McKinsey Solve Test

Question

Hello,

I recently submitted my application for the Associate role at McKinsey's Middle East office. I would appreciate it if someone could clarify how important it is to pass the Solve assessment in order to be invited to the first-round interview.

Thank you in advance for your guidance.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

The McKinsey Solve is McKinsey's pre-interview assessment. If your result is too low, you won't be invited to the interviews, which makes sense because otherwise they wouldn't have implemented it.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey Solve pre-interview assessment and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hey,

Yes, treat the Solve test like a ‘must-win’. Plenty of people receive rejections due to poor scores on this test.

I think Francesco (another coach here) has some resources to practice. Several other sites offer some free resources too.

Let me know if you want any extra support with McK interview prep.

Best of luck

Mihir

Answer 3

Very important.

Basically, for most offices, once they check that your application is complete and relevant, they send you Solve. Then they assess the results from Solve together with your CV and CL and your referral (if you have one). Based on this, they decide whether or not to invite you to the first round.

That's both good news and bad.

In the sense that it's important to nail the Solve. But at the same time, it's critical to take care of the other case elements as well.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

hello!

Yes, passing the Solve test is critical to move forward—it's usually a screening step before the first-round interviews. If you don’t meet their threshold, it's unlikely they’ll proceed with your application, regardless of your background. That said, the bar can vary slightly by office and role, and sometimes a strong referral or exceptional profile can help. But in general, take the Solve seriously and prepare well—there are plenty of good practice resources out there to get used to the format and pace.

Best,
Alessa :)

Answer 5

Hi there,

Your SOLVE score will be evaluated together with your CV to see if you’re moving to the interview phase. So yes, it is important.

Good luck!

Mari