Consulting recruitment assessments

Guides to consulting recruitment assessments

McKinsey, BCG and Bain all use gamified assessments, chatbot cases and aptitude screens as part of their hiring processes. These guides break down each assessment's objective, scoring rules, and the strategy that maximizes your score, written by consultants who've sat them. Use them alongside our McKinsey, BCG and Bain products.

Written by ex-consultants Updated for the 2026 formats Free 3-minute trial on every product

Start here

McKinsey guides

McKinsey

Ecosystem (food chain) guide

Build the highest-calorie food chain. Producer selection, depth/temperature ranges, and the 8-species optimum, fully explained.

~9 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinsey

Redrock study guide

The Redrock case study: research, analysis, and the report. How to read the data, structure hypotheses, and present findings under time pressure.

~8 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinsey

Sea Wolf guide

Select microbes with the right traits to treat contamination across three sites. Set filters, categorize species, build prospects, and pick the final three.

~10 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinsey

Sustainable Futures Lab guide

Both 2026 formats keyed to your invite: the redesigned 30-minute, three-day team simulation on 95-minute invites, and the original 13-question version on 85-minute invites.

~12 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinsey

Sea Wolf simulation guide

How to use a realistic timed Sea Wolf simulation: 3-site workflow, scoring review, practice runs, and when to switch to the solver.

~8 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinsey

McKinsey Solve practice test plan

A one-week prep plan for Ecosystem, Sea Wolf, Redrock, and simulation practice, including what to review after each attempt.

~8 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinsey

McKinsey Solve tips

Timing, scoring, and mistake-proofing tactics for the modules candidates are most likely to face in the Solve assessment.

~9 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →
McKinseyConsulting

McKinsey's recruitment process

From application to offer: the full McKinsey hiring funnel, including Solve, case interviews, and the Personal Experience Interview (PEI).

~10 min · Updated Oct 2026 Read guide →

BCG guides

Bain guides

General consulting

Prefer to practise? Case Ace's Learn lane has three free interactive lessons: how a case unfolds, frameworks, and case interview math.

Practice with the solvers and simulations

Our pay-per-use tools implement the logic in these guides: solvers for optimal answers and a timed Sea Wolf simulation for realistic practice.