- McKinsey describes two stages for most consulting roles: an assessment, usually McKinsey Solve, and then interviews. Most client-facing roles have a Personal Experience Interview (PEI) and a Problem-Solving Interview (the case); some roles add an Expertise Interview.
- McKinsey says McKinsey Solve needs no preparation. Knowing the three games, the rules and the clock still removes most of the surprises, and a free trial of each game is the quickest way to get there.
- Candidates commonly describe the McKinsey case as interviewer-led: you answer a sequence of questions. Answer each one precisely, then connect it back to the client's decision.
- The PEI deserves the same effort as the case. McKinsey asks you to prepare two examples for each of four areas and to lead with your reasoning, not only your actions.
- McKinsey forbids AI tools for generating answers during interviews and assessments. Your preparation has to make you fluent on your own, with pen and paper.
McKinsey interview preparation is easier when you separate three things: what McKinsey publishes about its process, what candidates consistently report, and what you can only learn from your recruiter. This guide keeps the three apart. It covers every step a consulting candidate usually meets, from the online assessment to the final round, so you can prepare without reading anything else first.
CasePreparation is independent and not affiliated with McKinsey & Company. The advice here comes from coaching candidates through consulting interviews, including McKinsey's, and from the experience of a former BCG interviewer; it is not an insider description of McKinsey's internal scoring.
The McKinsey process at a glance
McKinsey's careers pages describe the process in general terms. The table sets out each step, what McKinsey says about it and what candidates add. Use it as a map, then confirm the details of your own process with your recruiter, who McKinsey says will confirm interview details in advance. If you are also applying elsewhere, the BCG and Bain guides cover their processes in the same way.
| Step | What McKinsey says | What candidates report |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Not detailed on the interviewing page | Online application with CV, screened on record, experience and impact |
| Assessment | McKinsey Solve for most consulting roles; technical roles may have a hands-on test | Three games, about 85 or 95 minutes in total |
| First-round interviews | Most client-facing roles have a PEI and a Problem-Solving Interview | Often two or three interviews, each with a PEI and a case |
| Final round | Number of rounds not published | Partners or senior colleagues, same format, deeper probing |
| Some roles | An Expertise Interview on your skills for the role | Common for specialist and experienced profiles |
Two consequences follow. First, every interview usually tests two different things, a personal story and a business problem, so you need to prepare both before your first round. Second, the online assessment comes first and can arrive with little notice, so it pays to know what it involves before you apply.
Ask how many interviews you will have, whether they are in person or virtual, whether your role includes an Expertise Interview, and whether any part of your process differs from the standard one. McKinsey also says it may ask some candidates, at random, to explain the logic they used in McKinsey Solve or to take an additional task in person.
Step one: McKinsey Solve
McKinsey Solve is McKinsey's online assessment for most consulting roles. McKinsey describes it as a gamified assessment of problem-solving and says that no preparation is needed and that no business knowledge or gaming experience is required. Your result is considered together with the rest of your application, and the recruiter makes the decision.
What the games ask you to do
McKinsey does not publish the game names or their timings. Candidates and preparation providers currently report three games, set in nature rather than in business:
| Game | What you do | Reported time |
|---|---|---|
| Redrock Study | Research a question on a fictional ecosystem, save the right data, calculate, complete a short report, then answer six short cases | About 35 minutes |
| The Sea Wolf | Choose microbes for three ocean sites so the team meets several conditions at once | About 30 minutes |
| Sustainable Futures Lab | Make decisions about a project and a team with incomplete information | About 20 or 30 minutes |
The length of your assessment is stated only in your invitation. Candidates currently report two versions: about 85 minutes, with a 20-minute Lab made of one ranking task and twelve situational questions, and about 95 minutes, with a 30-minute Lab in which you lead a small research team over three simulated days. Redrock and Sea Wolf are reported to be the same in both. McKinsey does not confirm this mapping, so if you have time, practise both Lab formats.
The official rules
The September 2026 McKinsey Solve FAQ and the assessment page set out rules that matter more than any strategy:
- The length is stated in your invitation, and each task begins with an untimed tutorial.
- The assessment runs only on a PC or Mac, not on a tablet or phone. Sound is not needed and a mouse is optional.
- You may not use applications, websites, AI tools or pre-prepared notes, and you may not record or screenshot any part of it. You must complete it alone.
- Technical problems must be reported to support while they happen; support can add time or reset your link, but not if you did not contact it at the time.
- Accommodations are requested through the contact in your invitation, before you start.
- Results are valid for one year, and you can take McKinsey Solve again only once every 12 months.
Violations can lead to exclusion from the process, a rescinded offer or restrictions on future applications. In particular, spreadsheets or solvers for The Sea Wolf, which some guides still suggest, fall under the ban on applications. Candidates widely report working on blank paper during the games, which is consistent with the ban covering notes prepared in advance.
How to prepare without overdoing it
The FAQ is right that the tutorials teach you the rules. What they cannot give you is familiarity with the interface and the clock, which is where most first-time candidates lose time. A short cycle works well, and it fits the week candidates commonly report having between invitation and deadline.
- Play one timed run of each game before reading strategies, and note where the clock got tight and where you hesitated.
- Practise the one step that cost you most: the unit of a figure in Redrock, the order in which you apply conditions in Sea Wolf, or how you use information before deciding in the Lab.
- Play again and compare the same step. Move on only when it has improved.
- On the day before, run the technical check, prepare paper and pen, close other applications and choose a quiet slot well before the deadline.
A few reviewed runs are worth more than many runs in a row. The full rules and a fictional example for each game are in the complete McKinsey Solve guide, and calendars for different amounts of time are in the McKinsey Solve preparation plan; there are also deep dives on Redrock Study, The Sea Wolf and Sustainable Futures Lab.
McKinsey Solve · free trial
See all three games before your invitation arrives
The free trial gives you one complete, timed scenario of each game: Redrock Study, The Sea Wolf and the 20-minute Sustainable Futures Lab. Replay them as often as you like; no card is needed.
- Learn the interface and the timing before test day
- See which game and which step slow you down
- Full access adds more scenarios, the 30-minute Lab and a detailed report after every run, for US$149 for 12 months
Full access includes a money-back guarantee if you do not pass McKinsey Solve, subject to conditions. CasePreparation is independent and not affiliated with McKinsey & Company.
The Problem-Solving Interview
McKinsey calls its case the Problem-Solving Interview. According to its careers page, the interviewer presents a business problem modelled on a typical client situation, to see how you approach complex problems. McKinsey adds that there is not one logical solution, and asks candidates to listen carefully and adapt their approach rather than apply standard frameworks.
What an interviewer-led case feels like
Candidates consistently describe the McKinsey case as interviewer-led. After the prompt, the interviewer asks a series of questions, each with a clear task: how you would structure the problem, what you take from a chart, a calculation, a few ideas, and finally a recommendation. You do not choose the order of the analyses, as you often do in a candidate-led case.
That format changes what good looks like in three ways:
- Make each answer clear. Practise structures, calculations and chart interpretation separately, then combine them in full cases so your reasoning stays consistent throughout the interview.
- The thread is easy to lose. Because the interviewer moves you from question to question, it is tempting to answer each one in isolation. Strong candidates finish every answer by saying what it means for the client's decision.
- Leadership still shows. Proposing what you would look at next, even when the interviewer will decide, shows that you know where the problem is going.
Treat this as a common pattern, not a rule. Cases at McKinsey can be partly candidate-led, and interviewers vary. If your interviewer gives you room to choose the next step, take it.
What the official sample cases teach you
McKinsey publishes several practice cases on its interviewing page, each with questions and suggested answers: Beautify, Diconsa, Electro-Light, a case on transforming a national education system and Talbot Trucks. Work through them before your first round. They show the interviewer-led sequence, the kind of charts you may see and the level of maths, and their suggested answers show how McKinsey frames a good response. Read them as examples of reasoning, not as cases you might receive. To drill the two skills that carry most interviewer-led questions, see case interview structuring and case interview maths.
A short interviewer-led case, worked through
The case below is fictional and built for this guide. It follows the interviewer-led sequence: a structure, a chart, a calculation, an ideas question and a recommendation. Try each answer yourself before reading the solution.
Your client, Calder Foods, is a UK maker of frozen ready meals. It is considering launching a range of plant-based ready meals under its own brand next year. The CEO asks: should Calder launch the range?
Question 1: structure the problem
The interviewer asks
"What factors would you consider to decide whether Calder should launch?"
Solution
The decision is whether the launch would pay off, so the structure should end in a profit test and cover what could make it fail. Three areas do most of the work:
- The market: is there room for a new brand?
- Size and growth of plant-based ready meals
- Who is winning the growth: brands or supermarkets' own label
- Calder's economics: can it make money?
- Price to retailers and cost per pack
- Launch costs: production line, listings, marketing
- Volume needed to break even, compared with what is realistic
- Calder's ability to win: why would shoppers and retailers choose it?
- Strength of the brand and relationships with supermarkets
- Product quality compared with existing ranges
- Risk to Calder's current frozen meals
Hypothesis and start: the market is growing, so the question is whether a branded range can capture enough of that growth. I would start with who is winning it.
"I would look at the market, the competitors, the customers and the company, and then the risks."
"The question is whether a branded launch would make money, so I'd look at three things: whether there is room in the market for a new brand, whether the economics work at a realistic volume, and whether Calder has what it takes to win shelf space. My hypothesis is that the market is growing but that supermarkets' own label is taking much of the growth, so I'd like to start with who is winning it."
The weaker answer is a list that would fit any case. The stronger one starts from the decision, names three areas that are specific to a branded launch, and states a hypothesis that tells the interviewer where you want to go.
Question 2: read the chart
The interviewer asks
The interviewer shares Exhibit 1. "What do you take from this?"
Solution
Read the axes first: bars are sales in £m on the left, the line is the own-label share on the right. The market nearly doubled, from £180m to £340m. Over the same period, the own-label share rose from 30% to 55%. The question is what that leaves for brands, so combine the two series:
Branded sales 2022: £180m × 70% = £126m
Branded sales 2026: £340m × 45% = £153m
Branded growth: £27m on £126m, about +21% in four years, against about +89% for the whole market
The implication: most of the growth went to own label, which grew from about £54m to £187m. A new brand would be fighting for a part of the market that is growing slowly.
"The market grew strongly every year, from 180 to 340 million, so it's an attractive market and Calder should go in. Own label also grew."
"The market nearly doubled, but the own-label share went from 30% to 55%. Branded sales only went from about £126m to £153m, so roughly 20% growth in four years while own label more than tripled. That makes a branded launch harder than the headline growth suggests. I'd like to see what volume Calder would need to break even."
The weaker answer reads the bars and stops. The stronger one combines the two axes, does one simple calculation and turns the result into a doubt about the launch, then proposes the next step.
Question 3: do the maths
The interviewer asks
"Calder would sell each pack to supermarkets for £3.00, and each pack costs £2.00 to make and deliver. The launch would add £3m a year in fixed costs for a new line and marketing. Branded packs sell for about £4 in shops. How many packs would Calder need to sell to break even, and is that realistic?"
Solution
State the formula, then calculate, then compare the result with the market.
Contribution per pack: £3.00 − £2.00 = £1.00
Break-even volume: £3m ÷ £1.00 = 3 million packs a year
Branded segment in packs: £153m ÷ £4 ≈ 38 million packs
Share of branded segment needed: 3 ÷ 38 ≈ 8%
The interviewer adds that Calder holds about 10% of branded frozen ready meals today. So the break-even share is close to what Calder has achieved in a market where it is long established, and it would need to get there as a newcomer in a segment that is losing ground to own label. It is possible, but it is not a safe assumption.
"Break-even volume is fixed costs divided by the contribution per pack" takes three seconds and prevents the most common slip in this question: dividing fixed costs by the shop price instead of the contribution.
Question 4: generate ideas
The interviewer asks
"Apart from launching its own brand, how else could Calder benefit from this market?"
Solution
Group your ideas so the interviewer can follow them, and say which one you would test first.
- Ride the own-label growth: make plant-based meals for one or two supermarkets under their own label, using the same line.
- Lower the cost of entry: launch a smaller branded range, or start in one retailer, to test demand before committing £3m a year.
- Use partners: license an established plant-based brand, or co-develop a range with a retailer.
- Find other channels: sell to food service, such as workplace canteens or universities.
The first idea stands out because it puts Calder in the part of the market that is growing, at a lower risk, though at a lower margin per pack.
Question 5: recommend
The interviewer asks
"The CEO has one minute. What should Calder do?"
"We looked at the market, which is growing fast, and then at own label, which is also growing. Then we calculated the break-even, which is 3 million packs. There are also other options, like own label or partnerships. So it depends on the risk appetite."
"Calder should not launch a national brand next year. To break even it would need about 8% of branded sales, close to its share in frozen meals, in a segment that grew only about 20% in four years while own label more than tripled. Instead, it should bid to make own-label plant-based meals for one or two supermarkets, which uses the same line in the part of the market that is growing, and test a small branded range with one retailer. The main risk is that own-label margins may be too low, so the next step is to get price indications from two retailers."
The weaker answer retells the case and ends without a decision. The stronger one opens with the answer, supports it with the two numbers the CEO will remember, gives an alternative, a risk and a concrete next step.
Notice that none of the answers required knowledge of the food industry. What made the difference was starting from the decision, combining the data, saying what each number means, and coming back to the CEO's question every time.
The Personal Experience Interview
The Personal Experience Interview, or PEI, is McKinsey's version of the fit interview. Instead of asking several short questions about your CV and motivation, the interviewer asks you to describe one real experience and then explores it in depth. Candidates commonly report that each first-round interview opens with a PEI of about 10 to 20 minutes, followed by the case.
What McKinsey asks for
McKinsey's interviewing page gives clear guidance. Prepare two personal examples for each of four areas, choose experiences that genuinely mattered to you, describe your specific role in detail, and explain the challenges you faced and the actions you took. It asks you to lead with your reasoning, not your actions, and to be ready for a conversation rather than a rehearsed story.
The same page names the four areas Connection, Drive, Leadership and Growth, each with a short description and a sample question (read on 2 November 2026). Older guides use earlier labels such as inclusive leadership, entrepreneurial drive, personal impact and courageous change. Prepare for what each area asks you to show:
| Area | What a strong story shows |
|---|---|
| Leadership | You brought a group to an outcome, especially when people disagreed or you had no formal authority |
| Drive | You set a demanding goal, took initiative beyond your role and kept going through obstacles |
| Connection | You built trust or changed someone's mind, and understood their point of view |
| Growth | You learned from feedback, a failure or an unfamiliar situation, and changed how you work |
How it differs from a generic fit question
In a generic fit question, a two-minute answer is often enough. In the PEI, your opening account is only the start: the interviewer then asks why you chose one option over another, what a colleague said, what you would do differently. Most of the time is spent on these follow-up questions, and that is where vague or borrowed stories fall apart.
The opening question
"Tell me about a time you persuaded someone senior to change their plan."
Typical follow-ups after your first account
- "Why did you raise it with her directly rather than through your manager?"
- "What exactly did she say when you first brought it up?"
- "What would you have done if she had said no?"
- "Looking back, what would you do differently?"
The basics of preparing your stories
- List ten to fifteen real situations from the last few years in which you made a difference: at work, in your studies, in a club or in your community.
- For each area, pick the two strongest stories, so you have a backup and never need the same story twice in one round.
- For each story, write the backbone in bullet points: the situation in two or three sentences, what was at stake, the two or three things you did and why, the result and what you learned.
- Tell each story aloud, then ask someone to interrupt with "why?" and "what exactly did you say?" until you can answer without hesitation.
The two most common weaknesses in first attempts are spending most of the time on context, and saying "we" when the interviewer wants to know what you did. Story selection, structure, the follow-up questions and a full annotated example are in the McKinsey PEI guide.
McKinsey's rules on AI in interviews and assessments
McKinsey publishes explicit guidance on AI, and its Assessment Integrity Expectations apply to assessments and interviews, including virtual ones. The rules affect how you should prepare.
Encouraged when preparing
Using AI to polish your CV, practise interview questions and have concepts or frameworks explained to you.
Not allowed
Exaggerating or inventing achievements, generating answers in real time during an interview, and using AI during assessments unless specifically permitted.
In virtual interviews
Disable previously installed AI software, such as note-taking tools or virtual assistants, before you start.
The integrity page adds practical requirements. You take part alone, on one screen, with the camera on and no virtual background, positioned to show your upper body and hands. Notes and calculations are made with pen and paper only; calculators, applications, websites, generative AI and prepared notes are not allowed, and interviewers may ask to see your notes. You may not record the session or discuss the content of an assessment with others. Breaches can lead to disqualification, a rescinded offer or restrictions on future applications.
The practical consequence is simple: whatever you use to prepare, on the day you must structure, calculate and tell your stories on your own. Practise case maths by hand from the start, rehearse your stories without notes, and run at least a few mock interviews on video with the camera set up as the rules describe.
A preparation plan from invitation to final round
The plan below assumes about eight weeks before your first interviews and no case experience. Candidates commonly report about a week to complete McKinsey Solve after the invitation, and first-round interviews within a few weeks of a positive result, so start the case and the PEI before your assessment, not after it.
| Weeks | Case | PEI | McKinsey Solve |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Read the McKinsey sample cases; ten minutes of maths by hand daily | List 10 to 15 situations | Free trial: one run of each game |
| 3 to 4 | Drill structures and charts; two or three live cases a week | Pick two stories per area; write the backbones | Full plan in the week of your invitation |
| 5 to 6 | Three or four interviewer-led cases a week, with feedback | Tell stories aloud with follow-up questions | Done, or practise only if still pending |
| 7 to 8 | Full mock interviews: PEI and case in one hour | Rehearse backups; stories survive three "why?" questions | Nothing new; keep your result and invitation details |
What to check at the end of each phase: in weeks 1 to 2, that you can describe the process and solve a percentage or break-even question without hesitation; in weeks 3 to 4, that your structures are built on the client's facts; in weeks 5 to 6, that your recommendation starts with the answer; in weeks 7 to 8, that you deliver the same quality on a tired day.
If you have two or three weeks
Compress the same logic. Ask your recruiter about the format, run McKinsey Solve practice in the week of your invitation if it is still ahead, then alternate: one interviewer-led case a day with feedback, and two PEI stories told aloud each day until you have covered all four areas. In the last three days, do full mock interviews and nothing new.
Practice partners, and where they stop
Practising with other candidates is essential for fluency, and it is free. Its limit is that another candidate can tell you whether you reached the answer, but rarely why an interviewer would hesitate: a structure that sounds plausible but fits any case, a recommendation that is really a summary, a PEI story that sounds good until the third "why?". That is where an experienced interviewer's feedback changes the most.
1:1 interview coaching
Rehearse the McKinsey format with an experienced interviewer
Franco Borgonovo spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, and has conducted more than 1,500 interviews, over 800 of them for MBB firms. He now coaches candidates for McKinsey, BCG and Bain. Each session is a realistic interview with a PEI, an interviewer-led case or both, followed by a debrief and a written report.
- Start with one session for a diagnosis and a plan, US$249
- Packages of 3, 5 or 10 sessions add a progress dashboard, practice materials and email support
- Money-back guarantee if the coaching does not meet your expectations
Every session is with Franco. Tell him your interview dates and where you feel stuck, and he will suggest where to start.
The final round at McKinsey
McKinsey does not publish the number of rounds. Candidates commonly describe a final round with partners or senior colleagues, often with two or three interviews, each again combining a PEI and a case. The format is familiar, but three things usually change.
- The cases are less scripted. A senior interviewer may leave the planned questions, challenge your assumptions or turn the discussion to the client's business. What counts is whether your reasoning holds when the script changes.
- The probing goes deeper. In the PEI, expect more follow-up questions and more focus on your judgement and what you learned. Use different stories from the first round where you can, and have backups ready.
- Weak points come back. Candidates and coaches widely report that interviewers in later rounds see earlier feedback and test the points that were weakest. If you received feedback, build your preparation on it; if you did not, write down your own weak points straight after each interview.
Between rounds, a few realistic mock interviews with serious feedback are worth more than many new cases. The final round deserves its own preparation, which is covered in the final-round guide.
"McKinsey Riyadh offer secured. The mock interviews were by far the most useful part of my prep."
M.A., McKinsey Riyadh offer after coaching with Franco. One candidate's experience; results depend on each candidate and process.
Frequently asked questions
How many interview rounds does McKinsey have?
McKinsey does not publish a number. Candidates commonly report two rounds, each with two or three interviews that combine a PEI and a case, but it varies by office and role. Your recruiter will confirm the details of your process.
Is the McKinsey case always interviewer-led?
It is the format candidates most often describe, not a published rule. Some interviewers give you more freedom, and some cases mix both styles. Prepare to answer precise questions and to propose the next step yourself.
Can I use a calculator in the interview?
No. McKinsey's integrity expectations allow pen and paper only for notes and calculations, and interviewers may ask to see your notes. Practise case maths by hand.
Does my McKinsey Solve result expire?
According to the September 2026 FAQ, results are valid for one year, and you can take McKinsey Solve again only once every 12 months.
Do I need business knowledge?
Not much. McKinsey says McKinsey Solve requires none, and in the case the interviewer gives you the facts you need. You should understand how a business makes money: revenue, costs, customers and competitors.
Can I use the same PEI story in two interviews?
It is safer not to within the same round, because interviewers compare notes. Prepare two stories per area so you always have a fresh one, and keep a backup for the final round.
What is the Expertise Interview?
McKinsey says some roles include an Expertise Interview, to understand how your experience and skills will help you succeed in the role. Ask your recruiter whether it applies to you and what it covers.
Can I use AI to prepare?
Yes, within McKinsey's rules: it encourages using AI to polish your CV, practise questions and understand concepts. You may not use it to invent achievements, to generate answers during an interview or during assessments unless permitted.
Final checklist
Your next step
If your McKinsey Solve invitation has not arrived yet, play each game once now, so the assessment is not your first contact with the format. Then run one interviewer-led case and tell one PEI story aloud this week, and note the two things that held you back. If you want an experienced interviewer to tell you which of them matter most, one session gives you a diagnosis and a written plan.
Coaching with Franco
Get a precise diagnosis before your McKinsey interviews
A realistic PEI and case, a debrief and a written report with your priorities. Start with one session, or talk it through for free first.
About Franco
Franco Borgonovo
Former BCG Principal · 10-year tenure · Official BCG coachFranco spent ten years at BCG, from intern to Principal, interviewing and selecting candidates as a global lead recruiter. He is still an official BCG coach for new hires, and today works one to one with candidates on applications, McKinsey Solve and interviews.
More about Franco →- McKinsey: Interviewing (careers page) · assessments, Personal Experience and Problem-Solving Interviews, Expertise Interview, sample cases, use of AI; read 2 November 2026
- McKinsey: Assessment Integrity Expectations · rules for assessments and interviews, including virtual ones; read 2 November 2026
- McKinsey: McKinsey Solve assessment page · what the assessment is, prohibited tools, support contacts; read 2 November 2026
- McKinsey Solve FAQ (September 2026) · length in the invitation, untimed tutorials, PC or Mac, prohibited tools, support, results valid for one year; read 2 November 2026