Some undergraduate applicants to McKinsey may spend roughly 10 minutes talking with an AI-simulated client while human interviewers observe and score their performance. The avatar plays the client; it does not assess the candidate.
The exercise is a limited pilot for business-analyst candidates in some North American offices, according to Wall Street Journal reporting summarized in The Verge’s October 14 report. Hundreds of applicants may encounter it, though the reported scope falls short of a companywide hiring change.
Candidates will need to confirm whether their interview includes the exercise and what to expect. The pilot puts AI inside a live assessment while leaving responsibility for scoring with human interviewers.
Who May Encounter the Simulation
The reported pilot targets undergraduates seeking business-analyst roles in some North American offices during fall 2026. The coverage does not establish that every business-analyst applicant, every North American office, or candidates for other roles will use the simulation.
“Hundreds” is a possible participation count, not a confirmed total of completed interviews. It should not be read as evidence that the exercise has become a standard requirement across McKinsey.
The published accounts do not name the participating offices or explain how candidates are selected for the pilot. Role title and region alone therefore cannot tell applicants whether they will encounter it.
Applicants can ask their recruiting contact whether the scheduled interview includes an AI-client exercise, what instructions they will receive, and whether preparation materials are available. Asking for those details does not mean McKinsey has promised a practice tool or published a detailed guide.
The Avatar Simulates Ordinary Client Situations
The simulation is intended to reproduce client interactions consultants might encounter in their daily work, without manufacturing an unusually hostile encounter.
As summarized by The Verge, the Journal describes an ambition for the tool to reflect 80% of everyday consulting scenarios. That figure describes intended coverage. It is not a demonstrated accuracy rate or evidence that the exercise predicts job performance.
Applicants should expect a counterpart in a scenario, not necessarily an interviewer asking conventional questions about their background. The conversation gives human observers something to assess.
