Author: Florian Smeritschnig

Cover image for an article on the McKinsey Solve behavioral game, showing a consultant candidate facing branching decision paths about team dynamics and performance choices in a professional setting.

McKinsey Sustainable Future Lab (2026): New Solve Game Explained

By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 The McKinsey Sustainable Future Lab is the third module of the McKinsey Solve, and as of June 2026 it is a standard, globally rolled-out part of the assessment. If your Solve invite is 85 minutes, you will take it, after Red Rock and Sea Wolf.…
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Horizontal cover image illustrating a side-by-side comparison of a consulting case interview vs product management interview: on the left, professionals analyze charts and business data in a structured corporate setting; on the right, a team collaborates on product ideas with UI mockups, symbols of creativity, and user-focused design.

Case Interview vs Product Management Interview: Key Differences and How to Prepare

By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 A case interview tests how you structure and solve an ambiguous business problem under pressure, the format consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain use to hire. A product management interview tests how you define a problem, weigh trade-offs, and decide what to build for…
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Case interview success rate comparison across MBB, Tier-2 consulting firms, and the Big 4.

Case Interview Success Rate by Firm: MBB, Tier-2, and Big 4

Updated July 2026 by Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. At the case interview stage, roughly 10 to 15% of candidates who reach a McKinsey, BCG, or Bain interview walk away with an offer. Zoom out to everyone who applies, and the overall case interview success rate at MBB falls below 1%. Tier-2 firms and…
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Professional standing at a crossroads between two contrasting paths: one leading to a calm, natural landscape and the other to a congested city, symbolizing the transition from industry to consulting and high-stakes decision-making. Cover for an article on case interview for experienced hires.

Case Interview for Experienced Hires: What’s Different in 2026

By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 Most experienced hires walk into the case interview assuming their track record will carry them. It won’t. The case interview for experienced hires runs to a higher bar than the entry-level version, with less margin for error and less hand-holding, and it rejects more…
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McKinsey EDAD Program guide cover showing Middle Eastern professionals with Dubai skyline and icons for eligibility, benefits, and application tips

McKinsey EDAD Program 2026: Eligibility, the Guaranteed Interview, and How to Get In

Updated June 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant If you are an Arabic-speaking student weighing the McKinsey EDAD program, you have probably seen two flatly contradictory claims: that EDAD guarantees a McKinsey interview, and that it guarantees nothing. Getting this wrong costs you, because it changes how hard you should fight to…
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