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McKinsey PST: a comprehensive guide

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McKinsey PST: an adaptive learning approach to pass the test

The McKinsey Problem Solving Test (McKinsey PST) is a data interpretation and critical number reasoning test used by McKinsey to select candidates to be admitted to the first round of case interviews . The use of the PST is the main difference between the McKinsey recruiting process and those of its main competitors. The other distinct element is the PEI, or Personal Experience Interview. However, with this set of questions on personal impact McKinsey closely approximates the fit interviews of other firms.

The McKinsey PST is so notoriously difficult because it tests a very diverse skillset and requires you to work under the tightest of time constraints . Of those candidates good enough to be considered and given the PST McKinsey only pass one in three - where failure means immediate rejection . However, we are proud to say that despite the average PST pass rate being so low, 85% of candidates who use our course pass their own PST . For anyone who doesn't pass, we return half of their money .

This article serves as a guide to help you prepare for your McKinsey PST. We begin with an overview of what the PST is all about - this gives you a five minute briefing on all the essential information and the context of the PST.

Next, we spend some time going through each kind of PST question in turn, providing structured approaches to tackling them, complete with fully-worked PST example questions and specific PST tips and tricks which might come in useful.

Finally, we put everything together, with step-by-step guidelines on how to prepare for McKinsey PST success using our adaptive learning methodology .

Practice tests developed by McKinsey consultants

There are seven key facts which you will need to know about the McKinsey PST:

1. Who Has to Do the PST?

Not everyone has to do the McKinsey Problem Solving Test . Experienced hires and those recruited from top-tier business schools are often spared. However, in general, anyone applying to an entry-level business analyst role will be expected to pass the McKinsey PST to be considered.

If you are not sure whether you will be required to do the PST, your default assumption should be that you will , but you should ask with the HR team at the office you are applying to so as to be certain - this is a perfectly reasonable enquiry to make.

2. Format: 26 Questions, Pen and Paper

The PST is a multiple choice test completed on paper. 26 questions are divided between three business cases . These cases test how you would perform in the different phases of a consulting project: client interaction, problem definition, problem solving, analytical work and implementation. The cases are on the kinds of issues that real consultants will encounter in the field, including problems on market entry, profitability and operational improvement.

3. 60 Minutes

Quite simply, if you had three hours to work on an individual McKinsey PST, you could pass easily without any help. Time is the single major constraint in the PST. You are not allowed to use a calculator , computer or any other time saving device beyond your own brain, you need to make sure you have developed and practiced the required skillset - especially time saving skills - and approach the test as a whole with the most effective possible strategy .

60 minutes equates to just over two minutes per question , with a few minutes at the end to enter answers onto the answer sheet and quickly check everything is in order. Many candidates actually fail simply as they do not allow enough time at the end for this basic task. You have to be ready to work fast!

4. Make or Break

No matter how good your resume is , if you fail the PST McKinsey will not consider you any further and you will not be invited to interview. Remember, there will be hundreds of candidates with comparable resumes and the Problem Solving Test is given precisely to thin down this field. Passing is mandatory. Even after you pass and interview, your PST score will be considered alongside your interview performance to determine whether you are given an offer.

5. 70% Cut-Off

Success in the PST is an absolute function of your score rather than how it compares relative to other candidates - there is no "curve" . As such, performing better than the next candidate will be meaningless in itself. If all the candidates are sub-standard, all will fail.

Whilst McKinsey does not publish the exact cutoff for the PST, the best estimates (based on surveys of successful candidates) place it at around 70% .

One important point to remember is that you should give an answer for every question even if you are not entirely sure . The PST is not scored negatively - that is, for the PST McKinsey will not penalise for incorrect guesses (as per the system many medical students will be familiar with). As such, you should always give your best guess , just in case you get lucky.

6. 1-in-3 Success Rate

Whilst scoring is absolute, unofficial surveys have indicated that a fairly regular PST pass rate at around 33% . Most of those candidates who fail do so because they didn't work efficiently enough and/or failed to manage their time correctly , rather than because they lacked any cognitive capacity. One of the major causes of failure is actually candidates not allocating sufficient time at the end of the test to fill in the PST answer sheet!

The takeaway here is that the McKinsey Problem Solving Test should be treated more as a skill-test to be practiced for , rather than as some assessment of raw intelligence you can simply walk in and expect to pass if you are clever enough. You need to understand the relevant time saving methods and strategies to approach the test as a whole if you want to pass and eventually land your job at McKinsey.

7. McKinsey PST vs GMAT

If you have never sat the GMAT, you can skip this point. Many candidates who have previously prepped for and sat the GMAT suffer from a false assumption that the PST will be the same test by a different name - that there are very few diffences in the McKinsey PST vs GMAT. However, despite the similar format, this is not the case.

There is some overlap - for instance, you will need to have strong math for both. However, the PST requires a totally different, less academic style of math , where you need to be able to estimate, prioritise calculations and know how to take the right shortcuts (our mental math article is relevant on the differences here). Generally, the PST and GMAT serve different purposes and are tailored to those purposes in different ways. As such, you need to treat the PST as its own beast and prep for it accordingly.

An AI-based, bespoke preparation plan

As we have noted, the McKinsey PST is partitioned into three business cases, with eight to ten questions for each case. As with a real project, or indeed a case interview, you will be presented with data in charts or tables as well as with descriptive text . Typically, each individual piece of information will be followed by two to three questions referring to that information specifically.

PST questions can be split into six groups which can be expected to account for different fractions of the test. Let's take an in-depth look at each:

1. ~35% - Reading Facts

Reading facts PST questions test your ability to extract and elaborate data from graphs and tables. These are the most common question type, and you can expect them to make up around 35% of your PST.

Typical Formats

• Which of the following values is the best estimate of ...?
• Which of the following statements is valid, based on the data ...?
• What is the current ranking of options 1 to 5?
• Which of the following values is the best estimate of ABC revenue in Year 4?
• To the nearest tenth percentage point, what is the difference between Italy’s and Spain’s respective average annual agriculture sector growths due to fertilizing over the last 10 years?

Worked Example

The table below shows the sales development of the Topstar business unit across the main markets.

Which of these markets showed the fastest sales development (in percentage terms) from 2009-2012?

As you can see, two minutes is not a lot of time to solve this! Let's have a look at an efficient method to let you get to the answer as quickly as possible. The steps identified here generalise to other reading facts questions.

Read the question - pretty straightforward in this case, as you are asked to identify the country with the highest growth rate.

Read the answers - there are four countries to be compared.

Go back to the table - compare the growth rate, between only 2009 and 2012, for those four countries. Simplify figures as much as possible and run precise calculations only if you find out that the difference between two countries growth rates is not large enough to guarantee a reliable result through simplification.

Define the calculation - you need to work out the form of the equation you would need to solve in order to calculate market growth. This will be:

Now you can put the equation to work. Start with the first option - the US. Approximately, US growth will be:

From simple inspection, this is obviously much higher than 50% - it is around 70%.

You can then move on to other countries using this US value as a benchmark and comparing them solely to that value. Germany's growth will be:

This is very close to 50% - so obviously less that the ~70% of the US. You can cross out Germany as an incorrect answer. Note that, if the value for Germany had been higher than the US one, you would have crossed out the US and gone forward using the German growth value as your benchmark.

For Italy, the calculation will be:

1/3 is (roughly) 33%, so obviously lower than 50% and certainly lower than the US. Cross out Italy!

For Japan, growth was from 50 to 58, so there is no need to make any calculations in order to rule it out.

This leaves he US (option A) as the correct answer.

Tips and Tricks

There are a couple of tricks you can employ to get through Reading Facts questions more efficiently:

1. Begin with an end in mind

Before performing any calculations, be clear on which formula/equation you need to use. This is crucial as there is no time for trial and error in the PST. Spending just a few more seconds nailing down the exact formula you need at the beginning will pay dividends by saving you much more time in the calculation phase.

2. Minimise the number of calculations

When going through your solutions, you will be surprised by how many calculations can be avoided or approximated mentally. The fundamental question you should ask yourself before performing any calculation is "does this affect the answer?". This might sound a little odd, but it is a habit which you must form to become quick enough to pass the McKinsey PST. Here are a couple of examples where you can "work clever" to avoid redundant calculations:

The Anchoring Technique

This the technique we used in the example above. When looking for the highest value amongst several possible answers, run calculations for the first answer and use that value as a threshold value as you work through the others. If other answers look immediately wrong, do not perform any further calculations - just as we did with Japan, above. (Generally, you can almost think of this as a less probabilistic version of the solution to the secretary problem .)

The Selection Technique

Here, you pre-select only the calculations which are essential to identifying the answer. For example, the question below asks you to rank the effectiveness of 5 solutions:

• 1, 2, 4, 3, 5
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• 1, 3, 2, 4, 5
• 1, 3, 2, 5, 4

Calculating whether solution A is the most effective is a complete waste of your time – it is the least answer-changing analysis. Instead, calculate which is the most effective between solutions B and C, working from there.

3. Master quick percentage calculations

Growth rates and percentages are ubiquitous in the McKinsey Problem Solving Test. In particular, it is pretty much a certainty that you will be asked to calculate growth rates over multiple time periods. This is theoretically feasible by hand, but extremely time-consuming. For example, say the revenues of a given company are growing at 5% per year for four years. In order to get a precise result, you would need to calculate the four year compound growth rate as follows:

Quite simply, regardless of how quick you are at math, you absolutely do not have the time to go through this whole calculation. It would almost certainly take more than two minutes just for this step, which might not actually be enough to answer the whole question (usually, calculating such a percentage will only be a subset of a question).

Instead, you can arrive at an approximate but good-enough value for this growth rate by using a straightforward shortcut. To do this, we simply multiply the growth rate by the number of years it will apply for, estimating the compound growth rate. Here, this will be 5% x 4 years = 20%.

There are a couple of caveats here which will already be obvious to more mathematically inclined readers:

• With positive growth rates, the compound rate will be underestimated. Above, we estimate 20%, but the real figure is actually 21%. Conversely, with negative growth rates, this method will overestimate the compound value.
• The greater the magnitude of the annual growth rate and the greater the number of years for which it is applied, the less precise this technique becomes. For instance, five years of compound growth at 5% per annum yields a 27% compound growth rate, whilst this shortcut would give us a value of 25%.

2. ~18% - Root-Cause Reasons

Root-Cause Reason PST questions test your ability to identify the causes underlying business problems. These questions begin from some fact about a business, which must be explained. The candidate is then given a list of putative explanations for this fact. However, only one of this list of suggestions is actually a logically valid explanation of the phenomenon in question. The candidate must identify which this is.

• Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, is most likely to be the reason for the drop in house prices in year two?
• Which of the following, if true, LEAST explains the data for Slovenia and the Czech Republic in Exhibit 2?
• Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, best explains the reason why the CEO wants to proceed to ...?
• Which of the following does NOT help to explain why ...?
• Which of the following, if TRUE, would best challenge the sales manager's decision?

Zapclothing is a global fashion retailer, traditionally catering primarily to teenage girls and with shops across Europe. Five years ago, the senior management at Zapclothing decided to embark up an move upmarket, with the aim of catering to a slightly older and more affluent customer base.

Leading French and Italian designers were hired to create unique and exclusive lines for Zapclothing, whilst prices were raised across the entire product line by 20-30%. A series of events were held in all major global cities in order to launch the new incarnation of Zapclothing as a brand with a more sophisticated, upscale image.

Initially, this mid-market transition boosted profit margins without altering sales volumes. However, one year later, the company has found itself with plummeting revenues and a decreased profit margin. In order to return profits to their previous higher levels, the marketing manager has proposed a permanent price reduction of 10% across all lines.

Which of the following facts, if true, would best challenge the sales manager's price reduction proposal?

• Over the last year, due to higher commodity costs, prices increased by 15% on average for the whole fashion industry
• Consumers consistently quoted price among the top three quality attributes for mid and high-level fashion brands in surveys over the last 5 years
• In a recent survey, over 80% of the existing customer base claimed that they would still buy more than 50% of their clothes from Zapclothing, regardless of price
• Females aged 20-30 consider price among the top three criteria for deciding whether to make a purchase
• Read the question carefully, making sure that you understand what is being asked.
• Scan the answers and underline the key words in the text. Don't spend any more than 10 seconds on this step - the intention is simply to make you quicker in finding the relevant parts of the introductory paragraph.
• Think carefully about how this proposal can be challenged. The most effective challenge is necessarily that acting based on this proposal would not help to solve the company's problems - in our example, restoring high revenues. If this is the case, then the proposal does not correctly identify the cause of the focal issue.
• Go back to the answers, crossing out the incorrect ones. Let's see how we assess the four answers in our example:
• Not relevant . The fact that prices increases increased on average by 15% for the whole industry does not tell us whether a decision to reduce prices would bring in additional revenue from existing and/or new customers. FALSE
• If consumers consider a higher price to be a signal for superior for mid and high-level fashion brands (where Zapclothing hs positioned itself), reducing prices could have a neutral or even counterproductive effect on revenue growth. TRUE
• Not relevant . This statement is only relevant to revenue derived from existing customers. Even if the behaviour of current customers was entirely unchanged, revenues could still be grown by tapping the pool of potential new customers. The information provided is incomplete and would not be sufficient to challenge the sales manager's proposal. FALSE
• Opposite Direction. This fact would not challenge the sales manager's idea, but reinforce it. FALSE

Practice makes perfect

Correct answers in Root-Cause Reason questions will always have two elements in common:

• Relevance - they have a significant effect on the target stated in the introductory paragraph
• Correct Directionality - their effect on the target should be going in the direction required by the question

As we have already observed in the example above, there are generally three kinds of answer in Root Cause Reasons:

1. Not Relevant

These are answers which have no, or only limited, effect on the proposal in question (as with answers A and C in the example above). By identifying the kind of fact which would have some bearing on the proposal, you will be able to quickly pick out answers which simply have no influence on the relevant issue.

Note here that you should always be careful not to assume anything which is not explicitly stated. Often, there can be a temptation to think beyond what is actually on the page. For example, when you are assessing C above, some candidates might assume that the preferences of existing customers will also be representative of potential new customers as well, or perhaps that the focus on existing customers indicates their particular importance to the problem. This would make C seem more relevant to the sales manager's proposal and would thus then ultimately lead you into error. PST questions are a test of your ability to read closely and think logically - not of your imagination!

2. Relevant, But With the Wrong Directionality

These answers affect the proposal in question, but with the effect going in the opposite direction to what you are looking for. For example, D above actually reinforces the sales manager's proposal rather than challenging it.

One of the most common errors in Root-Cause Reason questions is selecting answers which are relevant, but with the opposite directionality to what the questions is asking for. As such, you must always keep in mind what the question has actually requested and the kind of answer which fulfils that request.

3. Relevant and With the Correct Directionality

These are answers which significantly affect the proposal in the correct direction, according to the parameters set by the question.

3. ~17% - Fact-Based Conclusions

Fact-Based Conclusion PST questions test your ability to draw logical conclusions from a collection of facts. These questions can manifest the greatest degree of variation of all types, and can range from something relatively similar to a Reading Facts question to a requirement for you to make some very tough inferences from rather vague introductory text.

• Which of the following statements can be concluded from ...?
• Based on the data on table ..., which of the following statements is a valid conclusion?

Pharcom is a global pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of small molecule drugs. Your team has been called by the Head of R&D to help him pre-select the drugs that are most likely to reach patenting and commercialization. He claims that, on average, 12% of researched drugs are cleared to be marketed, while the remainder are dismissed either during the R&D process or at final certification. Currently the average total expense for every drug in development is £12m and the full trial and certification lasts for 10 years for the drugs going through the full process. The research and development process of the drugs is constituted by the following steps:

• Trial 1 : Laboratory trial to test the effect of the active ingredients. The trial costs £3.5m and lasts for 2 years.
• Trial 2 : Laboratory trial to test the impact of side effects. The trial costs £4m and lasts for 1.5 years.
• Trial 3 : Animal testing to evaluate bacteria resistance. The trial costs £4.5m and lasts for 4.5 years.
• Final certification by Food and Drug Administration . Filing costs £4.5m. Certification lasts for 2.5 years.

Which of the following statements can be concluded based on the information above?

• Most drugs complete the entire research, development and certification process.
• Before being either approved or dismissed, drugs remain in the development and certification process for an average of 7.5 years.
• Reducing by 50% the length of Trial 2 and Trial 3 would reduce the total cost of the Pharcom research and development process by £4.25m.
• Over 50% of the drugs reach Trial 3 stage in the research and development process.
• Read the question carefully and make sure you understand what is being asked.
• Read the answers and underline key words in the introductory text . Identify the specific graph or portion of the introductory paragraph each answer refers to.
• Start with the numerical answers . These are often the clearest and most straightforward to solve. Generally, go back and forth between the answers and the introductory text and any figures. To identify the correct answers, it helps to consider whether the opposite of the statement would be true.
• Since the average cost per drug is £12m, we can quickly establish that the average time in the pipeline is 8 years - at the end of Trial 3 - as this is the point where £12m of expenses have been accrued (£3.5m from Trail 1, £1.5m from Trial 2 and £4.5m from Trial 3). Let's take the hypothetical case where 50% of drugs stay in the pipeline for 7.5 years and 50% for 8.5 years. In this case, no drugs at all complete the pipeline, but the mean time spent in that pipeline would be 8 years. Since cases where no drugs at all are approved are compatible with the information we have been given, we certainly can't safely infer that most drugs are approved. As such, we can rule out A. FALSE

As we have just established, the average time drugs are in the process before being dismissed or certified is 8 years (as the average cost of £12m is accrued by the end of Trial 3). Obviously, then, the value here of 7.5 years in wrong. FALSE

We simply don't have the information which would be required to know if this statement is true or not. It might be tempting to imagine here that if we halve the time for a trial, we halve the duration of a trial, then we halve its cost - this would indeed yield a value of £4.25m. However, we have no justification for the assumption here that cost varies with time in a purely linear fashion. In more usual business terminology, we cannot assume that the costs associated with trials are purely variable, so that halving the trial's magnitude halves costs. There might be fixed costs which are incurred regardless of trial length - perhaps administrative costs in setting up the trial or the cost of buying equipment, recruiting staff etc. Clearly we cannot state C to be true based on the information we have. FALSE

Trial 3 is reached after 3.5 years - that is, the total duration of Trials 1 and 2. As above, the average time each drug spends in the pipeline is 8 years. Now, mathematically, it is entirely possible for mean and modal values to diverge significantly. This is to say, it is possible for more than half of drugs to be in the pipeline for much less than our 8 year average value as long as there are some drugs staying in the pipleline for much longer so as to balance them out.

Let's take another hypothetical extreme case. We could keep a mean of 8 years but approach the case where the majority of drugs did not make it to Trial 3 by assuming that 50% of drugs are rejected just slightly before the 3.5 year mark. To keep a mean of 8 years, then, the other 50% of drugs would need to remain in the pipleine for 12.5 years. However, the maximum length of the process before certification is 10 years. As such, we know that more than 50% of drugs must be in the pipeline for more than 3.5 years - and thus make it into Trial 3. TRUE

In dealing with Fact-Based Conclusion PST questions, there are three types of answer which you might encounter:

1. False Conclusions

Some answers might simply be false or wrong. Even if they seem logically sound, the outcome might be reversed or otherwise wrong.

2. True Conclusions

Answers which both have sound logic and draw the correct conclusion.

3. Unproven Conclusions

The logic here might be correct and the conclusion might well seem reasonable. However, they cannot be fully supported by the facts which have been presented to you in the introductory text and/or graph.

How to discern false answers from true ones

Telling apart true and false answers can be both challenging and time consuming. In particular, some answers will require to mentally estimate a whole set of values for which statements or relationships might hold. Here are two steps which might prove useful in assessing a statement:

Can the opposite also be true?

Always consider whether the opposite of what has been stated can actually be disputed. Candidates typically fail to ask themselves this question, but it can be highly revealing. You will be surprised at how much of a difference asking this simple question can make.

Consider the extremes

Answers should always hold true - not just most of the time. If an answer is not always true, it is not valid. A variant of this method we used above to verify answer D above - we considered the extreme values which would could notionally maintain the average of 8 years, but then ruled these out as impossible within the bounds of the question.

4. ~15% - Word Problems

Word Problem PST questions require you to solve business problems by combining information across sources. In other kinds of question in the Problem Solving Test, you will find all the relevant data from exhibits or introductory paragraphs. However, in Word Problems, part of the challenge is that the relevant data is spread between the question itself as well as the introductory text or exhibits. If you have taken the GMAT, you will find that word problems are the closest of the PST question types to what you will find in the GMAT.

• Assuming that a machine costs $2m, how many years will it take for the firm to break even from its investment?
• If an average employee is paid 12 hours per month, which of the following formulae accurately calculates the average number of items handled per employee, per month?
• If employees’ salaries are increased by 20%, what is the increase in productivity required to break even?
• Assuming that the economy keeps on growing at 2% per year for the upcoming 10 years, which of the following equations best approximates the decrease in the debt/GDP ratio?

Ardito, a leading fast fashion retailer, has 79,000 employees spread over 3,350 branches. Maison operates on approximately 25 FTE employees per retail branch. Approximately, how many more branches than Ardito should Maison have to sell as many items in menswear as Ardito?

• Carefully read and understand the Word Problem
• Go through the answers to assess the level of precision which you are going to need in your calculations. Here, since the answers are quite far apart, you will be able to estimate rather than calculated precisely.

First, consider what has to be kept constant

This yields:

At this point, we have two possible solutions. The first is as follows:

The final answer will be between 1000 and 2000. Thus, we know the answer is B. However, note how many steps and how many calculations were involved here - you almost certainly won't be able to get this done in under two minutes!

The second solution takes care of this problem and is as follows:

Here, you simply plug numbers from the answer options into the equation and see which would make that equation work. This method is by far the more efficient way to solve this kind of problem.

Quickly, we can see that 1,700 is the only result fitting the equation. Thus, the answer is B. Note how much faster this was than the first solution.

5. ~10% - Client Interpretation

Client Interpretation questions focus on understanding project requirements and the analyses which will be necessary to tackle the client's concerns. In consulting projects, you will engage every day with various stakeholders from the client company . Fundamentally, client interpretation questions are about understanding:

• What the client says that can have an impact on defining the scope of your project
• What the client implies about given choice or strategy
• Which are the best analysis decisions to take in order to fit the client’s needs
• Which of the following best summarizes the CEO’s concerns?
• Which of the following statements best describes the thoughts of the CEO regarding...?
• Based on the opinion of the Head of Department, which of the following statements is/are valid?
• Which of the following statements best describes the CEO’s aims for the McKinsey study?
• Which of the following analyses would be LEAST useful to address the CEO’s concerns?
• Given the aims of the CEO, what would be the LEAST relevant question for the team to answer?

Soul is a leading fashion retailer, selling clothing, shoes, make-up and accessories. It has around 400 shops worldwide, of which 200 are in the UK. Soul operates through a franchising model, where shops are run by private independent companies who pay a royalty fee to Soul. In exchange, Soul designs the shops and supplies them with new clothing lines, manages branding and advertising, sets promotions and provides shop-owners with guidance on all standard operating procedures for running the shops. This strategy enabled Soul to dramatically grow in scale, boosting shop opening and customer base. However, customer numbers have recently plateaued, resulting in slower sales and profit growth.

The CEO of Soul has engaged your team to help understand whether the recent changes in revenue and profitability trends are related to unsatisfactory shopping experience. He is convinced that the recent growth in scale came at the expense of a consistent shopping experience across all locations. He tells the team “I am sure that the responsibility of the current slowdown lies in poor delivery by the shop owners. I recently visited five shops in different countries and three of them did not fully apply our policies ensuring consistency in shop layout and pricing policies. This is disorienting our customers and pushing them to seek out our increasingly aggressive competitors”.

Which one of the following answers BEST describes why the CEO has engaged your team?

• He wants help in implementing a coherent and consistent brand image and shopping experience across all shops.
• He wants to identify the causes of the inconsistent shopping experience across shops in different countries.
• He wants to validate his hypothesis that an inconsistent shopping experience in different stores led to declining revenues and profitability.
• He wants to overhaul the set of policies and standard operating procedures imposed to shops in order to guarantee a consistent shopping experience.

Here, two aspect of the established method from above take on increased significance over the others:

• Read the question . This is generally pretty straightforward, and simply enquires as to the client's reason for engaging McKinsey.
• Scan the answers and underline key words. Do not spend any more than 10 seconds on this step. As before, the purpose is simply to facilitate finding relevant pieces of information later.
• Go back to the text and quickly jump to the relevant part . More than 50% if the paragraph is of little or no use. Precisely reading the essential sentence will be enough to answer the question.
• This answer may be true, but it does not capture the purpose behind engaging your team. The CEO did not call your team to advise him on branding or design, but because he wants to understand the causes of his company's downturn. FALSE
• The reason for engaging your team is not to understand the causes of the poor shopping experience, but the causes of the downturn - these are not necessarily going to be the same thing. FALSE
• The purpose of this engagement is finding out whether inconsistent shopping experiences across stores led to the current downturn. TRUE
• Again, this answer could be true, but it is not the reason for engaging your team. The CEO did not bring you in to redesign policies, but to understand the causes of the downturn. FALSE
• Highlight the keywords in all answers . Prioritising the right words and sentences will save you a great deal of time.
• Cross out incorrect answers . Often, one or more answers will be clearly incorrect, whilst two or more will appear to be correct or almost correct. Cross out the obviously wrong answers before returning to the introductory text to pick out which of the "almost right" answers is actually correct.
• Beware of the "sensible answer trap" . Sometimes, answers contain implications which look rational and sensible. However, be very careful about making assumptions beyond the information you have been supplied. No matter how reasonable a statement might seem, if the client has not actually said something to that effect, that statement is simply not valid.

6. ~5% - Formulae

Formulae PST questions ask you to express a quantitative word problem as a symbolic formula. This will test you capacity for abstraction by challenging your abilities to extrapolate from data, break down problems and identify drivers and directions of causality.

Which of the following formulae calculates the share of non-performing loans out of total loans?

Typical format

Which of the following formulae best approximates ...?

Forman Fisheries is engaged in packaging shrimp and other fish. Shrimp are graded from A to D depending upon their size and taste. Below are some key productivity indicators for Forman Fisheries' shrimp packaging activities:

Assuming that all boxes contain the same quantity of shrimps, which of the following formulae best approximates how many boxes of non-grade A shrimps were packed in the last month?

• Homogenise your units of measurement . Since we are looking at a number over one month, wherever we will need the quantity of total boxes c, we will divide it 12, since it is an annual indicator.

Break down the problem into smaller steps . This should help you get to the relevant ratio more quickly. In this case:

Identify how to solve for each of the elements of this equation:

Simplifying:

And thus the correct answer is answer D.

All you need to pass the McKinsey PST

Sometimes, answer formulae are presented with various simplifications which can make it time consuming to figure out whether they are correct. However, formula questions are about extrapolating a formula which should work with any value for each variable.

A trick to double check your results is to replace some of the values in the table with simpler ones, come up with a solution and then plugging these simple values into the formulae to see if they produce that same solution.

For example, in this case, assume that:

Grade A shrimp share of total shrimp (b) = 10%

Total boxes per year (c) = 1200

Therefore, boxes per month = c / 12 = 100 per month

Since all boxes are the same size, non-grade A boxes will be:

Now that you know that a correct equation will generate a result of 9, you can plug the numbers above into each of the options and check which produces 9 as an answer. This trick works especially well when the formulae involve high degrees of simplification.

Each PST question type tests a subset of the skills that are useful in consulting. It is worth remembering that there is only so far practicing PST example questions alone will get you if you have not taken the time to develop these skills. Think about a kid trying to learn math - they can spend hours looking at all the sums they want, but they won't get very far if they haven't learnt to add yet!

Since these are the exact same skills that are assessed in your case interview and via your resume and cover letter , it makes sense to learn exactly what they are and what is required of you. It is worth noting that this is the same overall consulting skillset is the same one we teach in our Case Academy - our approach is consistent across the whole recruiting process.

So, what are these skills?

Just like doctors, consultants focus on identifying and treating the underlying causes of a problem. When you address a problem, you shouldn't ever stop at the superficial level of observable symptoms, but must dig deeper and find the real issue underlying what you are dealing with.

For example, imagine a doctor who has a patient complaining of persistent headaches. A good doctor is not just going to keep dishing out painkillers, but are going to want to establish what is causing the pain. It might be, say, that the headaches are caused by poor eyesight. If so, the patient will be dispatched to the optician to get some glasses to solve the problem more permanently.

Consultants always anchor their diagnoses and recommendations on data and analysis - never on opinions or hunches! This is called a fact-based approach.

In order to be able to correctly answer all the PST questions (and fill in that answer sheet!) within the time limit, you will need to be able to prioritise important data and calculations, effectively deal with uncertainly and generally find a good compromise between accuracy and speed. This includes the ability to select salient information from large volumes of text and to deal with ambiguity within that text. Once they are on top of the raw facts of what is happening, consultants will always then extract the salient implications - or the "so-what" - of the situation, rather than just re-describing the same data.

Most PST questions will require you to perform some kind of calculation. Since you are not permitted to use a calculator or similar, you are going to have to be very comfortable with mental math. In particular, you will have to be able to make estimates very quickly. We have an article on mental math for consulting , as well as a free practice tool , which will be a great starting point to sharpening up your skills and learning the various shortcuts to make your calculations faster.

To pass the McKinsey PST as well as to get through your case interview , you are going to need to be able to quickly and reliably infer relevant information from complex graphs and tables. This information will be used to find root causes, draw fact-based conclusions or as the starting point for mental math problems.

The McKinsey PST doesn't require super-complex math, and certainly nothing beyond high school level. McKinsey PST formulas will always be realtively simple ones and you will not have to muster any complex algebra. However, what will be different from a high school math question is that it will be much less clear as to how you should be approaching problems. You will often have to set up equations by extracting one or two salient relationships from a large amount of otherwise irrelevant information. Identifying what is relevant will be the real challenge rather than the relatively simple math. Subsequently manipulating these formulae will come relatively easily to many of you. However, the time constraints and lack of a calculator in the PST will necessitate even the most mathematically gifted to be somewhat strategic in terms of how they chose to solve problems. You will need to avoid analyses that will take too long and which you cannot complete without a calculating aid.

Each of the skills above will be tested in different kinds of question. Be sure to keep a note of which skill in particular has let you down each time you have a problem with a PST question. After a few questions, you should have an idea of where your systematic weak points are and thus where you should focus your efforts to improve via building stronger skills. If your mental math is constantly an issue, go to our mental math article . If you are struggling with identifying root causes, our article on identifying the problem in case studies would be a great place to start.

The important point is that you won't get really good at PST questions simply by doing PST questions - you need to build the right skills! It is worth noting here that our Case Academy teaches precisely the consulting skillset as the McKinsey PST requires (usually case prep systems just teach question-specific frameworks, but we focus on fundamental skills). As such, working through the Academy will not just prep you for case interviews, but also build the full skillset required for the PST. If you are intent on going all the way through the selection process with McKinsey math prep and other aspects of skill building only need to be done once. Two birds with one stone - an efficient use of time!

By now, you will have a good idea of what the McKinsey Problem Solving Test is, what the questions look like and the skills it is assessing. The categorisation of different question types and the methods and tips we have discussed for each already give you the building blocks for a solid prep. However, to make your preparation both as effective and time efficient as possible, you should really begin by making a plan to provide some structure. This will make sure that you don't miss out any key elements and also that you distribute your time sensibly.

As you will have realised by now, the PST is difficult - especially because of the acute time constraints. Having made a plan and diligently practiced all your skills might not actually be enough to pass. You also need to consider your strategy for tackling the test optimally. We have already given a few tips on this, peppered throughout the sections above, but there are also several points on general test management which you will need to know about.

Let's look in more depth both at how you should plan your prep and at your strategy for approaching the McKinsey Problem Solving Test:

Preparation plan

Don't be fooled by those who repeat the old mantra "practice, practice, practice". While practicing is very useful, relying entirely on "brute force" practice with PST sample questions can be remarkably ineffective and a way to set yourself up for failure.

A more sophisticated, more effective prep plan will be made up of the following elements:

1. Skill Building

You need to build your general consulting skillset to be able to reliably perform well on real PST questions. This will never be wasted time, as you will need exactly the same skills in your case interview - and indeed for when you (hopefully) start the job! In particular, given nobody will be starting entirely from scratch on these skills, you need to identify and work on your areas for improvement. As mentioned above, you should take note of where you are underperforming and address your attention there. In particular, you will want to focus on the following:

Numerical Agility

Being able to perform mental math quickly is arguably the single most essential skill required to pass the McKinsey Problem Solving Test. In particular, you will find that the need to make rapid estimates will recur constantly in PST questions. This includes understanding the appropriate degree of approximation as well as getting through calculations quickly. The mental math video in the Efficiency Tools section of the MCC Academy will provide you with all the fundamentals and all the tricks and methods you need to be genuinely quick with numbers and is a great way to get to grips with everything quickly and without missing anything out.

Reading Charts and Solving Problems

Again, the ability to extract information from diagrams and set up and solve mathematical problems are critical to being able to deal with many PST problems. Indeed, the numbers and equations for your mental math must come from somewhere! You will have to read charts in the McKinsey PST and will have to do so under severe time pressure. Similarly, various types of PST question will test your ability to work through problems in an efficient fashion. Our mental math article deals with reading charts. We also cover this whole area in great detail in the MCC Academy course and also include extensive drills in our Beyond Test Ready package.

Identify root causes and draw fact-based conclusions:

Being able to wade through information and identify fundamental causal drivers and synthesise findings into takeaways fully supported by the data are key consulting skills and one which your PST will test across multiple questions. To help you prepare as thoroughly as possible for these, we provide 10 specific sample questions on these areas in each of our Test Ready and Beyond Test Ready packages.

2. Refining

To optimise your performance on the PST, your prep should always include a blend of practice and skill building. Your first step should be to try a practice PST to see where exactly your weak spots are. You should then work on these particular skills using other resources, (such as the articles on this site and the lessons in MCC Academy). You can then return to another practice PST to see how you have progressed and where you should then focus on your next bout of skill building. You should then iterate this process until you are ready to take the PST for real.

It is worth noting that this method also makes sense at a more pragmatic level, as there is only a limited supply of sample PST test papers available to practice with online. This iterative approach, then, has the added benefit of letting you make best possible use of the scarce resource that is PST examples. The skill-specific questions provided in our Beyond Test Ready package also help deal with this lack of practice material and are invaluable in the skill building process.

3. Simulation

Once you have practiced enough, it will be time to step up to simulating the real PST more fully. There is a temptation to skip what might seem like the "theatrics" of a full simulation. However, you cannot just assume that it will all be fine on the day! This is the same rationale for why your high school most likely had you sit full mock exams before important assessments, rather than just rely on class tests etc.

You should replicate the PST test environment as closely as possible. Print out your sample PST test paper, staple it and print out your answer sheet. Find a quiet room and do the test strictly in the allotted time and without a calculator or any other such "contraband". You might feel a bit silly doing all of this, but it really is worth it. Sticking exactly to the rules is the only way to really practice your PST test strategy. Even relatively small things like becoming accustomed to keeping your notes entirely in the booklet and actually filling in the answer sheet at the end will save you precious time in the real PST.

4. Keeping an Error Log

When you run through a practice test with a mark scheme, everything will seem very easy. "Oh, of course, that's exactly what I should have done..." Fast-forward couple of weeks later, though, and you will find yourself staring at a PST question with precisely the same structure, but with no idea of how to solve it.

This is precisely why you need to keep an error log. You might already be familiar with error logs from GMAT prep, but we recommend you extend the practice here. For the uninitiated, an error log is a continuous method of analysing practice problems to identify WHY you answered them incorrectly. In your error log, you should be keeping track of your mistakes and of what you found hardest (even if you got there in the end). As well as using this information to inform where your energy is focussed in skill building, you should also be running through your log frequently to ingrain the lessons you have learnt and generally consolidate your technique.

There is no single correct format for your error log. Some will prefer very organised, detailed logs, whereas others will prefer a more old-fashioned paper record. Really, you should chose whichever method you personally find most convenient, as what is most important is that you actually make consistent use of the log over time.

Whichever way you chose to set out your error log, though, we recommend that each entry should contain the following information.

• Question type - as per our categorisation above.
• Reason why you found the question difficult - you might have taken too long to answer or not been able
• Question and answer choices - record what the question actually was
• Proposed solution - work out the method which you should ideally have used to solve the question - that is, whichever solution you find quickest and most effective given your own abilities.
• Key takeaways - what you should learn in order to answer this kind of question more efficiently. For example, you might need to learn how to simplify fractions more rapidly or to improve your quick reading skills.

The "key takeaways" in your error log are what will guide the direction of your prep for the next few days, before you test your abilities again in the iterative manner we described above.

Whilst error logs help to marry skill building and practice - just as any optimised PST prep absolutely must - in forming part of the iterative method we describe above, error logs also take on a more pragmatic function. Whilst the McKinsey problem solving test sample itself is excellent and we at MyConsultingCoach have invested significant time and money into creating and perfecting additional content, this still ultimately adds up to a finite amount of practice material. This unavoidable constraint means that you must work sensibly to squeeze the greatest amount of utility out of what is available.

The amount of practice you are able to do will always be the ultimate bottleneck in any PST prep. Experiencing different questions will both let you take the iterative process of identifying and working on problems areas further, but will also make you less likely to be surprised by something entirely new in the real PST. Access to extra practice material is thus a major driver of increased performance on test day and - ultimately - landing a job. You will find practice tests at the bottom of this page.

PST guide and practice test

Test strategy.

Most McKinsey PST questions are not actually all that conceptually demanding. The real difficulty derives from the extreme time constraint. As we noted above, given three hours with the same PST test paper, everyone would pass. In practice, then, the successful candidates - who go on to get interviews and jobs - might not actually be the most clever or able, but will often simply be those who have been able to manage their time most effectively.

Obviously, we have already explained a whole host of time saving methods for use in different kinds of questions above. Building up your skills will also help get through questions faster - improving your mental math in particular will see significant reductions in your time taken per question.

However, to pass you must also consider your time usage not just individual questions, but for the problems solving test as a whole. In this section, then, we will go over both an overall test time strategy and a consistent strategy to answer PST questions:

1. Test Time Strategy

PST question difficulty varies quite significantly. Some questions are really quite straightforward to the point of being "easy". Others are seemingly impossible. Unfortunately, you can't expect to get a paper with only the easy ones (if only, eh!), but will have a mix of different difficulties across your 26 questions.

To start to optimise your approach, you should combine this realisation as to varying question difficultly with the following two facts we alluded to near the beginning of this article:

• All questions are worth the same
• There is no penalty for wrong answers (there is no "negative marking")

Now (as we keep mentioning), you will need to leave at least five minutes at the end to fill in the answer sheet. Of the remaining time, you can allocate two minutes to each of your 26 questions (the maths geniuses amongst you will note that that leaves 3 minutes spare, but you can be assured that they will disappear whether you like it or not).

Given that all the questions are worth the same marks, you simply cannot allow yourself to become bogged down on one particularly tough PST question and leave yourself without time to answer two easy ones. To avoid this, you should keep track of how far through the test you are relative to how much time has elapsed - that is, make sure you are actually getting through questions at a rate of one every two minutes. For instance, if you are 10 minutes in, you should at least be just finishing question five.

If you realise that you've fallen behind because you are stuck on a very hard question, you should not devote more time to it. Simply circle that question and what seem like the two or three most likely answers from your analysis so far.

If you get to the end of the test and have some time left besides that required to fill in the answer sheet, you can go back and look at the question again. Often, coming back and looking with fresh eyes will break you out of an analytic rut. However, if you still simply can't make head nor tail of the question, or if you end up without any more time to devote to it, you should simply pick one of your circled likely-answers at random and put that down on the answer sheet.

Don't feel too bad about this - the PST cuttoff pass mark is around 70%, so you don't need to have gotten everything right. Who knows, your best guess might end up to be the right one anyway! Even if you picked an answer at random it has a 25% chance of being right. An educated guess should have somewhat better odds than that.

2. Question Strategy

We have already said quite a bit above about how you should approach individual kinds of question. However, we can also make some helpful remarks about how you should be approaching each question more generally.

The first fact to note is that whenever you first sit down to a practice test, you will realise that a minimum of 20% of your mistakes are simply due to mis-read questions. Indeed, a great deal of excellent candidates will fail their PST ultimately because they failed to read a critical number of questions properly. It seems absurd when one considers how accomplished the average McKinsey applicant is, that they are effectively let down by their literacy! However, it is true nonetheless and you can see why we so consistently instructed you to carefully read all the different kinds of questions as we ran through them!

One of the main things the McKinsey PST assesses is your ability to deal with "information overload". This happens when you are presented with large volumes of text and/or quantitative data, where only some of it is relevant to the question you have been asked and you must work out which.

This actually simulates a some of the real demands placed on McKinsey's consultants, who will be confronted with all the complexity of the client firm's operation as well as the market it operates in and how it relates to firms up and downstream in its value chain. From here, the consultant must work out which aspects of the operation - and thus which portions of information - are actually salient to the client's question.

How you should proceeds next depends upon whether you have to chose between qualitative or quantitative answers:

Qualitative

Here, you should pursue an iterative method of going back and forth between the questions and the text, eliminating (and then physically crossing out to prevent any future confusion) incorrect answers one-by-one. This is fundamentally a test of your linguistic reasoning, though we have provided various hints and helpful techniques for different kinds of question above. Of course, the most fundamental advice we can give is to read PST questions carefully, but you can also do things like considering what would be true if the exact opposite of the focal statement were true.

Quantitative

You have a couple of options when dealing with quantitative answers, depending upon the specific nature of the question you have been asked. As such, you can chose to do either of the following:

The "Conventional" approach

Here, you simply identify the relevant data and solve the problem directly. Run through all the calculations on paper and then see which of the multiple choice answers matches the solution you generate. This is how you are probably accustomed to tackling problems from your education and will also be the best way to approach many of the questions in your PST

Working "Backwards"

Often, though, you will not have enough time to work through all the calculations required to answer a particular question via the conventional approach. In such cases, you will need to take a more strategic approach. We can do this by effectively working backwards from the answers. This is not as strange a method as it might sound - you simply need to build a framework of the relevant calculation and plug in the suggested answers until you find one that works.

Using this method can save time on multiple counts as, usually once you have found an answer that works, you don't have to take the time out to work through the other options (of course, in an ideal world you would indeed work through the other answers as a means to check for any mistakes on your own part, but time is precious in the PST and "done is better than perfect").

Having read this far, you should be well equipped to start preparing to take the McKinsey Problem Solving Test. The first step is to take one or two practice PST test papers . This will let you get a feel for what the tests are actually like generally, but - crucially - will also allow you to start your prep off with an idea of which skills you need to work on, as per our iterative method above.

You can find everything you need on this website or on the McKinsey website. Specifically, here are some PST samples to get you started:

• MyConsultingCoach McKinsey PST (free)
• McKinsey PST A (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST B (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST C (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST 2011 version (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST 2001 version (by McKinsey)

Beyond the free Mckinsey PST practice test linked above, MyConsultingCoach offers fully comprehensive PST packages to take your PST prep to the next level. Of course, you might pass the PST on your own. However, as we have noted, the average candidate only has a 33% chance of passing.

For those using an MCC package, though, that PST pass rate jumps right up to 85%. Given that you must pass the PST to get an interview and be considered for a job, this is a potentially enormous driver of whether you will work for McKinsey or not - that is the overall offer rate.

Whilst this is a premium service and won't ever be for everyone, if you really have a consulting mindset, then you can appreciate that - given the substantively increased likelihood of entry into McKinsey - the investment is more than worth it when balanced even just against the additional pay earned in year one versus a second tier consultancy. This is before we even consider the differences across your whole career and the prestige difference for your resume even if you move into other industries later.

We also stand by our service to the point that, if you don't pass your PST, we will give you half of your money back!

So, what are you waiting for? Start your prep today and take a step closer to that your dream job with McKinsey!

Following our advice and making use of MyConsultingCoach resources will give you your best chance of success in the PST . Assuming you pass your PST, then, you will have to prep for your interview . As you probably know already, interviews at McKinsey and consultancy firms in general are not like a "normal" interview. The most notable difference is that you will have to solve a case study . This is a business problem which simulates the kind of project a real life consultant would called in to deal with.

As well as a case study, each interview will also have a McKInsey PEI or " fit " component , where your interviewer tests your motivation to succeed as a consultant and establishes whether your character is a good fit for the company. This is closer to the format of more familiar interviews. However, many candidates are ruled out based on their performance in this section, as they either don't prepare for it at all, or treat it too much like a "normal" interview. The demands even in the fit section of a consulting interview are significantly more rigorous than for interviews elsewhere.

In practice, one of the main differences in interviews in consulting and on other industries is the amount of preparation that is required . If you thought McKinsey PST prep was demanding, that was unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. The stiff competition for McKinsey and other consulting jobs means firms can demand a degree specific preparation from candidates which is not really equalled elsewhere.

This might all sound daunting (frankly, if it doesn't, it should...). Don't worry though - MyConsultingCoach has you covered! This website is packed with articles which will give you solid overview of all the various topics you will need to understand (you can start with our articles on the case and fit interview and work your way out from there) as well as guidance on how to approach your prep in general.

For a more in-depth experience, we have also developed MCC Academy - a fully comprehensive case interview course . MCC Academy teaches the same consulting skillset as you will need for the PST, but in much more depth and applied to the business of cracking case studies. Other case systems simply teach a few formulaic "frameworks", with methods to approach a few common question types. However, this risks leaving you high and dry when the interviewer (as they likely will) gives you a questions that differs from the kinds you have learnt. By focussing on fundamental skills and teaching you to tackle cases in the same way a working consultant would, MyConsultingCoach equips you to cope with whatever your interviewer throws at you . Beyond this, the Academy also includes a set of lessons on how to perform in the fit component of your interview.

If you are serious about consulting in general, it makes sense to start MCC Academy alongside your PST prep , as the shared skillset makes for significant synergy generally and you will be able to use the Academy lessons to brush up your skills for the PST in particular. You will also then have plenty of time for case interview prep and not have to pack it all in after the PST.

Good luck with your prep!

A level of preparation you won't find anywhere else

Reason #1: beat the time pressure.

We developed techniques for each of the six question types in the McKinsey PST that will help you save time and boost your score. From practice, practice, practice to smart practice.

Reason #2: Focus your efforts

Our Performance Radar helps you pinpoint the question types where you need more preparation , enabling you to tailor your training and track your progress. No more random practice.

Reason #3: stretch your potential

Our tests were developed by a team of ex-McKinsey consultants and are constantly reviewed to provide you with the most comprehensive toolkit to succeed. Unlike many resources on the internet , our tests are realistic in their format (26-questions long, like the real PST) and challenging in their content .

We developed a sample, 10-questions free test. We suggest you print out the test and do it on paper to replicate the real test environment

“ The Performance Radar changed the way I prepared for the McKinsey Problem Solving Test: I moved from a random 360-degrees practice to a structured preparation focused on the areas where I was weakest. And those same areas quickly became the ones where I was getting the highest scores. ”

Our pst preparation programmes

30 days money back guarantee on pst material.

• 3 full 26-questions PSTs (78 questions)
• Performance Radar
• 30 days money back guarantee*
• Straight to your inbox

Beyond PST Ready

• 6 sets of 10 PST questions by type (60 questions)
• PST Performance Radar
• All Consulting Math Material

Single PST #1

• Full length, 26-questions PST

Single PST #2

Single pst #3, frequently asked questions.

When you do not have much time left we suggest you to:

• Understand how the test is structured : many people fail the PST simply because they don't know it well. You can find all the details about the PST on our PST Guide. You may want to double check the total time, since most offices will give you 60 minutes but some others 70.
• Develop a solid answering technique : It is essential for you to acquire an answering technique allowing you to make the best use of the very limited time in the test. Our video and the PST Guide will help you a great deal.
• Practice smart : We advise you to try the official tests on the McKinsey website ( Test A , Test B , and Test C ). If you want to boost your chances our best pick is the Test Ready Package above. You will have the chance to practice on three 26-questions full-length sample PSTs. Then, our Performance Radar will help you identify your weaknesses by translating results in your performance across the 6 PST question types. The PST Guide will teach you useful methods on how to tackle each question type and the 60 additional questions will help you master a sound technique for each of them. In other words nothing will be left off the checklist!

P.S. Do check whether the first round of interviews is immediately after the PST or on a different day. In the former case, we strongly advice you to prepare for case interviews . The Beyond Test Ready package also includes 1 hour of case interviews with our Mentors.

Passing the PST is hard mainly because of the time constraint. If you had 2 hours, you could easily score more than 90% - but you only have 1 hour. It is therefore essential for you to be able to manage time. Please use the video that's on the page.

Sure. You can ALWAYS upgrade from a smaller to a more comprehensive package.

Upgrading is easy:

• Purchase the new package
• Email us at [email protected] within 30 days – we’ll refund your original purchase within 24 hours.

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Consulting Interview Questions: 17 Detailed Examples

You are contacted for an interview at a top consulting firm – or more ideally for a consulting candidate, you are in the months-long preparation stage, looking for a way to nail every possible question the interviewer might throw at you.

Your best solution is to follow the true consulting spirit – break the questions down into a few manageable types, and one-by-one learn how to handle all of them. 

Table of Contents

What are the consulting interview questions?

Questions in a consulting interview come from both candidates and interviewers, which aim to assess an aspiring consultant's capability and simulate actual social situations a consultant may meet in real consulting work.

However, while we can generalize and categorize some of the most encountered questions, there are so many things that an interviewer or even a candidate can ask in the interview. To ask and answer all those questions, you must do more than just stick to some frameworks - You must think, speak, and act like a real consultant in the interview.

Four common types of questions in consulting interviews

In case interviews, there are four common types of questions:

Ice-breaker questions

Fit/behavioral interview questions

Case interview questions

End-of-interview questions

Keep in mind that these cannot cover all possible questions in consulting interviews. Some of these questions are quite generic (such as the ice-breaker questions), and senior/experienced consultants are more likely to ask unpredictable questions. A candidate has to think, speak, and act like a consultant to score good points with interviewers.

What interviewers look for in interviews

While different firms and consultants have different questions and wordings, in general, they will try to find five core attributes of a potential consultant in a candidate: Problem-solving skills, Leadership ability, Achieving mentality, Business/Industry background, and Technical skills. 

Problem-solving skills, Leadership ability, and Achieving mentality are usually more valued. Every word you say must reflect at least one of these three attributes, while the whole interview must showcase that you have all of them.

Problem-solving skills: The whole consulting industry exists because consultants can break down business problems better than anyone else, so this one is a must-have. 

Leadership skills: Getting a bunch of experienced people (your clients) to do something they do not want to do is never easy. Additionally, consultants usually work in teams - leadership here is about influencing people rather than getting nominated as the class monitor.

Achieving mentality: The problems are always big and challenging with tight deadlines. Do not even think about work-life balance here; you have to go all out. 

Meanwhile, Business background and Technical skills are less required but would be very good for a candidate to possess. These two gives great bonus point, so show them as much as possible. 

Business background: This is not required for prospective consultants; however, business knowledge is essential to excellent performance in case interviews . Luckily, it’s something you can learn, and most concepts used in consulting interviews are only at basic or intermediate levels.

Technical skills: These skills are required for specialist positions, such as at McKinsey Digital. However, the required expertise or technical knowledge will be informed before the interview, so do not worry too much.

Part 1: Ice-breaking questions

At the beginning of a case interview, three common ice-breaking questions are “How are you doing”, “What do you think about the office?”, and “Tell me about yourself”. Those are the classic ice-breaking questions, basic social interactions, something people do everyday. Yet, countless candidates messed this part up. 

The biggest problem here is anxiety – when under stress, even the most basic actions may become very challenging. Below, we will dive deeper into those three questions and some tips to overcome them. 

“How are you doing?”

“How are you doing?” - A typical question, but under the stress of a case interview, many candidates can only respond with a dry and nervous “I’m fine”. 

Just a “I’m fine” is a conversation-stopper here. Some interviewers only ask this question as a courtesy, but other experienced interviewers can use this to assess your client interaction – which is essential in consulting.

Ideally, your answer should be detailed, positive, and reciprocal (the last one means you should ask them back). This is how you make a good first impression and keep the conversation going - a consultant is expected to perfect everything from the start to the end. 

This is how you could answer it:

“I’ve had a nice breakfast just outside this office, so today has been a great start. What about you – how are you today?”

“What do you think about the office?”

Answers to this question should follow the same rules as the previous one. Remember to be sincere - blatant flattering does not make good impressions.

Preparation is simple – pay attention to your surroundings when you enter their office. Consulting firms appreciate people who can notice the small but important details.

Here is an example answer:

“I like the way this building uses glass to maximize natural lighting. It must really be easing on the eyes, I prefer that to artificial lights. Is it the same for you?”

“Tell me about yourself”/”Walk me through your resume”

Here’s when things start to get serious – a slow transition to the fit interview part.

The most common mistake for candidates in consulting and in general is to ramble without any focus. Interviewers want answers relevant to the job and the firm in particular, not a 10-minute recital of everything you’ve done since high school.

And because this is a consulting interview, you should organize your answer clearly and make it MECE – use a Present-Past-Future structure can help a great deal. Focus on only 2-3 key points in your resume, and try to have a “so what” strongly connecting your profile with the firm – in this case, showing that you have the three necessary attributes, and that consulting aligns well with your future plans.

“Surely. To introduce myself, I’d like to talk about 3 things: 1. my current job, 2. my past working experiences, and 3. my plans for the future. Is that okay for you?”

[the interviewer nods]

“Thank you. So for my current job, I am […] In the past, I also worked as […] As for my future career, I plan to […] which leads me to apply for the position of Business Analyst at your firm. As being a good analyst requires […] I believe my experience in […] would make a great addition to the projects.”

Part 2: Fit/Behavioral interview questions

Read more: Consulting Fit Interview/ McKinsey PEI

Fit/Behavioral interview questions check whether your qualities, motivations, and personality fit the firm’s culture by assessing the necessary skills and personality traits based on your behavior in past situations, along with other questions on your motivations or personal side.

Motivation question

Interviewers ask these questions to help them rule out lazy candidates who can’t bother to research about a firm/a job, or people who jump ship at the slightest chance. Therefore, your reasons must be unique, specific, authentic, and appropriate. 

Unique means the answer is unique to your plans and preferences, while specific means it’s only applicable to the firm you’re interviewing for. Authentic means it should be factual, and you back it up with a source - for instance, you said you asked a few consultants, and they said the same thing, not something you’ve just made up.

And lastly, be appropriate - not every reason is suitable for an interview – for example, everyone wants a high salary and good exit options, but do not suggest you are “just in for the money then bail out in two years”.

Additionally, it must be structured – and preferably MECE . A simple trick to structuring your reasons is to number them, for example: “I decided to apply to join McKinsey because of three reasons: 1. […] 2. […] 3. […]”

Experience question

This is a behavioral question, and it appears in every consulting fit interview. Interviewers ask for your experience in a situation you have encountered to assess the qualities, motivations, and personality traits to see whether the candidate can fit in with the firm. Therefore, this question gets the highest priority in fit interview.

The key to nailing experience questions lies in powerful and convincing story-telling, which consists of three steps:

Lay down the content base: Select 3-5 “extraordinary” stories in your personal and professional life, then gather all related details.

Form the story plot: For each story, remove the unimportant and technical details; enhance the rest to reflect the qualities most important to consulting (leadership, achieving, and problem-solving).

Refine your style: Practice telling those stories until you see people listening to you attentively; the point is to create a charming, unique and natural style for yourself – good storytellers always have their styles.

Everyone has their own stories, and considering the time and space constraints of this article I won’t post a detailed story here. However, in my Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program , I discussed in great length about how to craft a powerful PEI story, using my own example.

Hypothetical situation question

A hypothetical situation question asks for a situation you might encounter in a real working day. Together with the experience question, an interviewer uses this question to assess the qualities, motivations, and personality traits to see whether the candidate can fit in with the firm. 

However, this type of question is not very popular in fit interviews, even though it appears a lot in online screening aptitude test . 

Below is an example for this kind of question.

“You are a supervising manager. You want to profile the performance of your workers based on certain criteria. Which of the following criteria would you consider as best and worst to choose for the task?”.

1. Amount of paperwork processed per week.

2. Socializing habits.

3. Rate of compliance with administrative decisions.

4. Level of participation in non-formal corporate activities.

Personality question

Unlike the experience question or hypothetical situation question, the personality question is far from tricky. Interviewers usually ask this question to explore who you are as a person. The most important tip for this kind of question is: 

Be yourself.

This is an opportunity for you to show that you’re an interesting person (in a positive way), and that you demonstrate consulting attributes (achieving/leadership/problem-solving) in everything you do. For example, if you have a passion for paragliding and have some excellent achievements with it, then you can answer the question like this:

“I love paragliding. It’s not just the joys of flying that get me – but also the research and strategy involved before and during every flight. I believe analytics is one of my strengths as a pilot – which helped me win a SEA championship in 2019.”

Beware of follow-up questions.

Whether you are introducing yourself, explaining your application, or showing your extraordinary achievements, the interviewer will always have follow-up questions to determine the authenticity of your story. Consulting interviewers are highly skeptical and fact-based.

That means you have to know your stories/resume inside-out and outside-in. Predict the possible weak points and the likely follow-up questions and prepare your answers in advance.

Do not freeze and panic if you encounter an unexpected question –  real management consultants must always remain calm in front of their clients.

Part 3: Case interview questions

Case interview questions ask the candidate to solve a business problem. Those questions are the most challenging part of a consulting interview, testing problem-solving and other “soft” skills required for a successful consultant. They include: 

Conventional case questions: Common questions that appear in every case interview

Assisting questions: Answers for those questions can become useful add-ins for candidates to explore the case. Only for a few candidates that the interviewer is interested in investing more.

Curveball questions: Hard questions. Only for a few candidates that the interviewer is interested in investing more.

In a candidate-led case interviews , where the candidate moves through the problem-solving process with the interviewer only as the “case operator”, the questions are seamlessly integrated into a gradual flow. 

However, in interviewer-led cases where the interviewer commands the problem-solving process, the questions are more disconnected but usually belong to the same case. You might have to use the insights from one question to answer another.

Read more: Case Interview 101

Conventional case questions

Conventional case questions aim to assess the critical skills of a consultant: clarify, structure, estimate, analyze, and synthesize. They appear in every consulting case interview. Candidates should expect to encounter many question types, including:

Framework/Issue tree question

Market-Sizing question

Guesstimate question

Business valuation question

Chart-insights question

Value proposition question

Information question

Business math question

Solution-finding question

Elevator pitch: Usually asked at the end of the case interview part, this means you have impressed the interviewer enough to get this far.

Brain teaser: This was once very popular in case interviews but is now gradually fading from its fame.

The question and answer examples are streamlined for demonstration purposes. A real case interview has a much smoother transition and requires more complex issue trees/calculations.

Type 1 - Framework/Issue tree question

Read more: Issue Tree / Case Interview Frameworks / MECE Principle

To answer the framework/issue tree question effectively, you need to understand the consulting problem-solving fundamentals, master some important case interview frameworks, and thoroughly grasp the MECE principle.

For example, you encounter a hypothetical case of a fictional firm called “Eagle Aviation”. 

Eagle Aviation produces manned airplanes for military and civilian use. Although the firm remains a major player in the market, it has seen some serious decline in revenue in the last five years, leading to profit loss, so they called in your team to address the problem.

And the question is, “What factors would you consider to address our client’s problem?”

Here is one way to answer the question. Remember to draw out an issue tree and point to it as you speak, as it gives a better presentation effect. 

“To address the root cause of Eagle Aviation’s declining revenue, I would break the revenue down according to their market segments and use data to pinpoint where the problem is coming from.

For Eagle Aviation, there are two main segments: ‘military’, and ‘civilian’. The military often buys two types of airplanes – “combat”, such as fighters, and “non-combat”, such as cargo planes. On the civilian side, there are also two types: “commercial”, like large airliners, and “non-commercial”, for personal use.

Type 2 - Guesstimate questions

Read more: Market-Sizing & Guesstimate Questions

A guesstimate question requires you to make an educated estimate of a vague and obscure number. It aims to see if you have a structured approach to solving problems. Accuracy is appreciated but not crucial for the answer.

To make such an estimate, follow these four steps:

Step 1: Clarify all unclear terms in the question

Step 2: Break the number down into 3-5 small, easy-to-estimate pieces

Step 3: Estimate each piece using math and background knowledge

Step 4: Consolidate the pieces to arrive at the final result

Example: “How many tennis balls can you stuff inside an airplane?”

A good answer should be like this:

“Thank you for the interesting question. Before I can answer it, I would clarify three points to make sure that we are on the same page:

The tennis ball is of the normal size.

The airplane is a small commercial airplane, like a Boeing 737

“Stuff inside the airplane” means inside the main tubular frame or the fuselage – spaces in other parts such as the wings do not count, and the frame is completely empty, without any equipment or furniture. 

Does these sound good to you?”

<the interviewer agrees>

“It’s great to see that we can agree on the important details. To answer your question, I would need to break it down into small components for easier estimations, so can I have a minute?”

<the interviewer agrees, and the candidate uses the timeout to draw the issue tree>

“To know how many tennis balls we can stuff inside an airplane, we would need to estimate the volume of the tennis ball, and the volume of the fuselage.

The average tennis ball is about 130cm3 or 0.00013m3

The typical small commercial airplane will have a tube-shaped fuselage about 40m in length and 2m in radius, which makes about 250m3 of volume.

Combining these figures, we can conclude that we can stuff roughly 1,900,000 tennis balls in a typical small commercial airplane."

As you can see, the candidate in the above example always uses round numbers and tries to structure the answer as much as possible . The former will help your brain process calculations faster, while the latter will help the interviewer follow your answer and make a good impression that you have a “structured” mindset. 

Also, remember to perform your calculations quickly and mentally (you do not want to bore the interviewer to death while you do the math).

Type 3 - Market-sizing questions

A “market-sizing question” is a subtype of a guesstimate question. Hence, the approach is the same – structure gets the priority, not accuracy – except here, you need more business intuition.

Again, you use the same four steps as with guesstimate questions: (1) clarify, (2) break the problem down, (3) estimate each piece, and (4) consolidate. 

Example: How much Earl Grey is drunk in Britain each year?

“Thank you for this very interesting question.

Before diving into the estimations, I would like to first clarify a few terms to make sure we are both on the same page regarding the important details. There are three points I would like to clarify:

Earl Grey tea is any tea marketed as such, regardless of the ingredients.

British people consist of inhabitants of the UK.

The consumption is measured in tea cups.

Do you agree with me on these assumptions?”

“It’s great to see we understand the question the same way. I’d like to take a few moments to gather my thoughts and draw up my issue tree – so may I take a timeout?”

<candidate draws this issue tree>

<start presenting>

“Thanks for your patience.

Now, to estimate the consumption of Earl Grey tea by British people on a typical afternoon, I’d like to break it down into three determinants – the population of the UK, the number of tea cups each UK resident drinks in an afternoon, and the chance of those cups being Earl Grey.

For the population of the UK, I’d take a rounded number of 65 million. Considering that UK people are very famous for their love of tea, I assume about 80% of the UK population drinks tea, which means there is 52 million tea drinkers in UK. Each of these 52 million people drinks one cup of tea in their afternoon tea meal. 

Earl Grey is among the top five popular teas in the UK, and I estimate this group to take up 50% of all UK tea, considering so many other types in the market. The chance of an afternoon tea cup being Earl Grey is 10% - this number is taken to simplify the calculations.

Combining these numbers, I estimate that on a typical afternoon, British people consume 5.2 million cups of Earl Grey tea – quite an attractive number for any business operating in the tea industry.”

Type 4 - Business valuation question

A business valuation question requires you to estimate the monetary value of a business. This is a blend of guesstimation/market-sizing, math, business, coupled with some basic finance knowledge.

There are three ways to estimate the value of a business:

The NPV Method: Take the net cash flow generated by the business, and discount it to the present to account for time value of money. Basically “this company is worth X dollars because it gives me Y dollars over Z years”.

The Net Assets Method: Take the total assets of the business and minus its liabilities. In essence, “this company is worth X-Y dollars because it owns X dollars and owes Y   dollars”.

The Market Method: Take one index of the firm (which can be stocks or anything depending on the industry)and multiply it with an industry multiple (the value of one unit of the said index). In other words, “this company is worth AxB dollars because it has A traffic and each traffic is worth B dollars”.

Example: How much is MConsultingPrep worth?

“Thank you for the interesting question. Since MConsultingPrep is an established firm within the consulting prep niche, providing stable income for its shareholders, the NPV method should be the most suitable for this website.

For this I would like to know the expected cash flow from MConsultingPrep, and the market interest rate – if this was a real project I would interview the client CFO and perform press search for these insights […]” 

Type 5 - Chart-insights question

Read more: Consulting & Case Interview Math

These chart-insights questions are among the most popular questions in case interviews because consultants run through mountains of charts and tables daily. Chart-reading is covered in our Comprehensive Math Drills along with mental calculations and case math.

One key note here: always add at least one “so-what” to your answer – to a consultant, data means nothing without implications. 

Example: What do you see from the following chart?

“Thank you for this very interesting piece of data. From this chart I can see a very steep rise around March 11 in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases – from a negligible number to about 2,800 per million in just 5 months, along with a steady rise in the number of confirmed deaths to about 70-80 per million; both changes started around March 10-11. 

There are two implications from these data: (1)These sudden rises can be explained by events occurring in early March, and (2) if we can keep the number of cases low, the threat from COVID-19 will remain minimal, considering a mortality rate of only 2%.”

Type 6 - Value proposition question

A value proposition question requires a candidate to propose values that the client can use to sell their products.

The most common mistake for this question type is to list out values straight away – it makes you sound less structured and less insightful. For this question type, you can use a “double issue-tree” – essentially a table with customer segments on one axis and proposed values on the other.

Example: “What will a customer consider when buying a high-performance laptop?”

“Thank you for the interesting question. To answer this question in the most MECE and insightful way, I would first segment the customers into High-End, Mid-Range, and Entry-Level according to their budget, then assess their preferences on three proposed values: Performance, Design, and Build Quality […]”

Type 7 - Information question

An information question asks if the piece of data you use is obtainable in the first place. In real consulting work , data is not always available – client team members may refuse to cooperate, or there’s simply no data on the subject.

There are many kinds of information sources in case interviews/consulting works, but I’ll divide them into primary and secondary sources. 

Primary source: You must research yourself (or pay someone to do it for you), such as customer surveys or mystery shopping. 

Secondary source: You use the results of others' research. You can get these from the client, your consulting firm, or third parties such as market research firms or external industry experts.

For these questions, you need to structure your answer as much as possible and explain why you choose certain information sources over others.

You can find out more about these sources and how to cite them in real case interviews through this free Prospective Candidate Starter Pack , which contains a glossary of data sources in consulting. 

Below is an information question example.

Example: “How do you find out a local customer’s preferences when buying a laptop?”

“If this was a real project, I would find industry reports to gain an initial understanding of the market trends, and in case I needed more and deeper insights, I would try to contact a local industry expert.

The former method is quick and widely available but everyone can gain access to industry reports – including the competitors – and the information is not too insightful. Industry experts, on the other hand, can give unique insights that are not always accessible.”

Type 8 - Business math question

While math questions in business are not as complicated as the math back in school, they require you to be quick and accurate with mental math, familiar with large numbers, and basic business concepts. You also have the pressure of a high-stake interview, and it is easy to make mistakes when under stress.

Try to “calculate out-loud” – these math questions can take quite a while, and it is bad to leave long periods of silence.

Type 9 - Solution-finding question

To answer a solution-finding question, you need to structure the answer and deliver it top-down. Yet, many candidates still make the mistake of delivering solutions bottom-up without structuring them first.

If you can’t think of a more relevant way to segment your solutions, group them into short-term and long-term ones. It helps you brainstorm more thoroughly and makes a good impression on the interviewer.

Example: “What solutions do you suggest to our client to recover the lost revenue?”

“To address the root cause of our client’s revenue problem, I suggest 2 long-term and 3 short-term solutions. The long-term solutions are 1 […] and 2 […]. The short-term ones are 1 […], 2 […], and 3 […]”

Type 10 - The “elevator pitch”

An “elevator pitch” question simulates a hypothetical situation where you must deliver the most important answer within an elevator ride to the client.

For your pitch to “pass”, it must be solution-oriented – the client CEO is busy, so they have no time for a full presentation. Just throw out the most critical conclusions first, any questions can wait.

So how do you present your solution to the client CEO in 30 seconds? Below is a good example:

“Mr CEO, it’s been a pleasure to work with you on this interesting project of […]. Through rigorous research, we have identified the root causes of [problem] to be: 1 […], 2 […]; here are the solutions we recommend to address that problem: 1 […], 2 […]. We would be more than happy to continue with you in future projects to implement those solutions.”

Type 11 - Brain teaser question

Read more: Brain Teasers

Brain teaser question is invented by Google. This question type used to be popular in interviews at consulting and tech firms, until Google themselves found out brain teasers were only effective for confusing the candidate and making the interviewer feel smart. Nonetheless, brain teasers might still appear in your consulting interviews.

Most brain teasers are trick questions (excluding one type – logical brain teasers) – and while people say answering these questions depend on pure luck and innate skills, they can be categorized and prepared for in a systematic way – as laid out in this article. Brain teasers do not take much effort to learn, so spend some time to prepare for them – just in case.

Example: “How do you put a giraffe inside a fridge?”

Answer: “Open the fridge, put the giraffe in, close the fridge. Nobody says how big the giraffe or the fridge is.”

Assisting questions 

The interviewer asks assisting questions to suggest possible approaches, data and insights, or to stop the candidates from going the wrong way. This is similar to suggestions from clients or superiors in an actual project. Answers for assisting questions can become useful add-ins for candidates to explore the case. 

Those questions usually come to a few candidates that the interviewer is interested in investing more, so this might be a good sign that the interviewer is interested in you. Therefore, if you encounter an assisting question in the case interview, you are expected to make a good answer and use the new information effectively. 

Curveball questions

A curveball question, as the name suggests, is a tricky question where the interviewer aims to see how a candidate can handle this stress test and come out successfully. This question is similar to real-life situations where a consultant encounters complicated problems, pushy bosses, unfriendly clients, etc. 

Those questions usually come to a few candidates that the interviewer is interested in investing more, so this might be a good sign that the interviewer is interested in you. A good handle of this curveball can help you score a homerun - a total success in the interview. 

Part 4: End-of-interview questions (to ask the interviewer)

You are now the interviewer. And the interviewer has become the interviewee. It’s your turn to ask them about their job, and their firm.

You SHOULD ask well-thought questions informed by prior research , presented in a structured manner, and supported by equally poise follow-up questions. It shows that you really care about the job, that you did your homework, and you have the necessary mindset for the management consulting job.

Below is a good example:

“Before I applied, I talked to [name of consultant] who used to work at [name of office]. He told me that consulting requires two main skill sets, which he calls “substance” – basically the research and analysis work – and “people skills”. I believe these two skills sets do not contribute equally in one’s performance, so I have two questions:

In this particular office, how much each of these skill sets contributes to high performance? Please quantify it into rough percentages if possible.

In the case I get the offer, which skill can I focus on beforehand and during the first project? I am a fan of the 80-20 principle, so I want to identify the best leverage to improve my performance at the job.”

Then here is how NOT to do it.

“Would you mind telling me what skills are important for this job?”

This  sounds like you’ve done no research and just asked the question for the sake of not staying silent.

The further you advance in the lengthy interview process (with higher-level consultants), the more unpredictable the situation can be. To prepare for such situations, you need to master the fundamentals of the case interview. Such fundamentals are covered in our Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program , as well as this free comprehensive guide .

Once you master the principles of the case interview, it’s time to practice a real-life case interview! Schedule a meeting with former consultants who have interviewed thousands of candidates. They have the insider knowledge to help you ace an interview.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

Learn everything you need to know to develop a Problem Statement by an Ex-McKinsey consultant . Includes best practices , examples, and a free problem statement template at the bottom.

“A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”

– Charles Kettering, Early 1900s American Inventor

I remember my first day on my first project at McKinsey, the partner got the team in a room for us to spend a few hours “defining the problem statement.” At first, I thought to myself, “man, what a dumb idea…this client is paying us millions of dollars, and we don’t even know what we are trying to solve?” But, as we started to debate the context of the client, the issues they faced, and the reasons why they brought us on, I started to appreciate defining the problem statement and the ability for the right problem statement to frame and focus problem solving .

What is a problem statement?

A problem statement is a clear description of the problem you are trying to solve and is typically most effectively stated as a question. Problem statements are subtly critical in effective problem solving. They have an uncanny ability in focusing the efforts of brainstorming , teamwork, and projects .

To understand this better, let’s go through some examples of how you can position a brainstorming session on various topics.

Beyond brainstorming, problem statements should be used at the beginning of any project to frame and focus on the problem. A good problem statement defines the “who” the problem involves, and defines the scope of the problem. Since problem statements guide much of the problem solving of a project, it is important not to be too narrow or broad with the problem statement.

How do you create an effective problem statement?

As stated before, every McKinsey project starts with the development of a problem statement. Once we landed on a strong problem statement, then we had to align the client with the problem statement. The easiest way for a project and team to get off track is if the team and the client are trying to solve different problems. A good problem statement aligns the expectations of the client with the team’s activities and output.

Here are the best practices when creating an effective problem statement:

Use the 5 Ws and one H

One of the most useful tools when developing a problem statement is the 5 Ws and one H, which is simply utilizing who, what, why, where, when, and how questions to frame the problem statement. Simply thinking through these questions as they relate to the problem can help you create a strong problem statement.

Ask the most crucial question, “What are we trying to solve?”

We’ve all been in those brainstorming sessions, meetings or on those projects, where you’re just scratching your head, as the conversation or directions are more like an Olympic ping-pong match going from one topic to the next. The most effective question that I’ve used in over a thousand meetings and conversations is simply “what are we trying to solve?” It cuts through the clutter, confusion, and misalignment, and quickly centers the focus and energy of everyone.

Frame the problem statement as a goal

Some of the best problem statements are simply goals formatted as questions. If you need to increase sales by 10%, a good problem statement is, “Within the next 12 months, what are the most effective options for the team to increase sales by 10%?”

Force the prioritization 

Often, the most effective problem statements force the prioritization of issues and opportunities. Using phrases such as “the most important for the customer” or “the best way” will force prioritization.

Take the Problem Solving Course 

If you really want to master problem statements, I have an entire course on McKinsey-style problem solving. Learn more about the course .

DOWNLOAD THE PROBLEM STATEMENT POWERPOINT WORKSHEET

To get you going on defining a strong problem statement, download the free and editable Problem Statement PowerPoint Worksheet.

Correctly defining a problem statement at the beginning of a project or initiative will dramatically improve the success of the project or initiative. Problem statements help guide problem solving, analysis , hypotheses , and solutions.

Developing a problem statement is an iterative brainstorming process. Get the major stakeholders in a room for a few hours and start the process by having everyone write down what they think the problem is on index cards. Collect the index cards and post them on a whiteboard. You can either discuss each one or have the group pick the top 3 and then discuss them. You can use the Problem Statement Worksheet to further define the problem by answering the 5 Ws and 1 H. The key is to find the right problem statement all stakeholders feel strongly about, in that, if the problem statement were solved, the problem would be solved.

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How Top-Tier Consultants at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG Really Solve Problems 

“Problem-solving” is one of the most overused and least understood phrases in the business world. When many people talk about solving problems, they are rarely talking about a problem-solving process. Instead, they are talking about making the problem disappear, regardless of their own ability to actually “solve” the underlying problem. 

Consider this example: 

Imagine you want to get a single apple from a tree. You could cut down the entire tree and then pick the apple. Or you could use a ladder to reach the branches and then pick the apple. Either way, you’ll get an apple. But the first approach will cost you much more time and energy (not to mention, the tree itself). 

It sounds crazy, but many people end up using an approach analogous to cutting down the entire tree when faced with a problem. They focus on actions like analyzing data or building Excel models instead of thinking about how they are going to solve it. 

What I got wrong about problem-solving 

What are the most important skills you need to be successful?

Communication? Working well with others? Organization?

If you had asked me this question when I was in college, or even after I had worked for a few years, I probably would have given one of those answers. Effective communication tops a lot of lists (it is even the answer I got when I asked ChatGPT this very question). But, after nearly a decade of working in consulting and teaching consulting skills, I’ve come to believe that problem-solving is the most important skill.

But what is problem-solving? It is a term that means different things in different contexts. From a psychological perspective, it’s a cognitive process in which a person uses mental strategies to achieve a goal or find an answer to a challenging situation. From an education perspective, it’s a method where students are encouraged to use critical thinking and reasoning to solve problems given in a textbook or a test.). In rock climbing, it means creatively finding your way forward on your route.

More simply, problem-solving is an intentional approach to arriving at some kind of answer. It is asking,  “What should we do next?” 

When I joined McKinsey, I was struck by how often the term “problem-solving” was used. Instead of being called “meetings,” teams met for what were called “Problem-solving sessions.” These were focused sessions designed to work through specific questions or challenges as part of a broader client engagement. 

But these weren’t just another fancy name for meetings. They were a constant reinforcement of the underlying culture of the firm: one obsessed with the process of ongoing problem-solving. Over time, I internalized the key assumption behind it all: how we approach our work is the most important thing in all the work we do. 

Why is problem-solving at the core of consulting?

Before I started at McKinsey, someone several decades my senior asked me “why would my company hire you, with only a few years of work experience, to solve a problem for us?” He was skeptical of how a team of twenty-something analysts and associates could address problems that his senior leadership team was struggling with.

It’s a fair question. In consulting, you are solving problems that don’t have a clear solution, yet. These are often the most challenging issues the company faces, which is precisely why the consulting team is hired. So how could I actually help him?

But this is exactly what a consulting firm is designed to do. At the highest level, consulting firms are designed to solve customer problems. They build teams and cultures that are obsessed with defining, diagnosing, prioritizing, and taking action on new and novel problems.

And this is exactly what most companies are not designed to do. Most companies have a product or service that they deliver to clients and they are in the business of trying to do that consistently, on time, and on budget. 

When these companies face NEW problems, they don’t actually have many people in the company who are trained to address these problems, not to mention the cultural support to work in a different way. While many companies have started to build internal consulting teams (often of former consultants), there is still clear demand for top consulting firms across industry.

Consulting firms fit into the broader idea of “specialization and trade,” something Jane Jacobs pointed out that emerges naturally in ecosystems, like neighborhoods that are allowed to evolve and emerge naturally. 

Companies rely on consulting firms and vice versa.

The Real Edge Is PROCESS

The real edge that consulting firms have is an obsession with process. And on two levels:

• Problem-solving process: how you solve problems
• Meta-process: how you talk about how you do #1

The best consulting firms are obsessed with both of these things.

In many companies, the time spent on developing problem-solving skills and fundamentals is surprisingly small. But the time spent thinking and talking about how you approach problems is even smaller (or in many cases, when I survey clients, zero minutes a year). 

Then companies come to me and ask , “why is our team struggling to do good work?”

When I worked at McKinsey I was shocked at how much time we spent learning various skills and then talking about them. Once or twice a year, we would attend intensive training weeks, where we would strongly be discouraged from doing client work. The message was clear: learning matters, take this seriously. Outside of training, each week was filled with hours of meta-process discussions:

• How should we structure our team? 
• What hours are we going to work?
• How much time should we spend diagnosing the problem?
• What is the right way to think about prioritizing the various goals of the project? 
• How much time should we spend interviewing the client to understand the situation? 
• Who is responsible for collecting client data? 
• Who is responsible for pushing the project forward with senior leaders?
• How are we planning on formatting various documents?

At GE, where I worked previously, no one talked about anything beyond how to format spreadsheets to avoid triggering the managers and higher-ups.  But at GE, we were trying to keep the metaphorical trains running on time. While at McKinsey, we were trying to solve something we had never solved before!

Consulting Firms See Problem-Solving As A Linear Process

Given that problem-solving is the core of the work firms like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG do (and I would argue, their true competitive edge), it makes sense that there is a lot of buzz online trying to understand and decode their problem-solving process. 

Several prominent firms have spoken on podcasts or published memos outlining their views on and approach to problem-solving. McKinsey’s 7-step approach to problem-solving is by far the most dominant (and many articles or videos you see on “bulletproof” or “expert” problem-solving are derived from their approach). 

In 2007 McKinsey published a memo detailing their approach. Here is a screenshot from that memo:

I can tell you from my experience working at McKinsey: that this visual is used all the time internally: in new hire onboarding, in manager training, when creating project timelines, in project kick-offs with clients, or in client workshops. The steps are clear:

• Define the problem
• Structure the problem
• Prioritize the issues
• Plan analyses and work
• Conduct analyses and work
• Synthesize findings
• Recommendations

Though this original representation of 7 steps is somewhat sacrosanct, I’ve always had a strong belief that a linear process doesn’t capture what happens at these firms. In addition to this, McKinsey now works on a much wider range of projects, such as year-long implementation projects, large-scale operations improvement projects, and even data analytics and AI projects. These different types of projects mean there is some variation in the approach. 

But at the core of it, the fundamental idea of moving through a process remains the same. Follow the steps and you will end up somewhere good . 

Bain also has their framework for problem-solving: the RAPID decision-making framework. It doesn’t cover the entire problem-solving process, just the latter half of it. It’s a proprietary decision-making tool created to “clarify decision accountabilities with multiple stakeholders.” Among other benefits, it is designed to ensure all voices are heard in the process. Here’s an image from an article Bain published in 2023:

Other leading consulting firms have written about their problem-solving approach, though not as explicitly and prolifically as McKinsey. LEK’s “What We Do” page includes a quote from their founder, Iain Evans: 

“The most important principles are around the nature of problem-solving. You will very rarely hear anyone at L.E.K. say, ‘The L.E.K. view of this is X.’ You will very often hear people say, ‘We will have to work out from first principles what the answer is for you in your current circumstance.’ We think each problem is unique in itself, and it needs to be worked on.”

This is all helpful context, but I think these frameworks and quotes only provide just that – a framework, or scaffolding, to understand problem-solving. To be effective at it, I think you need to go a layer deeper and understand what makes consultants so skilled at problem-solving.

My Hot Take: Problem-Solving Is Not A Linear Process

I’ve studied these varying approaches to problem-solving. And I’ve seen it in action firsthand at BCG, McKinsey, and with my freelance clients. While I respect McKinsey and the other firms, as well as the white papers they publish, I have found that a linear process comes up short in helping people understand what it feels like during a problem-solving process.

In almost any intensive process-based knowledge work environment, I’ve seen a process like this, moving between two modes of thinking and processing information: top-down and bottom-up. 

If you are writing a book, you can think about the top-down mode as the outline you would create and revisit throughout the process.  The bottom-up mode would be the writing and would include the surprising insights that emerge as you move through the document. 

In consulting:

• Top-down: includes defining the process, structuring the key insights and core ideas, outlining the story, developing a ghost deck, and pulling together the overall messages at the end of a project
• Bottom-up: Includes digging into the data, doing interviews, organizing and synthesizing information, designing individual slides, documents or memos 

The problem-solving process happens over time and shifts into these different modes throughout the process. If it’s a longer process these shifts may take days or weeks. If it’s a shorter process, they may only take hours. In a large team, you may have specific members of the team solely focused on the bottom-up mode. For example, someone responsible for an advanced data model. 

You may also have someone else, like a project manager or junior partner, responsible for “owning” the overall story. If three different mini-teams are working on three different workstreams, or hypotheses, the project manager would need to make sure the work doesn’t overlap and that the elements of each workstream can fit together.

The problem-solving sessions mentioned earlier tend to focus on the top-down mode. The structuring, the storylining, the overall messages that they want to convey. In those meetings, often the individual consultants prepare to come into the meeting to “pitch” their various parts, pretending their teammates are the client.

Check out this video for a deeper dive.

This process is intense, but over time it gets easier

The back-and-forth process can feel like whiplash and endless. For a three-month project, you might spend the first month a bit confused. Ask yourself, “Where is this going?” Or “Are we missing something?”

But this is where “trusting the process” is so vital. At first, this is hard but with more experience, you start to get a feel for a project like this. Oh, this is messy right now but it always feels like this, I just need to keep moving forward.

Some types of situations that seem to recur include:

• Wanting to abandon the problem statement immediately: You start digging into the data and find something that is counter to what you had thought when you designed the problem. The key here is not to overreact. If you meet with the team and decide that your initial approach is not going to work, you should focus on defining the problem again 
• Feeling like the hypotheses are overlapping and not MECE: This is common because at first you are simply asking a lot of questions. Typically, you need to go into the bottom-up mode once or twice after tweaking your hypotheses to validate and verify your questions and direction. After that, you can fine-tune the hypotheses a bit more, hopefully making sure they are MECE. Remember though, MECE is never perfect, it is just a directional aspiration.
• Having “too much”: You are near the end of the project and you have hundreds of pieces of information. It feels overwhelming. This is where structuring and storylining is vital. Working with your team, you need to spend probably 4-5 iterations going through everything and reorganizing it. This may feel time-consuming but getting everything right so that it “flows” is vital.

You can check out this video of how the consulting process maps to the pyramid principle.

Okay, but what makes for effective problem-solving? 

In a 2019 episode of the McKinsey Podcast , Hugo Sarrazin, a senior partner at McKinsey, said,

“The most powerful thing is to step back and ask the basic questions: What are we trying to solve? What are the constraints that exist? What are the dependencies?…It’s not like “Can we grow in Japan?” That’s interesting, but [instead] it is “What, specifically, are we trying to uncover in the growth of a product in Japan? Or a segment in Japan? Or a channel in Japan?”  When you spend an enormous amount of time, in the first meeting of the different stakeholders, debating this and having different people put forward what they think the problem definition is, you realize that people have completely different views of why they’re here. That, to me, is the most important step.”

This is a great perspective.

When I first joined McKinsey I thought the labeling of most meetings as “problem-solving sessions” was just a facade. 

“Why not call them meetings, or discussions?” I asked. 

A colleague shared an interesting hypothesis based on a study she had seen about meeting participant engagement. If meetings were called “problem-solving sessions” or something similar that elicited action, participants would be more engaged and effective. 

Internal meetings at McKinsey were far more engaging than those in my prior job (or those I observed with my clients). 

Part of that could be the name, sure. But it speaks to the broader mindset that most consultants have: that we are here to solve X problem. 

A micro example: if I were leading a problem-solving session, I would send out the agenda beforehand (as is common across companies). Each topic usually included a specific question we needed to answer. If we got off course, it was always helpful to step back and say, “What is the question we are trying to answer today?” 

On a more macro level, the questions laddered to the broader problem statement (what we were trying to solve for/with our client). 

This mindset, this constant referencing back to the most important question or problem statement, is what sets McKinsey and other leading consulting firms apart. 

As you know, the problem-solving approaches of top consulting firms go far beyond simple frameworks or step-by-step guides. The real power lies in the mindset and meta-process that surrounds these methods and in the constant focus on  “what are we trying to answer.”  

Whether you’re leading a team, starting a business, or simply trying to improve your decision-making, this meta-process can offer you something. Remember, effective problem-solving isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about asking the right questions.

Do you have a toolkit for business problem solving? I created Think Like a Strategy Consultant as an online course to make the tools of strategy consultants accessible to driven professionals, executives, and consultants. This course teaches you how to synthesize information into compelling insights, structure your information in ways that help you solve problems, and develop presentations that resonate at the C-Level. Click here to learn more or if you are interested in getting started now.

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Hacking the Case Interview

Consulting interview questions aim to assess a candidate’s problem solving, analytical thinking, and communication skills. Interview questions may include: case interviews, behavioral or fit interviews, motivational questions, market sizing, and brainteasers.

Preparing for each of these different types of consulting interview questions will give you an edge over other less prepared candidates. It can easily make the difference between landing a consulting offer and getting rejected.

If you’re stressed out about your upcoming consulting interviews and either don’t know what to expect or know what to prepare for, we have you covered.

I’m a former Bain Manager and interviewer and in this comprehensive article, we’ll cover the major types of consulting interview questions and the 15 most common questions that account for over 90% of all interview questions asked.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

What are the Major Types of Consulting Interview Questions?

The five types of questions asked in consulting interviews include: case interviews, behavioral or fit interviews, motivational questions, market sizing, and brainteasers.

Consulting Case Interviews

Case interviews are a special type of interview that every single consulting firm uses. They are almost exclusively used by consulting firms, although some companies with ex- consultants may also use them.

A case interview, also known as a “case” for short, is a 30 to 60-minute exercise in which you and the interviewer work together to develop a recommendation or answer to a business problem.

These business problems can be anything that real companies face:

• How can Amazon increase its profitability?
• What can Apple do to increase customer retention?
• How should Tesla price its new electric vehicle?
• Where should Disney open another Disneyland theme park?

Case interviews simulate what the consulting job will be like by placing you in a hypothetical business situation. Cases simulate real business problems that consulting firms solve for their clients. Many case interviews are based on actual projects that interviewers have worked on.

While consulting projects typically last between 3 to 9 months, case interviews condense solving the business problem into just 30 to 45 minutes.

Case interviews can cover any industry, including retail, consumer packaged goods, financial services, energy, education, healthcare, government, and technology.

They can also cover a wide range of business situations, including entering a new market, launching a new product, acquiring a company, improving profitability, and growing revenues.

Although case interviews cover a wide range of industries and business situations, no technical or specialized knowledge is needed.

Unless you are interviewing for a consulting firm that specializes in a particular industry or function, cases are designed to be solved by someone that has general business knowledge.

Consulting Behavioral or Fit Interviews

A consulting behavioral interview, also known as a fit interview, focuses on assessing a candidate’s behavior in specific past experiences to give insight into the candidates skills, qualities, and future potential.

In a consulting behavioral or fit interview, candidates are typically asked to provide specific examples from their past work experiences that demonstrate certain behavioral traits or skills, such as problem solving, teamwork, leadership, and resilience.

Examples of consulting behavioral and fit interview questions include:

• Tell me about a time when you used data to solve a problem
• Give a time when you disagreed with your manager
• What accomplishment are you most proud of?
• Describe a situation in which you handled conflict while working on a team
• What is a piece of feedback you have received from a former supervisor or colleague?

Interviewers may ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into the candidate's responses. This helps them gain a clearer understanding of the candidate's thought process, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.

For consulting interviews, behavioral and fit questions are tailored to assess how the candidate's past experiences align with the skills and competencies required for a consulting role.

This may include dealing with clients, handling complex problems, managing projects, and working effectively in a team.

If you want to learn how to answer 98% of consulting behavioral and fit interview questions in just a few hours, enroll in our consulting behavioral & fit interview course .

Consulting Motivational Questions

Consulting interview motivational questions aim to assess your passion for consulting, your alignment with the firm's values, and your reasons for pursuing a career in consulting.

These questions help the interviewer gauge your enthusiasm, commitment, and fit with the consulting role and the company culture.

Here are some examples of consulting interview motivational questions:

• Why do you want to work in consulting?
• Why do you want to work for our consulting firm?
• Where do you see yourself in ten years?
• What aspects of consulting excite you the most?

Consulting Market Sizing

Market sizing is the process of estimating the annual spending of a specific category of product or service. It involves determining the total addressable market (TAM), which represents the maximum revenue a product or service could generate if it captured 100% of the market.

Determining the size of a market is a critical step in business planning that helps businesses make informed decisions regarding product development, pricing, marketing, and resource allocation.

The skill of market sizing is so valuable that management consulting firms ask market sizing questions, also known as estimation questions or guesstimate questions, in their interviews.

Market sizing questions assess several key skills and qualities, including analytical thinking, problem solving, quantitative skills, communication, creativity, attention to detail, adaptability, and confidence.

Examples of market sizing questions include:

• What is the global market size for electric toothbrushes?
• How many pizzas are sold in Manhattan a day?
• How many people purchase a new iPhone in the United States each day?
• How many golf balls fit in a Boeing 737?

Consulting Brainteasers

Consulting brainteasers are non-traditional, often unconventional questions that are designed to test a candidate's ability to think creatively, approach problems from different angles, and come up with innovative solutions.

These questions don't necessarily have a single correct answer, and the focus is on your thought process and how you approach the problem.

Now a days, the use of brainteasers in consulting interviews is rare. There are many reasons why they are being used less often:

• Lack of relevance to the role : many brainteasers have little to do with the actual responsibilities and skills of the consulting job
• Limited predictive value : there’s limited evidence to suggest that success in answering brainteasers correlates with job performance
• Potential unfairness : some candidates may have encountered specific brainteasers before, giving them an advantage
• Frustration : if a candidate struggles with a brainteaser, it can lead to frustration and potentially damage their confidence for the rest of the interview process
• Time-consuming : solving brainteasers can take a significant amount of time, which could be better spent on other aspects of the interview

Here are some examples of consulting brainteaser questions:

• Why are manhole covers round?
• How would you move Mount Fuji?
• If you were shrunk down to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?
• You have a 3-gallon jug and a 5-gallon jug. How can you measure exactly 4 gallons?

You have 25 horses and you want to find the three fastest ones. You can race five horses at a time. What is the minimum number of races needed to identify the top three fastest 

Consulting Interview Questions with Answers

Below, we cover 15 of the most common consulting interview questions. These questions account for over 90% of the questions you'll see in your upcoming consulting interviews. We'll cover what to expect, what interviewers are looking for, and exactly how to answer each.

1. Walk Me Through Your Resume

This consulting interview question is typically asked in the beginning of the interview. So, it is important to answer this question well in order to leave a great first impression.

In asking this question, interviewers are looking to learn two things:

One, interviewers want to get an overview of your work experience and achievements. Many times, interviewers don’t have the time to look at your resume beforehand.

Two, interviewers want to understand why you would be a good fit for consulting. Your accomplishments in previous work experiences and the skills you have developed from these experiences are a good indicator.

When you answer this question, follow this strategy:

• Start with a strong opening statement that summarizes your areas of expertise and number of years of experience
• Highlight your most relevant and impressive experiences and accomplishments, starting with the most recent
• Connect your experiences to why you’re interested in consulting and the firm and why you would be a good fit

Example : Walk me through your resume.

I am a marketing and strategy professional with over five years of experience in media and e-commerce. 

I spent the last two years working at Activision Blizzard, where I led social media marketing. I planned and executed marketing campaigns that led to over $1 million in sales. I also developed a marketing strategy that lowered customer acquisition costs by 15%.

Before that, I spent three years working at LinkedIn in their ads team. I ran customer surveys and focus groups to identify key customer pain points for ad purchasers. From this, I launched over fifty tailored email campaigns that had a 25% higher conversion rate than previous campaigns.

Given my experience in data-driven marketing and strategy, I believe I would be an excellent fit for McKinsey’s Marketing and Sales practice.

Side note: make sure that yo ur consulting resume is up-to-date and highlights your achievements and accomplishments in the best possible light.  

There are many more consulting behavioral and fit interview questions besides "tell me about yourself." For a step-by-step guide on how to best answer all of these questions and more, check out our consulting behavioral & fit interview course .

2. Why Consulting?

Consulting is a tough job and many consultants quit even before reaching their one-year mark. It is a huge waste of resources for a consulting firm to hire and train someone only for them to leave after six months.

The “why consulting” interview question assesses your interest and passion for consulting.

This question checks if you have a basic understanding of the job. The better you understand what consulting is, the more likely you are to stay at the firm for a longer time because there will be no surprises to you once you start working.

Secondly, this question checks for enthusiasm, which signals to the interviewer that you would work hard as a consultant.

To answer this question, identify three compelling reasons why you are interested in consulting and use the following simple, but effective structure to make your answer clear and organized.  

• State that consulting is your top career choice
• Provide three reasons to support this
• Reiterate that consulting best fits your professional needs and goals

Example : Why are you interested in consulting?

Consulting is currently my top career choice for the following three reasons. 

One, I want to make a significant impact by working with executives at billion-dollar companies on their most challenging business problems. The opportunity to make such a big difference is what excites me and gets me out of bed.

Two, I am passionate about the energy sector through my previous work experience at ExxonMobil. Through consulting, I can further develop my expertise in energy and also develop the soft and hard skills to make me a successful business executive.

Three, I enjoy working closely with teams, especially with bright and extraordinary people. I look forward to getting to know my colleagues closer and developing friendships with them.

At this moment, I feel that no other career better suits my professional needs and goals than consulting.

3. Why This Firm?

Interviewers will often ask you why you are interested in working at their particular firm. This consulting interview question is used to assess whether you are genuinely interested in the company.

Before extending job offers, consulting firms want to confirm that you are actually interested in the firm and have a decent likelihood of accepting their job offer if they gave you one.

It is a huge waste of resources for a firm to interview and give offers to candidates who are applying to the firm as a backup choice with no real intent to accept a job offer.

Therefore, in answering this question, you need to demonstrate why the consulting firm you are interviewing for is a top choice for you. You need to convince interviewers of this.

Identify three compelling reasons why you are interested in the consulting firm and organize your answer using the following structure:

• State that the firm is your top choice consulting firm
• Reiterate that the firm best fits your professional needs and goals

Example : Why are you interested in McKinsey?

McKinsey is my top choice consulting firm to work for. There are three reasons why.

One, I am passionate about the government and education sector. McKinsey is the clear leader in these sectors among all consulting firms. McKinsey has tremendous expertise and strong client relationships that I would love to learn from.

Two, McKinsey has a global staffing model, which gives me the opportunity to travel and work with different people around the world. I get fulfillment from working with smart, diverse teams and McKinsey is the best place for this.

Three, many of my mentors that I respect and look up to have worked at McKinsey. They have all highly recommended working at McKinsey, so I know that McKinsey would be the best place to work to develop my skills and advance my career.

Given these reasons, I feel that no other consulting firm besides McKinsey best fits my professional needs and goals.

4. Give an Example of a Time When You Led a Team

Behavioral or fit interview questions are commonly asked consulting interview questions. They ask you to draw upon a time or experience in the past in which you demonstrated a particular trait or quality. These questions dive deeper beyond what is listed on your resume.

The most common type of consulting behavioral interview question focuses on leadership. Examples of this type of question include:

• Give an example of a time when you led a team
• Tell me about a time when you managed someone
• Describe a situation in which you had to motivate someone
• Tell me about a time when you showed initiative

To answer these questions, pick an experience in which you made a meaningful and significant impact while working with or managing other people.

1. Provide context of the situation and what the objective or goal was

2. Describe the leadership role you took and what actions you took

3. Explain the impact and results of these actions

4. Summarize what this experience taught you about leadership or what this situation reveals about you as a leader

Example : Give an example of a time when you led a team.

While working on a customer service improvement project for Amazon, I led a four-person analytics team. The goal was to analyze recent customer survey data to identify ways to improve customer service.

I distributed work according to each person’s interests and expertise. After a few weeks, I observed that three members worked productively and effectively while one member, John, was consistently delivering work that was both low-quality and late.

Realizing that this was a potential motivation issue, I sat down with John to understand what the root cause was. The problem was that the analytics team had recently shifted to using an analytics software called Tableau.

John found Tableau difficult to set up and use, so he was unmotivated to switch from using Excel, which he was an expert at. As a result, Excel could not handle the millions of rows of data, causing poor work quality and delays.

To motivate John, I set up three one-on-one Tableau training sessions with him to walk him through the setup of Tableau. I demonstrated how it could save him time because it performed computationally intensive calculations much quicker than Excel.

Afterward, John began liking Tableau. He became excited to learn about what other features of Tableau could save him time in his other projects. His performance significantly improved and he began consistently delivering high-quality work on-time. Our team generated over twenty different customer initiatives that would increase customer satisfaction scores by 20% and generate $125M in additional revenue each year.

This leadership experience taught me how important it is to understand your teammates. John did not have a motivational issue, but a transitioning issue. If I did not take the time to understand how John was really feeling, I would have overlooked a simple solution to this problem.

5. Tell Me About a Time When You Solved a Difficult Problem.

Another type of behavioral consulting interview question focuses on problem solving. Examples of this type of question include:  

• Give me a time when you used data to solve a problem
• Describe a complicated or difficult problem you faced and how you approached it
• Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision
• Give an example of a problem you solved in a unique way

To answer these questions, pick an experience in which you faced a difficult problem or situation but were still able to make a meaningful and significant impact.

1. Provide context of the situation and what the problem was

2. Describe what actions you took to solve the problem

3. Explain the impact and results of these actions on the problem

4. Summarize what this experience taught you about problem solving or what this situation reveals about you as a problem solver

Example : Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem.

Last year, I was working at Airbnb in their strategic planning & analysis group. I worked primarily with the customer experience team.

I was tasked to determine whether the incremental $10M that Airbnb spent on initiatives to improve customer satisfaction had a positive return on investment. This was important because Airbnb was focused on cutting unnecessary costs to achieve better profitability.

I used SQL and excel to analyze over 700K customer data points to create a model forecasting how much happy customers spend per year versus unhappy customers.

I collaborated with data science, customer experience, and finance teams and persuaded them to give me their support and buy-in. I also performed competitor and industry benchmarking to validate the results further.

In the end, I determined that the customer satisfaction initiatives had a negative 20% return on investment. I presented the findings to the CFO and to my 30-person strategic planning & analysis group, who all supported my recommendation. My work would save Airbnb $10M per year moving forward.

Throughout this process, I learned how to work with multiple cross-functional teams and how to persuade stakeholders to get their buy-in. This experience also further reinforced my perspective on using data to make intelligent business decisions.

6. Describe a Situation When You Disagreed with Someone.

A third type of behavioral consulting interview question focuses on resolving conflict. Examples of this type of question include:

• Give an example of a time when you disagreed with your manager
• Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with a colleague
• Describe a situation in which you had to resolve conflict on a team
• Give me a time when you worked with someone that was difficult to work with

To answer these questions, pick an experience in which you faced conflict but still made a meaningful and significant impact.

1. Provide context of the situation and what the conflict was

2. Describe what actions you took to resolve the conflict

3. Explain the impact and results of resolving the conflict

4. Summarize what this experience taught you about working with other people or what this situation reveals about you as a teammate

Example : Describe a situation when you disagreed with someone.

On my last project, I worked with a newly hired manager that was difficult to work with. He had an investment banking background and liked to overwork his team without taking breaks. We often would be expected to skip lunch to deliver work on-time.

After two weeks, the manager asked his direct reports for feedback on how things were going. During my feedback session with the manager, I brought up how I disagreed with the working style he was subjecting the team to. 

I explained that it was unhealthy to skip meals and that this made the team hungry, unhappy, and unproductive. I explained that I felt that his working style was not a good fit for the team.

I asked if we could be more thoughtful in prioritizing work and reducing the amount of time spent working on tasks that were not critically important. I also proposed scheduling breaks for the team to relax together, which could improve productivity overall.

The manager initially disagreed with my approach because he was used to working with higher performance teams when he was an investment banker. However, I convinced the manager to trial my preferred working style for a few weeks to see if the team performed better.

By building in breaks into the work schedule, the team immediately became happier and more motivated. We completed the next three projects on-time without working on any weekends by focusing on the most important tasks.

This situation taught me how to communicate disagreement with someone in a calm and non-aggressive way. By reaching a compromise with my manager, I was able to convince him to try my working style, which was ultimately better for the team.

7. Tell Me About a Time When You Failed.

The final type of behavioral consulting interview question focuses on resilience when facing failure. Examples of this type of question include:

• Give an example of a time when you tried to accomplish something but failed
• Describe a situation in which you made a mistake
• Talk about a setback you had at work
• Tell me about a time when you failed to meet expectations

To answer these questions, pick an experience in which you faced a major obstacle or setback but overcame it to deliver a meaningful and significant impact.

1. Provide context of the situation and what major obstacle or setback you faced

2. Describe how you reacted to the obstacle or setback and what actions you took in response

3. Explain the impact and results of moving past the obstacle or setback

4. Summarize what this experience taught you about resilience or what this situation reveals about your motivation, adaptability, or optimism

Example : Tell me about a time when you failed.

While working at Apple in their AppleCare business, I was responsible for analyzing data to identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction.

While looking through survey responses, I realized there was an opportunity to use the tremendous amount of data that Apple had to predict which customers were likely to cancel their AppleCare subscriptions. Apple could focus on retaining these customers by sending them discount codes for renewal.

I pulled over five years of purchasing data for over 10 million customers to create a logistic regression model. In the end, I determined that Apple could increase revenues by $100M by targeting the top 10% of customers that were most likely to cancel and sending them discounts.

I was excited to present my results to the head of AppleCare. To my dismay, he rejected my proposal because he did not like the idea of discounting a premium service. Throughout my presentation, I had failed to convince him of why my idea had merit.

However, I still felt that the work I had done on predicting customer churn was useful. Instead of offering discounts, I suggested to the head of AppleCare that we interview customers that were most likely to cancel to identify opportunities to improve the service. He was more open to this idea than my previous one.

After interviewing a hundred customers, we identified three service improvements that would reduce churn for these customers by nearly 20%. This would increase Apple revenues by $150M.

This experience taught me how to be flexible and adaptable when faced with a rejection or failure. Although my initial idea was rejected, I learned how to stay positive and look for other opportunities to make a meaningful impact with the work I had done so far.

8. What's Your Greatest Weakness?

To answer this question, it is best to structure your answer.

Provide a one sentence, high-level summary of a weakness . Then, illustrate that weakness with an example.

Afterwards, explain the specific steps you took to work on and improve on this weakness. Finally, describe the tangible outcomes as a result of your improvement.

You should pick a weakness that will not raise a red flag to the interviewer. It needs to be a real weakness - not a strength in disguise! Trying to mask a strength as a weakness will signal to the interviewer that you aren't reflective enough to identify your own weaknesses.

Examples of great weaknesses you could talk about include:

• Focusing too much on details and not enough on the big picture
• Difficulty presenting effectively in front of large groups
• Trouble tackling ambiguous or unclear problems
• Slow decision-making when it comes to handling important or big problems
• Trouble delegating work to others effectively
• Trouble exhibiting confidence in front of others
• Difficulty staying organized when given too many tasks or assignments

For a complete, step-by-step guide on answering this type of question, check out our best weaknesses for consulting interviews article .

9. Case Interview: How Can We Improve Profitability?

Among case interviews, profitability cases are the most common consulting interview question. Profitability cases ask you to determine how to improve a company’s profitability.

There are two steps to solving a profitability case.

First, you need to understand quantitatively, what is the driver causing the decline in profits?

Since profit is revenues minus costs, you need to determine whether revenues have gone done, costs have gone up, or both. You’ll then need to dive deeper to understand exactly what revenue or cost driver is responsible.

For example, on the revenue side, is the decline due to a decline in quantity sold or a decrease a price? Within quantity sold, is the decline concentrated in a particular product line, geography, or customer segment?

You’ll need to dive deeper into costs as well, breaking it down into variable costs and fixed costs.

The second step is to identify, qualitatively, what factors are driving the decline in profitability that you identified in the previous step.

To do this, you’ll likely need to look at customers, competitors, and the overall market.

Looking at customers, have customer needs or preferences changed? Have their purchasing habits or behaviors changed? Have their perceptions of the company changed?

Looking at competitors, have new players entered the market? Have existing competitors made any recent strategic moves? Are competitors also experiencing a decline in profitability?

Looking at the market, are there any market trends that we should be aware of? For example, are there new technology or regulatory changes? How do these trends impact profitability?

To solve a profitability case, you can use the following framework:

10. Case Interview: Should We Enter This New Market?

Among case interviews, market entry cases are the second most common consulting interview question. Market entry cases ask you to determine whether a company should enter a new market.

Typically, to recommend entering a new market, there are four things that would ideally be true:  

• The market is attractive
• Competition is weak
• The company has the capabilities to enter the market
• The company would be profitable from entering the market

In other words, you need to determine if the market is attractive enough to be worth entering. If the market is attractive, how competitive would it be to enter?

If the market is attractive and easy to enter, does the company actually have the capabilities required to enter the market successfully?

Finally, if the company does enter the market, will they be profitable?

To solve a market entry case, you can use the following framework:

11. Case Interview: Should We Acquire This Company?

Merger and acquisition case interviews are another common type of consulting interview question.

Merger and acquisition cases ask you to determine whether a company or private equity firm should acquire another company.

In the case of a company looking to acquire another company, the reason for the acquisition is usually to access a new market, access new customers, or to grow revenues and profits.

In the case of a private equity firm looking to acquire a company, the reason for the acquisition is usually to grow the acquired company and then sell the company years later for a high return on investment.

In either case, four things typically need to be true to recommend making an acquisition:  

• The market that the acquisition target is in is attractive
• The acquisition target is an attractive company
• The acquisition would generate meaningful synergies
• The acquisition makes sense financially

To solve a merger and acquisition case, you can use the following framework:

12. Case Interview: How Should We Price Our Product?

Pricing case interviews are another common type of consulting interview question.

Pricing cases ask you to determine how to price a particular product or service. To solve pricing case interviews, you should be familiar with the three different pricing strategies:

• Pricing based on costs : set a price based on what the costs are of producing the product or delivering the service
• Pricing based on competition : set a price based on the prices that competitors are charging for similar products and services
• Pricing based on value added : set a price based on the benefits the product or service provides customers and how much they would be willing to pay for the benefits

You’ll likely use all three pricing strategies to help you determine the optimal price.

Pricing based on costs determines the minimum price you should set to make sure that you are not losing money.

Pricing based on value determines the maximum price you could set and still have customers that are willing to purchase your product or service.

Pricing based on competition will help you determine which price in between the previous two price points you should set.

To solve a pricing case, you can use the following framework:

13. Case Interview: Should We Launch This New Product?

New product case interviews are another common type of consulting interview question.

New product cases ask you to determine whether a company should create and launch a new product. These types of case interviews are similar to new market entry cases.

To recommend creating and launching a new product, four things generally need to be true:

• The product’s market is attractive
• The product meets customers’ needs and is better than competitors’ products
• The company has the capabilities to create and launch the product
• The company will be profitable

To solve a new product case, you can use the following framework:

For a complete guide on how to create tailored and unique frameworks for each case, check out our article on case interview frameworks .

14. Case Interview: Market Sizing

Market sizing questions are another common type of consulting interview question that may be asked as a part of any case interview.

Market sizing questions ask you to estimate the size of a particular market. Market size is typically defined as the total sales of a product or service in one year in a specified geography.

There are two different approaches to answer market sizing questions:

• Top-down approach : start with a large number and then refine and break down the number until you get your answer
• Bottom-up approach : start with a small number and then build up and increase the number until you get your answer

To answer market sizing questions, decide which approach you want to take, outline the steps you would take to calculate the market size, and then walk the interviewer through your assumptions and calculations.

Example : What is the size of the contact lenses market in the United States?

Using a top-down approach, we can answer this question by taking the following steps:  

• Start with the population of the United States
• Segment the population by age
• Estimate the percentage of people in each age group with vision problems
• Estimate the percentage of people that wear contact lenses
• Estimate the number of pairs of contact lenses each person wears per year
• Multiply all of these figures to calculate the market size

Starting with the United States population, assume there are 320 million people. Assume that life expectancy is 80 years and there is a uniform distribution of ages.

Let’s segment the population into four age groups, 0 to 20-year-olds, 21 to 40-year-olds, 41 to 60-year-olds, and 61 to 80-year-olds. There are 80 million people in each age group.

Let’s assume that 20% of people in the first age group have vision problems, 30% in the second group, 50% in the third group, and 50% in the fourth group.

This gives us 16 million people in the first age group, 24 million people in the second group, 40 million people in the third group, and 40 million people in the fourth group. This gives us a total of 120 million people that have vision problems.

Assume that a third of people wear contact lenses versus wear glasses. This means 40 million people wear contact lenses.

If each person uses 2 pairs of contact lenses a month, that is 24 pairs of contact lenses a year.

Multiplying 40 million people with 24 pairs gives us 960 million pairs of contact lenses that are used each year.

If a pair of contact lenses costs $5 on average, then the market size of contact lenses is 960 million pairs times $5, which is $4.8 billion.

15. Do You Have any Questions?

The final common consulting interview question is “do you have any questions for me?” Almost all consulting interviewers will try to leave time at the end of the interview for you to ask questions at the end of the interview .

Asking meaningful questions to the interviewer is a great opportunity to connect with the interviewer on a more personal level. Additionally, it is another opportunity to show how interested you are in consulting and in the firm that you are interviewing for.

If you ask the right questions, you can leave the interviewer with a positive and memorable last impression. If you ask the wrong questions, you can leave the interviewer with a negative last impression or they may forget who you are by the end of the day.

Therefore, carefully prepare what questions you’d like to ask at the end of the interview.

Here are a few examples of great questions you can ask:

• What was the most challenging case that you worked on?
• What has been your favorite case so far?
• What do you enjoy the most and the least about your job?
• Looking back at your first year in consulting, what would you have done differently?
• What are attributes or qualities of the most successful consultants?
• What advice would you give to an incoming consultant?
• What do you see as the biggest opportunities or challenges for the company?
• How do the core values of the firm impact how the firm’s employees work with each other and clients?

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• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

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McKinsey Case Interview Guide 2024 (by former Interviewers)

Last Updated on March 27, 2024

The McKinsey case interview, also called the Problem-Solving Interview by the firm, is a crucial and defining element of the consulting recruitment process for one of the world’s most prestigious management consulting firms. This unique type of interview assesses a candidate’s analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, as well as their ability to think critically under pressure.

With a reputation for being challenging and rigorous, the McKinsey case interview is often seen as a significant hurdle for aspiring consultants to overcome. Forbes ranked McKinsey’s interview process as the most difficult across all firms globally and the case plays a crucial role in that evaluation, besides the Personal Experience Interview .

Recognizing the importance of thorough preparation, this article aims to become the go-to resource for candidates worldwide who are seeking to excel in the McKinsey case interview and want to kickstart their McKinsey careers. By providing comprehensive insights, practical tips, and concrete examples, our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and confidence required to stand out in the competitive world of management consulting.

As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we have specialized in helping our candidates to effectively tackle this part of the McKinsey assessment. We found that the information on the McKinsey application process and specifically the case interviews is often wrong, outdated, or assumed to be the same as for every other consulting firm, and written by ‘experts’, who have never conducted an interview at McKinsey or even seen a McKinsey office from the inside.

As a consequence, the advice given can be detrimental to your recruiting success with the firm.

In this article, we want to shed some light on this mysterious, often-talked-about, even more often misunderstood interview. For those overcoming McKinsey case interview challenges, our article serves as a comprehensive guide, infused with McKinsey interview tips and tailored strategies that resonate with interviewers.

McKinsey’s Interview Process

Overview of the recruitment process.

Discover advanced techniques for McKinsey case studies and understand the McKinsey interview process, setting a solid foundation for your case interview preparation. The McKinsey recruitment process typically consists of the following stages:

• Application submission: Candidates submit their resume , cover letter , and academic transcripts online.
• Online assessments: Selected candidates may be invited to complete an online assessment, the McKinsey Solve Game (previously known as the Imbellus test, or Problem Solving Game/PSG)
• First-round interviews: Successful candidates progress to first-round interviews, which typically involve two separate interviews, each consisting of a Personal Experience Interview (PEI) and a case interview.
• Final-round interviews: Candidates who excel in the first round are invited to final-round interviews, which usually consist of two to three separate interviews with more senior McKinsey consultants or partners, again featuring a PEI and a case interview in each session.
• Offer decision: Following the final round, the interviewers of the firm decide on whether to extend an offer to the candidate.

The Personal Experience Interview (PEI)

The Personal Experience Interview (PEI) is a critical component of McKinsey’s interview process. During the PEI, the interviewer will ask the candidate to share a specific example from their past experiences that demonstrates one of McKinsey’s core values, such as leadership, personal impact, or the ability to deal with change. Candidates should prepare concise and compelling stories that highlight their achievements, challenges faced, and the lessons learned. The PEI aims to assess the candidate’s interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and overall fit with McKinsey’s culture.

To read more on this part of the interview, follow these links:

McKinsey Personal Experience Interview

McKinsey PEI: Courageous Change

McKinsey PEI: Inclusive Leadership

McKinsey PEI: Personal Impact

The Case Interview (Problem-Solving Interview)

The case interview is the centerpiece of McKinsey’s interview process. In this interview, the candidate is presented with a real-life or hypothetical business problem, which they must analyze and solve. The interviewer will assess the candidate’s ability to structure the problem, analyze data, generate insights, and communicate recommendations effectively.

During the case interview, candidates should exhibit strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills, as well as the ability to think critically under pressure. Preparing for the case interview involves practicing a variety of cases, developing essential skills, and understanding the McKinsey case interview framework (more on that below).

How to prepare for McKinsey case interviews encompasses more than just understanding consulting case frameworks; it involves a deep dive into McKinsey case interview examples and solutions.

McKinsey Interview Video Academy

Look behind the curtains and understand how to ace McKinsey Case and Personal Experience Interviews with our 40-part video academy. Curated by former McKinsey consultants and interviewers with the best track record in the industry.

Understanding the McKinsey Case Interview

What is a case interview.

A case interview is a unique type of job interview that tests a candidate’s ability to analyze, solve, and communicate complex business problems. During a case interview, the interviewer presents a real-life or hypothetical business scenario, and the candidate is expected to analyze the situation, identify the key issues, and propose a strategic solution. The case interview format allows the interviewer to evaluate a candidate’s problem-solving, analytical, and interpersonal skills, which are essential for a successful career in management consulting.

Why does McKinsey use case interviews?

McKinsey & Company uses case interviews as a key component of its recruitment process for several reasons. First, the case interview format closely simulates the work environment and tasks that consultants face daily, providing the firm with a more accurate assessment of a candidate’s potential performance. Second, case interviews allow McKinsey to evaluate a candidate’s ability to think critically, structure complex problems, and communicate effectively under pressure – skills that are crucial for consultants who must deliver high-quality solutions to clients. Lastly, case interviews serve as a consistent and objective measure of a candidate’s capabilities, enabling the firm to compare candidates from diverse backgrounds fairly and accurately.

Regarding the last point, McKinsey invests significantly into creating an objective recruitment procedure with the cases. Interviewers are selected from the top performers of the firm, go through rigorous interviewer training, and shadow other interviewers in live interviews before being allowed to conduct interviews themselves.

Cases are created in a thorough training seminar based on stringent criteria that standardize difficulty levels across the globe. Also, the interviewer-led format allows for a more objective evaluation compared to the candidate-led format employed by most other firms. More on that next.

What is different in McKinsey’s interview format?

The McKinsey Problem Solving Interview is a typical case interview as it is employed by most consulting firms to test the analytical capabilities and communication skills of applicants. However, it comes with a twist. The interview simulates a client situation, where you are tasked to solve a specific business problem that they are facing.

You will have to answer a succession of several questions rather than driving the case yourself as would be the case in other consulting firms. Within the interview, which is a dialogue between you and the interviewer, you need to structure problems, propose concrete ideas, gather information, spot insights in data and charts, solve quantitative problems, and communicate professionally and calmly.

The case is the hardest part for most candidates since it involves several different skills that need to be demonstrated consistently across all questions and multiple cases in succession. Depending on the office, applicants need to go through four to six case interviews before receiving an offer. They need to convince the interviewers in all cases to start their McKinsey careers.

Types of cases you may encounter

During a McKinsey case interview, candidates may encounter a variety of case types that cover different industries, functions, and challenges. The following is just a selection of potential case problems that you would need to solve.

• Market entry: Evaluating the attractiveness of entering a new market or launching a new product or service.
• Growth strategy: Identifying opportunities for a company to grow its revenue, market share, or profitability.
• Mergers and acquisitions: Assessing the feasibility and potential value of merging with or acquiring another company.
• Cost reduction: Identifying areas for cost savings and efficiency improvements in a company’s operations or supply chain.
• Pricing strategy: Determining the optimal pricing structure for a product or service to maximize revenue or profit.
• Organizational restructuring: Evaluating changes to a company’s organizational structure or management processes to improve performance.
• Operational improvements: Figure out and improve operational issues.

While the specifics of each case may differ, the core skills required to tackle these cases – such as structuring, data analysis, and problem-solving – remain consistent across all case types.

On top of that, McKinsey cases have become much more creative over the last couple of years, hence, using memorized and established frameworks will never serve you well . Rather it is important to approach every McKinsey case from a first-principles approach. While you might expect a case in a market entry context, it is almost guaranteed that you will have to create a non-standard case framework.

Consider as a case context an EV manufacturer that wants to enter the Chinese market.

What most candidates expect the framework question to look like: What factors would you look at when deciding whether to enter the Chinese EV market?

How an actual McKinsey framework question could look like: What key product characteristics would you consider and analyze when looking at the Chinese EV market?

No standardized framework would help you in this situation.

For instance, consider another real McKinsey case example.

You are working with an operator of a specific type of machines. They break down at different rates at different locations. What factors can you think of why that would happen? Example of a McKinsey Case Interview Structure Questions

There is not a single memorized framework bucket that would work here.

Let us look at an example answer for this prompt.

Less than 1% of candidates make it through the recruiting filters of McKinsey. You want to provide insights that the interviewer has not heard before and not be just like the other 99% that fail to impress.

Learning how to deconstruct problems is the key to success, not memorizing outdated approaches and frameworks of yesteryear.

What is the Format of the McKinsey Case?

A typical McKinsey case follows the PEI in a one-hour interview session. It lasts for 25 to 30 minutes in an interviewer-led format , meaning that the interviewer takes the lead and guides you through the case. Your role as the interviewee is to answer the questions asked by the interviewer before they move on to the next question. While it is the interviewer’s responsibility to provide hints and move you through the different questions, you should take the lead with each question.

Depending on your performance and speed, you will be asked three to six questions . Question types are:

• Structuring / Initial Case Framework
• Data and Chart Analysis
• Structuring / Brainstorming

Recommendations are usually not part of the evaluation, though they might come up now and then.

Only receiving three questions is a positive sign since the interviewer was happy with your answers to each question. Going above three questions usually happens when the interviewer wants to dig deeper into a specific question type to see if the quality of a previous answer to a similar question was just an outlier or can be confirmed with a second question.

Most candidates need more than three questions to convince the interviewer, so don’t be scared when your case gets a little bit longer and consists of more than three questions.

Some offices also offer a McKinsey phone case interview as a first screening device, which follows the same structure as an in-person interview.

Is the McKinsey Case Interview Different From a BCG or Bain Interview?

While there are many similarities between McKinsey interviews and interviews with other firms, McKinsey interviews are interviewer-led, while other firms employ a candidate-led format .

McKinsey, BCG, and Bain cases have certain things in common:

• The elements of the cases are the same. You will have to structure problems, interpret exhibits, and work through some calculations, come up with recommendations or implications, etc.
• The skills that are assessed are the same. You need to exhibit strong problem-solving skills, creativity, ability to work under pressure, top-down communication, etc.

However, there is one key difference:

• In interviewer-led cases, you take ownership of every question and go into greater detail here, while the interviewer guides you from question to question. In the interviewee-led case, you drive the whole case and have to move along, get the correct information to work with by asking the right questions, and analyze the problem to then deduct a recommendation

In a McKinsey case, the interviewer will guide you through a series of connected questions that you need to answer, synthesize, and develop recommendations from. There are clear directions and a flow of questions, which you need to answer with a hypothesis-driven mindset . These are arguably easier to prepare for and to go through since the flow and types of questions will always be the same.

For McKinsey case interview examples, check the available interviewer-led cases  here .

In a candidate-led BCG case interview or Bain case interview, due to the nature of your role as an investigator, it is much easier to get lost, walk down the wrong branch of the issue tree, and waste a ton of time. While the interviewers will try to influence you to move in the right direction (pay attention to their hints), it is still up to you what elements of the problem you would like to analyze. Each answer should lead to a new question (hypothesis-driven) on your quest to find the root cause of the problem to come up with a recommendation on how to overcome it.

Nonetheless, it is not necessarily easier to convince a McKinsey interviewer, since your answers need to stand out in terms of breadth, depth, and insightfulness. You have more time to develop and discuss each answer but expectations about the quality of your answers are also heightened significantly.

For instance, in an interviewer-led case, candidates are afforded more time to elaborate on their frameworks. This demands not only a comprehensive framework but also one that delves deeper, aiming for three levels of insightful analysis. This depth showcases the candidate’s ability to think critically and provide nuanced insights. The discussion of this framework typically spans 5 to 8 minutes.

Conversely, in candidate-led cases, the strategy shifts. Here, the emphasis is on swiftly identifying and articulating the most critical areas for examination. Candidates must quickly prioritize these areas and then delve into a detailed analysis of the selected issues. This requires a concise yet targeted approach, with the initial framework discussion taking about 2 to 3 minutes. This format tests the candidate’s ability to quickly discern key areas and efficiently manage their analysis under tighter time constraints.

Questions of a McKinsey Case Interview

In the McKinsey interview you will have to answer  three different questions types  – broadly speaking:

• Structuring (includes creating frameworks and brainstorming questions)
• Exhibit Interpretation

Structuring

Structuring includes both the framework creation at the beginning of a case as well as answering brainstorming questions (usually at a later stage of the case).

A case interview structure is used to break the problem you are trying to solve for the client down into smaller problems or components. It is the roadmap you establish at the beginning of the interview that will guide your problem-solving approach throughout the case. A strong initial structure should cover all elements of the situation AND allow you to understand where the problem is coming from. Read more about case interview structure and frameworks here .

A common question would be:

What factors would you look at to understand the problem better? McKinsey framework question

Brainstorming has you come up with specific ideas around a certain topic (in a structured manner). Read more about brainstorming here .

What ideas can you think of that could decrease customer check-out time? McKinsey brainstorming question

Data interpretation

For chart or data interpretation , you are tasked to find the key insights of 1-2 PowerPoint slides and relate them to the case question and the client situation at hand. Read more about exhibit interpretation here .

Case math questions have you analyze a problem mathematically before qualitatively investigating the particular reason for the numerical result or deriving specific recommendations from the outcome. Read more on how to ace case math here .

How to Think About McKinsey Case Questions

Now for  structure and exhibit interpretation , there is no right or wrong answer in a McKinsey interview. Some answers are better than others because they are

• hypothesis-driven
• follow strong communication (MECE, top-down, signposted)

That being said, there is no 100% that you can reach or a one-and-only solution/ answer. Your answers must display the characteristics specified above and are supported well with arguments.

Though numerous strategies exist for tackling a problem, it’s crucial to understand that while there aren’t strictly right or wrong answers, not all approaches are equally effective. The misconception often lies in the belief that there’s a singular correct method, especially when constructing a framework.

In reality, you could employ over ten different strategies to analyze a case or break down a problem, potentially leading to the same analytical results. This versatility and ability to think through various lenses are precisely what McKinsey interviews aim to evaluate.

However, it’s also important to recognize that there are countless ways to miss the mark. This typically happens when your framework is either too narrow or excessively broad, lacks depth, or fails to offer meaningful insights.

As for  math questions , usually, some answers are correct (not always 100% the same since some candidates simplify or round differently – which is ok), and others are wrong, either due to the

• calculation approach
• calculation itself

Now, for the interviewer, the overall picture counts. Mistakes in one area need to be balanced by a strong performance in other areas. McKinsey wants to see spikes in performance in certain areas and a good enough performance in other areas.

The most common example we see almost every day: You can be strong in structure and exhibit, yet make a small mistake in the math section – overall as you might consider 80% – and still pass on to the next round.

Be aware that in 99% of cases, there is no recommendation question in the end. The case just ends with the last case question. This is something many candidates are surprised by when they get out of their McKinsey interviews.

Mastering the McKinsey Case Interview Framework

In the sequence of questions that you receive, you need to demonstrate that you can

• identify the ask;
• structure the problem to investigate it;
• analyze data related to it;
• generate insight and recommendations;
• communicate effectively.

Problem identification

The first step in tackling a McKinsey case interview is to identify the core problem or question that needs to be addressed. Carefully listen to the case prompt and take notes, ensuring that you understand the client’s objectives, the scope of the problem, and any constraints. Clarify any uncertainties with the interviewer before moving forward.

Structuring the problem

Once you have identified the problem, develop a structured approach to address it. Break down the problem into smaller, more manageable components using logical frameworks. Tailor the chosen framework to the specific case, incorporating any unique factors or considerations. Present your structure to the interviewer, explaining your rationale and seeking their input or approval.

Data analysis and interpretation

As you proceed with your structured approach, you may be provided with additional data or information by the interviewer. Analyze the data, using quantitative techniques, such as calculating growth rates, market shares, or breakeven points, to draw meaningful insights. Be prepared to make assumptions or estimates if necessary but ensure they are reasonable and well-justified.

Generating insights and recommendations

Based on your data analysis, develop actionable insights and recommendations that address the client’s objectives. Consider the potential impact, feasibility, and risks associated with each recommendation. Think creatively and strategically, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative factors into your decision-making process.

Synthesis and communication

Finally, synthesize your findings and recommendations into a clear and concise conclusion. Use the “top-down” communication style, starting with your main recommendation, followed by the supporting evidence and insights. Demonstrate strong communication skills by articulating your thought process and recommendations persuasively and confidently. Be prepared to answer any follow-up questions from the interviewer and engage in a discussion to defend or refine your conclusions.

• Pyramid principle communication
• How to communicate in a case interview

In this format, McKinsey assesses in a case interview six skills that you need to demonstrate consistently in every case interview.

Skills Assessed by McKinsey

• Problem-solving: Are you able to derive a MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive) framework, breaking a problem down into smaller problems, and accurately covering all aspects of the problem?
• Analytical rigor and logical thinking: Can you link the structure to creative thinking? Are you using a hypothesis-driven approach to your problem solving, i.e. have a clear picture of where you think the solution of the case is buried most likely? Do you qualify your thinking, follow your structure, tackle (likely) high-impact issues first, lead the interviewer, and ask the right questions?
• Mental math and basic calculus : Are you able to structure quantitative problems and comfortably perform calculations? Can you derive the correct approach to calculate the desired outcome variable? Can you plug in the numbers and perform the calculations, relying on basic pen-and-paper math, shortcuts, and mental math?
• Creativity: Do you think about a problem holistically, offering broad, deep, and insightful perspectives? Are you able to come up with different angles to the problem (breadth) and draft rich descriptions that qualify why these areas are important to investigate (depth)?
• Communication: Are you able to communicate like a consultant? Are you following a top-down communication approach similar to the Pyramid Principle taught by Minto? Do all of your statements add value and do you guide the interviewer through your thinking?
• Maturity and presence: Are you leading the conversation or are merely getting dragged along by the interviewer? Are you confident and mature? Are you comfortable with silence while taking time to structure your thinking?
• Business sense and intuition : Are you able to quickly understand the business and the situation of the client? Can you swiftly interpret data, charts, exhibits, and statements made by the interview? Are you asking the right questions? Are you able to make sense of new information quickly and interpret it properly in the context of the case?

Now, these skills are assessed in a very specific interviewing format, which is not natural for most applicants and needs significant practice to become second nature.

You can download this scoring sheet for your case practice here .

Key Strategies to Excel in a McKinsey Case Interview

Using the mece principle.

MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) is a problem-solving principle that helps ensure your analysis is both comprehensive and well-organized. Apply the MECE principle when structuring your approach to a case by breaking down the problem into distinct, non-overlapping components while ensuring that all relevant aspects are covered. This method allows you to maintain a clear and logical structure throughout the case and reduces the likelihood of overlooking critical factors.

Applying the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle , suggests that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In the context of a case interview, this means focusing on the most critical issues or factors that will have the most significant impact on the client’s objectives. By prioritizing your analysis and recommendations, you can work more efficiently and effectively, demonstrating your ability to identify and address the most pressing concerns for the client.

Hypothesis-driven approach

Using a hypothesis-driven approach means forming an initial hypothesis or educated guess about the potential solution to the problem and then testing it using data and analysis. By starting with a hypothesis, you can guide your problem-solving process more efficiently, focusing your efforts on collecting evidence that supports or refutes your hypothesis. Throughout the case, be prepared to revise or refine your hypothesis as new information emerges.

Incorporating creativity and business intuition

While frameworks and structured approaches are essential, it’s also crucial to demonstrate creativity and business intuition during a McKinsey case interview. This means thinking beyond the standard frameworks and considering innovative solutions or unique factors that may be relevant to the specific case. Use your knowledge of industry trends, best practices, and real-world business challenges to inform your analysis and recommendations. By combining structured thinking with creative problem-solving, you can showcase your ability to deliver well-rounded, impactful solutions for clients.

Preparing for the McKinsey Case Interview

Most candidates prepare using generic frameworks. Alternatively, they are looking for a McKinsey case book PDF or a case study interview questions and answers PDF with the hope that the cases will be the same across interviewers and interviews.

Do not learn case-specific frameworks by heart , expecting them to work for every case you encounter. There is no specific McKinsey case study framework or McKinsey case study book. It is much more important to learn the right approach that will help you tackle all types of cases. This is even more relevant for McKinsey interviews.

What you need to do is to study each question type and the associated skills in a case interview and learn how to approach it, regardless of the client situation, the context of the case, the industry, or the function. Your goal should be to learn how to build issue trees, interpret charts, and perform math no matter the context, industry, or function of the case, and follow our McKinsey case interview tips.

Similarly to the case types and frameworks, many candidates ask if there is a specific McKinsey implementation case interview, McKinsey operation case interview, or McKinsey digital case interview. In fact, the cases are usually a mix of cases in a domain-relevant context as well as cases set in a completely different context to the role you are applying for.

Be aware that frameworks were applicable in the 2000 years, the era of Victor Cheng and Case in Point. McKinsey has long caught up on this and the cases you will get during the interviews are tailored in a way to test your creativity and ability to generate insights on the spot, not remember specific frameworks.

In fact, it will hurt you when you try to use a framework on a case that calls for a completely different approach. Also, it gives a false sense of security that will translate to stress once you figure out how your approach won’t work during the real interview – We have seen this way too often…

Rather, focus on the following:

Developing the right mindset

Success in the McKinsey case interview starts with cultivating the right mindset. Being mentally prepared involves:

• Embracing a growth mindset: Recognize that your skills can improve with consistent practice and effort. Stay open to feedback from coaches and peers and learn from your mistakes.
• Building resilience: Understand that case interviews are challenging, and you may face setbacks during your preparation. Stay persistent and maintain a positive attitude. Use a proper case interview preparation plan .
• Adopting a client-first perspective: Approach each case as if you were a consultant working on a real client engagement, focusing on delivering value and actionable insights.

Learning the essential skills

To excel in the McKinsey case interview, it’s crucial to develop the following skills:

• Problem structuring: Break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components using frameworks and logical structures.
• Qualitative and quantitative analysis: Interpret and analyze data to draw meaningful insights and make informed decisions.
• Hypothesis-driven thinking: Develop and test hypotheses to guide your problem-solving approach efficiently.
• Communication: Clearly articulate your thought process, insights, and recommendations concisely and persuasively.

Our courses and drills are designed to provide you with the precise knowledge you need. Drawing on our experience as former McKinsey interviewers, we understand what matters most and how to ensure you can leverage that to your advantage.

More on that next.

Studying relevant materials and resources

Leverage various resources to enhance your understanding of case interviews and management consulting:

• Books: The most effective and exhaustive case interview preparation book is The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview (shameless plug). It goes much deeper than the usual suspects which are outdated and provide faulty advice on case interviews.
• Websites and blogs : Websites like StrategyCase.com offer the latest case interview tips, practice cases, and industry insights. You can check out more free articles covering consulting applications and interviews here .
• Online courses: Enroll in case interview preparation courses to gain structured guidance and access to a wealth of practice materials. We have created several high-quality courses for all elements of the McKinsey interview (see below)

We are the highest ranked and most successful case coaches on the web and have helped 100s of candidates break into McKinsey. As former McKinsey consultants and interview experts, we have specialized in getting our candidates into the firm. We can help you by

• tailoring your resume and cover letter to meet McKinsey’s standards
• showing you how to pass the McKinsey Imbellus Solve Game
• showing you how to ace McKinsey interviews and the PEI with our video academy
• coaching you in our 1-on-1 sessions to become an excellent case solver and impress with your fit answers (90% success rate after 5 sessions)
• preparing your math to be bulletproof for every McKinsey case interview
• helping you structure creative and complex McKinsey cases
• teaching you how to interpret McKinsey charts and exhibits
• providing you with cheat sheets and overviews for 27 industries .

Reach out to us if you have any questions! We are happy to help and offer a tailored program.

Practicing with case partners

Regular practice with case partners is essential for honing your case interview skills:

• Find practice partners: Connect with fellow candidates through online forums, social media groups, or local consulting clubs.
• Set a practice schedule: Aim to practice at least a few cases per week, gradually increasing the difficulty and variety of cases.
• Seek feedback: After each practice case, discuss your performance with your partner, and identify areas for improvement.
• Alternate roles: Take turns playing the role of the interviewer and the interviewee to develop a deeper understanding of the case interview process.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Common mistakes.

• Insufficient structure: Failing to break down the problem into manageable components can lead to a disorganized analysis and an inability to identify key issues.
• Overlooking the big picture: Becoming too focused on the details and losing sight of the overall objective or client’s needs can hinder the development of effective recommendations.
• Ignoring qualitative factors: Relying solely on quantitative data without considering qualitative aspects may result in an incomplete understanding of the problem.
• Ineffective communication: Struggling to articulate your thought process, insights, or recommendations clearly and persuasively can undermine the value of your analysis.
• Failing to adapt: Sticking to a preconceived framework or hypothesis despite conflicting evidence may indicate a lack of flexibility and critical thinking.

Tips to prevent these mistakes

• Practice structuring: Develop your ability to structure problems effectively by practicing with a wide range of cases and familiarizing yourself with common frameworks.
• Stay focused on the objective: Periodically remind yourself of the client’s goals and priorities, ensuring that your analysis remains aligned with their needs.
• Balance quantitative and qualitative factors: Recognize the importance of both quantitative data and qualitative insights in forming a well-rounded understanding of the problem.
• Hone your communication skills: Practice speaking clearly, concisely, and persuasively, ensuring that your message is easily understood and well-received.
• Embrace adaptability: Be open to revising your approach, framework, or hypothesis in response to new information or feedback, demonstrating your ability to think critically and flexibly.

McKinsey Interview Course

Unlock the Secrets to Acing McKinsey Interviews with Our Comprehensive Training Program

Are you eager to dive deep into mastering the McKinsey interviews? Look no further than our extensive 40-part Ready-for-McKinsey Interview Academy . This exceptional video program features simulated McKinsey-specific case studies and in-depth coverage of all Personal Experience Interview (PEI) dimensions and stories. Our Interview Academy is the ultimate resource to prepare you for success in your McKinsey case interviews.

We take pride in our results: an impressive 9 out of 10 candidates who complete our one-on-one Ready-for-McKinsey Interview Coaching program receive an offer. This track record has earned us consistent recognition as the best McKinsey and MBB coaches on several platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions McKinsey Case Interview

How can candidates best manage their time during the case interview to ensure they cover all necessary aspects of the case without running out of time? Candidates can manage their time effectively by quickly understanding the case prompt, structuring their approach clearly, prioritizing key analyses, staying focused on the most critical issues, and keeping an eye on the time to ensure they cover all necessary aspects without running out of time​ ​. However, keep in mind that it is also the McKinsey interviewer’s responsibility to go through all necessary elements of the case within the allotted time. If you are too slow (problematic) or too exhaustive yet add value to the question (not problematic), they might move the case forward on their own.

What are the most common reasons candidates fail in McKinsey case interviews, and how can these pitfalls be avoided? Common reasons for failure include lack of structure in problem-solving, missing key insights by not delving deep enough into the data, poor communication of thought process, and inability to adapt to new information. These pitfalls can be avoided by practicing structured problem-solving, actively engaging with the data, clearly articulating thought processes, and being flexible to pivot as needed​ ​.

Can you provide examples of unexpected or unconventional case types that have appeared in McKinsey interviews in recent years? Recent McKinsey interviews have featured cases beyond traditional business scenarios, such as identifying the right stakeholders to talk to in a situation or identifying reasons why an app has a low customer retention rate.

How does McKinsey adjust its case interview process for candidates with non-business backgrounds, such as those from engineering or humanities? McKinsey’s case interview process for candidates with non-business backgrounds is the same as for candidates with a business background. All cases focus on problem-solving skills and potential rather than specific business knowledge. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to structure problems, analyze data, and think critically, with the understanding that business-specific knowledge can be learned​ ​. This article not only outlines tips for passing McKinsey consulting interviews but also addresses preparing for McKinsey interviews without a business background, ensuring a holistic approach to your consulting journey.

What specific aspects of a candidate’s performance are McKinsey interviewers most focused on during the case interview? McKinsey interviewers focus on problem-solving skills, the ability to structure and analyze complex issues, creativity in developing solutions, clear and concise communication, and the potential for leadership and impact​ ​. They are looking for candidates with a well-rounded profile that have performance spikes in some areas and a robust performance in others (without clear weaknesses).

How does the difficulty level of McKinsey’s case interviews compare to real consulting projects at McKinsey? The difficulty level of McKinsey’s case interviews is designed to be comparable to the challenges faced in real consulting projects. They simulate the complex, ambiguous problems consultants tackle, testing candidates’ ability to navigate similar challenges effectively​ ​. The main difference is that they are simplified to the extent that it is feasible to go through them in 25 minutes.

Are there any particular industries or business functions that McKinsey is focusing on in its current case interviews due to market trends or strategic priorities of the firm? While McKinsey’s case interviews cover a wide range of industries and functions, there may be a focus on emerging areas of strategic importance such as digital transformation, sustainability, healthcare innovation, and analytics, reflecting broader market trends and the firm’s current priorities​ ​.

How has the transition to more virtual interviews affected the case interview process and candidates’ performance from McKinsey’s perspective? The transition to more virtual interviews has required adjustments in how cases are presented and how candidates engage with the material. While the core evaluation criteria remain unchanged, McKinsey has adapted to ensure a fair assessment, paying close attention to communication and problem-solving skills in a virtual format​ ​.

What advice do former candidates who successfully passed the McKinsey case interview have for future applicants? Former candidates advise practicing as much as possible, understanding the case interview format, focusing on structured problem-solving, developing clear and concise communication skills, being prepared to think on one’s feet, and demonstrating leadership potential and personal impact​ ​.

How can candidates incorporate feedback from practice sessions into improving their performance for the actual McKinsey case interview? Candidates can improve their performance by actively seeking feedback from practice sessions, identifying areas for improvement, working on specific skills such as structuring or analysis, practicing under realistic conditions (e.g., timed), and continuously refining their approach based on feedback​ ​.

In summary, acing the McKinsey case interview requires a deep understanding of the interview process, mastery of essential skills, and the ability to apply effective problem-solving strategies. In this article, we highlighted the key strategies for McKinsey problem-solving interviews, ensuring your preparation aligns with the best practices for McKinsey interview preparation. By embracing the MECE principle, applying the 80/20 rule, adopting a hypothesis-driven approach, and incorporating creativity and business intuition, you will be well-equipped to tackle any case interview challenge.

Remember to invest time in preparing for both the Personal Experience Interview and the case interview itself, using the wealth of resources and practice materials available. Focus on developing a structured approach, honing your analytical and communication skills, and staying adaptable throughout the interview process.

As you embark on your McKinsey case interview journey, stay confident and persistent in your efforts. By applying the tips and strategies shared in this article, you will be one step closer to achieving your consulting career aspirations. We wish you the best of luck in your journey toward success at McKinsey.

We Want to Hear from You!

Your journey to mastering the McKinsey case interview is unique, and you might have lingering questions or insights you’d like to share. Whether you’re curious about specific parts of the McKinsey interview process, seeking further clarification on case interview preparation strategies, or have your own tips for navigating the challenges of consulting interviews, we’re here to engage and assist.

Drop your questions, experiences, or advice in the comments below.

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Florian spent 5 years with McKinsey as a senior consultant. He is an experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach, having interviewed 100s of candidates in real and mock interviews. He started StrategyCase.com to make top-tier consulting firms more accessible for top talent, using tailored and up-to-date know-how about their recruiting. He ranks as the most successful consulting case and fit interview coach, generating more than 500 offers with MBB, tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms through direct coaching of his clients over the last 3.5 years. His books “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview” and “Consulting Career Secrets” are available via Amazon.

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Case Interview Math (formulas, practice problems, tips)

(Article updated 17th October 2024)

Today we’re going to give you everything you need in order to breeze through math calculations during your case interviews. 

Becoming confident with math skills is THE first step that we recommend to candidates like Karthik , who got an offer from McKinsey. 

And one of the first things you’ll need to know are the 6 core math formulas that are used extensively in case interviews. 

Let’s dive in!

• Must-know formulas
• Optional formulas
• Cheat sheet
• Practice questions
• Case math apps and tools
• Tips and tricks
• Practice with experts

Click here to practice 1-on-1 with MBB ex-interviewers

1. case interview math formulas, 1.1. must-know math formulas.

Here’s a summarised list of the most important math formulas that you should really master for your case interviews:

If you want to take a moment to learn more about these topics, you can read our in-depth article about  finance concepts for case interviews .

1.2. Optional math formulas

In addition to the above, you may also want to learn the formulas below. 

Having an in-depth understanding of the business terms below and their corresponding formulas is NOT required to get offers at McKinsey, BCG, Bain and other firms. But having a rough idea of what they are can be handy.

EBITDA = Earnings Before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortisation

EBIDTA is essentially profits with interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation added back to it.

It's useful for comparing companies across industries as it takes out the accounting effects of debt and taxes which vary widely between, say, Meta (little to no debt) and ExxonMobil (tons of debt to finance infrastructure projects). More  here .

NPV = Net Present Value

NPV tells you the current value of one or more future cashflows. 

For example, if you have the option to receive one of the two following options, then you could use NPV to choose the more profitable option:

• Option 1 : receive $100 in 1 year and $100 in 2 years
• Option 2 : receive $175 in 1 year

If we assume that the interest rate is 5% then option 1 turns out to be slightly better. You can learn more about the formula and how it works  here .

Return on equity = Profits / Shareholder equity

Return on equity (ROE) is a measure of financial performance similar to ROI. ROI is usually used for standalone projects while ROE is used for companies. More  here .

Return on assets = Profits / Total assets

Return on assets (ROA) is an alternative measure to ROE and a good indicator of how profitable a company is compared to its total assets. More  here .

1.3 Case interview math cheat sheet

If you’d like to get a free PDF cheat sheet that summarises the most important formulas and tips from this case interview math guide, just click on the link below.

Download free pdf case interview math cheat sheet

2. Case interview math practice questions

If you’d like some examples of case interview math questions, then this is the section for you!

Doing math calculations is typically just one step in a broader case, and so the most realistic practice is to solve problems within the context of a full case.

So, below we’ve compiled a set of math questions that come directly from  case interview examples  published by McKinsey and Bain. 

We recommend that you try solving each problem yourself before looking at the solution. 

Now here’s the first question!

2.1 Payback period - McKinsey case example

This is a paraphrased version of question 3 on  McKinsey’s Beautify practice case :

How long will it take for your client to make back its original investment, given the following data?

• After the investment, you’ll get 10% incremental revenue
• You’ll have to invest €50m in IT, €25m in training, €50m in remodeling, and €25m in inventory
• Annual costs after the initial investment will be €10m 
• The client’s annual revenues are €1.3b

Note: take a moment to try solving this problem yourself, then you can get the answer under  question 3 on McKinsey’s website . 

2.2 Cost reduction - McKinsey case example

This is a paraphrased version of question 2 on  McKinsey’s Diconsa practice case :

How much money in total would families in rural Mexico save per year if they could pick up benefits payments from Diconsa stores?

• Pick-up currently costs 50 pesos per month for each family
• If pick-up were available at Diconsa stores, the cost would be reduced by 30%
• Assume that the population of Mexico is 100m 
• 20% of Mexico’s population is in rural areas, and half of these people receive benefits
• Assume that all families in Mexico have 4 members

Note: take a moment to try solving this problem yourself, then you can get the answer under  question 2 on McKinsey’s website . 

2.3 Product launch - McKinsey case math example

This is a paraphrased version of question 2 on  McKinsey’s Electro-Light practice case :

What share of the total electrolyte drink market would the client need in order to break even on their new Electro-Light drink product?

• The target price for Electro-Light is $2 for each 16 oz (1/8th gallon) bottle
• Electro-Light would require $40m in fixed costs
• Each bottle of Electro-Light costs $1.90 to produce and deliver
• The electrolyte drink market makes up 5% of the US sports-drink market
• The US sports-drink market sells 8b gallons of beverages per year

2.4 Pricing strategy - McKinsey case math example

This is a paraphrased version of question 3 on  McKinsey’s Talbot Trucks practice case :

What is the highest price Talbot Trucks can charge for their new electric truck, such that the total cost of ownership is equal to diesel trucks? 

• Assume the total cost of ownership for all trucks consists of these 5 components: driver, depreciation, fuel, maintenance, other. 
• A driver costs €3k/month for diesel and electric trucks
• Diesel trucks and electric trucks have a lifetime of 4 years, and a €0 residual value
• Diesel trucks use 30 liters of diesel per 100km, and diesel fuel costs €1/liter
• Electric trucks use 100kWh of energy per 100km, and energy costs €0.15/kWh
• Annual maintenance is €5k for diesel trucks and €3k for electric trucks
• Other costs (e.g. insurance, taxes, and tolls) is €10k for diesel trucks and €5k for electric trucks
• Diesel trucks cost €100k

2.5 Inclusive hiring - McKinsey case math example

This is a paraphrased version of question 3 on  McKinsey’s  Shops Corporation practice case :

How many female managers should be hired next year to reach the goal of 40% female executives in 10 years? 

• There are 300 executives now, and that number will be the same in 10 years
• 25% of the executives are currently women
• The career levels at the company (from junior to senior) are as follows: professional, manager, director, executive
• In the next 5 years, ⅔ of the managers that are hired will become directors. And in years 6-10, ⅓ of those directors will become executives. 
• Assume 50% of the hired managers will leave the company
• Assume that everything else in the company’s pipeline stays the same after hiring the new managers

2.6 Breakeven point - Bain case math example

This is a paraphrased version of the calculation portion of  Bain’s Coffee Shop Co. practice case : 

How many cups of coffee does a newly opened coffee shop need to sell in the first year in order to break even?

• The price of coffee will be £3/cup
• Each cup of coffee costs £1/cup to produce 
• It will cost £245,610 to open the coffee shop
• It will cost £163,740/year to run the coffee shop

Note: take a moment to try solving this problem yourself, then you can get the answer  on Bain’s website .

2.7 Driving revenue - Bain case math example

This is a paraphrased version of the calculation part of  Bain’s FashionCo practice case : 

Which option (A or B) will drive the most revenue this year?

Option A: Rewards program

• There are 10m total customers
• The avg. annual spend per person is $100 before any sale (assume sales are evenly distributed throughout the year)
• Customers will pay a $50 one-time activation fee to join the program
• 25% of customers will join the rewards program this year
• Customers who join the rewards program always get 20% off

Option B: Intermittent sales

• For 3 months of the year, all products are discounted by 20%
• During the 3 months of discounts, purchases will increase by 100%

3. Case math apps and tools

In the case math problems in the previous section, there were essentially 2 broad steps: 

• Set up the equation
• Perform the calculations

After learning the formulas earlier in this guide, you should be able to manage the first step. But performing the mental math calculations will probably take some more practice. 

Mental math is a muscle. But for most of us, it’s a muscle you haven’t exercised since high school. As a result, your  case interview preparation  should include some math training.

If you don't remember how to calculate basic additions, substractions, divisions and multiplications without a calculator, that's what you should focus on first.

In addition, Khan Academy has also put together some helpful resources. Here are the ones we recommend if you need an in-depth arithmetic refresher:

• Additions and subtractions
• Multiplications and divisions
• Percentages

Scientific notation

Once you're feeling comfortable with the basics you'll need to regularly exercise your mental math muscle in order to become as fast and accurate as possible.

• Preplounge's math tool . This web tool is very helpful to practice additions, subtractions, multiplications, divisions and percentages. You can both sharpen your precise and estimation math with it.
• Victor Cheng's math tool . This tool is similar to the Preplounge one, but the user experience is less smooth in our opinion.
• Mental math cards challenge app  (iOS). This mobile app lets you work on your mental math easily on your phone. Don't let the old school graphics deter you from using it. The app itself is actually very good.
• Mental math games  (Android). If you're an Android user this one is a good substitute to the mental math cards challenge one on iOS.

4. Case interview math tips and tricks

4.1. calculators are often not allowed in case interviews.

If you weren’t aware of this rule already, then you’ll need to know this: 

Calculators are not usually allowed in case interviews. This applies to both in-person and virtual case interviews. And that’s why it’s crucial for candidates to practice doing mental math quickly and accurately before attending a case interview. 

And unfortunately, doing calculations without a calculator can be really slow if you use standard long divisions and multiplications. 

But there are some tricks and techniques that you can use to simplify calculations and make them easier and faster to solve in your head. That’s what we’re going to cover in the rest of this section. 

Let’s begin with rounding numbers.

4.2. Round numbers for speed and accuracy

The next 5 subsections all cover tips that will help you do mental calculations faster. Here’s an overview of each of these tips: 

And the first one that we’ll cover here is rounding numbers. 

The tricky thing about rounding numbers is that if you round them too much you risk:

• Distorting the final result
• Or your interviewer telling you to round the numbers less

Rounding numbers is more of an art than a science, but in our experience, the following two tips tend to work well:

• We usually recommend that you avoid rounding numbers by more than +/- 10%. This is a rough rule of thumb but gives good results based on conversations with past candidates.
• You also need to alternate between rounding up and rounding down so the effects cancel out. For instance, if you're calculating A x B, we would recommend rounding A UP, and rounding B DOWN so the rounding balances out.

Note that you won't always be able to round numbers. In addition, even after you round numbers the calculations could still be difficult. So let's go through a few other tips that can help in these situations.

4.3. Abbreviate large numbers

Large numbers are difficult to deal with because of all the 0s. To be faster you need to use notations that enable you to get rid of these annoying 0s. We recommend you use labels and the scientific notation if you aren't already doing so.

Labels (k, m, b)

Use labels for thousand (k), million (m), and billion (b). You'll write numbers faster and it will force you to simplify calculations. Let's use 20,000 x 6,000,000 as an example.

• No labels: 20,000 x 6,000,000 = ... ???
• Labels: 20k x 6m = 120k x m = 120b

This approach also works for divisions. Let's try 480,000,000,000 divided by 240,000,000.

• No labels: 480,000,000,000 / 240,000,000 = ... ???
• Labels: 480b / 240m = 480k / 240 = 2k

When you can't use labels, the scientific notation is a good alternative. If you're not sure what this is, you're really missing out. But fortunately, Khan Academy has put together a good primer on that topic  here .

• Multiplication example: 600 x 500 = 6 x 5 x 102 X 102 = 30 x 104 = 300,000 = 300k
• Division example: (720,000 / 1,200) / 30 = (72 / (12 x 3)) x (104 / (102 x 10)) = (72 / 36) x (10) = 20

When you're comfortable with labels and the scientific notation you can even start mixing them:

• Mixed notation example: 200k x 600k = 2 x 6 x 104 x m = 2 x 6 x 10 x b = 120b

4.4. Use factoring to make calculations simpler

To be fast at math, you need to avoid writing down long divisions and multiplications because they take a LOT of time. In our experience, doing multiple easy calculations is faster and leads to less errors than doing one big long calculation.

A great way to achieve this is to factor and expand expressions to create simpler calculations. If you're not sure what the basics of factoring and expanding are, you can use Khan Academy again  here  and  here . Let's start with factoring.

Simple numbers: 5, 15, 25, 50, 75, etc.

In case interviews some numbers come up very frequently, and it's useful to know shortcuts to handle them. Here are some of these numbers: 5, 15, 25, 50, 75, etc. 

These numbers are common, but not particularly easy to handle.

For instance, consider 36 x 25. It's not obvious what the result is. And a lot of people would need to write down the multiplication on paper to find the answer. However there's a MUCH faster way based on the fact that 25 = 100 / 4. Here's the fast way to get to the answer:

• 36 x 25 = (36 / 4) x 100 = 9 x 100 = 900

Here's another example: 68 x 25. Again, the answer is not immediately obvious. Unless you use the shortcut we just talked about; divide by 4 first and then multiply by 100:

• 68 x 25 = (68 / 4) x 100 = 17 x 100 = 1,700

Factoring works both for multiplications and divisions. When dividing by 25, you just need to divide by 100 first, and then multiply by 4. In many situations this will save you wasting time on a long division. Here are a couple of examples:

• 2,600 / 25 = (2,600 / 100) x 4 = 26 x 4 = 104
• 1,625 / 25 = (1,625 / 100) x 4 = 16.25 x 4 = 65

The great thing about this factoring approach is that you can actually use it for other numbers than 25. Here is a list to get you started:

• 2.5 = 10 / 4
• 7.5 = 10 x 3 / 4
• 15 = 10 x 3 / 2
• 25 = 100 / 4
• 50 = 100 / 2
• 75 = 100 x 3 / 4

Once you're comfortable using this approach you can also mix it with the scientific notation on numbers such as 0.75, 0.5, 0.25, etc.

Factoring the numerator / denominator

For divisions, if there are no simple numbers (e.g. 5, 25, 50, etc.), the next best thing you can do is to try to factor the numerator and / or denominator to simplify the calculations. Here are a few examples:

• Factoring the numerator: 300 / 4 = 3 x 100 / 4 = 3 x 25 = 75
• Factoring the denominator: 432 / 12 = (432 / 4) / 3 = 108 / 3 = 36
• Looking for common factors: 90 / 42 = 6 x 15 / 6 x 7 = 15 / 7

4.5. Expand numbers to make calculations easier

Another easy way to avoid writing down long divisions and multiplications is to expand calculations into simple expressions.

Expanding with additions

Expanding with additions is intuitive to most people. The idea is to break down one of the terms into two simpler numbers (e.g. 5; 10; 25; etc.) so the calculations become easier. Here are a couple of examples:

• Multiplication: 68 x 35 = 68 x (10 + 25) = 680 + 68 x 100 / 4 = 680 + 1,700 = 2,380
• Division: 705 / 15 = (600 + 105) / 15 = (15 x 40) / 15 + 105 / 15 = 40 + 7 = 47

Notice that when expanding 35 we've carefully chosen to expand to 25 so that we could use the helpful tip we learned in the factoring section. You should keep that in mind when expanding expressions.

Expanding with subtractions

Expanding with subtractions is less intuitive to most people. But it's actually extremely effective, especially if one of the terms you are dealing with ends with a high digit like 7, 8 or 9. Here are a couple of examples:

• Multiplication: 68 x 35 = (70 - 2) x 35 = 70 x 35 - 70 = 70 x 100 / 4 + 700 - 70 = 1,750 + 630 = 2,380
• Division: 570 / 30 = (600 - 30) / 30 = 20 - 1= 19

4.6. Simplify growth rate calculations

You will also often have to deal with growth rates in case interviews. These can lead to extremely time-consuming calculations, so it's important that you learn how to deal with them efficiently.

Multiply growth rates together

Let's imagine your client's revenue is $100m. You estimate it will grow by 20% next year and 10% the year after that. In that situation, the revenues in two years will be equal to:

• Revenue in two years = $100m x (1 + 20%) x (1 + 10%) = $100m x 1.2 x 1.1 = $100m x (1.2 + 0.12) = $100m x 1.32 = $132m

Growing at 20% for one year followed by 10% for another year therefore corresponds to growing by 32% overall.

To find the compound growth you simply need to multiply them together and subtract one: (1.1 x 1.2) - 1= 1.32 - 1 = 0.32 = 32%. This is the quickest way to calculate compound growth rates precisely.

Note that this approach also works perfectly with negative growth rates. Let's imagine for instance that sales grow by 20% next year, and then decrease by 20% the following year. Here's the corresponding compound growth rate:

• Compound growth rate = (1.2 x 0.8) - 1 = 0.96 - 1 = -0.04 = -4%

See how growing by 20% and then shrinking by 20% is not equal to flat growth (0%). This is an important result to keep in mind.

Estimate compound growth rates

Multiplying growth rates is a really efficient approach when calculating compound growth over a short period of time (e.g. 2 or 3 years).

But let's imagine you want to calculate the effect of 7% growth over five years. The precise calculation you would need to do is:

• Precise growth rate: 1.07 x 1.07 x 1.07 x 1.07 x 1.07 - 1 = ... ???

Doing this calculation would take a lot of time. Fortunately, there's a useful estimation method you can use. You can approximate the compound growth using the following formula:

• Estimate growth rate = Growth rate x Number of years

In our example:

• Estimate growth rate: 7% x 5 years = 35%

In reality if you do the precise calculation (1.075 - 1) you will find that the actual growth rate is 40%. The estimation method therefore gives a result that's actually quite close. In case interviews your interviewer will always be happy with you taking that shortcut as doing the precise calculation takes too much time.

4.7. Memorise key statistics

In addition to the tricks and shortcuts we’ve just covered, it can also help to memorise some common statistics. 

For example, it would be good to know the population of the city and country where your target office is located. 

In general, this type of data is useful to know, but it's particularly important when you face  market sizing questions . 

So, to help you learn (or refresh on) some important numbers, here is a short summary:

Of course this is not a comprehensive set of numbers, so you may need to tailor it to your own location or situation.   

5. Practising case interview maths

Sitting down and working through the math formulas we've gone through in this article is a key part of your case interview preparation. But it isn’t enough.

At some point, you’ll want to practice making calculations under interview conditions.

5.1 Practise with peers

If you have friends or peers who can do mock interviews with you, that's an option worth trying. It’s free, but be warned, you may come up against the following problems:

• It’s hard to know if the feedback you get is accurate
• They’re unlikely to have insider knowledge of interviews at your target company
• On peer platforms, people often waste your time by not showing up

For those reasons, many candidates skip peer mock interviews and go straight to mock interviews with an expert.

5.2 Practise with experienced MBB interviewers

In our experience, practising real interviews with experts who can give you company-specific feedback makes a huge difference.

Find a consulting interview coach so you can:

• Test yourself under real interview conditions
• Get accurate feedback from a real expert
• Build your confidence
• Get company-specific insights
• Learn how to tell the right stories, better.
• Save time by focusing your preparation

Landing a job at a top consulting company often results in a $50,000 per year or more increase in total compensation. In our experience, three or four coaching sessions worth ~$500 make a significant difference in your ability to land the job. That’s an ROI of 100x!

Click here to book case interview coaching with experienced MBB interviewers.

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