A Sova assessment usually arrives as one blended session: numerical, verbal and logical reasoning items mixed with personality and situational judgment questions, built for a specific role. Sova does not publish a fixed length, because the employer chooses the modules, so your invitation is the only reliable guide to timing. This page covers what the Sova assessment is, its format and timings, how it is scored, the rules to know before you start, how to prepare and a practice plan.
What the Sova assessment is
Sova Assessment is a London-based assessment company founded in 2015. Its platform covers personality, motivation and competency questionnaires, situational judgment tests, logical, numerical and verbal reasoning, checking and accuracy tests, learnability and skills assessments, video interviews and virtual assessment centres. The best-known example is Bain's online test, widely called the Bain SOVA test. The prep site AssessmentDay lists John Lewis, Santander and Pfizer as past users, though employers change publishers, so check your invitation.
If you are applying to UK schemes, the same employers often use the Watson Glaser test or SHL tests at another stage, so check every invitation separately.
Format and timings
| Part | What it involves | Time and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical reasoning | Tables and graphs; choose the answer from options | Set per role; prep sites suggest keeping each item under about 45 seconds |
| Verbal reasoning | A passage, then true, false or cannot say | Set per role |
| Logical reasoning | Find the pattern in a sequence of shapes or lines | Prep sites report that speed and accuracy are both scored |
| Situational judgment | Choose the most and least effective of three or four responses; scenarios can develop based on your answers | Set per role |
| Personality questionnaire | Rate statements on a scale from least like me to most like me | Usually loosely timed or untimed |
| Video interview (optional) | Pre-recorded questions; prep sites report one minute to prepare and up to three to answer | Sova says time is not recorded in video sections |
Total: not fixed; candidates commonly report about 30 to 60 minutes for a blended session, with Bain reports clustering around 45 to 60 minutes.
How it is scored
- Results from the different modules are combined into a profile matched to the role, rather than separate pass marks per test.
- Prep sites report that completion time feeds into ability scores, so work steadily rather than slowly.
- Sova says answers to the practice question at the start of each part do not count toward your score.
- If the employer turns it on, you receive automatic feedback on the behaviors you showed.
Rules to know before you start
- Sova says its online assessments and video interviews work on a phone, tablet or laptop, but advises against a smartphone for virtual assessment centres.
- Chrome is recommended; Edge, Safari and Firefox also work. Video needs broadband of at least 1 Mbps, and video interviews at least 140 Kbps upload.
- If your connection drops, log back in with the invitation link to continue where you left off, though Sova recommends one sitting.
- Some ability questions need two or more answers, and personality questions need one answer per column, so read each instruction.
- Adjustments such as extra time, a scribe or a screen reader are arranged through the hiring organisation.
How to prepare
- Use the practice tests in Sova's Candidate Preparation Hub, which cover ability, situational judgment and video formats.
- Have a pen, paper and calculator ready for ability questions, as Sova suggests.
- Practice switching between question types quickly, because a blended session moves from numbers to words to patterns.
- Answer the personality and situational items as you would really act; the scenarios are designed to follow your choices.
- For a video stage, set up good lighting and close other apps that use the camera or microphone.
A practice plan
- Day 1: read the employer's invitation for which tests you will take, then do the publisher's official practice questions untimed.
- Days 2 and 3: timed practice on your weakest test type, reviewing every mistake.
- Days 4 and 5: full timed runs in the same browser and device you will use.
- Day 6: rest, check your setup, and plan a quiet time slot.
- Day 7: take the test in one sitting, early in the deadline window.
Related guides: UK assessment centres, the Watson Glaser test, the SHL assessment.
On the day, and the mistakes to avoid
- Open the invitation early and note the deadline, the tests included and the time each takes.
- Use a laptop or desktop with a current browser, on a stable connection, with notifications silenced.
- Have paper, a pen and, if the instructions allow it, a calculator ready before you start.
- Read every instruction and example screen; formats differ more than people expect.
- Take the tests in a quiet room in one sitting, at a time of day when you are sharp.
- If something breaks, take a screenshot, note the time and contact the employer straight away.
Mistakes that cost candidates:
- Treating untimed or 'as many as you can' tests casually: speed and accuracy are usually both recorded.
- Bringing outside knowledge into reasoning items that must be judged only on the information given.
- Answering personality questions as the 'ideal' candidate instead of honestly, which shows up as inconsistency.
- Starting on a phone when the publisher recommends a computer.
- Leaving the test until the deadline, when any technical problem becomes fatal.
What happens after the Sova assessment
Results usually go to the employer, who compares them with the profile for the role. Shortlisted candidates move on to a video interview, an assessment centre or a first interview, so start preparing for those while you wait. For the next stage, see our guide to online assessments.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Online assessments are tests you take on your own: outside help is not allowed, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or a second voice. Practice beforehand instead. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview prepares you for the interviews that follow the assessment, with questions built from your résumé and the job description and each spoken answer scored out of ten. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Read the invitation carefully and follow your employer's rules.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Sova assessment?
It depends on the modules the employer chose. Sova does not publish a fixed length; candidates commonly report about 30 to 60 minutes.
Is the Sova test timed?
Practice varies by module. Prep sites report that ability items are timed or that your speed is recorded, while personality sections are loosely timed. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Can I take a Sova assessment on my phone?
Yes for online assessments and video interviews, according to Sova, but not for virtual assessment centres, where the screen is too small.
What is the Bain SOVA test?
Bain's online assessment on Sova's platform. Candidates commonly report personality, logical and numerical sections taking about 45 to 60 minutes.
Can I use AI tools during the Sova assessment?
No, unless the instructions explicitly allow it. Assessments are meant to be taken on your own, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or pasted code. Use AI tools to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview