The McKinsey Imbellus Game (or Imbellus Solve) replaces the PST that McKinsey used until recently
The McKinsey Imbellus Game has proven to be very effective in providing a more holistic assessment of applicants. At the same time, it reduces bias against those unfamiliar with standardized testing and helps expedite recruitment during pandemic-related closures. As of May 2020, this has resulted in 15,000 McKinsey applicants being tested in more than 30 countries. Those numbers have undoubtedly grown exponentially since then as more cohorts take the test and McKinsey expands it to the rest of its network of firms.
The Imbellus Game is based on the use of simulations that measure candidates' cognitive abilities
The McKinsey Imbellus Game typically includes 4 parts:
- Digital Skills: This part tests your skills in using technology and digital tools. You have to solve tasks like sorting files and performing simple programming tasks.
- Abstraction: This part is about recognizing abstract patterns and relationships. For example, you identify a series of shapes and match them up or solve abstract problems.
- Spatial reasoning: This part tests your ability to process and manipulate spatial information. Tasks such as designing 3D objects or solving spatial problems are included.
- Behavioral skills: This part tests your ability to interact with other people and your emotional skills. You have to solve tasks like recognizing emotions in facial expressions or interpreting social interactions.
In summary, the McKinsey Imbellus Game is a comprehensive test that measures applicants' cognitive abilities in various areas. The McKinsey digital assessment is played on a desktop, not on a smartphone like other games. It looks and feels like a PC game and is very intuitive for the user.
As with the BCG Online Case, the Bain Sova Test or the Pymetrics Game, the McKinsey Imbellus Game tests a wide range of skills and attributes of the applicant
Qualities and skills that are still tested in the McKinsey Digital Assessment are:
- Critical Thinking
- Decision making
- Metacognition
- Situational Awareness
- Systems-oriented thinking
