The shape of the game
~30 minutes, two parts, strictly one-way. Part 1 is a single study in three phases (Investigation → Analysis → Report) about an ecological scenario (wolf populations, kelp forests, that kind of thing). Part 2 is six short cases on the same theme. Once you advance, there is no going back, and the tools change as you go:
- Investigation: a page of text, tables and charts. Your only tool is the Research Journal. You drag the values you'll need into it. No calculator yet. Anything you don't collect now is gone.
- Analysis: the calculator appears. You answer 2–4 quantitative questions using your collected values; answers get logged back into the Journal.
- Report: fill blanks in a written summary, pick the right chart type, complete a table, all from your Journal.
- Cases: six standalone questions, mostly quantitative, against the remaining clock.
A timing split that works
| Phase | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation | ~5 min | Collect broadly, compute nothing. Over-collecting beats re-reading a page you can't return to. |
| Analysis | ~10 min | The core math lives here. Slowest phase by design. |
| Report | ~5 min | If your Journal is in order, this is assembly, not thinking. |
| Six cases | ~2 min each | They're independent. Banking time earlier buys a re-read on the one that stumps you. |
The exact numbers matter less than having decided them before test day. The people who run out of clock are almost always the ones still deciding how long Investigation deserves while Investigation is running.
The math it actually tests
About two-thirds of Red Rock is math, and none of it goes past arithmetic: percentages vs. percentage points (they will test whether you know the difference), ratios, weighted averages, mean/median/mode, and simple probability. What catches people is speed and losing track of which number feeds which calculation. The Journal is your defense, so name and collect values deliberately.
A worked example: the percentage-points trap
This is the single most common way a Red Rock question is designed to catch you, so it's worth seeing with numbers. Suppose a survival rate for a wolf pack rose from 20% one year to 25% the next, and a question asks how much it increased.
- The percentage-point increase is 25 − 20 = 5 percentage points.
- The percent (relative) increase is (25 − 20) / 20 = 25%.
Both are correct answers to different questions, and Red Rock will phrase the prompt to reward exactly one. "Rose by 5 points" and "rose by 25%" describe the same change. Read whether the question asks for the point difference or the relative change before you compute, because the two answers will both appear among the options.
A second frequent one is the weighted average. If 30 wolves average 42 kg and 10 wolves average 50 kg, the combined mean is not (42 + 50) / 2 = 46. It is (30 × 42 + 10 × 50) / 40 = 44 kg. Whenever group sizes differ, weight by the counts. These two patterns (points vs. percent, and weighting by count) account for a large share of the questions people miss under time pressure.
The three most expensive mistakes
- Leaving Investigation too early. The phase locks. A missing value can't be re-fetched; you'll be forced to estimate or guess in Analysis.
- Doing math in your head during Investigation. There's no calculator there on purpose. Collect now, compute later.
- Treating the six cases as one block. They're unrelated. Miss one, drop it, move on. Sunk-cost spirals on case two are how case six goes unanswered.
FAQ
What is the Red Rock Study?
The first McKinsey Solve game: a ~30-minute data-analysis exercise in three one-way phases (Investigation, Analysis, Report) followed by six short cases. It's the game closest to a traditional consulting case.
How long is it?
About 30 minutes. It's one of the two games on a 65-minute Solve invitation, alongside Sea Wolf.
Can I go back to an earlier phase?
No. The flow is strictly one-way, which is why Journal discipline during Investigation decides most outcomes.
What math should I brush up on?
Percentages and percentage points, ratios, weighted averages, mean/median/mode, simple probability. Speed matters more than depth.
Is there a calculator?
From Analysis onward, yes. During Investigation, no. Just the Research Journal.
Is this the real McKinsey game?
No. SolveForge rebuilds the publicly documented mechanics so you can practice the flow; the real content and scoring weights are McKinsey's and aren't published.
Keep going
Next up in the assessment: the Sea Wolf strategy guide, then the Sustainable Futures Lab if you have the 85-minute invite. Or zoom out to the full McKinsey Solve guide. Ready to play? Start the free Red Rock scenario.