Master the Sustainable Futures Lab before test day.
The most realistic SFL simulator for McKinsey Solve. Practice 13-question missions in 20 minutes for the established format. Build judgement on prioritisation, ambiguity, and stakeholder trade‑offs.
Current simulator format
20 min · 13 questions
Practice dimensions
3 core competencies
Two SFL formats are currently being reported
This simulator reproduces the established 20-minute, 13-question format. Early candidate reports describe a different, approximately 30-minute team-management format in some 95-minute invitations.
Established format
Prioritisation followed by interconnected situational-judgement choices. This is the format available in the current SGG simulator.
Tested format
Four researchers, four workstations, and decisions carried across three simulated days. McKinsey has not published the mechanics or scoring model.
Your invitation and on-screen instructions take priority. Read the current 95-minute format report.
Trusted by candidates from
Not a calculation game.
A test of consulting judgement.
The established SFL presents a 20-minute scenario, such as helping a coastal city respond to flooding or designing a green transport plan. Information unfolds progressively, and your choices shape how the story develops. This is the format reproduced by the current simulator.
20 minutes
A single timed mission. Tight enough that hesitation costs you.
13 scenarios
Ranking and multiple‑choice tasks woven into one continuous storyline.
3 practice traits
Prioritisation, ambiguity, and stakeholder management as SGG practice dimensions.
Three dimensions for reviewing your choices.
Solve Games Guide uses these dimensions to organise simulator feedback. They are not an official McKinsey scoring rubric.
Prioritisation
Balance impact, feasibility, and risk when several options are defensible. McKinsey wants to see structured trade‑off thinking, not gut calls.
Working with ambiguity
Move forward without complete information. Ranking tasks reward candidates who commit to a sensible order under uncertainty rather than freezing.
Teamwork & stakeholders
Recognise how each decision affects different groups, including communities, regulators, and partners, then pick options that hold up across stakeholders.
Built for established-format familiarity.
From the NPC briefing to ranking tiles and multiple-choice responses, every screen supports practice for the established SFL flow.
Step 1 · Briefing
NPC‑led mission setup
"Welcome to the Sustainable Futures Lab." Each practice mission opens with a guide who frames the situation.
Step 2 · Ranking
Drag‑and‑drop priority tasks
Order options from most to least important. Practice committing to a defensible sequence under time pressure.
Step 3 · Decisions
Branching multiple‑choice
Earlier choices reshape later context. Stay consistent with your reasoning across all 13 questions.
Prep every module of McKinsey Solve.
Your free trial includes simulators for all three modules, plus the only solver that helps with both Sea Wolf phases.
eco SFL Simulator
- check_circle 20-minute timed missions
- check_circle 13 interconnected scenarios
- check_circle Trait-aligned feedback
Sea Wolf Simulator
- check_circle All 4 phases, realistic UI
- check_circle Practice & assessment modes
- check_circle Detailed feedback per phase
Redrock Simulator
- check_circle 15+ full-length Redrock cases
- check_circle Interactive exhibits, 3 phases
- check_circle Performance analytics
Sea Wolf Solver Premium
- check_circle Phase 3 + Phase 4 support
- check_circle Instant optimal solutions
- check_circle Keyboard shortcuts, undo
SFL is unlike the other two modules.
Many candidates over‑prepare for Sea Wolf and Redrock, then meet SFL cold. Here's what makes it different.
| Module | Focus |
|---|---|
| Redrock | Quantitative reasoning |
| Sea Wolf | Logic & optimisation |
| eco SFL | Situational judgement |
How to know if you'll see SFL
Check your invitation email for total assessment time. Candidate reports commonly associate 65 minutes with Redrock and Sea Wolf, 85 minutes with the established SFL, and some 95-minute invitations with the tested 30-minute SFL.
Three steps to walk into test day ready.
Read the SFL guide
Understand the format, the three traits, and what McKinsey rewards before you ever click into a mission.
Run full 20‑min missions
Practise the established flow from beginning to end across several scenario themes.
Review trait‑level feedback
See where you scored on each of the three traits and which scenarios pulled you off‑pattern. Iterate before test day.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the McKinsey Sustainable Futures Lab? add
How do I know if my assessment includes SFL? add
What practice traits does the simulator use? add
How realistic is the simulator? add
Is there a free trial? add
Walk into your SFL already familiar with it.
Free to start. No card required. Practise the established 20-minute format, then follow the configuration in your own invitation.