PwC 1st round interview this Thursday, couple of questions:

Hiya, hope your interview went well, do you know if you got through yet?

Would you mind shedding some light on the questions you were asked to help anyone who may have a PWC interview coming up? Did they deviate much from the questions in the wiki (http://www.wikijob.co.uk/wiki/pwc-interview-questions-pricewaterhousecoopers)?

Any information would be much appreciated!

Cheers!

Hello,
Still haven't heard if I got through or not yet. Some things I answered well others not so well. The annoying thing is I know I have good examples of all the competencies they are after, its just under the interview pressure my mind either blanks or I struggle to get my words out! Oh well thats life I suppose.

Anyway about the questions I was asked:
It was very standard except for about 3 questions.
I got the usual When have you worked in a team? When have you lead a team? Why PwC? (i also slipped into explaining why audit with this questions so didn't get asked 'why audit?' seperately) When have you had to give positive and negative feedback? When have you had to change your presentation style? What do you know about the ACA? Discuss a recent bit of news (I talked about the land rover jaguar stuff and he seemed quite impressed as I went into quite a bit of depth). I think there were a couple more of the standard questions but i cant remember them at the minute.

Then there were the tricky ones:
He started off with What services could PwC offer a big industrial company (leading on from land rover jaguar), so I described roughly what each 'section' of PwC does and offers. Then however he said how would these services differ for a small company? I struggled with this and I cant remember how I answered. Then he said what would PwC offer to a small company that was really struggling? Again I wasn't expecting the question and struggled.

Thats about all I can remember but if anyone has got any other questions I'll try my best to answer.

I have my AC with PwC tomo in Cambridge - does anyone else? I wasn't nervous until about 2 minutes ago :p plus I have to get up at 5am to get there!!

hello, everyone

It seems you all passed the application form, I would appreciate if you can give me a hand on it. I am now struggling with the question about giving advice to an ideal client.

Question
Imagine you are working at PwC. If you could choose an ideal client to advise, who would it be? Your ideal client does not have to be a current client of PwC.
In answering this question please provide us with answers to the following:

•Who is your ideal client and what services do they provide?
•What services and advice could PwC offer this client?
•What commercial/industry issues are affecting this client in the business market that should be taken into account when a providing them with advice?

How you find which company can be a good example?

Thanks a lot

Well that wasn't the question on my application form ... but I think I remember reading somewhere they were going to change the form in October. It is pretty similar to the one I filled in though so I'll tell you what I did:

I picked samsung for the only reason that I have always bought their products and always been happy with them, they also have done pretty well in the recession.
Services: Providing consumers with high quality electrical goods
PwC could offer all of its services (give a brief description of what you think the services are/do)
Issues: Consumers less happy to spend a lot of money on 'luxury' items such as a HDTV for example

Thats the general jist of what I did and I have gotten through the application form twice, just the interviews I seem to struggle with!

Hope this helps and good luck.

Hello, dai

thanks a lot for your post. I have been thinking about to talk a small company which I don;t think PwC people would know, also becuase it's a foreign company where I worked for before. I worry that if they dont' know the company I have to use lots of words introducing the company (given the word limit is 500, :( .) SO do you think it would be better to talk company which is big and famous? thanks

also, don't feel disappointed about the interview, I am sure you will pass it soon!

Hey Tudian,

I passed the AC yesterday so am through to the partner interview stage - it was a pretty gruelling day. I had to do the number and diagram test and then a written test as well, which they have added this year to filter out unsuitable candidates as apparently they are getting lots of people who get the job but which cannot write a client report etc in clear English!! I also had the interview and a one-to-one exercise. At the end of the day my brain was pretty frazzled - I got a call 2 hours later to say I was through :D!!

I will send you a PM with regards to the client I chose to speak of. The tests were 20 in 20 minutes and all either percentages or ratios - there were no currency conversion questions. The diagram test was 40 in 20 minutes and easier than the one you do online.

Well done on getting through Imiliano! I also got through the first round interview and have my AC next week - which im very nervous about.

Have you had your partner interview yet? this is the main thing I am worried about so any advice would be appreciated.

What was the written test like? Was it verbal reasoning or something else?

I noticed you said you had a one-to-one exercise, was this because there were not enough candidates for a team exercise? or is this the new method?

Well done again and good luck if you haven't had your partner interview yet.

sorry for double post but I have received my confirmation email.

I too will be completing an individual exercise and a written exercise (it says you cannot prepare for these). I have never heard of these before imiliano's post, just wondering if this is a new method? Has anyone else sat these yet? any tips?

Cheers.

Yep, I was told by the head of recruitment/human resources that they are introducing the written test in addition to the other 2 tests for this year (and probably following years) because they are getting too many candidates that are unable to write in grammatically correct English!! Yet somehow these people have managed to obtain degrees :p!!

Anyway, the test is nothing to stress about - you are given 35 minutes to read through some information about a business deal. You also have to write in the region of 2 sides of A4 for your answer in this time - so work quickly. You are faced with a scenario where a company is looking to go into business with one of 4 possible companies so that it can produce a new (but related) product (which you are given information on). However, you are told one of the companies is unsuitable from the outset, and thus you really only have to choose between 3!! There is no right or wrong answer, but they are looking for clear English, logical structure, a persuasive argument, use of information provided, and correct spelling!! In terms of preparation there is none since they are assuming you have no pre-existing knowledge on the type of industry mentioned in the brief, and so your answer will ONLY relate to the brief provided. However, if you struggle with spelling or grammar, etc. then it may be worth going over some basics... I'm gueesing most people with a degree should be totally fine though!!

Hope this is of some help.... and nope, at the Assessment Centre my interview was with a manager so I have my partner interview next - joy! And it was a one-on-one because I was the only one at the office - I was rather disappointed by this! Having done the group exercise last year in London I would say it is far easier than the one-on-one. The question is the same but basically you are given 5 times as much work and talking to do when compared with a group of (say) 5.

So the written exercise in similar to the ono-to-one exercise then, in that you are given information and have to produce some sort of argument for picking 1 answer over another?
Is it hand written or on the computer? I ask because my hand writing is pretty awful - thats why I did a science degree!
Do you have 35 mins total? i.e. you need to read the info and write the report in that time?

Cheers for the info mate I really appreciate it! When do you have your partner interview?

Yep, 35 minutes to read and write the answer!! It is hand-written so you best get practising ;) I haven't heard about my next interview yet...

Hello Imiliano.

What ratios did they ask for? accountancy ratios or just basic stuff? Is there anywhere you would recommend that could help us with this test?

Thanks

Ratios such as the number of successful calls made to total calls made in a call centre - quite simple things like that!! Try SHL and the tests on efinancial careers - these are pretty good.

Thanks Imiliano.

Good luck with the partner interview. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks! and will do! Any other questions feel free to send me a PM - happy to help.

hello, Imiliano, thanks very much for your sharing. It's very useful and I hope everything goes well with you. I also have an AC next week, but I am really worried about the written test. May I ask you more about the content? what kind of industry is discussed in the written test in your case? and what do you think the keys are to manage the written exercise? do we need to stick to some formats about the report and do you think the time is enough for finishing it or not? Thanks a lot!

The written test is really nothing to worry about!! So, you are presented with a business proposition and you have to decide on the most suitable firm to make the deal with. Firm A is a producer of chocolate and wants to venture into a slightly different industry - however, it lacks the means necessary to do so itself. Therefore, in the test, you must choose which firm (B, C or D) A should work with. You are given details of each firm (B, C and D) and must use the info provided on each firm to form your argument. For example, you may say things such as "I recommend that firm C is chosen over firms B and D because the cost of transporting the finished product is cheaper" - obviously you would need to elaborate as they want about 2 pages of writing. There are also some figures provided in the company descriptions so I guess you could do some maths and throw in a few percentage comparisons for good measure - I did not do this, however, and still passed!

Also, 35 minutes is tight to read and digest all the info, plan, and write a lucid answer. I was mid-paragraph when I was told to stop writing but was not penalised for this :p

Don't stress too much!!

Thank you very much! and good luck with partner interview!!

Hey all,
So I've got my AC this Thursday and I have been told to be able to discuss 2-3 current issues, but then also to link them back to PwC and the services they offer. I dont come from a business background so I do find this a little bit tricky, so far my usual answer involves:

Audit - Ensuring what the company is doing is sustainable, profitable and legal. Getting to know the company, how they operate, looking into future plans and how they effect the accounts.
Finanacial advisory - Expert advice and solutions, for example breaking into a new market.
Tax - Advice on issues such as; how to raise finance, where to base the company etc. Number of tasks such as; preparing the annual accounts, restructuring or buying out another company.
Actuary - using financial and statistical theories to calculate the chance of something happening e.g. IT failure. Breaking the findings down into easy to manage information.
Consultancy - Offer practical advice to help businesses become more profitable and grow faster. Also offer information on things such as the competitors, state of the market and consumer behaviour.

This all seems very basic and I dont want to be saying the same thing for all of my answers! So I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers as to what else each of the services does/could offer?

Thanks in advance!

hello, dai_t75, congratulations on attending AC. I hope everything is fine with you. I think the key is to link the services provided by pwc with the issues you want to talk about. and you can illustrate the influences (negative/postive) brought by the issues and how do you think pwc could cope with them. As for the detailed content of different services, I think you need not to talk too much. Assurance also helps clients identify major risks in their operating system and make informed decisions about many other areas, such as environmental policies, management system, fraud investigation and so on. Advisory practise offers advices for clients to manage risks, improve efficieny, identify opportunities and creat tailored business solutions. Hope that will help you a bit. Good luch! ^_^

For audit, you could talk about how some firms such as KPMG are bundling internal and external audit services into 1 package - this is a taboo in the accounting world from what i've read since it compromises independence as essentially the external auditor is examining its own work.

...this is relevant to PwC as they refused to offer the firm the same deal! I've got my partner interview tomo AM :P

Hello, Imiliano, thanks very much for your information. Speaking of compromising the independence of auditors, pwc also provides non-audit services to its audit customers. What if they ask candidates what do you think pwc should do in terms of this issue? Thanks a lot and good luck with your interview tomorrow!

By the way, could you please tell me a bit more about your individual exercise in the AC? Is it a case about an eco-resort? what kind of questions they asked you after your presentations and how do you cope with it? Thanks very much! ^_^

Hey thanks for the replies! They will help me out quite a bit as I know which stories im going to talk about, so its just a case of saying how pwc could get involved.

Good luck with the interview Imiliano, im sure you will do well as you seem very confident about the whole area! Let us know how you get off.

Good luck with your partner interview Imiliano, you will get it! look forward hearing your good news

I had my parter interview this morning and got a call this PM to say I'd got the job :D :D!!!! It's such a relief as I applied last year, made the final round, and then didn't get an offer.

WikiJob has been invaluable throughout the application process so I am more than happy to answer any questions you guys may have regarding PwC... and when I have the time I will write a full account of my experience as it may be helpful to have an up-to-date one for 2009 seeing as a few things have changed. in the mean time thanks for the advice from anyone that writes on here and hope the applications are going well :D

ps. Yep, in answer to Christina0430, the exercise is based on an eco resort. It was 1 to 1 because I was the only one at the AC - I was given 30 mins to read through the entire brief, make notes and answer the questions. Then the person sitting in with me asked me to summarise my findings and offer the recommendations i'd come up with. You have to work to a budget and throughout the exercise you are told "breaking news" - the budget decreases about 3 times so you have to make adjustments to your recommendations accordingly. At all times you have to provide justifications for your answers.

Hope that helps Christina0430!!!

Imiliano - heres to hoping you get the job you are applying for. I am currently in the process of my application for the Actuarial line at PWC and I cannot get an answer for the question

Who is your ideal client and what services do they provide? •What services and advice could PwC offer this client? •What commercial/industry issues are affecting this client in the business market that should be taken into account when a providing them with advice?

Could you advise me a little on what you did. It would be much appreciated!!!

Cheers!

alimuqeem, I'll send you a PM!

Congrats Imiliano, I had a feeling you would get it! Im very jelous!

So how did the partner interview go? Any tricky questions? Much commercial awareness?
Sorry for so many questions but im very nervous about mine.

Well done, Imiliano. Which office do you apply for and when will you start? Thanks a lot for telling me the individual exercise. Could you please tell me more about your partner interview? What kind of questions they asked you? It is mainly about your personal experience or commercial awareness? Any other competency questions in this section? I will have my AC and second interview next Tuesday, so kind of nervous now! Thanks very much!

Thanks :D 2nd time lucky!!!!

I probs haven't got time to write everything up at the moment: the partner interview was fine, I actually enjoyed it! The partner was really chilled out, friendly and it was more a "chat" than interrogation! I was asked quite a lot of commercial awareness - I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that you really know your ideal client inside out as I was asked about mine in great detail in both interviews :p So, I would suggest reading up on any recent developments with the firm (or their rivals/partners) and possible plans for the future. Also, while the "credit crunch" is old news, it may still be affecting your ideal client. How have they responded to these difficult times? What do you think they should do next? How have their rivals responded? How could PwC help them? I'm not saying you will get asked all (or any) or these questions, but I did so it is possible!

I was also asked about another client I admired (other than my ideal one) - I kind of thought S**T and then thought of a product I am interested in and spoke about the firm that produces it. I was also asked (in my 1st interview) what I know about Audit and how it helps a firm (it can increase shareholder value for example). Today I was asked what would a successful audit involve? So my advice is geek up on audit (I know it's pretty dull!) - also, make sure you know about SARBOX (just in case!) and the conversion of GAAP to IFRS (I wasn't asked about this but could have been). Accountancy Age is a great website and has lots of relevant info on PwC and accounting news in general. For example, the Big 4 are losing work to smaller firms such as Grant Thornton and those in the top 10-15.

Lots of the other questions were more implicit than explicit so I had to guess at what the interviewer was getting at and respond accordingly. I think it is also really important to get in examples of the "core competencies" where possible.

I'll post more soon!

Thanks a lot! It's really helpful. It seems much more difficult than I expect coz you really need to know a lot to cope with the commercial awareness questions, especially about the ideal client. By the way, which office do you apply to?

Hi guys, iv been following this thread and site closely as a guest and its helped no end with my applications and what to expect with the whole process in general. Imiliano congrats on getting the job, quite obviously the envy of all the hopefuls like myself on this site. I am also struggling with the ideal client for PwC question and I was wondering if you could help me? Thanks

Hi Imiliano ,

Congrats on getting the offer from PwC. I want to get one too... but in order to do this, I need to complete my application form first. I'm applying to actuarial at PwC and struggling with the client question also. I would much appreciate if you could share with me how you got on with this question: how did you choose your client, what do you emphasize, commercial issues....did you talk about all PwC's services or just the service line you applied to?

Cheers

Thanks!!!

Considering how helpful WikiJob has been over the last year I thought I’d provide an account of the PwC application process (2009) for Assurance. I applied last year and got to the final round – the AC was a bit of a nightmare as there was a fire on the circle line which meant I had to run to the office in my suit in rush hour traffic – I got there an hour late and messed up the interview because I felt so flustered and couldn't think straight!! Anyway, for this year things are pretty much the same, but some offices do the AC before the final partner interview. I preferred doing the AC (with first interview) and then just having the partner interview as the last hurdle as it felt more relaxed, and like I had done most of the hard work having passed the tests, etc.

So, a good application form is essential! It’s not too challenging but does require some thought and planning. For the question on What does PwC do I mentioned it can provide statutory audit, check that firms are compliant with regulation (such as SARBOX and IFRS), provide corporate finance (advisory) services, due diligence via transaction services and advice on IPOs. I also mentioned how the services PwC provide increase shareholder value since they instil confidence in investors/shareholders. I think it is important to mention more than just the services relating to your chosen service line.

Lots of people seem to be struggling with the ideal client question. I was asked LOADS about my ideal client in both interview this year. It is also the reason why I failed the partner interview last year – I had not done enough research. Therefore, I think it is really important that you choose a client that you actually have an interest in – or which you can at least fake an interest in for the application process! I chose a client (a UK supermarket) that has lots going on at the moment and which has done well through the recession. I outlined the issues facing the client at the moment (it is looking to expand massively over the next few years) and then (in a logical order) mentioned which services PwC could provide. I mentioned more than just the service line I applied to (Assurance) and gave examples for each – for example, “transaction services can provide peace of mind to the buyer (my client) through buy-side due diligence.” I think the key to this question is picking a client you feel you’ll be able to talk about in some depth. As for suggestions, how about a firm you have worked for in the past? Or a company undergoing exciting developments at the moment?

For the teamwork question I used an example from university and again, was asked LOADS on this in my first interview. I think it is better to provide a more recent example and not one relating to uni work i.e. don’t say something like “I worked well in a team during a presentation” – I think they are looking for more of a work-related or extra-curricular example.

The last part of the form is listing any significant achievements, etc – which is self explanatory!

Next (hopefully!) come the dreaded online tests. For the numerical test you must be confident on ratios, percentages, currency conversions, index/base numbers, and general interpretation of data from graphs and tables. I bought the tests from Assessment Day (£4.99) and worked through all 210 questions in addition to doing the practise test on SHL.com. What I found really helpful was doing a print-screen for each of the SHL practise questions and then pasting all 40 into word. Then, in my own time, I was able to work through each question until I understood how to tackle it. I also did quite a few past papers at my desk at work because my current job is mind numbingly boring!! Anyway, the test is not easy, yet not too challenging. Just prepare. Lots! The diagram test is what I was dreading the most, and the online version was markedly more difficult than the one at the AC. Again, Assessment Day have some good (free) examples to work through as does the SHL website. What I would suggest if you are struggling with the tests is to isolate each part of the diagram and see how it is changing from diagram to diagram. I felt this approach worked better than looking at the diagram as a whole. Oh, and when it comes to sitting the test try and feel confident (if possible) as this can really help with performance - there have even been scientific studies which show a positive attitude can affect performance considerably!!

Should you pass the tests you will be invited to either the first interview or AC. I had the AC first to will talk about this! The day was just me and started with the tests (numerical, diagrammatic and writing). The numerical was 20Qs in 20 minutes and not too bad – easier than the online one I think – and it is a paper test so you can do the questions in any order you want. Again, percentages and ratios feature heavily in the test. The diagram test is 40 Qs in 20 minutes and really not too bad – isolate the shapes and you will easily see what it going on. I managed to answer 39 and was in the 76th percentile. The writing test is new to the AC as of this year and designed to filter out applicants that are unable to write in clear English. If you manage to get your application through the first round you should be fine! I have provided info on the writing test somewhere else on WikiJob so take a look!

Next was the interview itself. It was quite relaxed and I enjoyed it. Make sure you sit up straight and are articulate. The interview started with me talking the interviewer through my application – from which he asked questions. I was asked loads about my ideal client, and also on the teamwork question. I was also asked quite a bit about previous job and when I lead a team at work – what challenges did I face? And what did I learn from the experience. We also spoke about my degree and masters and why audit. What do I know about it? The interview was not an interrogation and the questions were more implicit than explicit so I had to guess at what competencies he was looking for. It lasted for about 50 minutes I think and is nothing to worry about so long as you are well prepared!

Next came the one-on-one exercise which I have also mentioned on another post. It was based on the eco-resort. You are given 35 minutes to make notes and answer the 3 questions. Then, the person comes back into the room and you have to “brief” them of your thoughts, etc. As the time goes by (you have 15 minutes to brief them) you are told that the budget has been reduced by X amount. This happens 3 times I think, so you must make adjustments to your choices accordingly. I thought I had failed the exercise because I ran out of time, however, I had made extensive notes which I was commended for :p therefore, my advice is make sure in the briefing session you time manage and get through all 3 tasks. I got a call an hour later to invite me to the final interview.

For the final interview I prepared LOADS and was ready to talk about all things to do with accounting and current issues. For example, the Big 4 are losing business to smaller accounting firms. Also, KPMG have offered a firm internal and external audit services (which PwC refused to do) – this is pretty important to accounting. The story can be found on accountancy age. I also made sure I was fully confident on my ideal client and on other financial stories. For example, I prepared notes on the proposed merger between T-Mobile and Orange. I think it is far better to be over prepared and not asked questions, than under prepared and asked questions! The interview itself was a good experience and more a two way conversation than interview. I was asked things like what did I like and dislike about my university. Why accounting? What do I know about the clients in the area? I was also asked lots on my masters dissertation which led to a conversation of about 20 minutes – I was later told that the interviewer thought it was good how I didn’t simply agree with his opinions all the time, but rather, gave my own views backed up with examples. We also spoke about plans for the future (where do you see yourself in 5 years) and the structure of the ACA (I knew lots more than the interviewer!) – so, make sure you know where you could be in 5 years and don’t go and say you want to be working for an investment bank or something because they are looking for commitment to PwC! I was also asked if I am an organised person and what makes my ideal client stand out in the market. The interviewer was trying to break me down (in as nice a way as possible) and wanted me to give in to his opinion I think! However, I argued my points and was later given good feedback for this. It is for this reason that I suggested (above) that you should really do your research on your ideal client. I was also asked about client service and so I mentioned how important it is to provide excellent client service. Oh, and what makes a good audit? To summarise, the interview was more of an opportunity for the partner to get to know me – just be yourself and don’t say what you think they want to hear, rather, provide answers with evidence/examples to support your points and you should be fine! I got a call 3 hours later to say I had got the job :D

I hope this post has helped somewhat… I know lots of people seem to worry about commercial awareness so I would suggest accountancy age, the times, Reuters, and possibly the BBC. Also, if you go to the Times top 100 graduate employers website, select PwC (which are number 1) you will see a tab that says something like “News” – click this and you will get links to recent news relating to PwC.

http://www.top100graduateemployers.com/employers/news.php?id=76

Best of luck everyone and I will try my best to answer any questions!!

Oh, and WikiJob provide an application checking service for about £15 - I used this and would recommend it!

So I had my assessment centre yesterday and I have just received a phone call offering me a position!!! Cant explain how happy I am!

Just wanted to come on and say a big thanks to everyone on this site who has helped me out along the way. I can honestly say without this site I would not have got the job.

I am happy to try and answer any questions that my fellow wiki uses may have. Some time over the weekend I will right up my experience of the assessment centre, when I have some free time/recovered from my headache ;).

So again THANK YOU to everyone on this site!

Congratulations dai_175! Really happy for you. which office do you apply to and when will you start? I will also have my AC next Tuesday. But now still feel a lot needs to be prepared. Could you please tell me more about your partner interview? What questions they asked you yesterday? a lot of commercial awareness or more about your personal experience? And what about the group discussion and written test? Is time enough to solve all of these problems?
Any suggestions will be appreciated a lot! Thanks!

Thanks Christina!:)
I applied to the Swansea office (my nearest office), I will be starting in Audit sometime next autumn (round September time I think).

I'll be completely honest the partner interview was the best bit of the day for me. I didn't get asked a single comercial awareness question, it was all just general chat to see if he liked me and if I would fit in. The few questions I got asked were: Why did you pick your degree (chemistry)? How did you decide to go into audit? Why this office? Have you applied to any other firms? I cant remember much else but as I said, it was just a nice chat and very relaxed. The moment he walked in he said 'I want you to be completely honest, there are no tricky questions, just be yourself'.

I had a one-to-one exercise not a group exercise, are you definately having a group one?
This was the most difficult part of the day for me - there is a LOT of info to get through and make notes on in just 35 mins. I was given info on an ecoresort and had a budget of £150,000, I then had to pick 6 improvements to make out of about 12. Then during the debrief the budget was changed twice so I had to adjust my choices. The best advice I could give would be to make sure you make lots of notes on the decisions you make and note down how much budget is left after each choice. The other bit I struggled on was saying how PwC could help the company when implementing the changes, so again make sure you know all the services PwC offers and how they would be utilised in such a case.

The written test is quite similar in that you are given info and have to come to a decision, backing up your choice. In the example you are working for a chocolate company that wants to break into the biscuit market. To do this they must go into a partnership with 1 of 4 companies. You are told right off the bat 1 of the choices is a no go, so its basically decide on 1 of the companies out of 3. I personally went through all the companies stating the pros and cons of each then made a final conclusion as to which company to choose. This again is 30 mins, which is quite low, but I found this much easier to finish in time than the one-to-one exercise. Forgot to mention: you are limited to 2 sides of A4 paper.

I know you didn't ask about the tests but I thought I would mention this: Normally I find the numerical tests straight forward and complete around 15/20 during the time. However, during the AC i seemed to take a lot longer than usual and only managed to finish 11/20 - im confident i got at least 10 correct so maybe that is the pass mark?

After the day I wasn't overly confident, I felt the interview went very well and the rest was so-so. From this my conclusion would be that the partner interview is a very important part of the day. Be confident, friendly, professional and yourself - they know you have got what it takes to work there, else you wouldn't have made it this far. I think they just need to know if you will get on with everyone in the office and that they would be happy to put you in front of a client.

Thats about all I can think of for the moment, I hope this helps you prepare. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

Thank you so much for all the suggestions you give, they are really useful to me. I think the numeracial test is more difficult than the one we did after on-line application. what about the logical reasoning test? Do you think 20 minutes are enough for finishing it? And for the lunch, do you think I need to prepare some topics ahead of time? How long did you wait for their offer after the AC? Sorry that I have so many questions, I hope you wouldn't mind. Having read so many experiences from different people in this website, I really think the content and structure of interview depends on different partners. But anyway, I will prepare as much as possible and get my fingers crossed! :D

No problem!

I found the logical reasoning to be much easier, I managed to complete all 40 questions in the allotted time and I was told I achieved a good mark. Whether this would be the same case for everyone I do not know, the questions were comparable to the online ones though.

I actually didn't have 'lunch', I had a coffee and a chat with someone who was in their 5th year i.e. fully qualified. I didn't prepare anything in advance of this, it was just a friendly chat where I asked him any questions I could think of that I hadn't asked previously.

I finished the AC at about 1:15 on Thursday and I got the call about 2pm on Friday.

Yeah I agree the partner interview can vary quite extremely depending on the office and partner. When do you have your AC? Best of luck with it, im sure you'll do well!

Thank you very much. I will have my AC and partner interview next Tuesday morning. And I was told by them it will be a group discussion other than an individual exercise. I am worried about the written test whether time is enough to finish it, because it is a new part added this year. I will try my best to perform it well! Hope i will also have good news to share with everybody. :)

Hi, dai_t75, can I ask you one more question about your one-to-one exercise? Could you give me some examples in terms of the options provided for the company to implement the changes? and do you think it is possible to answer this question " how can PwC help the company" in terms of the services PwC provides? Thanks a lot!~~

Do you mean you want examples of the choices I made?
I think I choose to use extra solar panelling, employing local people, recycling more waste umm I cant remember what else I picked.

I just went along the lines of 'aduit can study the activities of the resort then advise the resort on the effect the improvements will have on the accounts. Tax can advise on the tax implications etc etc'. As I said in my earlier post I struggled with this bit so I'm probably not the best person to ask haha.

yes, thanks very much, that's exactly what I want to know more about. According to these options, I think perhaps assurance and consulting practices could help the company, sustainability services as well. and you mentioned employing local people, then maybe human resources service will help them recruit employees. if you don't tell me, I think I will also struggle with this part coz I know from others that they will use the same case in group discussions. So, really appreciate a lot!

Hi dai_t75! Congratulations to both u and Imiliano on securing a job in PwC! Well done! I have my AC coming up on Friday and getting nervous as hell:S

Well the information that both you and Imiliano provided is comprehensive so not going to ask u much..but I was wondering..in the written exercise as well as in the case study, are we supposed to exhibit our commercial knowledge about the respective industries, i.e. the chocolate industry and greener environmental solutions..or are we just supposed to stick to whatever information is provided in the case studies?

Hi sifat, thanks very much! Dont worry about it I was extremely nervous aswell!

Nah I dont think you need to show any commercial knowledge, you are told before each of them that you cannot prepare for them. But as I said to christina you need to be able to show what services PwC could offer when implementing the changes that you decide on (for the one-to-one exercise). To be honest I think the written test could be on anything as it's just an exercise to see that you can write in clear english. My handwriting is pretty awful and I managed to get through so I wouldn't worry if your handwriting isn't anything special, just make sure you write in paragraphs, use decent grammar and you will be fine. So I would say just stick to the info they give you and just try to back up your arguments using any figures/stats given.

Good luck!

Yep, as above, no prior knowledge of the chocolate industry is required - the exercise is really not that bad! Make sure you structure your writing (in a logical way) and provide a balanced answer. Also, there is no right or wrong answer - rather, they want to know you can write clearly and in correct English. Regarding the one-on-one exercise there are actually some examples of what services PwC could provide to the Eco Resort (these are at the front of the booklet) - these are the only ones I mentioned, and only spoke about them for about a minute before running out of time! So, make sure you learn from my mistake and allocate some time to this part of the task!!

Good luck :D and keep calm!!!!

Hey guys just finished my assessment centre and now its only the partner interview next. I'm really nervous because i don't want to have come all this way to fall at the last hurdle.

From the feedback i got i know i have to work on the impression I make. Aparently in my group exercise and interview I didn't really think before i spoke. Basically, does anyone have any hints as to how I can improve the impact I make?

I was also told that i needed a little bit more info about audit. Aside from the PwC website where can i find out more info about the type of stuff I'll be doing and how useful it is to the job?

Those are the two main issues that were drummed up in my feedback. I'm hoping its not a disaster and that on the whole i was ok. If anyone could help me with those 2 issues though I'd be really grateful.