If time is short, prioritize familiarity with the format, decision speed, and staying calm under imperfect information. Solve is not just about raw intelligence. It is also about how efficiently you process information and make choices.

That means you should focus on understanding the task types, practicing under time pressure, and making sure your basic setup is clean. Technical issues, slow navigation, or uncertainty about how the game works can waste a surprising amount of mental energy.

A short prep window can still be enough if the practice is focused. The goal is not to master every possible variation. It is to remove preventable mistakes and make the environment feel familiar. You may also find it helpful to read this McKinsey Solve guide and practice overview if you want a more structured way to practice this.

I would spend the time understanding the format first. Going in blind makes everything harder.

System setup matters more than people think.

The limited prep window is fine if your practice is targeted.

For me, time pressure was the biggest adjustment compared with normal case prep.