Mckinsey Case Interviews

Hey there, 

Congratulations on getting through to the interview stage. Some reflections that may be helpful for you:

How to start off your preparation:

• Watch a couple of live interviews to familiarize yourself with how Case Interviews are run.
• Orient yourself with McKinsey's specific PEI process
• Consider engaging coaching services to help ensure you learn the right interviewing fundamentals and approaches
• Do lots of mock practice with peers 

Are interviewers looking for 'right answers' or open conversation:

• Interviewers are essentially assessing your way of thinking and solving problems through various dimensions (structuring, analyzing data and performing quants, synthesising information etc). Whilst there may be different ways of packaging and presenting answers, the content of "right answers" broadly stays the same, and if you've developed the right case interview fundamentals and practice then you should easily be able to produce solutions within this scope

All the best! 

Read some business literature, such as articles or books.

While McKinsey isn’t specifically testing your business knowledge, you’ll need a basic understanding of fundamentals like company functions and terms such as revenues, costs, and profits.

Afterward, consider seeking coaching—either from a professional coach or a friend in consulting—to help you navigate all the information available.

Best,

Alberto

Hi there! Congratulations :) Are you interviewing for a Business Analyst / Associate position in the generalist consulting track or other positions at McKinsey (subject-matter expert or other specialties)? How much time do you have to prepare? The answers to these questions will help me and other coaches provide more targeted guidance. 

Assuming you're interviewing for a generalist role, here is a high-level view of how the case should run: 

• Understand the problem / ask clarifying questions (2-3 min)
• Frame the approach / develop initial hypotheses (<2min to prep; 1-2 mins to walk through the main buckets, sub-issues, key hypotheses, and what data you’d look for -- be specific to your problem/industry)
• Ask for data/run analysis – this includes analyzing exhibits that might be presented to you, brainstorming ideas, getting to the "so what" (10-15min)
• Follow up on any outstanding elements of your framework -- i.e., qualitative information to round out the recommendation (~2min)
• Prepare (1-2 min) / present (~1 min) recommendation  

To prepare, I recommend a mix of a) theory (reading overview material on PrepLounge, MBA case books from top programs, and a few other high-quality sources I can point you to), b) peer practice (mock cases with partners), and c) targetted coaching (happy to discuss it with you). Since you're unfamiliar with cases and have interviews coming up, I recommend engaging with a coach as soon as possible. I'm happy to offer a free 15-minute consultation. 

Hey there & congratulations!

Without repeating the helpful info the others already provided, I would add a few practical tips for your preparation:

• Real world case studies: McK interviewers generally look for your analytical and conceptual skills across a variety of topics. If you don't have first-hand experience (yet), you can familiarize yourself with specific industries through case studies from Harvard Business School etc. Drivers and levers for profit, growth, etc. vary from industry to industry (e.g., capital-heavy B2B business vs. capital-light B2B2C or B2C business), and understanding these nuances can help you gain an edge over candidates that apply mostly generic frameworks    
• Review of (your) mock interviews: After each mock interview, take 10-20 minutes to reflect on your answers (or the answers of your interviewee) - What worked/what didn't work? What patterns are emerging? How could a better answer have looked like? etc. One of the best candidates I have interviewed even had a "case study journal" full of notes and post-its.     
• "What else": In each part of the McK interview, the interviewer will normally ask you "what else" if you haven't provided a good answer (yet). Including this question by default already in your practice interviews helps you tackle the last 5% to go from good to great

I hope this helps & all the best for your interview! 

Hey!

Congratulations on progressing to the case interview stage!

For McKinsey case interviews, they are less focused on finding the "right" answers and more interested in your thought process and how you approach problem-solving. Interviewers are looking to see how you think about a problem, structure your analysis, and communicate your ideas clearly. They want to understand how you break down complex issues and derive actionable insights.

Here are some tips:

1. Think Aloud: As you work through the case, explain your thought process out loud. This demonstrates your problem-solving approach to the interviewer.
2. Ask Clarifying Questions: If you're unclear on any aspect of the case, ask for clarification. This shows that you are trying to understand the problem fully before diving into solutions.
3. Use a Structured Framework: Approach the case with a structured framework (e.g., profit drivers, competitive analysis, customer segments) to organize your thoughts and demonstrate logical thinking.
4. Practice Math: Brush up on basic calculations, as these are often part of the case interviews.
5. Be Comfortable with Uncertainty: Many cases will present situations with limited information. Learn to make assumptions and proceed with your analysis.

The focus should be on showcasing your thought process, not necessarily having the perfect answer from the get-go. Good luck with your interview preparation!

Alessa