Online Application
This will take around 30 minutes to complete. It requires you to fill out your personal details, education history and any work experience you have. EY is interested in your achieved grades, your experience, your predicted grades and the skills you have developed.
Immediately after submitting, EY will invite you to complete a number of online assessments.
Online Assessment
This stage is split into 2 subsections which must be completed within 7 days of receiving the invitation. (Make sure to keep an eye on your junk folder). The first of the 2 sections is based on the way that technology is changing the world around us. You will complete various activities based on this idea including ranking exercises and multiple-choice questions. This section is not timed but it is best to not overthink the questions or try to second-guess what EY wants to hear. Go with what you believe and you will do better.
The second subsection is a Numerical Reasoning Test (NRT) which must be completed within one sitting and is a timed activity. It is a good idea to have paper and a calculator to assist you in completing these questions.
Example task
For the Numerical Reasoning Test, a lot of the questions focused on completing calculations which involved data from tables and graphs, so familiarising yourself with basic calculations, such as % increases and decreases.
How to respond for success
Make sure to take your time. Even though the Numerical Reasoning Test is timed, don't rush and fall for any ‘trick questions’. If you’re unsure of a particular question, move on and don’t let it ruin your overall score. Most of the NRT questions are multi-choice, so if you are unsure, using a process of elimination will help.
Expect a 1-2 week wait before progressing to the next stage.
Job Simulation
This stage will give you an idea of what it is like to work at EY. You will answer 14 questions which vary between video answers, rank order and written answers. Some are timed and some are not. It is a good idea to practice speaking to your laptop screen with your front camera on before you start as it can be quite strange speaking to a picture of yourself if you are not used to it. This stage will take around an hour to compete and needs to be completed in one sitting. The video questions give you around 30 seconds to prepare and your answer must be between 90-120 seconds. You are given a practice round at a video question to get used to the technology, so make sure you make the most of the opportunity.
Example task
These questions give you an idea of certain situations you may face when working at EY, such as ‘What would you do if you realised that you had sent confidential information to the wrong client?’. It is best to answer these questions honestly as the assessor will be able to tell if you are responding in the way that you think they want to hear.
How to respond for success
Make sure to dress appropriately, preferably business casual. It is imperative that you maintain good eye contact with the camera as this shows the assessor you are not reading from your notes.
Expect a 2-day wait before progressing to the next stage.
Online Assessment
This stage is split into 2 subsections which must be completed within 7 days of receiving the invitation. (Make sure to keep an eye on your junk folder). The first of the 2 sections is based on the way that technology is changing the world around us. You will complete various activities based on this idea including ranking exercises and multiple-choice questions. This section is not timed but it is best to not overthink the questions or try to second-guess what EY wants to hear. Go with what you believe and you will do better.
The second subsection is a Numerical Reasoning Test (NRT) which must be completed within one sitting and is a timed activity. It is a good idea to have paper and a calculator to assist you in completing these questions.
Example task
For the Numerical Reasoning Test, a lot of the questions focused on completing calculations which involved data from tables and graphs, so familiarising yourself with basic calculations, such as % increases and decreases.
How to respond for success
Make sure to take your time. Even though the Numerical Reasoning Test is timed, don't rush and fall for any ‘trick questions’. If you’re unsure of a particular question, move on and don’t let it ruin your overall score. Most of the NRT questions are multi-choice, so if you are unsure, using a process of elimination will help.
Expect a 1-2 week wait before progressing to the next stage.
Job Simulation
This stage will give you an idea of what it is like to work at EY. You will answer 14 questions which vary between video answers, rank order and written answers. Some are timed and some are not. It is a good idea to practice speaking to your laptop screen with your front camera on before you start as it can be quite strange speaking to a picture of yourself if you are not used to it. This stage will take around an hour to compete and needs to be completed in one sitting. The video questions give you around 30 seconds to prepare and your answer must be between 90-120 seconds. You are given a practice round at a video question to get used to the technology, so make sure you make the most of the opportunity.
Example task
These questions give you an idea of certain situations you may face when working at EY, such as ‘What would you do if you realised that you had sent confidential information to the wrong client?’. It is best to answer these questions honestly as the assessor will be able to tell if you are responding in the way that you think they want to hear.
How to respond for success
Make sure to dress appropriately, preferably business casual. It is imperative that you maintain good eye contact with the camera as this shows the assessor you are not reading from your notes.
Expect a 2-day wait before progressing to the next stage.
Assessment Centre
This stage usually takes around 5 hours to complete. There were various stations throughout the day where different skills were assessed, including Numerical Reasoning, group work, a one to one conversation with an EY employee and a two to one conversation with an EY employee. Even though EY employees can make you feel very comfortable due to how friendly they all are, it is important that you remember that you are being assessed at every stage and so you should remain professional. Make sure that you use all of the time you are given to prepare for each stage and complete each task with confidence.
Example task
This stage monitors how you interact with others, on your own and financially so that EY can see how much of an all-around person you are.
How to respond for success
It is important to be yourself and let your own individual personality shine through. Answer truthfully and don’t forget to smile! EY wants to hire candidates who are truly passionate about working for them, so make sure that even if you are very nervous, you look happy and approachable.
