Is the McKinsey Solve Game a Go/No Go in the German recruiting process

Question

Hello,

I was recently invited to McKinsey‘s first round in Germany.

I have heard that applicants in other countries have to complete the McKinsey Solve Game before getting to the first round interviews. However, in Germany, both are combined to decide if candidates make it to the final rounds.

Now to my question:

Unfortunately, I didn’t perform well in the game. Only about 5 species survived in the ecosystem game, and I forgot to round my numbers in the Redrock Study.

Can I still move further in the application process with a good performance in the interviews, or is extremely unlikely?

I am aware that getting into McKinsey is always unlikely, but would still be thankful for your input!

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

A strong performance in the case interview can potentially offset a rather weak performance in the McKinsey Solve pre-interview assessment.
However, if you don't pass a certain threshold at the McKinsey Solve, you will most likely be rejected either way.

You can find more on this topic here: How to deal with a rejection from a consulting company.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interview, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Answer 2

Hi there,

It is a necessary but not sufficient condition to get invited to interview.

If you did poorly, it's extremely unlikely you move forward.

If you did amazing, that doesn't inherently mean you move forward.

You have to do good/well and the rest of your application also has to be good.

Based on what you have said it is highly unlikely you move forward (sorry).

Answer 3

Hi there,

Q: Can I still move further in the application process with a good performance in the interviews, or is extremely unlikely?

If you are doing the test together with the interviews, you should be assessed based on both. Most likely, if you don't reach a minimum score on the test, they will reject you. Regardless, I would focus on doing the best you can in the interview, as that's the only thing you can control at this stage.

Good luck!

Francesco

Answer 4

Actually, the process works like this in most geographies now - meaning they assess the results of the test together with the application.

That said, your test results were not dreadful, and there is still hope, assuming the application package is strong (CV, CL, referral, etc.).

But the smartest thing to do at this point is to be forward-looking and focus on what other applications you could send out.

Below is a guide I share with my candidates on how to put together their application strategy. Hope you will find it helpful:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

Hi there,

In the GEO, it's evaluated in combination with the first interview. They always had less of an inclination to solely rely on tests vs. seeing people perform in person (similar to the former PSTs).

That being said, a poor Solve performance can usually not be outweighed by a positive interview.

Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

Florian

Answer 6

1. The game is an additional datapoint. By itself it is not a go/no go. But can be the deciding factor depending on the rest of your application

2. The game is not used to decide whether you pass or not an interview. It is used as a screening tool to decide whether you get the chance to interview or not. If you have an interview invite, it means that you passed the screening stage.