I applied through college or university. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Stamford, CT) in Jan 2008
Interview
McKinsey interviews can be a bit daunting. Luckily, I was able to get a spot, as my business school was on McK's target schools. First round interviews are 2 babk-to-back interviews that consist of a case portion (~35 minutes) and a personal experience portion (~15 minutes). The case is your standard consulting case, albeit with very structured questions. The personal experience portion, true to their website, is just an opportunity to see whether you jive with the four dimensions of leadership, personal impact, etc. Nothing too intense, but make sure you know your resume inside and out. They like to ask questions about it. In other words, don't BS too much.
Once you make it to 2nd round, it's just a long day. 4 back-to-back interviews which end up being really draining towards the end. You're tired, your brain hurts, but you gotta keep pushing.
Other Associate Consultant Interview Reviews for McKinsey & Company
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (‘Ushayrah, Riyadh Province)
Interview
Rigorous but fair questions - mostly case based. Two sets of interviews x 2 rounds. You only get invited back for the afternoon if you pass the morning round. They expect a high degree of mental math and creativity. Worth prepping for standard case interview style questions, using frameworks but able to adapt them.
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Washington, DC)
Interview
Long process with little to no communication, good folks though. Not too difficult just time consuming. Pulled out after the first round as I lost interest, but appreciated the opportunity to interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Prior experience and what I wanted out of the role
The interview process is structured and demanding. It includes a resume screen, problem solving tests, and multiple case interviews with personal experience questions. It’s objectively hard, testing structured thinking, communication, and calm under pressure. Not impossible but you must prepare seriously.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked me to walk through a case and clearly structure the problem first. How I broke it down mattered more than getting the final answer right.