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Ask anything about cases, applications and recruiting. Members and coaches answer.
My McK Solve result is 7th decile. Is an interview still possible?
- McKinsey Solve
I got my Solve result back and it's 7th decile. I know that's not terrible, but most of the scores people post online seem much higher. Is 7th decile still competitive enough to get R1, or should I assume the assessment will hold the application back?
Mayank G.CoachA 7th-decile Solve result does not automatically remove you from consideration. McKinsey evaluates the assessment together with the rest of the application, and there is not a public rule that only 9th- or 10th-decile candidates can interview.
How do you actually get your McK Solve score after taking the test?
- McKinsey Solve
I finished Solve and keep seeing people post their exact score and decile, but I never got anything like that automatically. Do you have to email the recruiter for it, and how long after taking Solve should you wait before asking?
Mayank G.CoachMcKinsey does not always send the detailed Solve score automatically. Candidates who receive it often request it from the recruiting contact associated with the assessment.
Should I wait a year to retake McK Solve if my current score is 9th decile?
- McKinsey Solve
I have a 9th-decile Solve score from last year and I'm applying again. I'm debating whether to apply now or wait until the retake window opens so I can try for 10th decile. Would you delay the application for a potentially better score?
Mayank G.CoachA 9th-decile Solve result is already strong. Waiting a full recruiting cycle solely to chase the 10th decile can create a larger opportunity cost than the potential score improvement.
McK Solve is in 1 week. What should the final week of prep look like?
- McKinsey Solve
I have one week until Solve. I've already learned the main formats and done a decent amount of practice, so I don't want to just spam simulations every day. What should the last 7 days focus on: timing, weak games, review, or full runs?
Mayank G.CoachWith one week left, shift from learning new material toward consistency. Identify the two or three weaknesses that still affect timing or accuracy and target those directly.
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.
Strong McK Solve score but no interview. Does that mean my resume was the problem?
- McKinsey Solve
I asked for my Solve result and got a strong score and decile, but I still didn't get an interview. I assumed doing well on Solve would move me through. If the Solve score is competitive but there's no R1, is it usually the resume, school, or just overall applicant competition?
Mayank G.CoachA strong Solve result does not guarantee an interview. McKinsey uses the assessment alongside the rest of the application, so a candidate can perform well on Solve and still not advance.
My McK Solve test is in 3 days. What should I stop doing now?
- McKinsey Solve
Solve is in 3 days and I think I know the formats well enough. At this point I'm more worried about tiring myself out or changing strategies too late. What should I stop doing in the final few days?
Mayank G.CoachThree days out, stop making major changes to your strategy unless something is clearly broken. This is the wrong time to adopt a completely new approach from a random tip.
Anyone else find McK Solve easier after stopping the constant rechecking?
- McKinsey Solve
I realized I was spending a crazy amount of time verifying decisions I already felt good about. When I stopped doing that, the whole game felt less stressful. How do you know which decisions actually deserve a second check?
Mayank G.CoachRechecking is valuable when the decision is high-impact, the calculation is error-prone, or you noticed a genuine inconsistency. It is less useful when you are checking simply because you feel uncomfortable committing.
How much should you rely on a calculator during McK Solve?
- McKinsey Solve
I can do most calculations manually, but using the calculator feels safer. At the same time, constantly switching back and forth slows me down. Do people usually use it for almost everything or only when the numbers get messy?
Mayank G.CoachUse the calculator when it reduces error or cognitive load, not automatically for every operation. Simple arithmetic may be faster mentally, while multi-step calculations can be safer with the tool.
What should I focus on when my McK Solve accuracy is good but I'm still slow?
- McKinsey Solve
My practice accuracy is actually okay now, but pace is still inconsistent. Some tasks go quickly and others take way too long because I keep checking options. What's the best way to work on speed without making accuracy fall apart?
Mayank G.CoachIf accuracy is already strong, analyze where the time is going. Slow performance often comes from overchecking, rereading, or spending too long comparing close options rather than calculation speed.
I got a 9th decile McK Solve score. Is that actually enough for an interview?
- McKinsey Solve
I got my Solve score back and I'm in the 9th decile. It sounds pretty good, but I keep seeing people talk about 10th decile scores and now I'm wondering if 9th is still competitive. Can you still get an interview with 9th decile, or does McKinsey basically expect the very top score now?
Mayank G.CoachA 9th-decile Solve result is strong, but Solve is not the only component of the interview decision. McKinsey also evaluates the application itself, including experience, academics, resume strength, and the competitiveness of the applicant pool.
How do you know if you're over-preparing for McK Solve?
- McKinsey Solve
I've done a lot of practice already and I'm starting to recognize patterns rather than really think through them. More reps are helping less than they did at the beginning. At what point is extra Solve practice just diminishing returns?
Mayank G.CoachOver-preparing usually shows up when additional practice no longer reveals new mistakes and you are starting to memorize patterns instead of reasoning through them.
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.
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.
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.