01 · How it works
Three dimensions. Each rolls up from a set of sub-dimensions. Each sub-dimension is scored on a 5-point scale.
Every MBB first-round interview produces a single overall score, derived by averaging fourteen sub-dimensions into three dimensions, then weighting the three. The weights are Track record & drive 25%, Analytical thinking 50%, Presence & communication 25%. An overall above 3.5 is a strong pass at first round.
We mark to this framework end-to-end. No vibes, no unstated criteria. Every score on your feedback page references one of the fourteen sub-dimension anchors below, and each is grounded in a quoted moment from your transcript.
02 · Track record & drive
Weight 25% · 5 sub-dimensions
Past evidence that the candidate has owned outcomes, delivered under pressure, learned from setbacks, and acted as a real contributor on teams.
Self-direction
Whether the candidate moves under their own steam without needing to be told
- Starts things without being asked
- Pursues an outcome past the point of comfort
- Holds their own opinion under pushback
Collaboration
Whether the candidate is a real contributor on a team
- Names their specific role and contribution
- Credits teammates by name and by what they actually did
- Describes how they handled disagreement on a team
Depth
Whether the candidate can back up their claims with substance and specifics
- Numbers, dates, names, sizes of impact
- Holds up to two layers of probing without retreating
- Distinguishes their action from the team's action
Growth mindset
Whether the candidate seeks feedback and acts on it without defensiveness
- Names a real failure, not a humble-brag
- Describes what they actually changed after the failure
- Open to disagreement in the conversation itself
Results delivered
Whether the candidate has actually shipped outcomes, not just had ambitions
- Quantified results (revenue, time saved, headcount, conversion)
- Outcome traceable to their action, not to circumstance
- Pattern of delivery across multiple examples
03 · Analytical thinking
Weight 50% · 5 sub-dimensions
Whether the candidate can structure a problem, reason through it quantitatively, and arrive at a defensible recommendation.
Framing
Whether the candidate builds a structure that is MECE, hypothesis-led, and adaptive
- Buckets are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive
- Names the hypothesis before testing it
- Adapts the frame when an exhibit doesn't fit, rather than anchoring
Commercial judgement
Whether the candidate's assumptions reflect real business logic and the candidate makes reasonable trade-offs
- Assumptions are plausible and named explicitly
- Sensible trade-offs between competing priorities (cost vs. speed, risk vs. return)
- Picks the right branch to explore first, not just the easiest
Rigor
Whether the candidate's quantitative work is precise, traceable, and sense-checked
- Numbers correct or order-of-magnitude correct on the first pass
- Talks through assumptions out loud; the chain is auditable
- Sense-checks against an exhibit or a real-world reference before moving on
Creativity
Whether the candidate brings non-obvious ideas to the case
- Surfaces an angle the interviewer didn't seed
- Connects across domains (e.g., applies a retail insight to a logistics problem)
- Pushes back on the obvious answer when it deserves pushing back
Synthesis
Whether the candidate closes the case with a partner-grade recommendation
- Recommendation first, reasons second, risk third, next step fourth
- Quantified ask included when relevant
- Synthesis reflects the actual case work, not a generic template
04 · Presence & communication
Weight 25% · 4 sub-dimensions
Whether the candidate is calm under pressure, precise in delivery, listens well, and builds rapport with the interviewer.
Presence
Whether the candidate fills the room without dominating it
- Calm pace and audible confidence
- No upward inflection on assertions
- Comfortable with silence; doesn't fill it with hedging
Precision
Whether the candidate gets their point across cleanly
- One idea per sentence
- Signposts before drilling in
- Uses real numbers and named entities, not generic placeholders
Listening
Whether the candidate reflects what the interviewer said before responding
- Plays back the question in their own words before answering
- Catches small corrections from the interviewer and incorporates them
- Does not steamroll the interviewer's pushback
Relationship-building
Whether the candidate would feel like a real teammate to work with
- Warm but professional register, not transactional
- Asks for help where appropriate without losing momentum
- Shows curiosity about the case beyond the test itself
05 · The five-point scale
Every sub-dimension is scored on the same 5-point scale, calibrated to first-round MBB hire-readiness. Three is the bar that advances a candidate to the second round.
06 · How it's marked
Every case on MBB Ready is marked end-to-end against this rubric. The fourteen sub-dimensions are scored independently, averaged into the three dimensions, then weighted 25 / 50 / 25 into the overall.
Every sub-dimension comes with a one-sentence rationale and a short quote from your transcript with the timestamp. You see what cost you the score, not just the number.
Two boundary rules sit on top of the scale. First, a sub-dimension with any usable evidence of the skill earns at least a 2 — we never bottom out at 1 unless there's no signal at all. Second, the scorer marks for what was actually probed in the interview, not for unprompted detail the candidate had no chance to provide.