If you pass the first round of interviews and say the competitive scene in the second round is relatively equal. Will the first round performances be accounted for, or is it just a pass/fail scenario where if you pass the first round, your performance there is no longer accounted for in further rounds?
Yes, it is accounted for! If a candidate showed outstanding performance in the first round it, will most certainly also play in his/her favor in the second round. I have seen it in both BCG and McKinsey - if there are still doubts about a couple of points regarding a specific final round candidate, scrutiny during final round interviews and also the final discussion will be much tougher. On the contrary, if the first round was outstanding and no weaknesses were spottet, the candidate might get the benefit of the doubt in the second round, even if one or two little glitches happen.
Cheers, Sidi
I can only speak for McKinsey but the answer is "a little". The only thing that carries over from your 1st to 2nd round are your actual scores on your PEI and Case performance. Those scores are put up there with your scores with your second round. There are no notes put up from your first round (so not notes about "Why Consulting", "Why McKinsey" or your PEI stories). The partners then discuss your 2nd round performance from their performance note. So, it's really all about the 2nd round performance and if there are questions about a read on a particular area, they will refer back to the first round scores. In extreme cases, they will try to pull the comments from the assessment sheets, but 70% of interviewers take awful notes or none at all.
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