Hey guys, can you give me tips on how to prepare Mckinsy problem sovling games?
Hey guys, can you give me tips on how to prepare Mckinsy problem sovling games?
Preparation
My personal view, supported by candidate feedback is that the game is very hard to prepare for. Some candidates even felt they overprepared and hurt their chances (they had too much material, tried to game the system, and forgot to actually just immerse themselves in the game and figure it out).
In my view, you do not need extensive prep time to prepare for the test. You should familiarize yourself with the screens, go through some tutorials/examples, but it is not nearly as time-consuming as case prep.
Similar Games
If you really want to play games in order to prepare for an interview (some people do), tower defense games are your best bet.
Gugan Frontier is pretty similar to the ecosystem portion of the test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za3V9kWJcQI
Some Prior Q&As
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/imbellus-mc-kinsey-6041
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mckinsey-imbellus-test-6802
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mckinsey-imbellus-is-it-gono-go-6792
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mckinsey-imbellus-game-7063
I agree with B! There are countless threats on this in this forum. Search for Imbellus.
A good start is to learn how to search for relevant past Q&A on this forum!
Hi,
Whilst you don't have to be a gamer to perform well, the game will certainly test your problem solving ability and your ability to navigate in challenging circumstances.
Which skills are tested?
The game records all of the candidate’s actions (e.g., every movement of the mouse, time spent to choose an action) and uses machine learning to assess candidates’ way of thinking. It’s as much about how close candidates come to the best solution as about how they tackle the problem through. During the game McK assesses 5 cognitive abilities that are critical for a career in consulting:
How to cultivate these skills?
Let’s break down each skillset and find ways to improve.
Critical thinking could be broken down into the following subskills:
In order to improve your critical thinking I would suggest using mind mapping technique. It exploits the fact that our brains process information visually much more effectively than they do when it’s presented in a written document.
The idea behind mind mapping is that you start with a central theme or idea, typically drawn in a box in the middle of the page, and then from that you create branches, which lead to other ideas, or to supporting evidence or ancillary information.
Decision making could be broken down into the following subskills:
In order to improve your decision making skills I would suggest that you start applying it to your everyday life situations and start developing small decision making frameworks for each situation (e.g. going to the shop)
Self-awareness could be broken down into the following subskills:
The best way to improve your self-awareness is to reduce your EGO barrier and blind spots. You can read Ray Dalio Principles for more details.
Situational awareness could be broken down into the following subskills:
In order to improve your situational awareness I suggest that you take typical life situation and:
Systematic thinking could be broken down into the following subskills:
This skill could be largely improved by solving business cases.
ALSO I suggest that you should start investing your time into playing different computer/mobile game, where you can practice applying these skills.
Hope it helps!
Anton
Hi there,
I have done an in-depth study on the Imbellus. Most of the comments I found online are something like this:
Not sure what you think, but I don’t believe that’s very useful. Nor did the several people I coached who had to do the test.
So I worked hard with the candidates that actually did the test and created a guide with everything you need to know on the Imbellus.
This guide will:
This guide will cover every single part of the Game, so you can be 100% confident the day of the assessment, without worrying “I should have prepared better for this”. You won’t need any additional material to prepare after it.
You can download the guide instantly here:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/mckinsey-imbellus-game-secrets-48
As an extra bonus, I am offering for a limited time the Consulting Industry Cheat Sheet (worth $29) for free with the guide. You will get access to the key insights of the 17 most common industries in case interviews.
If you need additional support or have any questions on the guide please feel free to PM me, I am happy to provide extra tips for free.
Best,
Francesco
Just check the Q&A forum for Imbellus keyword and you will find lots of reply's and preparation materials by other coaches.
Cheers,
GB