- Tell me about your biggest career achievement to date.
- Tell me about a time you overcame a significant challenge at work.
- Tell me about a time where you resolved an important disagreement with a colleague.
- Tell me about a time when you demonstrated exceptional leadership.
McKinsey PEI question “Tell me about an accomplishment you are proud of.” McKinsey interview
Interviews for Top Jobs at McKinsey & Company
Associate Interview
I applied online. I interviewed at McKinsey & Company
Interview
First met with a recruiter, then went through a 30 min case, and then had 4 interviews, PEI and case, all about an hour. It was brutal. The 30 minute case is significantly easier than the ones in the second round
- 4 business cases and then PEI stories
Junior Associate Interview
I interviewed at McKinsey & Company
Interview
Challenging but interesting. All my interviews went well until I got to my final interview. The last interviewer seemed to be in a bad mood, she seemed under a lot of pressure and easily irritable.
- Q1: A challenge you faced and how you solved it?Q2: Case study
During your interview, well ask you to share examples from your personal experiences. Some interviewers will use the exact language below, while some will use their own words. Your responses to these questions allow us to understand your accomplishments and challenges beyond your CV and discover skills that will help you thrive at McKinsey.
While there’s no template for success at McKinsey, our people share some qualities that help make us successful–and that make working here rewarding.
We suggest that you prepare two personal examples to demonstrate your skills in these areas. During your interview, you should speak in a conversational style about your examples and share details about the challenges, goals, and actions you took to create change.
McKinsey has become aware of scams involving false offers of McKinsey employment. The scams and false offers use imposter websites, email addresses, and text messages. None of these offers are legitimate, and McKinsey’s recruiting process never involves interviewing via instant message, nor requires candidates to purchase products or services, or process payments on our behalf.
If you are interested in McKinsey careers beyond consulting, you can learn more about the assessment process for our internal roles here. We strive to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to our website. If you would like information about this content we will be happy to work with you. Please email us at:
The McKinsey PEI is Asked in Almost Every Interview
Almost every single McKinsey interviewer will ask you the McKinsey PEI question.
The McKinsey PEI will be given either before the case interview or after the case interview is completed. It will last between 10 to 15 minutes.
Your McKinsey first round interview typically has two interviewers while your McKinsey final round interview typically has two or three interviewers. Therefore, you’ll be answering the McKinsey PEI question four to five times.
Since each PEI lasts between 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll spend 40 to 75 minutes in total answering PEI questions!
Clearly, McKinsey places an important emphasis on this type of interview question, so make sure you are spending enough time preparing.
Many candidates will spend hundreds of hours preparing for case interviews while only spending an hour preparing for McKinsey PEI questions. Therefore, by spending even a few hours preparing for PEI questions, you can give yourself a significant edge over the competition.
How Is the McKinsey PEI Question Different from Other Behavioral Interview Questions?
The McKinsey PEI is different from other consulting firms’ behavioral interviews in 2 ways:
FAQ
What does PEI stand for McKinsey?
How do I prepare for McKinsey Pei interview?
How long should McKinsey Pei answers be?
How do you introduce yourself at McKinsey interview?
