Technical questions about case interview at McKinsey

Congrats on the interview invite!

Let me take your questions one by one.

1. Will the interview be conducted online or offline? I am currently residing outside the city of the target office.
   1. Most interviews are being done offline these days. If anything, they're just starting now post covid to do final interviews in person but the rest of the process stays offline for most roles and firms. Do check with the recruiter though ahead of time. 
2. During the case, will the case problems be provided to us on paper so that we can see it continuously through the case interview, or will the interviewer just read them aloud?
   1. The interviewer will read them out loud. In case there is an exhibit they will share this printed with you (or share it on the screen)
3. Is it acceptable if my handwriting on the paper is not very neat? Would it be a problem if my writing is not clearly legible?
   1. Absolutely. As long as you make yourself understood, there's no problem. Consultants aren't tested on caligraphy :)

Good luck!
Cristian

Hi there,

1. 99% online if you are out of town for the first round, more likely to have the second round in the office but usually candidates can choose between virtual and office nowadays (go for in-person if given the chance)
2. The case prompt and most other pieces of information are discussed verbally. You will analyze some charts that are shared via screen-share. The data for math can be given verbally, via a chart, or a combination of both.
3. You can write however you want, but make sure that you can still read it. I encounter(ed) this many times when candidates are nervous during the interview; they write quickly and then can't read it anymore. Do it for you, not for the interviewer as no one will be looking at your notes!

If you want to learn more about McKinsey interviews, please feel free to check out the articles I wrote here:

• McKinsey Case Interview
• Personal Experience Interview

All the best,

Florian

Hi there,

Will the interview be conducted online or offline? I am currently residing outside the city of the target office.

Check with them! They have capabilities for online and often still do it virtual. But in person is more common.

If needed, they may fly you there (for example, BCG flew me to Boston for my interivew).

During the case, will the case problems be provided to us on paper so that we can see it continuously through the case interview, or will the interviewer just read them aloud?

They will be read outloud. You need to practice your ability to listen.

Is it acceptable if my handwriting on the paper is not very neat? Would it be a problem if my writing is not clearly legible?

That's fine! Boy, you should see my handwriting…and I aced all my 8 firm interviews.

It's ok!

They care about how you communicate.

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
 

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

1. Interview location: you have to check (and align) this with HR…

2. If there are graphs and it is offline, they will give you the slides. Otherwise no. 

3. They only look at your paper if you decide to show your paper to explain something. Your handwriting is not being judged here. However, if you are trying to show, for example, a table or a calculation, they need to be able to read what you are showing.

Hi there,

1. That is a question the recruiter has to answer for you. Better clarify sooner than later in case you need to make travel arrangements
2. The case prompt will typically be read to you. It is your responsibility to take relevant notes. Some cases include exhibits. These will be shown to you, either as a print-out or via screensharing, depending on the interview format
3. You are the one who has to work with the handwriting on your paper, nobody else - your notes may be collected by the interviewer afterwards but they are not relevant for the evaluation

Best of luck

Hi there,

1) Will the interview be conducted online or offline? I am currently residing outside the city of the target office.

It depends on the office, HR should inform you in advance about it. 

2) During the case, will the case problems be provided to us on paper so that we can see it continuously through the case interview, or will the interviewer just read them aloud?

The only information they should provide visually is exhibits.

3) Is it acceptable if my handwriting on the paper is not very neat? Would it be a problem if my writing is not clearly legible?

This should not be an issue, assuming you can read your own notes and use them properly during the interview.

Good luck!

Francesco