How to Ace the McKinsey Solve Game (2026)

McKinsey Solve is a virtual gamified test that the firm uses to evaluate its candidates early on in the application process. Some of its former names include the Problem Solving Game (PSG), the Imbellus test, or simply McKinsey’s Digital Assessment game.

McKinsey says that no specific preparation is needed for this digital assessment. However, in our experience, you can (and should) prepare for the test.

In the guide below, we've compiled key information about McKinsey Solve, some tips from McKinsey interview coaches, and a prep plan to help you get ready. 

Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover:

• What is McKinsey Solve/Problem Solving Game?
• How does the McKinsey Solve game work?
• What skills does McKinsey Solve test for?
• How to check how you did on the game
• McKinsey Solve game tips
• How to prepare for McKinsey Solve

Let's get started!

Click here to practise 1-on-1 with McKinsey ex-interviewers

1. What is McKinsey Solve Game?↑

Screenshot from McKinsey Solve-Ocean Cleanup (via McKinsey)

McKinsey Solve is a problem-solving game that the firm uses to evaluate applicants during the early stages of the interview process. If you pass the resume screening, you’ll receive an email with an invitation to play the game.

Before Solve was introduced, McKinsey screened candidates with the Problem Solving Test (PST), a traditional multiple-choice test. Solve is intended to serve a similar purpose but in a gamified format. 

Part of the reason for this change was to address the limitations of standardised testing. McKinsey believes that standardised testing is a poor predictor of real-world performance, so the firm aims to assess candidates in a more robust and less biased way with this test.

"There’s a large amount of strategy, preparation, and luck involved in multiple-choice tests, and if you use them in the selection process, it reinforces the status quo—at a time when you are looking to widen the scope of candidates you’re hiring,” says Keith McNulty, global data science, digital, and technology leader at McKinsey. 

With Solve, McKinsey aims to:

• Hire the candidates who will perform best on the job, not just the candidates who can do well on a test
• Evaluate candidates’ thought process, rather than just their final answers
• Increase diversity by reducing the biases of other methods of standardised testing

You can check out McKinsey's official preview of Solve to get a better idea of what the assessment looks like.

1.1 History

McKinsey Solve was not built in-house. The firm worked directly with a start-up called Imbellus to develop the assessment. In 2020, Imbellus was acquired by Roblox, but McKinsey has continued using the gamified digital assessment.

Solve was tested with an initial group of 527 McKinsey candidates at the London office in November 2017. Then, in late 2018, the test was given to additional candidates from additional McKinsey offices. During these tests, the assessment could only be given on McKinsey-owned computers at a local McKinsey office. 

In late 2019, McKinsey rolled out an online version of the game. Today, all McKinsey offices use Solve as the default initial assessment in the interview process.

2. How does the McKinsey Solve game work?↑

In this section, we’ll break down the components of McKinsey Solve to give you a general idea of what to expect when you get the invite to play.

2.1 Game structure

Here is a brief summary of the game structure of McKinsey Solve:

• A computer-based assessment
• An experience similar to a video game
• Up to 65 or 85 minutes of total run time
• Untimed tutorial period for each game
• Up to 3 scenarios
• 2-5 tasks within each scenario

2.2 What to do when you get the game invite

When you are invited to take the McKinsey Solve game, you will be emailed a unique link that will prompt you to do three things:

• Run a tech diagnostic program to ensure your computer and network meet the requirements needed to complete the assessment
• Schedule a specific time slot for you to take the assessment
• Take the assessment during your scheduled time slot

IMPORTANT: Every McKinsey Solve game is different for every candidate who takes it. When you begin the assessment during your scheduled time slot, the system will load a unique version of the game just for you. That means that the iteration of the game that you face will be different from every past or future iteration of the game.

With that said, all versions of the game contain scenarios which we’ll cover next.

2.3 McKinsey Solve Scenarios

The assessment is divided into two primary components: scenarios and tasks. A scenario is a digital world situation where you’ll find yourself within the game. Each scenario has an overarching objective and contains several tasks, which you can think of as smaller objectives.

As of 2026, you can expect to face up to three scenarios:

• Redrock Study
• Sea Wolf (a.k.a Ocean Cleanup / Ocean Treatment / Microbe Game)
• Sustainable Futures Lab

Redrock Study and Sea Wolf are the two standard scenarios. Together, they take around 65 minutes to complete.

In March 2026, McKinsey began rolling out Sustainable Futures Lab as a third scenario. However, the rollout is happening in phases, so not every candidate will get it. If your invitation email gives you around 85 minutes to complete the assessment instead of 65, you can expect Sustainable Futures Lab to be included in your assessment.

There are other scenarios that you might have read about in other guides (Plant protection, Disaster management, Disease management, Migration management) but these aren't used anymore as of writing.

So to summarise, here’s a list of known McKinsey Solve scenarios, both currently used and not used anymore:

• Redrock Study/Labs – Currently used
• Sea Wolf/Ocean Cleanup – Currently used
• Sustainable Futures Lab – Currently being rolled out in phases
• Ecosystem Management/Creation – Not used anymore
• Plant Protection – Not used anymore
• Disaster Management – Not used anymore
• Disease Management – Not used anymore
• Migration Management – Not used anymore

Let's dig deeper into the three scenarios currently being used.

3. What skills does McKinsey Solve test for?↑

McKinsey uses Solve to ensure that the candidates they hire have what it takes to succeed as consultants. 

So, what exactly is McKinsey evaluating when you play the game? You could call them skills, but ‘skills’ isn't quite the right term to use here. This document prepared by Imbellus, the software company that developed the game with McKinsey, describes the areas upon which candidates are assessed during Solve as "cognitive constructs".

The term makes it sound complicated, so just think of these "cognitive constructs" as the areas of your thinking that McKinsey wants to measure.

We cover them in more detail below:

3.1. Critical thinking

Consultancies (and other employers) highly value a candidate’s critical thinking ability. Just so we're working off of the same definition, Stanford defines critical thinking as "careful goal-directed thinking.”

When you begin a project as a consultant, you will typically have (or form) a set of objectives that the client wants to accomplish. At the same time, you will likely encounter competing priorities and a combination of relevant and irrelevant data.

The best consultants will have a knack for focusing on objectives and systematically identifying the most relevant information to form an approach and make a recommendation. This is why critical thinking is one of the primary areas that McKinsey wants to evaluate with the assessment.

3.2. Decision-making 

One unique element of McKinsey Solve that distinguishes it from traditional standardised tests is that it evaluates both your game results and how you came to your decisions. Meanwhile, a multiple-choice test (like the McKinsey PST) can only assess candidates based on the result of their decisions.

For example, as you progress through a scenario within Solve, you'll gather information, do some analysis, and then take action to implement your approach. As you interact further with the game, the software gathers data, measuring details like the amount of time you spend on each task, what information you are looking at onscreen, as well as the actions you ultimately take.

In the real world, McKinsey would rather have candidates who can make decisions strategically, even if they are occasionally wrong, rather than candidates who are good at guessing on standardised tests. Some people can do both, but you get the point.

3.3 Metacognition

McKinsey Solve also evaluates your metacognition. As described by Nancy Chick of Vanderbilt University, metacognition can be summarised as "thinking about one's thinking". 

You could also characterise metacognition as a person's ability to take a step back and recognise their own understanding and knowledge gaps for a particular topic. 

Having strong metacognition can make a significant difference in a person's ability to learn and adapt to new situations. As a McKinsey consultant, you’ll often work on complex projects, and it's important for the firm to make sure that you can learn quickly and excel in changing circumstances.

3.4 Situational awareness

When a candidate interacts with the scenarios within Solve, their situational awareness is also put to the test. Situational awareness is a person's ability to understand their environment as well as its likely future outcomes. 

To illustrate this point, situational awareness is an important ability for firefighters. Imagine a home catches on fire and the fire department is called. When they arrive on the scene, firefighters need to quickly assess the situation and understand key pieces of information (e.g., Are there any people inside? Where are the nearest fire hydrants? etc.). At the same time, firefighters also understand the likely future outcomes of a particular fire, and they can use this insight to help them prepare their approach for extinguishing the flames.

In a similar way, McKinsey wants to hire candidates who can understand the key elements of a new situation, anticipate the likely outcomes, and use their situational awareness to prepare a strategic approach.

3.5 Systems thinking

Systems thinking is a person's ability to understand and work with the complexities of an interconnected system. To test this ability, McKinsey Solve uses the natural world, which provides some excellent examples of complex systems. 

For example, a coral reef is a system with a variety of interdependent parts, including plants, animals, water, water temperature, and more. If you change one element of the system, it can impact the system as a whole.

Likewise, the clients that McKinsey serves are deeply impacted by systems (e.g., the global economy, data processing, and more). As such, the firm wants to hire only candidates who can understand and work within a systems context.

4. How to check how you did on McKinsey Solve↑

We’ve seen reports that many candidates do not get a confirmation email from the firm after finishing McKinsey Solve. Understandably, many of them are nervous about whether McKinsey even received their efforts at all.

In case you don’t receive confirmation from McKinsey as well, don’t worry. Here are two ways to check the progress of your application after playing Solve:

• Email your recruiter/point of contact in the Solve invitation email: In your email, let them know that you’ve finished playing Solve and would like to confirm whether they received your test. Then you can ask for a timeline of when to expect the result and other details about your application.
• Check your application dashboard: When you apply for a role at McKinsey, you’ll have a dashboard for your account. There, you can see the tracker, which will let you know the progress of your application. 

In the following section, we’ll provide you with some insights on how you can better your chances of acing McKinsey Solve and getting to the case interview rounds.

5. McKinsey Solve game tips↑

Now that you have a thorough understanding of what to expect with the McKinsey Solve game, here are some helpful tips to follow while you play the game. 

5.1 Manage your time well

Time pressure is one of the biggest challenges across the McKinsey Solve games. Ex-McKinsey associate partner and consulting coach Mathieu tested Solve while it was being developed, and his biggest advice to candidates is to practise effective time management. "It's very easy to ‘time out’ and not progress much in the game if you don’t manage your time carefully."

5.2 Use a mouse

Consulting coach Mathieu advises using a mouse while playing the game (instead of your laptop’s trackpad, for instance). "In the spirit of using time efficiently, using an actual external mouse will allow candidates to move much quicker around screens of the game than a laptop touchpad would."

5.3 Take notes during the tutorial

During your untimed tutorial, you’re allowed to go back and forth in the instructions, allowing you to fully take in everything you need to know before you start.

We highly suggest that you take actual notes during the tutorial so you don’t forget anything. Moreover, you’ll feel more relaxed while playing, knowing that you can easily access all the information you need from the tutorial.

5.4 Make sure the timer is paused during breaks

There are built-in breaks between tasks in each Solve game, which you’re meant to fully maximize. But don’t be complacent about them. Make sure the timer is indeed paused before you take your break so you don’t accidentally use up all your precious minutes. You’ll find the timer at the top centre of the screen. 

5.5 Use an Excel Solver

We recommend practising with a solver for the Sea Wolf game. Doing so can help you quickly identify valid microbe combinations, so you can see what works without manually testing every possible combination.

Over time, this can help you recognise patterns and build your intuition for the real assessment. You can build your own or invest in one. Some tools we recommend are Solve Games Guide’s Sea Wolf Solver and the Excel Solver included in PSG Secrets’ McKinsey Solve package.

6. How to prepare for McKinsey Solve↑

First, a reminder: every candidate who plays McKinsey Solve encounters a completely unique game. This means you can't memorise a set pattern or sequence that will consistently get you a high score.

Also, the game is measuring HOW you approach the problem and not just your outcomes. So, if you got good results but arrived there using a strange or illogical approach, it could pull down your overall score.

Due to these factors, you can't prepare for McKinsey Solve the way you prepare for other tests (like the PST). In fact, according to McKinsey, you DON'T even need the following to play Solve:

• Any specific preparation
• Experience with video games
• Specific business knowledge

That's what they say, but if you have the opportunity to interview with McKinsey, we know that you'll want to be as prepared as possible! So, below we've compiled our recommended prep plan:

6.1 Study the known scenarios

As we mentioned previously, there are three publicly known scenarios on the McKinsey Solve Game. As a recap, here's what they are:

• Redrock Labs/Study
• Seawolf
• Sustainable Futures Lab

We encourage you to carefully review the information that we've summarised for each scenario in section two of this article. This will help you to start getting comfortable with the situations you'll encounter.

As you learn the basic details of each scenario, you could also outline potential strategies for each one as a mental exercise. It obviously won't match the exact way the McKinsey Solve game operates. 

However, it will get you to start thinking strategically within the context of the specific scenarios that you will face. This alone will likely make you feel more confident when you take the assessment, and you may find that some of your ideas will come in handy on game day.

You can also check out this mock simulation video to familiarise yourself with the worlds within each game in Solve. 

6.2 Sign up for a Solve game simulation course

If you learn better by doing, Solve Games Guide offers free simulations for all three current McKinsey Solve games: Sea Wolf, Redrock Study, and Sustainable Futures Lab.

The free trial gives you one session, case, or scenario for each game. This should give you a feel for the mechanics, interface, and time pressure before taking the real assessment.

If you find the simulations helpful and want more practice, you can pay for access to additional sessions, cases, and scenarios.

Try Solve Games Guide’s free McKinsey Solve simulations here.

6.3 Prepare your workstation

This is a bit more logistical, but it's very important.

McKinsey Solve is somewhat demanding from a hardware perspective. You'll need a computer that runs pretty quickly and has at least 8GB of RAM. If you have an old or slow computer, then we recommend that you borrow or purchase a new one before taking the test. 

You'll also want to make sure you have a fast and stable internet connection before taking the assessment. If your wifi is spotty, you could try connecting to the internet through a direct Ethernet connection. Or, you could ask a friend or relative with a stable internet connection if you can take the assessment at their place.

Before taking the test, you need to run McKinsey's tech diagnostic to ensure you have the processing power to run McKinsey Solve. Their email invite will include instructions for this. We advise you to do the diagnostic as soon as you get the email because you might encounter issues that take time to resolve.

As much as possible, you'll also want to carve out a time and space to take the assessment with no distractions. It's important to plan this in advance, and it also helps if you practise in the same environment.

6.4 Practise cases with experienced McKinsey interviewers

McKinsey Solve is very different from a case interview. However, if you get good at solving case interviews, some of those skills will also be helpful in playing the game.

For example, you'll need to develop a strategy with incomplete or inconclusive information in Solve. You also have to do this when you're solving a case interview. 

This is also a great strategy because it will help you get a head start on your preparation for the case interviews that you'll encounter later in the McKinsey interview process.

After practising on your own, you should find someone who can do a mock interview with you, such as a friend or family member.

We’d also recommend that you do mock interviews with ex-interviewers from McKinsey. 

In our experience, practising real interviews with experts who can give you company-specific feedback makes a huge difference.

Find a McKinsey consulting interview coach so you can:

• Test yourself under real interview conditions
• Get accurate feedback from a real expert
• Build your confidence
• Get company-specific insights
• Learn how to tell the right stories, better.
• Save time by focusing your preparation

Landing a job at a top consulting company like McKinsey often results in a $50,000 per year or more increase in total compensation. In our experience, three or four coaching sessions worth ~$500 make a significant difference in your ability to land the job. That’s an ROI of 100x!

Click here to book a mock case interview session with experienced McKinsey interviewers.