INTERVIEW GUIDE

Ernst & Young Consultant Interview: Questions & Process

EY's management consultant interview blends a strengths-based competency interview with a case study and a partner conversation, rather than the pure case gauntlet of MBB. Expect online aptitude and situational-judgment tests, a competency/strengths interview, an assessment-centre day with a case and group exercise, and a final partner interview. They screen for fit, motivation, structured thinking, and genuine alignment with EY's 'building a better working world' values.

The interview process

1. Application & online assessments — Numerical, verbal, and situational-judgment tests

Tests: baseline reasoning, business judgment, and culture-fit screening

2. Strengths-based / competency interview — 30-45 min (often video or phone)

Tests: what energizes you, motivation for consulting and EY, and competency examples

3. Assessment centre (Superday) — Half day: group exercise + written/analysis task

Tests: teamwork, communication, and structured analysis under time pressure

4. Case study interview — 45-60 min

Tests: structuring a business problem, doing the analysis, and giving a clear recommendation

5. Partner / final interview — 45-60 min

Tests: motivation, commercial awareness, maturity, and overall fit

Questions you're likely to get

Role-specific

A retail client's profits are declining. How would you structure the problem?
A client wants to enter a new market. How would you advise them?
Estimate the size of the UK market for electric vehicles.
A client wants to cut costs by 20%. Where would you look first?
How would you measure whether a digital transformation project succeeded?

Behavioral

Why consulting, and why EY specifically over the other Big Four?
What kind of work energizes you, and what drains you?
Tell me about a time you worked in a team to deliver under a tight deadline.
Describe a time you handled a difficult client, customer, or stakeholder.
Give an example of when you took initiative or led without being asked.
Tell me about a time you adapted quickly to a major change.
What does 'building a better working world' mean to you?
Tell me about a recent business or industry trend that interests you. Why?

How to answer (worked examples)

A client wants to cut costs by 20%. How would you structure the problem?

Lead with structure. Split costs into fixed vs. variable, or by function (operations, supply chain, SG&A, labor, technology), and ask which areas are largest and most flexible. Prioritize where the 20% is realistically achievable without harming revenue or quality. Pick one or two levers, quantify a rough impact, and flag risks and implementation challenges. EY case interviews reward a clear framework, commercial sense, and a practical recommendation over a textbook answer.

What kind of work energizes you, and what drains you?

EY uses strengths-based interviews, so answer authentically and specifically — they're testing genuine fit, not a rehearsed 'right' answer. Name real situations that energize you (problem solving with a team, client interaction, learning fast across industries) and connect them honestly to consulting. Be candid about what drains you while showing self-awareness about how you manage it. Authenticity reads better here than a polished but generic answer.

What Ernst & Young looks for

Genuine motivation for consulting and for EY's values and culture
Structured, logical thinking on business problems
Strong communication and teamwork in group settings
Commercial awareness — you follow business and industry trends
Adaptability, integrity, and a client-ready, professional presence
Red flag: generic answers, no real interest in EY, or rigid, framework-only thinking

FAQ

Are EY interviews case interviews like McKinsey or BCG?

Partly. EY uses cases, but it leans more on strengths-based and competency interviews than MBB. Cases tend to be more conversational and fit-driven, so prepare both a case framework and authentic competency stories.

What is a strengths-based interview?

Instead of only asking for past examples, EY probes what genuinely motivates and energizes you to assess natural fit for the role. Answer honestly and specifically — these are hard to fake, and that's the point.

What happens at the EY assessment centre?

Typically a half-day with a group exercise, a written or analytical task, and one or more interviews including a case and a partner conversation. They watch how you collaborate, communicate, and structure problems under time pressure.

How quantitative is the case?

Moderately. You'll do some market sizing and basic business math, but the emphasis is on structure, commercial judgment, and a clear recommendation rather than heavy calculation.

How should I prepare for the partner interview?

Know your motivation cold, be ready to discuss a current business trend, and show maturity and commercial awareness. Partners assess fit, communication, and whether they'd put you in front of a client.

Walk into the EY assessment centre already warmed up

Reading frameworks isn't the same as structuring a case and telling authentic strengths stories out loud. Practice EY's mix — the competency questions, the case, the partner-round motivation — with OfferLoop's realtime voice coach before the real thing.

Practice this interview out loud →

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Interview formats vary by team, level and year, and this guide is compiled from general knowledge of publicly discussed hiring processes — treat it as preparation material, not an official description of Ernst & Young's current process.