pst questions types explainations v2
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Explanations of McKinsey PST question typesNovember 2012
MConsultingPrep 2
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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
MConsultingPrep 3
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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).
MConsultingPrep 5
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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.
MConsultingPrep 6
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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%