Community Forum
Ask anything about cases, applications and recruiting. Members and coaches answer.
Is McK Solve practice still useful when the real scenarios can change?
- McKinsey Solve
I get that the exact scenarios won't be the same, so sometimes practice feels like I'm learning a fake version of the game. What part of Solve prep actually transfers to the real test if the data and setup can change?
Mayank G.CoachThe value of practice is not memorizing scenarios. It is learning the mechanics, how information is presented, what decisions require, and how to manage your attention and time.
Should I take notes during McK Solve or keep everything on screen?
- McKinsey Solve
I write down a lot in practice because it helps me track numbers and options, but it also slows me down and I end up looking away from the screen a lot. How much note-taking is actually useful for Solve?
Mayank G.CoachSome notes can help, especially for numbers, option comparisons, or information you need to reuse. But extensive transcription can become a distraction in a time-constrained game.
McK Solve: does taking too long on one task hurt even if the answer is right?
- McKinsey Solve
I'm getting decent accuracy in practice but some tasks take me forever. I can usually reach the right answer if I keep working, but I'm not sure how much pace matters in the scoring. Should I be optimizing mainly for correct decisions or also aggressively cutting time per task?
Mayank G.CoachCorrectness matters, but very slow execution can still become a problem because Solve is time-constrained. The right target is accurate decisions at a sustainable pace, not perfect certainty on every task.
Do you actually need to practice every McK Solve game before test day?
- McKinsey Solve
There are a lot of Solve game types and I don't have unlimited prep time. I'm wondering if it's better to get very comfortable with the main formats or try to touch every possible game once. How broad does prep need to be before test day?
Mayank G.CoachYou do not need to become equally expert in every possible Solve task. The priority is understanding the mechanics and decision logic of the game types you are most likely to encounter, then building enough flexibility for unfamiliar variations.
McK Solve: how much should I trust my first answer vs double-check everything?
- McKinsey Solve
In practice I second-guess myself a lot. Sometimes checking again catches a mistake, other times I waste time and change an answer that was right. For McK Solve, is it better to move once the logic feels solid, or should I leave time to verify most decisions?
Mayank G.CoachYou generally want a balance between decisiveness and verification. Rechecking every step can destroy your pacing, but blindly trusting every first answer can turn small mistakes into avoidable losses.
My McKinsey interviews are within 2 weeks. How should I prepare for Solve and the case interviews?
- McKinsey Solve
My Mckinsey interviews within 2 weeks. The Solve assessment and the preparation of the case interviews.
Does a referral help you skip McKinsey Solve, or does everyone still have to do it?
- Online Assessments
- McKinsey Solve
I heard from someone that a strong referral can sometimes help you skip parts of the process, but I cannot tell if that is actually true or just recruiting mythology. Specifically wondering about McKinsey Solve. If you have a referral, do you still get Solve like everyone else? And if yes, does the referral help at all beyond getting you to that stage?
Mayank G.CoachIn 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.
Best way to prepare for McKinsey Solve if you only have a short amount of time?
- Online Assessments
- McKinsey Solve
I might get Solve soon and I do not have a huge prep window. There is a lot of advice online, but I cannot tell what is actually worth spending time on versus what is just noise. If you only had maybe a week or two, what would you focus on most for McKinsey Solve?
Mayank G.CoachIf 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.