PEI (Personal Experience Interview)
McKinsey's behavioral round, run alongside the case and scored on its own dimensions.
The PEI asks for a deep account of a small number of real experiences, typically around themes like personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, and inclusive leadership. Rather than covering many stories briefly, it goes a long way into one.
McKinsey describes it on its careers site as a distinct component of the interview alongside the case.
What it means for you
Depth is the whole test. Expect to be asked what you were thinking, what the alternative was, and how the other person reacted, several layers past where most interviews stop.
A story you have told once at a surface level will not survive that. Candidates who prepare a broad set of shallow stories tend to do worse than those who know two or three extremely well.
Where you will meet it
Related
Sources
Built from what McKinsey publishes about its own process. No leaked question lists. The questions you get are generated against your own resume, so they are not from anyone else's interview.
Sources last checked . Hiring loops change, so this date is the honest limit on everything above.
Reading about it is not the same as saying it.
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