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McKinsey & Company Summer Associate Interview Questions & Reviews

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Web: www.mckinsey.com | HQ: New York, NY

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Updated Jan 18, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.

Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 13 ratings

3.8

“Difficult” Interview

Interview Experience [?] Based on 13 ratings

Positive	69%
Neutral	31%
Negative	0%

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5.0

Very Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2012 (took a day)

Applied back in December, interview was offered one week prior to the actual interview date. The interview was a Problem Solving Test involving 26 quantitative and qualitative questions to answer over the course of an hour. I had practiced but the test was very difficult and I finished barely on time.

Interview Questions

Which sector saw the highest profit margin?

Answer Question

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Skills Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Mar 2011 in Atlanta, GA (took 2 weeks)

Round1, part 1, written test. 26 multiple choices on 3 cases in 60mins. Mostly about logic and quick number calculation. I finished 23 and made guess on last 3. Second part, 2 breakout workshop on case interview with consultants. This part is suppose to be a minor part in your first round assessment.
Round2, three 1on1 interview. 15mins personal experience+45min case interview. Tell the interviewer a story about a conflict with collaborators. Cases are leaded by interviewers.

Interview Questions

Tell me a time your have a conflict with your collaborator(s) and how you resolved it.

Answer Question

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and a Personality Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Jan 2009 in Moscow (Russia) (took a day)

McKinsey came to my school campus. I was a b-school student at that time. Then I followed up with few people I met at the company event. I selected the office I want to apply to. Few weeks after the application I got an e-mail that I was invited to an interview day in New York.
The interview day started at 8am in the morning with a written test (1hour). Then I had 3 back-to-back interviews with McK partners or APs. In the end of the day one of the partners called me in for a feedback talk and extended an offer at the spot.

Interview Questions

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Answer Question

Negotiation Details

No negotiation was possible although I tried.

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and an IQ/Intelligence Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Received and Accepted Offer

Interviewed Feb 2011 in Jersey City, NJ (took a day)

Very supportive recruiting process, focused on helping you succeed. First round was a quantitative test. Second round was three case interviews; third round was three case interviews

Interview Questions

why do you want to work at Mckinsey

Answer Question

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2011 (took a day)

I had 2 hourlong interviews. Each consisted on 1 behavioral question and a case. The behavioral questions were very general and the interviewer asked lots of follow-up questions on my answer. Then we moved on to the case. Compared to other consulting cases, McKinsey's tend to be more specific (i.e. they give you more data without you having to probe for it). I definitely failed to "crack" one of the cases, so I wasn't surprised not to get an offer.

After the interview, one of my interviewers called me and provided very specific feedback--basically to go more in depth with the case (from my base framework, create 4-5 bullet points under each broad category).

Interview Questions

Describe a challenging teamwork situation.

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 in Palo Alto, CA (took 4+ weeks)

interviewed with McK for summer associate position as an APD candidate, advanced to round 2. The Problem solving test in Round 1 wasn't too difficult - just a lot to read during a short period of time. I recommend brushing up your math for that.
3 1:1 case interviews for round 2. 2 interviews involved personal experience questions where you should focus on (1) your leadership skills in overcoming a challenge (2) the outcome. One of the cases was hard with a lot of calculation and some tricky questions. The other two cases were ok.
The interviewers said I did well on the cases, but didn't have enough leadership skills; hence they couldn't move me onto the next round. In retrospect, I would definitely have talked more about my leadership experiences during the interview.

Interview Questions

a time you were in a challenging situation

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and an IQ/Intelligence Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

5.0

Very Difficult Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2009 (took 2 weeks)

First Round:

60-minute time assessment - the key here is to practice, practice, practice the sample exams and to move quickly through the questions (you will be very rushed for time) *Most critical*

2 Group case interviews - since coming in with an advanced degree, this session is more to "teach" the case process, highly quantitative, lots of strategy/creativity, and clear communication needed

Second Round:

Individual Case/Fit/Resume interviews - 3 interviews, make sure you know can solve cases in your sleep, practice for the Personal Experience questions (very unnatural)

Interview Questions

Give me the book title and chapter titles for a major accomplishment.

Answer Question

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, an IQ/Intelligence Test and a Skills Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 in New York, NY (took 5 days)

Case interview and a personal fit part with questions of the "Tell me about a time when..." They were very inquisitive with fit questions, asking things like, What was your thought process, what did you say, how did they take that, and another full list of why's. The case part was very guided, the first question will always be "How would you go about answering this question" try to be very thurough in this answer. In the quantitative questions, always give the "business meaning of the numbers" when you reach an answer.

Interview Questions

Tell me about a time where you faced a difficult leadership situation

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Mar 2008 in Atlanta, GA (took 2 months)

First round test a la GMAT followed by group case "discussion" (don't be fooled you are being rated)
Second round : three interviews : part case, part behavioral : relatively easy if you're any good.
Third round : three interviews : part case, part behavioral : It gets tougher.
Final round : four interviews, 4 hrs straight. Five to ten minutes in between interviews so stack up on the carbs before hand. I was on a roll but burned out in hour 3 and that was the end of me.
It was a very positive experience overall. They provided a mentor who called me once a week for case practice.

Interview Questions

Describe a situation where you successful resolved a team conflict.

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and an IQ/Intelligence Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

3.0

Average Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Feb 2010 (took 1+ week)

You are asked to go into the nearest MckInsey office to take a written test when you are granted an interview. After that you are schedule to interview and go over two cases, fairly standard.

The cases are not too difficult. They have some numbers and qualitative factors. If you practice enough you should be good!