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McKinsey Solve-style: explanation and free practice
Modelled on public descriptions of the current Solve (2026): Sea Wolf (cleaning polluted sites with microbes), Redrock (research scenario with data and a conclusion) and Sustainable Futures Lab (deciding and prioritising in a nature project). A 65-minute invite usually contains Redrock and Sea Wolf, an 85-minute invite all three.
- Online test
- McKinsey’s problem-solving game (Solve). Used by McKinsey & Company.
- Language
- English
- Duration
- ± 41 minutes
Parts
Build a treatment of three microbes that cleans the polluted site.
Tip: First cross out every microbe with the undesired trait. Turn a range into a sum for three microbes: range 3–5 means a sum of 9 to 15. Three average microbes often work better than one outlier.
Read the research question, pick the relevant data, calculate and draw the right conclusion.
Tip: Read the research question twice and underline the unit. Not all data are needed: leaving out irrelevant columns is part of the score.
You advise on a sustainability project. Choose the best next step each time.
Tip: Pick the answer that moves the project forward and protects quality. Extreme answers (ignore everything, change everything, analyse everything) are almost never the best.
Practise for free: McKinsey Solve-style
Numbered practice tests with an explanation for every answer, plus interview and assessment day practice. No account needed.
Practise for free →Used by
This page was created with the help of AI based on public sources and may contain errors. Always check dates and requirements with the company. Updated: 28 September 2026.