4 Bocconi Test Time Management Strategies You Should Use

Struggling with Bocconi Test time management? So is everyone else! With only 75 minutes to navigate 50 questions, managing your time effectively is just as important as understanding the material. The good news? Time management is a skill you can develop with practice and the right strategies.

In this guide, we’ll cover four proven time management strategies to help you tackle the Bocconi Test confidently and maximize your score. Let’s dive in!

1. Understand the Test Structure and Allocate Your Time Wisely

Before stepping into the test room, it’s crucial to understand the Bocconi Test structure. Knowing how much time you have will help you set a realistic pace and avoid spending too long on any single question.

How the Bocconi Test is Structured

The test consists of four main question types:

Critical Thinking: Requires you to analyze patterns, identify relationships, and determine if statements are true/false/not given based on passages.
Mathematics: Focuses on math skills like number properties, algebra, and geometry.
Numerical Reasoning: Evaluates your data interpretation (and math) skills.
Reading Comprehension: Tests your ability to understand and analyze written passages.

Each type is designed to challenge specific skills, and questions are often tricky or time-consuming. With 75 minutes to complete the test, you’ll need to balance speed with accuracy.

How to Allocate Your Time

You can only see the three questions on the screen at any one time and you can’t go back. Try to get math questions done in 1.5 minutes.
Spend a max of 2 minutes on reading comprehension questions because they count the same number of points as everything else, but can take considerably more time.
Don’t take more than 3 minutes on numerical questions. If you need to skip a question to manage your time, we recommend skipping one or two numerical questions.
Do critical reasoning questions in 1.5 minutes. It is certainly possible to get all of them correct.

These allocations are flexible, so adjust based on your strengths. For example, if you excel at math, you might spend less time on numerical reasoning and more on reading comprehension.

2. Use Process of Elimination (POE) for Bocconi Test time management.

Unlike some tests, the Bocconi Test penalizes incorrect answers, so random guessing isn’t a great idea. However, POE can still be helpful when you’re short on time or unsure about a question.

What is POE?

POE involves making getting rid of the wrong answers to help you get to the correct one, rather than picking an answer randomly. This approach minimizes the risk of penalties while increasing your chances of selecting the correct answer.

How to Use POE

Eliminate Wrong Answers: Start by crossing out any answer choices you know are incorrect.
Look for Clues: Pay attention to details in the question or passage that might point you toward the right answer.
Pick and Move On: If you’re still unsure after narrowing down the choices, pick the most logical option and move forward.

Don’t dwell on questions you’re guessing on. Spending too much time on a single question can hurt your performance on the rest of the test.

3. Practice Time-Bound Question Sets

One of the best ways to improve your time management skills is to practice under timed conditions. By simulating test-day pressures, you’ll learn how to pace yourself and stay focused during the exam.

Why Practice Matters for Bocconi Test Time Management

Practicing with a timer helps you:

Get used to the test’s time constraints.
Identify which types of questions slow you down.
Build confidence in managing the pressure of timed sections.

How to Practice Effectively

Set a Timer: Divide practice sessions into sections and set a timer for each one. For example, allocate 15 minutes for 10 critical thinking questions and aim to complete all questions within that time.
Track Your Progress: After each session, review how many questions you completed and how accurate your answers were.
Analyze Your Weaknesses: Focus on improving areas where you spent too much time or made errors.

4. Strategically Skip Questions

Since you can’t go back to skipped questions on the Bocconi Test, deciding whether to move on or stick with a tough one is a critical skill. The good news? Strategic skipping can save you time and help you focus on questions you’re more likely to answer correctly.

How to Strategically Skip Questions

Start by quickly assessing each question.
Give yourself about 30 seconds to see if you can eliminate a few wrong answers.
If it looks overly complicated or confusing at first glance, don’t get stuck overthinking.
Make a mental note to stay calm and move on to the next question. By skipping a challenging one early, you ensure you have enough time to tackle easier questions and rack up points.

The key is not to skip randomly. Skipping strategically keeps your momentum going and helps you avoid wasting time on one tricky question at the expense of others. Remember, each question you answer correctly boosts your score, so focus on maximizing points.

Should you skip questions early in the test or towards the end?

Ideally, your skips should be based on the question, not the part of the test, so they will be allocated throughout the test.

Remember…

The Bocconi Test is not in order of difficulty. Easy questions can come at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. You want to make it to the end of the test so that you see all of the questions.

But…

You don’t want to have regrets about questions you could have answered early in the test. The only way you will know which types of questions are achievable and not achievable for you are to do lots of practice.

Remember, no one is perfect on test day, and it’s normal to feel nervous. What matters is staying focused, sticking to your time management plan, and giving your best effort. With these strategies in hand, you’ll be ready to tackle the Bocconi Test and move one step closer to your academic goals.

Good luck—you’ve got this!

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