The McKinsey interview process
A McKinsey interview has two parts: the case (a structured business problem you solve collaboratively with the interviewer) and the PEI, where you tell detailed stories demonstrating personal impact, leadership, and drive. There may also be the Solve digital assessment earlier in the process.
Common McKinsey interview questions
These are the kinds of questions candidates report most often — prepare a strong answer for each and practice it out loud.
- Case: a client’s profits are declining — how would you approach the problem?
- Case: estimate the size of a market (e.g. the US market for X).
- PEI: tell me about a time you led a team through a difficult situation.
- PEI: describe a time you had significant personal impact on an outcome.
- PEI: tell me about a time you persuaded others to your point of view.
- Why consulting, and why McKinsey?
What McKinsey looks for — and how to prepare
- Master case structure: Use MECE frameworks; structure the problem before analyzing, and think out loud.
- Prepare PEI stories: Two or three deep stories on leadership, impact, and persuasion — with specifics.
- Drive the case: McKinsey wants you to lead the analysis, not wait to be prompted.
- Practice mental math: Clean, quick estimation and calculation under light pressure.