How to improve on delivering good clarifying questions or general questions throughout the case interview?

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from McKinsey!

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

• First of all, please keep in mind that, unlike other consulting firms, you will typically receive all the information you need up front in a McKinsey case study.
• Moreover, I would highly advise you to consider working with an experienced coach like me to really understand what you need to improve, because asking more questions does not necessarily make the client's business model or tasks at hand more understandable.

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 interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

The goal of the clarification questions part of the case is that afterwards, you understand the goal and the business model of the case/client (how do they make money, value chain, product and customer) and can start drafting a customized framework. The exact questions are very much depending on the case and industry; which parameters are yet unclear and require further focus. Try to only ask relevant clarification questions. A question is only relevant if the answer will help you to drive the answer/framework. Try to explain to the interviewer 'why' you ask that specific question.

Feel free to schedule a free intro call so I can help you further.

Mattijs

Hey!

Asking clear questions can demonstrate your analytical thinking and ensure you fully understand the problem. Start by probing the objective of the case—understand what the client’s primary goal is. You can ask about the company’s current situation, market dynamics, or any constraints they might be facing. Don’t hesitate to ask about any ambiguities in the case or key assumptions you should consider. Practice active listening and frame your questions around key dimensions: customer needs, competitors, financial health, or market conditions. From my experience at McKinsey, engaging the interviewer in a dialogue rather than just answering questions can create a more collaborative environment. Practicing mock cases with a peer can help build confidence in asking questions while keeping the flow natural.

Alessa

Hey there,

In general, ask clarifying questions that help you understand any of the following:

• How to structure your approach to the problem
• The context and objective around the problem
• Any other information that is important to the problem (this is a high judgement call)

So ask questions that make you more comfortable on proceeding with the case. 

Also, asking clarifying questions is not an evaluative assessment area for McKinsey. You don't lose marks for not asking clarifying questions. So use it as an opportunity to enhance your understanding of the problem and not as an assessment consideration. For BCG, Bain and other firms, there is often information the interviewer doesn't give upfront, and asking the right clarifying questions helps to get information that can direct the rest of the case. 

Please, feel free to get in touch and I can help on this! 

All the best

Hi there,

Split your clarification questions into two buckets:

• Goal and timeline (operationalize it -> what's the exact target and how much time do we have to achieve?)
• Conceptual understanding of the business/context (depends on the case prompt -> make sure to understand how the business operates, what their business model is, etc.)

Cheers,

Florian