Did my McKinsey first round two weeks ago. Sharing the PEI questions because when I searched before going in, most of what I found was two or three years old and the questions have shifted a bit.
For context: I'm coming from a fintech background, targeting the digital practice. Two interviews, each with a case and a PEI segment.
PEI in my first interview: Tell me about a time you had to change the direction of a project you were leading when new information emerged. Walk me through what you found out and how you pivoted. They followed up asking: what did you tell your stakeholders, how did you frame the change.
PEI in my second interview: Describe a situation where you had to influence people who didn't report to you to do something they weren't initially on board with. Follow-up: what would you do differently in how you communicated the ask.
Both had the pattern of: situation, then a follow-up drilling into the stakeholder/communication angle. They seem less interested in the business outcome and more interested in HOW you operated with people around you. That shift surprised me compared to what older prep materials described.
A few things I noticed: They want specific, recent examples. I tried to use something from four years ago once and the interviewer gently asked if I had something more recent. They're timing you loosely. I went over on my first PEI and could feel the pace shift. The case felt like a simpler entry point than I expected. My first case was a profitability problem. I wonder if first round has gotten more accessible in case difficulty to filter on PEI instead.
I made it to the second round so I'll post again once I've been through that. Anyone else have recent first round intel from the Americas offices?