McKinsey Solve invitation

Question

Hello everyone.

Background: I sent my application for McKinsey BA last Friday, and today I got my solve invitation. My preferred locations were Dubai and London, with higher % to Dubai. I'm mostly interested in the PEPI practice and I made sure to highlight that on my CV. My internships are in valuation & modelling (oil & gas), project finance debt, and currently private equity (infrastructure & energy). I'm currently working with McKinsey team on raising a new fund, and they're doing a lot of due diligence work and strategy with the placement agent. We're also working with them to improve an IPP which suffered from CoD's delays.

Today, I received my solve invitation. It's been barely 1 business day so I was wondering - was this invitation automated?

I did it last year and unfortunately got rejected. I got a good score on the game but made many mistakes the statistics questions. Any tips on this would be really appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

Hi there,

As far as I know (at least in Northern Europe), there is no automated Solve Invitations that go out from McKinsey. It seems most likely that your CV was screened quite fast, as you've applied before. McKinsey has a "See you later" program for candidates they think are exciting for future prospect, so perhaps you've been entered into that.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Thor

Answer 2

Hi there,

With most offices, they check your application first before sending out the Solve invite.

Specifically, they check whether the application is complete and relevant. Whether the CV looks fine, the cover letter, whether you've filled in all the relevant information.

But it's not a deep check.

Only after you've done Solve, do they go in depth through everything in order to figure out whether to invite you for the first round.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

Hi there,

Yes, the Solve invitation is automated and usually comes right after CV screening. It doesn’t mean you’ve been accepted or rejected—it’s simply the next required step in the process. The fact that it came so quickly is normal and not a signal either way.

On the Solve game:

Keep calm on statistics: Many candidates overthink. Focus on applying basic probability, ratios, and averages with clear, structured reasoning. Don’t rush calculations—accuracy matters more than speed.
Pattern recognition: Practice interpreting graphs and data quickly, as many questions are about spotting trends rather than heavy math.
Time management: Don’t get stuck on one tough question. It’s better to answer most questions correctly and skip a couple than to run out of time.
Practice resources: Brush up on GMAT-style problem-solving and mental math drills—they’re closest to the Solve math section.

Since you already did it once, your key is to learn from last time—stay precise on the quant side, keep track of time, and structure your thinking even when it feels “game-like.”

Feel free to reach out if you need further advice / suggested sources.

Best,
Evelina

Answer 4

Hi there,

Probably not, so congratulations on moving on in the process :-)

There is a good course for the Solve game made by Francesco, def worth checking (he refunds you if you don't pass the assessment).

Good luck,

Mari