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Do I get penalised for picking the wrong data points in the Mckinsey game?

I have answered all questions correctly on the red-rock case on the practice site but received only a 230/600 score. The reason is because I apparently picked up wrong data points into the research journal. I've taken "many" datapoints just to make sure I have everything I want even though I knew I wasn't going to use many of them.

Do I get really punished for picking the wrong info into the research journal?

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Hagen
Coach
on Jul 31, 2024
#1 recommended coach | >95% success rate | 8+ years consulting, 8+ years coaching and 7+ years interviewing experience

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

  • Yes, in the McKinsey Solve, selecting too many irrelevant data points can indeed impact your score negatively. The pre-interview assessment is designed to assess your ability to identify the required information and ignore what's not, mimicking the decision-making process in real consulting situations.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Florian
Coach
on Jul 29, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 600+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

Sorry to hear!

Yes, you are getting deductions for adding too many data points. 

This task aims to figure out how you sort through information and decide on the most relevant data points on the spot (in a simplified task), similar to what you would do during a real consulting engagement.

If you do the same in a real consulting engagement, you would completely overwhelm yourself and boil the ocean.

Cheers,

Florian

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