Mckinsey final round

Hi Anonymous,

the structure of the final rounds is the same as the previous ones (fit + case+ your questions); however there is more emphasis on communication and fit.

Specifically, the main difference you will find in a final round with partners is that at that stage they:

1. spend more time on fit questions and your alignment with the company
2. check more closely your communication (eg how you react to challenging questions)
3. may not have a “proper” structured case to present – during one of my MBB finals I had one interview which was made by two market sizing questions and a brainteaser, without any business case. That's because during the final they know you can structure and crack a case (you passed 1 or 2 rounds already) and are more interested in your logic, personality and fit with the company

So in order to prepare I would concentrate on:

• Review in detail your PEI stories – they will matter more than in the first round. In some finals I had almost exclusively behavioral questions
• Work on your communication (reaction under pressure, how to gain time when you do not have a structure ready, connect with the interviewer, etc). This is something you can do almost exclusively in interviews with peers.
• Prepare cases as you did for the first round. More market sizing practice may be useful to think outside the box if you get unusual questions.

In case you need help with unusual cases please feel free to PM me, I do a specific session on them (eg How would you estimate the effect of the Coronavirus on the economy of country XYZ)?

Best,

Francesco

Hello,

Final rounds follow exactly the same structure of the other rounds: Fit interview, Business case and Q&A session. There are only some little but important differences that you have to consider for each part:

• Fit interview has a crucial role and it will be likely longer and more intensive than the previous ones. Partners want to know you and your personality, to understand if you can have a good fit with your role. It could also happen to have an interviewer challenging your answers to standard question (e.g. why McKinsey) or even to have a stress interview, be prepared for it
• Business case are usually less strucutred. Partners often take inspiration from past projects and the cases could sound a bit less "academic". You have to get used to these cases, without many data or exhibits and more focused on a brainstorming of ideas

Feel free to text me if you have any further question.

Best,
Luca

Hi Anonymous,

First of all congratulations to reach final round interviews!

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.

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

Robert

Hello!

Congrats!

I agree with the other McK people with whom you have talked: in theory, is the same (same format, same type of cases, prepare it the same way you did as previously)

However, the devil is the details, and some do indeed change: 

• Since the profile of the interviewers change (now, AP, partners and even senior partners), and this people are very experience, they can act off the normal script
• FIT is given more importance, so expect more questions on top of the classical behavioural questions

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi,
the interview structure is similar to the 1st round and the implementation path can be considered comparable to the generalist one. It will be structured in 3 parts:
- Personal Experience Interview: fit and CV questions to assess your personal impact, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit. It will be crucial during partner interviews
- Case Interview: typical business case to evaluate your structure in approaching problems, problem-solving skills, and business sense
- Your final questions to the interviewers

Hope it helps,
Antonello