Lesson 1 of 2 Facts checked against sources on 28 September 2026 12 min

McKinsey & Company: who they are and what they value

Positioning, what they look for, case style, entry titles, and a preparation plan.

Firm processes and online tests change from year to year and differ by office. Use this to prepare, and confirm the exact current steps on the firm's own careers page.

Key takeaways

Candidates and prep sources describe McKinsey cases as interviewer-led: the interviewer moves you through a set of questions, for example a structure question, a chart to read, a calculation, and a final recommendation.
Leadership (earlier name: Inclusive Leadership)
Connection (earlier name: Personal Impact)
Drive (earlier name: Entrepreneurial Drive)

What the firm is and how it describes itself

McKinsey & Company is one of the three firms often called MBB, together with BCG and Bain. McKinsey states its purpose as helping to "create positive, enduring change in the world". Its stated mission is to help clients make distinctive, lasting, and substantial improvements in their performance.

McKinsey says that for most client-facing roles you will have a personal experience interview (PEI) followed by a problem-solving interview, which is often called the case interview. Many applicants also take Solve, McKinsey's gamified assessment, before any interview.

Independence

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What it looks for in candidates

Leadership (earlier name: Inclusive Leadership)
Connection (earlier name: Personal Impact)
Drive (earlier name: Entrepreneurial Drive)
Growth (earlier name: Courageous Change)
Structured problem solving, tested in the case interview

How its live cases usually run

Candidates and prep sources describe McKinsey cases as interviewer-led: the interviewer moves you through a set of questions, for example a structure question, a chart to read, a calculation, and a final recommendation. You still need to show your own thinking at every step. McKinsey itself calls it a problem-solving interview.

How it runs the fit or experience interview: The personal experience interview asks for one real story on one dimension and then probes it with many follow-up questions, often for 10 to 15 minutes (reported). The four dimensions were renamed in summer 2025 to Leadership, Connection, Drive, and Growth (reported by several prep sources that cite McKinsey's careers page). McKinsey suggests preparing two personal examples. Because each interviewer usually covers one dimension and candidates are advised not to tell the same story to a second interviewer, plan for at least two stories per dimension, eight or more in total.

Entry titles

Business Analyst: the usual entry title for bachelor's and many master's candidates. McKinsey also lists fellow and intern roles.
Associate: the usual entry title for MBA candidates.
Titles and eligibility differ by office. Read the posting for the office you apply to.

How to prepare for this firm

Practice interviewer-led cases until you can answer each question in a clear, answer-first way.
Build a story bank with at least two stories each for Leadership, Connection, Drive, and Growth, eight or more in total, each detailed enough for 10 to 15 minutes of questions.
Plan which story you will use with which interviewer, so you do not repeat a story within one process.
Read McKinsey's Solve page and your invitation. McKinsey says no special preparation is needed; being calm when reading data quickly and deciding under a time limit still helps.
Practice giving your answer first and then your reasons, in every case.

Facts checked against sources on 2026-09-28. Sources, official pages first. "Reported" means a secondary source, not the firm or government itself.

McKinsey: Interviewing at McKinsey (official): https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/interviewing
McKinsey: Solve, McKinsey's assessment game (official): https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/mckinsey-digital-assessment
McKinsey: Our purpose, mission, and values (official): https://www.mckinsey.com/about-us/overview/our-purpose-mission-and-values
McKinsey: Undergraduate degree careers (official): https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/students/undergraduate-degree
McKinsey: MBA careers (official): https://www.mckinsey.com/careers/students/mba-degree
Reported: PrepLounge, McKinsey PEI (2025 dimension names): https://www.preplounge.com/en/blog/consulting/interview/mckinsey-pei
Reported: RoadToOffer, McKinsey PEI guide: https://www.roadtooffer.com/blog/mckinsey-pei-guide
Reported: Hacking the Case Interview, McKinsey PEI questions: https://www.hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/mckinsey-pei-questions
Reported: MyConsultingCoach, McKinsey Solve guide: https://www.myconsultingcoach.com/mckinsey-problem-solving-game
Reported: CaseCoach, 22 September 2026, interview with McKinsey's talent attraction lead on AI-assisted cases: https://casecoach.com/b/how-mckinsey-bcg-and-bain-are-testing-ai-skills-in-interviews/
Reported (news): Business Insider via Yahoo Finance, 24 May 2026, McKinsey on AI in recruiting: https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/mckinsey-wants-job-candidates-practice-095201522.html
Reported (news): Fortune, 14 January 2026, earlier report of a McKinsey AI interview pilot: https://fortune.com/2026/01/14/how-to-get-hired-at-mckinsey-ai-tools-liberal-arts-creativity/
Reported: StrategyCase, McKinsey AI interview: https://strategycase.com/mckinsey-ai-interview/

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