McKinsey describes Solve as a gamified assessment created to showcase your problem-solving abilities, and its September 2026 FAQ says no preparation is needed. Candidates in 2026 commonly report two core games, Redrock and Sea Wolf, with a third, the Sustainable Futures Lab, on longer invitations. Your invitation email states the length of your assessment, which is the best clue to which version you have. This page covers what the McKinsey Solve 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 McKinsey Solve assessment is
Solve is part of McKinsey's consultant recruitment process. McKinsey's Solve page and FAQ, read on November 12, 2026, say it needs no previous business knowledge or gaming experience, that each task begins with an untimed tutorial, and that results are considered together with the rest of your application and any other assessments rather than on their own. It runs only on a PC or Mac, in English, Spanish, Portuguese or Japanese. McKinsey does not name the games publicly; the names and timings below come from candidate reports collected by prep providers through November 2026. Older guides describe an Ecosystem Building game, which prep providers now call legacy and uncommon.
If you pass, the case interview is next; see case interview practice with AI and estimation interview questions. To compare another firm's screen, see the BCG online case.
Format and timings
| Part | What it involves | Time and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Redrock | A data case: collect the evidence the objective needs, answer calculation questions with an in-game calculator, complete a report, then about six short standalone cases | About 35 minutes; you cannot go back once you reach the report, as commonly reported |
| Sea Wolf | Choose three microbes for each ocean site so attribute averages fall inside the site's ranges, a required trait is present and forbidden traits are avoided | About 30 minutes, as commonly reported |
| Sustainable Futures Lab (85-minute invitations) | A text-based scenario: one ranking task, then about a dozen linked decisions on one sustainability project | About 20 minutes; reported since early 2026 |
| Sustainable Futures Lab, newer version (95-minute invitations) | Three simulated project days: request information, assign researchers to workstations, resolve a team concern and rate your confidence | About 30 minutes; first reported in August and September 2026 |
| Tutorials | One before each game | Untimed, according to McKinsey |
Total: set in your invitation; candidates commonly report about 65 minutes for Redrock and Sea Wolf, about 85 with the standard Sustainable Futures Lab, and about 95 with the newer version.
How it is scored
- McKinsey does not publish its scoring. Prep providers describe a product score for your answers and a process score built from how you work, such as what you click, revisit and how you use time.
- McKinsey says the recruiter's decision draws on Solve together with the rest of your application and any other assessment results.
- McKinsey's FAQ says Solve uses AI methods to vary each scenario so that no two candidates get the same parameters and data, which is why memorised answers do not carry over.
- Prep sources estimate that a minority of takers advance; McKinsey publishes no pass rate, so treat any figure as unofficial.
- Scores are valid for one year, McKinsey says.
Rules to know before you start
- Except for a disability accommodation approved in writing, McKinsey does not permit applications, websites, AI tools or pre-prepared notes, or recording and screenshots, and expects you to take Solve alone.
- McKinsey says breaking these rules may lead to exclusion, a rescinded offer, restrictions on future applications or legal action, and that you may be asked at random to take an extra task in person or explain your logic.
- You can complete Solve only once every 12 months from your completion date.
- Request accommodations through the contact in your invitation before you start, without including a diagnosis, and wait for the outcome before beginning.
- Report technical problems to McKinsey's support team at the time; its FAQ says support can add time or reset your link, but no reset is possible if you did not report the issue then.
How to prepare
- Read your invitation length first: about 65, 85 or 95 minutes signals which games to expect.
- For Redrock, practice pulling only the relevant numbers from a long dataset and doing percentage and ratio calculations with a basic calculator, and budget time so the short cases are not rushed.
- For Sea Wolf, practice constraint problems: turn each attribute range into a total for three picks, then test combinations systematically rather than by trial and error.
- For the Sustainable Futures Lab, practice prioritising under a limited budget and matching people with different strengths to tasks, answering consistently across linked questions.
- Use each untimed tutorial fully; it is the preparation McKinsey itself provides.
A practice plan
- Day 1: check your invitation length and deadline, and run the tech check on the computer you will use.
- Days 2 and 3: data-case practice: pull the numbers an objective needs from a long table and calculate ratios and growth rates quickly.
- Days 4 and 5: constraint puzzles: choose combinations that satisfy several ranges and rules at once.
- Day 6: one full timed run of the version your invitation implies, reading each tutorial without a clock.
- Day 7: rest, then take the assessment in one uninterrupted block, early in the window.
Related guides: what a case interview is, what an online assessment is, the pymetrics games.
On the day, and the mistakes to avoid
- Take it on a PC or Mac with a stable connection; phones and tablets are not supported.
- Find a slot where you will not be interrupted for the full invitation length plus tutorials.
- Read every tutorial completely, because it is untimed and explains the objective.
- Watch each game's own clock; candidates report that unused time does not carry over to the next game.
- Work deliberately: how you work is reported to count, so random clicking can hurt.
- If anything fails, contact support at once and note the time.
Mistakes that cost candidates:
- Preparing from an old guide that describes games no longer in use.
- Spending most of the data case on investigation and running out of time for the short cases.
- Guessing combinations in a constraint game instead of working from the ranges.
- Answering linked scenario questions inconsistently.
- Treating the games as a gate on their own; they are read alongside your application, so your résumé still matters.
What happens after the McKinsey Solve assessment
Strong results, read alongside your application, lead to case interviews, which guides describe as a business case paired with a Personal Experience Interview about a specific time you led, persuaded or worked through a hard situation. Guides report replies one to two weeks after the assessment, so start case practice while you wait. For the next stage, see consulting intern interview questions.
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
What games are in McKinsey Solve in 2026?
Candidates commonly report Redrock and Sea Wolf, with the Sustainable Futures Lab on 85- and 95-minute invitations. McKinsey does not name the games publicly.
How long is McKinsey Solve?
McKinsey says the length is in your invitation email. Candidates report about 65, 85 or 95 minutes depending on the version, and each game starts with an untimed tutorial.
Can I retake McKinsey Solve?
Not within a year. McKinsey says scores are valid for one year and you can complete Solve only once every 12 months from your completion date.
Can I take McKinsey Solve on a phone or iPad?
No. McKinsey says it is available only on a PC or Mac, after a tech check; sound is not needed and a mouse is optional.
Can I use AI tools during the McKinsey Solve 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.
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