McKinsey Solve simulation: free practice of each game
Practise each McKinsey Solve game free: one full simulation of Red Rock, Sea Wolf, SFL Classic and SFL Island, with a score and worked review. Start without an account.
By Esteban Ronsin, founder of Road to Offer and Solve Game Prep · Updated
Which Solve games are in your invitation?
McKinsey states the total length in your invitation but does not name the games. Candidates report three lengths, and each maps to a set of games. Practise the games in your length first.
65 minutes
3530
85 minutes
353020
95 minutesReported pilot
353030
- Red Rock
- Sea Wolf
- SFL
- New SFL
Candidate-reported minutes per game. Untimed tutorials sit outside these bars, and the bars show composition, not playing order.
The 65, 85 and 95 minute guide explains each length, and the invitation guide shows where the length appears in your email.
What one free run of each game includes
Each completed free run includes your score, where points went and worked feedback on each submitted decision. Visual explanations include highlighted calculations and charts in Red Rock, constraint and treatment visuals in Sea Wolf, decision and dependency diagrams in Classic, and evidence chains, placement maps and team feedback in Island.
| Game | Duration | One full simulation | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock | 35 minutes, advisory Simulation clock | Study (Investigation, three Analysis calculations, written report, chart choice, chart build), then six standalone Cases | 13 scored responses, 36 points; one additional unscored evidence response |
| Sea Wolf | 30-minute Simulation clock | Three sites in order. Per site: set the profile, classify every culture, four prospect-pool rounds, choose a three-culture treatment, review | Every stage of all three sites |
| SFL Classic | No countdown | 13 linked decisions on one project: order the work, set measures, handle conflict, repair and make the scale call | One ranking and twelve situational decisions, scored out of 13 |
| SFL Island | 30-minute Simulation clock | Onboarding and all three project days, with Explore, Assign, Support and Reflect each day; four researchers and four workstations | 13 submitted stages, scored out of 100 |
Learning mode gives step-by-step coaching and feedback as you progress in all four formats, with untimed practice in the clocked games. It is paid access, included with the matching game pack, the Solve pack or qualifying Annual access; the pricing page lists each pack. The free Solve plan asks your invitation length and test date, then gives dated practice steps for up to 28 days. A free account is needed to view and save it.
How this practice compares with the real Solve
- Same shape of task. Each run follows the structure candidates and prep sites describe for that game: a data study and cases in Red Rock, site ranges and trait rules in Sea Wolf, linked decisions in the Sustainable Futures Lab.
- Same reported clocks. Red Rock on 35 minutes, Sea Wolf and SFL Island on 30, so you feel the pace before test day.
- Original content. Every scenario is original practice content, not official McKinsey questions. McKinsey publishes no game blueprint or scoring formula, so a practice score is feedback on an original exercise, not a hiring prediction.
- Your invitation decides. The real assessment opens each game with an untimed tutorial, and your invitation and that tutorial control the modules and timing.
For the full picture of the assessment, read the McKinsey Solve guide.
Start in three steps
- Pick the game. Start with the game your invitation length points to; Red Rock is the longest reported block.
- Play one full run. Start without an account. Create a free account to finish and keep your result.
- Read the worked review, then the guide. Fix the error that cost the most points with the McKinsey Redrock game guide, the McKinsey Sea Wolf game guide or the McKinsey Sustainable Futures Lab guide.
McKinsey Solve simulation FAQ
Is this McKinsey Solve simulation free?
Yes. One complete run of each of our four practice formats is free: Red Rock, Sea Wolf, SFL Classic and SFL Island. Start without an account, then create a free account to finish and keep your score and worked review. No payment is required for these first runs or their worked reviews.
Is there a free McKinsey Solve practice test?
Yes. One complete run of each of four formats is free: Red Rock, Sea Wolf, SFL Classic and SFL Island. You can start without an account; a free account is needed to finish and keep your score and worked review.
How long does each mock test take?
Red Rock runs on a 35-minute advisory clock. Sea Wolf and SFL Island each run on a 30-minute Simulation clock. SFL Classic has no countdown; it is 13 linked decisions on one project.
Is it the same as the real McKinsey Solve?
No. These are original practice exercises built from candidate and prep-site descriptions, not official McKinsey questions or copies of the live assessment. We are not affiliated with McKinsey. Your invitation and the live tutorial control your real modules and timing.
Which game should I practise first?
Start with the games your invitation implies. Candidates report Red Rock and Sea Wolf in every invitation length, a standard Sustainable Futures Lab in 85-minute invitations and a newer 30-minute one in 95-minute invitations. Red Rock is the longest reported block in every length.
What do I get at the end of a run?
Your score, where points went and worked feedback on each submitted decision. Visual explanations include highlighted calculations and charts in Red Rock, constraint and treatment visuals in Sea Wolf, decision and dependency diagrams in Classic, and evidence chains, placement maps and team feedback in Island.
Do I need an account to start?
No. You can start any of the four runs without an account. A free account is needed to finish the run and keep your score and worked review.
What does a paid pack add?
More full simulations of each game and Learning mode, which gives step-by-step coaching and feedback as you progress, with untimed practice in the clocked games. Learning mode is included with the matching game pack, the Solve pack or qualifying Annual access. The pricing page lists each pack.
Independent preparation. Original practice content, not official McKinsey questions. Practice runs on Road to Offer.