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McKinsey Interview Bars

Hi everyone,

I've been preparing for McKinsey interviews and came across the term "bars" frequently. I have a few questions regarding this:

  1. What is the meaning of "bars" in the context of McKinsey interviews?
  2. Why does each McKinsey office have different bars?
  3. How are these bars measured or assessed during the interview process?

Any insights or detailed explanations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

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Top answer
Florian
Coach
on Jul 08, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU
Pedro
Coach
on Jul 09, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

Interviewer jargon :)

1. It's a theoretical concept. It's the expected / required performance level in order to get an offer or pass to the next round.

2. Mckinsey doesn't have (theoretically) different bars. But if for an office there's a relevant imbalance between openings and number of candidates, the bar may be higher (never lower).

3. There's an expected level of performance for the personal experience interview and the case interview. There's multiple criteria involved.

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