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McKinsey Imbellus Game

I applied to McKinsey Dubai office for an Associate role last week. Got the Imbellus Test 2 days later. I got a marine ecosystem and plant defence games.

I made a sustainable ecosystem (99% sure) and the plant was defended for more than 25 moves in each of the levels. I completed the test in less than 60 minutes.

But, McKinsey recruitment just informed me that they wont be able to move forward with my application. I have no idea on why this may have happened. 

Any insights would be helpful as I am applying to Bain and BCG.

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Top answer
Hagen
Coach
on Feb 07, 2023
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 9+ years consulting, interviewing and coaching experience

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejection from McKinsey!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

  • First of all, it's important to note that there may be a slowdown in recruiting among strategy consulting companies. While this might not be the case for your specific company and office, it is still worth mentioning.
  • Moreover, even if you performed well on the McKinsey Solve, there could have been other factors that influenced the decision not to move forward with your application such as your overall profile, the specific application files, a potential referral aso.
  • I would advise you to focus on your applications to Bain and BCG and give your best effort there. Remember that the outcome of one application does not define your worth or future success.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Ian
Coach
on Feb 07, 2023
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear.

Unfortunately, passing the Imbellus is a necessary, but not sufficient condition to be invited to interview.

The other factors at play are:

  1. Overall strength of background/profile
  2. Strength of resume itself (how well it's done)
  3. Networking / referral
  4. Pipeline/demand
  5. # applicants/supply

Make sure to network extensively with Bain + BCG prior to applying in order to maximize your odds!

Florian
Coach
on Feb 07, 2023
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

We are seeing a significant decrease in hiring across all firms at the moment, also in McKinsey.

Hence, it is likely that the average scores to move further in the process have increased as well unfortunately for the moment.

On top of that other factors are considered as well:

  • Resume
  • Referrals
  • Strength of other candidates
  • Demand

All the best,

Florian

on Feb 08, 2023
#1 Rated McKinsey Coach | Top MBB Coach | Verifiable success rates

Hi there, 

Sorry to hear. 

First of all, doing really well in the game doesn't guarantee that you'll pass to the interview rounds. They assess your results from the game together with your CV, cover letter and referral (if applicable) before deciding to take your further or not. So it might just be that the rest of the application documents were not great. 

Second of all, since there's a bit of a slowing down in recruiting at the moment, the standards for candidates have increased, so it's even harder than usual to get to the interviews. 

Best,

Cristian

Anonymous C
edited on Feb 06, 2023

Yeah, I know the feeling dude.

Just received my rejection as well, I do know for a fact that I did the imbellus test extremely well. Maybe they're not satisfied with the CV, maybe it's slowing staffing, who knows.

However it's just how things are. I'm gonna concentrate on building my CV and apply come September. I hope you do too. 

5
Anonymous B
edited on Feb 06, 2023

Did they give you a deadline to complete the Imbellus Test?

4
Anonymous A
on Feb 06, 2023
Yes. Today (6th Feb) was the deadline and I did the test in 2 days of receiving the test.
Anonymous B
on Feb 06, 2023
How long was the time given to complete the test? How many days or weeks till the deadline did they give you?
Anonymous B
on Feb 06, 2023
How long did they give you till the deadline to complete the Imbellus?
Anonymous D
on Feb 07, 2023

My friends and I got rejected last night as well. I assume it's a hiring freeze :(

4
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