Advice: How to go about exhibits?

Question

I'm interviewing with McK soon and am wondering about the best approach to go through an exhibit. I know that they want you to capture both the basic, obvious trends in the graph but also some next-level/not-so-obvious ones.

My question is:

1) Should you take one minute to read the exhibit for yourself or do you read out the title, axes, etc. out loud?

2) Should you take a moment to structure your thoughts or blurt out directly?

3) Should you try to come with the basic trends or your next-level insight first?

I've heard everything from talk your interviewer through the whole thing to take a moment to structure your top-down communication, but I have no idea what the best approach is.

Thank you in advance!!

Answer 1

Hi!

1) Should you take one minute to read the exhibit for yourself or do you read out the title, axes, etc. out loud? There is no right or wrong way; but I would read all the titles to myself and then summarise what I'm seeing.

2) Should you take a moment to structure your thoughts or blurt out directly? I personally think it's always best to take a moment - honestly 30seconds to a minute is good; and remember it's better to take time and be right than to shoot from the hip and it's wrong.

3) Should you try to come up with the basic trends or your next-level insight first? Make sure you cover your basics, as those are probably what the interviewer has infront of them, and THEN bring in the extra layer. You want to make sure you cover the basic correct answers.

This is how I would approach this:

1. Take a Moment to Understand the Graph

I usually start by asking for 30 seconds to get familiar with the graph. (not shooting from the hip).
I focus on the graph title, legend, and any footnotes (people often skip these and end up missing key context.)
I quickly summarise (say this part out loud) what the graph is showing before diving into any analysis.

2. Break Down the Graph Based on the Question

Before doing any analysis, I always make sure I fully understand and repeat the interviewer’s question.
That helps avoid misalignment or answering the wrong thing entirely.
Then I zero in on what the graph tells me that’s actually relevant to the question.
I try to extract the most important insights.
Keep the question in mind!!!!

In the graphs - we look at 2 things:

Size: Who is biggest, second biggest
Growth trend: Who is fastest, faster than overall

and keep in mind to find the differences

where does the graph or columns drop or spike up?
Which bar or column or year is a lot shorter or bigger than the others
Where does change occur - look out for this.

3. Drive the Case Forward

Once I’ve gathered the key insights, I propose a next step based on what I’ve seen.
I also try to ask a thoughtful follow-up question or suggest a further analysis - "as a next step I'd suggest we look at this" something that shows I’m thinking beyond just what’s in front of me. BUT COVER THE BASICS FIRST.

Keep in mind one more thing: Speak outloud while interpreting

It actually helps you process your thoughts, and it allows the interviewer to follow you, correct you, and provide guidance.

Good lucccck and happy to chat:)

Answer 2

Hello, here’s what I think on the matter :

Take 5–10 seconds silently to scan the exhibit, then start by reading the title and axes out loud to bring the interviewer along.
Don’t blurt out, take a few seconds to structure your key points, then communicate them top-down (e.g., “There are three key insights here…”).
Start with the basic trend, then layer in the deeper/next-level insight. That shows you’re thorough and analytical.

McKinsey values clear, structured thinking, so always focus on clarity over speed.

Answer 3

In short, here's what I'd do.

1. When you receive the exhibit, read it with the interviewer. No need to interpret it. Just read the data, high-level, and ask any clarifying questions you might have (e.g., maybe the labels are missing, or unclear).

2. Ask for time and take 1-2 minutes to develop the insights.

3. Get back to the interviewer with ideally 2-4 insights. Each insight should start from a data point, explain what that point means/says, and then what the client should do as a consequence of this finding (i.e., 'the so what'). Make sure that you always close on this prescriptive note. In most cases, there is not enough conclusive evidence to provide a recommendation, so you should either launch a hypothesis or, if you also don't have enough supporting evidence for this, suggest next steps that would get you closer to a hypothesis.

4. (If aspiring for distinctive) Once you've shared the insights, take a step back and share the 'story', meaning how all these insights connect with everything else we know about the client and the direction in which they're going.

That's about it.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

Hi there,

1) Should you take one minute to read the exhibit for yourself or do you read out the title, axes, etc. out loud?

You can take time AND summarize the graph, they are both fine

2) Should you take a moment to structure your thoughts or blurt out directly?

It is better to take time so that you can structure the analysis better.

3) Should you try to come with the basic trends or your next-level insight first?

I would recommend taking time and summarizing the graph first, then providing the insights.

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Overall, I would recommend the following:

1. READ THE GRAPH

Ask for some time to understand the graph. Usually 30 seconds are enough, but there is no hard rule.
Summarize the graph. Read in particular the graph title, the legend, and the footnote. Candidates quite often skip this part and then make mistakes.

2. ANALYZE THE GRAPH AND FIND THE KEY INSIGHTS

Repeat the question. Some candidates don’t repeat the question and then answer the wrong one. If you repeat it, you can be sure that you will answer what was asked.
Provide an analysis related to the question. Identify the key insights of the graph based on the question. This is the most challenging part of graph analysis to master, as it is different in every chart. You can improve it with drills on your own or with coaching.

3. PROPOSE THE NEXT STEPS

State your hypothesis or suggestion on what to do next. Present what should be done next to help further the client reach the goal.
Ask a question/propose an analysis related to what is needed to move forward. This will show you can drive the case forward.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 5

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:

First of all, I would advise you to take the time to silently scan the exhibit before speaking. It is highly unlikely that the exhibit will be so straightforward that you will not need time to digest and analyze it.
Moreover, you should of course not only share the most obvious insights, but also the more subtle ones. However, you have not mentioned at all so far what is even more important with any consulting firm: deriving the implications and next steps from each and every insight.

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 interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best

Hagen