McKinsey & Company
Problem Solving Interview (PSI) + Personal Experience Interview (PEI)
Interview Format
Problem Solving Interview (PSI)
Replaces the traditional case. Multiple business scenarios with structured math, data interpretation, and recommendation questions. Usually 2 rounds.
Personal Experience Interview (PEI)
One structured story per round. They probe a single leadership / impact / entrepreneurship story deeply for 20–30 minutes. Expect 4–5 follow-up layers per answer.
Written Case (select offices)
Some offices add a written case component with charts and data you analyze on paper.
What They Actually Test
- →Structured thinking under ambiguity — can you break a problem into MECE components instantly?
- →Quantitative reasoning — mental math, chart reading, estimation to within 20%
- →Hypothesis-driven logic — do you lead with a recommendation, not a framework?
- →Leadership impact at scale — specificity of your story, your personal role, and the measurable outcome
- →Drive and entrepreneurship — did you initiate something that didn't exist before?
Real-Style Sample Questions
A consumer goods company's revenue has declined 12% YoY. What are the three most likely root causes, and how would you test each hypothesis?
A telecom operator wants to enter the rural broadband market. What factors would you evaluate to decide whether to enter, and what would your recommendation be?
Tell me about a time you led a team through significant change. Walk me through the situation in detail.
Describe a situation where you had to convince a senior stakeholder who disagreed with your recommendation.
Give me an example of something you built or created from scratch, where the initiative was entirely yours.
Scoring Philosophy
McKinsey evaluators score on: structure (MECE, exhaustive), analytics (correct approach, no math errors), synthesis (so-what insight, not a summary), and client impact (confident, actionable recommendation). For PEI: specificity, personal ownership, and scale of impact matter more than complexity of situation.
Insider Tips
Lead with a hypothesis, not a framework. 'I think the issue is X. Let me structure why.' — not 'Let me use a 4Ps framework.'
For PEI, prepare 3 stories — one leadership, one impact, one entrepreneurship. They will probe only one per round but will go 5 layers deep.
Do mental math out loud. Rounding, estimation, and transparency about your logic matter more than the exact number.
Never give a recommendation without a risk/sensitivity caveat. 'I'd recommend X, assuming Y holds true.'
Ready to practice?
Start a case structuring session calibrated for McKinsey.