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Need Help Going from “Good” to “Great” for Kearney Interview

I recently completed Kearney’s round 1 of case interviews. One of the interviewers mentioned that the fit part of my interview was outstanding and that the case was good, but not brilliant yet. They said that with a bit more practice, they are sure I could be performing at a great level. I have my second round in about a week, could you share any tips on how to move from “good” to “great”? It's been a few days since I last practiced, so I’m feeling a bit rusty. Any guidance would be really appreciated!

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Daniel
Coach
am 1. Mai 2025
Ex-McKinsey, Bain & Kearney | 5+ yrs consulting, coaching & interviewing | 95%+ candidate success

Hi,

Congrats on making it to the second round!

  • Focus on sharpening structure, verbal clarity, and top-down communication, be crisp in how you lay out your approach, summarize insights, and transition between steps.
  • Practice 1–2 live cases daily, ideally with someone who can push you on precision, creativity, and math under light pressure; and review each case to identify where your thinking can be tighter or faster.

Happy to help. Best of luck!

am 2. Mai 2025
1st session -50% | Ex-McKinsey| Offical McKinsey Case Coach | +250 coaching sessions

Hi,

Since your case is in a week, I highly recommend you train with a coach every 2-3 days. 

And since your FIT was really good, I'm assuming your presence and story-telling was great - great qualities for a 2nd round interview. 

So, you need to truly pinpoint what your weak points are.

Go find a coach, do a cold-case and ask these questions:

  • Structuring: Is my structure MECE?
  • Numeracy:  Is my maths correct? Is it my pace? Do I communciate my maths/logic?
  • Insights: Do I have clear insights? Can I pick up on insights quickly?
  • Creativity: Did i bring creativity?
  • Case leadership: Do i have case leadership? Do i drive the case foreward?
  • Communication: Structured? Top-down? 

     

    A week is a short time, so good luck!!

Matteo
Coach
am 2. Mai 2025
Ex-McK & BCG Partner with 10+ years' experience | 1,000+ candidates interviewed | 100+ mentees helped landing MBB offers

Hi, and congratulations on making it to the second round!

 

I spent many years as an interviewer at MBB, and in my experience, what really sets candidates apart is the level of confidence they project and the way they engage the “client” — in this case, the interviewer. Ultimately, the question your interviewer is asking themselves is: Does this person have what it takes to become a partner and manage clients independently?

 

There will be plenty of candidates with stellar resumes who can crack the case just as well as you do. What truly matters is your ability to remain calm under pressure and convey confidence throughout the interview.

 

Here are a few tips:

  1. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer, but in a natural and relaxed way.
  2. Engage the interviewer actively. Ask clarifying questions, test your hypotheses out loud, and walk them through your thinking.
  3. Don’t shy away from defending your point of view. If the interviewer challenges you, use it as a chance to persuade them — just like you would with a client.
     

Also, keep in mind that cases are rarely rocket science. Don’t make it obvious that you’re following a pre-set framework. Instead, stay natural and let common sense guide your approach.
 

Happy to discuss this further if you’d like!

Mariana
Coach
am 2. Mai 2025
You CAN make it! | xMckinsey | 1.5h session | +200 sessions |Free 20-Minute Call

Hello there,

Hard to know without more details, have they explained what you should particularly develop? Or maybe do you have an idea? Please let us know.

If they haven’t, it may be a good move to hire a coach that can assess your performance, give you specific drills to solve any issues and to make your strengths really shine.

Good luck!

Best,

Mari

Mattijs
Coach
am 2. Mai 2025
Free 15m intro call | First session -50% | Bain| Hiring team | 250+ successful candidates

Hi,

Congrats on making it already to the second round.

Try to improve the case basics, which are typically top-down communication, MECE framework development and quick math calculations.

I received an offer from Kearney and can really help you by practicing real Kearney cases.

Feel free to reach out via chat for further info and the 50% discount.

Kind regards,

Mattijs

Alessa
Coach
am 2. Mai 2025
xMcKinsey & Company | xBCG | +200 individual & group coachings | feel free to schedule a 15 min intro call for free

Hey there 👋🏼

Great job on getting to round 2 at Kearney! From my experience is all about refining your structure, speed, and depth. Here are a few quick tips to level up:

  1. Structure is Key 📊: Make sure you always lay out your framework clearly at the beginning and revisit it during the case to guide the interviewer through your thoughts.
  2. Be Confident and Concise 💬: In your responses, practice making your points crisp and direct. Avoid unnecessary explanations and focus on what’s most impactful.
  3. Practice Mental Math 🔢: Fast, accurate math can really boost your performance. Practice doing mental math without a calculator to stay fluid in your case.
  4. Probing & Hypothesis-driven Thinking 🕵️‍♀️: Always start with a hypothesis (your initial guess) and probe for deeper insights throughout the case. This will demonstrate your analytical rigor.
  5. Ask the Right Questions ❓: During the case, ask insightful questions to show your curiosity and that you’re thinking critically about the problem.

Lastly, revisit the basics (like frameworks) before the next round but focus on your delivery and confidence! Practice with mock cases if you can. You’ve got this!

Feel free to reach out if you need a mock session or any specific prep! Happy to help you ace this! 💪🏼

Best, Alessa

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