This is your introduction to an exciting career with PwC. Life here is fast-paced and full of potential. It’s also highly rewarding. Solving complex problems that have a real-world impact, you’ll have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most significant organisations and recognisable global brands.
At PwC, you’ll get an incredible education in the fundamentals of business, and the potential of technology. We offer the clearly defined career paths, supportive culture and continuous learning to accelerate your development from wherever you are now to where you want your career to take you. We bring together highly skilled people from all kinds of backgrounds to deliver for our clients. So as you progress in your career, you’ll be part of a business that offers breadth and depth of expertise and opportunity.
The first stage of the assessment and selection process is a series of online assessments that measure your cognitive skills, behaviours, natural preferences and reasoning abilities. The test is hosted in the SHL platform.
Expected duration
One hour inclusive of preparation time. Please give yourself additional time to get into the platform, test your technology, and logout afterwards.
What to expect
The online assessment consists of two parts: a behavioural test, followed by a cognitive assessment. A behavioural profile test asks about your natural behavioural preferences in a work setting. A cognitive assessment is an ability test including numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. The behavioural test is not timed, but the cognitive assessment will be.
How to prepare
How long will it take to receive my outcome?
You’ll be contacted within 48 hours of completing your online assessment with the outcome, if you’ve met the scores required, you’ll automatically be sent details of the next stage.
The next stage of our assessment and selection process is an on-demand video interview which will be conducted virtually via the SHL platform. You will receive your login details and instructions in advance and will have one week to complete the video interview.
Expected duration
One hour. Please give yourself additional time to get into the platform, test your tech, and logout afterwards.
What to expect
You will be presented with a series of questions on the screen on how you typically approach your work and asked to describe your experience. Instead of having an interviewer, your answers will be recorded and reviewed afterwards by a member of the recruitment team.
How to prepare
Think about recent experiences or challenges you have faced in your education, work, or extra-curricular activities that you can draw on as examples.
Find a quiet, distraction-free space for the session.
Check your internet connection, webcam, and audio in advance.
Have a notepad and pen for jotting down notes.
SHL is web-based, so you won't need to download any special software, but we recommend using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari for the best experience.
SHL also offers a range of accessibility options, including an integrated accessibility toolbar with features like text-to-speech and reading aids. We encourage you to explore these tools on the platform to personalise your experience and ensure you're as comfortable as possible during your interview.
How long will it take to receive my outcome?
The next stage of our assessment and selection process is the assessment centre, these are typically conducted throughout November to April so you may not be invited to attend the assessment centre straight away, but don’t worry we’ll be in regular contact with you once you have completed the interview.
The final stage of our assessment and selection process is our assessment centre which is a comprehensive evaluation day designed to assess a range of skills relevant to the roles within PwC. Unlike a single interview, it involves a variety of exercises that simulate aspects of the work you would do here. It's an opportunity for us to see your potential in action and for you to experience a bit of what it's like to work at PwC.
What is the purpose of the assessment centre?
The primary purpose of the assessment centre is to gain a holistic understanding of your skills and suitability for a role with us. While your initial application and earlier assessment stages give us a good sense of your academic achievements, experiences and some skills, the assessment centre allows us to delve deeper and observe your problem-solving skills, teamwork abilities, communication style, and how you approach challenges in a practical setting. It's also an excellent chance for you to demonstrate your strengths beyond what has been captured during the first two assessment stages. This is as much an opportunity for you to find out if our firm aligns with your career aspirations as it is for us to assess your human and technical skills.
What to expect
The assessment centre will be approximately 4.5 hours and is run by the PwC assessment team. During the day you will meet and work with up to five other candidates who have also applied for a range of programmes at PwC. The day will include a mix of individual and group-based activities designed to reflect real aspects of working at PwC.
These include
Learn about PwC:
Thoroughly research our firm and familiarise yourself with our services, values, and what makes us unique. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.
Think about how to approach each exercise:
Group exercise: These assess your teamwork, communication, and ability to contribute constructively in a team setting. Think about how you can listen actively, share your ideas clearly, and support others.
Written exercise: Think about how you can structure your thoughts in writing, identify key issues, and present logical recommendations.
Individual interview: Be ready to discuss your experiences and how your skills align with the work you are interested in doing.
Logistics:
Be yourself and engage
While preparation is important, remember to let your personality shine through. Be open to learning, ask questions when appropriate, and engage positively with everyone you meet. We're looking for individuals who will thrive in our collaborative environment.
What is the purpose of the group exercise?
The group exercise is designed to provide you with a glimpse into how our teams at PwC collaborate on client challenges. It's an opportunity for us to see your teamwork in action, observing how you contribute, listen to others, and work towards a solution. We're keen to understand your natural approach to problem-solving in a group setting and how you build on ideas to achieve an outcome.
What skills will be assessed during the group exercise?
In this exercise, you will be assessed on your collaboration skills, verbal communication, influence and relationship building.
What will I be asked to do during the group exercise?
In the group exercise, you'll tackle a challenge similar to the real-world problems our PwC teams help clients solve every day.
How long is the group exercise?
The Group Exercise will last for one hour.
What is the purpose of the individual interview?
The purpose of the individual interview is to understand how you typically behave and approach your work, as well as give you the opportunity to reflect on how you and your team performed in the group exercise.
What skills will be assessed during the individual interview?
In this interview we’ll assess your self-awareness, growth mindset, and how you approach self-development and working with others. These are some of our core PwC Professional behaviours (Evolve, Champion, and Deliver) which you can learn more about here. We'll also be observing your verbal communication skills throughout our conversation.
How long is the individual interview?
The individual interview will last for one hour.
What is the purpose of the written exercise?
An important part of any role at PwC is problem solving, and often we need to communicate our problem solving for clients in writing. The written exercise provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate these skills, whilst responding to a challenge that is typical of the problems that we solve for our clients.
What skills will be assessed during the written exercise?
In this exercise you’ll be assessed on your ability to analyse and interpret information, think critically, provide recommendations, and communicate in writing.
What will I be asked to do during the written exercise?
You will be provided with a written brief containing a scenario, and clear questions to answer. You will be asked to review all of the information provided and respond to the questions asked.
How long is the written exercise?
The written exercise will last one hour.
We confirm places on our Entry Level programmes by the end of April.
A member of the Early Careers Recruitment team will contact you with feedback and will let you know if you’ve been successful in your application.
Part of our onboarding process includes checking your grades and job history, so please make sure everything is correct on your application form. We’re known for accuracy, so carrying out checks like this protects our reputation.
What’s next?
Our culture is all about our people and we want you to feel supported and part of PwC as soon as you decide to join us. You’ll be invited to our onboarding portal where you’ll have lots of things you need to do before your first day. Before your start date, you’ll also be invited to attend a pre-joining event. Here you can meet fellow new joiners and learn more information about the team you’ll be joining and your forthcoming induction. You will also be asked to complete your Right to Work checks at the event so you will be all set to join on your first day.
You can expect to hear from us regularly as we prepare you for your career with us.