McKinsey Solve practice

Timed simulations of every Solve module on original content: Redrock Study, Sea Wolf, Sustainable Futures Lab, Ecosystem Building and Plant Defense.

View practice options Try 2 worked examples

Six module simulations, three full sittings and two warm-up drills. One McKinsey Solve pass covers all of them.

Practice coverage. Every current Solve module, the legacy Ecosystem Building module and the retired Plant Defense module have a timed simulation here, and the three full sittings match the 65-, 85- and 95-minute invitations. Use your invitation and McKinsey’s tutorials for your own test.

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Practice options

Choose a module simulation, a full sitting, or a warm-up drill. Each card shows your account’s access.

View your results and progress

Module simulations

Each simulation runs one Solve module on its own clock, with one free attempt.

Full sittings

The module lineups in 65-, 85- and 95-minute invitations, back to back.

Warm-up drills

Untimed data-study and constraint-team skills drills, each with its own free attempt.

One McKinsey Solve pass includes every module simulation, full sitting and warm-up drill, with their replays, for its selected period. Other assessments have separate access. Saved answers and worked reviews remain available after a pass ends.

Worked examples

Two original problems with explanations. No account needed.

Try each problem before revealing its solution. These short teaching examples are separate from the scored practice scenarios.

Data study: percentage growth

A restoration project counts established seedlings at two sites. Both counts use the same definition and cover all seedlings at those sites.

Established seedling counts before and after the project
SiteBeforeAfter
North800920
South400440

What was the percentage increase in the combined count? Round to one decimal place.

Show the calculation and report

Answer: 13.3%.

  1. Combine the original counts: 800 + 400 = 1,200.
  2. Combine the later counts: 920 + 440 = 1,360.
  3. Calculate the increase against the original total: (1,360 − 1,200) ÷ 1,200 × 100 = 13.333…%.

A tempting mistake: North grew by 15% and South by 10%, but averaging these percentages gives 12.5%. The original site sizes differ, so they should not have equal weight.

Report the supported conclusion: “The combined count increased by 160 seedlings, or 13.3%.” These counts alone do not establish that the restoration project caused the increase.

Journal habit: Keep each number with its site, period and unit. Recording “800” without its label makes later calculations harder to check.

Constraint team: selecting organisms

Choose exactly three different organisms. Their mean power must be 6–8 and mean endurance 4–6, including the endpoints. At least one must have the Filter trait. None may have Fragile. Traits are labels, not numbers to average.

Five original organisms and their attributes
IDPowerEnduranceTrait
A75Filter
B84Stable
C66Neutral
D119Filter
E33Fragile

Which three-organism team meets every requirement?

Show the team and every check

Answer: A + B + C.

  • Mean power: (7 + 8 + 6) ÷ 3 = 7. Within 6–8.
  • Mean endurance: (5 + 4 + 6) ÷ 3 = 5. Within 4–6.
  • Required trait: A supplies Filter.
  • Forbidden trait: None has Fragile.

E is ruled out by its forbidden trait. Among the remaining organisms, any three-member team containing D exceeds at least one mean limit: A+B+D exceeds power; A+C+D exceeds endurance; B+C+D exceeds both. A+B+C is therefore the only valid team here.

A useful shortcut: Convert mean ranges into team totals. For three members, power must total 18–24 and endurance 12–18. Check these totals and both trait rules before committing.

This small example teaches the checks. Our scored practice includes a screening and drafting workflow before the final team selection.

About the McKinsey Solve assessment

The current official overview demonstrates two tasks. In Red Rock Island, you investigate research data, organize a journal, use an integrated calculator and report conclusions. In Sea Wolf, you find prospects in a database and sort and select microbes to create treatments suited to particular sites.

That is a useful description of the skills to expect. It does not disclose a complete scoring formula or guarantee the tasks on every invitation. Our exercises use original datasets, scenarios and controls.

Watch McKinsey’s official Solve overview

Reviewing your practice results

Wrong denominator?

Distinguish percentage change from percentage points. Check units and the starting population before calculating.

Missing evidence?

Keep the source labels in your journal. Report what the data supports, and separate an observed change from a causal explanation.

A local choice broke the team?

An attractive individual can push the group mean outside a target range. Recheck the final combination against every requirement.

Ran out of time?

Compare the work you completed with what remained. Practice the unclear step untimed before trying another full sitting.

McKinsey Solve practice questions

What is the McKinsey Solve assessment?

Solve is McKinsey’s digital problem-solving assessment, used in consultant recruitment. McKinsey considers the result alongside the rest of an application. Its current public introduction demonstrates Red Rock Island, which involves investigating data and reporting conclusions, and Sea Wolf, which involves selecting microbe treatments for sites. That introduction is not a guarantee that every invitation has the same tasks.

Which parts does this practice cover?

Every module: Island Study simulates the Redrock Study format, Site Treatment simulates Sea Wolf, Project Lead and Team Lab simulate the 20- and 30-minute Sustainable Futures Lab formats, Ecosystem Builder simulates the legacy Ecosystem Building module, and Grove Defense simulates the retired Plant Defense module. Full sittings combine them at 65, 85 and 95 minutes. All content, names and scoring are ours.

How long is the real assessment?

Use the duration in your own invitation. McKinsey’s FAQ says that the duration is provided there, and each task has an untimed tutorial. Each module simulation here runs on that module’s reported clock: Island Study (Redrock Study) 35 minutes, Site Treatment (Sea Wolf) 30, Project Lead 20 and Team Lab 30 (Sustainable Futures Lab), Ecosystem Builder 35 and Grove Defense (Plant Defense) 36. The full sittings run 65, 85 and 95 minutes, and the two warm-up drills are untimed.

Does McKinsey say preparation is necessary?

No. McKinsey says no preparation is needed, and its FAQ says prior business knowledge and gaming experience are not required. Our practice gives you a place to work through original data and constraint problems and inspect your mistakes.

Is there a pass mark or an official process score here?

We show performance on our original tasks and worked explanations. McKinsey does not publish a pass threshold or detailed scoring formula in the sources linked here.

Can I use this during the real assessment?

No. This is for separate preparation. McKinsey’s assessment rules prohibit other websites, applications, AI tools and pre-prepared notes during Solve, and prohibit recording or capturing the assessment. Use the permitted in-assessment tools and your invitation’s instructions. Our own practice includes tools for learning; that does not grant permission to use outside tools on test day.

Which employers use Solve?

This track is for candidates invited by McKinsey. Solve is not a generic assessment vendor used interchangeably by other consulting firms. Consultant recruitment may involve Solve alongside application review and interviews, while the process for a particular role or office can differ. Follow the instructions for your own application.

What is free, and what does a pass include?

The two worked examples on this page are free without an account. Each module simulation has one free attempt, and so does each warm-up drill; sign in to see your access on each practice card. One McKinsey Solve pass covers every module, the three full sittings and the two warm-up drills for its selected period. It does not unlock other assessments. Saved answers and explanations remain free to review.

For the evidence behind current task descriptions and the limits of candidate reports, read our McKinsey Solve format guide.

McKinsey Solve practice options

Choose a module simulation, a full sitting or a warm-up.

Check practice access

Sources checked October 6, 2026. Game Assessment Prep is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by McKinsey & Company. Red Rock Island, Sea Wolf, Sustainable Futures Lab, Ecosystem Building, Plant Defense and Solve are referenced to explain the relevant assessment; our content and scoring are original. No actual assessment questions or proprietary interface assets are reproduced.