Hi All,
I have given my Mckinsey solve test and I am waiting for results. In the meanwhile, I am preparing for case interviews. I wanted to check if Mckinsey case interviews are interviewer led or interviewee led, I have applied for Mckinsey Middle East for so specific answer would be really helpful!
Also if you could good resources or casebooks to refer for their case format, that would be really great
Thanks
Hi there,
You can find more information about McKinsey interviews here based on the articles I wrote for PrepLounge (not sure who Eric is?)
What is important to know on top of that?
McKinsey has moved away from typical business cases and traditional frameworks as described in most case books and the focus is rather on creative cases and questions.
It is all about the process of how you arrive at an answer than about specific content.
At the core, McKinsey wants to see creative ideas communicated in a structured manner, the more exhaustive the better.
Your goal should be to come up with a tailored and creative answer that fits the question. The framework should - broadly speaking - follow these three characteristics:
You would need to go into detail and qualify your answer with practical examples and more details.
To come up with the framework you have 1-2 minutes (2 minutes is kind of a soft limit). Then, in a McKinsey interview, you can take up to 6-8 minutes to present your structure, your qualification, and hypotheses. This is due to the interviewer-led format that McK employs. The interviewer will only ask 'what else' if you
The firm wants to see exhaustive and creative approaches to specific problems, which more often than not do not fit into the classic case interview frameworks that were en vogue 10 years ago...
Again, this only applies if everything you say
Summing up the core differences of McKinsey cases vs. other firms, focusing of on the structure:
The difference in format and way of answering a question is the reason why I recommend preparing very differently for McK interviews vs. other consultancies.
Because of that you should focus your prep on the HOW much more than on the WHAT.
Let me know if you have more questions. I also wrote a book about case interviews which discusses the McKinsey case and PEI in a lot of detail.
All the best,
Florian
Hi there,
They are interviewer-led.
However, always be careful with ANY assumptions going into interviews. Yes, there are general rules and tendencies, but, technically, anything can happen and you should be prepared to be flexible.
I keep track of real interview questions - have them for McKinsey Middle East so feel free to reach out as I provide those to all of my candidates!
====================CASEBOOKS=================
What matters most is your caser. Most cases are somewhat unrealistic and no case perfectly matches what will happen in the interview.
Rather, you need to get wide exposure to all types of case (both standard and nonstandard ones) and all types of interviewers.
Now, that said, these are ones that I particularly like
Now, remember, much more important than just reading a "hard" McKinsey case or having a friend case you in it, is actually how you're cased. I can make the easiest case be your worst nightmare (as can any other coach). Make sure that, if you're really trying to get pushed hard and get prepared for the toughest cases, you're looking at hiring a coach...delivery is truly key here!
(edited)
If you want more insights into McKinsey interviews, check out these articles I wrote on PrepLounge:
I can not post link for you. Why?
Hi,
McKinsey case interviews are ‘interviewer led’. There are of course some differences between ‘interviewer led’ and ‘interviewee led’, but in my opinion candidates often over index on the format difference.
Trying to approach different case formats without building the right fundamentals (that apply to any case format or style) is not the best approach IMO.
As for resources - in reality, any case could be interviewer or interviewee led, if the interviewer or case giver is experienced enough.
Hi there,
Q: I wanted to check if Mckinsey case interviews are interviewer led or interviewee led.
McKinsey interviews are usually interviewer-led. You can find more details on the difference between McKinsey and other companies below:
▶ 4 Ways McKinsey Interviews are Different
Best,
Francesco
Hi there!
McK cases are interviewer-led.
Here are a few cases with full interview notes that are based on real McK interviews from within the last year:
Reach out if you have follow-up Qs.
Best,
Cristian
Hey,
Usually interviewer led, but nowadays you should be prepared for anything (any case type / any industry / any format).
Good luck!
Nick
Mckinsey uses interviewer led case interviews.
It's not difficult to find decent case books, just google “MBA Casebooks” and will find plently of options (Darden MBA Case Book is a good one).
Thanks Florian, I have an additional question - I gave the solve more than 2 weeks ago and still haven't received any communication. I don't think I have an email id of HR to follow up, what can this mean? is it okay to not get results for more than 2 weeks?
Hi there, currently that is unfortunately very common across some regions. Expect delayed info from McKinsey, up to a month! Fingers crossed, Florian
Thanks Florian, this the case for other two as well if you are aware? BCG and Bain, my application is stuck for all 3 after first online rounds
Yes!