of 5 for difficulty as of June 2026, with about 70% reporting a positive experience and an average process length of 37 days. Skills tests, personality tests, and intelligence tests all show up in those candidate reports.

 

There is no fixed pass mark, because SHL tests are norm-referenced. Your raw score is converted to a percentile and compared against other applicants, and the effective cut-off is set higher for competitive lines like strategy consulting.

 

In my experience interviewing at Bain, these screens rarely make a candidate, but a weak score quietly ends strong applications before a human ever reads the resume. Treat it as a filter you simply cannot afford to fail.

 

Other firms screen the same way with different tools, such as BCG's pymetrics test, so the practice you put in here transfers across your other applications.

 

How Do You Prepare for the Strategy& Online Assessment?

 

Prepare by taking timed SHL-style practice tests, drilling fast data reading and mental math, and getting comfortable working under a clock. Two focused weeks is enough for most candidates. The tips below are the ones I give the candidates I coach.

 

Tip #1: Practice with timed SHL-style tests

 

Familiarity with the format is half the battle. Take full-length, timed numerical, verbal, and inductive reasoning tests so the question types and the time pressure feel routine before test day.

 

Tip #2: Sharpen data reading, not just math

 

Most numerical questions are easy once you find the right number in a busy chart. Train yourself to locate the relevant row, column, or axis fast, since hunting for data wastes the seconds you do not have.

 

Tip #3: Build a guessing rule for time pressure

 

You will not finish everything, and that is by design. Set a hard rule: if a question is not cracking in about 60 seconds, lock in your best guess and move on, because there is usually no penalty for a wrong answer.

 

Tip #4: Answer the behavioral sections honestly

 

Personality questionnaires and any video interview reward consistent, authentic answers, and gamified tests are built to catch people trying to game them. Answer as the steady, collaborative professional you are, not the one you think they want.

 

For the behavioral and fit side that follows, my fit interview course drills structured answers to nearly every question you will face.

 

Tip #5: Set up a clean test environment

 

These tests are often proctored, and tab switching or copy-paste activity can be logged. Find a quiet room, a stable connection, a basic calculator, and scratch paper before you click start.

 

The Strategy& online assessment is a beatable first hurdle, not the part that decides your candidacy. Spend two focused weeks on timed reasoning practice, then pour the bulk of your energy into the cases that follow, and treat every drill like the real, ticking clock.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is the Strategy& online assessment hard?

 

The Strategy& online assessment is moderately hard, but the challenge is speed more than difficulty. The math and logic are GMAT-level, not advanced, yet the tight time limits mean most candidates do not finish every question. Two weeks of timed practice is usually enough to clear it.

 

How long is the Strategy& online assessment?

 

Most versions run about 60 minutes in total. In regions that use the full SHL battery, the numerical, verbal, and logical sections together take roughly 55 to 60 minutes, and a behavioral or personality questionnaire can add 25 to 35 minutes on top.

 

What test does Strategy& use for its online assessment?

 

Strategy& mainly uses SHL aptitude tests covering numerical, verbal, and logical (inductive) reasoning, often with an OPQ personality questionnaire. Some offices, especially in the UK, also add a short game-based assessment, and the Middle East uses a case-flavored cognitive abilities test.

 

Can you use a calculator on the Strategy& online assessment?

 

Yes. The numerical reasoning section allows a calculator, and the SHL platform provides an on-screen calculator inside the test. A basic calculator is all you need, since the questions focus on percentages, ratios, and data interpretation rather than complex formulas.

 

What score do you need to pass the Strategy& online assessment?

 

There is no fixed pass mark because the test is norm-referenced. Your raw score is compared to other applicants, and you generally need to land in roughly the top half of the pool to advance. Cut-offs are set higher for competitive lines like strategy consulting.

 

What happens after you pass the Strategy& online assessment?

 

After passing, a recruiter typically schedules your first-round interviews. The first round is usually two interviews mixing fit and case questions, often including a market sizing problem. Strong performers then move to a final round of two to three interviews with senior leaders.

 

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