Retaking the Bocconi Test: Score Improvement Strategies (2026)

If you sat the Bocconi Online Test in Round 1 and didn’t get the score you wanted, you’re not out of the running. Bocconi allows retakes in subsequent rounds with no penalty — your new score simply counts for the round in which you reapply. Students routinely improve by 8 to 15 points between attempts when they use the time between rounds well. They also routinely fail to improve at all when they don’t. This article is about which category you want to be in.

The short version

• Yes, you can retake the Bocconi Test without penalty.
• Realistic improvement between attempts: 5–15 points on the composite score.
• The retake must use a completely different preparation strategy from the first attempt.
• The biggest mistake is retaking without changing anything.

1. What your first score actually tells you

Before you start preparing for the retake, you need to diagnose why the first score was what it was. This is not the same as “I need to study more.” It’s about identifying the specific failure modes in your first attempt.

Common failure modes:

1. Under-preparation. You didn’t put in the hours. The fix is obvious — put in more hours.
2. Wrong preparation. You studied, but on the wrong things. Maybe you drilled maths when your weakness was verbal. The fix is to redirect your prep.
3. Poor timing. You knew the content but ran out of time. The fix is timed drilling, not more content review.
4. Nerves and test-day issues. Your practice scores were higher than your real score. The fix is simulation under realistic conditions.
5. Hitting a ceiling. You prepared well and your score reflects your current ability. The fix is the hardest — genuine content improvement across weeks, not just more practice.

Most students are in category 2 or 3. They studied hard but on the wrong things, or they didn’t practise under timed conditions.

Action step: Before your retake, write down honestly which failure mode applied to your first attempt. Be specific. “I didn’t study enough” is too vague. “I spent 80% of my time on mathematics but lost most of my points in verbal and critical reading” is actionable.

2. Realistic improvement expectations

Here is what we see in practice for students retaking the Bocconi Test after a first-attempt score in each range:

• First score below 60: 8–15 point improvement is realistic with 6–8 weeks of focused prep. The gains are large because there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit.
• First score 60–70: 5–10 point improvement is realistic with 6 weeks of targeted prep focused on your weakest section.
• First score 70–80: 3–8 point improvement is realistic. Gains are smaller because you’re closer to your ceiling and the marginal question is harder.
• First score above 80: 2–5 point improvement is realistic but not guaranteed. At this level, small mistakes under time pressure are the main loss.

These are realistic expectations, not promises. Your individual improvement depends on how much time you have, how accurately you diagnose your weaknesses, and how disciplined you are in your prep.

What’s not realistic: Jumping from 60 to 90 in four weeks. It almost never happens. Students who claim they did it are usually misremembering their practice scores or their official results.

3. Which sections respond fastest to retake prep

Not all sections are equally trainable. Students who focus on the most trainable sections first get bigger gains with less time.

Most trainable (biggest gains from retake prep):

1. Logic. Highly trainable because most students have never practised formal logic and can improve rapidly with drills.
2. Numerical reasoning. Percentages, tables, and chart interpretation respond well to focused drilling, especially if you build mental arithmetic speed.
3. Verbal reasoning. Vocabulary and sentence-level grammar can be drilled. Reading speed can be improved with daily practice.

Moderately trainable:

1. Mathematics. Content can be learned if you have gaps, but speed requires practice over time.
2. Critical reading. Responds to practice but requires sustained effort over weeks, not days.

What this means for your retake: If your first attempt was weak in logic or verbal, prioritise those. You will see bigger gains faster than if you try to fix everything at once. Students who diagnose “I was weak everywhere” and try to improve every section usually don’t improve much at all.

4. A 4-week retake preparation plan

If you have four weeks between rounds (typical for Round 1 → Round 2), here’s a plan.

Week 1 — Diagnosis and reset.

• Day 1–2: Review your first attempt mentally. Which sections felt hardest? Where did you run out of time? What did you guess on?
• Day 3: Sit a cold practice test (different from any you’ve done before) and time yourself strictly.
• Day 4: Review every question. Categorise mistakes into: careless (you knew it but misread), content (you didn’t know how to solve it), or time (you would have got it with more time).
• Day 5–7: Based on the breakdown, identify the one or two sections where your losses were largest. Start daily drills on those sections — 30 to 45 questions per day.

Week 2 — Targeted drilling.

• Continue daily drills on your weakest sections. Aim for 150+ new practice questions across the week.
• Review mistakes the same day you make them. Do not skip review.
• Sit one timed mini-test (30 minutes, half-length) mid-week to track improvement.

Week 3 — Integration and timing.

• Shift focus from section drilling to full-section timed work.
• Sit at least two full 75-minute timed practice tests this week. Review them thoroughly.
• Identify any remaining weaknesses and do targeted drills on them.

Week 4 — Simulation and final polish.

• Days 1–3: One more full timed practice test. Review.
• Days 4–5: Light review only. No new content. Focus on your notes and mistake log from the past three weeks.
• Day 6: Rest. Set up your test environment. Run the technical check for the proctor tool.
• Day 7: Test day. Early night the day before. Hydrated, fed, calm.

5. What to change between attempts

The biggest mistake is retaking without actually changing anything. Here are specific changes to make.

Change your materials. If you prepared with one set of practice questions the first time, use a different set for the retake. Your brain remembers old questions and gives you false confidence.

Change your study environment. If you prepared at home and got distracted, go to a library. If you prepared in noisy environments, try quiet ones.

Change your timing. If you untimed most of your prep the first time, time everything this time. If you over-timed the first time (and burnt out), alternate timed and untimed.

Change your focus. Spend at least 60% of your new prep time on the one or two sections where you lost the most marks. Do not spread effort evenly.

Change your test-day routine. If you ate nothing before the first test and felt shaky, eat a proper breakfast this time. If you over-caffeinated and got jittery, dial it back.

Small changes compound into meaningful score differences.

6. What to do on test day

Test-day execution on the retake matters more than on the first attempt, because you’ve already seen the format once and the marginal gains come from better decision-making, not new content.

Before the test:

• Sleep normally (not extra, just normally — over-sleeping can make you groggy)
• Eat a light, protein-focused meal 60–90 minutes before
• Hydrate, but not so much that you need a bathroom break mid-test
• Review your mistake log from practice, not new content
• Run your technical check 30 minutes before the official start

During the test:

• Start each section with the questions you can do fast. Don’t get stuck on hard ones early.
• If a question takes more than 90 seconds, mark it, guess, and move on.
• Don’t panic if one section feels hard. The scoring is section-adjusted — other students are finding it hard too.
• Watch your timer, but don’t obsess. Check it every 10–15 questions, not every question.

After the test:

• Don’t try to recreate your answers. It won’t help you and will make you anxious while you wait for the result.
• Continue with your application in parallel — motivational statement, transcripts, English proficiency.

7. If the retake doesn’t help

Sometimes retakes don’t improve your score. This happens when:

• You didn’t change your preparation approach
• You ran out of time to prepare properly
• You were at your ceiling on the first attempt

If your retake score is similar to your first, don’t panic. You have options:

1. Sit one more retake in Round 3 if the time and energy are there.
2. Switch to the SAT if you have time to prepare for it before the final round.
3. Adjust your target program to one with a lower competitive threshold (e.g., CLEACC or BIG instead of BEMACS or BIEF).
4. Reapply in the next cycle with a stronger overall profile — more time, more prep, better motivational statement.
5. Consider alternatives to Bocconi. See our European business schools pillar guide.

Rejection from Bocconi is not a final verdict on your capability. Students who get rejected in one cycle and reapply in the next often get in with improved profiles.

8. FAQ

Does Bocconi see all my attempts or only the latest?
Bocconi considers your score from the round in which you submit your application. If you retake in a later round, the new score is what counts for that application. Taking multiple attempts doesn’t hurt you.

Is there a limit to the number of times I can retake?
Practically, yes — there are only so many rounds per cycle. You cannot take the test outside the official rounds.

Does retaking look bad on my application?
No. Students routinely retake. The admissions office is used to it and does not penalise it.

What if my retake score is lower than my first?
Submit whichever application you prefer. If you retake in a different round, you submit one application with the score you choose.

Can I switch from the Bocconi Test to the SAT between rounds?
Yes. Switching entry routes between rounds is allowed.

Is a retake worth it if my first score was already competitive?
Usually yes, because the improvement from a 75 to an 82 can meaningfully change your scholarship chances. But if you’re already above 85 and happy with your profile, additional retakes have diminishing returns.

Your retake checklist

Before you retake, confirm:

• [ ] You’ve diagnosed why your first score was what it was
• [ ] You’ve identified your weakest section and have a plan to address it
• [ ] You have at least 4 weeks of focused prep time before the next round
• [ ] You’re using different practice materials from the first attempt
• [ ] You’ve registered for the next round’s test session
• [ ] Your application documents are ready to re-submit
• [ ] You’ve run the proctor technical check again

Ready to build a retake plan that actually works? Book a free strategy call and we’ll diagnose your first-attempt performance and build a targeted four-week prep schedule.

Related articles:

• Complete Guide to Bocconi University: Requirements, Test & Application (2026)
• Bocconi University Entrance Exam 2026: Structure, Dates & Registration
• 6-Week Bocconi Test Preparation Plan
• Best Bocconi Test Study Materials & Resources

Author

About Adam Girsault

With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam has over 10 years of experience in education and student mentoring. Passionate about helping students achieve their academic dreams, he co-founded Your Dream School to guide students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.

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