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McKinsey PEI questions and scored example answers

The McKinsey Personal Experience Interview (PEI) is the part of a McKinsey interview where you tell one real story in depth while the interviewer keeps asking for detail.

Updated

Practice a PEI story freeSee the 48 questions
  • Four areas. Connection, Drive, Leadership and Growth, as McKinsey names them now.
  • Eight stories. McKinsey suggests two for each area.
  • 10 to 15 minutes. Before the case in each interview, as candidates report it.
  • Mostly follow-ups. What you said, why you chose it, what the other person thought.
  • How to prepare. Write each story as notes, then tell it out loud and get drilled.

The four areas McKinsey looks for

Each in our words, with what interviewers listen for and three scored answers to one prompt.

  • Connection

    Respectful debate, backed by relationships built on trust.

    Show example answers
    What interviewers listen for
    Whether you can state the other person's view fairly, and how you moved them (or moved yourself) without breaking trust.
    What a strong story shows
    A real disagreement with someone you had to keep working with, the conversation that shifted it, and where the relationship ended up.

    Older guides call this Personal Impact.

    Answers to “Tell me about a time you had to work closely with someone who saw a problem very differently from you.”

    Weak

    21 / 100

    “In my internship I worked with an operations manager who didn't agree with my analysis. We had different views on how to schedule deliveries. I explained my reasoning clearly and we eventually aligned. In the end the project was a success and I learned that communication is really important.”

    Why: “We aligned” with no account of how. The other person has no view of their own, and the lesson is a slogan.

    Own role 6/20 · Specifics 4/25 · Stakes 3/15 · Area fit 5/25 · Result 3/15

    Good

    63 / 100

    “Last summer I interned in the planning team of a regional grocery distributor. I built a model showing we could cut late deliveries by grouping stores by unloading window instead of by area. The dispatch lead, Marcus, had run the routes for twelve years and thought it would fail. I set up a meeting, walked him through the numbers and offered a two-week trial at one depot. The trial cut late deliveries from 14% to 9%, and the change went to two more depots. I learned to bring data to a disagreement.”

    Why: A clear role, a number and a real result. But Marcus only “thought it would fail”, so we never hear why, and the candidate gives nothing up. The interviewer will probe exactly there.

    Own role 15/20 · Specifics 14/25 · Stakes 10/15 · Area fit 13/25 · Result 11/15

    Great

    90 / 100

    “Last summer I interned in planning at a regional grocery distributor. My model said we could cut late deliveries by grouping stores by unloading window instead of by area. Marcus, who had run dispatch for twelve years, said no in the first meeting. I had treated it as a data problem, so instead of arguing I asked to ride along on two early routes. That is where I learned his real worry. Drivers who lose their regular stores lose the relationships that get them unloaded fast. He was right, and my model could not see it. I rebuilt the groups so each driver kept at least two usual stores, which gave back about a third of the gain, and asked Marcus to pick the trial depot. Late deliveries fell from 14% to 10%, and he presented the result to the director himself. Now I find out what the other person is protecting before I show a model.”

    Follow-up: “What did you actually say to Marcus to get the ride-along?”

    “I told him I thought my model was missing something only he knew, and asked if I could see a route before the next meeting. I did not bring the deck.”

    Why: His view is stated fairly and turns out to be partly right. The candidate gives something up, can quote the key conversation, and the lesson shows in a habit.

    Own role 18/20 · Specifics 23/25 · Stakes 13/15 · Area fit 23/25 · Result 13/15

  • Drive

    Resilience, creativity and judgment when a goal is hard to reach.

    Show example answers
    What interviewers listen for
    The choice you made at each obstacle and why. Long hours on their own count for little.
    What a strong story shows
    A goal you owned that was hard for you, the moment it nearly failed, what you traded off, and an honest result.

    Older guides call this Entrepreneurial Drive.

    Answers to “Tell me about a time you worked hard to reach an excellent result in tough circumstances.”

    Weak

    22 / 100

    “During my senior year I had a really tough semester with my thesis and a lot of other commitments. Things kept going wrong in the lab but I didn't give up. I worked very long hours, stayed focused and managed to submit on time. I got an A and I think it shows my resilience.”

    Why: The obstacles are vague and long hours stand in for choices. Nothing tells the interviewer how this person thinks.

    Own role 5/20 · Specifics 4/25 · Stakes 4/15 · Area fit 5/25 · Result 4/15

    Good

    65 / 100

    “Six weeks before my senior thesis was due, the spectrometer my experiments depended on broke, and the repair would take two months. I emailed four labs at nearby universities and one agreed to give me evening access. For five weeks I ran samples from 6 pm to midnight, three nights a week, and wrote during the day. I submitted on time and my thesis won the department prize. It taught me to keep going when things get hard.”

    Why: A specific obstacle and a resourceful fix. But the story is mostly effort, with no hard choice, and the lesson is generic.

    Own role 15/20 · Specifics 15/25 · Stakes 11/15 · Area fit 15/25 · Result 9/15

    Great

    89 / 100

    “Six weeks before my senior thesis was due, the spectrometer I needed broke, with a two-month repair. My advisor suggested writing up the data I had, which would have been a safe pass. I thought the main result needed 40 more samples, so I asked four nearby labs for time and one gave me evenings. Within a week it was clear I could only run 24, not 40. I picked the 24 that tested the main claim and dropped the side question I was most excited about, which was hard. I ran them three nights a week for five weeks and wrote during the day. The main result held and the thesis won the department prize. The side question became a summer project for a junior student I handed my notes to. Now I decide early which one result has to survive.”

    Follow-up: “Why not take your advisor's advice?”

    “With the data I had, the main effect was within the noise. Writing it up would have meant claiming something I could not show, and I did not want to defend that.”

    Why: Judgment, not just hours: the options, the trade-off and what it cost. Honest about the part that was cut.

    Own role 18/20 · Specifics 22/25 · Stakes 13/15 · Area fit 23/25 · Result 13/15

  • Leadership

    Understanding people who think differently, and getting the best from them.

    Show example answers
    What interviewers listen for
    Whether you saw the people on the team as individuals, and what you changed so each of them could contribute.
    What a strong story shows
    Named people with different backgrounds or styles, one moment of friction, what you did about it, and a result that came from someone other than you.

    Older guides call this Inclusive Leadership.

    Answers to “Tell me about a time you led a group of people who had very different backgrounds or styles.”

    Weak

    22 / 100

    “I led a team project in my MBA with people from five different countries. At first there were some communication challenges because everyone had different working styles. I made sure everyone felt included and we set clear roles. We ended up with one of the best grades in the class. I learned that diversity makes teams stronger.”

    Why: The team is a faceless “they”, and inclusion is claimed, not shown.

    Own role 6/20 · Specifics 4/25 · Stakes 4/15 · Area fit 5/25 · Result 3/15

    Good

    64 / 100

    “I led a five-person capstone team with two exchange students, a part-time student who worked full days, and an engineer. Two of us did most of the talking in meetings and the exchange students rarely spoke. I moved our meetings to evenings so everyone could attend, set up a shared document for ideas before each meeting, and gave each person a section to own. Participation went up, and our client, a local hospital, adopted two of our recommendations.”

    Why: Real changes to how the team worked. But there is no single person or moment of friction, and “participation went up” gives the interviewer nothing to test.

    Own role 15/20 · Specifics 14/25 · Stakes 10/15 · Area fit 15/25 · Result 10/15

    Great

    88 / 100

    “I led a five-person capstone team for a local hospital. Two of us talked in every meeting, and I was one of them. After week two, Mei, an exchange student who had worked in hospital operations in Taipei, sent me a long email with an idea she had not raised in the meeting. It was better than the plan we had just agreed on. I realized our meetings rewarded whoever spoke fastest in English. I started posting one question the day before each meeting and opening with everyone's written answers. I also asked Mei to lead the patient-flow interviews, since she knew the work better than any of us. Two of the three recommendations the hospital adopted came from her analysis. It cost me something too, because my own idea lost out and I had to argue for hers with the client. I still open meetings with a written first round.”

    Follow-up: “How did the other person who talked a lot react?”

    “He said it slowed us down. I agreed it did, by about ten minutes, and asked him to judge it after two weeks. By then he was the one posting the question.”

    Why: One person, one moment, a specific change and a result owed to someone else. The candidate admits being part of the problem.

    Own role 19/20 · Specifics 21/25 · Stakes 13/15 · Area fit 22/25 · Result 13/15

  • Growth

    Constant learning, and openness to feedback and change.

    Show example answers
    What interviewers listen for
    What you did not know or got wrong, how you learned, and how you checked you had it right.
    What a strong story shows
    A real gap, your honest first reaction, how you closed it fast, and a later moment that shows the change stuck.

    Older guides call this Courageous Change.

    Answers to “Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly to handle a challenging situation.”

    Weak

    27 / 100

    “At my first job I had to learn SQL quickly because a colleague left. I took an online course and practiced every evening. Within two weeks I was able to write the queries I needed. I'm a fast learner and I enjoy picking up new skills.”

    Why: The gap is real, but the story ends where the hard part should start.

    Own role 7/20 · Specifics 5/25 · Stakes 5/15 · Area fit 6/25 · Result 4/15

    Good

    63 / 100

    “In my first job at a 40-person subscription business, the analyst who built our monthly board report left with ten days to go, and I was asked to take it over. I did not know SQL. I did a short online course over the first weekend, then rebuilt each query one at a time, checking my numbers against last month's report. I delivered on time and my manager asked me to keep owning it.”

    Why: A clear deadline and method. The interviewer still does not know what was hard, how the work was checked or what changed afterward.

    Own role 15/20 · Specifics 14/25 · Stakes 10/15 · Area fit 15/25 · Result 9/15

    Great

    91 / 100

    “In my first job at a 40-person subscription business, the analyst who built our monthly board report left with ten days to go. I did not know SQL. I spent the first weekend on the basics, then picked the four numbers the board actually discussed and learned only what I needed to rebuild those. My churn figure came out two points higher than last month's. I assumed I was wrong, so I asked our engineer to review my query for twenty minutes. My query was right. The old one had counted paused accounts as active since spring. I told my manager before the report went out, and we restated three months with a note to the board. It was not the first month I had hoped for. Since then I check any number I inherit against a second source before I rely on it.”

    Follow-up: “How did you feel telling your manager?”

    “Nervous, because I had been there four months. I brought both queries and five example accounts so she could check it herself in two minutes.”

    Why: What the candidate did not know, how they learned and checked it, an uncomfortable call, and a habit that stuck.

    Own role 19/20 · Specifics 23/25 · Stakes 14/15 · Area fit 22/25 · Result 13/15

How the example answers are scored

One prompt per area, each answered three ways. The scores use our five-part rubric. The stories are invented, and the great versions show the first two minutes plus one follow-up.

Own role
20 points
Clear what you did, decided and said, apart from the team.
Specifics
25 points
Names, numbers, order and the words used. Detail that holds up when probed.
Stakes
15 points
What was at risk, for whom, and a real obstacle or tension.
Area fit
25 points
How well the story shows the area asked about, and why you chose what you did.
Result
15 points
What changed because of you, what fell short, and a lesson that shows up later.

From McKinsey's interviewing page, read October 15, 2026.

How the PEI runs

McKinsey says that for most client-facing roles you have personal experience interviews and problem-solving (case) interviews. Here is one PEI as candidates usually describe it.

The four steps of one PEI

  1. Where it sits

    The same interviewer, before the case

    Most interviews open with about 10 to 15 minutes of PEI, then move to the case. Expect a PEI in every round, not just the first.

  2. The opening

    One area, one broad question

    The interviewer picks one of the four areas and asks a “Tell me about a time” question. Give a one to two minute overview: the situation, what was at stake for you and what you did.

  3. The drill-down

    Follow-ups on the same story

    This is most of the PEI. The interviewer stops you to ask what you said, why you chose that, what the other person thought and what you would change. You stay on one story the whole time.

  4. Across a round

    Each interviewer, a different story

    Two interviewers can ask about the same area, so a second story for each area keeps you from telling the same one twice. Two per area is also what McKinsey suggests.

McKinsey does not publish the PEI's length or a scoring rubric. The timing above is what candidates usually report.

48 McKinsey PEI questions

Twelve per area, each with likely follow-ups. The first in each area is McKinsey's preview question in our words.

Connection12 questions

Disagreement handled with respect, and trust that lasted.

  1. Tell me about a hard situation where you worked with someone who held the opposite view.

    McKinsey's preview question, paraphrased

    Show follow-ups

    Show you understood their view well enough to argue it, what each of you gave up, and how you worked together afterward. Example answer

    • “What was their argument, in their words?”
    • “What did you concede?”
    • “How did you work together after that?”

  2. Tell me about a time you changed someone's mind.

    Show follow-ups

    Start with why they disagreed. The evidence and the conversation that moved them matter more than the outcome. Example answer

    • “Why did they disagree at first?”
    • “What was the moment they moved?”
    • “What would you have done if they had not?”

  3. Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.

    Show follow-ups

    Disagree with facts and respect, then show you backed the decision once it was made, even if it was not yours. Example answer

    • “Where and how did you raise it?”
    • “What did your manager say back?”
    • “Did you turn out to be right?”

  4. Tell me about a time you won the trust of someone who did not trust you.

    Show follow-ups

    What made them wary, the small promises you kept, and the moment you knew it had changed.

    • “What made them wary of you?”
    • “What was the first sign it had changed?”
    • “Where does the relationship stand now?”

  5. Tell me about a conflict in a team you were part of.

    Show follow-ups

    Your part in settling it, in their words as well as yours. Avoid a story where you were simply right. Example answer

    • “What was your part in causing it?”
    • “What did you say in the conversation that settled it?”
    • “How would the other person tell this story?”

  6. Tell me about a time you had to deliver a message someone did not want to hear.

    Show follow-ups

    How you prepared, the words you opened with, and what you did when they reacted.

    • “How did you prepare for that conversation?”
    • “What were your first words?”
    • “How did they react, and what did you do next?”

  7. Tell me about a time you persuaded someone more senior to change course.

    Show follow-ups

    Why they had reason to ignore you, and what you brought that made them listen.

    • “Why did they listen to you at all?”
    • “What evidence did you bring?”
    • “What did you do when they pushed back?”

  8. Tell me about a time you worked with someone you found difficult.

    Show follow-ups

    Name the behavior, then what you learned about why they acted that way and what you changed.

    • “What exactly made it hard?”
    • “What did you learn about why they acted that way?”
    • “What did you change in how you worked with them?”

  9. Tell me about a time you brought two sides together who could not agree.

    Show follow-ups

    What each side wanted underneath its position, and the proposal that gave both enough.

    • “What did each side want underneath its position?”
    • “What did you propose?”
    • “Who gave up the most?”

  10. Tell me about a time you realized you were the one who was wrong in a disagreement.

    Show follow-ups

    What changed your mind, how you told them, and what it did for the relationship.

    • “What changed your mind?”
    • “How did you tell them?”
    • “What did it do to the relationship?”

  11. Tell me about a time you had to influence people you had no authority over.

    Show follow-ups

    The person hardest to convince, what they cared about, and what you offered them.

    • “Who was hardest to convince?”
    • “What did you offer them?”
    • “What would have happened if you had escalated instead?”

  12. Tell me about a working relationship you rebuilt after it went wrong.

    Show follow-ups

    Your share of what went wrong, the first step you took and how long it really took.

    • “What was your share of what went wrong?”
    • “What was the first step you took?”
    • “How long did it take?”
Drive12 questions

A hard goal, real obstacles, and the calls you made.

  1. Tell me about a time you worked hard to reach an excellent result in tough circumstances.

    McKinsey's preview question, paraphrased

    Show follow-ups

    Name the obstacle and why it was hard for you. Show the judgment calls along the way, not just the hours. Example answer

    • “What made it tough for you in particular?”
    • “When were you closest to giving up?”
    • “What did you give up to get there?”

  2. Tell me about a goal you set that others thought was too ambitious.

    Show follow-ups

    Why it mattered to you, the plan, the point it nearly failed and what you changed to get there.

    • “Who doubted it, and what did they say?”
    • “What did you do in the first week?”
    • “What would you do differently?”

  3. Tell me about a time you failed and tried again.

    Show follow-ups

    Own the miss in one sentence, then spend the time on the second attempt and what was different. Example answer

    • “When did you know it had failed?”
    • “What did you change the second time?”
    • “What did the failure cost other people?”

  4. Tell me about a difficult problem you solved.

    Show follow-ups

    Your reasoning in order: what you tried first, why it did not work, and what you saw that others had missed. Example answer

    • “What did you try first?”
    • “What did you see that others missed?”
    • “How did you know your answer was right?”

  5. Tell me about a time you went beyond what was asked of you.

    Show follow-ups

    Why you saw the need when nobody asked, what it cost you, and what it changed for the people it helped. Example answer

    • “Why had nobody else done it?”
    • “What did it cost you?”
    • “What happened to it after you left?”

  6. Tell me about something you started from nothing.

    Show follow-ups

    Why you started it, the first person you won over and the thing that almost ended it.

    • “Why did you decide to start it?”
    • “Who was the first person you convinced?”
    • “What almost ended it?”

  7. Tell me about a time you kept going after others had given up.

    Show follow-ups

    Why the others stopped, what told you it was still possible, and where you would have stopped.

    • “Why did the others stop?”
    • “What made you think it was still possible?”
    • “At what point would you have stopped?”

  8. Tell me about a time a plan fell apart close to a deadline.

    Show follow-ups

    The first thing you did, what you cut, and who you told and when.

    • “What was the first thing you did?”
    • “What did you cut?”
    • “Who did you tell, and when?”

  9. Tell me about a time you got a result with far fewer resources than you needed.

    Show follow-ups

    What you had against what you needed, where you found the rest and what you chose not to do.

    • “What did you have, and what did you need?”
    • “Where did you find the rest?”
    • “What did you decide not to do?”

  10. Tell me about a time you held yourself to a higher standard than anyone asked.

    Show follow-ups

    Why the usual bar did not satisfy you, how others reacted, and whether it was worth it.

    • “Why was the usual standard not enough for you?”
    • “How did the people around you react?”
    • “Was the extra effort worth it?”

  11. Tell me about a time you had to choose between two things you cared about.

    Show follow-ups

    Both options stated fairly, how you chose, and what the other choice cost.

    • “How did you decide?”
    • “What did the other choice cost?”
    • “Would you choose the same way now?”

  12. Tell me about the hardest thing you have achieved so far.

    Show follow-ups

    Why it was the hardest for you, and what you did that someone else in your place would not have.

    • “Why was it the hardest?”
    • “What did you do that others in your place would not have?”
    • “What did you learn about yourself?”
Leadership12 questions

Getting the best from people who are not like you.

  1. Tell me about a time you worked well with people from different backgrounds despite challenges.

    McKinsey's preview question, paraphrased

    Show follow-ups

    Be specific about the differences and the friction they caused. Show what you changed in how the group worked so everyone could add something.

    • “What were the differences, specifically?”
    • “Who was not being heard, and how did you notice?”
    • “What changed in how the group worked?”

  2. Tell me about a time you led a group to a result that mattered.

    Show follow-ups

    One decision you made as the leader, why you made it, and how you brought the group with you. Example answer

    • “What was one decision you made as the leader?”
    • “Who disagreed with it?”
    • “What would the group say about how you led?”

  3. Tell me about a time you took the lead without being asked.

    Show follow-ups

    What you noticed, why it was yours to fix, and how you got others to follow without authority over them. Example answer

    • “Why was it yours to fix?”
    • “How did you get others to follow?”
    • “What would have happened if you had not?”

  4. Tell me about a time you motivated someone who had lost interest.

    Show follow-ups

    What you learned about why, what you asked of them, and how their work changed afterward.

    • “What did you learn about why they had checked out?”
    • “What did you ask of them?”
    • “How did their work change?”

  5. Tell me about a time you helped someone else do their best work.

    Show follow-ups

    The person, what held them back, what you did for them and how you knew it worked.

    • “What was holding them back?”
    • “What did you do, week to week?”
    • “How do you know it was you and not something else?”

  6. Tell me about a time you had to give a teammate hard feedback.

    Show follow-ups

    The exact words, how they took it, and what changed in the weeks after.

    • “What exactly did you say?”
    • “How did they take it?”
    • “What happened in the weeks after?”

  7. Tell me about a time you got a team through a setback by changing how it worked.

    Show follow-ups

    The setback, the one change you made and why, and who resisted it.

    • “What did you change, and why that?”
    • “Who resisted the change?”
    • “How did you know it was working?”

  8. Tell me about a time you led people older or more experienced than you.

    Show follow-ups

    How you earned their respect, where you deferred to them, and what you got wrong.

    • “How did you earn their respect?”
    • “Where did you defer to them?”
    • “What did you get wrong?”

  9. Tell me about a time you made sure a quieter person on the team was heard.

    Show follow-ups

    How you noticed, what you did in the room, and what their idea changed.

    • “How did you notice?”
    • “What did you do in the room?”
    • “What did their idea change?”

  10. Tell me about a time you made an unpopular decision for a group.

    Show follow-ups

    The options, how you explained the call, and what you did for the person most upset by it.

    • “What were the options?”
    • “How did you explain it?”
    • “Who was most upset, and what did you do about it?”

  11. Tell me about a time you handed someone an important piece of work.

    Show follow-ups

    Why that person, how you checked in without taking it back, and what you would do differently.

    • “Why did you pick that person?”
    • “How did you check in without taking it back?”
    • “What would you do differently?”

  12. Tell me about a team that was not working until you stepped in.

    Show follow-ups

    What was wrong in your view, the first thing you changed and how you knew it worked.

    • “What was wrong, in your view?”
    • “What was the first thing you changed?”
    • “What would the team say you got wrong?”
Growth12 questions

Learning fast, and taking feedback well.

  1. Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly to handle a challenging situation.

    McKinsey's preview question, paraphrased

    Show follow-ups

    The deadline, how you learned (who you asked, what you skipped) and what you delivered with the new skill. Example answer

    • “What did you not know at the start?”
    • “Who did you go to, and what did you ask?”
    • “How did you check you had it right?”

  2. Tell me about the most useful feedback you have received.

    Show follow-ups

    The feedback in plain words, what you did with it the next week, and who noticed the difference. Example answer

    • “What was your first reaction?”
    • “What did you do differently the next week?”
    • “Who noticed the change?”

  3. Tell me about a time you had to work without clear direction.

    Show follow-ups

    How you defined the goal yourself, who you checked it with, and what you would set up earlier next time. Example answer

    • “How did you decide what the goal was?”
    • “Who did you check it with?”
    • “What would you set up earlier next time?”

  4. Tell me about a time you changed your mind about something important.

    Show follow-ups

    What you believed, what showed you were wrong, and what you do differently because of it.

    • “What made you see it differently?”
    • “How hard was it to admit?”
    • “What do you do differently now?”

  5. Tell me about a time you stepped well outside your comfort zone.

    Show follow-ups

    Why you chose to, the moment it was hardest, and what you can do now that you could not before.

    • “Why did you choose to do it?”
    • “What was the hardest moment?”
    • “What can you do now that you could not before?”

  6. Tell me about a mistake that taught you something.

    Show follow-ups

    When you saw it was a mistake, who you told first, and where you have used the lesson since.

    • “When did you realize it was a mistake?”
    • “Who did you tell first?”
    • “Where have you used the lesson since?”

  7. Tell me about a time you asked for feedback nobody was offering.

    Show follow-ups

    Why you asked, what you heard, and the one thing you changed because of it.

    • “Why did you ask?”
    • “What did you hear?”
    • “What did you change?”

  8. Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a big change you did not choose.

    Show follow-ups

    Your honest first reaction, what you had to stop doing and what you gained.

    • “What was your first reaction?”
    • “What did you have to stop doing?”
    • “What did you gain?”

  9. Tell me about a skill you built from scratch.

    Show follow-ups

    How you started, the plateau and how you got past it, and how good you honestly are now.

    • “How did you start?”
    • “Where did you get stuck, and how did you get past it?”
    • “How good are you now, honestly?”

  10. Tell me about a time you were out of your depth.

    Show follow-ups

    How you knew, who you asked for help, and what you would tell yourself at the start.

    • “How did you know?”
    • “Who did you ask for help?”
    • “What would you tell yourself at the start?”

  11. Tell me about a time you received criticism you disagreed with.

    Show follow-ups

    What was said, the part that was right, and what you did with the rest.

    • “What exactly was said?”
    • “What part of it was right?”
    • “What did you do with the rest?”

  12. Tell me about a setback that changed how you work.

    Show follow-ups

    What happened, the specific change you made and a later moment where it showed.

    • “What did you change, specifically?”
    • “Give me a later moment where the change showed.”
    • “What would you still do the same way?”
Follow-ups you will hear in any area

McKinsey asks you to be ready to talk about the details. Whatever the area, expect questions like these, our examples, on the same story:

  • “What exactly did you do?”
  • “What did you say, as close to word for word as you remember?”
  • “Why that, and not something else?”
  • “What were you thinking at that moment?”
  • “You said we. What was your part?”
  • “What was the hardest moment?”
  • “How did you know it had worked?”
  • “What would you do differently?”

Mistakes, a prep plan and your story bank

Common mistakes

  • Telling the team's story

    “We decided, we built, we won.” Say I for your own part, and be ready to separate it from everyone else's.

  • Leading with actions

    McKinsey asks you to lead with reasoning, not actions. Say why you chose a step before you describe it.

  • Reciting a script

    McKinsey wants a conversation, not a rehearsed story. Learn the points of each story, not the sentences.

  • A story with no hard part

    If nothing was at risk and nobody pushed back, there is nothing to probe. Pick the story where it nearly went wrong.

  • A long setup

    Keep the context under half a minute. The interviewer cares about the hard moment and what you did in it.

  • Making the other person the villain

    In Connection stories especially, state their view so fairly that they would agree with how you put it.

  • A lesson that is a slogan

    “Communication matters” tells them nothing. Name one thing you do differently now, and when you last did it.

A prep plan: two weeks or three days

Eight stories, told out loud and drilled with questions. The work is the same either way, only the pace changes.

  1. Days 1 and 2

    List 20 moments

    Jobs, school, sports, clubs, family. Any time something was hard, someone disagreed or you had to learn fast. Don't judge them yet.

  2. Days 3 and 4

    Pick eight, two per area

    Keep the ones where you made a real decision and something was at risk. Give each story one main area.

  3. Days 5 to 8

    Write each story as notes

    The setup in two lines, the hard moment, what you did and why, one thing you said, the result and what you do differently now.

  4. Days 9 to 12

    Tell them out loud and get drilled

    Tell each story in two minutes, then have someone ask follow-ups for ten. Wherever you went vague, go back to your notes and add the detail.

  5. Days 13 and 14

    Practice the openings, not scripts

    Run each opening once a day. Read the four areas again so you can recognize which one a question is after.

  6. Only three days

    One story per area, then backups

    Day 1, pick and write one story per area. Day 2, tell each out loud twice and have someone question you. Day 3, add a backup for the area you feel weakest in, and rest.

Your PEI story bank

Eight stories, two per area, as notes you can tell from. Until you type, each area shows the great example above as notes. Copy the bank when you are done.

Example: The dispatch routes

Connection, invented. Reads in 51 s. Enough for a one to two minute opening.

Setup
Summer intern in planning at a regional grocery distributor. My model said grouping stores by unloading window would cut late deliveries.
The hard moment
Marcus, who had run dispatch for twelve years, said no in the first meeting.
What you did, and why
I stopped arguing and asked to ride along on two early routes, because I suspected the model was missing something. I learned drivers who lose their regular stores lose the relationships that get them unloaded fast. I rebuilt the groups so each driver kept two usual stores and asked Marcus to pick the trial depot.
One thing you said
“I think my model is missing something only you know. Could I see a route before our next meeting?”
Result
Late deliveries fell from 14% to 10%, about a third less gain than the model promised. Marcus presented the result to the director himself.
What you do differently now
I find out what the other person is protecting before I show a model.

0 of 8 stories ready

A few words you will recognize.

Where you were and what was at stake, in two lines.

The point where it could have gone wrong.

Your choices, with the reason before each one. Say I.

As close to word for word as you can, for the follow-ups.

What changed because of you, and what fell short.

One habit, and the last time you used it.

Saved in this browser only. Notes, not a script: you will tell it in your own words.

Tell one story, and take the follow-ups

Pick an area, tell your story out loud to an AI interviewer that keeps asking for the detail, then see where the story held up. The prompts and scoring are Soreno's own.

Try PEI practice freePractice without signing up

Questions people ask

What is the McKinsey PEI?

The Personal Experience Interview. For most client-facing roles McKinsey holds personal experience interviews alongside its problem-solving (case) interviews. You discuss important experiences in detail, focusing on your specific role, and the interviewer asks follow-up questions on the same story.

What are the PEI dimensions now?

Connection, Drive, Leadership and Growth, as McKinsey's interviewing page names them today. Older guides use Personal Impact, Entrepreneurial Drive, Inclusive Leadership and Courageous Change. McKinsey's own theme cards still carry those older names as labels, matched in that order to the new ones.

How long is the McKinsey PEI?

Candidates usually report about 10 to 15 minutes at the start of each interview, before the case. McKinsey does not publish the length, and your recruiter confirms the format of your interviews in advance.

How many PEI stories do I need?

McKinsey suggests two personal examples for each of the four areas, so eight. Pick experiences that genuinely mattered to you, as McKinsey puts it, and that you can talk about in detail.

Can I use the same story for two areas?

A good story often touches two areas, but give each one a main area. If a second interviewer asks about an area you have already covered, you want a fresh story ready rather than the same one again.

Is STAR enough for a PEI answer?

STAR gives the story an order, but McKinsey asks you to lead with reasoning, not actions. Say why you chose each step, and be ready for questions on what you said, what others thought and what you would change.

How is the PEI scored?

McKinsey does not publish a rubric. Its page says what each area shows and asks for your own role, your reasoning and the details, in a conversation rather than a rehearsed story. The scores on this page use Soreno's own five-part rubric.

Can I use AI to practice for the PEI?

Yes. McKinsey's interviewing page says many candidates use AI to prepare, including practicing interview questions, and calls it a valuable tool when used responsibly. Using AI to generate answers during an interview goes against its values.

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