CaseStar field guide · McKinsey Solve games
Red Rock vs Sea Wolf: where to spend your prep time
A common question on candidate forums is some version of “I did badly in Red Rock but well in Sea Wolf; what are my chances?” The two games test different skills, and most candidates are noticeably stronger at one. Here is how they differ and how to split limited prep time.
Red Rock vs Sea Wolf: how do the games differ?
| Game | Order | Time | What it asks of you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock Study | 1 | 35 min | Investigation, analysis and a report, then six short cases |
| Sea Wolf | 2 | 30 min | Three contaminated ocean sites, one microbe treatment each, one clock |
| Sustainable Future Lab | 3 | 20 min | A priority ranking, then twelve branching decisions |
What does each game reward?
Red Rock: reading, arithmetic and judgement under time pressure
Red Rock is a compressed research task. You decide which facts in a page of narrative and exhibits matter, calculate shares, growth rates and weighted averages, fill a report and pick a chart, then answer six quick cases. Candidates lose marks to wrong denominators, wrong years, percent versus percentage points, and simply running out of time before the last cases. See the Red Rock Study guide.
Sea Wolf: systematic filtering against constraints
Sea Wolf asks you to clean three ocean sites by choosing a team of three microbes for each. Each site sets target ranges for attributes and requires or forbids certain traits, and the team’s average must fall inside every range. There is little arithmetic beyond averages; the challenge is keeping several constraints in mind while filtering a pool efficiently. Candidates report seeing each site’s effectiveness after submitting, and that some sites cannot reach 100%.
How do you find your weaker Solve game?
- Play the free Red Rock sample (8 minutes). Note whether you finished, and which calculation or collection step you got wrong.
- Play the free Sea Wolf site (10 minutes). Note how many constraints your treatment met.
- Ask which felt uncomfortable rather than which scored higher. Discomfort under the clock is what the real sitting amplifies.
How should you split preparation between Red Rock and Sea Wolf?
With a week or more: two-thirds of your practice on the weaker game, one-third on the stronger, and at least one full back-to-back sitting, ideally the full Solve mock, so the switch between games is familiar. With three days: one full sitting of your weaker game, a careful review of its errors, and one short session of the stronger game to stay warm.
What not to do: skip a game because you are confident in it, or assume one strong result will carry you. McKinsey has not published how the games combine into your score.
For scoring details, read McKinsey Solve score and decile.
Common questions
Is Red Rock or Sea Wolf harder?
Neither is harder for everyone. Candidates who are quick with numbers and exhibits tend to find Red Rock manageable and Sea Wolf tedious; methodical candidates who dislike arithmetic under pressure often find the reverse. Try a short sample of each before deciding.
Can a strong Sea Wolf make up for a weak Red Rock?
McKinsey has not published how the games combine. Candidates report receiving a single overall score and decile, which suggests performance is combined, but nobody outside McKinsey knows the weighting. Aim for a solid result in both rather than betting on one.
Which game comes first?
Candidates in 2026 report a fixed order: Red Rock, then Sea Wolf, then Sustainable Future Lab on longer invites.
How should I split my preparation time?
Start with one sample of each. Then give roughly two-thirds of your remaining time to your weaker game and one-third to keeping the stronger one sharp, finishing with at least one full back-to-back sitting.
Sources and limits
- McKinsey: Solve assessment overview and integrity rules
- McKinsey: Solve FAQ (August 2025)
- PrepLounge: “Didn’t perform well in Red Rock, did well in Sea Wolf”
- PrepLounge: McKinsey Solve, June 2026, Paris
- PrepLounge: Advice for McKinsey Solve
- PrepLounge: Advice to succeed on Redrock
- CaseStar: what changed in McKinsey Solve in 2026 (dated change log with confidence labels)
CaseStar (casestar.io) is an independent practice platform for consulting recruiting: timed McKinsey Solve simulators, including Red Rock, and voice case interviews. It is not affiliated with McKinsey & Company.
McKinsey publishes only a broad description of Solve. Details labelled as candidate-reported come from debriefs and can differ between candidates, regions and test versions. Worked examples on this page are original CaseStar exercises, not assessment questions. Your invitation and recruiter take precedence.