Kearney interview questions and tips for the application process

Kearney is one of the leading consultancy firms worldwide, so it’s no surprise that it's on the mind of many aspiring consultants. A a means of getting into consulting, It offers everything from prestige and competitive salary to unmatched growth potential and exit opportunities. However, the entry barrier to this company can be steep, particularly due to the rigorous hiring process for their consulting graduate schemes and internships. But don’t worry – going through it successfully involves nothing more than proper research and preparation.

What does Kearney’s application process look like? 3 stages to prepare for

Kearney owes its stellar reputation to unmatched value they provide their clients. To maintain their quality and prestige, the company’s very selective about who they admit in their rank, which is why their application process is so rigorous and exhaustive. 
It consists of:

• Online application
• Online Test
• 2 to 3 rounds of behavioural and case interviewers

While the scope of the process can seem daunting, you can boost your chances significantly by researching and preparing for each step.

Step 1: Submitting your online application to Kearney’s website

The first part of the process is submitting your application online, with CV being the main factor determining the applicants’ success during this stage. 

Mastering the art of writing a strong CV should therefore be the first skill aspiring consultants should learn. Aim to be descriptive, list all relevant experience, avoid mentioning weakness, and avoid any grammatical error. Having someone else provide feedback on your CV can further help you refine it.

Kearney prizes High academic achievements, part-time experience, and proficiency in mathematics, language, and communication. 

Candidates should submit their application directly through Kearney’s Careers page.  

Step 2: Online Test

The second step of the Kearney hiring process is evaluation in the form of an online test. The company employ this type of evaluation for two reasons: First, it’s a cost-efficient way to disqualify the candidates that don’t fit their ideal employee profile. Second, they can objectively measure the skills of each applicant, gaining the same pool of data for each.

How is Kearney’s online test structured? Understanding the 6 sections 

• The test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions split into 6 thematic sections:
  Logical Counting: 8 questions focused on maths and logical reasoning. The problems typically require knowledge of algebra and ask candidates to find a certain value using the data given. Most of these questions are phrased in standalone sentences, though some are word problems.
• Statements: 6 questions. Applicants are given short statements, and they must determine if these are true or false OR whether it’s possible to answer the original questions knowing just these statements.
• Short Logical Texts: These also comprise 6 questions of the test. The candidates must draw a conclusion from the data and select one of the 5 given options.
• A Page-long Text Analysis: This section features 8 questions and tests the applicants’ reading comprehension. The texts generally cover business-related topics, which the candidates must analyse and draw a conclusion from.
• Table Analysis. The next section has 6 questions and is composed of data presented as a table. The graduates interested in working for Kearney must successfully analyse this data. However, many questions in this section don’t merely ask for a simple, cold analysis, but give you additional problems and calculations to perform based on the figures.
• Graph Analysis: The last section also has 6 questions and asks candidates to work with data, this time visualised in the form of a graph. 
   

The allotted time for the test is 60 minutes, which allows applicants to dedicate about 1 minute and 30 seconds to each question. 

How is the Kearney test evaluated?

The Kearney test’s evaluation is straightforward, with each correctly answered question being worth 5 points, with 200 points being the maximum applicants can gain (40 questions in total). However, be aware that 1 point is deducted for each wrong answer. It’s thus advisable to leave questions they are unsure about unanswered rather than choosing a random answer. 

5 Tips to better prepare for the Kearney online test

Although the test and its many contents can feel daunting, it doesn’t take anything more than thorough preparation to pass it.

1. Revisit basic mathematics

An overwhelming portion of the test deals with figures and computations, so revisiting school mathematics is the best way to prepare for the test. While advanced subjects such as integrals and derivations are not necessary, a solid understanding of baseline maths. 

The topics relevant to Kearney’s online test include computation, algebra, percentages, ratios, fractions, all types of averages (mean, mode, median), and probability. Statistics is also an important aspect of maths, as graphs and tables are common not only in the test, but also later during the case interviews that ensue.

2. Practise reading comprehension

Since 14 questions (worth a total of 70 points out of the test’s 200) are dedicated to test applicants’ reading comprehension, reading skills are the next area they should focus on. Find as many reading comprehension exercise online as you can. Ideally, they should be from Kearney mock exams, but any can help you be more analytical about what you read. Moreover, reading more will increase your reading speed, making you more efficient at skimming the text. Remember that you only have about 1.5 minute for each question, so the ability to navigate the text quickly and efficiently is essential for success.  This tip is especially important for applicants whose first language is not English. 

3. Take at least one mock exam per day

Ultimately, practice is the best way to improve in any given area. Kearney’s online test is no different. Avoid paralysis by analysis and challenge yourself with actual tests. Luckily, the company offers mock exams online , so you’ll have a clear idea of what to expect during this portion of the hiring process. If you exhaust Kearney’s mock tests, consider challenging yourself with ones from other consultancy firms.

4. Revise business terms

The texts and problems in Kearney’s online test simulate realistic business scenarios. Much of the terminology reflects this fact, so ensure you’re familiar with the latest business jargon to better prepare for tackling the test.  Terms such as profit margin, growth, break-even points, and similar terms will help you navigate the contents faster. Not to mention this knowledge will help you in the later stages of the hiring process as well.

5. Be efficient with your time

60 minutes is very restrictive, given that there are 40 questions. This is especially true since they don’t gauge passive knowledge but require the candidates to actively solve problems. That’s why effective time management is essential to success. The worst thing you can do is getting lingering on a problem you can’t solve. If you don’t know how to proceed, simply skip the problem and return to it later. If you still can’t solve it, leave the choice empty. Remember, you lose one point for each wrong answer, so choosing haphazardly will only lower your overall score.

Stage 3 of Kearney’s hiring process: Interviews

After passing the online test, applicants go through 2 to 3 rounds of interviews. Each round consists of a behavioural/screening interview and a case interview, with the key difference between each round being the seniority of your interviewers. 

How to prepare for your Kearney screening interviews

The good news is that the behavioural interview is similar to a standard job interview. Candidates are asked personal questions, many of which are covered don’t differ greatly from one consultancy firm to another .
This type of interview tends to last for about 45 minutes.

5 Tips for acing the screening interviews at Kearney

Although no two screening/behavioural interviews at Kearney are the same, there are ways candidates can better prepare for this stage of the hiring process. 

1. Research the most popular interview questions at Kearney

Find people with proven experience at the company to better prepare for the most asked questions at Kearney interviews. Knowing someone personally is most helpful, but even if you don’t know anyone, you can still utilise Internet forums such as Reddit to find real people with experience at the company.

Some examples of popular questions include:

• Tell us about yourself
• Why consulting?
• Tell us an example of when you led a team
• Tell us about the time you had to convince someone who did not agree with you
• What was a major achievement in your life?
• Why should we hire you?

2. Create an outline for each question

Avoid scripting out robotic responses to your list of Kearney interview questions. It feels inauthentic and you likely won’t remember your script word for word. Instead, create simple outlines for each question, going over the topics you want to cover. 

3. Learn how to structure your answers

A large part of any interview is making a good impression on the interviewer. One way to do this is by structuring the above-mentioned outline in the form of a story. Read more about the STAR technique

4. Be inquisitive

The interviewers at Kearney are usually consultants themselves, so in a sense, you’ll be meeting your future colleague. That means you can start building a relationship with them. Ask them questions back, care about their experience and value, and be genuinely interested in them as human beings and not just as your interviewers.

5. Be ready for the trickiest question: Why Kearney?

The one question that you can prepare for is why you wish to work at Kearney specifically. This is your time to showcase your knowledge of the company. Your baseline knowledge should include the scope of the company (40+ countries), how many employees they have (5700+), and how much revenue they get (estimated $1.6 B).

Research their website , learn their history from their early beginnings when it the company was still part of McKinsey. You likely won’t be able to give a full presentation about its origins, nor should you, but mentioning it briefly can impress your interviewer. 

Lastly, remember the interviewers are looking for genuine, authentic answers. If there is a reason you are passionate about Kearney in particular, make sure to mention it. The company values uniqueness, so don’t be afraid to be yourself.

What are Kearney’s case interviews?

While Kearney uses behavioural interviews to get to know candidates on the human level, their case interviews are designed to test your consultancy skills. 

What do Kearney case study interviews look like?

Applicants are given a realistic business problem, typically about a page long. They are expected to identify the reasons why the business owner’s company underperforms and provide effective solutions. After being given the assignment, candidates have one hour to both analyse the materials and create a PowerPoint presentation. Then, they have ten minutes to present their findings and solutions to the interviewers, who will then ask follow-up questions.

7 tips for acing Kearney’s case interview

Many applicants find Kearney’s case study interviews to be harder than the screening ones. But fortunately, its formulaic nature means that they are easier to prepare for. Here are 7 tips that will help you pass Kearney’s case interview:

1. Manage your time wisely

One hour not a lot of time to solve a complex case, which is why applicants should allocate specific time frames for each part of the case interview.  Use the first 30 minutes to review the case, ask follow-up questions, form your hypothesis, and test your solutions. Before starting the presentation itself, it’s a good idea to spend 5-10 minutes on creating an outline. This will help you create a logical order of topics for your presentation. You can also draft a basic table of contents for each slide on a paper. The remaining minutes should be dedicated to building the presentation itself. 

2. Practise mock cases

Kearney offers mock cases on their website , which is the first resource you should turn to. They feature suggested solutions, so aspiring applicants can check how accurate their responses were. Be sure to time yourself to understand which parts of the case-solving process takes you the longest time and adjust your time management accordingly. The company also offers mock cases in video formats , in which their employees solve them while explaining their thoughts processes. Research these as well to better understand what’s expected of you. If you exhaust the sources from Kearney, you can use ones from any business school case book for further practice.

3. Maintain your composure

The case interview can be very stressful, especially if you get a particularly tricky case. The worst thing you can do is panic. Kearney’s interviewers don’t place as much emphasis on your solution as they do on your overall attitude and performance. As long as you remain calm and continue despite the obstacles, you’ll be fine. If you’re stuck, admit it, and ask for help. But do so in a smart way, don’t just say you don’t know. Instead, say you’re unsure how to proceed, but you’d probably try X solution for Y reason. This will show the interviewer that you are still trying to solve the problem, even though you’ve encountered a difficulty. 

4. Know how to build business presentation

Structure your presentation logically. It should be simple to follow, with a minimalist design. Avoid flashy transitions and unnecessary effects. Not only do these cost you valuable time to add, but they’re also not what the interviewers are looking for. Apart from basic Microsoft PowerPoint skills, know how to build and format tables and graphs. 

5. Work on your presenting skills

Practise delivering your presentations as well. Ideally, your audience should be fellow graduates also interested in joining Kearney. But friends and family can also provide valuable feedback. Remember that the interviewers will play the role of the clients, who won’t always be well-versed in complex business terms. If your mock audience doesn’t understand what you’re talking about, practise simplifying the language of your delivery. Additionally, try to gauge how long your presentations take and aim to stay within the 10-minute time frame.

6. Contextualise your questions

Avoid asking clinical questions. For instance, ‘What is X?’ feels flat and even intrusive. Instead, give your ‘clients’ with context. Saying ‘I suspect Y might be happening, so I’d like to know X.’ is not only more respectful, but it also showcases your case-solving skills.

7. Convert numbers to reasons and solutions

Since not all clients understand complex business terms, listing arbitrary numbers might overwhelm them. Try to follow your findings with a reason or a solution. Rather than saying ‘Your X is too low,’ say ‘Because your X is too low, I recommend doing Y.’ 

What to wear to an interview at Kearney?

The employees at Kearney are generally expected to follow a business formal dress code.  Men should wear suits, shirts, and trousers of neutral colours, such as navy blue, charcoal grey, or black. The tie should complement the overall outfit and shouldn’t feature any jarring patterns. The colour of the belt should match that of the shoes. Black is a solid, all-purpose option, though brown can work with grey and navy suits too. 

Women have more choices, including a classic suit, a skirt suit, or possibly a blazer. Again, the colour palette should be neutral, with grey, black, and navy blue being the safest options. Avoid wearing stilettos. Jewellery is acceptable but keep it simple.
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Tip: Comfort is a big part of how you present yourself. Make sure you are comfortable with your choice of clothing. Don’t wear brand new shoes, as they will be uncomfortable - try to break them in beforehand.  

How long does the hiring process at Kearney take?

Although some applicants report the Kearney application process dragging on for up to 4 months, it usually goes much faster than that. It will typically last a few weeks, with about one week delay between each stage of interviews.  Kearney should give you their decision within a week after the last interview round.