Hi Charles,

First of all congratulations to (somewhat) passing the final round!

While it's not yet a done deal for sure, I look at your situation with a very positive mindset. The fact that you are given another chance simply means that McKinsey absolutely wants to hire you, but still needs verification that you have everything what it takes.

Based on your question you need to assume that they will grill you on your math skills. So better be prepared for that explicity. However, it sounds more like an introspection from your side, thus I consider that mostly as an assumption, that this actually was the main reason for your bonus round - so there might be still other elements to make sure to excel on.

Apart from the more obvious math element you mentioned, I can't emphasize enough how picky McKinsey is in terms of structuring and communication skills, especially in final (bonus) rounds. What I see from many candidates I coached is that this is a huge unconscious (and thus very dangerous) weak point for many of them, even though they often feel confident before having run a case with me to identify further improvements (and we usually find plenty of them) - as mentioned beforehand, even more important for final (bonus) rounds than before. So please make sure to keep that in mind as well and don't focus to narrow-mindedly on math only.

Additional note: Even though chances are limited that you will indeed get reasonable additional feedback, it's still worth a try to get in touch with your recruiting contact and ask for any advice where to improve/focus on/feedback from your previous interviews. Takes a couple of minutes only to do so - in the best case you really get some insights, in the worst case you wasted a few minutes only.

Hope that helps - if so, please give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!

Robert

Hi Charles,

Congrats! This means they like you but just need to “make sure”.

You need to fix your math. It's extremely likely that they will make this a bit more math heavy - even if they don't, it's clearly something that tripped you up that you need to fix!

Here's some math advice/help: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/improve-my-math-11965

Here are some cases you may consider going through to practice your math!

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/hot-wheels-186

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/beginner/hot-wheels-part-2-254

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/chinese-chess-airline-business-during-covid-19-191

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/yodaphone-195

https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/candidate-led-usual-style/intermediate/cutting-carbs-divestiture-in-the-electrical-power-market-228

(edited)

Hi there,

Well done! The purpose of this interview is clear - remove any doubt with regards to your quant skills. Hence, you should expect a very focused interview.

You need to be prepared for 3 things:

• Knowing when to do math: It isn't always obvious when you should be doing some math, apart from being asked directly. Great candidates proactively identify opportunities to crunch some numbers to generate insights, often associated with exhibits (graphs, tables, charts, etc), and they communicate to the interviewer prior to going down an undesired route (unless math can be done easily on the fly).
• Knowing how to do math: Whether the quantitative problem is simple or complex, you should always be clear on your approach and communicate it clearly prior to executing. This is not only good interview practice but also allows the interviewer to course correct e.g. by challenging assumptions.
• Actually doing math: Once you aligned everything with the interviewer, you should execute without making errors. Here it's OK to go silent for a bit (say so before), unless you feel comfortable talking clearly as you execute. However, most candidates end up mumbling, which isn't great and should be avoided.

The above sounds comprehensive but doesn't mean that you should take a lot of time. Following the above steps with a certain drive/speed is important.

I would generally advise a coaching session, since you're only one step away from receiving an offer and don't want to leave anything to chance at this point.

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!

Hi Charles,

Something similar happened with a candidate I helped once. He had a standard case in the additional interview. They will probably focus on the math part if they mentioned that was the question mark, but not only on that.

In terms of how to go through a math question during the case, I would recommend the following:

1. Repeat the question – sometimes candidates do mistakes answering the wrong question
2. Ask for time and present how you would like to proceed, explaining the formula
3. Perform the math and present the interim steps to keep the interviewer aligned – don’t just say the final number
4. Continue with the computations until you find the final answer
5. Propose next steps based on the results you found

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi there,

it seems very promising if you are given another chance.. So my recommendation would be:

1. Reach out and understand well what areas you didnt perform as expected, on what to focus. Dont guess, be certain

2. Drill, practice, get a coach

Good luck 

Lucie

Was this answer helpful?

Dear candidate,

well done. Be ready for math plus more. Keep repeating, and remember, first describe the formula you will use, then the assumptions and finally calculate. (unless they specifically ask you to handle it differently) Don't just jump into calculations right away. Wishing you the best,

Charlotte

Hi Charles, 

Congratulations! I have upcoming first round interviews with MCK and was wondering if you could tell us how you prepared and what type of cases you got! Thank you :) 

Also does anyone know if Associate Partners are given cases to do or they just do a case from their industry 

Hi Charles,

I hope your interview went smooth and you got an offer letter. I am going through the same process with a bonus final interview to double check my math skills with a partner. It is scheduled for only 30 min. My interview is tonight. 
Can you share with us your experience and how was the interview?

Thank you!

I've been there too!  It really can depend where I wouldn't take speculation on here too seriously.  Based on my own experience, I would anticipate a full case with a large focus on the math.  Something ‘meaty’ but similar difficulty to what you have already experienced.

Good luck!