Should I bring my own paper or will they provide paper during the interview to take notes?
Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 446,000 Peers!
McK Interview - Should I bring my own paper?
Overview of answers
-
Upvotes
-
Date ascending
-
Date descending
Hi Anonymous,
at McKinsey they will always provide paper, and normally also collect your notes.
As for how optimize notes, my recommendation would be to keep the paper horizontal and divide it in 4 areas as reported below; when talking notes, you can then put the information in the appropriate box. Sometimes you would have to do back and forth, as you may get information, objective 1, additional information, objective 2, etc.
The areas on the left and on the top should be smaller to leave more space for the structure:
- top-left: who is the client
- bottom left: initial information
- top right: objectives
- bottom right: structure
After the first page, you could still divide the page in four parts. Left and right could now be at the same distance. Top areas should be smaller to leave more space for the structures:
- top-left: name of the first area analysed
- bottom left: structure for the first area
- top right: name of the second area analysed
- bottom right: structure for the second area
Hope this helps,
Francesco
Hi,
Even though any firm will provide you with paper and a pen, I always recommend candidates to bring a notepad and a pen to a consulting interview.
I suggest bringing graph paper which helps a lot when drawing graphs, writing bullets points and making calculations; in addition to that, it shows major foresight. As an extra tip, turn the notepad to landscape orientation, because consultants use that arrangement in their presentations.
Bringing all the mentioned accessories plus resumes (just in case) in a professional-looking bag is a nice touch.
Good luck,
Jacopo
(edited)
Dear A,
During the case interview, you will be given a sheet for taking notes. Designate each sheet for each specialized task.
-
The datasheet is where you note down neatly and ideally, in a table format all information, data, provided by the interviewer throughout the case. If you have additional data as the result of analyses or calculations performed, put them into the datasheet too.
-
The presentation sheet is literally what you use when speaking to interviewers. For example, if you say: “… problem A can be broken down into B and C”, literally draw those on this sheet and point to each one as you speak.
-
Lastly, the scratch paper is there for anything else you need to write out in interviews’ brainstorm ideas, calculations, etc. The purpose of this sheet is to make the other two clear and neat. So you don’t have to worry too much about what you write here on this scratch paper.
Best,
André
Related Products
GYM Program - 5 Sessions by Francesco
- 100% FREE Coaching Until Offer
- Instantly Crack 90%+ Cases
- $1700+ in Bonus Materials
McKinsey Solve Game Simulation Package by Francesco
- Play for Real the Ecosystem Game (Coral Reef & Mountain Ridge)
- Play for Real the Redrock Game (All 4 Phases Included)
- Receive for FREE the Imbellus Solve Combo and McKinsey Imbellus Game Secrets Guide
Imbellus Solve Combo: Guide + Videos by Francesco
- Watch how to Crack the Ecosystem Game in 23 Minutes
- Find Out how to Master each of the 4 Phases of the Redrock
- Receive for FREE the McKinsey Imbellus Game Secrets Guide
McKinsey Imbellus Solve Game Secrets by Francesco
- Learn the Exact Steps to Crack the 6 Games of the Imbellus
- Discover the Proven Way to Master the 5 Skills Tested in the Game
- Create your Ecosystem Chain Automatically with the Automated Excel Included
Premium Membership (1 week)
- ALL the resources you need for your case interview preparation
- Unlimited meetings with peers
- Access to #number-of-cases# cases, video tutorials, and 220+ case interview exercises
Break Into Consulting - Strategy Consulting Firm's All-In-One by Alexandre
- Created by 2 BCG consultants
- Covers most strategy consulting firms
- Get you to the backstage of the strategy world
Break Into Consulting - Industry Overviews by Alexandre
- Created by 2 BCG consultants
- 15+ industries covered
- Practical tips to master any industry
Imbellus Test at McKinsey – Guide by Luca
- Detailed and full game analysis
- Hands-on example to solve the game and support you
- Practical tips to crack the game
The Secret McKinsey PEI Cheat Sheet by Robert
- Learn how to correctly prepare and structure your McKinsey PEI
- Impress your McKinsey interviewer with a perfect PEI
- Save tons of time in your PEI prep
Prep Guide for McKinsey PST by PrepLounge
- McKinsey PST preparation guide incl. 13 pages of useful tips
- Created by ex-McKinsey consultants
- Detailed information on test structure, question types & core skills
McKinsey PST #3 by Riccardo
- PST with 26 questions about "Delicious Juice Case"
- Created by ex-MBB consultant Riccardo
- Industries: Beverage, tourism, pharma
McKinsey PST #2 by Gaurav
- PST with 26 questions about "WeKlin Case"
- Created by ex-McKinsey consultants
- Industries: Retail, energy, franchise
McKinsey PST #1 by PrepLounge
- PST with 26 questions about "FloraFashion Case"
- Created by ex-McKinsey consultants
- Industries: Retail, energy, franchise
Premium Membership (6 weeks )
- ALL the resources you need for your case interview preparation
- Unlimited meetings with peers
- Access to #number-of-cases# cases, video tutorials, and 220+ case interview exercises
Related Articles
Case Interview 2024
EY-Parthenon Case Guide
Bain Case Interview
Strategy& Case Interview Guide
PowerPoint for Consultants
Free Guide to LEK Consulting Case Interviews
Charts and Data in Consulting Case Interviews
Interviewing in the Middle East
Oliver Wyman Consulting Case Interview Guide
How to Stay Confident in Case Interviews
Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
Why Consulting?
Unstructured Case Interviews
Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases
The Typical Terms in Case Study Interviews for Consulting Firms
Related Cases
Related Case Interview Basics article(s)
7S-Framework of McKinsey
Discover what McKinsey's 7S framework is and how it helps companies maximize their strengths and identify weaknesses while focusing on 7 internal elements.
Influence Model
The Influence Model by McKinsey emerged in the early 2000s and is the result of practical experience of the consultants at McKinsey & Company.
How to Start The Case Interview Preparation
Learn the basics of a real consulting case interview and repeatedly train the skills you need to ace your real case interview at MBB or the Big Four.
GROW Model
Discover the secrets to Goal setting, Reality checking, Options exploring, and Way forward planning that will redefine your path to success.
McKinsey Imbellus Game
Find out what the McKinsey Imbellus Game is all about. Get specific insights on how to ace your case interview at McKinsey.