Hi there, 

Sorry to hear about that. That is indeed rather quick. 

I can imagine that one of two things might've happened:

1. The recruiter actually reviewed your application and test scores within this short timeframe and then decided to reject you

2. The office had set minimum scores for the test that you didn't manage to pass

Regardless of the explanation, you can't do much about it now and can't really apply to McK within the coming year. My recommendation would be to widen out your application targets. Here's a free guide to explain how to approach the process strategically to maximize your chances of getting at least one offer. 

• How to get a job in consulting during an economic downturn

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the rejection from McKinsey!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, while it is certainly uncommonly quick, I would highly advise you not to ponder on the speed of your rejection e-mail anymore.
• Moreover, from my perspective, this could have happened because you either completed the McKinsey Solve shortly before the recruiting team assessed it, or if it is technically set up this way, you did that poorly on the McKinsey Solve that you were rejected automatically.
• Either way, I would highly advise you to turn your frustration into action and thoroughly prepare for interviews with other strategy consulting companies.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear about this. While this isn't “normal” that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It's possible that you “triggered” a threshold they have for automatic rejection *or* they were reviewing applications at that time.

If it will give you peace of mind, feel free to reach out to them.

Remember, the success rate of a McK application is about 5%. You should have always “expected” a rejection! (Doesn't mean don't try). Apply to the hundreds of other firms out there!

Hi there,

This isn't necessarily normal (usually takes some days if you get any feedback at all prior to interviews) but unfortunately there's probably not much else to do at this point.

If you feel strongly that you should have passed, give it a shot and contact recruitment. Otherwise, time to move on and tackle the next opportunity!

Best of luck,
Moritz

I'm sorry to hear that you weren't successful this time. There is a cut off score and I suspect that you came below it, which is why the rejection seemed instant. You can apply again in a year, but I'd recommend trying to understand what went wrong this time and then working to correct those things before applying to other companies. 

Good luck!

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Hearing back so soon after completing the assessment is definitely faster than usual (generally they take a few days at least). Unfortunately, it can happen. I suspect there may have been an automatic filter screening for test scores to be above a certain level to pass, or something like that. I agree with Ian that you should feel free to reach out to HR if it will give you peace of mind, but unfortunately most likely this is just the outcome in your case. Best of luck with your other applications!

Is it normal? Well, it is not the norm. 

Does it mean that something abnormal happened? Not really.