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Explanations of McKinsey PST question typesNovember 2012

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McKinsey PST questions type: FACTS READING

FACTSreality / data

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Which of the following values is the best estimate of …?

˗ Which of the following statements is valid based on the data in …?

˗ Which of the following statements can be concluded from Exhibit …? 1

▪ The logic:

˗ What is true about the facts itself?

˗ Do you understand the facts as presented?

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Which of the following values is the best estimate of …?

˗ Which of the following statements is valid based on the data in …?

˗ Which of the following statements can be concluded from Exhibit …? 1

▪ The logic:

˗ What is true about the facts itself?

˗ Do you understand the facts as presented?

1 Even though the word “conclude” is used, sometime questions don’t require any logical reasoning, just asking your ability to read facts and perform basic calculations upon. In these cases, I still classify these questions into this “Fact reading” category.

Focus of the question

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McKinsey PST questions type: ROOT-CAUSE

FACTSreality / data

Potential Root-cause 1

Potential Root-cause 4

Potential Root-cause 2

Potential Root-cause 5

Potential Root-cause 3

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, will help explain the Facts …?

▪ The logic:

˗ If a potential Root-cause is true, will the Facts be as shown / provided?

˗ Potential Root-cause does NOT need to be supported by the Facts. It just has to be fit well with the facts.

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, will help explain the Facts …?

▪ The logic:

˗ If a potential Root-cause is true, will the Facts be as shown / provided?

˗ Potential Root-cause does NOT need to be supported by the Facts. It just has to be fit well with the facts.

Focus of the question

MConsultingPrep 4

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McKinsey PST questions type: FACT-BASED CONCLUSION

FACTSreality / data

Potential Root-cause 1

Potential Root-cause 4

Potential Root-cause 2

Potential Root-cause 5

Conclusions

Focus of the question

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Based on the information provided by …, which of the following statements is a valid conclusion?

˗ Which of the following statements, if true, would be the strongest argument for conclusion X ? 1

▪ The logic:

˗ The facts / data provided will be enough to conclude what?

˗ The conclusion not only need to be “fit well” with the Facts, it needs to be supported by the facts.

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Based on the information provided by …, which of the following statements is a valid conclusion?

˗ Which of the following statements, if true, would be the strongest argument for conclusion X ? 1

▪ The logic:

˗ The facts / data provided will be enough to conclude what?

˗ The conclusion not only need to be “fit well” with the Facts, it needs to be supported by the facts.

1 Sometimes the question is reversed, the conclusion is preset and mentioned already in the questions. You are asked about what facts needed to make conclusion X (Conclusion X is usually specify clearly).

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McKinsey PST questions type: INFORMATION

FACTSreality / data

Potential Root-cause 1

Potential Root-cause 4

Potential Root-cause 2

Potential Root-cause 5

Conclusions 1

Additional Facts 2

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Which of the following would be LEAST helpful to …?

▪ The logic behind:

˗ What additional data, if have, will or will not help conclude ..?

▪ Typical question formats:

˗ Which of the following would be LEAST helpful to …?

▪ The logic behind:

˗ What additional data, if have, will or will not help conclude ..?

Focus of the question

1 May or may not be specified2 Normally just the label of additional facts is asked, not specifying the details / content / value of the fact.

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Question classification of 3 official McKinsey practice tests

Project objective

Reading Facts

Root Cause

Fact-based Conclusions

Information question

Solution

Formula

Word Problems

A11; A12; A20

A1; A3; A4; A15; A16; A17; A22; A24

A5; A8; A18; A19

A13; A21; A26

A2; A9; A10

A6; A7; A14; A23; A25

B1; B14

B2; B4; B8; B11; B12; B15; B18; B19; B22; B23; B25

B7; B10; B13; B20

B21

B5; B6; B9

B3; B16; B17; B24

B26

C7

C2; C3; C4; C5; C12; C14; C17; C19; C21; C25

C20; C24; C26

C6

C22

C1; C8; C9; C15; C16; C18

C10; C13; C23

Question types Test A Test B Test C

8%

38%

13%

14%

5%

5%

5%

12%

Popularity

100%