How to Practice McKinsey's Sustainable Futures Lab

Why a Sustainable Futures Lab Simulator Matters

If you apply to McKinsey & Company in 2026 and your invite shows 85 or 95 minutes instead of 65, you will face three Solve games. One of them is the new Sustainable Futures Lab (SFL).

A 95-minute invitation carries a longer, 30-minute version of the game; here's what changes in the 95-minute version.

This game is different. You won't use spreadsheets or calculations. You work through team scenarios. Each choice changes what happens next.

That creates a prep gap.

• For Red Rock Study, you can train data analysis and percentages.
• For Sea Wolf Game, you can train optimization logic.
• For SFL, reading tips is not enough.

You need to experience the decision flow.

That is the role of the SFL simulator.

What the SFL Simulator Covers

Here's what one simulator run includes.

The key feature is the connected flow.

Candidates describe the SFL as one connected storyline in which earlier decisions carry into later ones. The simulator's 20-minute lab is built the same way: each new decision picks up the consequence of your last one, and some scenarios react to the approach you've taken so far. You see how your choices build on each other.

Unlike Red Rock Study or Sea Wolf Game, SFL has no single correct answer. It measures consistency in judgment across decisions.

Try the SFL Simulator Free

Experience the connected decision flow and get behavioral feedback after your session.

Start Free SFL Simulation →

McKinsey doesn't publish pass rates — ~70% reportedly fail

✅ 20% higher best run vs. first run•⭐ passing candidates average 8 runs (SolvePrep user data)•🤖 First AI Solve Simulator

The Four Skills the Simulator Builds

1. Structured Decision-Making Under Ambiguity

Each scenario gives you several reasonable options. None is clearly correct.

The simulator trains you to apply a consistent framework instead of guessing. After each session, you review whether your choices follow a clear logic.

2. Team Leadership and Collaboration

You will face:

• A disengaged teammate
• A dominant voice
• A split team

You decide how to act:

• Address behavior directly
• Create space for others
• Redirect the discussion

The test rewards effective team outcomes, not politeness.

3. Consistency Across Decisions

SFL tracks your choices across the full sequence.

Example:

• You push for consensus early
• Later, you shut down discussion in a similar case

This weakens your profile.

The simulator scores consistency as its own pillar, so you can see when your picks drift between styles.

4. Priority Setting and Sequencing

The game starts with ranking four actions.

This tests a core consulting skill:

• What is urgent
• What drives impact
• What depends on what

The simulator's ranking has four actions, the number candidates report for the real test, and after the run it scores each placement against a defensible order.

How to Use the Simulator

Step 1: Define Your Framework

Before you start, write down how you make decisions in teams.

Example:

• Direct vs indirect conflict handling
• Consensus vs speed

Keep it short. This is your anchor.

Step 2: Run One Full Session

Complete one session without overthinking.

Follow your framework. Move forward.

This shows your baseline behavior.

Step 3: Review Feedback

Check where your decisions match your framework—and where they don't.

Focus on contradictions. These matter most.

Step 4: Refine and Repeat

Adjust your approach. Run 2–4 more sessions.

Each run sharpens your judgment.

Target: 3–5 sessions total

Step 5: Add Time Pressure

Run it on the full clock: 20 minutes, or 30 if your invitation says 95 minutes. The timer can't be paused, so treat every run like test day.

SFL requires careful reading. Missing details leads to weaker choices.

Time pressure shows whether your approach holds.

SFL Simulator vs Generic SJT Practice

You can use general situational judgment tests (SJT). They help with basic principles.

But they miss key SFL features:

Best approach:

1. Learn SJT principles
2. Apply them in the SFL simulator

How SFL Fits Into Full Solve Prep

If your test is 85 or 95 minutes, you will complete three games across the McKinsey Solve simulation suite:

Prep Strategy

1. Start with Red Rock Study and Sea Wolf Game
2. Add SFL in the final 3–5 days

This avoids constant switching between skill types.

Who Should Use the Simulator?

Use it if your invite shows 85 or 95 minutes.

SFL appears often in:

• Germany
• Middle East
• Selected regions

If your invite shows 65 minutes, SFL may not apply yet. Still, one session helps you understand the format.

Frequently Asked Questions