McKinsey & Company will test a new interview step this fall in some North American offices in which undergraduates applying for entry-level business-analyst roles hold a roughly 10-minute conversation with an AI-simulated client, with hundreds of candidates potentially taking part, according to The Wall Street Journal. McKinsey says the tool will not score candidates itself; partners or interviewers will be in the room to observe how applicants pick up key points and respond to shifting information. Saleem Zafar, a McKinsey Dallas partner who helped design the pilot, said it aims to reflect about 80 percent of the scenarios consultants encounter in daily work and is not meant to mimic unhinged or trap-setting clients, while global recruiting co-lead Blair Ciesil said it helps assess interpersonal skills that prepared answers can mask. The reports say McKinsey could extend the approach to other roles next year if the pilot goes well.