All the analysts in an office speak English. Some of the analysts speak German. Nobody who speaks German works on Fridays. Which of the following must be true?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
Critical Thinking has 9 of the 50 questions. Bocconi defines two types: data and statements, where you decide which statements are true or false using only the data provided; and passage and assertion, where you decide whether an assertion is true, false or cannot be deduced from a short persuasive text.
The passage-and-assertion items have only three options, so a wrong answer costs −0.33 instead of −0.2. The Law version replaces this area with 18 Logic & Critical Thinking and 10 Verbal Reasoning questions.
Question distribution analysis
Bocconi Critical Thinking Topics: Frequency
Which topics demand your deepest attention? Below is the topic breakdown from our Bocconi question data:
| Topic | Items | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Necessarily True / False | 8 | 31% | |
| Quantifiers, Conditionals & Connectives | 7 | 27% | |
| Supported or Contradicted Claims | 5 | 19% | |
| Attribute & Relationship Grids | 2 | 8% | |
| Not Deducible | 2 | 8% | |
| Ordering & Scheduling Puzzles | 1 | 4% | |
| Assumptions & Conclusions | 1 | 4% |
*Share of 26 Bocconi Critical Thinking past-exam questions in the PrepTest question bank, tagged by question type. Bocconi does not publish past papers or an official topic split. These figures are derived from the past-exam question samples that have reached us; the samples may be incomplete or contain errors, and the topic mix can change from one exam session to the next. Treat them as a guide to priorities, not a prediction of your exam.
Key Takeaways
- Necessarily true / false items are the most frequent type in our bank: only what must follow from the data counts.
- Quantifiers and conditionals — all, some, none, if…then — underlie most data-and-statement questions.
- Passage-and-assertion items (supported, contradicted, not deducible) make up about a third; ‘cannot be deduced’ is the most under-chosen answer.
- Ordering and grid puzzles appear less often but take the most time — practise a fast table set-up.
Difficulty analysis
Topic Difficulty & Recommended Study Allocation
Not all topics require the same time investment. Some need extensive problem-solving practice, others rely on precise conceptual recall:
Hard
Not Deducible vs False 1 weekHard
Ordering & Grid Puzzles 1 weekMedium
Necessarily True / False 1 weekMedium
Assumptions & Conclusions 4–5 daysEasy
Quantifiers & Conditionals 4–5 daysNot Sure Where to Begin Your Preparation?
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Take Diagnostic TestOfficial syllabus breakdown
Bocconi Critical Thinking Topics: How Each Is Tested
A topic-by-topic look at the Critical Thinking section of the official Online Bocconi Test outline:
01
Quantifiers, Conditionals & Connectives Easy
- All, some, none; negating quantified statements.
- If… then, only if, unless; necessary vs sufficient conditions.
- And, or and their negations.
How it appears on Bocconi: The building blocks of almost every item. ‘Only if’ and ‘unless’ are where most readers flip the direction.
02
Data & Statements (Necessarily True / False) Medium
- Deciding what must be true, could be true, or must be false.
- Using only the data given — never outside knowledge.
- Chains of conditions and their contrapositives.
How it appears on Bocconi: A short set of facts followed by five statements; exactly one must be true (or false).
03
Ordering, Scheduling & Grid Puzzles Hard
- Placing people or events in order under constraints.
- Attribute-relationship grids.
- Fixing the most constrained element first.
How it appears on Bocconi: Five items, five slots, four or five rules. A quick table beats reasoning in your head.
04
Passage & Assertion Hard
- True: explicitly or implicitly supported by the passage.
- False: contradicted by the passage.
- Cannot be deduced: the passage lacks the information — including causal claims it never makes.
How it appears on Bocconi: A persuasive paragraph followed by one assertion and three options. These items carry the −0.33 penalty.
Official Bocconi Test Outline
The official test structure and subject areas are published by Università Bocconi (there is no separate syllabus document):
Bocconi — Online Bocconi TestSolved exam problems
Bocconi Critical Thinking Sample Questions & Elimination Tactics
See how Bocconi critical thinking questions are built and how disciplined elimination avoids the −0.2 penalty:
Since the city introduced a congestion charge in 2022, traffic in the centre has fallen by 18%. Shops in the centre report lower sales, while a city survey shows that more people now walk or cycle into the centre.
Assertion: “The congestion charge caused the fall in shop sales.”
Assertion: “The congestion charge caused the fall in shop sales.”
Pick an answer to see the explanation
Five presentations, A–E, are given one per day from Monday to Friday. C is on Wednesday. B is the day after A. D is earlier in the week than A. E is not on Monday. Which presentation is on Tuesday?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
Candidate trap analysis
5 Most Common Mistakes in Bocconi Critical Thinking
Recurring conceptual and tactical errors that cost students crucial points:
01
False vs cannot be deduced
‘False’ means the passage contradicts the assertion. If it simply does not say, the answer is ‘cannot be deduced’.
02
Correlation read as causation
Two facts in the same passage are not a cause and its effect unless the text says so.
03
Some vs all
‘Some analysts speak German’ tells you nothing about the others. Never upgrade ‘some’ to ‘all’.
04
Reversing a conditional
‘All analysts speak English’ does not mean all English speakers are analysts.
05
Guessing on 3-option items
A blind guess on a 3-option item is barely worth it: points. Rule out one option and guessing pays clearly.
Study roadmap
10-Week Strategic Study Roadmap
Weeks 1–2
Diagnostic & Foundations
Take a timed diagnostic; rebuild algebra, percentages and basic logic, and note every error type.
Weeks 3–5
Mathematics Core
24 of the 50 questions are Mathematics. Work through algebra, analytic geometry, probability and combinatorics in the order of the frequency table.
Weeks 6–7
Reasoning Sections
Drill Reading, Numerical Reasoning and Critical Thinking with timed sets of 10–15 questions; keep an error log by question type.
Weeks 8–9
Full Mocks
One full 50-question, 75-minute mock per week with mixed topic order, exactly as on the real test.
Week 10
Final Polish
Re-do your error log and fix your skip-or-answer rule: −0.2 for a wrong answer, −0.33 on 3-option critical-thinking items.