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McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company Interview Questions

McKinsey Personal Experience Interview (PEI) questions can include a variety of behavioral questions that assess leadership, personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, and the ability to handle change.

First question from the McKinsey & Company bank

21 questions

Describe a time when you led a team through a difficult challenge. What strategies did you employ?

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Practice questions

  1. Describe a time when you led a team through a difficult challenge. What strategies did you employ?

  2. Tell me about a time when you had to change your approach halfway through a project due to unforeseen challenges.

  3. Describe a situation where you had to work with a difficult colleague or client. How did you handle it?

  4. Tell me about a time when you overcame a significant challenge at work.

  5. Describe a time when you worked to achieve something that was outside of your comfort zone.

  6. Tell me about a time when you effectively worked with people from different backgrounds.

  7. Revisit a time when you experienced a significant change or encountered an ambiguous situation and share the actions you took to adapt to the new circumstances.

  8. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision with limited information.

  9. Describe a situation where you had to handle a crisis or unexpected issue in a project.

  10. Tell me about a time when you had to motivate a team to achieve a challenging goal.

  11. Describe a time when you had to navigate internal politics or roadblocks within an organization.

  12. Tell me about a time when you had to work under tight deadlines and high pressure.

  13. Describe a situation where you had to handle conflicting priorities and deadlines.

  14. Tell me about a time when you identified and mitigated a potential risk in a project.

  15. Describe a situation where you had to adapt to a change in project scope or requirements.

  16. Tell me about a time when you received recognition or an award for your work.

  17. Describe a time when you had to handle a situation where a team member was not pulling their weight.

  18. Tell me about a time when you had to work with external partners or vendors.

  19. Describe a situation where you had to ensure that your work was accessible and inclusive for all users.

  20. Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a new technology or tool quickly.

  21. How do you measure the success of a project or product?

McKinsey & Company interview guide

Process overview, interviewer expectations, and detailed answer examples.

  • Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  • Research McKinsey & Company's values and culture so your answers land.
Read the guide

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How to prepare for McKinsey & Company interview questions

Use these questions to choose relevant examples from your own experience, then practice explaining your decisions and results out loud. The question bank is a preparation resource; your interviewer may ask different questions. Example answers illustrate an approach and should be adapted to your experience.

  1. Review the job description and identify the skills and responsibilities the interview is likely to assess.
  2. For behavioral questions, use STAR: explain the Situation, your Task, the Action you took, and the Result. Be specific about your own contribution.
  3. For technical questions, clarify assumptions, explain your reasoning, and discuss alternatives and tradeoffs.
  4. Practice one answer, review the feedback, and try again with a clearer explanation or stronger evidence.

Questions are free to browse. Sign in with a free account to read the full example answers. For more guidance, read our guide to interview stories or review how interview feedback is scored.