McKinsey Assessment

Hey,

It’s understandable that you want to feel prepared. But there really isn’t much you can do to “study” for the game assessment. It’s designed as a gamified simulation where you build a functioning ecosystem under constraints, and it primarily tests your critical thinking, prioritization, and decision-making under uncertainty, not consulting knowledge or prep material.

Because of that, weeks of preparation aren’t expected (or needed). Best you can do is be rested, read the instructions carefully, and approach it calmly and logically.

Hope this helps!

hey there :)

Try not to overthink this too much, the McKinsey game is designed to test raw problem solving rather than preparation, so being fully ready is honestly not a requirement. Use the remaining time to get familiar with the format, do a few practice simulations, stay calm and take it seriously, postponing further is very unlikely and skipping it would hurt more than doing it now. Many strong candidates feel unprepared and still pass, so go for it and give it your best, and feel free to reach out if you want last minute tips.

best,
Alessa :)

I absolutely understand the anxiety you’re feeling right now. It is a terrible feeling to be staring down your opportunity knowing you don't feel ready, and that's precisely why you asked for the time.

Here is the candid reality of the recruiting machine: When you are invited to the assessment phase, especially for international offices like Dubai, you are entering a high-volume wave. Granting a three-week extension completely breaks their global cohort management and scheduling pipeline, which is why they only offered the standard one week. Pushing further will likely result in an automatic withdrawal and potentially a mandatory cooling-off period before you can re-apply.

Your strategic choice now is extremely narrow: you must take the assessment within the given timeframe. Holding out for three weeks of "perfect" preparation is not an option the system will allow.

The crucial insider insight about the Solve assessment is this: it tests innate skills like decision-making, efficiency, and deductive reasoning under pressure. These skills are extremely difficult to "cram" for, and over-preparing often leads to overthinking and poor performance. Instead of scrambling for the next three weeks, dedicate the next 48 hours to targeted, high-impact prep. Understand the mechanics of the games, watch credible instructional videos on strategy, and then go into the assessment trusting your core intellect.

You have the invite—that means you are qualified on paper. Don't let the fear of being unprepared prevent you from taking the biggest swing you have right now.

Hope it helps!

Hi there,

It's good that you immediately reached out to ask for an extension. Unfortunately, I would advise you from asking again as they seem to have made it clear that they can only extend it for an additional week. You normally can't really prepare for the game anyway. My suggestion is to take a deep breath and do your best.

It's great that you already asked for an extension and even better that they granted it. 

At this point, based on how you describe the situation, you should just make the most of the timeline you have. 

Try and find resources to prepare. You don't only need to rely on Solve-specific guides. Feel free to use any screening tests from any firm because it will help train some of the cognitive abilities that you need for Solve as well. 

If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out with questions.

Best,

Cristian