Bain Capital 2028 online assessment guide

For
2028 summer analysts
Sources
15 cited

Got the Bain Capital Predictive Index link? Try the tests below in the real format, PI's word lists and the cognitive test at its real pace, then read how the two parts arrive, how the 12 minutes work, how far applicants got and what comes after it.

The PI Behavioral Assessment's opening page in Intervyo: a short introduction to the two word lists, a note that there is no time limit and no right or wrong answers, and a purple button to begin.
Bain Capital's Predictive Index assessment opens with an untimed word-list survey; the 12-minute cognitive test follows by a separate email link.

Key facts

  • Test: Bain Capital's postings and recruiting FAQ name The Predictive Index (PI) and both of its assessments: the PI Behavioral Assessment and the PI Cognitive Assessment.1,2,3,4
  • Order: The behavioral part comes first, from the link on the posting. Once you finish it, PI emails you a separate link to the timed cognitive test.1,2,3
  • Behavioral part: Two questions, each followed by a list of adjectives to check. There is no clock and no right answer; most people take about six minutes. Bain Capital says it measures work and communication needs.1,9,15
  • Cognitive part: Up to 50 multiple-choice questions on verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning in one 12-minute clock, about 14 seconds a question. Bain Capital says it measures your capacity to learn, adapt and grasp new concepts.1,5,6
  • Time to set aside: Bain Capital asks you to set aside 15 to 20 undisturbed minutes for both parts; its summer 2027 postings call it about 20 minutes.1,2,3
  • When it counts: Bain Capital will not consider your application until the Workday form and both Predictive Index assessments are complete, so finish them the day you apply.1,4
  • Finishing: The cognitive test is built so that most people run out of time before question 50. In January 2026 (summer 2027), applicants reached about question 40 to 49. Only correct answers count.8,5,12,6
  • Taken it already?: If you took the assessments through Investors of Tomorrow, the summer 2027 PiPE posting needed nothing more from you. The Nov to Dec 2026 Investors of Tomorrow posting (summer 2028) carries its own PI link.2,1

Bain Capital's summer 2027 PiPE and Credit postings, its Investors of Tomorrow posting and its North America Private Equity full-time FAQ all name the same two parts, so expect the same assessment whichever track you apply to. The posting links PI's official practice questions, which do not count toward your result.2,3,1,4,5

Try the tests

Bain Capital online assessment0 of 2 demo parts done

The Predictive Index's two assessments on the screens the app draws, in the order Bain Capital sends them: the behavioral word lists, then the cognitive test at the real pace. Each one opens in its own window, with a report at the end.

Behavioral assessment

Two lists of words. Check the words that describe you as you are, then the words you believe others expect of you. No right or wrong answers.

2 word lists · untimed

Cognitive assessment

Numbers, words and figures on one clock, five to a page. A blank and a wrong answer score the same.

10 questions · 2:24

What the Bain Capital online assessment looks like

  1. The first link, on the posting

    Each Bain Capital posting asks for two things: the Workday application and a brief online assessment with The Predictive Index. The posting links the first part, the behavioral assessment, so you can start it as soon as you apply.1,2

  2. The behavioral part

    Two questions, each followed by a list of adjectives: one asks which words describe how others expect you to act, the other which words really describe you. There is no clock and no right answer, and it takes most people about six minutes.9,1,15

  3. The second link, by email

    Once the behavioral part is done, PI emails you a separate link to the timed cognitive test, a different link from the one on the posting. Check your spam folder if it does not arrive, and write to the recruiting contact on the posting if it still does not come.1,2,3,4

  4. Before the clock starts

    The link opens with instructions on timing, format and navigation, and three sample questions that do not count. Take it on a computer or a larger tablet. PI's practice instructions ask for one sitting and no browser back button; treat the real test the same way. Calculators are not allowed; PI leaves aids like scratch paper to the employer. Extended-time versions of 18 and 24 minutes exist for approved accommodations.8,5,10,6

  5. The 12 minutes

    Up to 50 multiple-choice questions, a few to a page, mixing verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. Move between pages with Previous and Next and change any answer until time runs out; the time left shows at the top right. Most people do not reach the end, and that is by design.6,8,5

  6. How it is scored and what comes next

    Your score is the number you get right, turned into a scaled score between 100 and 450, where 250 is the average across the general population. Bain Capital looks at the application only once both parts are in. Those picked get a short HR call, then a case, then a superday.6,7,1,13,14

How to spend the 15 to 20 minutes

Behavioral word lists About 6 min
Two lists of adjectives, no clock. Answer at a steady pace and do not overthink single words.
The second link A few minutes
PI emails the cognitive link once the behavioral part is done. Have your desk ready before you open it.
Instructions and samples Untimed
Read how the pages and timer work and try the three sample questions. The clock has not started.
First pass About 8 min
Go through in order and answer what you can in about 10 seconds. Guess and move on from anything slower.
Second pass About 3 min
Go back to the questions you guessed or skipped, quickest types first.
Last minute 1 min
Make sure every question you have seen has an answer: a blank earns nothing.

Bain Capital sets the order and the 15 to 20 minutes; PI sets the untimed samples, the page navigation and the right-answers-only scoring. The split above is Intervyo's advice, not Bain Capital's or PI's.1,8,6,5

Before you start the assessment

  • A laptop or desktop on a steady connection, with 15 to 20 minutes you will not be interrupted.
  • Do the behavioral part from the posting link straight after you submit the Workday form.
  • Watch your inbox, and your spam folder, for PI's second link to the cognitive test.
  • Scratch paper and a pencil on the desk unless the invite says otherwise; no calculator.
  • Try PI's official practice questions, linked from the posting, at least once under their timer.
  • Read the instructions and do the three sample questions slowly: the clock has not started.
  • Keep the tab open and do not use the browser's back button once you begin.
  • If you have an accommodation, ask Bain Capital's recruiting contact for the 18 or 24 minute version before you start.

The sections, one by one

The cognitive test draws from three areas, verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, and the set changes with every sitting. Each area has a few familiar question types, and none needs finance or job knowledge.6,7,5,11

  • Number series: Find the next or the missing number in a sequence.
  • Number comparison: Pick the highest or lowest of a set of fractions, decimals, percentages and short sums.
  • Word problems: Short math on percentages, fractions and totals, done without a calculator.
  • Assumptions and conclusions: Given a few statements, decide whether a conclusion is correct, incorrect or cannot be determined.
  • Analogies and opposites: Complete a word analogy, or find the word closest or opposite in meaning.
  • Figure series and odd one out: Find the next shape in a series, the shape that completes an analogy, or the one that does not belong.

Here are the two parts in the order Bain Capital sends them, as they appear in Intervyo on The Predictive Index's screens. The behavioral survey is two word lists with no clock and no right answers; the cognitive test is one 12-minute clock with a right answer to every question.1,9,8,15

1.Behavioral assessmentUntimed, about 6 minutes

The PI Behavioral Assessment in Intervyo: a question asking which words describe you, a long list of adjectives in three columns with purple checkboxes, some of them checked, and Continue at the foot.

Two questions, each with a long list of adjectives. One list asks which words describe how others expect you to act; the other, which words really describe you. Check as many or as few as fit. There is no clock, it takes most people about six minutes, and there are no right or wrong answers.1,9,15

What it measures: Bain Capital says it measures work and communication needs. PI reads your choices on its four core drives, dominance, extraversion, patience and formality, with objectivity as a secondary factor.

How to answer it well

  1. 1Check the words you could back with a real example from school, work or a team, and skip any word you do not know.
  2. 2Read each question's wording before you start checking: the two lists ask different things, so they should not be copies.
  3. 3Do not try to match a profile you think Bain Capital wants: there is no pass mark, and an honest, consistent answer reads best.

2.Cognitive assessment12 minutes

The PI Cognitive Assessment in Intervyo part-way through: several questions under lavender Question bands mixing numbers, words and figures, some answered, the time remaining at the top right and Back and Next at the foot.

Up to 50 multiple-choice questions on one 12-minute clock, a few to a page. Number series, comparing values, short word problems, analogies, opposites, assumptions and conclusions, and figure patterns come mixed. You can move back and forth between pages and change answers, and the test closes on its own when the time is up.1,6,8,5

What it measures: Bain Capital says it measures your capacity to learn, adapt and grasp new concepts: how quickly and accurately you reason through new information.

How to answer it well

  1. 1Take a first pass at about 10 seconds a question; guess and move on from anything slower, then come back with Previous.
  2. 2Work fractions and percentages on scratch paper if your invite allows it: there is no calculator.
  3. 3In the last minute, put an answer on every question you have seen. A blank scores the same as a wrong answer.

Question types and how to answer them

Number comparison"Which of these has the highest value: 5/8, 0.6, 62% or 3/5?"5,11
  1. 1Turn every choice into the same form; decimals are usually quickest.
  2. 2Learn the common fractions by heart: 1/8 = 0.125, so 5/8 = 0.625.
  3. 3Line the decimals up to three places and compare from the left.
  4. 4Watch for two choices that are the same number written two ways.

Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's number comparison format, not a real PI item. 0.6 and 3/5 are equal, so neither can be the only answer for highest or lowest.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

5/8. It is 0.625, against 0.6, 0.62 and 0.6.

Word problems"A printer makes 45 pages in 3 minutes. At the same rate, how many minutes does it take to print 120 pages?"11,8
  1. 1Find the rate for one unit first: 45 pages in 3 minutes is 15 pages a minute.
  2. 2Divide the target by the rate: 120 / 15.
  3. 3Check the answer is sensible: more pages should take longer than 3 minutes.
  4. 4If the numbers are awkward, scale both sides instead: 45 pages in 3, so 120 pages in 3 x 120 / 45.

Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's word problem format, not a real PI item. Without a calculator, reduce to one unit first: it keeps the arithmetic small.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

8 minutes. The printer makes 15 pages a minute, and 120 / 15 = 8.

Assumptions and conclusions"Assumptions: No interns work weekends. Some analysts work weekends. Conclusion: Some analysts are not interns. If the assumptions are true, is the conclusion correct, incorrect, or cannot be determined?"5,11
  1. 1Use only the statements given, not what seems likely at a real firm.
  2. 2Find the people the conclusion is about: the analysts who work weekends.
  3. 3Ask whether any of them could be an intern. The first statement says no intern works weekends.
  4. 4If the statements force the conclusion, it is correct; if they leave it open, it cannot be determined.

Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's assumptions format, not a real PI item. "Some" and "no" decide these, so find them before you read the rest.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Correct. The analysts who work weekends cannot be interns, because no intern works weekends, so at least some analysts are not interns.

Analogies and opposites"Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to "frugal"? (a) careful (b) lavish (c) poor (d) modest"11,6
  1. 1Say what the word means in a few words: frugal means sparing with money.
  2. 2Say the opposite in your own words before looking at the choices: spending freely.
  3. 3Rule out words that are only related (poor) or close in meaning (careful, modest).
  4. 4If you do not know the word, guess and move on: these should take under 10 seconds.

Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's opposites format, not a real PI item. When you know the word, an opposite takes seconds, so bank time here for the logic and figure questions.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

(b) lavish. Frugal means spending little; lavish means spending freely.

Number series"What comes next in the series 64, 32, 36, 18, 22, ...?"11,7
  1. 1Write the step between each pair: halve, add 4, halve, add 4.
  2. 2When the steps change, look for two rules taking turns.
  3. 3Apply the next rule in the cycle to the last number.
  4. 4Check the answer is among the choices; if not, try a different pair of rules.

Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's number series format, not a real PI item. If no rule shows in about 15 seconds, guess and move on: only correct answers count.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

11. The rules take turns, halve then add 4, and the next step is to halve 22.

More Bain Capital online assessment questions

Numerical

  • “Which number has the lowest value: 1/6, 1/3 - 1/6, 2/3 - 1/7 or 1/3 - 1/4?”5

    One of PI's own sample questions

  • “Find the missing number in a sequence.”11,6

    The number series type; wording ours

  • “A short rate, ratio or percentage problem, without a calculator.”11,8

    The word problem type; wording ours

Verbal

  • “All A items are green. Some B items are the same color as A items. Green items are not for commercial use. If these are true, is "Some B items are not for commercial use" correct, incorrect or cannot be determined?”5

    One of PI's own sample questions

  • “Which word is closest, or opposite, in meaning to the one given?”11

    Synonyms and antonyms; wording ours

  • “Complete a word analogy.”11

    Wording ours

Abstract

  • “Which of the figures comes next in the sequence?”5

    PI's own sample question type

  • “Which image does not share the features of the others?”11

    The odd-one-out type; wording ours

Practice for Bain Capital with Intervyo

Start free to practice Bain Capital questions and track when it opens. Go deeper on Bain Capital with the pack, or cover every firm you apply to with the Season Pass.

Free

Try it and track Bain Capital

$0no card

Sign up free
  • An online assessment in the real format
  • 2 HireVue-style questions, scored
  • A resume review and a cover letter
  • The tracker, with alerts for 5 companies

Season Pass

Save 63%

Every company you apply to

$16.58a month

Get the Season Pass
  • 150 online assessment runs a month
  • 130 HireVue-style questions a month, every company
  • 20 live AI mock interviews a month
  • 5 superday simulations a month
  • 30 resume reviews and 90 cover letters a month

$199 a year, or $44.99 monthly. Cancel any time.

How long to hear back after the online assessment

The assessment is part of the application, so the wait that matters is from finishing it to an HR call. For summer 2027 the tests were done in early January 2026, and first rounds came in the weeks after.1,12,13

  1. Jan 2026 (summer 2027)

    Summer analyst, US Northeast

    The thread opened on Jan 5 with the test already done: the opener reached about question 43 when the 12 minutes ran out.12

  2. Jan 2026 (summer 2027)

    Summer analyst, US

    Another applicant reached question 49 before running short, and said most others they knew ran short too.12

  3. Jan 2026 (summer 2027)

    Generalist, Boston

    A 15-minute HR call, then a first-round case with an analyst or associate, then a superday of three back-to-back interviews, in under a month.13

  4. Jan 2026 (summer 2027)

    Private Equity (NAPE), US

    One applicant who got through about 40 questions, not all right, got a NAPE first round. Some Investors of Tomorrow attendees got first rounds too.12

  5. Feb 2025 (summer 2026)

    Private Equity, San Francisco

    An HR round that was entirely behavioral, a case with an analyst on investing, then a superday of three more cases; one to two months in all.14

Finishing is not the bar: in the summer 2027 cycle a NAPE first round came after about 40 questions.12

Best guessIf you finished both parts in the first week of January and hear nothing by early February while others at your school have first rounds, the cycle has most likely moved on for that track.

What happens after the online assessment

  1. Online application (Workday)

    One posting per track for current sophomores. For summer 2027, applicants were through the application and the test in the first days of January 2026.2,3,12

  2. Predictive Index assessmentYou are here

    This page. An untimed behavioral part, then a 12-minute cognitive test by separate email, both done before Bain Capital considers the application.1,2,3

  3. HR screen and first-round case

    A short HR call on why Bain Capital and your story, then a consulting-style case with an analyst or associate.13,14

  4. Superday

    Three back-to-back interviews, mostly cases testing business and investing intuition.13,14

Behavioral vs cognitive

Bain Capital sends both, one after the other, and considers your application only once both are in. They read very different things.

Format

PI Behavioral Assessment

Two questions, each with a list of adjectives to check.9

PI Cognitive Assessment

Up to 50 multiple-choice questions, a few to a page.6,8

Time

PI Behavioral Assessment

Untimed; about six minutes for most people.1,9

PI Cognitive Assessment

One 12-minute clock; most people do not finish.1,8

How it arrives

PI Behavioral Assessment

The link on the Bain Capital posting.1,2

PI Cognitive Assessment

A separate email from PI once the behavioral part is done.1,3

What Bain Capital says it reads

PI Behavioral Assessment

Work and communication needs.1

PI Cognitive Assessment

Capacity to learn, adapt and grasp new concepts.1

Right answers

PI Behavioral Assessment

None: PI reads your choices on its behavioral factors.9,15

PI Cognitive Assessment

Every question has one; only correct answers count.6

How to prepare

PI Behavioral Assessment

Answer honestly and consistently; there is nothing to drill.9,15

PI Cognitive Assessment

Timed mixed sets without a calculator, and PI's official practice questions.5,1

2028 summer analyst status

For summer 2027, applicants had taken the test in the first days of January 2026. Investors of Tomorrow, with its own Predictive Index link for 2028 summer analysts, is set for Nov 19 and Dec 2, 2026, so expect the summer 2028 postings and test links in early January 2027.12,1

FAQ

What online assessment does Bain Capital use?

The Predictive Index. Bain Capital's postings name two parts: an untimed PI Behavioral Assessment, then a timed 12-minute PI Cognitive Assessment that PI sends by separate email once the first part is done.1,2,3,4

How long is the Bain Capital Predictive Index test?

Bain Capital asks you to set aside 15 to 20 undisturbed minutes for both parts. The behavioral part has no clock and takes most people about six minutes; the cognitive part is 12 minutes for up to 50 questions, after untimed instructions and three sample questions.1,9,5,8

I finished the behavioral part. Where is the cognitive test?

PI emails it to you as a separate link once the behavioral part is done, and it is a different link from the one on the posting. Check your spam folder, and if it still has not come, write to the recruiting contact named on the posting.1,4

Can I use a calculator on the Bain Capital PI test?

No. PI's instructions for the cognitive test prohibit calculators. PI leaves aids like scratch paper to the employer, so follow what Bain Capital's invite says and keep paper and a pencil ready.8,10

Do I need to finish all 50 questions?

No. Most people do not finish in 12 minutes, by design, and only correct answers count. In January 2026 (summer 2027), applicants reached about question 40 to 49, and one who reached about 40 still got a first round.8,6,12

Is there a right answer on the behavioral assessment?

No. It is two lists of adjectives with no right or wrong answers, read on PI's behavioral factors. Bain Capital says it measures work and communication needs.9,15,1

I took the test for Investors of Tomorrow. Do I take it again?

The summer 2027 PiPE posting said applicants who had already completed the Predictive Index assessments through Investors of Tomorrow needed to take no further action. Read your summer 2028 posting for the same line.2

How do I prepare for the Bain Capital PI test?

Try PI's official practice questions, which Bain Capital links from its posting: 20 questions in 4 minutes 48 seconds, the same pace as the real test. Then practice timed, mixed sets of number series, comparisons, word problems, assumptions, analogies and figure patterns without a calculator.1,5,11

Online assessment at other firms

Sources

Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 11, 2026.

  1. 1Bain Capital (Workday posting): Bain Capital Investors of Tomorrow - November/December 2026
  2. 2Bain Capital (posting on Built In Boston): 2027 Summer Analyst, Path into Private Equity
  3. 3Bain Capital (posting on Built In Boston): 2027 Credit Summer Analyst
  4. 4Bain Capital (hosted by the Caltech Student Investment Fund): 2026 NAPE Full-time Analyst-Associate Program, with FAQs and interview prep resources (PDF)
  5. 5The Predictive Index: PI Cognitive Assessment Sample Questions
  6. 6The Predictive Index: Introduction to the PI Cognitive Assessment
  7. 7The Predictive Index: Cognitive Assessment scoring
  8. 8The Predictive Index: Administrator's Guide to the PI Cognitive Assessment (2018)
  9. 9The Predictive Index: Introduction to the PI Behavioral Assessment
  10. 10The Predictive Index: Behavioral and Cognitive Assessment Accommodations
  11. 11Psychometric Success: PI Cognitive Assessment - Examples and Tips 2026 · prep site
  12. 12Candidate discussion on a public forum: Bain Capital SA 27 (thread from Jan 5, 2026)
  13. 13Candidate report on a public forum: Intern interview, Generalist, Boston (Jan 2026)
  14. 14Candidate report on a public forum: Intern - Summer Analyst interview, Private Equity, San Francisco (Feb 2025)
  15. 15The Predictive Index: Behavioral Assessment

Intervyo isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Bain Capital. Formats change between cycles and divisions, so always follow the instructions in your own invite.