Is the mckinsey psg/imbellus a good indication of one's capability in consulting?

My personal opinion is that it is not a good indication.

Both games are totally learnable as long as you practice a couple days. There are even pre-fabricated algorithms for the ecosystem game which some people sell, which totally distorts the whole point of the exercise.

Honestly, I am really not sure why McKinsey introduced this game, and it is such a pity that people who don‘t do well in the game but otherwise definitely have the credentials to be invited for an interview are rejected (oftentimes because they trust McKinsey‘s official statement that „no preparation is needed“, which is bluntly wrong). That‘s a perfect example how a firm misses out on talent…

The consulting toolkit is very comprehensive and Imbellus covers a small portion of that, meaning:

• You could excel at Imbellus but not have skills beyond that, which would make for a pretty lousy consultant
• You could fail Imbellus (lack of skills or just bad luck) and still have what it takes because your skillset is otherwise pretty complete

Either way, it’s an imperfect tool. Unfortunately for you, that’s how McKinsey chose to select their candidates but it shouldn’t make you feel bad at all! They should feel bad for missing out on some great people…

Best of luck!

Hi there,

Two observations from my side:

1. Imbellus published a research paper where they show a strong correlation between candidates who pass the game and then receive an offer with the firm.
2. Adding to that, McKinsey believes that offer holders are able to progress through all career levels including Engagement Managers

Based on these two data points, one would assume that it's a good indication, however, I have my doubts since it introduces another bias. Candidates with video game experience are at a significant advantage since they have more experience navigating menus, coming up with strategies, etc.

I have dealt with this game since its launch as I was writing the first available guide on it in November 2019. The experience I gathered through talking to hundreds of candidates who took the game supports my assumption from above. I believe that is also the reason why McKinsey/Imbellus now introduced a question during the test, asking for your gaming experience…

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Q: Is the mckinsey psg/imbellus a good indication of one's capability in consulting?

Well, according to McKinsey yes. That’s why they are using it.

However, it is still a test. Which means that if you prepare for it (you can find here as an example of a guide – full disclosure – I am the author;) ) you can improve substantially.

You can find a free article with a few tips below:

▶ McKinsey Problem Solving Game Article

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

I'd rather phrase is as whether it's a good indication of one's intelligence.

McKinsey is ultimately using it as a screening device, so they believe it indicates whether you'll be a good consultant or not.

However, it's not really testing consulting skills per-sey, but just general analytical/problem-solving and interpretation ability. So, it's really just an IQ test.

That said, please don't get mixed up with probabilistic tools and fact.

They are looking to minimize Type I errors. So, people that get through should be good enough to interview, but that doesn't mean if you fail, you can't be a good consultant.

On average, people who fail are less capable. On average, people who pass are more capable. But you cannot confuse the forest for the trees when it comes to interpreting individual data/outcomes for something that was designed with regression analysis with large scale data.