Hi there,

In the future, think about communication.

This was a doozy to read! To be a good consultant you need to have clear, concise thinking & communication. Right now, you are very messy.

Reflect on this post and think “Did I have to write all that?”. Think “What information was needed and what wasn't”.

Think: How can i get my point/question across sooner…how can I help them help me?

Q1: Should I am for a referral?

Yes!

Q2: Should I reach out to HR?

You can, but it won't do much

Comment 1: “it would be a shame to simply start a new job at a worse firm”

You do know this is the base state of 99.9% of the population, right? And they're perfectly fine/happy? Set your expectation a bit more. It's not McKinsey or life's over.

Final Note: Your Mindset

You need to reflect on YOUR actions and whether this is their fault or yours. Right now, you're so sure you're fit for McKinsey, but all the actions/thinking you did reflect that you are not a fit for McKinsey.

I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just saying: Everyone always thinks it's someone else's fault. You know who succeeds? Those who question themelseves, their own actions, their own abilities, and WORK to improve them.

Here are all the things you did wrong here (so that you can learn):

1. given that due to technical reasons I really ran out of time for the second part of the RedRock study - Not technical reasons. Lack of planning/prep on your part
2.  due to the UI/UX design I did not even realize there was a 3rd part with the cases because it did not show it on the Task bar - such a shame that you had a different/harder UI/UX than every other person taking (and passing) the test!
3. But more importantly, the instructions were really not clear - Same as #2. The instructions weren't clear….but other people succeed. Why is this the test's fault and not yours?
4.  I was doing the whole test from my UK keyboard MacBook that I never use for work or to calculate anything - and why was this the decision you made? Why not use a different laptop? Or, why not have a calculator ready? Or, use their built in calculator? Or use your phone? Or use pen and paper? Seems silly to take a work-based super important test on a laptop you're not used to
5. Due to not being familiar with it. - why would you let yourself not be familiar with something right before a serious test?
6. hence I had absolutely 0 idea about how Red Rock is - ok, but on this forums don't we always talk about how you should be ready for anything? How you should prep your core abilities to solve any problem. As in, not memorize a game, but rather build up your skills?
7. I read many many comments about being equally surprised as I was due to recieving Red Rock on that exact same day - Ok, so everyone else was on the same playing field! And, they passed. While you didn't. Interesting…
8. I did not prepare for interviews at all at that stage, which would have made Red Rock so much easier - And why not? You're supposed to be 80% case ready before you apply

I'm being direct not to be mean but to try to help. Drop the ego. Drop the blaming others. And be accountable for oyur own actions. If you do this, I know you can succeed. If you don't, I doubt you will. (I've seen other candidates who think similarly, and this is the difference-maker)

(edited)

Hi there!

Sorry to hear about this. The reality is that these things happen, regardless of how much you try to prevent them.

In short, I'd suggest 3 things:

1. Yes, try and get a referral. That will increase your chances of passing screening even if your test results are not that great. 

Even if the application doesn't work out, you can ask for another referral from somebody else next year (so there's no harm in it). 

You can use the following guide for these coffee chat discussions in order to get a referral:

• Your Guide to Consulting Coffee Chats

2. Yes, reach out to McK HR and explain your situation to them. Acknowledge that it was your fault and you should've thought about this beforehand, but ask whether there's any way in which you could either retake the test or consider your technical difficulties as part of the evaluation process. 

This has the lowest chances of succeeding from my point of view. They tend to be quite stiff with the tests.

3. Apply to more firms and go as broad as you can. Develop a strong application strategy to manage for unfortunate things that happen along the way. 

You can leverage this guide in order to achieve this:

• Maximising your chances of getting a consulting job during an economic downturn

Hope you hear good things from them soon!
Best,
Cristian

Hello,

I am sorry to hear about your situation. I think it's ok if you want to reach out to HR, explain the situation, and ask whether the same test scores will be used for your application, though I don't think they'd let you retake the test at this point.