Where logical reasoning appears
Bain's careers page says its digital assessment runs on TestGorilla or SOVA, and your email says which. Neither Bain nor the platforms publish Bain's exact section list, so this mapping comes from candidate and prep-site reports.
| Platform | Reported logical content | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| TestGorilla, Europe mix | Critical Thinking test | 12 min per TestGorilla; about 16 questions reported by one prep site |
| TestGorilla, US mix | Problem Solving test | 9 min, 12 questions per TestGorilla |
| SOVA | Logical section: inductive (series, matrices, odd one out). Some sources also report deductive questions; others don't | No visible clock reported, but response time recorded |
The series and pattern examples below match what's reported for SOVA. The deductive examples apply to both platforms. Our TestGorilla guide has a scheduling puzzle of the kind reported for Problem Solving.
Number series
Check in this order: the differences between terms, then the differences of those differences, then ratios, then whether two series are interleaved (alternate terms following separate rules). Most items fall to one of the four.
Example 1: two series in one
1, 20, 2, 17, 4, 14, 8, ?
- 11
- 12
- 16
- 10
The differences jump around (+19, −18, +15, −13), which signals interleaving. Odd positions: 1, 2, 4, 8, doubling. Even positions: 20, 17, 14, falling by 3. The missing term is in an even position: 14 − 3 = 11. Answer: A.
Why not C: 16 continues the doubling series, but the next term belongs to the other series. Count positions before extending anything.
Example 2: second differences
2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ?
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 39
Differences: 3, 5, 7, 9. They rise by 2, so the next is 11: 26 + 11 = 37. Answer: C.
Why not A: 35 repeats the last difference of 9. When the differences themselves change, extend the pattern in the differences.
Letter series
Convert letters to their positions: A = 1, B = 2, up to Z = 26. Then treat it as a number series. When a step goes past Z, wrap around: subtract 26. Writing the alphabet across your scratch paper at the start saves time on every item.
Example 3: wrapping past Z
T, W, Z, C, ?
- A
- E
- F
- G
Positions: 20, 23, 26, then 29, which wraps to 29 − 26 = 3, C. The step is +3 throughout. Next: 3 + 3 = 6, F. Answer: C.
Why not B: E comes from counting the starting letter as one of the three steps (C, D, E). Count the moves, not the letters. Option A is for people who think the series restarts at A after Z.
Example 4: growing steps
B, D, G, K, P, ?
- T
- U
- V
- W
Positions: 2, 4, 7, 11, 16. Steps: +2, +3, +4, +5. Next step +6: 16 + 6 = 22, V. Answer: C.
Why not B: U (21) repeats the last step of +5. Same mistake as example 2, in letters.
Shape series
Shape items show a row of figures and ask for the next one. Several properties usually change at once. Check one property at a time, always in the same order:
- Count: how many objects are in each figure?
- Shape: do the objects change type?
- Position: do objects move, and in which direction?
- Rotation: does anything turn, and by how much each step?
- Shading: does fill change, alternate or move?
Write a one-word rule for each property before you look at the options, then eliminate options that break any rule. The figures below are described in words.
Example 5: three rules at once
Figure 1: an arrow pointing up, one black dot. Figure 2: an arrow pointing right, two white dots. Figure 3: an arrow pointing down, three black dots. Figure 4: an arrow pointing left, four white dots. What is figure 5?
- Arrow up, five black dots
- Arrow up, five white dots
- Arrow left, five black dots
- Arrow right, five black dots
Count: 1, 2, 3, 4, so five dots. Shape: no change. Position: no change. Rotation: the arrow turns 90° clockwise each step, so after left comes up. Shading: black, white, black, white, so black. Answer: A.
Why not B: it gets count and rotation right and misses the shading. Options in shape items often differ in exactly one property, so an unchecked property is where you lose the mark.
Example 6: two objects moving
Each figure is a square with a black dot and a white star in its corners. Figure 1: dot top-left, star top-right. Figure 2: dot top-right, star top-left. Figure 3: dot bottom-right, star bottom-left. Figure 4: dot bottom-left, star bottom-right. What is figure 5?
- Dot top-left, star top-right
- Dot top-left, star bottom-left
- Dot bottom-left, star top-right
- Dot top-right, star top-left
Track each object separately. The dot moves one corner clockwise each step: top-left, top-right, bottom-right, bottom-left, then top-left. The star moves one corner counterclockwise: top-right, top-left, bottom-left, bottom-right, then top-right. Answer: A.
Why not B: it assumes the star moves clockwise like the dot. A cycle of four that returns to the start is common, even though it feels too easy.
Odd one out
The right rule separates exactly one item from the rest. If your rule splits the items two against three, or picks out two items, it's the wrong rule.
Example 7: letter groups
Which group is the odd one out? ACE, BDF, GIK, MOP, RTV
- ACE
- BDF
- MOP
- RTV
In positions: ACE is 1, 3, 5. BDF is 2, 4, 6. GIK is 7, 9, 11. MOP is 13, 15, 16. RTV is 18, 20, 22. Every group steps +2 except MOP, whose last step is +1. Answer: C.
Why not A: ACE stands out because it has two vowels. But GIK and MOP contain vowels too, so "has vowels" doesn't isolate one group. Test your rule against every item.
Deductive questions
These give you statements and ask what must follow. Treat the statements as true even if they're odd, and use nothing outside them. Four rules cover most items:
| Given "If P, then Q" | Valid? |
|---|---|
| P, so Q | Valid |
| Not Q, so not P (the contrapositive) | Valid |
| Q, so P (affirming the consequent) | Invalid |
| Not P, so not Q (denying the antecedent) | Invalid |
"P only if Q" means the same as "if P, then Q". The word after "only if" is the requirement, not the trigger.
Example 8: if-then
"If a shipment is marked urgent, it leaves the same day." Which conclusion is valid?
- Shipment 57 left the same day, so it was marked urgent.
- Shipment 42 didn't leave the same day, so it wasn't marked urgent.
- Shipment 60 wasn't marked urgent, so it didn't leave the same day.
- None of these.
B is the contrapositive: if urgent shipments always leave the same day, a shipment that didn't can't have been urgent. Answer: B.
Why not A: that's affirming the consequent. Non-urgent shipments can leave the same day too; the rule doesn't stop them. C denies the antecedent, which fails for the same reason.
Example 9: only if
"A proposal goes to the client only if the partner has approved it. The partner approved the Wren proposal." Which must be true?
- The Wren proposal went to the client.
- The Wren proposal didn't go to the client.
- Any proposal that went to the client was approved by the partner.
- Partner approval guarantees a proposal goes to the client.
"Goes to client only if approved" means "if it goes to the client, it was approved". That's C. Answer: C.
Why not A: approval is required, not sufficient. The Wren proposal might still be waiting on something else. D states the same error as a general rule.
Example 10: all and some
"All auditors on the Kestrel team are certified. Some certified staff speak German." Which must be true?
- Some Kestrel auditors speak German.
- No Kestrel auditors speak German.
- All German speakers are certified.
- None of these must be true.
The German speakers are some of the certified staff. The Kestrel auditors are also some of the certified staff. Nothing says the two groups overlap. Answer: D.
Why not A: it's plausible, and that's the trap. Sketch it: the Kestrel auditors are a circle inside a larger "certified" circle, and the German speakers are a circle that overlaps "certified". The German circle can cross the Kestrel circle or miss it, and both pictures fit the statements. If one picture makes an option false, that option doesn't have to be true.
Example 11: no and some
"No interns have system access. Some contractors have system access." Which must be true?
- No contractors are interns.
- Some contractors are not interns.
- Some interns are contractors.
- Some contractors are interns.
The contractors who have access can't be interns, because no intern has access. So at least some contractors aren't interns. Answer: B.
Why not A: it's too strong. The statements say nothing about contractors without access, and some of them could be interns.
Pacing
On TestGorilla, each test has its own timer and you can't go back once you've moved on (Bain's Seoul FAQ and TestGorilla's candidate help agree). TestGorilla's help also says wrong answers aren't penalized, so never leave one blank. Problem Solving at 12 questions in 9 minutes is 45 seconds each.
On SOVA, prep sites and candidate posts report no visible countdown but a recorded response time, which SOVA hasn't confirmed. Work steadily. If no pattern appears after one pass of the five-property check, eliminate what you can and pick.
No pass mark is published for either platform, and a practice score doesn't predict your result.
FAQ
What kind of logical questions does the Bain test have?
Prep sites report series, matrices and odd one out on SOVA, with some adding deductive items. On TestGorilla, candidates report Critical Thinking in Europe and Problem Solving in the US.
Is there deductive reasoning on the Bain SOVA test?
Sources disagree. All agree on pattern questions; some prep sites also describe deductive items. Prepare for both, since the deductive rules are quick to learn.
How do I get faster at shape series?
Check the same properties in the same order every time: count, shape, position, rotation, shading. Write a short rule for each before looking at the options, then eliminate.
What does "only if" mean in a logic question?
"A only if B" means that whenever A happens, B is true. B is a requirement for A. It doesn't mean B causes A or guarantees it.
Can I use pen and paper for logical questions?
Yes. Bain's careers page allows pen, paper and a calculator on its digital assessment. Paper helps most for letter positions and for sketching deductive statements.
Keep going
Try the logical section in Bain practice: the free set is 8 fixed questions, timed, with explanations. Then the numerical reasoning examples and the verbal reasoning guide. For platform detail, the Bain TestGorilla guide and the Bain SOVA guide. Back to the Bain online assessment overview.
Sources we checked: Bain's digital assessment careers page, a Bain Seoul recruiting FAQ, TestGorilla's pages for its Critical Thinking and Problem Solving tests and its candidate help, and prep-site reports from Prepmatter, IGotAnOffer, CaseBasix, MConsultingPrep, MyConsultingCoach, MBB Gorilla and PrepLounge candidate posts.
SolveForge is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Bain & Company, TestGorilla or SOVA. Every example on this page was written by us; none is a real test item. "Bain", "TestGorilla" and "SOVA" are trademarks of their owners. Practicing here does not guarantee any assessment result.