BCG CCA Guide: Format, Timing, Question Types and Scoring

Key points

Length. About 30 to 35 minutes including the tutorial and practice questions. BCG Mexico's page says about 30. BCG says
Parts. A logic portion and behavioral questions. No section list or question counts are published. BCG says
Tools. A calculator is allowed. You can pause between sections. BCG says
Deadline. US applicants get the invitation 30 to 90 minutes after applying and have 48 hours to finish. BCG says

What is the BCG CCA?

The CCA is BCG's Consulting Career Assessment, a timed test of reasoning and work style, and a different test from Casey, BCG's chatbot case.

What is the format of the BCG CCA?

Part	What is known	Who says it
Length	About 30 to 35 minutes including the tutorial and practice questions. BCG Mexico's page says about 30.	BCG says
Parts	A logic portion and behavioral questions. No section list or question counts are published.	BCG says
Tools	A calculator is allowed. You can pause between sections.	BCG says
Deadline	US applicants get the invitation 30 to 90 minutes after applying and have 48 hours to finish.	BCG says
Typical layout	A long work-style block, 8 numerical questions on a 12 minute clock, then a shorter work-style block. Exact counts vary between accounts.	Candidates report

What question types are on the BCG CCA?

Percent and ratio

Read a table or sentence, then compute a share or change. Example: a queue falls from 250 cases to 190. The fall is 60, and 60 / 250 = 24%. Dividing by 190 gives 31.6%, the usual wrong option.

Scheduling

Windows, durations and gaps, ending in a clock time. Our practice shows the common slip is a forgotten gap or a block that cannot straddle lunch.

Reallocation

Saved time is shared out again. Keep the total fixed and check whether the question asks per person.

Logical patterns

Several conditions, then what is forced. Some of our items have the answer 'not determined'.

Work-style statements

You rate or rank statements about how you work. BCG says the behavioral questions have no right or wrong answers. Our practice includes four, unscored.

Try these question types in the free BCG CCA practice.

How is the BCG CCA scored?

BCG says the CCA is not exactly a test, the behavioral questions have no right or wrong answers, and the logic portion looks at reasoning tendencies. BCG says results are read alongside the rest of your application. It publishes no pass mark, scoring model or pass rate, and the pages read do not say whether you see a score. Treat any pass mark found elsewhere as unsourced.

Which BCG test will I take?

Your invitation names the test. BCG's US and Mexico pages name the CCA. Other offices name their own: Switzerland a 30 minute cognitive test with no tools, the UK a short numerical assessment, the Netherlands an online reasoning test, the Nordics an 80 question logical reasoning test with no calculator. If your invitation names one of those, this page is not your test.

How should I prepare for the BCG CCA?

1 week before. Check the invitation for the test name, deadline and device rules.
5 days before. Do timed numerical sets of 8 questions in 12 minutes, writing each relationship in one line first.
3 days before. Sort every miss as a setup, arithmetic or misread error.
1 day before. Run one full sitting with work-style questions, then stop drilling.

What mistakes cost the most?

Wrong quantity. A correct total is wrong if the question asks per person.

Rescuing one question. On a shared clock, move on after a fair attempt.

Gaming the work-style screens. BCG says there is no right answer, so answer as you work and stay consistent.

Wrong test. Casey and the office tests above need different preparation.

What should I do the day before?

Re-read the invitation for the deadline and device rules.
Plan an uninterrupted block in a quiet place with a reliable connection.
Have a calculator ready.
Sleep instead of one more drill.

Questions people ask

How many questions are on the BCG CCA?

BCG does not publish a count. Candidates commonly report 8 numerical questions in 12 minutes plus longer work-style blocks, but that is a report, not a BCG figure.

Do I need to study for the BCG CCA?

BCG says there is no need to study or prepare in advance. Practice still helps you avoid losing minutes on an unfamiliar format.

Does BCG keep my CCA result if I apply again?

In some cases, yes. BCG's FAQ says a US applicant who completed the CCA within the past year does not retake it, and BCG's Empower page says a score from BCG Unlock stays on file for the fall MBA season. BCG's pages do not state a general 12 month rule for every office.

Is the BCG CCA a personality test?

Partly. BCG says it measures cognitive functioning and behavioral traits, so it has a logic portion and behavioral questions. BCG says there are no right or wrong answers to the behavioral part.

Does BCG use Pymetrics or a separate cognitive test?

It depends on the office. Its Switzerland page names a cognitive test and its UK page a numerical assessment. The pages we read did not name Pymetrics or a Potential Test, so follow your invitation.

Sources

Facts about the real test come from the pages below, opened on 11 Nov 2026. Anything labelled "Candidates report" is not a firm statement. Your invitation wins over anything here.

Independent practice with original questions. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Boston Consulting Group.