I apologise in advance if this has been asked before.
I recently applied for the consultant role at McKinsey (as an experienced hire). To my surprise a week after applying I was invited to sit McKinsey Solve (PSG). I wanted to understand, do all candidates who apply get to sit PSG or is an initial CV screening completed? If yes, how stringent is the screening?
I completed the PSG yesterday and I beleive it went very well. I completed ecosystem with plenty time to spare and everything worked, I also believe I did well in Red Rock, answering all questions and finishing with 5 mins or so left on the clock.
My understanding is that McKinsey will now review the scores alongside my CV. Whilst I think I did very well, I did not expect to be invited to even sit PSG. I am hesitant to get my hopes up and start studying for first round interviews, especially if it’s quite normal for all applicants to be invited to PSG.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
How stringent is the initial CV screening? And does everyone get invited to sit McKinsey Solve?
Hi!
Congrats on completing the test! :)
Not all candidates are asked to complete the test! There is an initial screening done before! The solve game is between the initial CV screening and the first interview.
They will now check your results and invite you (in the best case) for your first interview. It is always a good idea to prepare as soon as possible since the stories that need to be prepared for the interviews take quite some time. However, feel free to wait until you get a definite answer from recruiting. Also then, you will have enough time to prepare for the interview.
In the worst case, you still could ask to reschedule the interview if you do not feel prepared at all.
Best,
Alessa
Hi Hakeem,
First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your questions:
- First of all, it depends on the region and country whether you have to take the McKinsey Solve pre-interview assessment before or after the screening of your application files.
- Moreover, I am wondering why you are asking about how stringent the screening of your application files is? Generally speaking, though, the application files screening is quite rigorous.
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming McKinsey interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
Hi there,
Only candidates with a solid resume and cover letter are invited to the online game.
You can check how the recruiting process works from an internal McKinsey perspective here:
MBB Hiring Hacks - Behind the Curtain Secrets
Best,
Alberto
—
Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs
Most offices check if your application is complete and eligible and if so, they send you the test.
Then they review the results of the test together with your application and decide whether to interview you or not.
Not all offices do it this way, but most do.
So an invitation to the test doesn't mean you passed screening, if it's one of the offices where the test is part of the screening phase.
Best,
Cristian
Hi Hakeem,
Q: Do all candidates who apply get to sit PSG or is an initial CV screening completed? If yes, how stringent is the screening?
Depending on the country/application channel, they might assess the CV after the test. In any case, they will evaluate both the Solve game and the application material to make a decision.
Good luck!
Francesco
In general, you need to meet certain qualification criteria. That doesn't mean your CV was reviewed and has an ok. Just means you qualify to doing the test.
Then your test result is considered together with your application to decide on whether you get an interview.
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