Actually yes – McKinsey interviewers also ask general CV-related questions during your interviews. This usually happens after an initial ice-breaking/warm-up, and before your Personal Experience Interview starts.
As opposed to interviews in most companies outside the consulting space and also some other consulting firms, the focus and underlying idea of those general CV-related questions is slightly different in your McKinsey interviews.
For McKinsey, it’s much more about better understanding of the candidate and his/her background in detail, than trying to assess candidates with shallow pre-fabricated questions like “Tell me about your 3 biggest strengths and weaknesses”. (At McKinsey this question is more considered as an insult of the candidate’s intelligence and probably of the interviewer as well – but finally it’s up to the specific interviewer which questions he is asking and which not)
The answers to those general CV-related questions are less critical for your evaluation than the PEI and case study. However, at the same time they are still contributing to a go/no-go decision regarding your potential McKinsey offer – therefore diligent preparation should be a matter of course as well.
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