Red Rock Study

Investigate a study, save the figures the objective needs, calculate, fill the report and solve 6 short cases. One clock covers the sitting. After it you get your completed paper, the mistake to fix first and its practice. Your free review is available for 72 hours after the sitting. After that, the headline remains; a Solve Pass reopens the details.

Position in the sitting: First, before Sea Wolf and, when assigned, Sustainable Future Lab Time: 35 minutes on one clock for the study and the cases Study phases: Investigation → Analysis → Report Analysis: 2–4, usually 3 calculation questions, some with sub-parts Report: A paragraph with 8–10 blanks, then one chart choice you cannot change Mini-cases: 6 short cases, about 2 minutes each Navigation: Investigation and Analysis stay navigable; the Report is one-way Calculator: Available from Analysis onward Rounding: The study asks for two decimal places; the cases carry no rounding instruction (CaseStar’s cases state the precision they are marked to, so marking is unambiguous) Untimed tutorial: Every task starts with an untimed tutorial Scoring: McKinsey’s FAQ and Solve page do not describe how Solve is scored Format details come from McKinsey’s own pages and from what candidates report; counts candidates disagree on are not stated as fact.

Investigation: read the objective and save only the facts it needs. Analysis: 2–4, usually 3 calculation questions, with the calculator unlocked; the math is percentages, percentage points versus percent change, ratios and shares, weighted averages, growth rates and CAGR, never advanced, but done accurately under time pressure. Report: a paragraph with 8–10 blanks, then one chart choice that cannot be undone; once you enter the report there is no way back to the study. Mini-cases: 6 standalone cases, each with its own short text or exhibit.

The plan CaseStar’s sittings and reviews hold you to: Investigation 5 minutes, Analysis 9 minutes, Report 9 minutes, 6 mini-cases 12 minutes. Adjust it after your first full run.

Candidates and prep vendors describe a product score (whether your answers are correct) and a process score (how you worked). These are reported descriptions, not a published McKinsey scoring formula. CaseStar practice scores are not on that scale and do not predict a result. The common mistakes: percent versus percentage points, the wrong period, the wrong denominator, rounding too early, saving everything, and running out of time for the cases.

Free: an 8-minute sample with no sign-up, and one full 35-minute sitting with an email. The 8-minute sample is the opening eight minutes of a Red Rock study, with no sign-up: collect evidence, run two calculations, fill a short report and answer one mini-case, then see each answer worked through. It is not a full assessment. The Solve Pass costs €69 once and covers as many Red Rock sittings as you need plus Sea Wolf, Sustainable Future Lab and the full Solve mock. No expiry · yours to keep.

Red Rock Study (35 minutes): Investigation, analysis and a report, then six short cases. Sea Wolf (30 minutes): Three contaminated ocean sites, one microbe treatment each, one clock. Sustainable Future Lab (20 minutes): A priority ranking, then twelve single-choice decisions. Candidates report invites of 65, 85 or about 95 minutes, plus about 20 minutes for instructions and the technical check. Red Rock is the first game.

A calculator is built in from Analysis onward and is not available while you collect evidence in Investigation. It keeps full precision, and its % key turns 15 into 0.15. Candidates call it accurate but slow, so estimate first and use it to confirm. Contact Solve support when the technical issue happens, during the assessment: use live chat or email gbil-support@mckinsey.com. McKinsey’s FAQ says a reset exception is unavailable if you did not contact support during the assessment. Support may offer extra time or reset the link depending on the issue.

Candidates report a 12-month lock before you can sit Solve again (McKinsey does not publish this), so there is no quick second attempt at the real one. Rehearse first, and check your invitation and recruiter for your own situation.

No. Practise beforehand, then close CaseStar and every other preparation tool. McKinsey’s published integrity rules prohibit outside assistance and tools, pre-prepared notes, and recording or screenshots during Solve, except for accommodations McKinsey has approved.

McKinsey’s own Solve page (https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/mckinsey-digital-assessment) and Solve FAQ (https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/careers%20redesign/interviewing/getting%20ready%20for%20your%20interviews/faqs-solve-sept-2026.pdf), and candidate debriefs on PrepLounge and Reddit, January to September 2026. Official public sources describe Solve broadly; this is independent Red Rock-style data-analysis practice with directional feedback, not a clone of McKinsey's platform.