Does rejection from the McKinsey and Company case workshop hinder my ability to apply for the open roles in London, and will I be subject to the 12-month waiting period?

Question

Hello everyone,

I was recently contacted by a McKinsey recruiter on LinkedIn and encouraged to apply for the UK North and Midlands Case Workshop. The application included three components: online CV submission, CRS survey, and the digital assessment Solve. Unfortunately, today, I received a rejection email stating that I had not been shortlisted as a participant.

As someone preparing to apply for current open roles at the London office, Junior Associate or Business Analyst positions (online application deadline: October 13th) or the Generalist Consultant position (deadline: January), I wanted to ask the community for advice.

Will this workshop rejection affect my eligibility to apply for these London office roles? I understand that McKinsey generally has a 12-month reapplication ban policy following a failed application or failed Solve assessment. However, the rejection email did not clarify whether my Solve outcome was a pass or a fail, nor did it state the reason for rejection.

I have already followed up with the recruitment team to express my gratitude and to seek clarification. Based on my understanding, the CRS survey is typically used as a screening-in rather than screening-out tool, so I suspect the Solve assessment may have been the deciding factor.

My key question is: Does rejection from the case workshop hinder my ability to apply for the open London roles in the upcoming months, and will I be subject to the 12-month waiting period?

Thank you very much for your guidance and insights.

Answer 1

Hello Steve,

Really sorry to hear that. I can assure you that it will not impact your application and does not impose a 12 month ban on your candidature. Outcome of the Solve too does not impose the above mentioned ban.

It is only and if only one has been unsuccessful in an interview or failed to receive an offer, the 12 month cool off period starts.

I have helped many candidates to get interview invite, given the profile, resume, cover letter and networking is on point. So if I were you, I will focus on these areas and move on.

Good luck!

Dr. Abhinav Pawar

Answer 2

Hi Steve,

This rejection won't hinder you from applying roles in London, so you won't be subjected to the 12-month waiting period.

Answer 3

Hard to know. Honestly, only the recruiter would be able to answer.

Empirically, what I've noticed is that they don't have any connection one to the other. Your rejection from the workshop hasn't anything to do with the formal recruitment process for the job. Do ask them though.

Best,

Cristian

Answer 4

No impact. You were applying for a workshop, not a job at the firm.

You can still apply to the job :)

Answer 5

Hi Steve,

A rejection does not automatically block you from applying to other open roles, including Junior Associate, Business Analyst, or Generalist Consultant positions. The 12-month waiting period usually applies to full role applications or failed Solve assessments, not workshop participation. Since your rejection email didn’t specify a Solve fail, it’s likely your eligibility for London roles remains unaffected. Following up with the recruiter, as you did, is the best way to get confirmation.

In short: you should still be able to apply for the upcoming London roles without being subject to the 12-month ban.

Alessa