Hi experts,
Is PST a bit of an overkill to check if the candidate has quantitative thinking? Normally, I feel I can solve any case math problem reasonably quickly, however, PST arugably requires months of mental math training. Hence two question:
- do you feel it's too much and it blocks potentially successful consultants who don't invest enough time to prepare for PST?
- How much math do you really need in consulting? Do you need mental math at all, or do you primarily rely on excel?
Hi there, it's a good question. To answer this question, we should understand why PST, then we can answer it. Here are the main reasons for PST or similar tests:
Now let's answer your questions based on those reasonings. Including your first comment I see 3 main questions and here are my answers:
Hope it helps.
Serhat
Hi Anonymous,
I agree with Guennael, consulting companies try at the same time to maximize the number of capable people and to minimize the number of people that aren’t a good fit for consulting that they hire. In terms of that, the PST provides quite a good screening. It also leads some smart people not to pass the test, but since the rules of the game are quite clear for these tests, this is part of the screening process as well: although it may take weeks to prepare, consulting companies consider as requirements for a good candidate also to take the time to prepare in advance.
In terms of the second question, it is true that the day to day job of a consultant requires a lot of Excel practice. However, it also requires to present in front of CXO levels, and you don’t want to get a math question and have to say “Let me go back to Excel to answer that”. In other words, good mental math is a key element of the credibility of a consultant in front of a client, and it is therefore a required skill that is tested during the application process.
Hope this helps,
Francesco
First off - whether it is "too much" or not doesn't matter, you need to take it for better or for worse
Second - if McK makes you take the PST, it is because it is the most efficient way to predict if someone will have the intellectual power to perform at the firm. Do talented people get unnecessarily weeded out at this stage of the process? Of course - but that is acceptable as long as few people make it who shouldn't.
Look, hundreds of thousands of people apply to MBB every year. Consultancies know they will each reject tens of thousands of qualified and smart people, but cannot do anything about that. Based on huge numbers of data points, PST and case interviews are just the best way to screen, so that's what they do. You want to play in their sand box, they make the rules.
As for your second question... we do (mental) math constantly!
(editiert)
