McKinsey PEI Questions: What They Are and How to Answer
If you're preparing for a McKinsey interview, understanding the PEI questions is crucial.
Posted November 27, 2024
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If you're applying for a position at McKinsey & Company, you're bound to encounter the Personal Experience Interview (PEI) portion of the recruitment process. This interview assesses your leadership and personal skills through detailed storytelling about your past experiences. Here's what you need to know about McKinsey PEI questions and how to answer them effectively, to land you the job you've been dreaming of.
Check out these other McKinsey resources:
- What is the McKinsey Game and How to Solve It
- A Day in the Life of a McKinsey Management Consultant
- Five Tips to Break Into Management Consulting
Why McKinsey PEI Questions are Important
The McKinsey PEI interview questions are crucial because they help the company assess how well you can demonstrate personal attributes that align with McKinsey's core values. Leadership, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and communication are among the essential characteristics the interview team will evaluate during the PEI. This interview helps determine if you're a good fit for the company culture and if you exhibit the skills that the company is looking for in its consultants.
Additionally, the McKinsey PEI interview questions provide an opportunity for you to showcase your unique experiences and accomplishments. By sharing specific examples of how you have demonstrated the desired personal attributes in your past experiences, you can differentiate yourself from other candidates and leave a lasting impression on the interview team. Therefore, it is important to prepare thoroughly for the PEI by reflecting on your past experiences and identifying examples that highlight your leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills.
The Structure of McKinsey PEI Questions
The structure of McKinsey PEI questions consists of asking candidates to answer questions that focus on their past experiences, behaviors, and actions. The goal is to evaluate how you behaved in specific situations and if you demonstrated the desired leadership and problem-solving skills. The interviewer will typically ask open-ended questions such as "Tell me about a time when you had to lead a challenging project." Those questions will require you to tell a detailed story highlighting your experience and demonstrating the core skills requested by the interviewer.
It is important to note that the interviewer is not only interested in the outcome of the situation, but also in the thought process and actions that led to that outcome. Therefore, it is crucial to provide specific examples and details about your actions and decision-making process. Additionally, the interviewer may ask follow-up questions to gain a deeper understanding of your thought process and actions. It is important to be prepared to provide additional information and insights to showcase your skills and experiences.
The 6 Key Traits McKinsey is Testing For
McKinsey is transparent about the core traits it evaluates during the Personal Experience Interview (PEI). According to its careers page, the firm assesses candidates on six key qualities that are critical for success as a consultant at McKinsey.
See also: What Do Consultants Do at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain?
1. Personal Impact
McKinsey values individuals who can drive meaningful change in complex and high-pressure environments. Working with top-tier clients in demanding industries requires consultants to produce results while meeting elevated expectations. In the PEI, McKinsey seeks examples where you demonstrated influence, overcame challenges, and delivered impactful outcomes—key abilities for thriving in their fast-paced, client-focused culture.
2. Entrepreneurial Drive
McKinsey consultants are self-starters who thrive without a formal boss or rigid structure. From the start, you’ll own significant workstreams and be expected to take initiative. Candidates with entrepreneurial drive are adept at working independently, finding creative solutions, and staying focused on achieving results even amidst ambiguity. In your PEI, McKinsey will look for examples where you showcased tenacity, adaptability, and resourcefulness in pursuing ambitious goals.
3. Inclusive Leadership
Leadership at McKinsey is not defined by title or tenure. Even as a new consultant, you’ll be expected to contribute meaningfully to your team and engage with clients as a trusted advisor. McKinsey evaluates candidates for their ability to lead inclusively, inspire collaboration, and foster a sense of shared purpose among diverse stakeholders. Examples where you guided a team, resolved conflicts, or brought people together toward a common goal will resonate strongly in your PEI.
4. Courageous Change
The ability to embrace and adapt to change is vital in the consulting world. Whether managing unexpected challenges or making tough decisions with incomplete information, consultants must navigate uncertainty with confidence. In the PEI, McKinsey seeks candidates who can reflect on times they embraced change, took calculated risks, and responded to unforeseen circumstances with resilience and creativity.
5. Problem-Solving
Effective problem-solving is crucial for consultants, as it involves the ability to structure complex issues, analyze data, and develop actionable recommendations. McKinsey seeks individuals who can approach challenges methodically, think critically, and deliver innovative solutions that drive client success.
6. Expertise
For roles requiring specialized knowledge, Expertise becomes a key focus. This pertains to candidates with deep experience in specific industries or functions, enabling them to provide valuable insights and effectively address client needs. Demonstrating both problem-solving capabilities and relevant expertise showcases a candidate's potential to contribute meaningfully to McKinsey's diverse client engagements.
How to Prepare for McKinsey PEI Questions
McKinsey’s Personal Experience Interview (PEI) is designed to assess critical traits like leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. Success in this part of the interview requires thoughtful preparation and polished storytelling. Here's how to effectively prepare for McKinsey PEI questions.
Getting ready for case interviews? Here are some popular resources to take advantage of:
- The Ultimate Guide to the Consulting Case Interview – With Examples
- From No Offers to Multiple Offers–How to Take Your Casing to the Next Level
- Top 3 Tactics to Ace Your Case Interview
Understand McKinsey’s values and what they're looking for in candidates
Study McKinsey’s core principles, such as client impact, teamwork, and innovation. Familiarize yourself with how these values are reflected in their culture and consulting approach.
Expert Tip: Use the job posting! Look for keywords and qualities McKinsey emphasizes in their ideal candidates (e.g., leadership, structured thinking, collaboration). Tailor your preparation to align with these traits.
Craft and refine your key anecdotes
Prepare three to five specific, high-impact stories from your past experiences that highlight skills such as leadership, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. These examples can be drawn from professional, academic, or extracurricular contexts. Structure your stories using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to clearly outline the context, what you aimed to achieve, your actions, and measurable outcomes. Keep your responses concise but impactful.
When sharing these stories, focus on your personal contributions, decisions, and thought process, even in team scenarios, and demonstrate how your actions directly impacted the outcomes.
Get ready for follow-up questions
Particularly for the PEI, interviewers like to ask follow-ups that dive deeper into your story. For example:
- "What challenges did you face when leading the team?"
- "How did you resolve conflicts within the group?"
- "What would you do differently in hindsight?"
Be ready to discuss your decision-making process, thought patterns, and lessons learned. Demonstrating self-awareness and a reflective mindset is key here. They want to know that you were intentional when you made the decision, and reflective in what you learned and how you will implement those learnings moving forward.
Common McKinsey PEI Questions and Best Answers
You don't want to overly practice answers so as to become rote, but knowing the types of questions you may be asked and having some stories that you can pull from and adapt to different prompts will help significantly help you prepare. Here are some common questions and below, example answers to four examples.
The PEI Questions
- Explain a challenging situation you encountered when working with someone with an opposing opinion. (Personal Impact)
- Talk about a time when you worked to achieve something in a limited period of time that was outside your comfort zone. (Entrepreneurial Drive)
- Share an example where you worked with people with different backgrounds despite challenges. (Inclusive Leadership)
- Revisit a time where you experienced a significant change and share the actions you took to adapt to the new circumstances. (Courageous Change)
- Discuss a hypothetical client scenario to help us understand how you structure tough, ambiguous challenges, identify important issues, deal with the implications of facts and data, formulate conclusions and recommendations, and articulate your thoughts. (Problem-Solving)
- [Your recruiter will share more details about expertise questions, if applicable to your role.]
Example PEI Answers
Talk about a time when you worked to achieve something in a limited period of time that was outside your comfort zone. (Entrepreneurial Drive)
"During my internship at a fintech startup, I was tasked with creating a financial forecasting model for a new product launch. While I was comfortable with Excel and basic financial analysis, I had never built a model from scratch. To make it even more challenging, I had to present the model to the executive team in just two weeks. At first, I felt overwhelmed by the scope of the project, but I decided to break it down into manageable steps.
I began by consulting with the product and marketing teams to understand key assumptions like pricing, adoption rates, and cost structure. I also sought advice from a senior analyst to ensure I was using the right financial frameworks. After multiple iterations and late nights refining the model, I not only completed it on time but also added a sensitivity analysis to account for varying market conditions.
During the presentation, the CFO praised my work for its clarity and thoroughness, and the model was later used to secure an additional $1 million in funding. This experience taught me the value of embracing discomfort as a growth opportunity and leveraging collaboration and resources to overcome challenges."
Explain a challenging situation you encountered when working with someone with an opposing opinion. (Personal Impact)
"During a group project at my previous role, we were tasked with developing a strategy to reduce customer churn for a SaaS product. One of my colleagues strongly advocated for implementing a costly feature update based on limited customer feedback, while I believed we should focus on improving the onboarding process based on broader data trends.
Rather than dismiss their idea outright, I proposed a compromise. I suggested we conduct a quick survey to validate whether the feature update addressed a widespread need or if our onboarding improvements would have a greater impact. To keep the project on track, I took the lead in designing the survey and analyzing the responses.
The data overwhelmingly showed that new users were dropping off during onboarding due to unclear instructions, so we focused our resources on improving that experience. As a result, churn decreased by 15% within three months of implementing the changes. This experience taught me the importance of balancing data-driven decision-making with open collaboration and finding common ground in disagreements."
Share an example where you worked with people with different backgrounds despite challenges. (Inclusive Leadership)
"While working on a consulting project during my final semester of university, I led a team of six students from different majors, including engineering, psychology, business, and design, to develop a solution for a nonprofit tackling food insecurity. Our diverse perspectives were both a strength and a challenge.
During brainstorming sessions, the engineering student focused on logistical optimization, while the psychology major emphasized behavioral barriers to food access. Initially, these approaches clashed, leading to unproductive debates. As the leader, I encouraged each member to share their unique insights and proposed integrating their ideas. For example, we combined the engineering student's delivery route optimization model with the psychology major's insights into user behavior to create a system that addressed both logistical and psychological barriers.
The result was a user-friendly mobile app that reduced delivery times by 20% and increased food pickup rates by 30%. This experience reinforced the importance of fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives can converge into innovative solutions."
Revisit a time where you experienced a significant change and share the actions you took to adapt to the new circumstances. (Courageous Change)
"In my first role as an analyst at a boutique consulting firm, my manager unexpectedly left midway through a major client engagement. With no immediate replacement, I was asked to step up and manage the project, including leading client meetings and coordinating deliverables with the team.
This shift was daunting, as I had never managed a project of this scale before. To adapt, I quickly revisited our project plan to ensure I had a clear understanding of timelines and deliverables. I also scheduled regular check-ins with the team to align on progress and address any concerns. To manage client expectations, I proactively communicated updates and took extra care to ensure their feedback was incorporated into our work.
Although I faced a steep learning curve, the project was delivered on time, and the client extended their contract with us for additional work. My ability to adapt to this unexpected change not only strengthened my confidence but also showcased my ability to step into leadership roles when needed."
Read: The 15 Most Common Consulting Interview Questions — With Answers
Tips for Answering McKinsey PEI Questions Confidently
Answering McKinsey PEI questions requires preparation, precision, and authenticity. Here’s a more tactical and detailed guide to help you ace this part of the interview:
Understand the question and its purpose: Listen carefully to the question and take a moment to process it before answering. If anything is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. Each PEI question is designed to evaluate a specific competency (e.g., leadership, entrepreneurial drive), so align your response with the trait they’re testing. For example, if asked about a leadership experience, ensure your story highlights your decision-making, team motivation, and results.
Plan your story strategically: Choose stories that are relevant, impactful, and directly address the competency being assessed. Use the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answer, ensuring it’s organized and easy to follow. Focus on high-stakes or high-impact scenarios where your actions made a measurable difference. For instance, talk about a time you drove change, overcame a challenge, or exceeded expectations in a professional or academic setting.
Focus on the core details: Avoid unnecessary background information or excessive detail that doesn’t add value. Keep your answer centered on the core elements of the story: what the challenge was, what actions you took, and what results you achieved. Admissions committees and interviewers value brevity and clarity, so practice keeping your responses concise while maintaining impact. Aim for a response that’s about 2-3 minutes long.
Showcase your personality: Your stories should reflect not just your skills and accomplishments but also who you are as a person. Share moments of vulnerability, such as challenges you overcame or lessons you learned, to make your responses relatable and genuine. Let your enthusiasm and passion come through, whether you’re talking about teamwork, leadership, or problem-solving. McKinsey values authenticity, so don’t try to sound overly rehearsed or like someone you’re not.
Practice delivery with feedback: Practice your stories aloud multiple times to refine your tone, pace, and clarity. Focus on confident delivery without sounding robotic. Record yourself or practice with a mentor who can provide constructive feedback. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice, and eye contact during mock interviews, as these non-verbal cues also contribute to your confidence and engagement. We highly recommend doing this with an expert consulting coach who has experience interviewing for McKinsey and can help you brainstorm and refine your answers.
PEI Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Here are some mistakes you'll want to avoid when answering McKinsey PEI interview questions:
Being Too General
The Mistake: Providing vague or broad answers without specific examples, which fail to showcase your unique skills and impact.
How to Avoid It: Use the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your stories and include quantifiable results whenever possible. For example, instead of saying, “I improved team collaboration,” say, “I implemented weekly check-ins that reduced project delays by 20% and improved team efficiency.”
Being Defensive or Negative
The Mistake: Blaming others for challenges, making excuses, or speaking poorly about former colleagues, teams, or employers.
How to Avoid It: Focus on solutions, lessons learned, and your personal growth. Frame challenges positively by explaining how you took ownership and resolved them. For instance, if discussing a team conflict, highlight the steps you took to mediate and foster collaboration.
Being Overly Scripted
The Mistake: Sounding like you’re reciting a rehearsed speech, which can come across as inauthentic or robotic.
How to Avoid It: Practice your stories enough to feel comfortable, but leave room for spontaneity and flexibility. Aim for a conversational tone and adjust your delivery based on the interviewer’s cues. If you stumble, acknowledge it naturally and move forward confidently.
Not Showing Personality
The Mistake: Giving robotic or overly formal answers that fail to show your individuality and make you memorable.
How to Avoid It: Let your personality shine by sharing stories that reflect your values, passions, and unique perspective. Use natural language and inject enthusiasm into your delivery. McKinsey is looking for candidates who are authentic and relatable, so be yourself.
Not Answering the Actual Question
The Mistake: Veering off-topic or providing answers that don’t directly address what the interviewer asked.
How to Avoid It: Actively listen to the question, take a moment to process it, and structure your response to stay on track. If you’re unsure whether your story is aligned, don’t hesitate to confirm with the interviewer before diving into your answer. For example, ask, “Would you like me to focus on my role in resolving the conflict?”
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