I applied through university. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Beijing, Beijing) in Nov 2010
Interview
I went as far as the second round interview for McKinsey. The first round was their standard assessment test with two group case studies at the end. I was told that the outcome of the first round interview was solely based on the assessment test. The group case studies were actually meant for the interviewees to get a sense of how the later individual case interviews would be (which was more than helpful for my case). The assessment test was very similar to the online sample test they post on the website. The only suggestion I can give is to practice your math and learn about some of the various sales definitions.
The second round interview for me was in Boston. I had two 1:1 interviews, which included both personality fit portion and case study portion. The two fit questions I got were:
1. Give me one instance that shows your leadership skills.
2. Give me one example that you resolved a conflict within a team.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Give me one example where you resolved a conflict within a team.
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (‘Ushayrah, Riyadh Province)
Interview
Rigorous but fair questions - mostly case based. Two sets of interviews x 2 rounds. You only get invited back for the afternoon if you pass the morning round. They expect a high degree of mental math and creativity. Worth prepping for standard case interview style questions, using frameworks but able to adapt them.
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Washington, DC)
Interview
Long process with little to no communication, good folks though. Not too difficult just time consuming. Pulled out after the first round as I lost interest, but appreciated the opportunity to interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Prior experience and what I wanted out of the role
The interview process is structured and demanding. It includes a resume screen, problem solving tests, and multiple case interviews with personal experience questions. It’s objectively hard, testing structured thinking, communication, and calm under pressure. Not impossible but you must prepare seriously.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
They asked me to walk through a case and clearly structure the problem first. How I broke it down mattered more than getting the final answer right.
