How Graduate Audit and Tax Applications Work

Large accountancy firms usually hire graduate audit and tax trainees through an online application, online tests, a recorded video interview and a final assessment, then train you for a professional qualification such as the ACA while you work. You do not need an accounting degree. You do need to prepare for each stage, and to apply early in the season.

Do you need an accounting degree?#

No. PwC says it welcomes applications from students of all degree disciplines, provided you are on track to pass your degree. KPMG uses contextual recruitment, which takes your circumstances into account when it looks at your grades. Always check each firm’s current entry requirements before you apply.

What are the stages?#

Here is how two of the largest firms describe their graduate processes:

Sources: PwC assessment and selection process and KPMG application process. Other firms use similar steps, but the order and names change, so read each firm’s page.

When should you apply?#

Graduate schemes recruit many months before they start, and many firms review applications as they arrive. Apply as soon as you have a strong, tailored application ready, rather than waiting for a closing date that may never come.

How do you prepare for the online tests?#

• Find out which tests the firm uses from its own careers pages and do any official practice tests.
• Practise numerical reasoning (percentages, ratios, reading tables and charts) and logical reasoning (patterns and rules) under time pressure.
• For behavioural or situational tests, read about the firm’s values and answer honestly. Consistency matters more than guessing the “right” answer.
• Take each test somewhere quiet, on a computer, with a reliable connection. Follow the firm’s rules about calculators and other aids.

How do you prepare for the video interview?#

Recorded interviews usually cover three things: why you want the role, why this firm, and evidence of the skills it looks for.

• Motivation. Prepare clear answers to “Why audit?” or “Why tax?”, “Why this firm?” and “Why the ACA?”. Mention something specific you have learned about the work.
• Evidence. Prepare STAR stories about teamwork, attention to detail, handling pressure and learning something difficult.
• Commercial awareness. Pick a business story from the last few months and be ready to explain how it could affect a company’s audit or tax.
• Practise on camera. Record yourself, watch it back, and keep answers to about two minutes.

What happens at the final stage?#

Final stages usually combine exercises and an interview. PwC describes a virtual assessment centre followed by a business assessment, an in-person interview with a senior leader. KPMG describes Launch Pad, an in-person half-day event. Expect to be asked about your motivation, your understanding of the work, and current business issues. Reread everything you have told the firm so far, because interviewers may ask about it.

What will you study once you join?#

Audit and tax trainees usually study for a chartered accountancy qualification while they work. PwC, for example, says its audit and tax graduates study for the ICAEW ACA or the ICAS CA in Scotland. Our guide to the ACA, ACCA and CIMA explains the differences.