Getting ready for your interviews

Interviewing is a two-way process—it helps us learn about you as a potential colleague, and helps you learn about McKinsey and what you could do here. Overall, we look for personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, inclusive leadership, and problem solving, and we recognize there are many ways to acquire those skills.

If you are interested in McKinsey careers beyond consulting, you can learn more about the assessment process for our internal roles here.

Values

At McKinsey, we strive to create an unrivalled environment for exceptional people. During many of our interviews, you will learn more about what this value means in practice at McKinsey. Your assessor may share details of how McKinsey is a non-hierarchical, diverse, inclusive meritocracy. They may touch on our formal and informal apprenticeship and mentor programs. Or they may share examples of how we use the obligation to dissent.

After hearing from your assessor on what people related value means the most to them, you may be asked to share an experience that speaks to the McKinsey people value that is most meaningful to you.

Your recruiter will inform you on what questions you will be asked so you can best prepare. We want you to succeed and feel confident entering our process.

Practice cases

To prepare for our problem solving discussion we encourage you to use the sample cases below, which contain the logic, thought processes and recommended answers. Practicing cases will help you get comfortable with the type of questions asked, and boost your confidence.

Beautify

Evaluating whether a global beauty products company should be training in-store beauty consultants in the effective use of virtual channels to connect with customers.

Diconsa

Assessing the use of the Diconsa network in Mexico to provide basic financial services offerings to the rural poor for the Gates Foundation.

Electro-Light

Designing a product launch of a flavored sports drink with reduced sugar content to help replace electrolytes for a major beverage company.

Transforming a national education system

Diagnosing problems and assessing ways to improve and transform a country’s national education system.

Talbot Trucks

Determining whether to invest in the production and sale of electric trucks for a leading European truck manufacturer.

Shops Corporation

Improving internal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for a US-based retail company.

Conservation Forever

Prioritizing large-scale biodiversity protection projects for Conservation Forever, a conservation NGO.

Testing your skills

Test your skills

As part of interviewing, you may be asked to take an assessment test or play a game, depending on the role for which you apply. Our assessment tests focus on job-related knowledge or abilities, such as problem-solving or coding skills.

Solve - gamified assessment

To test intrinsic problem-solving skills, we created Solve, a gamified assessment. No preparation is required or expected for this game. For more information, view the Solve video and reference our Solve FAQs.

Coding skills tests

For certain technical roles, you will be tested on your coding abilities. These tests include programming challenges to determine your fluency in your preferred coding language.

We want you to succeed

At McKinsey, we help our clients tackle the world’s most important problems, while providing our people with unrivaled professional development experiences. Joining us means you’ll have unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow. And you won’t tackle any of these challenges alone.

Learn more about what we look for in candidates

More resources

Candidate guide

Virtual Interview Zoom Guide

Download our guide

Candidate guide

Solve FAQs

Download our guide

Important fraud alert

McKinsey has become aware of scams involving false offers of McKinsey employment. The scams and false offers use imposter websites, email addresses, and text messages. None of these offers are legitimate, and McKinsey’s recruiting process never involves interviewing via instant message, nor requires candidates to purchase products or services, or process payments on our behalf.

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