Practice the McKinsey Solve simulator before your real assessment

Solve Games Guide is the most realistic practice platform for the McKinsey Solve assessment, with timed simulators for Redrock, Sea Wolf, and the Sustainable Futures Lab. Start free with one session per game, no credit card.

Practice free What is the McKinsey Solve Game

McKinsey Sea Wolf simulation

What is the McKinsey Solve Game?

The McKinsey Solve Game is a timed digital assessment McKinsey uses early in recruiting, after your application and before interviews. It replaced the written McKinsey Problem Solving Test (PST) and was originally built by Imbellus. It contains up to three games: Redrock, Sea Wolf, and the Sustainable Futures Lab.

Invitations commonly state 65 or 85 minutes, while early candidate reports describe a 95-minute version now being tested. Depending on the invitation, candidates may receive Redrock, Sea Wolf, and Sustainable Futures Lab in different configurations. Your invitation email is the authority on which format applies to you.

Practice for free Read our McKinsey Solve overview

Official McKinsey introduction to the digital assessment.

Read the official guidelines

Solve Games Guide walkthrough of the McKinsey Solve assessment.

McKinsey Solve games, durations, and free practice

The McKinsey Solve assessment contains three games: Redrock, Sea Wolf, and the Sustainable Futures Lab. Here is what each one asks you to do, how long it runs, and what a free Solve Games Guide account includes.

Redrock

Duration
35 minutes
Difficulty
Hard
Skills Tested
Data analysis, maths, and quantitative reasoning
Trial Scope
1 free case
Try Redrock Free

Sea Wolf

Duration
30 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Skills Tested
Trade-off analysis and logical reasoning
Trial Scope
1 free session
Try Sea Wolf Free

Sustainable Futures Lab

Duration
20 minutes
Difficulty
Easier
Skills Tested
Situational judgement and prioritisation
Trial Scope
1 free scenario
Try Sustainable Futures Lab Free

The Sea Wolf Solver is a separate Solve Games Guide study tool for learning optimisation logic between practice runs. It is not a McKinsey Solve game and is not available during the real assessment.

New to the Solve Game? Read the overview →

How applying to McKinsey works

Solve normally follows the initial application review and comes before case and fit interviews. Your invitation email is the final authority for your process and deadlines.

  1. Application

    Resume and application screening

  2. Solve Game

    Timed digital assessment

  3. First round

    Case and fit interviews

  4. Final round

    Partner interviews

Read McKinsey’s official assessment guidance

What does the time in your McKinsey Solve invitation mean?

The duration in your invitation is the clearest signal of the assessment configuration you may receive.

  1. 65 minutes
    Legacy configuration
    Redrock 35 min + Sea Wolf 30 min

    The established two-module assessment, still reported in some invitations.

  2. 85 minutes
    Common current configuration
    Redrock 35 min + Sea Wolf 30 min + SFL 20 min

    The commonly reported three-module format using the established Sustainable Futures Lab.

  3. 95 minutes
    New format being tested Testing
    Redrock 35 min + Sea Wolf 30 min + redesigned SFL ≈30 min

    Early candidate reports describe a longer, team-management version of Sustainable Futures Lab.

Your invitation takes priority.

McKinsey can vary configurations, and setup, tutorials, or technical checks may be stated separately from active game time. Follow the timing and instructions in your own email.

Read the 65 vs 85-minute guide What we know about the 95-minute test

McKinsey Solve practice for every module

Practise Redrock, Sea Wolf, and Sustainable Futures Lab, then use the supporting Sea Wolf Solver to study optimisation logic between timed attempts.

Why practise with Solve Games Guide?

Preparation works best when it replaces uncertainty with a familiar process: see the format, practise it under pressure, and understand what to improve next.

Start practising free

  • Start without paying

    Try one Sea Wolf session, one Redrock case, and one Sustainable Futures Lab scenario before choosing a plan.

    See what is free

  • Practise under real time pressure

    Work through assessment-like interfaces, mechanics, and timed sessions before the real invitation becomes the first time you see them.

    Explore the assessment

  • Learn from detailed feedback

    Review score breakdowns and improvement guidance after a run instead of stopping at a pass-or-fail result.

    See simulator feedback

  • Compare with an active community

    Use candidate rankings, platform benchmarks, and community polls to put your practice performance in context.

    View candidate rankings

  • Get support when time is short

    Reach the team through live chat, email, or the in-app support inbox when a technical or preparation question blocks you.

    Contact support

  • Prepare for all three modules

    Keep Redrock, Sea Wolf, and Sustainable Futures Lab practice together so your preparation matches the full assessment journey.

    Compare preparation options

Three McKinsey Solve simulators, plus the Sea Wolf Solver

Sea Wolf simulator profiling phase

Sea Wolf

Logical Reasoning

30 minutes to assemble treatments for three sites under constraint pressure.

  • 30-minute timed session
  • 4 phases: profiling, categorising, prospecting, treatment
  • Aim to clear 100% efficiency across all 3 sites
Practice Sea Wolf free → Read the McKinsey Sea Wolf guide
Sea Wolf Solver treatment combination interface

Sea Wolf Solver

Instant Optimisation

Study high-performing Prospecting and Treatment combinations between timed Sea Wolf attempts.

  • Calculate Prospecting and Treatment combinations
  • Understand constraint checks and tiebreaker logic
  • Work in your browser without Excel files or macros
Explore the Sea Wolf Solver → Read the Sea Wolf Solver Guide

Start practicing in three steps

From signup to your first timed session in under two minutes.

1
Create account

No credit card required

2
Choose your game

Sea Wolf, Redrock, or Sustainable Futures Lab

3
Start timed practice

Instant feedback on completion

Trusted by McKinsey candidates worldwide

Real results from candidates at top universities who used Solve Games Guide to prepare.

Used at top universities

Best Solve practice I've used. Spent about a week on it and didn't feel lost on the day.

Charlotte

Passed McKinsey Solve, London

Did three sessions. That was enough for me.

James

Passed McKinsey Solve, US

Mostly did Redrock. Much better prep than the YouTube explainers I'd been relying on.

Priya

Passed McKinsey Solve, Singapore

I strongly recommend this for anyone serious about passing. Format is close to what I got on the day.

Anonymous

Passed McKinsey Solve, MENA

Latest McKinsey Solve articles

Current-format explainers and focused practice strategies from Solve Games Guide.

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about practicing for the McKinsey Solve.

Is there a McKinsey Solve simulator?

Yes. Solve Games Guide is an independent practice platform and McKinsey Solve simulator with timed practice for Redrock (35 minutes), Sea Wolf (30 minutes), and the Sustainable Futures Lab (20 minutes, established format). Every free account includes one session per game, with no credit card required.

How realistic is this compared to the actual McKinsey Solve?

Solve Games Guide simulators are modelled on real McKinsey Solve questions, and replicate the game mechanics, time limits, and interface design of the real assessment. Candidates regularly report that the format felt familiar on test day.

Which games can I practice for free?

Every free Solve Games Guide account includes one Sea Wolf session, one Redrock case, and one Sustainable Futures Lab scenario. No credit card required. Upgrade for more practice across all three games.

How long is each practice session?

Solve Games Guide sessions run for 35 minutes in Redrock, 30 minutes in Sea Wolf, and 20 minutes in our current-format Sustainable Futures Lab simulator. Early candidate reports describe a redesigned 30-minute SFL version being tested; our simulator does not yet reproduce that new workflow. You can pause between attempts, not during a timed session.

Do I get feedback on my performance?

Yes. Solve Games Guide gives you a detailed score report after each session, with a dimension-level breakdown and improvement recommendations.

When should I start practicing?

Most candidates benefit from 3–5 practice sessions spread over 1–2 weeks before their real McKinsey Solve assessment. Start as soon as you receive your invitation.

How long is the McKinsey Solve assessment?

McKinsey Solve invitations most commonly state 65 or 85 minutes. Candidate reports associate 65 minutes with Redrock (35 minutes) and Sea Wolf (30 minutes), and 85 minutes with those two plus the 20-minute Sustainable Futures Lab. Some 95-minute invitations appear to include a redesigned SFL of about 30 minutes.

Can you practise McKinsey Solve for free?

Yes. McKinsey does not publish a full practice version, but every Solve Games Guide account includes one free Sea Wolf session, one free Redrock case, and one free Sustainable Futures Lab scenario. No credit card is required, and each free run is a complete timed simulation.

Is the McKinsey Solve assessment hard?

McKinsey Solve is difficult mainly because of time pressure and unfamiliarity, not advanced mathematics. Redrock requires fast arithmetic within 35 minutes, and Sea Wolf requires constraint logic within 30 minutes. Candidates who have seen the interface and pacing beforehand spend their time solving rather than decoding the format.

What is the difference between Redrock, Sea Wolf, and the Sustainable Futures Lab?

Redrock is a 35-minute data-analysis case built on maths-based questions. Sea Wolf is a 30-minute optimisation task where you select microbe combinations to treat three sites. The Sustainable Futures Lab is a 20-minute situational-judgement module of 13 questions. Most candidates receive Redrock and Sea Wolf; many also receive the Sustainable Futures Lab.

Don't walk into your McKinsey Solve unprepared

Your free Solve Games Guide account includes one Sea Wolf session, one Redrock case, and one Sustainable Futures Lab scenario. Experience the real format and timing before your McKinsey Solve assessment.

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Among premium users who reported their results, 97.4% scored in the 8th decile or above (as of September 2026).