Prepare for your McKinsey MBA interview

Case interviews and behavioral rounds calibrated to McKinsey's structured problem-solving approach for MBA hires.

Socratify AI

The Interview

What McKinsey is looking for

Strategy Cases Interview

Strategic Business Cases

01Problem Structuring & MECE

02Hypothesis-Driven Reasoning

03Quantitative Modeling

04Recommendation & Rationale

Behavioral Interview

Personal Experience & Impact

01Leadership Under Uncertainty

02Data-Driven Decision Making

03Influence & Persuasion

04Resilience & Learning Mindset

Hypothesis-driven case approach from minute one//Structured frameworks across growth, profitability, M&A//Emphasis on insights and business impact over computation

Practice Library

McKinsey exercises

Ready to ace your McKinsey MBA interview?

Prepare for your McKinsey MBA interview

Case interviews and behavioral rounds calibrated to McKinsey's structured problem-solving approach for MBA hires.

Socratify AI

The Interview

What McKinsey is looking for

Strategy Cases Interview

Strategic Business Cases

01Problem Structuring & MECE

02Hypothesis-Driven Reasoning

03Quantitative Modeling

04Recommendation & Rationale

Behavioral Interview

Personal Experience & Impact

01Leadership Under Uncertainty

02Data-Driven Decision Making

03Influence & Persuasion

04Resilience & Learning Mindset

Hypothesis-driven case approach from minute one//Structured frameworks across growth, profitability, M&A//Emphasis on insights and business impact over computation

How It Works

Master McKinsey MBA Case Interviews

Strategic decision-making cases on market entry, acquisitions, and competitive strategy aligned with McKinsey's evaluation standards. · Click to expand

1Your MBA Goals

Business Strategy

Practitioner

Financial Analysis

Practitioner

2MBA Case Prep

Your client, a $5B retailer, is losing market share to DTC brands. Diagnose the issue...

LEARNMedium

McKinsey

3Frameworks

Framework

Is there compelling strategic fit?

Market and competitive positioning?

Target adds $50M ARR, enters $2B market we want to own

Competitor acquisition would strengthen rival by 3x market share

Capability and product gaps?

Target has AI/ML stack (18-month build for us)

Their customer base (SMB) expands our TAM by 35%

Do the financial returns justify the investment?

Revenue and profitability synergies?

Estimated IRR: 18% (target: 15%+, our WACC: 8%)

Synergy capture: $80M (35% of $500M value), 65% likely realization

Payback period and downside protection?

Payback timeline: 4.2 years (target: <5 years)

Worst case (30% prob): 8% IRR (still above WACC)

Can we successfully integrate and retain talent?

Culture and team dynamics fit?

Target: startup culture, rapid iteration; our: process-heavy

Estimated key talent loss: 25-35% in first 18 months

Governance and decision-making alignment?

Proposed: standalone P&L for 24 months, then integration

Retention bonus pool: $15M for key 40 people

What are the key execution risks?

Integration complexity and timeline?

Technical integration: 12 months (platform consolidation)

Commercial integration: 18-24 months (go-to-market alignment)

Key risk mitigation and contingencies?

Dependency risk: target has 40% revenue from top 3 customers

Mitigation: pre-deal customer commitment letters (3-year)

4Feedback

Strategic Thinking

Distinctive

Financial Modeling

Strong

Execution Planning

Meeting Bar

Business Judgment

Strong

Repeat

Practice Library

McKinsey exercises

Our client, a Fortune 500 retailer, wants to acquire a high-growth e-commerce startup...

LEARNMedium

Retail & E-Commerce · M&A StrategyMcKinsey

A tech company's market share declined 8pp in 18 months despite product innovation....

CASE INTERVIEWHard

Technology · Growth StrategyMcKinsey

A pharmaceutical company is considering entering a new therapeutic area requiring $150M...

LEARNMedium

Pharmaceuticals · Investment DecisionMcKinsey

Tell me about a time you led a team through a major strategic shift. What was at stake...

BEHAVIORALHard

Behavioral · Leadership & VisionMcKinsey

Describe a situation where you had to recommend a counterintuitive decision backed by...

BEHAVIORALHard

Behavioral · Analytical RigorMcKinsey