Topics to prepare, not news items. Each shows when we last reviewed it.
Firm moveEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
McKinsey Solve: check which modules your invitation names
A June 2026 Leland guide, republished by Harvard's career centre blog, reports that most Solve invitations are about 65 minutes with Redrock Study and Sea Wolf, and some are about 85 minutes with a third module, Sustainable Futures Lab, a short judgement module. The older Ecosystem Building game is no longer a default. These are reported details; McKinsey's own Solve page and your invitation are the authority.
How to use it
If you are applying to McKinsey, read the gamified problem-solving module, then check the modules and timing named in your own invitation.
Firm moveEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Use the firms' own free preparation tools
Firms now offer free official practice. For example, Business Insider reported in May 2026 that McKinsey launched a free AI practice tool in April 2026 for entry-level Business Analyst and Associate candidates worldwide. It opens for candidates invited to interview, through McKinsey's candidate preparation site, and lets them practice case math as often as they like. BCG links to OneDay@BCG, a free job simulation.
How to use it
Use the firm's own free tools alongside this platform. It also shows that firms now expect candidates to be comfortable working with AI.
IndustryEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Why consulting now: clients are paying for help with AI
Clients are buying help turning AI into results. For example, BCG said in April 2026 that its 2025 revenue grew 7 percent to 14.4 billion dollars and that AI and tech-focused services make up over 40 percent of revenue; Bloomberg reported BCG as saying AI work brought about a quarter of 2025 revenue.
How to use it
If asked why consulting now, you can note that clients are paying for help turning AI into results, which shifts junior work toward judgement, structuring and checking, the skills the case interview screens for. Check the latest figures before you quote them.
Firm moveEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Online tests and AI: know the rules before you start
Rules differ between a firm's online tests and its interviews. Bain's official assessment page, for example, says AI tools are strictly prohibited during its online test, while some firms now pilot interviews where you use an AI tool the firm provides.
How to use it
Read each invitation for its AI rules, and use outside AI help only where the firm clearly allows it.
IndustryEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
AI adoption and productivity
Many current cases ask how a company should use AI and whether it pays off. The Stanford AI Index 2026 (March 2026) reports organizational adoption of AI at 88 percent. Adoption is not the same as results, so interviewers look for a sized benefit set against the full cost: tools, data work, training, and risk controls. AI also raises electricity demand from data centers, which the International Energy Agency tracks.
How to use it
Treat AI like any other investment: name the process it changes, estimate the benefit (for example hours saved times cost per hour), subtract the costs, and say how you would measure the result after launch.
MacroEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Energy and supply disruptions
The 2026 disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz shows how one route can move energy and input prices worldwide. The World Bank reported on 7 May 2026 that Brent crude rose about 65 percent by the end of March 2026, its largest monthly rise on record, after global oil supply fell by 10.1 million barrels a day in March. A WTO data blog (July 2026) reported that urea fertilizer prices rose from about 400 to over 850 US dollars a tonne in April 2026, then fell to 453 in June.
How to use it
In an operations or cost case, ask how exposed the client is to one route or supplier, what a disruption would cost, and what resilience would cost (extra stock, a second supplier, or hedging). Prices move fast, so check current levels before you quote them.
MacroEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Tariffs and trade shifts
Tariff changes alter where companies buy, make and sell. For example, the European Commission says the EU and the US agreed a deal on tariffs and trade on 27 July 2025, and that from 1 July 2026 the EU eliminated duties on imports of US industrial goods. Expect sourcing, pricing and footprint cases where a tariff changes the landed cost of a product.
How to use it
Build landed cost as product cost plus freight plus duty, compare the sourcing options on that basis, and ask who absorbs the extra cost: the supplier, the company, or the customer.
MacroEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Interest rates and deal activity
The cost of borrowing affects how many mergers, acquisitions and private-equity deals happen, which projects clear their hurdle rate, and how customers pay for large purchases. In September 2026 the US Federal Reserve raised its target range for the federal funds rate by a quarter point to 3.75 to 4 percent (16 September), and the European Central Bank raised its deposit facility rate to 2.50 percent from 16 September. Rates can change at every meeting, so check the current level in your market before an interview.
How to use it
In an M&A, investment or due-diligence case, connect the cost of financing to how much a buyer can pay and to the discount rate you use for a payback or NPV.
IndustryEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Healthcare costs
Health spending is a frequent case topic for hospitals, insurers, drug makers and governments. For example, the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that US health care spending grew 7.2 percent in 2024 to 5.3 trillion US dollars, or 15,474 dollars per person, equal to 18.0 percent of GDP.
How to use it
In a healthcare case, split spending into price times volume, and name who pays: the patient, an insurer, an employer, or the government. The healthcare case-type module has worked examples.
IndustryEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Sustainability rules and carbon costs
Some rules now put a price or a reporting duty on emissions. The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism has applied under its definitive regime since 1 January 2026 to imports of cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen, and importers must buy and surrender CBAM certificates. On reporting, the European Commission proposed in February 2025 to apply the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive only to companies with more than 1,000 employees, and an April 2025 directive postponed first reports for companies that were due to start with financial years 2025 or 2026.
How to use it
In a manufacturing, energy or trade case, ask whether a carbon cost or a reporting rule changes the economics, and put it in the cost line if it does. Check the Commission's pages for the rules in force on the day.
IndustryEvergreen themeLast reviewed 28 September 2026
Consumers, value and experiences
Be ready to discuss how consumers in your target market balance price against quality and experiences, and how that affects pricing and growth choices.
How to use it
In a pricing or growth case in a consumer sector, ask how price-sensitive the customer is before recommending a price change.
- Source: Evergreen theme reviewed by So What Club; a topic to prepare, not a news item