WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FINAL ROUND

More of the same - In general, you should expect it to be 90% the same

Focus on your initial weaknesses - you can expect them to really hone in on the areas you displayed weakness in the first round. Reflect on where you were less strong (you should know) as well as ask them if they have feedback for you. Then, make sure you really have those weaknesses resolved for your final round!

More detailed - The intervieweer might dive into more detail on certain topics

Explain your thinking - You might be asked to explain your thinking a bit more, or defend your viewpoint

Brainstorming - You may be asked to brainstorm more. The case might feel a bit more jumpy as the more senior interviewer goes with the flow a bit more and tests what he/she feels they need to text

HOW TO HANDLE INTERVIEW ANXIETY / STRESS

1) Practice, practice, practice - just like playing an instrument, practice until it becomes second nature...then when you perform in front of an audience, muscle memory takes over from stage fright!

2) Practice with people who make you nervous - Don't keep casing yourself or casing with other PrepLoungers! You need to feel as nervous when practicing as you will in the real thing. To do so, you can do any (or all) of the following:

• Ask for a buddy/case partner from target firms to which you're applying
• Ask anyone you have a relationship with at your target firms to give you a practice case
• Ask your school's career office to give you a case
• Ask a coach to give you a case (and ask them to be tough/strict/non-friendly)
• Still ask PrepLoungers to case you, but ask them to jump straight into it without conversation beforehand (i.e. simulate the real thing)
• Change your enviroment - instead of casing at home, go to a library or office room. Changing the scenery may trigger you to be less relaxed

3) Practice with the unknown - ask people to give you "weird" cases. Ask people to throw everything they have at you (curveballs, confusing statements, etc.)...you'll get comfortable with tripping up (and recovering)

4) Practice fast math - You said you get nervous here...well, practice it until it's the easiest thing you've ever done! How? Use the following:

• Online "Drills": https://www.jetpunk.com/quizzes/fast-math-multiplication-quiz
• Math sheets (print these and do them on paper): https://www.math-drills.com/
• https://www.rocketblocks.me/

There are also some excellent prior Q&As that I think you'll find useful (some old, but all still relevant):

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/be-less-hesitant-5224

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/whats-your-experience-with-tactical-stress-situations-during-the-interview-547

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/recovering-from-mistakes-in-interviews-218

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/coffee-chat-advice-super-nervous-3905

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-handle-nervousness-and-too-fasttoo-much-speaking-during-personal-fit-questions-556

(edited)

Dear A,

1. Final round is very similar to its structure to the second one - fit+case+ questions to the interviewer. Final round you will be having with partners, so you will be paid more attention to your personal integration to the company, and cases might be more difficult.

2. Actually McKinsey consultance are looking for a candidates who can really prove themselves and stay behind there opinions up to the very end even under pressure and in difficult situations. Therefor during the consulting interview they simulate these situations and try to put you under pressure by all means with pushing you to give you the best answers, pressurizing your in terms of time, also the can always interrupt you and not let you say, continuosly asking on "what else can you say on this?", 'what's other possibilities? options? alternatives" unless you aplly all your creativity.

To sum up, McKinsey interviewers are playing arrogant the people during the nterviews, because they are facing these kind of clients in the real life, so please, don't take it personal, but you need to be vry well prepared for this kind of interviews.

3. Here I would recommend you to keep yourself cold and sober, and practice more, even with a coach to pump this skill for your final round.

I have already placed several mentees with McKinsey all around the world, if you need any further insights, drop me a line.

Best,

André

Hello!

Congrats for moving to final round!

As it has been outlined, its very similar, but :

• Cases you can expect are more "free riding" - less organized than the ones your found in the 1st round or most prep pages
• Stronger emphasis in the FIT part, as outlined before by other coaches.

If you are interested in deepening your knowledge and preparation on the FIT part, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

Furthermore, you can find 3 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

- Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200

- Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201

- Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the Integrated FIT Guide, since we still have some left from the launch!

Hi Rami,

First of all congratulations to reach final round interviews!

1. While first round interviews are highly standardized especially at McKinsey, in second-round interviewers bascially everything can happen. The main idea of second/final round interviews is to ensure your performance in those areas in which you did not convince McKinsey in the first round interviews. This can be either the case interview or the McKinsey PEI, or both. Whatever it is, your weak points from first round interviews are where you can expect a strong focus in the second/final round interviews.
2. What you describe usually ties back to not appropriate communication of your logic and rationale behind. Altogether I would not say that partners put more pressure on candidates.
3. It's clear that McKinsey final rounds are a big opportunity and there is a lot of pressure on your shoulders. At the same time, being overly stressed hurts your performance and is counter-productive. Think about the following: a) You don't have a McKinsey offer yet - so you only have an upside and can get one, if not nothing worse than today. b) In the worst case you would have met a bunch of interesting and intelligent people and having learned a lot about business and structuring business issues during your prep - also not a bad skill for more or less any job in future. c) Brand value of McKinsey is high, but it's not the only interesting and for many not even the best employer. Also many other good options around.

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

Robert