Sustainable Futures Lab
McKinsey’s newest module — a behavioural assessment with 13 sequential decisions, no calculations, and judgement under pressure as the only thing being measured.
What is the Sustainable Futures Lab?
Sustainable Futures Lab (SFL) is the third and newest module in McKinsey’s Solve assessment, introduced in March 2026 as part of the 85-minute version of the test. Unlike Redrock and Sea Wolf — which evaluate analytical reasoning and optimisation — SFL is a behavioural assessment.
You’re placed inside an environmental research team and asked to make a series of connected decisions as a project unfolds under time pressure. There are no maths problems and no data models. Only your judgement, your consistency, and your ability to think clearly when the evidence is incomplete.
As of April 2026, SFL is live for candidates receiving 85-minute Solve invitations across the US, UK, Germany, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Canada — with a global rollout in progress.
Format & timing
McKinsey scores you across five core dimensions, each woven through the 13 questions:
Why candidates struggle
What candidates say
3 simulations. Built for the 2026 module.
Three full SFL practice runs covering all five evaluation dimensions, with explanations for what good judgement looks like at every decision point.
Sustainable Futures Lab FAQs
What is the Sustainable Futures Lab (SFL)?
The Sustainable Futures Lab is the newest McKinsey Solve module, introduced in March 2026 as part of the 85-minute version of the assessment. It is a behavioural scenario where you join an environmental research team and make 13 sequential decisions under time pressure, with no calculations. It measures judgement, prioritisation, and teamwork rather than quantitative skill.
How is the Sustainable Futures Lab scored?
McKinsey scores SFL across five dimensions: prioritisation, decision-making, interpretation, trade-off balance, and teamwork. There are no maths questions; instead your answers are judged as a consistent pattern across the 13 decisions. Understanding which behaviours each decision tests is the key to a strong result.
Is the Sustainable Futures Lab on every McKinsey assessment?
No. SFL appears on the 85-minute version of the Solve assessment. As of 2026 it is live for candidates across the US, UK, Germany, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Canada, with a global rollout in progress. Your invitation tells you whether your assessment includes it.
Does the Sustainable Futures Lab involve any maths?
No. SFL is purely behavioural: you make 13 sequential decisions and there are no calculations or data models. The challenge is making sound, consistent judgements under time pressure when the evidence is incomplete, which makes it very different from Redrock or Sea Wolf.
How many SFL practice tests does PSG Solver include?
PSG Solver provides three full SFL simulations covering all five scored dimensions, each with a breakdown of what good judgement looks like at every decision point. Because SFL is behavioural and prep material is scarce, seeing how decisions are evaluated is the most effective way to prepare.