Separate R1 or take it together?

Question

McKinsey offers me to take 2 R1 interviews one after another on the same day (only an hour of rest in between) OR to take it 3 weeks apart. Each interview 50 mins long. What is the better strategy? There is no option in between.

Answer 1

Hi there,

I would definitely take that opportunity to finish it all in one day.

An hour of rest is long enough to take a few breaths, yet you still keep the concentration up. If it's too far apart on the same day', it's not ideal based on my experience.

Splitting it over multiple weeks would be extremely inefficient and a waste of time. You should be fully ready for the first interview anyway so dragging the process out for longer should not change your preparedness.

Two cases in 3 hours are also not that crazy or uncommon. You can definitely handle that!

Back in the day - pre-COVID - many McKinsey locations had marathon Fridays in their offices. I remember doing 5 interviews on the same day (3 in the morning back-to-back with 5-10 minutes of break in-between, 2 in the afternoon) on top of doing the old paper-based PST in the morning of the same day as well.

All the best!

Florian

Answer 2

Hey! From my experience at McKinsey & Company in Germany, I would recommend taking both R1 interviews on the same day, rather than spacing them 3 weeks apart. Here's why:

Momentum: You stay in the "interview mindset" between the two interviews, keeping your thinking sharp and allowing you to capitalize on the preparation and feedback from the first interview.
Consistency: Interviewers can be more consistent in their evaluation if they interview you on the same day, rather than spaced out over weeks when circumstances or expectations could shift slightly.
Faster process: Completing both interviews on the same day accelerates the overall process, giving you quicker feedback and moving you forward faster.

Ultimately, taking them together can reduce nerves and keep your preparation fresh, leading to a better overall performance. I actually also did it this way and was very happy with it! :)

Best, Alessa :)

Answer 3

Hi there,

The answer really depends on how prepared you feel.

If you’re confident in your level of preparation, it’s worth considering going ahead with the interviews on the same day. Here’s why:

Waiting can add unnecessary stress: Overthinking the interview could lead to over-analyzing, and your expectations for the next case might become biased.
Competition: Others will be interviewing at the same time, and while MBBs hire based on merit, there’s always a chance that if they've already filled enough spots, your chances might decrease.

(Also, it's easy to underestimate your progress—getting a second opinion on your readiness can be helpful)

However, if you feel you need more time to prepare, you can consider the other option. That way, even if the first interview doesn’t go as well, you’ll have the chance to improve for the next one.

Hope this helps! All the best!