Bocconi's online test for international MSc and MA applicants contains 50 multiple-choice questions in verbal reasoning, data insight and quantitative reasoning. It lasts 75 minutes. Bocconi also accepts GMAT and GRE results for this admissions route. Applicants must select the correct graduate test and complete it before the relevant application deadline.
The decision behind the test
This cluster is specifically about international graduate admissions, not the undergraduate Bocconi test and not the separate Specialized Master test. The official graduate admissions overview says selection is based on test performance, GPA, dossier and motivation. Applicants can list up to five programmes, and the admission result depends on ranking, available places, programme choices and the applicant pool.
Current official position
The test has 24 verbal reasoning questions, 16 data insight questions and 10 quantitative reasoning questions. Correct answers receive one point, unanswered questions zero and wrong answers a penalty of minus 0.25 or minus 0.33 depending on the item. Applicants with a total below 15 out of 50 are not considered in the selection process; reaching 15 is not an admission guarantee.
Our recommended next steps
Confirm that you are applying as an international graduate candidate and that the chosen programmes accept this test. Compare the Bocconi test route with GMAT or GRE requirements and timing. Create the webtesting account, select the exact graduate test shown for your profile, book early and complete the test before the application round closes.
Mistakes we recommend avoiding
Using the bachelor structure or a Specialized Master simulator for an MSc/MA application can produce the wrong preparation and even the wrong purchased test. Bocconi warns that applications submitted with the wrong test will not be considered. Also avoid turning the 15-point floor into an expected admission cut-off; ranking uses more than one element.
What happens after the test?
The score report appears in the webtesting account approximately 48 hours after the test. Enter its ten-character reference number exactly in the online admission application. The final result follows the selection round and, if admitted, the applicant must complete the stated enrolment steps.
Compare the three accepted test routes on one calendar
Place the Bocconi graduate test, GMAT and GRE in three columns. For each option, note whether you already hold a valid result, the earliest realistic test date, the reporting time and the deadline of the application round. Add the MSc or MA programmes you intend to rank. This comparison makes a practical constraint visible: an assessment route is useful only when it is accepted for the selected programme and can be documented before the round closes.
Give the Bocconi route an earlier personal deadline than the official cut-off. The interval should cover the approximate 48-hour score-report delay, entering the ten-character reference and resolving a booking or portal problem. Check the live graduate-admissions page again before purchasing an attempt, because undergraduate and Specialized Master tests use different routes. Save the confirmation, score report and application acknowledgement together so the test choice can be traced through to submission.
First decide which graduate-test route belongs to you
The label “Bocconi test” is deceptively broad. Before opening a preparation book or paying for a session, write down the exact degree level and applicant category shown in your application. An international applicant to an MSc or MA programme needs the graduate route described here. Undergraduate selection and Specialized Master admissions have their own formats and should not be used as proxies. This single check protects the rest of the plan: the right simulator, the right deadline and the right score reference all depend on it.
The second route choice is between Bocconi’s own assessment and an accepted GMAT or GRE result. There is no universally best option. Compare what you already have, how much preparation time remains and when each result can be produced. A valid score that reaches the application on time is more useful than a theoretically stronger option whose reporting schedule misses the round. If you are considering several Bocconi programmes, verify that the same route applies to every choice rather than assuming one programme page settles the question for all five preferences.
How the 75 minutes are actually used
The published 50-question structure gives an average of 90 seconds per item, but the average is not a command. A short verbal claim may take much less time than a dense data-sufficiency problem. The useful skill is recognising the task family quickly enough to choose an appropriate method. The 24 verbal questions make evidence-based reading and argument analysis especially important. The 16 data-insight questions require disciplined interpretation of tables, charts and statements. The ten quantitative questions reward sound basic mathematics and analytical setup.
Because topics and difficulty are mixed, candidates cannot rely on settling into one subject for a long block. A graph may be followed by a passage and then a calculation. Preparation should therefore move from isolated methods to mixed sets. The objective is not frantic switching; it is a calm reset at the start of each item: identify the demand, select the method, estimate the time cost and then solve.
Negative marking changes the final decision but does not create a single guessing rule. A correct answer earns one point, an omission earns zero, and a wrong response can cost either 0.25 or 0.33 depending on the item. Read the displayed conditions. When you can eliminate alternatives or finish a nearly solved question, answering may be rational; when you have no evidence and the penalty is material, omission can protect the total. Practise that judgement with the actual penalty noted in your review log.
A realistic preparation sequence
Begin with Bocconi’s current sample or simulation. Take the first diagnostic slowly enough to observe your process. Record whether each error came from missing knowledge, misreading evidence, an unsuitable method, arithmetic, or time pressure. The categories matter because each one needs a different repair. More questions do not fix a repeated misunderstanding unless the underlying decision changes.
Next, build reliability by family. For verbal reasoning, point to the sentence or logical relationship that supports the answer. For numerical displays, state units and comparisons before calculating. For data sufficiency, decide what information would be enough and test each statement independently. For quantitative reasoning, set up relationships before reaching for arithmetic. Only after these routines work on fresh material should you shorten the time and mix the families.
A final phase should contain several uninterrupted 75-minute runs. Space them far enough apart to review properly. A simulation is valuable when it reveals where concentration declines, how often a difficult item traps you and whether your answer strategy responds to the penalty. It is not valuable merely because it produces a score that feels reassuring.
Reading the published minimum correctly
Bocconi states that a total below 15 out of 50 is not considered in selection. That is an eligibility floor, not a promise of admission and not a target that captures the competitiveness of a particular round. Graduate selection also considers GPA, dossier and motivation, while ranking is affected by programme preferences, capacity and the applicant pool. Treating 15 as a sufficient “pass mark” can distort both preparation and application strategy.
Build the rest of the dossier alongside the test. A strong assessment cannot repair a missing document, an inaccurate grade entry or generic motivation. Conversely, an applicant should not abandon a coherent programme choice because one practice score falls short early in preparation. Use diagnostics to allocate work, and use the official application criteria to balance effort across the complete file.
What happens next after the test?
The immediate next step is administrative. Around 48 hours after the session, the score report should appear in the webtesting account. Download it, verify that it belongs to the graduate assessment and store the original file. The ten-character reference number must then be entered exactly in the online admission application. Check for characters that can be confused and confirm that the portal has saved the entry.
If another attempt is permitted and time remains, use the section breakdown and counts of correct, wrong and unanswered items to decide whether a retake has a specific purpose. “Trying again” is not yet a plan. A worthwhile retake has a defined weakness, enough days to repair it and enough margin for the new report before the round deadline. The annual limit and spacing rules still apply.
After the application is complete, the test becomes one item in the selection file. Monitor the portal and email for the round decision. An offer may require acceptance, payments and official documents within separate windows. If several programme choices were listed, read the exact outcome rather than inferring it from the first programme named. Keep the test report until enrolment is complete, but shift attention promptly to the actions stated in Bocconi’s result message.
Relevant preparation
Preparation for Bocconi Master Programs
No specific offer is currently linked for this process. The overview shows all preparation options that are currently available.
Bocconi application guide
Read the application guide without presenting preparation for a different Bocconi test as a matching product.
Open application guideBocconi uses different admission-test formats. Before purchasing, check on the product page whether the material matches the test required for your chosen programme.
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