In most cases, a referral does not let you skip McKinsey Solve. Solve is usually a standard part of the process, and referrals are far more likely to influence application visibility than to remove required assessment steps.

You need enough preparation to understand the format and eliminate avoidable mistakes, but online assessments should not consume your entire interview-prep schedule.

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.