McKinsey Solve Prep
Matrix Reasoning Practice for the McKinsey Solve Test
McKinsey's Solve assessment isn't a traditional matrix reasoning test, but pattern-recognition speed is the underlying skill it scores. Practice with a 10-question free test built around the same visual-logic families that Solve sub-puzzles use.
Be clear: McKinsey Solve is a game-based test, not a matrix reasoning test, so it is not very similar in format. But it scores the same underlying skill — fast pattern recognition. So this practice still helps. Build the skill with the free untimed test, then use McKinsey's own sample games to learn the Solve format.
About the real McKinsey assessment
What the real McKinsey test looks like
The format details below describe the actual McKinsey assessment as published by McKinsey. Our practice test above is independent and uses our own question bank.
McKinsey & Company uses the Solve assessment (formerly the Problem Solving Game, and before that the McKinsey Digital Assessment) — a gamified, branching, scenario-based test. Solve is not a traditional 3×3 matrix reasoning test, but the pattern-recognition speed and rule-identification skills required to do well on Solve are the same skills that matrix reasoning practice trains directly.
Test format
Three mini-games (commonly Ecosystem, Redrock Study, and a variant third game). Each game takes roughly 25 minutes; total assessment length is around 70 minutes.
Skills scored
Pattern recognition, hypothesis testing, sequencing under time pressure, and interpreting unfamiliar data quickly. Rule identification across visual scenarios — exactly the skill matrix reasoning trains.
Matrix-style sub-puzzles
Several Solve sub-games include visual sequence puzzles where matrix reasoning skill transfers directly. Candidates who practise matrix reasoning approach Solve with stronger pattern-recognition stamina.
Scoring
Anonymised pass/fail outcome with no detailed feedback shared. Industry estimates put the Solve pass rate at roughly 25–35% at top-tier McKinsey offices.
When you encounter Solve
Solve is typically a screening step before the first-round case interview. It is taken online, unproctored, within a deadline window after the application.
Skills being tested
What this practice trains
- Visual pattern recognition
- Rule identification under unfamiliar formats
- Logical sequencing
- Hypothesis testing
- Sustained cognitive stamina over 70 minutes
Common mistakes
The four most common ways candidates underperform
- 1
Treating Solve like a multiple-choice test
Solve is interactive, branching, and feedback-light. Memorising answer patterns from leaked practice questions is far less useful than building general pattern-recognition speed that transfers across unfamiliar formats.
- 2
Over-preparing for one mini-game
Some candidates focus heavily on the Mosaic or Ecosystem game and underprepare for the others. McKinsey scores the assessment across all games combined — uniform preparation beats specialisation.
- 3
Ignoring the underlying skill
Solve's Ecosystem game asks you to identify interaction rules between species — fundamentally the same skill as identifying transformation rules across matrix cells. Candidates who train matrix reasoning first arrive at Solve with the underlying skill already well practised.
- 4
Cramming the night before
Solve is cognitively exhausting and most candidates' performance peaks 4–5 days into a two-week practice routine. A single all-night session before the test typically underperforms a calm, well-rested attempt with two weeks of light prior practice.
How to improve
The most efficient preparation path
The most efficient first step is building pattern-recognition speed with matrix reasoning practice — the visual-logic skill transfers directly to Solve's matrix-style sub-puzzles and to its rule-identification scenarios. Take the free practice test, study the patterns you missed, then move on to McKinsey-provided Solve sample games once the underlying skill is fluent.
Frequently asked
McKinsey test FAQ
- What is the McKinsey Solve assessment?
- Solve is McKinsey & Company's gamified online assessment, used as a screening step before first-round case interviews. It consists of three mini-games (commonly Ecosystem, Redrock Study, and a variant third game) and takes around 70 minutes in total. McKinsey uses your performance to decide whether to invite you to the first interview round.
- Does McKinsey use matrix reasoning questions?
- McKinsey Solve is not framed as a matrix reasoning test, but several Solve sub-games include visual pattern sequences where matrix reasoning practice transfers directly. The underlying skill — rapid identification of transformation rules across visual elements — is the same skill matrix reasoning trains.
- How should I prepare for McKinsey Solve?
- Build pattern-recognition stamina with matrix reasoning practice first, then move on to McKinsey-provided sample games to learn the specific Solve format. Matrix reasoning is the most efficient first step because it isolates and trains the core skill in a controlled, repeatable format.
- How difficult is the McKinsey Solve test?
- The mini-games are unfamiliar formats with branching decisions and limited feedback, which makes the assessment cognitively heavy even when individual decisions are not technically difficult. Roughly 25–35% of candidates pass Solve at top McKinsey offices, with somewhat higher pass rates at less competitive offices.
- What is the McKinsey Solve pass rate?
- McKinsey does not publish official pass-rate data. Industry estimates and reports from recent applicants suggest the pass rate sits in the 25–35% range at top-tier offices. Pass rates are typically higher at less competitive offices and may differ by hiring round.
- Is McKinsey Solve the same as the McKinsey PSG?
- Yes. McKinsey rebranded the Problem Solving Game (PSG) as Solve in 2022. The mini-game line-up has been refined since the original PSG release — Plant Defense and the original Mosaic puzzle have been retired or replaced — but the underlying skill assessment is similar.
- How long does the McKinsey Solve test take?
- Approximately 70 minutes total. The three games each take around 25 minutes, with some additional buffer for instructions, transitions, and a short pre-game tutorial. The test is taken online, unproctored, within a deadline window set by McKinsey.
- What is the difference between SHL Inductive Reasoning and McKinsey Solve?
- SHL Inductive Reasoning is a standardised 3×3 matrix reasoning test of about 25 minutes — narrow, language-free, time-pressured. McKinsey Solve is a custom gamified assessment of about 70 minutes with branching scenarios and limited feedback. Many candidates face both: SHL at a graduate-screening stage and Solve at the McKinsey-specific stage. Both reward the same underlying pattern-recognition skill.
Also preparing for
Related provider prep
SHL
Practice for the SHL Inductive Reasoning test with a 10-question free practice test in the same 3×3 matrix format.
Korn Ferry
Korn Ferry's aptitude assessments include matrix-based Inductive Reasoning.
Aon
Practice for Aon's cut-e inductive reasoning assessment with a free 12-question, 15-minute provider-style mock test.
Matrigma
Practice for the Matrigma test (Hogan Assessments) with a free 12-question, 15-minute provider-style mock.
Get notified
A Solve preparation playbook is coming
A McKinsey Solve preparation playbook is in production. In the meantime, build the underlying pattern-recognition skill with the free test and the Matrigma-style mock. Email signup will open here when the playbook launches.
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Practise the skill, then add time pressure
Start with the free untimed test to learn at your own pace. Then take the Matrigma-style timed mock to practise the same matrix format under pressure.