Hello,

1. They should be of a similar caliber. But it is important to bear in mind that cases can be very varied, and as Ian suggested, doing live cases will feel very different to reading cases from the website.

2. You will most likely not get any exhibits if the interview is entirely over the phone. You might get some numbers/data read out to you. 

3. Doing a mock interview with a consultant/coach is the best way to assess preparedness - they know precisely how the interviews are structured and are able to offer tailored feedback. In any case, doing live cases is key, so practicing with peers is very useful.

Hey there,

I had several candidates go through this recently.

The interview is usually conducted by HR or an alumnus of the firm, not an active consultant and it is a bit easier and more straightforward than the actual case interviews.

It is a gatekeeper and screening device to

1. not waste consultant's resources
2. make sure you are prepared going forward

1. The level is similar

2. For this case, most don't show the exhibits

3. The only 100% way is with a McKinsey coach, who knows the cases and metrics in and out. Have a look at this article as it can also guide your preparation: https://www.preplounge.com/en/mckinsey-interview

Cheers,
Florian

Hi!

The other coaches gave you already pretty interesting insights.

I want to add that what really matters is that you feel confident about your preparedness and that you consistently solve cases with your case partners.

If this is the case, the interview will not feel like a totally different experience for you.

Good luck,

Anto

1. Case is similar. Case delivery (i.e. interviewer) might be different.

2. While not knowing the specifics, I find it very unlikely that they won't share exhibits with you in some form.

3. Peers give you “mileage”, but not the real experience. Many peers are not good interviewers (a lot of times they don't fully understand how the case dynamics should work). 

It doen's mean you shouldn't practice with peers, but you should as well complement that practice with people with real interviewing experience (as interviewers), or at least with relevant consulting experience (i.e., passed the interviews + know the job expectations + they “heard” about the interviewing process and criteria). A consultant, ex-consultant, or coach.
 

I had the interview here is what you should expect …. 

1- Case is definitely easier than what they have online (most likely it is a standard profitability case but you should expect any case /industry)

2- No exhibits are shared, everything is given verbally 

3- Interview is conducted by Ex-engagement managers not HR

4- They call you and start the case immediately without any introductions … 

Hello This is x for your phone case assessment, let me know when you are ready  …. 

you have 30 minutes and you should expect the following questions:

a- “what factors/issues would you consider” type of question 

b- 2 Math questions (very easy numbers to deal with)

c- 2 Brainstorming Questions 

McKinsey does not ask for a recommendation (very rare). 

Also, be careful …  Mckinsey expects a very well detailed structure that can take 5-7 minutes to present ! the best place to learn is to attend their Case Interview Webinar  in which they run a very representative case of what you will face and the solution that is expected  ! Also, they usually offer a 1:1 coaching session prior to the interview with an engagement manager/associate! 

And by the way this is not First Round, this is considered round 0 to assess if you deserve getting a round 1 interview . Round 1 is usually over a video compatible e-meeting platform (i.e. zoom) which includes personal fit questions. 

Good Luck ! 

(edited)

Hi,

I have helped many candidates with a 100% success rate in the phone interview round and I have real case examples from here. Here are the answers to your questions

1. Very similar difficulty just shorter (30 mins end to end) and fewer questions (3-4 on avg.)

2. No exhibits - this IS a phone interview there is no screen share

3. Best way to do this is to ask someone who has gone through the process. Also if you are able to do well in a standard case then you are ready.

Best,

Udayan

(edited)