Accenture Interview Guide

If you're setting your sights on a consulting role at Accenture, one of the world's leading professional services firms, you’re likely full of ambition. But what will the journey to actually landing a job there be like?

To make this easy for you, we'll break down the Accenture recruitment process step-by-step, including possible online assessments, behavioral interviews and the much feared case interview. Learn everything you need to know to impress your interviewer and get the role you are looking for!

What Is the Recruiting Process at Accenture Like?

Accenture offers many consulting roles to students through internships and full-time jobs to graduates throughout the year. The recruitment process is almost the same for each of their categories.

1. Apply Online

The first step is basically the same for most professional services firms: Find a job on the Accenture website and apply online. This stage is all about making your resume stand out. It’s better to be concise, showcase relevant experiences, and include a few terms that align with what Accenture might be interested in.

Next up, you’ll have to go through five interview rounds. Let’s go through each of them so you know what to expect.

2. HR Interview (Initial Screening)

After Accenture recruiters shortlist you for the role, you’ll get a call from the recruiter for an initial phone screening. Most of the time, this conversation is brief but necessary, and it covers your resume highlights, any experience in the field or internships, and career goals.

3. Online Assessment (Aptitude & Situational Judgement Test)

Once you pass the initial screening, you’ll probably take an online assessment. For consulting roles, this test often combines:

• Aptitude Questions: Think of logical reasoning (pattern recognition, puzzles, arrangements, critical thinking), verbal ability (reading comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, sentence completion), and mathematical abilities (percentages, ratios, algebra equations, analyzing data in graphs) to test your analytical skills.
• Situational Judgement Test (SJT): In this section, you’ll be presented with one or a few real-world scenarios in a consulting context that will test your decision-making and judgment.

4. Behavioral Interview

In case you pass the online assessment round with flying colors, Accenture recruiters will explore how well you align with their values and the culture in the behavioral interview session. This is because they want to understand how you handle teamwork, client interactions, and challenges that come along the way.

In this round, it's best to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to reply to questions clearly and concisely. Accenture values adaptability and innovation, so focus on examples that highlight these traits.

5. Case Interview & Group Exercise

Clearing the early assessment and behavioral interviews lets Accenture recruiters know you have covered your basics and have what it takes to move to the next round: the case interview combined with a group exercise.

The case interview is the heart of Accenture’s hiring process for consulting roles. Here’s where you’ll get to showcase your analytical and problem-solving abilities by tackling a real or supposed business problem.

• Format: You’ll be presented with a business challenge, often one involving data, strategy, or market analysis.
• Goal: Break down the problem logically, show how well you structure your thought process, and propose the best actionable solution.

For some consulting roles, Accenture includes a group exercise to test the teamwork skills you’ve discussed in the behavioral round. You’ll work with other candidates to solve a case or project scenario within a set timeframe.

• What to Expect: You and your group will receive a business problem and work together to come up with a solution.
• Goal: Accenture assesses how you collaborate, contribute ideas, and handle differing opinions. They’re looking for strong team players, so listen actively, support your peers, and show leadership without overshadowing others.

6. Final Interview

If you make it this far, congratulations! The final interview is often with a senior leader who may be your future manager or a partner. This stage further explores your career ambitions, cultural fit, and long-term potential with Accenture.

The final interview at Accenture tends to be more conversational and covers topics like your career aspirations, consulting outlook, and how you envision contributing to the firm.

What Is the Timeline for the Recruiting Process at Accenture?

The Accenture recruiting process for consulting roles is methodical, with multiple stages spread out over several weeks. Although specific timelines can vary depending on the role you’ve applied for, location, and availability, here’s a general outline of what to expect.

• Online Application & Resume Screening: After you submit your application, it typically takes about a week or two for the HR team to review applications and shortlist you for the next step.
• Initial Screening – HR Interview: Once shortlisted, you’ll be contacted for an HR screening call within a week.
• Online Assessment: For consulting roles, you may receive an online assessment link within 1-2 weeks after your initial screening.
• Behavioral Interviews: Accenture aims to complete these interviews in 1-3 weeks, depending on your availability and the schedules of the interviewers.
• Case Study or Group Exercise: This round usually takes place after 1 week of behavioral interviews.
• Final Interview: 1-2 weeks after the group exercise and case study.

After the final interview, if you’re selected, you’ll receive a job offer. The HR team generally notifies you of their decision within one to two weeks. Once you accept the offer, Accenture will start the onboarding process. It usually begins a few weeks after your acceptance to allow time for paperwork, training modules, and orientation.

What Questions Should You Expect in Accenture Interviews?

Let’s take a look at the different questions you’ll be asked in different interview stages of the Accenture recruiting process:

Fit/Behavioral Questions

The Accenture recruiters will ask you fit and behavioral questions in almost all interview stages. Some examples include:

• Why are you interested in consulting?
• Why are you interested in the work we do?
• Are you willing to travel with work?
• What are your interests outside of work?
• Why do you think you would be a good fit at Accenture?​
• Tell me about a time you had to make a quick decision with limited information. What was the result?
• Can you give an example of when you exceeded a client’s expectations?
• Describe a time when you had multiple high-priority tasks. How did you manage them?

Aptitude & Situational Judgement Test (Online Assessment)

The Accenture online test involves observing situations and then answering questions based on those situations. The best way to prepare for this is to practice your numerical, diagrammatical, and situational reasoning skills. Although it is not a like-for-like scenario, the skill set required is basically the same. Accenture is looking for your ability to apply logic and reasoning to an unfamiliar situation – something that consultants do on a daily basis.

Let’s take a look at some question categories and what to expect.

Numerical Reasoning Questions

A possible question would ask you to combine the information in the graph below with the information in the table and draw the right conclusions. You are able to use a calculator, so the hardest part is actually identifying the right numbers to work with. The math usually does not get more complicated than basic calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).

A concrete example question would be, "Which founders had the most valuable shares at funding round C?"​

The answer would be 'Healthy Brussels' as they have 51.41% of a company valued at £32m, leaving them with a share value of £16.45m versus the next closest, Nightly AI, whose founders have a share value of £15m (20% of £75m).​

As you can see, these types of questions may require multiple steps, but the math involved is not the hard part.

👉 To practice numerical reasoning questions in preparation for your online test, check out our numerical reasoning exercises.

Diagrammatical Reasoning Questions

In a diagrammatical reasoning test, you are looking to identify sequences such as the ones below as quickly as possible. As a general advice, it is useful to start with a single object and follow its path through each image. This usually allows you to eliminate one or more of the potential answers.

For example, following the top row of images, we need to decipher whether A, B, C, or D comes next:

Taking the triangle in the top left corner of the first box, we can follow its path: top left > top right > bottom right > bottom left. This appears to follow a clockwise rotation around the box, so we can assume that the correct answer will have a triangle in the top left; this means that B is the correct answer.​

To confirm this, we can take another shape, the square in the bottom right, and follow its path as well: bottom right > bottom left > top left > top right. Another clockwise rotation suggests the answer would have a square in the bottom right corner. Therefore, we can now be certain that B is the correct answer.​

Not all sequences will be as straightforward as that example, and there may be two sequences happening simultaneously, but the same process applies. ​

Situational Judgement​

Situational judgment questions are designed to assess interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in contexts relevant to consulting. Here’s an example:

You’re working on a project for a key client who has requested additional deliverables outside the original scope. Your team’s deadline is approaching, and adding new tasks could impact the project’s timeline. What do you do?

Response Options:

1. Agree to all client requests to maintain client satisfaction, even if it puts your team under pressure.
2. Politely explain the limitations and suggest the client wait for the next project phase.
3. Assess the team’s current workload and consult with your manager to see if adjustments are possible.
4. Decline the request and remind the client of the original project scope without discussing alternatives.

Accenture looks for consultants who can balance client satisfaction with practical project limitations. So, option 3 demonstrates both initiative and judgment by assessing feasibility and consulting a manager.

Case Interviews at Accenture

Generally speaking, a case interview is a business case that involves a strategic problem, such as entering a new market or increasing profitability, and as the interviewee, you are asked to recommend an appropriate strategy. An example question might be:​

The CEO of Deutsche Bank has become increasingly concerned about the declining profitability over the last 36 months and has asked you to determine the factors causing the decline as well as recommend a strategy to reverse this trend.

The most critical part of any case interview is selecting, customizing, and presenting the approach you are going to take to the interviewer. If you can do this well, then you will score highly as long as you follow that approach thoroughly, even if it doesn't get you to the right answer.​​​​

Group Exercise

​During the group exercise, you’ll be placed in a team of candidates and given a case or business scenario that reflects a real-life consulting problem. Each team member may receive individual background information, or you may all work with a single set of data. You’ll have limited time to discuss, plan, and present a solution, often while Accenture assessors observe and take notes.

Let’s take a look at an example scenario:

A mid-sized retail company is struggling with high in-store operational costs, declining foot traffic, as well as growing online competition. They want to counter these issues, improve sales, and offer better customer service when it comes to in-store spaces and online mediums.

1. Client Profile: A mid-sized retail chain with around 50 locations and an underperforming website.
2. Current Challenges:
   • High operational costs in physical stores.
   • Low online sales with a high abandonment rate.
   • Limited data analytics capabilities.
3. Client Goals:
   • Increase online revenue by 30% within the next year.
   • Improve in-store experiences to retain customers.
   • Reduce operational costs by at least 15% within six months.

Task: In a 20-minute discussion, propose a high-level strategy for a digital transformation initiative that addresses the client’s goals. You’ll present your recommendations at the end of the exercise.

The group exercise will have an answer to it, and most groups will reach it, but getting the right answer is not important to scoring well. Naturally, there will be someone within the group who assumes the role of the leader, but the person who does will not be guaranteed extra points for doing so. Taking the position of a leader shows confidence, but you mustn't overpower others. You should make a concerted effort to ask for other people's opinions and bring quieter group members into the conversation. ​

Someone who isn't the leader should be seen to contribute positively to conversations and communicate their opinion and thoughts clearly to the rest of the group.

How To Prepare for Accenture Interviews?

Preparing for an Accenture interview can be more effective when you do mock interviews with peers or work with a professional coach.

Mock interviews simulate real interview conditions, helping you practice responses, manage nerves, and get comfortable with behavioral and situational questions. Practicing with peers is a valuable, low-pressure way to refine your answers. Your peers can provide feedback on your communication style, clarity, and body language while helping you think through answers to common consulting questions. This process also enhances your ability to handle group discussions, which is crucial in Accenture’s team-focused interview stages.

A professional coach can also be a great help in providing you with critical feedback and ways for improvement based on Accenture’s interview format and expectations. These coaches often provide deeper insights into Accenture-specific competencies like client orientation, problem-solving, and leadership. They’ll guide you in framing your experiences effectively because it is their job to get you the job by fine-tuning your presentation skills.

Remember that preparation, confidence, and a genuine passion for problem-solving are key to succeeding in Accenture interviews. This guide will surely help you with valuable insights and strategies to ace every stage. It's time now to face the challenge head-on and showcase your unique strengths. You've got this!