Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant Consulting brainteasers are short logic, math, or lateral-thinking puzzles used by tier-2 firms, the Big 4, boutique consultancies, and in-house consulting teams to test structured problem-solving under pressure. McKinsey, BCG, and Bain almost never use them, so if MBB is your target, brainteasers are…
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Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant To answer “Why consulting?”, lead with the work itself, the variety of problems, the speed of learning, and early exposure to senior leaders, then back it with a specific example from your own experience and connect it to why you want that firm. Keep…
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Updated July 2026 by Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant You can grind through 50 practice cases and still walk into your McKinsey interview with no idea whether you’re ready. That’s the trap. Volume without feedback just cements the same mistakes, case after case. A case interview feedback sheet fixes that. It’s a scorecard that…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated September 2026 The McKinsey Technical Expertise Interview (TEI), also called the Technical Experience Interview, is the interview McKinsey uses for technical and digital roles: one opening question about a real project from your past, followed by 15 to 20 probing follow-ups. It tests how you think…
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By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 The McKinsey phone interview is a roughly 30-minute screening call, by phone or video, that some offices and roles use before the main interview rounds. It comes in two formats: a condensed phone case interview, usually run by HR or a firm alumnus, and…
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Florian spent five years at McKinsey as a Senior Consultant and is a highly experienced consulting interviewer and problem-solving coach. Having conducted interviews with hundreds of candidates, he understands exactly what top-tier firms look for in successful applicants.
He founded StrategyCase.com to make top consulting careers more accessible by providing tailored, up-to-date insights into the recruiting process. Recognized as the most successful case and fit interview coach, Florian has helped his clients secure 700+ offers at MBB, Tier-2 firms, Big 4 consulting divisions, in-house consultancies, and boutique firms over the past four years.
He is the author of “The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview,” “The 1%: Case Interview Workbook,” and “Consulting Career Secrets”, all available on Amazon.
