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McKinsey Solve Test

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.

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Top answer
Hagen
Coach
edited on May 27, 2025
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 9+ years consulting, interviewing and coaching experience

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

Mihir
Coach
on May 26, 2025
McKinsey Associate Partner and interviewer | Bulletproof MBB prep

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

Anonymous A
on May 26, 2025
Hello,

I was wondering if McKinsey considers the strength of a candidate’s CV and any internal referrals, in addition to the Solve assessment results, when deciding who to invite for interviews.

Thank you for your time and insights.

Best regards,
on May 26, 2025
#1 Rated McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates

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

Alessa
Coach
on May 28, 2025
xMcKinsey & Company | xBCG | xRB | >400 coachings | feel free to schedule an intro call for free

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 :)

Mariana
Coach
on May 26, 2025
xMckinsey | Consulting and Tech | 1.5h session | +200 sessions | Free 20-min introductory call

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

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