EY · Consulting / advisory · Entry to experienced
Behavioral interview, EY strengths
Open-ended behavioral round scored on the example, the action and the result
What they actually ask
The question shapes this round uses. Larpy does not read these out. It builds each one from your own resume, because the generic version is the one you have already rehearsed.
- “A situation that changed under you and what you did differently as a result.”
- “A time you had to pick up an unfamiliar subject fast and then use it.”
- “A setback that went badly before it went well, and what you carried out of it.”
- “A time you built a working relationship with someone quite unlike you.”
- “Something you owned end to end, including the part that was your fault.”
- “A time you adapted how you explained something to land it with a different audience.”
What this round is judged on
- Relevance · the example actually answers the question that was asked
- Action · what you personally did, not what the team did
- Result · what your action led to, stated concretely
- Adaptability and learning agility · new situations handled, new concepts applied fast
- Resilience · obstacles met with a constructive attitude
- Collaboration and relationship building · trust built across different audiences
- Personal ownership · decisions owned, including the ones that went wrong
Where this round sits
EY’s published process. Lime marks the stage this round runs.
- 01Application and resume screen
- 02Recruiter screen (spoken)
- 03Online assessments (not simulated here)
- 04Recorded video interview (not simulated here)
- 05Behavioral interview (spoken)this round
- 06EY Experience Day (group exercises not simulated here)
- 07EY-Parthenon interviews, behavioral and case (case not simulated here)
- 08Final interview with senior team members (spoken)
- 09Offer decision
What happens in each stage›
- Application and resume screen
- Online application through the EY careers portal, which EY says takes about 30 minutes to complete. Reviewed on academic background, skill set and work experience. Not simulated.
- Recruiter screen (spoken)
- Phone or video conversation with a recruiter covering background, motivation and role fit. EY describes the interview experience as a combination of in-person, phone and video. Simulated.
- Online assessments (not simulated here)
- Early-careers applicants get custom assessments containing 'rank order, written and recorded video answers, and, where applicable to your programme, a time-recorded Numeric Reasoning Test'. Some other pipelines get a written assessment online or at a testing center instead. None of it is a spoken round, so it is out of scope.
- Recorded video interview (not simulated here)
- EY offers a prerecorded format where candidates record responses to questions sent in advance. One-way and unprompted, so this product does not simulate it.
- Behavioral interview (spoken)
- The core fit round. EY opens questions with stems like 'Give an example of' or 'Describe a situation when' and scores each answer against three checks. Simulated.
- EY Experience Day (group exercises not simulated here)
- An in-person or virtual assessment day of activities and exercises, with assessors scoring against the core EY strengths framework. The group and exercise components are out of scope; the one-to-one interview inside the day is the round above.
- EY-Parthenon interviews, behavioral and case (case not simulated here)
- For the strategy arm only. EY-Parthenon says candidates 'can expect a mix of behavioral and case-based interviews with multiple EY-Parthenon professionals'. The behavioral half is simulated; the case is a different mode and is excluded.
- Final interview with senior team members (spoken)
- A conversation with senior team members about strengths and motivations, and about relevant work experience and your view on current market trends and sector developments. Simulated.
- Offer decision
- EY says a decision is usually made quickly after the final interview, followed by a formal offer in writing. EY-Parthenon communicates offer decisions typically within a week of interviews. Not simulated.
Sources
Built from what EY publishes about its own process. No leaked question lists. The questions you get are generated against your own resume, so they are not from anyone else's interview.
Behavioral interviewing and the three checks every answer is measured against (relevant experience, action taken, what it led to); 'one or more phone, video and in-person conversations'; the prerecorded option where candidates record responses to questions sent in advance; 'Mindset is as important as skill set.'
The same three checks and the same behavioral-interviewing language on EY's global page, confirming this is firm-wide guidance rather than one market's.
'Your interview experience will be a combination of in-person, phone and video'; a written assessment 'either online or at a testing center' for some roles; writing samples or coding questions submitted for certain positions; formal written offer.
Three-phase funnel (search and apply, interview, offer); screening on 'academic background, skill set and work experience'; 'A decision is usually made quickly after the final interview.'
The early-careers stage list: application, online assessments containing 'rank order, written and recorded video answers, and, where applicable to your programme, a time-recorded Numeric Reasoning Test', the EY Experience Day, and a final interview with senior team members, all scored against 'the core EY strengths framework'.
The nine named EY strengths (adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, learning agility, resilience, relationship building, integrity, personal ownership, motivation) and the rationale: 'Strengths help us to provide a level playing field for all candidates, as they are individual to each person.'
Application taking about 30 minutes; 'Your interview experience may be a combination of in-person, phone and video'; interviews covering relevant work experience and 'your view on current market trends and sector developments'.
'Candidates can expect a mix of behavioral and case-based interviews with multiple EY-Parthenon professionals'; 'Offer decisions are typically communicated within a week from your interviews.'
The same behavioral-and-case interview mix and one-week offer window at the experienced consultant level.
Sources last checked . Hiring loops change, so this date is the honest limit on everything above.
Other EY rounds
- Recruiter screen, motivation and strengths
Warm phone or video screen built around strengths rather than credentials
- Final round, senior team fit
Senior interviewer, strengths and motivation under harder pressure
- EY-Parthenon behavioral fit
The behavioral half of an EY-Parthenon loop, which pairs it with a case