Got the KKR online test link? Try the tests below in the real format, the PI cognitive test at its real pace and PI's word lists, then read how the 12 minutes work, the scores KKR applicants have posted, how to prepare and what comes after it.
Key facts
- Test: The Predictive Index (PI) cognitive test: a short, timed reasoning test that KKR summer analyst applicants have named in the summer 2023 and 2024 cycles.9,11,12,2
- Questions and time: Up to 50 multiple-choice questions in 12 minutes, about 14 seconds a question. The test ends on its own when the time is up.2,4
- What it covers: Three kinds of reasoning: up to 16 verbal, 18 numerical and 16 abstract questions. The questions and their order change with every sitting.3,4
- Finishing: The test is built so that most people will not answer all 50 in 12 minutes. Only correct answers count toward your score.4,2
- Calculator: The test's instructions ban calculators. PI puts no limit on aids like scratch paper and leaves the rest to the employer, so follow what KKR's invite says and have paper and a pencil ready.4,5
- Time to set aside: PI's timed test is 12 minutes. A former KKR intern, in a September 2024 Fortune article, remembers the online test lasting nearly an hour, so block out an hour.2,1
- Scores posted: Self-estimates in KKR applicant threads ran from about 41 to 45 out of 50 in the summer 2024 and 2027 cycles. Across all test takers, a raw score of about 20 is average.9,10,8
- How it counts: KKR calls the test just one data point in a candidate's overall profile. In the summer 2024 cycle the link went out broadly, so expect one soon after you apply.1,9
In the summer 2023 cycle the test came first and applicants ranked their groups after it. In January 2026 (summer 2027), test and HireVue links came group by group, so read every email: you may get a link from each group you applied to.11,10
Try the tests
The Predictive Index's two assessments on the screens the app draws: the cognitive test at the real pace, then the behavioral word lists. Each one opens in its own window, with a report at the end.
Cognitive assessment
Numbers, words and shapes on one clock, five to a page. Only right answers count.
10 questions · 2:24
Behavioral assessment
Two lists of words: the ones that describe you, then the ones others expect of you. No right answers. A best guess for KKR's link.
2 word lists · untimed
What the KKR online assessment looks like
The invite
The test link comes soon after you apply, in the same weeks as the HireVue. In the summer 2024 cycle the link went out broadly; in January 2026 (summer 2027), Real Estate applicants got the HireVue and the assessment together.9,10,1
Before you press begin
The link opens with instructions on timing, format and navigation, and three sample questions. Take it on a computer or tablet, not a phone. Calculators are not allowed; PI does not restrict scratch paper, and the employer sets any other rules. Time-and-a-half (18 minutes) and double-time (24 minutes) versions exist if you need an accommodation.4,5
The 12 minutes
You get up to 50 questions, five to a page, and you can move between pages with the page buttons or Previous and Next. The time left shows at the top right. At 12 minutes the test closes, however many you have answered, and you cannot go back in.4,2
How it is scored
Your score is the number you get right, turned into a scaled score and compared with the target set for the job. Questions you skip or get wrong earn nothing, and the time limit is part of what the test measures. KKR treats the result as one data point among others.2,3,7,1
After the test
The HireVue follows, if it has not come already, then the group decides who to interview. In the summer 2023 cycle, one applicant was sent a sheet to rank their groups a couple of days after the test; in January 2024 (summer 2025), a Private Equity first round came two weeks after it.11,13,14
How to spend the 12 minutes
- 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 over the pages 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.
The test shows five questions a page, lets you move between pages and counts only correct answers, so a two-pass plan fits it. The split above is Intervyo's advice, not KKR's or PI's.4,2,8
Before you start the test
- A laptop or desktop on a steady connection. Not a phone.
- Scratch paper and a pencil on the desk, unless the invite says otherwise; no calculator, as the instructions require.
- A quiet room and 12 minutes with no interruptions, phone on silent.
- Read the instructions and do the three sample questions slowly: they do not count.
- Know your plan for a hard question before you begin: guess, mark it and move on.
- Practice timed sets of mixed questions for a week before, at about 14 seconds each.
- If you have an accommodation, ask KKR's recruiting team for the 18 or 24 minute version before you start.
The sections, one by one
The questions come from three areas, and the set and their order change with every sitting. Each area has a few familiar question types, and none needs job knowledge or finance.2,3,4,7,8
- Number series: Find the next number, or the missing one, in a sequence.
- Word problems: Short school-level math: percentages, averages, rates and ratios, done without a calculator.
- Number comparison: Pick the largest or smallest of a set of fractions, decimals and percentages.
- Formal logic: Given a few statements, decide whether a conclusion is true, false or cannot be told.
- Analogies and word meaning: Complete a word analogy, or find the word closest or opposite in meaning.
- Abstract reasoning: Spot the rule in a series of shapes, or the shape that does not belong.
Here is each part as it appears in Intervyo, on The Predictive Index's screens. The cognitive test puts five questions to a page under one 12-minute clock and has a right answer to every question; the behavioral survey is two lists of words with no clock and no right answers.4,6
1.Cognitive assessment12 minutes
Up to 50 multiple-choice questions on one 12-minute clock, five to a page. Numbers, words and shapes come mixed: number series, comparing values, short word problems, analogies, opposites, assumptions and conclusions, and figure patterns. You can move back and forth between pages, and the test closes on its own when the time is up.2,4,7
What it measures: How quickly you take in and reason through new information, across verbal, numerical and abstract questions.
How to answer it well
- 1Make a first pass at about 10 seconds a question, guess and move on from anything slower, then use Back for the ones you skipped.
- 2Keep fractions as fractions and use scratch paper: there is no calculator.
- 3Before the clock ends, give every question you have seen an answer. A blank scores the same as a wrong answer.
2.Behavioral assessmentUntimed, about 6 minutes
Two lists of adjectives. In the first you check the words that describe you; in the second, the words you think others expect of you. There is no clock, it takes about six minutes, and there are no right or wrong answers.6,12
What it measures: Four workplace drives: dominance, extraversion, patience and formality.
How to answer it well
- 1Check the words you would back with a real example, and skip any you do not know.
- 2Answer the second list as what others expect of you, not as a copy of the first.
- 3Take it in one sitting, and do not try to match a profile: PI reads it against the job, and there is no pass mark.
Best guessKKR's link may carry this survey as well as the cognitive test: a March 2022 (summer 2023) report describes a PI and cognitive assessment and lists a personality test too.
Question types and how to answer them
Number series"What comes next in the series 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ...?"8,2
- 1Write the gaps between the numbers under the series: 3, 5, 7, 9.
- 2If the gaps follow a pattern, extend it: the next gap is 11.
- 3If they do not, try ratios (each term times 2), alternating series, or squares and cubes.
- 4Add the next gap to the last term and check it against the choices.
Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's number series format, not a real PI item. If no rule shows within 20 seconds, guess and move on: only correct answers count.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
38. The gaps are 3, 5, 7 and 9, rising by 2, so the next gap is 11 and 27 + 11 = 38.
Word problems"A jacket costs $80. The price goes up 25%, then the new price is cut by 20%. What does it cost now?"8,4
- 1Turn each percentage into a multiplier: up 25% is times 1.25, down 20% is times 0.8.
- 2Multiply the multipliers before touching the price: 1.25 x 0.8 = 1.
- 3Apply the result to the starting number.
- 4Sense-check: a rise and a cut of different sizes rarely cancel, so do the step rather than guess.
Tip: An Intervyo example in PI's word problem format. No calculator is allowed, so keep a few multipliers in your head: 1.25 x 0.8 = 1, 1.5 x 0.6 = 0.9.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
$80. Up 25% takes it to $100, and 20% off $100 is $20, which brings it back to $80.
Formal logic"All analysts at a firm passed the test. Some people who passed the test work in Credit. Therefore, some analysts work in Credit. True, false or cannot be told?"8
- 1Read only what the statements say, and ignore what seems likely in real life.
- 2Draw two quick circles: analysts sit inside "passed the test"; Credit overlaps "passed the test" somewhere.
- 3Ask whether the overlap must include an analyst. If it could sit outside the analysts, the answer is cannot be told.
- 4Words like "some" and "all" decide these questions, so underline them in your head.
Tip: An Intervyo example in the formal logic format. These take longer than the word questions, so do not let one eat a minute.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
Cannot be told. The people in Credit who passed could all be non-analysts, so the statements do not force the conclusion.
Analogies and word meaning"Author is to book as composer is to: (a) orchestra (b) symphony (c) piano (d) concert"8,3
- 1Say the first pair's link in one sentence: an author writes a book.
- 2Apply the same sentence to the second pair and test each choice.
- 3Watch for choices that are only related (piano, orchestra) rather than the same link.
- 4If two choices fit, make the sentence more exact and try again.
Tip: An Intervyo example in the analogy format. Verbal questions are usually the quickest on the test, so bank time here for the logic and shape questions.
Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)
(b) symphony. An author writes a book; a composer writes a symphony. The piano and the orchestra play it, and a concert performs it.
More KKR online assessment questions
Numerical
Verbal
Practice for KKR with Intervyo
Start free to practice KKR questions and track when it opens. Go deeper on KKR with the pack, or cover every firm you apply to with the Season Pass.
Free
Try it and track KKR
$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
KKR Pack
Every KKR stage
$89one payment
Get the pack- 80 online assessment runs and 50 technical questions
- 50 KKR video interview questions, scored
- 12 live AI mock interviews
- 15 resume reviews and 45 cover letters
- The KKR process map and 10 research briefs
Premium, $149 adds the superday simulator.
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 test sits between your application and the live interviews, so the wait that matters is from the test and HireVue to a first-round invite. For the investing seats, that has been days to a couple of weeks in January and February.13,10,9
Feb 2022 (summer 2023)
All groups, US
The order described after a KKR summit: the PI test, ranking your groups, then a HireVue and a superday. One applicant got the ranking sheet a couple of days after the test; another felt they bombed it and was not offered an interview.11
Mar 2022 (summer 2023)
Generalist, New York
A PI and cognitive assessment after the resume, then a HireVue and Zoom interviews.12
Jan 2023 (summer 2024)
All groups, US
PI links went out broadly after applications opened. One estimated about 45 out of 50 without finishing every question; another about 41 or 42. A third saw no score breakdown after finishing.9
Jan 2024 (summer 2025)
Private Equity, New York
A skills assessment like an IQ test, then a first-round invite two weeks later.13
Jan 2025 (summer 2026)
Generalist, New York
First round after the HireVue and the IQ test.14
Jan 2026 (summer 2027)
Real Estate, Infrastructure, Credit
Links went out in the weeks after the Jan 2 posting. Each group's links came on its own day. One applicant estimated 44 or more out of 50.16,10
Each business runs its own timetable after the test, so you may hear from one group before another.10,9
Best guessIf two weeks pass after the test and HireVue with no news while others in your group have heard, send one short, polite note to the recruiting contact on your invite.
What happens after the online assessment
Online application
One posting per business on KKR's board. The summer 2027 roles went up on Jan 2, 2026.16,10
Online assessmentYou are here
This page. The PI Cognitive Assessment: up to 50 questions in 12 minutes.9,2
HireVue video interview
A short pre-recorded video interview, sent firm-wide in the summer 2024 cycle and by group in January 2026 (summer 2027).1,9,10
First-round interviews
A live Zoom with a member of the team, mostly behavioral, with basic accounting.13,14
Second round (some groups)
Another Zoom with the team, more technical: paper LBOs in Private Equity in January 2024 (summer 2025). Infrastructure and Asset-Based Finance ran second rounds for summer 2027.13,10
Superday
The final round: five or six interviews in the summer 2023 cycle. Across the process, candidates meet six to eight executives, including the managing director or partner of the team.11,1
Online test vs HireVue
Both come in the weeks after you apply, sometimes in the same email, but they test different things. The test is speed and reasoning; the HireVue is how you talk about yourself and KKR.
Format
Up to 50 multiple-choice questions, timed.2
A pre-recorded video interview.1
Time
Due within 3 days in a September 2025 Credit analyst invite.15
What it reads
Tell me about yourself, why KKR, and a time you faced difficulty.15
One or many
Links came group by group in January 2026 (summer 2027), with the HireVue.10
FAQ
What online assessment does KKR use?
The Predictive Index (PI) Cognitive Assessment, a 12-minute timed test of verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning. KKR summer analyst applicants named PI in the summer 2023 and 2024 cycles, and the scores out of 50 posted for summer 2027 fit the same test.9,11,10,2
How long is the KKR online test?
The timed part is 12 minutes for up to 50 questions, after untimed instructions and three sample questions. A former KKR intern, in a September 2024 Fortune article, remembers the online test lasting nearly an hour, so set aside an hour.2,4,1
Can I use a calculator on the PI test?
No. The test's instructions prohibit calculators. PI does not restrict scratch paper and leaves other aids to the employer, so follow KKR's invite and keep paper and a pencil ready.4,5
What score do you need on the KKR assessment?
Aim to answer as many correctly as you can. KKR calls the test one data point in your profile. Self-estimates in KKR applicant threads have run from about 41 to 45 out of 50, well above the average raw score of about 20.1,9,10,8
Do I have to finish all 50 questions?
No. Most people do not finish in 12 minutes, and that is part of the design. Only correct answers count, so answer every question you reach rather than leaving blanks.4,2,8
Do I take the test once for every group?
Watch for a link from each group. In the summer 2023 cycle the test came before you ranked your groups. In January 2026 (summer 2027), test and HireVue links went out group by group, and one applicant to three groups got links from all three. Read each email for what it asks you to do.11,10
Online assessment at other firms
Sources
Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 4, 2026.
- 1Fortune: How to get hired at KKR, the PE giant that accepts fewer than 1% of intern applicants (Sep 2024) · press
- 2The Predictive Index: Introduction to the PI Cognitive Assessment
- 3The Predictive Index: Cognitive Assessment scoring
- 4The Predictive Index: Administrator's Guide to the PI Cognitive Assessment (2018)
- 5The Predictive Index: Behavioral and Cognitive Assessment Accommodations
- 6The Predictive Index: How does The Predictive Index test work? (Feb 2020)
- 7The Predictive Index: Cognitive Assessment Test For Employment
- 8Psychometric Success: PI Cognitive Assessment - Examples and Tips 2026 · prep site
- 9Candidate discussion on a public forum: KKR SA 2024 (Jan 2023)
- 10Candidate discussion on a public forum: KKR SA 27 (Jan 2026)
- 11Candidate discussion on a public forum: KKR Summer Analyst application stages? (Feb 2022)
- 12Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Analyst interview, Generalist, New York (Mar 2022)
- 13Candidate report on a public forum: Summer Analyst interview, Private Equity, New York (Jan 2024)
- 14Candidate report on a public forum: Interview, Generalist, New York (Jan 2025)
- 15Candidate reports on a public forum: KKR interview questions, latest 10 reviews (Nov 2026)
- 16Candidate report on a public forum: KKR 2027 SA (Jan 2026)
Intervyo isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by KKR. Formats change between cycles and divisions, so always follow the instructions in your own invite.