I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Washington, DC) in Dec 2023
Interview
Resume review, followed by PST standardized test, followed by a one-hour case interview with an Associate (screener to make sure you're not horrible) followed by three back-to-back Partner case interviews.
Each case interview consisted of a quick tell-me-about-yourself, then a PEI question (one question about your experience), with some probing questions, and then a full case interview. The cases themselves lasted anywhere rom 20-35 minutes for me, and some I finished quite early with plenty of time left on the clock to just chat with the partners.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Each question was along the lines of getting you to describe either (1) personal impact (2) entrepreneurial drive (3) inclusive leadership or (4) courageous change.
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (London, England)
Interview
complete online solve - standard games, then standard CV screen, then 2 interviews in round 1 which consists of one personal experience interview question and 1 case each. they guide you pretty clearly on the process
I applied online. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company (Milan) in Feb 2026
Interview
Starts with resume screening and the Solve game assessment. It advances to first-round interviews (2-3 sessions of PEI behavioral questions and interviewer-led cases), followed by final rounds with partners. Offers follow top performers.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a time when you led a team through a challenging project with a tight deadline.
60 minutes, split evenly between two parts. The first 30 minutes focus on the PEI (Personal Experience Interview), where one has to share stories showcasing leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. The remaining 30 minutes are dedicated to a case interview, testing structured thinking, analytical skills, and communication.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Tell me about a time when you led others through a challenging situation and achieved a meaningful result.
Associate Intern applicants have rated the interview process at McKinsey & Company with 3.6 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 63% positive. To compare, the company-average is 64.4% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Associate Intern roles take an average of 80 days to get hired, when considering 8 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at McKinsey & Company overall takes an average of 40 days.
Common stages of the interview process at McKinsey & Company as a Associate Intern according to 8 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 41%
Skills test: 18%
IQ intelligence test: 12%
Personality test: 12%
Presentation: 12%
Phone interview: 6%
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