Since 2017, McKinsey has been employing challenging and sophisticated games to assess potential consultants, with the complexity of these games increasing over time. The new game introduced in the 2023, the Redrock case study, presents an intriguing challenge for candidates. It follows Imbellus' Plant Defense, serving as the new second challenge. It involves optimizing wolf and elk populations on the island, requiring both analytical and decision-making abilities.
Candidates are encouraged to employ critical thinking, analyze potentially incomplete data, and engage in strategic planning to make informed decisions. This exercise mirrors the real-world challenges analysts and consultants face.
In this article, you'll find detailed explanations, practical tips, and other essential information designed to help you excel in your McKinsey Solve Game.
What is the McKinsey Redrock Game?
The Redrock game, like other assessment tools at McKinsey, simulates the real-world challenges faced by consultants. It assesses candidates' information processing, problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making under pressure. Online information about the game is scarce and unclear, given its recent addition to McKinsey's evaluation process. Furthermore, candidate-reported memories and information might be unreliable, contributing to misunderstandings about the game's dynamics.
In the Redrock game, you'll face percentage calculations akin to those found in earlier McKinsey's mini games. As anticipated, this island-centric scenario involves analyzing local wildlife, focusing especially on wolves and elks.
The main goal is to create predictions about the evolution and population dynamics of species.
How is Redrock structured?
The game unfolds through two distinct phases: study and cases. The study phase is split into three distinct steps:
- Investigation: gathering information and data about the island's species.
- Analysis: during this stage, you'll tackle 3 to 4 math questions (in this article we go in depth about Redrock's math), each with two parts focusing on different animal groups. An integrated calculator is provided for computations, and the Research Journal offers necessary information to answer these questions.
- Report, which is further divided into three parts:
- Completing a report based on the calculations from the previous Analysis section, which requires up to 10 inputs.
- Choosing a type of chart to display the processed data.
- Filling in the chart with the requested data.
You can find more detailed information by downloading our free template.
Redrock’s final questions
Finally, there is a fourth phase that has been recently implemented which involves answering 6 to 10 questions. Note that the number of questions in your test may vary within this range. These questions are independent of the prior analyses in Redrock. While they are not overly challenging, they usually require about 2 minutes each to answer.
Note: Many candidates have reported difficulties in finishing the game within the time limit. Take action and practice before the real test day.
A screenshot from our Redrock Simulator shows how it looks like:
Redrock strategies: make the most of your time
In the current Problem Solving Game versions, each phase is timed independently with a fixed limit:
- 35 minutes for the ecosystem-building mini-game;
- another 35 minutes for the Redrock Study.
For this reason, time doesn't roll over from one phase to the next. Regardless of how fast you finish the first game, you'll always have 35 minutes for the Redrock phase.
Effective time management is crucial for a successful approach to the McKinsey Redrock study. Here are some strategies:
- Prioritize careful planning along with quick data analysis.
- Approach each phase strategically, ensuring you fully understand each task before beginning.
- Remember, familiarizing yourself with the types of questions through practice can significantly improve your performance.
Dive in in Redrock's time management by reading our article with tips to meet the challenge at hightest level.
Tips to ace Redrock study
Here are some tips to improve your performance in the Redrock game:
- Sharpen your skills using the materials available on our website: from the free template to the Redrock Study Simulations and the in-depth guide.
- Develop fast reading techniques to handle large amounts of information under tight time constraints. You can find some tips here.
- Focus only on relevant data, ignoring unnecessary information in the mini-games.
- Disregard external knowledge and base your decisions on the provided numbers.
- Practice solving problems like a consultant, making decisions with limited information.
- Ensure that your hardware and internet connection are reliable and functioning properly.
Take your performance to the next level
This article is a good starting point for obtaining useful information. If you desire more detailed information and practical advice for preparation, try our free template. Practice is key, and with just one click, you can download your template and train to tackle the game with utmost efficiency.
Feeling more confident? Take a step further towards admission by getting your Redrock simulator.
Get started now with our help! Your journey to excellence begins here.
