Hey Moji,

Congratulations on your 1st round McK.

Regarding the math - since you are already in the first round I'm assuming you went through the McK PST and also having a biomedical background (and having As in Math) I'm assuming math by itself is not the problem.

Usually in a math question during a case there are 3 important moments after understanding the question: (1) coming up with a strategy to solve the problem and communicating said strategy to the interviewer; (2) solving the problem and sharing it with the interviewer; (3) discussing what the result means to the case.

From your comment, I get the problem is in step (1). Now 2 things could be happening: (1) you solve the problem using a different strategy than what is shown in the solutions but reach to the same number (which is perfectly OK and you should not worry about it); and (2) you come to a different number which means your strategy is wrong.

Lets assume (2) is what happens because otherwise there isnt any problem here. There are (3) things you can do to improve your strategy math solving skills:

(1) Do exams similar to the McK PST: This will force you to solve similar type of questions;

(2) Get yourself familiar with all major financial terms and how they relate: this could be one of the sources of your problem since you said you dont know why certain numbers were being multiplied which could mean you dont know the relationship between certain numbers;

(3) Focus on heavy quant. cases in your preparation: As you said you have a couple of months left so by focusing on areas that you feel weak you will bring that area up with time.

Hope this helps!

Hi Moji,

Hi,

Here is how you can improve your math skills. It requires some time so I would try to reschedule your interview and prepare accordingly:

1) Fast math - train, train, and train again

• Learn how to multiply double digit numbers (google fast math tips)
• Learn the division table up to 1/11 (i.e. 5/6 = 83.3)
• Learn how to work with zeros (Hint: 4000000 = 4*10ˆ6)
• Use math tools (Mimir math for iOS), Math tool on Viktor Cheng website to practice

2) Critical Reasoning

• GMAT test CR and IR parts (Official guide and Manhattan prep)
• Mckinsey practice tests
• PST like tests from the web

3) Working with tables and graphs and deriving conclusions

• Study "Say it with Charts" book
• Check all available MBB presentations and publications. Practice to derive conclusions and check yourself with the actual ones from the article/presentation
• GMAT IR part (Official guide and Manhattan prep)
• Learn basic statistics (Any GMAT or MBA prep guides)

4) Case math

• Practice common market sizing topics (Airport passenger flow, real estate volumes, subway passenger flows, car usage, etc.). You should become comfortable with making assumptions
• Learn key financial topics (P&L and balance sheet and how to analyze them, Basic Valuation principles via NPV and comps) and case tips (e.g. Rule of 72, Perpetuity)

Good luck with your interviews!

Hi Moji,

Congrats to the McKinsey interviews! I just wanted to tell you that I, even though I have a very quantitative background, also struggled with the maths. What helped me is the extensive practice of the basic math skills with tricks that I saw on the tecmath youtube channel. Then you can use mental math apps or the math section here on preplounge to get better. Once you are more confident with the basics, I found, it is easier to apply it naturally in a business setting.

Good luck, and I am sure you'll do well with enough practice!

Verena

Hello!

Have you seen there are new materials in the PrepL Library regarding this? Have a look!

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Dear Moji!

In general, to practice your quantitative skills I would recommend different math, logic, and verbal tests on https://trytalentq.com. Visit the website and then select "Elements Practice Test".

You don´t need to learn them by heart, rather skipping through to get an impression and a better understanding

Best,

André