Feeling the nerves before McK final round - advice?

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with McKinsey thus far!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

• First of all, I would highly advise you to listen to your body and mind, and slow down the preparation. Since you passed the first interview round, your technical skills are good enough to also pass the final interview round, but you should not risk it by burning out before.
• Moreover, take time for relaxation activities that help clear your mind, like light exercise or meditation, which can significantly reduce stress and improve mental clarity.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey final-round interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

Congrats on making it through to the final round, this means is of course a good thing as it means (and even better that your feedback was very positive) the firm does believe you have what it takes. 

It is definitely normal to feel nervous before the final round. I would suggest a few things that worked for me and also based on your context having already very positive feedback from R1

Days until the penultimate day

• Focus more on solidifying your fundamentals than trying to do new things at this stage
• I would spend more time reviewing old cases and making sure you understand why you did well on those cases (or why you made mistakes)
• More awareness and understanding of your thought process/logic and the right way to answer questions = more confidence in your abilities = reduced nerves

The day before

• No hard and fast rule here but I would actually spend minimal time actually prepping
• Instead, I would do some activities that help to take your mind of casing - e.g. exercise, hobbies etc
• Please ensure you get sufficient rest the night before. Sleep is extremely critical for proper brain function and the more rested you are the better
  • You may be too nervous to sleep, in this case you can consider some natural products to try and help your sleep (e.g. chamomile team, melatonin)

The day itself

• I still remember the nerves I had on the elevator up to the office for the final round
• What I found most helpful were 2 things
  • Breathing techniques to calm myself down (https://time.com/4316151/breathing-technique-navy-seal-calm-focused/)
  • Recalling a previous motivational/difficult challenge I overcame to psych myself up (in my case, I recalled my experience jumping out of a plane during my military days and put my current nerves into perspective)

You are in a good place - now you need to just finish strong. All the best!

It’s completely normal to feel this way before the final round, especially after putting in so much preparation. First off, trust in the work you’ve done—your R1 feedback and the effort you’ve put in so far are strong indicators that you’re ready.

In these final days, I’d focus on quality over quantity. Instead of doing more cases, revisit the ones you’ve already completed, and reflect on what went well and where you can improve. This will reinforce your confidence and sharpen your problem-solving mindset.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of taking a break. Give your mind some space to recharge—engage in activities that relax you, whether it’s exercise, a hobby, or simply getting outside. This will help reduce any burnout and keep you mentally fresh.

On the day of the interviews, try to stay grounded. Focus on your breathing to stay calm, and remind yourself of the challenges you’ve already overcome to reach this point. You’ve done the work—now it’s about trusting yourself and finishing strong.

Good luck—you’ve got this!

Hi

You might actually find the partner round easier than the first round (I personally did). Trust your case cracking skills, and don't worry about what gets thrown your way per se - try to have a frame of mind where "I'm as ready as I'll ever be at this point in time, so bring it on..."

Rest well and mentally warm up your brain beforehand - mental math apps or similar can be really helpful to take your mind off the nerves beforehand. Try not to sit idle stressing about the outcome from a situation that hasn't even happened yet.

Good luck!

Hi there,

Know that you have what it takes if you have passed R1. :-)

Please reach out. I have a free guide on managing the nerves before and during the interview. 

Cheers,

Florian