Bain 2026 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
Bain 2026 Pattern Details
Overview
This page collects Bain placement papers from 2026 with practice questions, worked solutions, and the exam pattern students reported that cycle. Use it when you want drive history: what the first round looked like, which topics repeated, and how to approach solutions. Work the sets below under a timer, then compare with newer material so your prep matches both established Bain patterns and recent shifts.
Download / jump links
Bain 2026 coding
DSA practice aligned to Bain online assessments
Bain interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
Bain prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
Bain Aptitude Mock Quiz
Timed placement-style MCQs with score and explanations after you submit. Use it to check speed and accuracy before the real test.
Questions15
Time10 min
Quantitative
A can do a piece of work in 10 days and B in 15 days. Days to finish together:
1/10 + 1/15 = 1/6 → 6 days.
Verbal
Fill in: The news _____ shocking.
News is singular → is.
Quantitative
A and B can complete a work in 12 days, B and C in 15 days, C and A in 20 days. In how many days will A alone complete the work?
Let total work = LCM of 12, 15, 20 = 60 units A + B efficiency = 60/12 = 5 units/day B + C efficiency = 60/15 = 4 units/day C + A efficiency = 60/20 = 3 units/day Adding all: 2(A + B + C) = 5 + 4 + 3 = 12 units/day A + B + C = 6 units/day A's efficiency = (A +
Quantitative
Divide ₹720 in the ratio 2:3. The larger share is:
Larger = 3/5 × 720 = ₹432.
Reasoning
If every letter is shifted +2 in the alphabet, CODE becomes:
Each letter +2 → EQFG.
Quantitative
Find compound interest on ₹10,000 for 2 years at 10% per annum, compounded annually.
Amount = P(1 + R/100)^n Amount = 10000(1 + 10/100)^2 = 10000 × 1.1^2 = 10000 × 1.21 = ₹12,100 CI = Amount - Principal = 12100 - 10000 = ₹2,100
Verbal
Find antonym of "Temporary"
Correct answer: Permanent
Reasoning
Which comes next: 5, 10, 20, 40, ?
Each term doubles → 80.
Quantitative
A sum doubles in 5 years at simple interest. The rate of interest is:
For doubling, RT = 100 → R = 100/5 = 20%.
Verbal
Problem: Find the synonym of "ABUNDANT": a) Scarce b) Plentiful c) Limited d) Rare
Abundant means existing in large quantities, so "Plentiful" is the synonym.
Verbal
A shopkeeper sells an article at a profit of 20%. If he had bought it at 20% less and sold it for ₹5 less, he would have gained 25%. Find the cost price of the article.
Let CP = 100 SP = 120 (20% profit) New CP = 80 (20% less) New SP = 120 - 5 = 115 New Profit = 115 - 80 = 35 New Profit % = (35/80) × 100 = 43.75% But given new profit is 25%, so: Let actual CP = x Actual SP = 1.2x New CP = 0.8x New SP = 1.2x - 5 New Profit = (
Reasoning
Find the next number: 8, 6, 9, 7, 10, ?
−2,+3 alternating → 10-2=8 → 8.
Quantitative
Identify the error: "Neither of the students were present in the class."
Correct answer: "were" should be "was"
Reasoning
In each question a set of six statements is given. Identify the answer choice in which the statements are logically related. A: All green is blue B: All green is white C: All green is black D: All black is white E: All blue is yellow F: All blue is white
Correct answer: ABF
Reasoning
A walks 8 km north, then 15 km east. Distance from start is:
Right triangle → 17 km.
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Bain exam pattern 2026
| Section | What shows up | Prep focus |
|---|---|---|
| Aptitude / logical | Quant, reasoning, sometimes verbal | Timed sectional accuracy |
| Coding / programming logic | Easy-medium DSA or output-style MCQs | Handle tricky inputs |
| Technical interview | OOPs, DBMS, OS, projects | Explain aloud |
| HR | Fit, location, intent | A few real examples ready |
First round: Bain Online Test / SOVA variants
Skills emphasized: Case interviews, experience interview
Languages: N/A for AC; tech affiliates differ
Sample Bain questions with solutions
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for Bain drives around 2026. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Quantitative aptitude (2026)
Q1: Average after replace
Problem: The average of five numbers is 20. One number 30 is replaced by 10. What is the new average?
Solution: Old sum = 5 × 20 = 100. New sum = 100 − 30 + 10 = 80. New average = 80 / 5 = 16.
Answer: 16
Q2: Series n(n+1)
Problem: Find the next term: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
Solution: Pattern: 1×2, 2×3, 3×4, 4×5, 5×6, 6×7. Next = 6 × 7 = 42.
Answer: 42
Q3: Deck probability
Problem: What is the probability of drawing an ace from a standard 52-card deck?
Solution: There are 4 aces in 52 cards. Probability = 4/52 = 1/13.
Answer: 1/13
Q4: Net percent change
Problem: A number is increased by 20% and then decreased by 20%. What is the net percentage change?
Solution: Start with 100 → 120 → 96. Net change = 4% decrease. Formula: successive +a then −a gives −(a²/100)% = −4%.
Answer: 4% decrease
Q5: Consumption cut
Problem: If the price of an item rises by 25%, by what percent should consumption fall so that expenditure stays the same?
Solution: Required reduction = r/(100+r) × 100 with r = 25. = 25/125 × 100 = 20%.
Answer: 20%
Q6: Compound mark-discount
Problem: An article is marked 40% above cost and sold after a 10% discount. Find the profit percent.
Solution: SP = CP × 1.4 × 0.9 = 1.26 CP. Profit = 26%.
Answer: 26%
Q7: Loss to profit shift
Problem: An article sold at 10% loss would give 5% profit if sold for ₹60 more. Find the cost price.
Solution: 0.9P + 60 = 1.05P 60 = 0.15P P = 60 / 0.15 = ₹400.
Answer: ₹400
Q8: Worker scaling
Problem: Eight workers finish a job in 10 days. How many days will 10 workers take for the same job (same pace)?
Solution: Total man-days = 8 × 10 = 80. Days for 10 workers = 80 / 10 = 8 days.
Answer: 8 days
Logical reasoning (2026)
Q1: Odd one out
Problem: Find the odd one out: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
Solution: 3, 5, 7, and 11 are prime. 9 = 3×3 is composite, so it is the odd one out.
Answer: 9
Q2: Coding letter shift
Problem: If CAT is coded as DBU, how is DOG coded in the same way?
Solution: Each letter moves +1 in the alphabet: C→D, A→B, T→U. D→E, O→P, G→H → EPH.
Answer: EPH
Q3: Blood relation
Problem: Pointing to a photograph, Ravi says, ‘She is the daughter of my mother’s only son.’ How is the girl related to Ravi?
Solution: Ravi’s mother’s only son is Ravi himself (assuming one son). The girl is therefore Ravi’s daughter.
Answer: Daughter
Q4: Syllogism
Problem: Statements: All engineers are graduates. Some graduates are managers. Conclusion: Some engineers are managers. Does it follow?
Solution: The ‘some graduates’ who are managers need not overlap with the engineers. The conclusion does not follow necessarily.
Answer: Does not follow
Coding practice (2026)
Coding Q1: Check prime
Problem: Write a function that returns true if n is prime and false otherwise. Handle n < 2 correctly.
Approach: Return false for n < 2. Trial-divide from 2 to floor(sqrt(n)). If any divisor divides n evenly, it is composite; otherwise prime.
Complexity: O(√n) time
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q2: Valid parentheses
Problem: Given a string containing only ‘()[]’, decide whether the brackets are balanced and correctly nested.
Approach: Scan left to right with a stack. Push opening brackets. On a closing bracket, the stack top must be the matching opener. At the end the stack must be empty.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q3: Two Sum
Problem: Given an array of integers and a target, return indices of two numbers that add up to the target. Assume exactly one solution and you may not use the same element twice.
Approach: Walk the array once. For each value x, check whether target − x was seen earlier in a hash map of value → index. If yes, return both indices; else store x.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q4: Longest substring without repeating characters
Problem: Given a string s, find the length of the longest substring without repeating characters. Example: ‘abcabcbb’ → 3 (‘abc’).
Approach: Sliding window with a map (or last-seen index) of characters. Expand the right pointer; when a duplicate appears inside the window, move the left pointer past the previous occurrence.
Complexity: O(n) time
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q5: Merge overlapping intervals
Problem: Given a list of intervals [start, end], merge all overlapping intervals and return the non-overlapping set that covers the same ranges.
Approach: Sort by start time. Walk once, merging into the last interval in the result when the next start is ≤ current end; otherwise append a new interval.
Complexity: O(n log n) time from the sort
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q6: Top K frequent elements
Problem: Given an integer array and an integer k, return the k most frequent elements. Order among equals can be arbitrary unless the problem says otherwise.
Approach: Count frequencies with a hash map, then use a heap of size k (or bucket sort by frequency) to extract the top k keys.
Complexity: O(n log k) with a heap
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q7: Linked list cycle
Problem: Given the head of a linked list, return true if there is a cycle and false otherwise.
Approach: Floyd’s tortoise and hare: move one pointer one step and another two steps. If they meet, a cycle exists. If the fast pointer hits null, there is no cycle.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Coding Q8: Binary tree level order
Problem: Given the root of a binary tree, return the level-order traversal (breadth-first) as a list of levels.
Approach: Use a queue. For each level, drain the current queue size, collect values, and enqueue children for the next level.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(n) space
Bain tip: Restate the problem, sketch a brute-force idea, then tighten it. Call out edge cases (empty input, single element, overflow) before you write code.
Deep prep notes for Bain
How the Bain online test / sova variants usually feels
Students usually say the first round is time-tight - easy marks vanish if you sit too long on one hard question. For Bain, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: N/A for AC; tech affiliates differ.
Topic weight hints
| Area | Why it matters at Bain |
|---|---|
| Case interviews | What usually helps you clear the first round |
| Core CS (OOPs / DBMS / OS) | Technical interview depth |
| Management Consulting awareness | Helps in managerial / HR conversations |
| Communication | Explain your approach clearly; keep a few real examples ready for HR |
14-Day sprint
- Days 1-3: Learn the 2026 pattern and take two sectional mocks
- Days 4-7: Closed practice on weak topics from your error log
- Days 8-10: Full mocks every other day; review the same day
- Days 11-14: Practice explaining projects out loud, light revision, sleep and IDs ready
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