Updated September 2026 · 16 min read · 300,000+ employees across 150+ countries
| Full name | Ernst & Young Global Limited |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Assessment provider | Cappfinity (all programmes) |
| Main assessment | EY One Assessment (all service lines from 2025) |
| Time limit | No fixed limit — typical completion 45–90 minutes |
| Key values | Integrity, Respect, Teaming, Inclusiveness, Energy, Enthusiasm |
EY (Ernst & Young) is one of the Big Four professional services firms alongside Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG. In 2025, EY unified its graduate assessment process under a single platform called the EY One Assessment, administered by Cappfinity. All service lines — Assurance, Tax, Consulting, and Strategy & Transactions — now route through this single assessment, though the exact mix of question types varies by role.
| Stage | Format | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Online application | Form + eligibility | Degree, grades, visa status, programme choice |
| 2. EY One Assessment | Cappfinity platform, untimed | SJT, numerical, verbal, critical thinking, video recordings; ~45–90 min |
| 3. Digital interview | Pre-recorded video | Competency + motivational questions; 2-minute response per question |
| 4. EY Assessment Centre | In-person or virtual | Group exercise, case study, partner interview, written exercise |
Cappfinity built the EY One Assessment around a simulated "day in the life" at EY. Candidates are presented with scenario-based episodes representing the three perspectives EY values in all staff. The assessment is officially untimed — there is no countdown clock — but EY tracks how long you spend on each section.
You receive a briefing pack about an EY client — typically a company facing a strategic or operational challenge. You read articles, emails, and data exhibits, then answer situational judgment questions about how to respond. Questions are ranked or rated, not strictly multiple choice. The focus here is on client service, judgement, and prioritisation.
The numerical reasoning component sits here. If the position is timed, you have approximately 20 minutes for 12–15 questions. Questions involve data tables, charts, and graphs. Topics include year-on-year growth calculations, market share percentages, ratio analysis, and profit margin interpretation. The difficulty is moderate — GCSE-level maths applied to business scenarios.
You watch short video clips of workplace scenarios and record 2-minute video responses explaining how you would handle the situation. This section also includes text-based scenarios. For Strategy & Transactions applicants, this section may include written report tasks: you receive 3–4 documents (emails, a data exhibit, a client memo) and write a structured 250-word executive summary. This is the most time-consuming part of the assessment.
Approximately 30–40 forced-choice personality questions. You are shown three statements and select which best and least describes you. There are no "right" answers, but responses are scored against EY's competency model. Align with: client focus, ethical behaviour, continuous learning, and teamwork.
Integrity: Do the right thing, even in difficult circumstances. Transparency and ethical behaviour above all.
Respect: Value diverse perspectives. Create an environment where everyone can contribute.
Teaming: Collaboration as a foundation. No individual succeeds without the team.
Inclusiveness: Remove barriers. Create a sense of belonging for all backgrounds and identities.
Energy & Enthusiasm: Approach work with passion. Drive positive change for clients and communities.
Assurance: Heavier SJT content around client communication and scepticism. Numerical questions focus on auditing concepts — identifying discrepancies in financial data. Video responses emphasise professional judgement and ethical dilemmas.
Tax: Similar format to Assurance. Written tasks may involve interpreting tax legislation excerpts and summarising implications for a client. Personality questionnaire weighted toward analytical and detail-oriented traits.
Consulting: More quantitative data in numerical sections. Case-based scenarios involve problem structuring, frameworks, and client recommendation. Written summary tasks are more analytical than in Assurance or Tax.
Strategy and Transactions (SaT): Heaviest written component. Candidates reported ranking scenarios, writing executive summaries from multi-document packs, and recording 2-minute video responses — all within the same sitting. No standalone numerical reasoning test has been reported; data interpretation is embedded in case documents.
Pre-recorded using the EY careers portal (not HireVue). You get 30 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to record each answer. Typical questions: "Tell us about a time you had to adapt quickly to a change." / "Why EY rather than another Big Four firm?" / "Describe a situation where you had to persuade someone." Structure your answers using the STAR method. Record in a professional setting — EY's AI-assisted scoring rewards clarity, eye contact, and structured thinking.
The EY Final Round typically includes: a 30-minute partner interview (competency-based, with EY-specific motivational questions), a group discussion or case study exercise (approx. 45 minutes), and sometimes a written exercise. For Technology Consulting roles, there may also be a technical competency interview covering cloud, data, or digital transformation topics.
For the SJT questions, study EY's core values thoroughly. For each value, identify a concrete example from your experience. When rating responses, prioritise: client-first thinking, inclusive collaboration, and long-term consequence over short-term convenience.
For numerical questions, practice chart and table interpretation under mild time pressure. You don't need to be fast, but you do need to be accurate. Common pitfalls: misreading the base year in percentage change questions, and confusing absolute vs. percentage values in bar charts.
For the written summary (SaT applicants): practise synthesising 3–4 documents into a single 250-word executive summary. Lead with the headline finding. Support it with data. End with a recommended action. Avoid restatement — EY values synthesis over summary.
Not within the same recruitment cycle — EY's own careers FAQ states directly: "No, you may only take the assessment once during the validity period. We encourage you to complete it thoughtfully the first time." Assessment responses stay valid for the duration of that specific recruitment cycle, so applying for a different role within the same cycle generally doesn't trigger a fresh assessment, but applying in a later, separate recruitment cycle usually does require retaking it.
If you're rejected and want to try again, candidate reports commonly describe a roughly six-month waiting period before reapplying, sometimes requiring a different email address due to how EY's application system tracks candidates — EY's official FAQ doesn't spell out this specific reapplication timeline, so treat it as a widely-reported practical norm rather than a confirmed official policy, and check your specific region's careers site for anything more definitive. Given the one-shot nature of the assessment itself, the practical takeaway is the same one EY states outright: prepare properly before you start, since there's no do-over once you submit.
EY follows the classic Big-4 graduate / experienced-hire funnel. Expect 4–8 weeks from application to offer, longer for audit partner-track roles.
The aptitude-test stage is where most candidates are filtered — typically EY screens out 50–70% of applicants here before ever seeing a human.
The specific tests EY uses vary by service line:
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