BCG 2024 aptitude
Quantitative, reasoning, and verbal drills with solutions
BCG Placement Papers 2024
Overview
This page collects BCG placement papers from 2024 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 BCG patterns and recent shifts.
Download / jump links
BCG 2024 coding
DSA practice aligned to BCG online assessments
BCG interview experience
Round structure and tips from student reports
BCG prep guide
Study plan and weekly schedule
BCG 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
Verbal
Problem: Choose the synonym for "Ephemeral": a) Eternal b) Transient c) Permanent d) Perpetual
"Ephemeral" means lasting for a very short time, temporary. "Transient" has the same meaning.
Quantitative
The square of 0.4 is:
0.4 × 0.4 = 0.16.
Verbal
Choose the correct preposition: The meeting will be held _____ 3 PM.
Correct answer: at
Reasoning
Statements: All cats are dogs. Some dogs are birds. Conclusions: I. Some cats are birds. II. All birds are cats.
Analyzing the statements: - All cats are dogs (A → B) - Some dogs are birds (B → C, some) Conclusion I: Some cats are birds - Since all cats are dogs, and some dogs are birds, we can say some cats are birds. Valid Conclusion II: All birds are cats - This canno
Quantitative
Find the remainder when 2^31 is divided by 5.
Pattern of 2^n mod 5: 2^1=2, 2^2=4, 2^3=3, 2^4=1, 2^5=2 (cycle repeats every 4) 31 mod 4 = 3 So 2^31 mod 5 = 2^3 mod 5 = 3
Reasoning
Arrange the words: 1. Elephant 2. Cat 3. Dog 4. Ant
Correct answer: 4, 2, 3, 1
Quantitative
If a number is increased by 20% and then decreased by 15%, what is the net change?
Correct answer: +2% increase
Quantitative
The average of 5 numbers is 42. If one number 32 is removed, the new average is:
Sum = 210. New sum = 178. Average = 178/4 = 44.5.
Verbal
Choose the correct form: "If I _____ rich, I would travel the world."
Second conditional uses "were" for all subjects (subjunctive mood).
Reasoning
Statements: All dogs are animals. Some animals are pets. Conclusion: Some dogs are pets.
No definite relation that dogs are pets.
Verbal
Antonym of "Artificial":
Artificial ↔ natural.
Reasoning
Odd one out: Square, Circle, Triangle, Cube
Cube is 3D; others are 2D shapes.
Quantitative
Pointing to a man, a woman said, "His mother is the only daughter of my mother." How is the woman related to the man?
Let's break down the statement: - "His mother" = the man's mother - "only daughter of my mother" = the woman herself (since she's the only daughter) So: The man's mother = the woman Therefore, the woman is the mother of the man.
Quantitative
CP = ₹800, SP = ₹920. Profit %:
Profit 120 on 800 = 15%.
Reasoning
In a row of 40 students, A is 11th from left. Rank from right is:
From right = 40 − 11 + 1 = 30.
Your score
0/15(0%)
Review
BCG exam pattern 2024
| 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: BCG Online Case / Pymetrics variants
Skills emphasized: Case interviews, online screening
Languages: N/A for associate; tech/BCG X differs
Sample BCG questions with solutions
These are practice-style questions aligned to patterns students report for BCG drives around 2024. They are not leaked live papers. Work them timed, then read the solutions only after you have an answer.
Quantitative aptitude (2024)
Q1: CI vs SI hint
Problem: Find compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% per annum for 2 years, compounded annually.
Solution: Amount = 10000 × (1.1)² = 10000 × 1.21 = ₹12,100. CI = 12100 − 10000 = ₹2100. (SI for same period would be ₹2000; the extra ₹100 is interest on first-year interest.)
Answer: ₹2100
Q2: Clock angle
Problem: What is the angle between the hour and minute hands at 3:00?
Solution: At 3:00 the hands are exactly 90° apart (one quarter of the circle).
Answer: 90°
Q3: Permutation basic
Problem: In how many ways can 5 different books be arranged on a shelf?
Solution: Arrangements of 5 distinct items = 5! = 120.
Answer: 120
Q4: Consecutive integers
Problem: If the sum of three consecutive integers is 72, what is the smallest of these integers?
Solution: Let the integers be x, x+1, and x+2.
x + (x+1) + (x+2) = 72 3x + 3 = 72 3x = 69 x = 23
So the integers are 23, 24, and 25.
Answer: 23
Q5: Train and pole
Problem: A train 150 meters long passes a pole in 15 seconds. What is its speed in km/h?
Solution: Distance = 150 m = 0.15 km. Time = 15 s = 15/3600 h = 1/240 h. Speed = 0.15 ÷ (1/240) = 0.15 × 240 = 36 km/h.
Faster check: 150/15 = 10 m/s → 10 × 18/5 = 36 km/h.
Answer: 36 km/h
Q6: Profit on a pen
Problem: If the cost price of a pen is ₹40 and it is sold at a 25% profit, what is the selling price?
Solution: Profit = 25% of 40 = ₹10. Selling price = 40 + 10 = ₹50.
Or SP = CP × 1.25 = 40 × 1.25 = ₹50.
Answer: ₹50
Q7: A and B together
Problem: A can finish a job in 10 days and B in 20 days. How long will they take working together?
Solution: A’s one-day work = 1/10. B’s one-day work = 1/20. Together = 1/10 + 1/20 = 3/20 per day. Time = 20/3 ≈ 6.67 days (6 days 16 hours).
Answer: 20/3 days
Q8: Sum of naturals
Problem: What is the sum of the first 50 natural numbers?
Solution: Sum of first n naturals = n(n+1)/2. For n = 50: 50 × 51 / 2 = 1275.
Answer: 1275
Logical reasoning (2024)
Q1: Analogy
Problem: Book is to Reading as Fork is to ?
Solution: A book is used for reading; a fork is used for eating.
Answer: Eating
Q2: 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
Q3: 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
Q4: 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
Coding practice (2024)
Coding Q1: Binary search
Problem: Given a sorted array of distinct integers and a target, return the index of target or -1 if missing.
Approach: Maintain lo/hi. Compare mid with target and shrink the half that cannot contain it. Careful with overflow-free mid and empty arrays.
Complexity: O(log n) time
BCG 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: Move zeros
Problem: Move all zeros in an array to the end while keeping the relative order of non-zero elements.
Approach: Two pointers: write non-zeros toward the front, then fill the remainder with zeros. Or swap zeros as you scan.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space
BCG 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: Rotate array
Problem: Rotate an array to the right by k steps. Example: [1,2,3,4,5,6,7], k = 3 → [5,6,7,1,2,3,4].
Approach: Normalize k %= n. Reverse the whole array, reverse the first k elements, then reverse the rest. That yields the rotation in place.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) space
BCG 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: First unique character
Problem: Find the first non-repeating character in a string and return its index, or -1 if none exists.
Approach: Count frequencies in one pass (hash map or array of 26 for lowercase). Second pass returns the first index with count 1.
Complexity: O(n) time
BCG 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: Stack with min
Problem: Design a stack that supports push, pop, top, and getMin in average O(1) time.
Approach: Keep a parallel min-stack (or store pairs). When pushing, also push the new minimum. When popping, pop both stacks.
Complexity: O(1) per operation amortized
BCG 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: Maximum subarray sum (Kadane)
Problem: Given an integer array, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum and return that sum. Example: [-2,1,-3,4,-1,2,1,-5,4] → 6 (from [4,-1,2,1]).
Approach: Keep a running sum. If the running sum drops below 0, reset it to 0 before taking the next element (or track the best ending-here value). Track the global maximum as you scan once from left to right.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) extra space
BCG 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: Reverse a string in place
Problem: Given a mutable character array representing a string, reverse it in place without allocating another array of the same size.
Approach: Use two pointers at the start and end. Swap characters, then move inward until the pointers meet. Watch empty and single-character inputs.
Complexity: O(n) time, O(1) extra space
BCG 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: 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
BCG 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 BCG
How the BCG online case / pymetrics 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 BCG, skim the paper in a couple of minutes, mark what you can finish cleanly, and protect accuracy. Languages people commonly use: N/A for associate; tech/BCG X differs.
Topic weight hints
| Area | Why it matters at BCG |
|---|---|
| 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 2024 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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