Most candidates open every tool the week they sign up and call that prep. Interviewers do not score a product tour. They score one muscle on one sheet for the gate in front of you this month. The mistake is treating CoachNed like a buffet when it is a route map.
This hub is the curated entry point to every free CoachNed tool and to the posts that teach how to use them. After this page you should know which link to open in week one, which simulator matches your invite text, how to read a seven-score debrief without chasing vanity averages, and when to stop training and sleep.
Everything is open for seven days with no card. After that, Season Pass is $120 for 90 days or Pro is $49 a month, with a 14-day no-questions refund. CoachNed is not affiliated with McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or any firm named below.
The stage map: open this, not that
Write your interview date before you click. Then match the stage, not your mood.
| Stage | Primary job | Open first | Skip for now |
|---|---|---|---|
| First week | Find your floor and one leak | /start, then one /interview | Firm simulators you have not been invited to |
| Six weeks out | Raise one dimension per session | /drills by leak, then /consulting-cases | Re-running the same full case for "confidence" |
| Final week | Simulate the real gate | Matching firm room below, plus one voice case | New frameworks, new books, new apps |
| Night before | Protect score | One /drills/quick-math set, then stop | A third Casey or a second full voice case |
A worked cadence for a six-week clock: week 1 = three /start reps and one scored voice case; weeks 2–4 = four drill sessions and two voice cases per week, always fixing the lowest score from the prior debrief; week 5 = invite-matched simulator daily if you have one, else voice; week 6 = two voice cases early in the week, then taper. If you cannot name which dimension you are fixing this session, you are collecting volume, not points.
Ned's rule. One tool, one leak, one week. Opening Casey, Sea Wolf, and a PEI room on the same Tuesday is how strong resumes still arrive undertrained on the only gate that matters.
How to read the seven-score debrief
A live voice case on /interview returns seven scores, not a single grade. Treat the sheet like an evidence log. The interviewer-side question on each line is whether you earned the points that dimension pays, not whether you "felt solid."
| Dimension | What the sheet is listening for | If it is your lowest score |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | A usable tree that answers the prompt, not a named framework | /drills/structure, then /tools/case-structure-builder |
| Math | Transparent arithmetic under time, units that survive a check | /drills/math, /drills/quick-math |
| Exhibits | The insight that is not printed on the chart | /drills/charts |
| Market sizing | Two paths that reconcile, not a single heroic estimate | /drills/market-sizing, /tools/market-size-calculator |
| Brainstorming | Prioritized ideas with a killer filter, not a laundry list | /drills/brainstorming |
| Synthesis | A one-breath answer to the question you were asked | /drills/synthesis |
| Communication | Audible thinking the interviewer can write down | Another /interview with the mute off |
Read How CoachNed's seven-score case debrief works once, then stop averaging. A 6/7 on math and a 3/7 on synthesis is not a "5 overall" candidate. It is a candidate who will lose the close. Fix the floor.
Live case, drills, and fit: the everyday stack
Use this table as the "read this first" column. Every guide link is a CoachNed post; open the tool only after you know what it is scoring.
Guided typing on /start is for diagnosis. Voice on /interview is for the room. If you only type, you are training a different sport than the interview you will sit. For when to type versus speak, read Guided vs voice cases.
Firm assessments: match the invite, then the simulator
Online assessments are not cases. Using a Casey chatbot to "warm up for PEI" wastes a week. Match the wording in your invitation to the firm's own description, then open the CoachNed room that mirrors that format. McKinsey describes Solve as a gamified assessment of problem-solving ability, considered with the rest of the application. BCG's U.S. Associate process prompts the Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) after apply and, for select candidates, an online case of roughly 35 minutes; BCG Mexico's recruiting page names the chatbot Online Case Experience (OCE) guided by Casey and distinguishes it from CCA. Bain's digital assessment page states that offices may assign Sova or TestGorilla, that the assessment runs about 30–40 minutes, and that the invitation email names which one you face.
| Firm assessment (as the firm describes it) | CoachNed simulator | Read this first |
|---|---|---|
| McKinsey Solve — Red Rock Study style module | /mckinsey-red-rock | McKinsey Solve guide, Red Rock study guide, Red Rock simulator |
| McKinsey Solve — Sea Wolf style module | /mckinsey-sea-wolf | Sea Wolf guide, Sea Wolf simulator |
| McKinsey Solve — Sustainable Future Lab style module | /mckinsey-sfl | SFL guide, SFL simulator |
| BCG Online Case / Casey chatbot case | /casey | BCG online case Casey guide, BCG Casey simulator |
| BCG Consulting Career Assessment (CCA) | /tools/bcg-cca-simulator | BCG CCA explained, BCG CCA practice test |
| Bain Sova digital assessment | /bain-sova | Bain SOVA test guide, Bain SOVA simulator |
For how these screens sit next to live cases across firms, read Consulting aptitude tests, How to practice consulting online assessments, and MBB assessment simulators. Do not start a simulator until the invite names the product. McKinsey's own Solve page says no preparation is required; treat CoachNed rooms as familiarity with constraints and pacing, not as a substitute for following McKinsey's integrity rules on that page.
Calculators, builders, and free downloads
Calculators check a hand setup. They do not replace the interviewer's demand that you show the arithmetic out loud.
Practice this today: one hour, one leak
Do not open five tabs. Run this sequence once:
- Take one /start three-turn case. Note the lowest scored dimension.
- Open the matching drill from the table above for 20 minutes.
- Run one /interview voice case. Confirm the same dimension moved; if it did not, that is your only job tomorrow.
- If your invite already names a firm assessment, replace step 3 with that simulator only after steps 1–2.
If you have six weeks and no invite yet, spend four of five sessions on drills and voice, and one session browsing firm pages so you recognize the product name when the email arrives. For a calendar-shaped plan, read Consulting interview prep timeline and the sibling start-here hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which CoachNed tool should I use first if I have never done a case?
Open /start. It is three typed turns with an instant score and needs no account. Use it to find your floor, then move to one /interview voice case the same day so you hear what changes when you speak.
Are the firm simulators the same as the real McKinsey, BCG, or Bain tests?
No. They mirror the shape and constraints of assessments the firms describe publicly — Solve modules, Casey-style chatbot cases, CCA-style numericals, Bain Sova — so you can rehearse pacing. The real product lives on the firm's platform; follow the invitation and the firm's integrity rules.
How does pricing work after the free week?
Everything is open for seven days with no card. After that, Season Pass is $120 for 90 days or Pro is $49 a month. Both include a 14-day no-questions refund. Details live on /pricing.
Should I practice Casey if my invite only says CCA?
No. BCG treats the online case and the Consulting Career Assessment as different screens. Prep the product named in your email; see BCG's own Associate process and CCA FAQ language on its U.S. Associate opportunities page.
When should I stop practicing the night before?
After one short /drills/quick-math set. A second full case or a new simulator the night before usually costs sleep without buying points. Protect the floor you already have.
Sources
- Solve, McKinsey's assessment game — McKinsey's description of Solve as a gamified assessment and integrity expectations. Checked 2026-09-24.
- Interviewing at McKinsey — personal experience plus problem-solving interview design for most client-facing roles. Checked 2026-09-24.
- United States Associate job opportunities | BCG Careers — CCA timing (~30–35 minutes, 48-hour window) and select-candidate online case (~35 minutes). Checked 2026-09-24.
- Jobs in Mexico | BCG Careers — Online Case Experience (Casey chatbot) vs Consulting Career Assessment (CCA). Checked 2026-09-24.
- Case interview preparation | BCG Careers — BCG's public case-interview expectations. Checked 2026-09-24.
- Digital assessment | Bain & Company — Sova vs TestGorilla by office, ~30–40 minute duration, invitation as source of truth. Checked 2026-09-24.