Quarterly sales (thousand €): Shop A 120 → 150; Shop B 200 → 210; Shop C 80 → 104 (first → second quarter). Which shop had the largest percentage increase?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
Numerical Reasoning has 6 of the 50 questions, on both the standard and the Law version of the test. Bocconi stresses that advanced mathematics is not required: the task is to reason with the data given.
Calculations are simple; the real challenge is reading a chart or table correctly and separating the information that is critical to the answer from what is superfluous.
Question distribution analysis
Bocconi Numerical Reasoning Topics: Frequency
Which topics demand your deepest attention? Below is the topic breakdown from our Bocconi question data:
| Topic | Items | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table Reading | 12 | 30% | |
| Charts & Graphs | 7 | 18% | |
| Change Over Time | 7 | 18% | |
| Multi-Source Data Constraints | 6 | 15% | |
| Percentages, Ratios & Denominators | 4 | 10% | |
| Histograms & Distributions | 2 | 5% | |
| Relevant-Data Selection | 1 | 3% | |
| Weighted Averages | 1 | 3% |
*Share of 40 Bocconi Numerical Reasoning 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
- Table reading is the most common type (about 30% of bank questions).
- Charts and change over time follow — growth rates, trends and comparisons between years.
- Multi-source items combine two tables or a table and a text; the denominator is where most errors happen.
- Read the question before the data and extract only the cells you need.
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
Multi-Source Data Constraints 1 weekMedium
Percentages, Ratios & Denominators 4–5 daysMedium
Weighted Averages 3–4 daysMedium
Change Over Time 3–4 daysEasy
Tables, Charts & Histograms 3–4 daysNot Sure Where to Begin Your Preparation?
Take the free Bocconi diagnostic test: see your baseline in every section and get a personalised AI study plan.
Take Diagnostic TestOfficial syllabus breakdown
Bocconi Numerical Reasoning Topics: How Each Is Tested
A topic-by-topic look at the Numerical Reasoning section of the official Online Bocconi Test outline:
01
Data Extraction Easy
- Reading tables, bar and line charts, pie charts and histograms.
- Switching between representations.
- Selecting the relevant data and ignoring the rest.
How it appears on Bocconi: A dense table followed by a question about one row or column. Most of the data is there to distract.
02
Quantitative Comparison Medium
- Percentages, ratios and the correct denominator.
- Weighted averages and combined groups.
- Absolute vs relative change over time.
How it appears on Bocconi: ‘Which had the largest percentage increase?’ — the largest absolute change is often a different item.
03
Multi-Source Reasoning Hard
- Combining two tables, or a table and a text.
- Applying constraints from one source to data in another.
- Checking each statement against all sources.
How it appears on Bocconi: Statement-evaluation items: ‘which of the following is consistent with both tables?’.
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 Numerical Reasoning Sample Questions & Elimination Tactics
See how Bocconi numerical reasoning questions are built and how disciplined elimination avoids the −0.2 penalty:
Class 1 has 20 students with an average score of 24; Class 2 has 30 students with an average score of 27. What is the average score of all 50 students?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
In a survey of 400 people, 25% use public transport, and 60% of public-transport users are under 30. In total, 150 respondents are under 30. What percentage of the under-30 respondents use public transport?
Pick an answer to see the explanation
Candidate trap analysis
5 Most Common Mistakes in Bocconi Numerical Reasoning
Recurring conceptual and tactical errors that cost students crucial points:
01
Absolute vs relative change
The biggest increase in units is not necessarily the biggest percentage increase.
02
The reverse denominator
‘Under-30s among transport users’ and ‘transport users among under-30s’ divide by different groups.
03
Averaging averages
Combine groups with weights — total points over total people.
04
Reading the units
Check whether a table is in thousands, millions or percentages before comparing.
05
Reading everything
Most of the table is superfluous. Locate the question's rows and columns first.
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.