McKinsey - Drive vs Entrepreneurial Drive

Question

Hello!

I’ve started preparing for the McKinsey PEI and learned that the PEI dimensions were recently changed - for example, “Entrepreneurial Drive” is now “Drive.” Did the assessment criteria change as well?

For instance, is “Drive” now less focused on the entrepreneurial aspect, where I need to identify an opportunity myself and take initiative? I am asking because I am considering a situation where I did not necessarily discover an opportunity myself, but was instead assigned a project, which I then drove forward - facing multiple setbacks, developing solution approaches, and demonstrating resilience and passion.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Answer 1

Hi! The core criteria—initiative, ownership, resilience, and the ability to push through challenges—remain the same.

“Drive” is not limited to situations where you independently identify an opportunity; it also applies to cases where you are given responsibility and actively take charge to move things forward.

Your example can fit with what McKinsey is looking for, as long as you clearly highlight your proactive actions and meaningful impact.

Happy to chat further and good luck!

Answer 2

Hi, good question!

The label changed more than the substance. “Drive” still tests the same core things: ownership, resilience, and your ability to push through obstacles and make things happen. It’s just a bit less narrowly tied to purely “entrepreneurial” situations.

Your example works well. You don’t need to have identified the opportunity yourself — what matters is how you took ownership, went beyond what was expected, handled setbacks, and kept pushing until you got results.

In general, strong answers are less about how the situation started, and more about how you drove it forward.

Happy to share more thoughts if helpful.

Answer 3

The renaming is a real change. Drive is broader than Entrepreneurial Drive. You no longer need a story where you spotted an opportunity yourself. McKinsey just wants to see that you pushed hard toward a goal, hit real obstacles, and kept going.

So your story works. Being assigned a project is fine. What matters is what you did with it. Did you take real ownership? Did you face genuine setbacks and find ways through them? Did you do more than what was asked? If yes, the story is strong.

Just make sure the setbacks are real and your actions are specific. Interviewers push hard on this one.