Prepare for Accountancy Firm Aptitude Tests

In today's global economy, the competition for accounting roles is much fiercer. Considering the technological advances in data analysis, assessments for new employees have become increasingly challenging in recent years.

Not only will you be tested on much more than old-school numerical reasoning, but in most cases, you will also face personality tests, job simulations, case studies, assessment centres, and several interviews, some of which are pre-recorded, meaning you will not even meet an interviewer.

Below, you will find sample questions for the most common test types you will face in the recruitment process.

If you already know which assessments you will have to take, go ahead and pick your desired accounting firm from the list below.

Traditionally, numerical problems are common among accounting aptitude tests. The primary challenge of these questions is quick reading while also comprehending advanced arithmetic problems. While some questions may include only a single source of information, others, like Cappfinity's (EY, KPMG), may include several.

Let's have a look at an easy question, containing only one data source. You will need to analyze the given data and reach a conclusion about which of the multiple-choice answers is the correct one.

Although challenging, this is considered an intermediate question, as you only face one table. Numerical Reasoning questions may include various tables and graphs that will demand data integration between them or sorting relevant info. Most firms will include different variations of numerical questions, so investing time in numerical reasoning preparation is vital.

Many great accounting firms have decided to put aside classic reasoning assessments and evaluate their candidates' cognitive aptitudes with gamified tests. From behavioral tendencies through learning abilities and logical reasoning, you may not even know which ability is measured by the game you are facing. While thankful at first, many candidates soon realize that these so-called games are highly tricky and complicated, putting them out of balance and missing on their job opportunities. The most famous of these are PwC's Arctic Shores and Schroders's Aon/Cut-e games.

Let's have a look at one of the many type of gamified questions, straight out of our Schroders's preparation pack:

This type of test is called SwitchChallenge, made by Aon. It evaluates your deductive logical reasoning and understanding of principles and patterns in an effort to apply them to problem-solving.

Two or three rows of symbols will be presented, with a sequence of digit operators being the link between their different arrangements.
Your task is to find the correct operator responsible for the transformation.
You have 6 minutes to complete as many of these tasks.

How did you do? As difficult as these questions can initially be, they get progressively more challenging the more items you solve. That's why knowing the type of tasks you are up against is vital so you can have proper practice.

Another common type of assessment for accounting roles is verbal reasoning. The goal is to assess verbal and written communication skills along with test analysis speed. A good example is the EY verbal reasoning test, which includes paragraphs with different tasks, such as sorting and summarizing statements in order of fitness. Let's have a look at one type of these verbal reasoning questions, taken from Talent-Q (RSM, PA consulting) tests:

How did you do? Did you manage to answer correctly, or was it confusing?

As said, you will find different variations of these questions when applying for the major accounting firms. The best preparation method will be to start with solving several verbal reasoning tests and then move up to the more advanced questions.

Situational judgement assessments have become a popular tool in the screening process of many accounting firms worldwide, including BDO, KPMG and Mazars. On many cases, they will be accompanied by personality tests, but not always.

How did SJT questions become so popular?

The working environment of accountants is highly fast-paced. This is due to dealing with tight deadlines and the moment-to-moment need to arrange complicated and sensitive data. Accounting firms want to know if their employees can withstand such a rush while staying a good team player and maintaining good work ethics.

This is why these questions are usually in the spirit of the firm's core values and expected strengths. The "right" answer is the one aligning with the recruiting firm's DNA.

Let's look at one of these questions, taken from our Deloitte preparation.

These questions appear to be innocent, giving the recruitment team a chance to get to know the real you. However, it is not always in your best interest to make authentic decisions based on your personality and behaviour. Even a small deviation from the core values and strength that may be perceived in your mental response, as portrayed by your ranking of answers, might be the end of your recruitment process. That's why you need to understand what the firm is looking for and act accordingly.

The numerical, verbal and SJT reasoning tests are just the tip of the iceberg for most of the major accounting firms. As you have seen, you may also face game challenges like PwC's Arctic Shores and Schroders's Aon/Cut-e gamified tests and many other assessments. These include:

Personality Tests — These tests question your motivation, work style and how you relate to the people around you.

Critical Thinking Tests — These tests evaluate your ability to assess situations while considering various factors, such as perspectives, facts, opinions, and assumptions.

Logical Reasoning Tests — The SwitchChallnge test you took is just one of many different logical reasoning assessments you may face. These focus on your ability to identify patterns.

In-tray tests — These tests examine how you prioritise and manage tasks.

This again emphasizes the need for thorough studying methods and practice programs.

If you are planning to apply to one or more of the Big-4 accounting firms, which are known for utilizing many different types of tests, make sure to check our Big-4 Tests Bundle.

While each firm has its own recruitment process, most of them share these common stages:

Online application — submitting an online application which typically includes your CV, academic transcript and cover letter.

Online aptitude tests — taking a series of online aptitude tests, including different reasoning sections according to the firm's preferences and a job simulation.

Job simulations — used mostly by Big 4 firms, it is a series of tests mimicking different aspects of the job you applied to. These will usually include case studies, virtual job tryouts and role-playing.

Pre-recorded interviews — these may play a part in job simulations or be used as stand-alone. They will include interview questions and word-related scenarios.

Interviews — may be held on the phone or in person and done by an HR recruiter or one of the firm's partners, depending on the firm and the stage of recruitment. The number of interviews in the recruitment process may vary between firms and applicants, depending on the interviewer's evaluation. The goals of these interviews are similar – questioning your strengths and motivations for applying to the firm and challenging you with different work-related scenarios.

Assessment Centre — many firms will require your participation in an assessment centre. These usually include presentations, group exercises and case studies.

Receiving a job offer — the final exciting part of the recruitment process. If you successfully complete the different stages, you will receive a job offer.

Check the links below to learn more about top firms' applications and selection processes:

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We at JobTestPrep find the assessment tests world highly diverse and fascinating. If you are looking to deepen your knowledge in the aptitude tests world, or you want some extra practice before your test, we've got you covered!

Check out these fantastic free practice tests (all are completely free):

Free Aptitude Test | Free Psychometric Test | Free Numerical Reasoning Test | Free Verbal Reasoning Test | Free Cognitive Test | Free Critical Thinking Test | Free Abstract Reasoning Test | Free Spatial Reasoning Tets | Free Personality Test | Free Inductive Test