1 month to prep for McKinsey Interview Private Capital

Hi there,

With one month and no prior casing experience, the key is to keep your prep focused and structured, not to try to cover everything.

Here’s a practical way to approach it for a McKinsey Private Capital BA interview:

Week 1: Foundations

• Learn the McKinsey interviewer-led case format (how cases flow, what interviewers expect)
• Understand basic case structures (profitability, market entry, investment decision)
• Start light mental math and exhibit reading drills
• Watch 1–2 example McKinsey-style cases to understand pacing

Week 2: Core case skills

• Start doing live cases (at least 3–4 this week)
• Focus on structuring clearly, explaining logic out loud, and synthesizing
• Don’t worry about speed yet — clarity matters more
• Begin adapting your REPE mindset to cases (returns, value creation, risks)

Week 3: Private Capital focus

• Practice PE-style cases: commercial due diligence, market attractiveness, growth levers, cost/value creation
• Get comfortable discussing investment logic, risks, and feasibility
• Improve exhibit interpretation and quick math
• Refine your PEI stories (leadership, conflict, drive)

Week 4: Polish

• Fewer cases, higher quality (mock interviews if possible)
• Focus on synthesis, top-down recommendations, and confidence
• Practice handling ambiguity calmly

Your REPE background is a real advantage for Private Capital — you already think in terms of value, risk, and returns. The main thing you need to build is case interview mechanics and communication, not business intuition.

If useful, I can help you map this into a week-by-week plan or do a fast-track mock to get you oriented quickly.

Best,
Evelina

One month is tight but very doable if you focus right.

Take a breath first. Coming from REPE, you already think in deals, returns, and investment logic. That is way closer to McKinsey Private Capital cases than you realize. You are not starting from zero.

Week one, don't jump into cases yet. That is the mistake everyone makes. Spend a few days watching good case walkthroughs online. Understand the game before you play it. The core idea is simple. You get a business problem, break it into logical pieces, work through it step by step, and give a recommendation. That is really all it is.

Week two and three, start doing cases. But don't try to cram 50 cases. Do 15 to 20 really well. After each one, spend equal time reviewing what went wrong. Where did your structure break? Where did the math trip you up? Where did you lose the big picture? The learning is in the review, not the case itself.

For Private Capital cases specifically, expect things like evaluating a deal, due diligence on a company, growth strategy after an acquisition, or turning around a portfolio company. Your REPE background is a real advantage here. Don't try to sound like a generalist consultant. Lean into the fact that you understand how investors think and what makes a deal work.

The part most people skip is the personal experience interview. McKinsey runs a behavioral round and this is where a lot of deal-background people stumble. They have great technical stories but struggle to talk about leadership, influence, and tough team situations. Think about times you drove a decision, pushed back on someone senior, or led something beyond your formal role. Have three or four tight stories ready.

The math will not be a problem for you. If you can model a deal, you can handle case math. Just practice doing rough calculations out loud without a spreadsheet. Think out loud, round numbers, and talk through your logic.

Don't spend money on expensive prep courses. You don't have time to go through a full program in four weeks. Find a case partner who has done consulting interviews and practice live two to three times a week. That is worth ten times more than solo prep.

One McKinsey specific tip. Their cases are interviewer-led, meaning they guide you through the case more than BCG or Bain would. That actually helps you as a first timer since you are not expected to drive everything alone. But you still need to show clear, structured thinking at each step.

You have a real shot. Nail the basics, lean into your deal background, and practice live as much as possible.

Hi there,

I suggest you do 1-2 cases on your own and 1 with a friend to get used to the casing format. Then you should schedule 1 session with a coach to get sharp feedback on which areas you should focus on. Dedicate 1-2 weeks on improving these areas by both doing solo and live cases with peers. Do 1 session midway again with a coach to see your progress and get a follow up view on which areas you should focus on next. You should ask them whether they would pass you at this point so you can get an idea of how much effort to invest in the remaining time. 

If you can, get a coach. 

Why?

Because you could have a session asap and get to understand:

1 where you are

2 where you need to get to for a pass

3 how to turn your strengths into spikes

4 what drills to focus on to improve on your dev areas

and most importantly

5 how to prioritise your efforts over the coming month so you work on what matters in the way that makes the biggest impact

The problem that the average candidate has is not 'which materials to work on' because there are many and of varying levels of quality. But 'how best to work on my skills with the most targeted materials.' 

If you want help with this, drop me a line.

Best,
Cristian