EY Behavioral Interview: The Complete 2026 Guide

EY says on its own careers site that it leans heavily on behavioral interviewing, on the premise that past behavior predicts future behavior. It then layers on a distinctive strengths-based round: rapid questions about what energizes you and what you naturally do well, judged on authenticity rather than rehearsed scripts. EY is guided by its purpose, "building a better working world," and grades candidates on integrity, teaming, inclusiveness, energy, and the courage to lead. This guide covers what EY looks for, the full process, the behavioral and strengths rounds, the case and assessment center, the questions, how the loop shifts by service line, and the current 2026 context.

By Brahim Ouasti, Founder and CEO of Preper. Last updated June 2026.

What does EY look for in interviews?

EY looks for people who fit its purpose, "building a better working world," and its qualities: integrity, respect, teaming, inclusiveness, energy, and the courage to lead. EY says it leans heavily on behavioral interviewing, and it adds a strengths-based round judged on authenticity.

In practice, EY also rewards a growth mindset, "borderless" multidisciplinary teaming, digital fluency, and an authentic connection to the purpose. EY's guidance is explicit: it uses open-ended behavioral questions starting "Give an example of" or "Describe a situation when," and your answers are measured on whether you gave a relevant experience that actually answers the question. So the work is twofold: prepare flexible behavioral stories, and be able to speak authentically about your real strengths.

What does the full EY interview process look like?

EY's process runs roughly two to four rounds: an online application, online assessments (EY's signature strengths assessment plus numerical and verbal reasoning), a recorded video interview, and a final round that is either an assessment center with a group exercise and a case or a partner or manager panel.

1. Online application.
2. Online assessments. EY's signature strengths assessment plus numerical and verbal reasoning, often gamified. These filter heavily early.
3. Recorded video interview. A one-way interview where you record answers to set questions (behavioral and strengths, plus role-relevant prompts).
4. Final round. Either an assessment center (with a group exercise and a case) or a partner or manager panel. Experienced-hire processes lean more on technical depth and the partner conversation.

Across rounds, expect strengths-based questions, competency (behavioral) questions mapped to EY's qualities, a strong "why EY," and role technicals by service line. For experienced hires the process often runs about two to four weeks; campus intakes through assessment centers run longer.

What are the behavioral and strengths rounds at EY?

EY asks open-ended competency questions mapped to its qualities, answered with STAR, and EY advises preparing 10 to 15 flexible examples. Separately, the strengths-based round asks rapid questions about what you enjoy and do well, judged on authenticity rather than scripts.

For the behavioral side, EY's own advice is to prepare 10 to 15 examples you can adjust on the fly, decide which strengths you want the interviewer to take away, and practice go-to stories out loud, each finishing on a measurable outcome. The strengths-based round is the EY signature and needs a different kind of preparation: reflect honestly on what energizes you, what you are genuinely good at, and why, so your quick answers are authentic and consistent rather than performed. Delivery matters here too, since EY explicitly weighs confidence, expression, posture, and eye contact.

What is the case and assessment center at EY?

For consulting and EY-Parthenon (the strategy arm), the case follows the standard structure-first-then-solve approach using profitability, market-entry, and pricing frameworks. The assessment center adds a group exercise (collaborate and contribute, do not dominate) and sometimes an individual case or presentation.

Consulting and EY-Parthenon candidates get the case; assurance and tax candidates get competency and technical interviews without a strategy case. In the group exercise, you have two jobs at once: contribute real analysis, and visibly collaborate, listening and building on others rather than dominating. Throughout the final round, EY's qualities and the strengths lens run alongside the technical content.

What questions does EY ask?

EY's questions cluster around strengths (rapid and authentic), motivation, behavioral competency (STAR), and role technicals by service line.

Strengths-based (rapid, authentic)

• What kind of work energizes you? What do you enjoy most?
• What are you naturally good at? What comes easily to you?

Motivation and fit

• Why EY, and why this service line? (link "building a better working world" to the work and what you want to learn)

Behavioral (competency, STAR)

• Tell me about a time you led a team. (set direction, brought people with you, measurable improvement)
• Describe a time you worked in a difficult team or handled conflict.
• Tell me about a time you showed integrity or did the right thing.

Technical (by service line)

• Assurance: the three statements, assertions, materiality, IFRS 15/16, US GAAP versus IFRS, the COSO internal-control framework.
• Tax: why tax, avoidance versus evasion, transfer pricing, direct versus indirect tax.
• Consulting and EY-Parthenon: profitability, market-entry, and pricing cases.

How do you prepare for EY's strengths-based round?

EY's strengths-based round needs a different kind of preparation from competency stories, because it judges authenticity and self-awareness rather than rehearsed narratives. The goal is to know your real strengths and energizers well enough to answer quickly and consistently.

Strengths questions come fast and are open and personal: what kind of work energizes you, what you enjoy most, what you are naturally good at, what drains you. There is no STAR structure to lean on, and over-rehearsed or "ideal candidate" answers are exactly what the format is designed to catch. So the preparation is reflection, not scripting. Before the interview, write down the tasks and moments in your study and work history when you lost track of time or felt most effective, the kinds of problems you gravitate toward, and the strengths a manager or teammate would name for you. Look for patterns, then be ready to describe two or three of them in plain, specific language with a quick real example each.

Consistency is part of the read. Because the questions probe the same person from several angles, answers that contradict each other (claiming you love detail in one breath and big-picture-only work in the next) undercut authenticity. It also helps to connect your genuine strengths to the work EY actually does and to its purpose, "building a better working world," so the interviewer can see the fit without you forcing it. Practice out loud so the answers come quickly and naturally, but resist memorizing a script: the aim is to sound like yourself on your most self-aware day, not like a prepared statement.

How does the process differ by service line at EY?

EY's service lines are Assurance (audit and FAAS), Tax, Strategy and Transactions (home to EY-Parthenon), and Consulting. Consulting and EY-Parthenon add the case; assurance and tax weight technical and competency interviews. The strengths-based and behavioral rounds and EY's qualities are the constant.

Consulting and EY-Parthenon candidates get the case interview; assurance and tax candidates get technical and competency interviews. GDS (Global Delivery Services) is EY's offshore delivery arm, with role-specific technical content. Across all of them, technical knowledge is necessary but not the main differentiator for many early-career roles, and the strengths-based and behavioral rounds are where fit is decided.

What are the most common mistakes in EY interviews?

The defining mistake is over-scripting the strengths round, because EY judges authenticity and rehearsed-sounding answers backfire. After that: a generic "why EY," competency stories with no measurable result, treating the assessments casually, and dominating or staying passive in the group exercise.

The mistakes that sink candidates:

1. Over-scripting the strengths round when EY judges authenticity.
2. A generic "why EY" that does not connect to the purpose or a service line.
3. Competency stories with no measurable result.
4. Treating the assessments casually when they filter heavily.
5. Dominating or staying passive in the group exercise.

What differentiates offers: authentic, consistent strengths answers grounded in real reflection; four to six (and up to 10 to 15) flexible STAR stories mapped to EY's qualities with measurable outcomes; a specific "why EY" linking "building a better working world" to the service line and your goals; strong assessment performance; and a collaborative presence in the group exercise. The strengths-based round, done authentically, is where prepared-but-not-scripted candidates separate themselves.

Preper data: [Insert one real, verified Preper statistic here, for example the share of EY-track strengths answers in mock interviews that sound rehearsed, or how often "why EY" answers reference the purpose. Do not publish an unverified number.]

What has changed at EY recently?

EY is one of the Big 4, with EY-Parthenon as its strategy arm, and has invested heavily in generative AI. The cultural signal is a purpose-led, teaming-first culture that screens on authenticity and behavioral fit, which is exactly what the strengths-based and behavioral rounds test.

EY (Ernst & Young) operates across assurance, tax, strategy and transactions, and consulting, with a very large global workforce and EY-Parthenon as its strategy arm. Like its peers, it has invested heavily in generative AI (a major firmwide AI platform and internal AI tools) and emphasizes sustainability and multidisciplinary teaming. For interviews, the signal is a purpose-led, teaming-first culture that screens on authenticity and behavioral fit. (Firm revenue, leadership, headcount, and any workforce changes are worth checking before you interview, since they vary by member firm.)

How should you prepare for the EY interview?

An EY prep plan has four parts: clear the assessments, reflect for the strengths round, build competency stories mapped to EY's qualities, and (for consulting and EY-Parthenon) practice the case.

First, prepare the online assessments (EY's signature strengths assessment plus numerical and verbal reasoning), since they filter heavily early. Second, do the strengths reflection described above, so the rapid, authenticity-first questions feel natural rather than rehearsed. Third, build four to six flexible STAR stories and tag each to one of EY's qualities (integrity, respect, teaming, inclusiveness, energy, the courage to lead), making sure you have a leadership story and a conflict or difficult-team story, each ending on a measurable outcome. EY advises preparing 10 to 15 adjustable examples, so aim for breadth you can flex to the question.

Fourth, build a specific "why EY" that links the purpose, "building a better working world," to the service line and what you want to learn, rather than generic prestige. If you are applying to consulting or EY-Parthenon, practice the case (structure first, then solve, using profitability, market-entry, and pricing approaches) and, if your process includes an assessment center, rehearse the group exercise: contribute real analysis, listen, and build on others without dominating. Because EY runs a one-way recorded video interview for many candidates, rehearse on camera too, watching for pacing, structure, and eye contact. A timed mock that mixes a few strengths questions, two or three competency stories, and (if relevant) a short case is the highest-return way to pull it together in the final week.

Frequently asked questions about EY interviews

What does EY look for in interviews? People who fit its purpose, "building a better working world," and its qualities: integrity, respect, teaming, inclusiveness, energy, and the courage to lead. EY says it leans heavily on behavioral interviewing, and it adds a strengths-based round judged on authenticity.

What is an EY strengths-based interview? A round of rapid questions about what energizes you and what you naturally do well, judged on authenticity rather than rehearsed scripts. It is different from competency prep: reflect honestly on your real strengths and what you enjoy so your quick answers are genuine and consistent.

What is the EY interview process? Usually two to four rounds: an online application, online assessments (EY's signature strengths assessment plus numerical and verbal reasoning), a recorded video interview, and a final round that is either an assessment center with a group exercise and a case or a partner or manager panel.

How does EY's behavioral interview work? It uses open-ended competency questions ("give an example of," "describe a situation when") mapped to EY's qualities, answered with STAR. EY advises preparing 10 to 15 flexible examples you can adjust on the fly, each finishing on a measurable outcome.

How should I answer "Why EY?" Link the purpose, "building a better working world," to the service line and what you want to learn, plus your own goals. A generic answer that does not connect to the purpose or the specific work lands poorly.

Does EY use case interviews? Yes, for consulting and EY-Parthenon (the strategy arm), using the standard structure-first approach with profitability, market-entry, and pricing frameworks. Assurance and tax candidates get competency and technical interviews instead, and an assessment center may add a group exercise.

Sources

This guide draws on candidate reports and EY's own materials compiled for Preper's research:

• EY's careers and interview-tips materials: the purpose, the qualities, and the behavioral-interviewing approach
• Eduyush: the strengths-based round, the process stages, and service-line technicals
• DigitalDefynd: the qualities, teaming, and EY-Parthenon detail
• GraduatesFirst: the EY assessment formats
• PrepLounge: the EY consulting and EY-Parthenon case detail
• WikiJob: the assessment-center and panel detail

Figures and process details reflect the most recent data available as of June 2026.

Start preparing now

Reading this guide is the first step. At EY, a strengths-based round rewards authenticity and the behavioral rounds are graded against EY's qualities, so you need flexible, qualities-mapped stories and genuine clarity about your strengths. Preper is built for exactly that.

Story Bank: Preper's AI Story Builder helps you build the flexible stories EY grades hardest, leading a team, handling conflict, showing integrity, and a specific "why EY" tied to the purpose, each mapped to a quality and ending with a measurable outcome. It scores each story on clarity, ownership, and impact.

Mock Interviews: Practice EY's recorded video interview, its strengths-based questions, and its competency rounds with Preper's AI interviewer over voice or video, including the rapid, authenticity-first format EY is known for. You find out whether your strengths answers sound genuine and your stories map to the qualities, before the real interview.

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