McKinsey R2 rescheduled 5+ times over 3 weeks — normal or red flag?

Question

I'm going through McKinsey's Software Engineer process for QuantumBlack. I passed Round 1 (Pair Programming + Technical Experience Interview) and moved to Round 2, which consists of two Partner interviews (PEI + Problem Solving Scenario each).

The second round has been severely disrupted:

Session 1 (Partner A): delayed 1 hour
Session 2 (Partner B): rescheduled 5 times — and on the 4th attempt, I waited 30 minutes in the meeting with no communication until I reached out myself
I've now been given yet another reschedule date
Total delay: ~3 weeks

I've completed one of the two sessions successfully.

My question: has anyone experienced this level of disruption in McKinsey R2? Does repeated rescheduling at the Partner stage typically signal anything about the process outcome, or is this just scheduling chaos on their end?

Answer 1

Hi there,

It happens quite frequently, and not just at McKinsey but I would say at any consulting company, especially for niche roles, where interviewers are selected from a relatively small pool of Partners and senior experts with very busy schedules. As a result, rescheduling can be more common than in larger, more standardized recruiting processes.

From what you've described, this sounds much more like a scheduling issue than a signal about your candidacy. If they wanted to stop the process, they would typically do so directly rather than repeatedly trying to find another slot.

Stay patient, flexible, and professional. The delays are frustrating, but they are unlikely to be related to your performance or chances of receiving an offer.

Good luck with the remaining interview!
Best,
Franco

Answer 2

This is highly unusual.

I would not treat it as a red flag.

Something must've come up.

Of course, if this is too frustrating for you you can just drop the process, but otherwise it might be worth accepting it as part of how things run in real life (or sometimes don't run).

Best,
Cristian

Answer 3

McKinsey Partners get pulled into client work constantly. 5+ reschedules over 3 weeks is unusual in volume but not in pattern. QuantumBlack scheduling is even more variable.

If they wanted you out, they wouldn't keep trying to book the second round. McKinsey rejections come through clean HR communication, not silent delays.

Stay flexible. Offer backup dates when accepting the next reschedule. A polite check-in to the recruiter is fine if the next session is more than a week away.

Keep other pipelines moving. Don't read rejection into process chaos.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Consultants are quite busy right now. Client comes first, and recruiting is second, if not third or fourth.

I recently had a similar experience with a relevant firm trying to hire me as a Commercial Due Diligence expert. It was rescheduled 5 times, sometimes on the same day. All of this is normal.

If they were not interested, they would not waste their time with a fake interview. They would cancel.