Graduate Application Process
[Edit] (Also see interview questions and answers about PwC interviews on the WikiJob forums)The process for applying to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) is as follows:
- Online application
- Online numerical reasoning and logical or verbal reasoning test
- First interview
- Assessment Centre comprising:
- Numerical reasoning test, logical reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning and verbal reasoning test
- Group exercise or Individual Exercise
- Partner interview
Application Preparation
[Edit]Before starting your application you should also read the PwC wesbite's hints and tips section and company information about the firm's selection process.
PwC Online Application
[Edit]The online application form comprises sections on personal information, academic achievement, career motivation, and demonstration of key personality traits such as teamwork.
The application will be referred to in both interviews. Make sure you retain a copy for your records.
PwC Application Questions
[Edit]Business and Client Service
- "Please provide us with your understanding of the services offered by the firm and in particular, the work undertaken in your chosen line of service (maximum 150 words)."
- "PwC is passionate about providing our clients with exceptional services that contribute to their business success. From a business perspective, if you were to join PwC, which organisation would be your ideal client and what services do you think PwC would be providing to enhance the organisation’s continued business success (maximum 150 words)? Please note the organisation does not have to be a current client of PwC."
Tips for answering this question:
This question requires you to demonstrate:
- An understanding of what makes a good business.
- An understanding of the services PwC offer to clients and how PwC helps clients improve their performance.
It is better to select a business you are familiar with to answer these questions, such as a high-street store. Online businesses such as Google, Facebook and internet gaming websites make poor examples to use as they are generally less well understood by older generations and their business model is still young and developing. Avoid discussing any technical types of business such as insurance or banking. If possible, select a business that is not a client of PwC as you may be interviewed by someone who knows a lot more about them than you do.
Examples of services PwC could offer to clients might include:
- Tax advice
- Performance improvement consulting
- Internal control testing
- Strategic consulting (e.g. selecting potential targets for takeover)
PwC Online Test
[Edit]Candidate's will typically be invited to take PwC's online test within two days of their online application.
The online test is comprised of three parts:
- Numerical reasoning (basic skills: interpreting data from tables, fractions, percentages, ratios, time/date calculations, foreign currency conversion).
- Verbal reasoning comprehension. or Diagrammatic reasoning
- The PwC Student Talent Questionnaire.
The reasoning tests are designed by SHL.
You will see practice questions before each section enabling you to familiarise yourself with the style of question asked. You will require a calculator, some paper and a pencil.
The diagrammatic reasoning is a short test requiring you to infer solutions using logic. The problems are of a visual nature.
The test is timed so you must apportion time correctly to each question. If you do not understand a question or cannot complete it in time, you should choose one answer and move on. You will not be able to return to previous questions.
First Interview
[Edit] (also see general interview advice and competency based questions)Your first interview will be a competency based interview conducted by a PwC Manager or Senior Manager from the line of service to which you've applied. It will last for approximately 45 minutes. The interview will focus specifically on your application form and previous experiences.
During your interview you will be assessed on core competencies PwC have decided are important for all employees to possess. These are:
- Commitment to Career
- Commercial Awareness
- Teamwork
- Motivation and Initiative
- Flexibility and Communicating with Impact.
Interview questions at PwC, just like the rest of the Big 4, are standardised. Graduate candidates are usually asked some of the following interview questions:
- What do you consider to be your strengths?
- What are your development areas?
- Why do you want to leave your present job?
- How do you structure your time at university ensuring you balance your personal life?
- Tell me about a difficult experience at work and how you dealt with it.
- What made you decide to join this Professional Services?
- What do you know about our business?
- Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
- What are your major achievements to date?
- What do you do in your spare time?
- Describe how you see the role of a graduate at PwC?
- What is the biggest mistake you have made? What did you learn from this mistake?
- Tell me about a time when you have worked in a team? What was your role?
- Have you applied for any other graduate jobs?
- How does PwC add value to its clients?
- How is PwC Assurance divided and in what division would you like to work? (see PwC Audit & Assurance)
- Tell me what you know about the qualification which you will be studying?
This site gives some advice on tackling these questions. The questions are designed to be open ended and to allow you to talk freely about your achievements and goals.
In addition, you may well also be asked competency based questions which force you to demonstrate evidence of past experience relating to PwC's core competencies:
- Give me 2 examples of when you have worked in a team to achieve a goal. (Teamwork)
- Give me 2 examples of where you have had to lead a team. (Teamwork)
- Give me 2 examples of where you have been in a situation of conflict, and explain how you choose to do the right thing.
- Can you discuss any recent developments which have strongly affected PwC and the accounting industry? (Commercial Awareness)
- What do you anticipate you will be doing in your first year at PwC?
- What can you tell me about the (ACA) qualification to which you have applied?
- What can you tell me about the line of work to which you have applied?
- What do you think you will be doing in your first year at PwC?
- Discuss a recent piece of financial news that has been in the press?
You should bear PwC's Global Core competencies in mind during your interviews as this is what you will be mainly tested on. At interview you must be able to give examples of how you have demonstrated these competencies in the past. You will be expected to give responses based on experiences within university years (work, education, extracurricular). School or College experiences are too far in the past.
Overall, the PwC interview will be more of a flowing conversation between interviewer and candidate. Although the interview is competency based, the examples you are asked for may be linked in with your application form or as part of a general discussion about yourself and your achievements. Generally speaking, this makes the interview easier and a more pleasant experience than interviews at other firms.
Assessment Day
[Edit]Numerical & Diagrammatic Test
[Edit]The test is designed by SHL. This is a multiple choice test. You will require a calculator, pencil and eraser. These will be provided for you if you do not bring your own. If possible, try to bring a calculator you are familiar with.
The numerical test consists of 20 questions to be answered in 20 minutes. The questions are harder than those on the online test although the format is roughly the same.
The diagrammatic reasoning test consists of 40 questions in 20 minutes.
There will be extreme time pressure. You must apportion your time correctly and move on if you get stuck. Unlike the online test, this test will be extremely challenging, and you should prepare yourself for this. Candidates from a non-mathematical background may struggle with the math part of the test, and you should spend the time attempting the questions you are most likely to get correct.
The diagrammatic questions are also difficult, and will become more difficult as the test progresses.
It is worthwhile practicing diagrammatic tests beforehand. Pages 7-23 of Professional Level Psychometric Tests book by Sam Al-Jajjoka may prove useful.
Do not be disheartened if you struggle during these tests. PwC hire a great number of people from artistic backgrounds and considers the entire application for every person in perspective.
You should read the information PwC have provided related to these tests prior to the assessment day. It can be found here.
Group Exercise
[Edit]There will be between three and six candidates who take part in the group exercise at along with two PwC observers in the room. You will be given some general information about a company and its situation. Additionally each person will receive some extra information particular to them explaining their role at the company. You will have 20 minutes to read the information and then 30 minutes to discuss it with the group. The group exercise requires you to communicate and discuss with other candidates all points of view, and to finally reach a conclusion. There is no presentation element.
Make sure everybody speaks, watch time closely, expand on other people's points, and be persuasive. Consider that PwC might want to provide future consulting services to the firm they are advising in the case study.
Partner Interview
[Edit]The PwC partner interview will focus principally on the following competencies:
Typical questions arising from these competencies would be:
- Why do you want to work for PwC? Why PwC instead of another Big 4 firm?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? At PwC, in 5 years you can reasonably expect to finish 'Manager' position and be moving into managing staff and clients on your own.
- What recent events have affected PwC and the accounting industry? (This would include the Sarbanes-Oxley Act).
- What factors do you think are important to make a successful business?
- If you were senior partner at PwC, what would keep you up at night?
- Give me an example of a business you think is performing well/badly and explain why you think this is so?
- If you had £1 million, how would you invest it?
- Tell me about a time when you have had to motivate someone?
- Tell me when you learnt something new?
- Tell me about a time when you have to resolve a disagreement diplomatically.
- What/where do you expected to be in 5 years?
- If you met the CEO of M&S and were asked for advice from an auditory point of view, what would you say?
- If you were unsuccessful with PwC what would you do?
- Give two examples of when you've had to make and stick to a budget
For further information about the interview questions and assessment process at PwC ask questions in the WikiJob interview discussion forum.
Also see - PwC Working Culture for information about working at PwC or visit the WikiJob forums to ask questions about PwC Interview Questions (PricewaterhouseCoopers).
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19 February 2009 - 10:43pm
nehavyas
Does anyone know who are the major clients in engineering and construction industry of PwC?
29 May 2009 - 1:55pm
sunny_g
Does anyone have some good advice, other than "read papers and a variety of literature", for someone sitting a verbal critical reasoning test?
I tend to get through numerical tests fine but struggle massively with the verbal. I read every day, have an excellent vocabulary and spelling but I always seem to panic in the verbal tests. I find it hard to pick an answer and believe it is correct. This wastes a lot of time and makes me panic.
I have to sit some fairly straightforward SHL tests. Does anyone know if they negative mark? It's for an in-house test.
I know that I can understand the language in the texts and the statements but I still do very poorly in the tests. Any ideas?
Much appreciated.
Desperate to get better.
17 September 2009 - 2:42pm
Peyton
Hi Sunny I know you posted ages ago but just on the off chance you still need practice on verbal tests, I find them easier based on how I prepared for the 11 plus exam. In WHSmiths and places you can buy practice papers made up of verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests for the secondary school entrance exams. They aren't exactly the same as the ones provided by SHL but I found they got my mind working in the right way. Hope that helps a little
27 December 2009 - 9:56pm
bingkk32
Should be noted that there is now a written test at the AC.
IIRC, it is 20 mins long and the purpose of the exercise is to test your ability to spell correctly, and communicate with structure, coherence and correct grammar. Straightforward, but somewhat time-pressured!
2 January 2010 - 3:44pm
costelrt
Can anyone who has been to the AC confirm that the Numerical and Diagrammatic tests are in fact much harder and "extremely challenging" compared to the online tests as it says above? Thanks
3 January 2010 - 9:22am
bingkk32
with the numerical, i would say the paper tests are not noticeably harder than the online version.
however, you are more time-pressured with the paper test because, unlike the online test, each question has its own diagram/ graph/ chart. so extra time is needed per question to analyse and understand the corresponding diagram.
with the diagrammatic, i didn't find that the questions became progressively harder. Throughout the 40 questions, I found the standard of difficulty to be relatively consistent, with easier and harder ones spread evenly throughout.
9 January 2010 - 9:55pm
adele
hey guys pretty new to this. Have my 1st interview with PwC Belfast on Monday. Only iv got glandular fever...yipee..debating whether its wise to go to interview or not. feeling pretty crap but really want the internship. Can someone give me a bit of advice? how stressful is 1st interview becuz im getting really worried about it and i think its whats making me worse :( It only for an internship but really want the experience! All advice will be gratefully appreciated.
12 January 2010 - 8:10pm
Nipzy
Adele I would try and make it to the interview if you can. I had glandular fever and I know you feel drained most of the time but I think it'll be worth the effort in the long run. It's not too stressful, just try to relax and make sure you do plenty of preparation beforehand. I have now had 3 interviews at PWC, 1 with an audit line manager, 1 with a HR manager and 1 with a partner. They were all competency based interviews and lasted about 45 minutes, there was then 15 minutes for my questions and further discussion. The interviewers will press you to expand your answers so make sure you save some information in reserve. The questions posted above are pretty comprehensive so I would draft some notes to answer each one. The core competencies they ask you to demonstrate on the recruitment website are flexibility, curiosity, teamworking, courage + integrity, commercial awareness and communication skills. Therefore try to think of how you can demonstrate each one through any of your life experiences, including education and employment. I had a very good recruiter who gave me a lot of information before the interviews and AC, she would ask me to demonstrate times when I shown passion for a particular client, how I had built and sustained professional relationships in the past, times when my leadership had been challenged and what I had done to overcome that. Make sure you also research on the company you mentioned on the application, if that question is still there, as the questions will probe into your application answers!
Good luck and I hope you get through to the next stage!
21 January 2010 - 1:24am
mezi05
Hi, some help would be appreciated for the first interview, what sort of questions came up regarding the client you recommended in the submitted application form?
21 January 2010 - 12:05pm
Nipzy
Hey,
It was quite a while ago that I had my interview (October) but from memory the questions about the client were not a huge focus during the interview. I think I had to answer "how do you think [insert client] have coped during the recent economic conditions?" and "If you were the CEO of [insert client] what would you do (to ensure the company remains strong)?". The questions and answer on these lasted maybe 3-5 minutes maximum. The CEO question put me on the spot a bit as I chose a bank and felt like saying I would take my rediculous salary/bonus and move to the Seychelles. But I tried to think of it logically as in how the costs could be reduced and the revenue increased, also remember that you could use the advice of your colleagues. This demonstrates some basic business acumen, commercial awareness and teamworking etc. The main focus of the interview for me was around commercial awareness with a question about a recent event in the news, teamworking with a question asking for examples when I have worked within a group demonstrating leadership qualities and commitment to professional services/PwC with question asking me how much I knew about any qualifications I would be taking, the firm, it's clients, it's areas of business and what each one did. I would say the client question was lumped into the commercial awareness category.
Good Luck!
21 January 2010 - 4:24pm
donkilluminati
hi all, just wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the many contributors to these pages which have been indispensible in my application to PwC and I have successfully managed to secure a place on the graduate trainee intake for assurance. If anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
21 January 2010 - 6:07pm
mezi05
Nipzy - Thanks for your input. I see you applied for aduit, but how comes you had 3 interviews? I thought there are only 2: manager and thereafter partner.
21 January 2010 - 8:29pm
Nipzy
I wasn't successful at the first interview I had in Embankment Place as I didn't prepare very well which really showed. So I gave it six months, I was in no rush because I was already working at Lloyds TSB and applied again. This time I really put the effort in when it came to researching the company, the role and the qualification.
So you are right there are only 2 interviews, the first interview is the one you really want to impress at as that is where most people get turned down. The structure for the application process was a little different second time around as I applied to an office a bit closer to home. This time I went straight to AC which contained an interview with one of the HR managers. Good luck!
^^On a side note congrats Don.
28 January 2010 - 5:57pm
donkilluminati
hey nipzy...thanks & u...which office did u apply for and when do you start....i think the process is pretty standard...apart form the partner interview...mine was just a chat with me asking questions
13 February 2010 - 4:50pm
derekjai
Hi guys, I've got a first round interview next week and am slightly confused by what PwC's website says and what Wikijob tells me regarding the main service lines that PwC offer.
I believe that they have sold their consulting arm to IBM, so technically speaking is that classed as advisory? But then why would they list 'Consulting' as one of their services on the PwC website? Also, the Internal Firm Services (IFS), what exactly does that involve?
As I understand, the main service lines are: - Assurance (audit) - Tax - Advisory/Consulting - Internal Firm Services (the rest?)
All clarifications would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!!!
13 February 2010 - 10:46pm
Nipzy
The student recruitment website below will tell you all you need to know about PwC to get through the interviews, it shows the 6 business areas and what each one covers. I made a word document before my interviews with the key info, in my AC evaluation I was told the interviewer thought that I had a good knowledge of the business. Just remember to do research on any company you've mentioned and also latest business news for commercial awareness.
http://www.pwc.com/uk/en/careers/student/about-pwc.jhtml
Some other useful websites: http://www.accountancyage.com/ http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/default.stm http://news.sky.com/skynews/Business http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/business http://www.icaew.com/
14 February 2010 - 1:01am
derekjai
Thanks Nipzy!! Yeh I wasn't sure whether to name the ones suggested by the wikijob page or the 6 listed on the website, but you've definitely cleared that up now. And cheers for all those links, you're a great help!
I really hope you managed to secure a job in the end!
16 February 2010 - 5:43pm
StraightBuckwild
Hi guys/girls,
I just underwent an assessment centre with PwC for advisory, I recieved the job offer today. Seeing as this site was helpful to me I thought I'd return the favour and answer any questions or post any hints anyone needs to help them with the recruitment process.
J.
17 February 2010 - 5:09pm
Margue
Hey all,
I have a PwC assessment centre on friday for Audit. I just want to know what type of commercial questions can be asked on that day. there is just so much information to know. I just want to be able to narrow it down. If anyone can give an example/examples it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
17 February 2010 - 7:18pm
Nipzy
Hey Margue
Firstly congrats for getting through to the AC. I don't know if you have had an interview previously or not, each office is slightly different but the questions on commercial awareness are likely to be similar to any interview you have had previously with PwC. They will be based on current news items e.g. name an example of a current news story which interests you. Obviously make it business related, maybe about barclays profits or something more original on a topic that genuinely interests you. PwC are really keen on green issues/accounting lately. From my experience it would not be based on anything that you haven't mentioned during the interview or on your application, so don't worry too much about being a walking news encyclopedia.
18 February 2010 - 12:36am
Margue
thank you very much for that. I truly appreciate the time you put into answering my question. when it comes to two companies currently in the news can I talk about the increase in thortons profits over the last 6 months compared to 2008 and also the takeover of cardbury by kraft?
18 February 2010 - 8:52pm
Nipzy
That sounds fine Margue. They will likely probe your answer, leave enough information out so that it makes it easier for yourself to expand to further questioning.
Likely questions to Thorntons would be; Why do you think the profits have increased? What would you do differently if you were in charge? How do you think PwC could help the company? How do you think the economic climate has effected the industry?
Cadbury-Kraft questions. What sort of impact do you think the merger will have? If you were CEO would undertake a similar business plan or what would you do differently? How could PwC assist in the merger, what services could the business offer?
From my experience the questions will probe deeply into the topics to see the depth of your knowledge, the interviewers will try to press you until you struggle to come up with an answer. Don't panic they are just testing your composure under pressure. Remember the interviewer may not know much about the topic you pick, the questions are normally quite standard and open for each interview rather than testing you on a specific area. Just make sure you know plenty about PwC, any qualification you will undertaking and lots of team working/leadership/self discipline examples.
24 February 2010 - 11:18am
Shorif87
I have a first round interview with PwC in a couple of weeks, I would like advice with regards to commercial awareness questions ( what sort of specific questions could they ask? I chose RBS as my client btw). Also how detailed the answers to the competency questions have to be? Finally do I have to use the 'STAR (situation, task, action and result)' method to answer them. Thank very much in advance and any help would be greatly appreciated
24 February 2010 - 11:18am
Shorif87
I have a first round interview with PwC in a couple of weeks, I would like advice with regards to commercial awareness questions ( what sort of specific questions could they ask? I chose RBS as my client btw). Also how detailed the answers to the competency questions have to be? Finally do I have to use the 'STAR (situation, task, action and result)' method to answer them. Thank very much in advance and any help would be greatly appreciated :)
24 February 2010 - 11:18am
Shorif87
I have a first round interview with PwC in a couple of weeks, I would like advice with regards to commercial awareness questions ( what sort of specific questions could they ask? I chose RBS as my client btw). Also how detailed the answers to the competency questions have to be? Finally do I have to use the 'STAR (situation, task, action and result)' method to answer them. Thank very much in advance and any help would be greatly appreciated :)
9 March 2010 - 7:16pm
messy17
Hi, I also have a first round interview for assurance approaching. Is it mainly competancy based? I hear it is heavily focused on the 'ideal client' question on the application form. I would appreciate any feedback and tips from people who have had their 1st round interviews. Thanks
does anyone know if you have to re-sit the verbal reasoning test at the assessment center or is it just the numerical and diagrammatic reasoning?