McKinsey Solve Game Preparation

There are some YT videos that explain them. And you can get simulations from casementor.com. Also, if you do the old Problem Solving Tests from McKinsey you will have a good foundation.

I did it a few days ago without any mock tests and passed.
Just watch some youtube video. They explained about the Solve game pretty well.

For Redrock, it's very straightforward, no brain teasing questions. Read the prompt, think a few min for approach just same as case prep. Choose and store whatever info you need and do easy calculation. Just don't overthink and follow it's instruction/prompt. I had to triple check all my answers simply because I had enough time.

For Sea Wolf, I watched all youtube video at least twice since it was new type. I even wasted my time to practice ecosystem until two day before the deadline. Anyhow, you would need to familiarize yourself to complete this format/game. You need to understand that you might not be able to find the perfect bacteria/microbe that gives you 100% score. What I found in my game was, 1st site 100%, 2nd and 3rd 60%. 

Don't need to use excel sheet or any kinds of cheat to finish Solve game. 

Use Paper and Pen. 

Hey there :)

You definitely don’t need 15–25 full Redrock mocks. The game is testing logical thinking, trade-offs, and consistency in decision-making, not whether you’ve memorized scenarios. Practicing that many is overkill. A few targeted practice rounds to get familiar with the mechanics are enough. What helps much more is to train the underlying skills: working with probabilities, resource allocation, and multi-step logic under time pressure.

If you want to invest, there are some platforms that replicate Redrock’s style, but you can also practice with strategy games, probability puzzles, or even online logic/optimization games. The key is staying structured and calm rather than “beating” a specific test.

Feel free to reach out for more tips :)

best,
Alessa :)

Hi there,

You don’t need to do 15–25 full-length mock tests to be ready for Solve. That figure is an exaggeration—McKinsey is testing your problem-solving approach under time pressure, not whether you’ve memorized game patterns. A handful of well-targeted practice sessions is usually enough.

For the Redrock ecosystem game, the key skills are:

• Quickly identifying cause–effect relationships (how changes to one species affect others).
• Running small, structured experiments to see what happens.
• Balancing short-term fixes with long-term ecosystem stability.

Where to practice:

• You can also train by doing systems-thinking puzzles and resource-management games (e.g. free ecology simulations, logic games).
• Even if you only do 3–5 solid mock runs, what matters most is reflecting on your mistakes and improving your strategy.

In short: quality > quantity. A few targeted mocks plus focused drills on logical reasoning and data interpretation will prepare you far better than rushing through 20 practice tests.

Feel free to reach out if any more questions.

Best,

Evelina