Big Four interviews in the UK follow the same broad shape at Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG: an online application, online assessments that mix workplace scenarios with numerical and verbal or logical reasoning, a recorded video interview or job simulation, then a final stage such as an assessment centre, assessment day or interview. The detail differs by firm, so this guide sets out what each firm publishes for its UK early-careers programmes as of October 2026, and how to prepare for every stage.
The stages below apply to graduate, undergraduate and apprentice routes, where all four firms publish their process. Experienced-hire processes are set by each team and are not published in the same detail, so your recruiter's instructions come first. For the wider picture of UK hiring, start with our job interview tips for the UK.
The Big Four interview process at a glance
| Firm | Published stages (UK early careers) | Final stage | Reapplying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deloitte UK | Apply online, Immersive Online Assessment, Job Simulation, Final Stage Assessment, outcome | In person at a Deloitte office for graduate roles: a topic discussion with an assessor (typically 30 to 40 minutes) and a skills and motivation interview (about 50 minutes) | One application per intake or academic year (September to August) |
| PwC UK | Apply online, online assessment, video interview, virtual assessment centre, finding you the right role (graduate programmes only), business assessment, offer, pre-employment screening | A business assessment after the virtual assessment centre | One application at a time; one application for the 2027 programmes, so an unsuccessful candidate waits for the 2028 programmes |
| EY UK | Application form, an assessment process (a Realistic Job Preview online assessment plus a behavioural skills test), EY Experience Day | EY Experience Day | Six months for graduate and undergraduate vacancies; three months for apprenticeship and Career Starters vacancies |
| KPMG UK | Explore and apply (an unassessed job preview quiz and a form), two online assessments, a video interview, Launch Pad | Launch Pad, a half-day in-person event with assessed and non-assessed activities; an offer within 2 working days if successful | Check the current programme page |
Sources: each firm's UK careers pages, read in October 2026: Deloitte UK early careers assessment, PwC UK assessment and selection process, EY UK how to apply and KPMG UK graduate application process. Firms update these pages each recruitment season, so check the page for your programme before you start.
What happens at each Big Four firm?
Deloitte UK
The application takes about 15 minutes and does not save your progress, so finish it in one sitting. The Immersive Online Assessment has a behavioural section, where you rank actions in workplace scenarios and answer questions about your working style, and a cognitive section with numerical and verbal reasoning. There is no overall time limit, though some questions are timed. You get a strengths feedback report, which Deloitte says is not your result.
The Job Simulation uses work-based scenarios with ranking, written answers and recorded video responses. Some scenarios mention workplace AI tools, but Deloitte says you will not be asked to use one; it is judging your judgement and responsible decision-making. At the Final Stage Assessment you research a topic beforehand, discuss it with an assessor, then sit a skills and motivation interview.
PwC UK
PwC describes itself as a skills-enabled organisation and says its process focuses on the human and technical skills you need. The online assessment starts with an untimed behavioural profile test about your natural preferences at work, followed by a timed cognitive test covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. Next comes a video interview with no live interviewer: your recorded answers are reviewed later by an assessor. The virtual immersive assessment centre assesses you against the core skills and attributes PwC looks for. Graduate candidates then go through a step to find the right role, followed by a business assessment and the offer.
EY UK
EY asks you to choose one programme and location, and you can apply for only one programme every six months. Its assessment process includes a Realistic Job Preview, a first-stage online assessment covering teamwork and learning capability, and a behavioural skills test. EY gives you a practice hub inside its assessment portal. The final stage is the EY Experience Day, where you meet EY people and show your skills.
KPMG UK
KPMG's two online assessments are a skills assessment (untimed; KPMG suggests allowing 20 minutes) where you pick the response most like you in work scenarios, and a cognitive assessment timed at 36 minutes covering numerical and logical reasoning. The video interview has six pre-recorded questions from an AI avatar, with set preparation time; KPMG suggests allowing 40 minutes, and a member of its Student Recruitment team reviews and scores your answers. Launch Pad is a half-day, in-person event held across several UK cities.
Can you use AI in Big Four assessments?
No, not to produce your answers. All four firms ask for your own work, and two spell it out:
- KPMG says assessments must be completed independently, "without the assistance of others, or any artificial intelligence", and that elements of the online assessments may be re-tested.
- PwC says AI tools or third-party help to generate, edit or complete assessment responses are not permitted unless PwC authorises them, and that it checks for AI-assisted support. PwC also says it does not use AI to assess candidate performance in early-careers selection.
- Deloitte asks you to read its Integrity and AI guidance first and says using answers from third-party websites breaches its rules.
Take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand. Practising out loud before the recorded stages is exactly where preparation helps, because a recorded answer gives you no second chance to clarify.
How do you prepare for the Big Four video interview and job simulation?
The recorded stages trip up strong candidates because nobody nods, smiles or asks a follow-up. Treat them as structured interviews with a timer:
- Prepare six to eight short stories. Cover teamwork, a deadline under pressure, a mistake you fixed, persuading someone, learning something fast and a time you did the right thing when it was harder. Our STAR story builder helps you shape each one.
- Know why this firm and this service line. "Why audit?" or "Why consulting at PwC rather than Deloitte?" needs a specific answer about the work, not the brand.
- Practise to time. Most recorded questions give you a short preparation window and a fixed answer time. Rehearse answers of about 90 seconds to two minutes so you finish the result, not just the situation.
- Set up properly. Use a laptop or desktop, a quiet room, light in front of you and a stable connection. KPMG recommends Chrome for its cognitive assessment.
- Read every scenario fully. Situational questions reward judgement: the client's interest, honesty and escalating early usually beat heroics.
Our guides to the one-way video interview and how to practise for a video interview go deeper on camera technique.
How do you prepare for the final stage?
The final stage is where you meet assessors or managers live. What to expect depends on the firm:
- Deloitte's topic discussion is a two-way conversation about a topic you research in advance. Form a view, back it with two or three facts, and be ready to change your mind when the assessor challenges you.
- PwC's virtual assessment centre and KPMG's Launch Pad mix exercises and conversations. Our assessment centre guide for the UK covers group exercises, case studies and presentations.
- EY's Experience Day is also your chance to ask questions. Bring three about the team, the training and what first-year people actually do.
Across all four, the motivation questions matter as much as the exercises. If you are choosing between schemes, our graduate scheme interview guide explains how UK schemes compare, and our strengths-based interview guide covers the "what energises you?" style of question several firms use.
Big Four practice questions
These are practice questions we wrote to match the published stages. They are not questions reported from any firm.
- Why do you want to start your career in audit (or tax, consulting, technology) rather than another service line?
- Tell me about a time you worked in a team where someone was not pulling their weight. What did you do?
- Describe a time you had to learn something quickly to meet a deadline.
- Tell me about a time you noticed a mistake in your own work after you had handed it in.
- What is a recent business story you have followed, and what would it mean for our clients?
- A client asks you to leave a number out of a report because "it will only confuse the board". What do you do?
- What do you enjoy doing so much that you lose track of time?
Example answer we wrote (to "Tell me about a time you noticed a mistake in your own work"): "On my placement I sent a client a reconciliation and spotted an hour later that one supplier's invoices had been counted twice, overstating costs by about £4,000. I told my manager straight away, showed her the corrected file and explained the cause, a duplicated filter. She sent the client a correction that afternoon. Since then I check totals against the source system before anything leaves my hands, and I have not repeated the error."
Answer each question out loud, not in your head. CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds questions from your CV and the job description, reads them aloud, and scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what worked, what to fix and a model answer. The free plan gives you 15 minutes a day with no account, or try the browser AI mock interview with nothing to install.
Rehearse your Big Four interview out loud
Paste the programme description and your CV into a free mock interview, answer each question aloud and get a score out of 10 with a model answer. Free for 15 minutes a day, no account needed.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
How many stages are in a Big Four graduate application in the UK?
Usually four or five. As of October 2026, Deloitte UK lists an application, an online assessment, a job simulation and a final stage assessment; KPMG UK lists an application, online assessments, a video interview and Launch Pad; PwC UK adds a role-matching step and a business assessment after its virtual assessment centre; EY UK lists an application, an assessment process and an Experience Day.
Are Big Four online tests timed?
Partly. Deloitte has no overall time limit but some timed questions. KPMG's skills assessment is untimed (allow about 20 minutes) while its cognitive assessment is timed at 36 minutes. PwC says its behavioural test is untimed and its cognitive assessment is timed.
Can I reapply to a Big Four firm after a rejection?
Yes, with limits. Deloitte UK accepts one application per intake or academic year, EY UK asks you to wait six months for graduate and undergraduate roles, and PwC UK allows one application for its 2027 programmes, so you would reapply for 2028. Check the current rules on each firm's page.
Is the KPMG video interview with a real person?
No. KPMG UK says you answer six pre-recorded questions from an AI avatar at a time that suits you, and a member of its Student Recruitment team then reviews and scores your answers.
Can I use ChatGPT or other AI tools in Big Four assessments?
No. KPMG says assessments must be completed without the assistance of others or any artificial intelligence, PwC says AI help with responses is not permitted unless it authorises it, and Deloitte points candidates to its Integrity and AI guidance. Use AI to practise beforehand, then take the assessments yourself.
What should I wear to a Big Four final stage?
Business or smart business dress is the safe choice for in-person final stages at a firm office. If your invitation says something different, follow it.