Practice EY Interview Questions
EY (Ernst & Young) is one of the Big Four accounting and professional services firms. Their interviews use a structured competency approach aligned to EY's values: integrity, respect, teaming, inclusiveness, and energy. Both graduate and lateral hire interviews assess leadership potential, client focus, and a genuine commercial mindset.
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How EY interviews work
EY begins with online assessments — numerical and verbal reasoning, sometimes a personality questionnaire. These filter candidates early and take 30–60 minutes. Prepare by practising timed numerical tests in advance.
A structured competency interview — often delivered via video platform — covering your motivations for EY, your chosen service line, and STAR-based behavioral questions. This is your first live impression, so structure matters.
The final stage — a live interview with a partner or senior manager. This covers competencies in depth, tests commercial awareness, and probes your understanding of EY's services and your motivation for the specific practice area.
Common EY behavioral interview questions
These reflect EY's competency framework across leadership, client service, resilience, and teaming. ScreenReady generates variations and scores your STAR structure, impact, and values alignment.
- "Tell me about a time you led a team or project through a period of real uncertainty. How did you keep people aligned and moving forward?"
- "Give me an example of when you delivered exceptional service to a client or internal stakeholder. What did you do differently that made the difference?"
- "Describe a time when you had to juggle multiple competing priorities. How did you manage your time and what was the outcome?"
- "Tell me about a time you challenged the status quo or suggested a new approach. What was the situation, what did you propose, and what happened?"
- "Describe a situation where you had a disagreement with a colleague or manager. How did you handle it and what did you learn?"
Tips for EY interviews
EY's culture places particular weight on teaming and integrity. When describing how you handled team dynamics or made ethical decisions, explicitly connect your actions to these values. It shows you understand the culture you're joining.
EY interviewers want candidates who understand what it means to serve clients professionally — not just complete tasks. Frame your answers in terms of client value and outcomes, not just personal achievement.
EY interviewers are trained to probe for evidence. Every answer should have a concrete result — ideally quantified. "The client was satisfied" is not a result. "We reduced the reporting cycle by two weeks, saving the client £150K" is a result.
EY's inclusiveness value is assessed in interviews. Have an example ready of how you've worked across diverse teams, cultures, or perspectives — and what you did to make the collaboration genuinely effective.
Frequently asked questions
What does EY look for in interviews?
EY looks for candidates who demonstrate strong teaming instincts, client service orientation, integrity, and the ability to navigate complexity and uncertainty. Their interview scoring aligns to EY's values — integrity, respect, teaming, inclusiveness, and energy — and competencies around leadership potential and commercial mindset.
Is there a case study at EY?
EY's assessment process may include a case study exercise at the assessment centre stage, particularly for advisory and consulting roles. The case tests your ability to structure a problem and present findings clearly. Behavioral competency interviews are present at every stage regardless of role.
How long is the EY interview process?
EY's process typically runs 4–8 weeks from application to offer. It involves online assessments, a video or telephone interview, and a final assessment centre or partner interview. The timeline can vary by service line and office location.
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