Whatever top consulting firm you apply to, most likely you will have to pass some online test(s) designed to filter you out from the large pool of applicants. Only once you have passed the digital assessment, you will be admitted to the interview stage.
When you apply for a position at McKinsey, you will have to first crack McKinsey’s Problem Solving Game (PSG), or SOLVE. SOLVE is truly innovative in the sense that – in contrast to most other online tests out there – it does not anymore ask you to identify ways to increase business profit, but instead to save ecosystems from extinction. It also leverages artificial intelligence technology allowing it to evaluate your performance not only on the base of your end results, but also your approach to tackle the Imbellus games.
While that sounds pretty cool, unfortunately it of course is still is a tool made for screening and filtering out candidates. In this very popular video tutorial, I break down for you a.) the obvious and not-so-obvious reasons why consulting firms ask their applicants to take part in such online tests b.) how they matter for you during your recruiting process c.) ways how you can improve your general online test performance d.) how the Imbellus games work in detail and what you need to do to tackle them one-by-one e.) my recommendations on how I suggest you to prepare for Imbellus (as well as what I think you do not need to do). Good luck with McKinsey’s PSG!
Update
McKinsey has updated its PSG and phased out the former Plant Defense Game as well as all other previous second games. While the Ecosystem Game has “survived” mcKinsey’s updates, McKinsey has added the new Redrock Study to its assessment. For these reasons, I have created a new video tutorial, in which I offer you a 1-hour walkthrough through the nitty-gritty details of both games. Find my video tutorial here:
McKinsey PSG simulation available
I have tried to go as deep as possible in my video tutorials. However, if you would like to practicethe Ecosystem game and the Redrock Study before you take the McKinsey PSG, then I suggest you this commercial solution, which I endorse and which comes with a fair 100% money-back guarantee (you only pay if you pass):
http://psg-solve.youinconsulting.com/
Good luck with your test!