Community Forum
Ask anything about cases, applications and recruiting. Members and coaches answer.
Does a referral help you skip McKinsey Solve, or does everyone still have to do it?
- Online Assessments
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?
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.
How much prep do MBB online assessments actually require?
- Online Assessments
For Solve / Casey / Bain assessments, are we talking a few hours to understand the format or multiple weeks of serious prep? I do not want to underprepare, but I also have case interviews to work on. How would you split time if the assessment is in about 10 days?
You need enough preparation to understand the format and eliminate avoidable mistakes, but online assessments should not consume your entire interview-prep schedule.
How should I prepare for Bain SOVA / TestGorilla?
- Online Assessments
I have a Bain online assessment coming up and keep seeing SOVA and TestGorilla mentioned. What should I actually practice so I am not just doing random aptitude questions?
Start by confirming which assessment your office is using, because Bain's testing format can differ by geography and recruiting cycle.
Best way to prepare for McKinsey Solve if you only have a short amount of time?
- Online Assessments
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?
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.
Is BCG Casey actually easier than the live interview or just a different challenge?
- Online Assessments
I have seen people say BCG Casey is easier than the live interview, but other people say they did fine in live cases and still struggled with Casey. That makes me think it is not really easier, just testing a different set of things. For anyone who has done both, how would you compare them? I am trying to figure out where to focus my prep.
Casey is not simply easier or harder. It is different. The format changes the experience quite a bit because you are responding to a digital flow instead of interacting with a human interviewer in real time.
How should I prepare for BCG Casey if I am already doing normal case practice?
- Online Assessments
I am doing regular case prep already, but I know Casey is a different format. How much separate prep does it actually need?
You do not need to rebuild your prep from scratch, but you do need some format-specific practice. The biggest difference is getting used to how information is presented and how little room there is for clarification compared with a live interview.