Hi there,
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:
- First of all, it should depend, of course, on whether the "red flags" you mentioned could have been spotted earlier and/or whether a different subset of species would have been the better option at first glance. If you chose the best option at first glance and it still turned out to be a dead end, I do not think it would negatively affect your score, as it would be the most logical way. Otherwise, it most likely would.
- Moreover, however, no one knows for sure, and it is kind of pointless to think about it.
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 McKinsey pre-interview assessment and/or interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen