Redrock
35 minutesRedrock Island / Redrock Study
A four-phase case study. You read exhibits, run calculations in the on-screen calculator, and write a short recommendation. This is the module most candidates should practise hardest.
McKinsey Solve Game 2026
The digital assessment McKinsey uses after your application, also called the Problem Solving Game or Imbellus. Invitations commonly state 65 or 85 minutes, while some newer candidate reports describe a 95-minute configuration being tested.
Redrock practice in the Solve Games Guide simulator
What is the McKinsey Solve Game?
The McKinsey Solve Game is an online assessment sent after your application is reviewed. It replaced the written Problem Solving Test in most regions. Candidate reports describe 65-minute and 85-minute configurations, while some newer invitations state 95 minutes. McKinsey has not publicly confirmed one universal configuration, so your invitation and on-screen instructions are the source of truth.
You will also see it called the Problem Solving Game, the digital assessment, or Imbellus. Those names all refer to this test.
Two SFL formats are currently being reported
Solve Games Guide currently reproduces the established 20-minute, 13-question format. Early candidate reports describe a different, approximately 30-minute team-management format in some 95-minute invitations.
Established format and current SGG simulator
20 minutes and 13 questions, beginning with prioritisation and continuing through interconnected situational-judgement choices.
Tested format reported in 95-minute invitations
Approximately 30 minutes, with four researchers, four workstations, and decisions carried across three simulated days. McKinsey has not published the mechanics or scoring model.
Your invitation and on-screen instructions take priority. The current SGG simulator does not yet reproduce the reported four-researcher, four-workstation interface.
Read the 95-minute format reportHow long is the McKinsey Solve Game?
Candidate reports describe several configurations. Confirm the time and module instructions in your invitation email before deciding how to prepare.
- 65 minutes Legacy configuration Redrock 35 + Sea Wolf 30
- 85 minutes Common current configuration Redrock 35 + Sea Wolf 30 + established SFL 20
- 95 minutes New format being tested Redrock 35 + Sea Wolf 30 + redesigned SFL approximately 30
These are candidate-reported patterns, not a guaranteed schedule. Setup, tutorials, and technical checks may be stated separately from active assessment time.
Games in the McKinsey Solve assessment
Redrock and Sea Wolf are the core reported modules. Sustainable Futures Lab appears in multiple reported configurations, so confirm its timing and instructions in your invitation.
Sea Wolf
30 minutesOcean cleanup
A constraint game across three ocean sites. You pick microbes whose combined traits hit each site’s treatment targets. Time pressure and trade-offs matter more than clever maths.
Sustainable Futures Lab
20 or approximately 30 minutesSFL
The established format uses 20 minutes and 13 questions. A tested format reported in some 95-minute invitations uses an approximately 30-minute team-management workflow. The current SGG simulator covers the established format.
Where Solve sits in recruiting
Solve is an early filter. Candidates who do not clear it typically do not reach interviews. You cannot count on a retake for the same role within about a year.
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Application
Resume and application screening
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Solve Game
Timed digital assessment
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First round
Case and fit interviews
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Final round
Partner interviews
McKinsey Solve Game FAQ
Short answers to the questions people search before they open a simulator.
What is the McKinsey Solve Game?
The McKinsey Solve Game is a timed digital assessment used after your application and before interviews. McKinsey uses it to see how you work through unfamiliar problems, not a written case-maths paper. Older names for the same assessment include the Problem Solving Game, the digital assessment, and Imbellus.
How long is the McKinsey Solve Game?
Candidate reports describe 65-minute and 85-minute configurations, with some newer 95-minute invitations under testing. Confirm the time and modules in your invitation email.
What games are in McKinsey Solve?
Redrock (35 minutes) and Sea Wolf (30 minutes) are the core reported modules. An 85-minute configuration commonly adds the established 20-minute Sustainable Futures Lab. Some 95-minute invitations appear to include a tested SFL lasting approximately 30 minutes.
Is the McKinsey Solve Game different in 2026?
Candidate reports currently describe 65-minute, 85-minute, and tested 95-minute configurations. The 95-minute version appears to use a redesigned Sustainable Futures Lab, but McKinsey has not published its mechanics or confirmed universal adoption. Your invitation email confirms the time and instructions that apply to you.
Is Imbellus the same as the McKinsey Solve Game?
Yes. Imbellus built the original games; McKinsey acquired the company and now brands the assessment as Solve. Search results that still say Imbellus or Problem Solving Game are referring to this test.
Can I practice the McKinsey Solve Game for free?
McKinsey does not publish a full practice version. Solve Games Guide includes one free Sea Wolf session, one Redrock case, and one Sustainable Futures Lab scenario. No credit card.
Choose Your Package
Select the package that fits your preparation needs. All packages include 2-week access.
You only get one attempt at the McKinsey Solve Games. This costs less than a single interview coaching session, and prepares you for the actual filter.
Most candidates choose this
Ultimate
The complete toolkit: simulations, solver, cases, and both unique versions of the Sustainable Futures Lab game. Everything you need to prepare with confidence.
- Sea Wolf Solver
- Sea Wolf Simulations
- All 5 known McKinsey Solve formats
- 20+ full-length Redrock case studies
- 5 Standard Sustainable Futures Lab Missions
- 5 Lab Leader Sustainable Futures Lab Missions
- 50% refund if none of our 5 Redrock formats appear
- 100% refund performance guarantee
- Higher Assessment Success Rates
The 3 hour prep
Three-hour prep for candidates who want one Redrock case per template, two Sustainable Futures Lab missions, and the Sea Wolf solver.
- Sea Wolf Solver
- All 5 known McKinsey Solve formats (one of each)
- 5 Redrock case studies
- 2 Standard Sustainable Futures Lab Missions
- 2 Lab Leader Sustainable Futures Lab Missions
- Best last-minute prep
Practice the McKinsey Solve Game
One free Sea Wolf session, one Redrock case, and one Sustainable Futures Lab scenario. No credit card.