McKinsey PEI questions and how to answer them

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.

Disagreement handled with respect, and trust that lasted.

1. 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. Practice it out loud

   • “What was their argument, in their words?”
   • “What did you concede?”
   • “How did you work together after that?”
2. 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. Practice it out loud

   • “Why did they disagree at first?”
   • “What was the moment they moved?”
   • “What would you have done if they had not?”
3. 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. Practice it out loud

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

   • “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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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?”

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

1. 13

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “What made it tough for you in particular?”
   • “When were you closest to giving up?”
   • “What did you give up to get there?”
2. 14

   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. 15

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “When did you know it had failed?”
   • “What did you change the second time?”
   • “What did the failure cost other people?”
4. 16

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “What did you try first?”
   • “What did you see that others missed?”
   • “How did you know your answer was right?”
5. 17

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “Why had nobody else done it?”
   • “What did it cost you?”
   • “What happened to it after you left?”
6. 18

   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. 19

   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. 20

   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. 21

   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. 22

    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. 23

    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. 24

    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?”

Getting the best from people who are not like you.

1. 25

   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. 26

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “What was one decision you made as the leader?”
   • “Who disagreed with it?”
   • “What would the group say about how you led?”
3. 27

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “Why was it yours to fix?”
   • “How did you get others to follow?”
   • “What would have happened if you had not?”
4. 28

   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. 29

   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. 30

   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. 31

   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. 32

   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. 33

   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. 34

    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. 35

    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. 36

    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?”

Learning fast, and taking feedback well.

1. 37

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “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. 38

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “What was your first reaction?”
   • “What did you do differently the next week?”
   • “Who noticed the change?”
3. 39

   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. Practice it out loud

   • “How did you decide what the goal was?”
   • “Who did you check it with?”
   • “What would you set up earlier next time?”
4. 40

   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. 41

   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. 42

   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. 43

   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. 44

   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. 45

   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. 46

    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. 47

    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. 48

    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?”

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?”

• 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.

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.

Eight stories, two per area, as notes you can tell from. Until you type, the card shows what each note should hold. Copy the bank when you are done.