EY HireVue Questions & Prep

“EY's core purpose is 'Building a better working world.' How does your chosen service line contribute, and why does that make EY right for your career?”

What they test. Motivation, corporate alignment and commercial understanding of how a Big Four firm creates non-financial value.

Weak answer. 'I want to work at EY because it is a prestigious Big Four firm with great training, and I like building a better working world because I enjoy volunteering.'

Strong answer. Links the macro purpose to a tangible market function of the division - how high-quality Assurance builds trust in capital markets, or how Tax advisory helps green-energy firms use UK regulatory credits.

“What specific market trends or regulatory shifts led you to apply for Strategy and Transactions over our traditional Consulting practice?”

What they test. Commercial awareness, motivation and clarity on role differentiation.

Weak answer. 'I chose Strategy and Transactions because I find deals exciting and want to work on high-profile mergers rather than long implementation projects.'

Strong answer. Explains distinct financial drivers - elevated cost of capital, specific UK competition interventions - and isolates how that shifts the delivery model versus management consulting.

“Describe a complex task you had to complete with highly ambiguous or conflicting instructions. What did you do to resolve the uncertainty?”

What they test. Learning agility, adaptability and proactive communication.

Weak answer. 'The guidelines were unclear, so I waited until the professor clarified them before starting, which ensured we made no mistakes.'

Strong answer. Details a structured framework: audited the available data, mapped logical assumptions, set up a stakeholder feedback loop and executed an iterative delivery plan.

“Tell us about a time a core member of a diverse team failed to meet their commitments. How did you manage it and ensure delivery?”

What they test. Collaboration, relationship building and resilience.

Weak answer. 'They stopped replying, so I just did their entire share of the slides myself so our grade did not suffer.'

Strong answer. Empathetic but objective: scheduled a private diagnostic conversation, reallocated deliverables by strength and preserved the team dynamic without premature escalation.

“Looking at the most significant achievement on your application, how did you manage your limited resources to maximise the outcome?”

What they test. Resource optimisation, self-reflection and execution structure.

Weak answer. 'As society treasurer we did not have much money but we worked hard and got a lot of people to the annual ball.'

Strong answer. Quantifies the constraints (budget, hours, headcount) and uses clear project-management methods to track milestones and deliver measurable return.

“Identify one major risk and one major operational opportunity that generative AI introduces to mid-tier UK retail banking clients.”

What they test. Curiosity, structured risk analysis and industry knowledge.

Weak answer. 'AI is great because it automates customer service, but a risk is that hackers might steal banking passwords.'

Strong answer. Pinpoints structural issues: opportunities in algorithmic credit-risk assessment or automated compliance reporting versus risks around data lineage, regulatory bias or FCA compliance.

“Many of EY's manufacturing clients face supply chain disruption and volatile input costs. What structural levers would you advise them to analyse to protect margins?”

What they test. Business acumen, strategic thinking and structured analysis.

Weak answer. 'They should find cheaper suppliers abroad or raise prices so margins do not fall.'

Strong answer. Suggests supply chain diversification, near-shoring, dynamic commodity hedging and optimising working-capital cycles.

“While reviewing a manufacturer's inventory you notice a material variance between physical stock counts and the ledger balances. How would you investigate?”

What they test. Integrity, analytical thinking and a methodical audit mindset.

Weak answer. 'I would immediately tell the CFO there is an error and ask them to change the ledger so the numbers match.'

Strong answer. Outlines a structured investigation: verify physical count sheets, check cut-off dates for goods received and shipped, audit ledger entries against invoices and escalate through proper reporting lines if anomalies persist.

“An Assurance senior and a Tax manager both want an urgent data analysis from you by 4:00 PM the same day. How do you manage it?”

What they test. Relationship building, prioritisation and proactive communication.

Weak answer. 'I would work through lunch, try to do both, and submit whichever I finish first while apologising to the other.'

Strong answer. Establishes an objective framework: assess both deadlines, communicate proactively with both managers about the constraint and facilitate a collaborative priority call.

“With unlimited funding to solve one systemic issue in UK higher education, which would you prioritise and how would you measure success?”

What they test. Problem identification, structured thinking and defining KPIs.

Weak answer. 'I would make university free for everyone because student debt is a massive problem.'

Strong answer. Isolates a specific, actionable issue (the digital skills gap, regional funding disparities), sets out a clear capital-deployment framework and defines metrics such as post-graduate employment rates.