The PwC application process, explained

Which PwC stages apply in your country, what the SHL online assessment actually contains, the 2026-27 UK dates, and where to practice each format honestly.

By the Game Assessment Prep research teamUpdated September 11, 2026How we research

The PwC interview rounds at a glance

1Apply online — UK: one application for the 2027 programmes — if you are unsuccessful or withdraw, you wait for a 2028 programme. Graduate roles open 17 September, undergraduate and entry level 30 September, and roles are filled on a rolling basis.Deadlines and dates
2Online assessment — hosted on SHL (UK) — A non-assessed "Bringing our values to life" culture preview, then an untimed behavioural profile test, then a timed cognitive test covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. No games at any stage.What the tests are Inductive practice Numerical practice
3On-demand video interview — also on SHL (UK) — Questions appear on screen with no interviewer; your answers are recorded and reviewed afterwards by a PwC assessor. Scored against the PwC Professional behaviours.PwC interview questions Practice recorded answers
4Virtual immersive assessment centre (UK) — The penultimate stage, assessing you against the core skills and attributes PwC says matter for the role. PwC publishes no exercise list, so we do not invent one.
5Finding you the right role (UK graduates only) — Graduate applicants are matched to a business area and office, then have a call with a recruiter who explains the area, recaps your earlier feedback and guides you through the final stage. Preferences are considered but not guaranteed.
6Business assessment — final interview (UK) — An interview with a senior leader from the business area you were matched to, in person in your matched office. A Careers team member then contacts you with feedback and the outcome.
7Offer, screening and onboarding (UK) — Fit & Proper and Independence assessments, background and criminal record checks, grade and job-history verification, Right to Work through an app, and a pre-joining event. PwC UK does not offer deferred start dates for Early Careers programmes.

Practice the PwC batteryInductive reasoning (PwC names this format) Numerical reasoning (PwC names this format)

What games are in the PwC assessment?

PwC UK runs no games. The UK first stage is an SHL behavioural profile plus a timed cognitive test, so what follows is not a game list — it is the practice routes that match the formats PwC actually names, plus an honest accounting of the game claims you will find elsewhere. If you are a US entry-level applicant, PwC says preparation is not needed for its questionnaire and there is genuinely nothing here for you to drill. If you applied in Central & Eastern Europe, games do apply to you and /employers/pwc-cee is your page.

Practice the PwC set

The 3 games on this page, in order, with a summary at the end. Lineup maintained from first-party candidate reports — invitations, interviews, and post-assessment feedback.

Inductive reasoning (PwC names this format)

Category practice

Official source

PwC names inductive reasoning in the cognitive test on its assessment page, and the Employability Hub names "inductive reasoning" as a practice type. Inductive items give you sequences or sets and ask you to infer the rule that governs them — the skill that moves scores is forming a hypothesis fast and testing it against one more item, rather than staring at the whole set. Our inductive hub trains that format. It is practice for the format PwC names, not a simulator of PwC’s specific SHL module, which PwC does not publish.

Source: PwC UK Employability Hub; PwC UK assessment and selection process

Practice Inductive reasoning (PwC names this format)

Numerical reasoning (PwC names this format)

Category practice

Official source

The other format PwC names on both its assessment page and the Employability Hub. SHL-style numerical items are usually about locating the right figure in a table or chart quickly and doing a modest calculation, not about advanced maths. Practice under a clock, because the timed half of PwC’s cognitive test is where the pressure is. Again: format practice, not PwC’s module.

Source: PwC UK Employability Hub; PwC UK assessment and selection process

Practice Numerical reasoning (PwC names this format)

Deductive reasoning (named on the assessment page only)

Category practice

Official source

PwC’s assessment page lists deductive reasoning alongside numerical and inductive, though the Employability Hub does not name it among the practice types. Deductive items give you rules or premises and ask what necessarily follows. There is no separate deductive route on this site; inductive practice is the nearest transfer, since both reward disciplined rule-handling under time. Note what is absent: verbal reasoning is named nowhere in PwC UK’s early-careers material.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

Practice Deductive reasoning (named on the assessment page only)

Behavioural profile test (untimed, no practice needed)

Category practice

Official source

The untimed half of the online assessment. It is a work-style questionnaire, and the only useful preparation is to answer consistently and honestly rather than to guess at a profile PwC has not published. PwC UK will not tell you your scores, and for experienced hires it states outright that a personality test will not be used to sift candidates out. Treat it as a stage to complete carefully, not one to train for.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

Career Unlocked games — retired, no titles listed here

Category practice

Official source

PwC UK genuinely ran a games-based first stage branded Career Unlocked through at least mid-2023, but it was removed from PwC UK’s site by August 2024 and the app listing is delisted. We list no game titles for it, because the only sources for those titles are prep pages that still present the retired program as current. If your PwC invitation names games, follow the invitation — but no UK candidate should build a preparation plan around Career Unlocked today.

Source: PwC UK student careers selection process, archived 1 June 2022; current PwC UK page carries no games

pymetrics, Arctic Shores and HireVue games: not evidenced for the UK or US

Category practice

No evidence found

No source supports a pymetrics battery anywhere at PwC. Arctic Shores is widely reported as the builder of the retired Career Unlocked program but is not named by PwC and does not list PwC as a client. HireVue games are confirmed for PwC Central & Eastern Europe only, and PwC CEE does not publish which games. For a UK or US application, preparing for any game battery would be preparing for something the employer’s own pages do not describe.

Source: Targeted checks of PwC UK, PwC US, PwC CEE and Arctic Shores pages, September 2026

Good to know: None of the routes above is a PwC assessment. PwC UK names SHL and names the formats — numerical, inductive, deductive and a behavioural profile — but never publishes which SHL modules it uses or what the cutoffs are, so these are format practice and nothing more. PwC is also a network of separate member firms, and the country you applied in decides what you sit: UK gets SHL tests, the US gets a short untimed questionnaire, Central & Eastern Europe gets games, Canadian campus candidates get no published test at all. Your invitation email is the only document that tells you what you will actually face. If yours names something this page does not, tell us so we can correct it.

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Who gets the PwC assessment?

PwC is not one employer for hiring purposes. It is a network of separate legal member firms, and the assessment you sit depends almost entirely on which country you applied in. A page that gave you a single "PwC assessment" would be wrong nearly everywhere, so this one is organised by firm.

The UK is the clearest case, because PwC UK names its platform outright. Its early-careers assessment and selection page states that the first-stage online assessment "is hosted in the SHL platform" and that the on-demand video interview is "conducted virtually via the SHL platform". PwC UK’s own Employability Hub backs this up in the most practical way possible: the only external link on the page points to SHL’s practice tests. The current UK page does not mention games at any stage.

The US is a different process and a much lighter one. PwC US requires a short assessment for most entry-level roles — untimed, about 15 to 20 minutes, resumable across sittings, with results valid for 120 days. It is a work-style questionnaire whose published sample items read "Which statement describes you best?" with options like "I do not delay when making decisions." PwC says preparation is not needed and does not share your results. It is not a cognitive battery, it is not games, and PwC does not name the vendor behind it.

Only one part of the network is confirmed to use games. PwC Central & Eastern Europe replaced traditional online tests with a game-based assessment played in a browser or the HireVue app, taking about 15 minutes in total. That is a different vendor and a different process from everything described here, and it has its own page: see our PwC Central & Eastern Europe guide at /employers/pwc-cee.

One historical note, because prep sites still get it wrong. PwC UK really did once run a games-based first stage branded "Career Unlocked" — PwC’s own pages described "a series of games based Psychometric Assessments" under that name through at least mid-2023. That language was gone from PwC UK’s site by August 2024, and the Career Unlocked app listing now returns a 404. Treat it as retired. Prep pages published as recently as June 2025 still present it as current; they are describing a process UK candidates no longer sit.

UK graduate programmes

Graduate routes are grouped as Advisory and Consulting; Audit, Accounting, Tax and Finance; Legal Services; Strategy; and Technology and AI. Some graduate programmes include a professional qualification studied alongside the job. Graduate applicants are the only ones who go through the "Finding you the right role" matching stage between the assessment centre and the final interview.

Official source

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

UK undergraduate and entry level programmes

Undergraduate routes include the Summer Internship, Undergraduate Work Placement, Legal Summer Vacation Scheme and Diversity Programmes. Entry level covers the Flying Start degree programmes — applied for through UCAS with the specific course code first, then the standard PwC assessment process — plus the Virtual Insight Programme and New World. New Skills. Undergraduate and entry level opportunities open two weeks after graduate roles.

Official source

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process; PwC UK early careers FAQs

US entry level: internships and associate roles

Most US entry-level positions include the required assessment. The exempt roles are senior associate intern, senior associate full-time, seasonal and fixed-term positions. PwC US recruits many roles on a rolling basis and warns that "available locations will close as offers are accepted", so applying early matters more than hitting a deadline.

Official source

Source: PwC US entry level assessment FAQs; PwC US entry level recruiting process

US Advisory: the case interview track

Advisory and consulting candidates get a virtual case interview on top of the standard process — typically 30 to 45 minutes within a longer interview day. It is a two-way conversation about a mock business problem, not a presentation. PwC publishes two full sample scenarios: digital transformation risk at a $300bn global bank, and a healthcare expansion strategy. Scenarios differ by practice group, and PwC states that AI and GenAI use is not permitted during assessment or interview.

Official source

Source: PwC US — Get Ready for Your Advisory Case Interview

Australia graduate program

An 18-month program with January or February start dates, requiring full-time Australian working rights. One application per person. The assessment shape is different again: four online assessments covering behaviours, skills and emotional intelligence taking around 50 minutes, then a digital interview of only two questions plus team-preference selection taking around 10 minutes. Both stages run on a 48-hour clock, far tighter than the UK’s seven days.

Official source

Source: PwC Australia graduate program

Middle East graduate hiring

A seven-stage ladder and, unlike the UK, you may apply to more than one line of service. The online assessment components depend on your line of service, with "Verbal, Numerical and Inductive reasoning... core to the process, followed by a Digital Interview should you pass". Note that this is the one PwC firm that officially includes verbal reasoning in an early-careers battery — the UK does not.

Official source

Source: PwC Middle East — Your Recruitment Journey

Indonesia recruitment

A distinct process again: an assessment test comprising an English test, a logic test and a technical test, then a case study that may fall before or after interview depending on line of service, then a Human Capital interview, then a user interview with the business team across one to three rounds. No games and no vendor named.

Official source

Source: PwC Indonesia recruitment information

Canada campus hiring

PwC Canada’s current campus page lists only four steps: meet PwC at events, apply online with a resume or CACEE form and an unofficial transcript (no cover letter), interview in office or on campus, then offer. One application per recruitment round, with 90 days between applications. No test stage and no video-interview stage is published for campus today. For experienced hires PwC Canada does name its vendor: "We use on-demand video interviews. Hirevue provides you with a convenient, efficient and unbiased application process."

Official source

Source: PwC Canada — applying to campus opportunities; PwC Canada — applying to experienced opportunities

PwC Central & Eastern Europe — the one games process, covered separately

CEE is the only part of the PwC network whose own site confirms a game-based assessment. It runs in a browser on desktop or the HireVue app on mobile, takes about 15 minutes with roughly three minutes per game, measures cognitive abilities and working with information, and is followed by a feedback report by email. PwC CEE does not publish the individual game titles. Different vendor, different process — read /employers/pwc-cee rather than this page if that is your region.

Official source

Source: PwC CEE — game-based assessment for students and graduates

India campus hiring — nothing published

PwC India lists campus programs including Campus Contender, Campus Talent Conclave, Leader on Campus, a Corporate Experience Programme and a Cloud Technology Development Programme, and directs candidates to in_campus_connect@pwc.com. It publishes no assessment stages, no test names and no vendor. We therefore make no claim about the India process at all — if a prep site tells you what PwC India tests, it is not reading PwC India’s page.

No evidence found

Source: PwC India campus careers page

How does the PwC assessment work?

SHL is the platform, in PwC UK’s own words

Official source

PwC UK’s assessment and selection process page states of the online assessment: "The test is hosted in the SHL platform." Of the next stage it says the on-demand video interview "will be conducted virtually via the SHL platform". This is unusually direct — most employers never name their vendor — so you can treat SHL as fact for the UK. It is corroborated by PwC UK’s Employability Hub, whose only external link points to SHL’s practice tests, and by the experienced-hire pages, which send candidates to shldirect.com.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

There are no games in the UK process

Official source

The current PwC UK assessment and selection page does not mention games at any stage. The process is a behavioural profile and a cognitive ability test on SHL, then a video interview, then an assessment centre and a final interview. If you have arrived here expecting to practice a games battery for a UK application, the honest answer is that PwC UK’s own page describes none.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

The online assessment has three parts, and the first one is not scored

Official source

It opens with a non-assessed activity called "Bringing our values to life" — a culture preview whose purpose is to help you decide whether you want to continue, not to score you. Then comes a behavioural profile test, which is untimed, and then a cognitive ability test, which is timed. Knowing the first part is unscored is worth something: candidates routinely burn nerves on it.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

The UK cognitive test is numerical, inductive and deductive — not verbal

Official source

PwC’s wording is "an ability test including numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning", and the Employability Hub names the relevant practice types as "numerical reasoning, inductive reasoning and behaviour based". Verbal reasoning is absent from both. Prep sites routinely add it anyway, probably by importing the separate experienced-hire route, whose page does mention verbal. For UK early careers, practice numerical and inductive and do not spend time on verbal.

Source: PwC UK Employability Hub; PwC UK assessment and selection process

The video interview has no interviewer, and it is on SHL too

Official source

PwC describes it plainly: "You'll be presented with a series of questions on the screen and asked to describe your experience. Instead of having an interviewer, your answers will be recorded and reviewed afterwards by one of our assessors." The framing "describe your experience" tells you what to prepare — worked examples from study, university or prior work, not improvised opinions. Our researched question page for PwC is at /hirevue/questions/pwc.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

One application for 2027, and withdrawing still costs you the year

Official source

PwC UK states: "We'll only consider one application for our 2027 programmes. If you're unsuccessful or withdraw from our process, you'll need to wait to re-apply for one of our programmes starting in 2028." This tightened recently — as late as August 2025 the rule read one application every six months. Pulling out before the online assessment does not reset anything, so choose the programme and business area before you submit, not after.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

PwC says it does not use AI to assess you, and you may not use it either

Official source

PwC UK states that it does not use AI to assess candidate performance within the Early Careers selection process. The obligation runs both ways: candidate use of AI tools during the assessment is against PwC’s candidate conduct policy, and PwC US says the same for Advisory case interviews. Practising with any tool you like beforehand is fine; sitting the live stages alone and unaided is not optional.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process

The US assessment is short, untimed and low-stakes to prepare for

Official source

PwC US requires it for most entry-level roles, emails it within a few hours of your application, and treats your application as incomplete until both are in. It is not timed, PwC recommends setting aside about 15 to 20 minutes, you can complete it across several sittings with progress saved, and results are valid for 120 days — so a recent result can carry to a new application. PwC says "Preparation is not needed" and does not share results with you. Published sample items are of the form "Which statement describes you best?"

Source: PwC US entry level assessment FAQs

PwC does not name the vendor for the US assessment

No evidence found

PwC US publishes the format, the length, the validity period and two sample items, but never says who supplies it. It is demonstrably not the UK SHL cognitive battery — it has no timed cognitive component — and it is not a game battery. We will not guess a vendor for it, and you should be sceptical of any page that does.

Source: PwC US entry level assessment FAQs (no supplier named)

Career Unlocked is retired, and PwC never named the vendor behind it

Official source

PwC UK’s own student careers page described "a series of games based Psychometric Assessments that measure your cognitive skills, natural behavioural preferences and numerical reasoning abilities" under the heading "Career Unlocked", and that language survived in snapshots through June 2023. It was gone by August 2024, and the Career Unlocked Android listing now returns a 404. Two things prep sites get wrong about it. First, it is retired, not current. Second, PwC never named a vendor for it even while it was live — Arctic Shores is widely reported as the builder, but Arctic Shores does not list PwC among the clients on its own case-studies index. So the vendor attribution was never official.

Source: PwC UK student careers selection process, archived 1 June 2022; Arctic Shores case studies index

Do not import Career Unlocked game descriptions from prep sites

Single source

Prep pages circulate specific game names, an "eleven games" count, a "3,000 data points" figure and a 75 to 85 minute runtime for Career Unlocked. Those trace to a single prep site, one that is dated June 2025 yet presents the program as current — which PwC UK’s own page contradicts. We deliberately list no Career Unlocked game titles on this page, because the only source for them is demonstrably stale.

Source: Prep-site descriptions of Career Unlocked, contradicted by PwC UK’s current page

Games exist at PwC, but only in Central & Eastern Europe

Official source

PwC CEE states that it "exchanged traditional online tests with a modern, user-friendly game-based assessment", playable in a desktop browser or the HireVue app on mobile, at roughly three minutes per game for no more than 15 minutes total, with a feedback report emailed afterwards. PwC CEE does not publish the individual game titles, so no game list can be borrowed from it for any other region. Read /employers/pwc-cee for that process.

Source: PwC CEE — game-based assessment for students and graduates

HireVue at PwC: CEE games and Canadian experienced hires, not the UK

Official source

Two PwC firms name HireVue on their own sites. PwC CEE names the HireVue app for its game-based assessment. PwC Canada names it for experienced hiring: "We use on-demand video interviews. Hirevue provides you with a convenient, efficient and unbiased application process." Neither covers the UK, where PwC names SHL for both the assessment and the video interview. If you read elsewhere that the UK graduate video interview is HireVue, PwC UK’s own page says otherwise and outranks it.

Source: PwC Canada — applying to experienced opportunities; PwC CEE game-based assessment

PwC Canada campus publishes no test stage at all

Official source

Widely repeated claims that PwC Canada campus candidates play game-based assessments are not supported by PwC Canada’s current campus page, which describes only meet PwC, apply, interview and offer. Behavioural questions there are answered with STAR against the PwC Professional dimensions. HireVue appears only on the experienced-hire page. If you are a Canadian campus applicant, there is no published test to prepare for — put the hours into interview examples instead.

Source: PwC Canada — applying to our campus opportunities

Everything is scored against the PwC Professional

Official source

The video interview, the assessment centre and the final interview all measure the same framework. Trusted Leadership: Inspire ("I understand my impact and people want to work with me"), Empower ("I coach and work side by side with others"), Evolve ("I grow as a person and guide us into the future"). Distinctive Outcomes: Champion ("I commit to quality, integrity and inclusive behaviour"), Build ("I apply a business mindset to my work to increase PwC's success"), Deliver ("I collaborate across PwC to deliver quality and distinctive client experiences"). PwC UK tells candidates to prepare examples where they have already demonstrated these; PwC Canada asks campus candidates to answer in STAR against them. Six behaviours, six prepared examples — that is the whole preparation brief.

Source: PwC UK — the behaviours we look for

What the UK assessment centre contains is not published

No evidence found

PwC calls it a "virtual immersive assessment centre" and says it assesses the core skills and attributes crucial for success in a PwC role. It publishes no exercise list. Prep sites assert group exercises, written cases, in-tray tasks and presentations without official backing, and current-cycle candidate reports were not reachable for this review. We would rather tell you we do not know than fill the gap with someone else’s guess.

Source: PwC UK assessment and selection process (no exercise list published)

UK experienced hires: SHL again, but a different toolkit

Official source

PwC UK tells experienced candidates "we'll use various methods": ability tests covering numerical and/or verbal reasoning, case studies or in-tray exercises, and personality questionnaires, delivered online or in person. It adds two reassurances worth knowing — "We will not use a personality test to sift you out of the hiring process", and you are told in advance which tools will be used. Candidates are pointed to shldirect.com to practice. All interviews are aligned to the PwC Professional. Note the verbal reasoning here, which does not appear in the early-careers battery.

Source: PwC UK experienced careers — assessments, what you can expect

What happens in the PwC hiring process?

UK early careers: the full eight stages

This is PwC UK’s own published order, from application to onboarding.

1Apply online. One application for the 2027 programmes; if you are unsuccessful or withdraw you wait for 2028. Flying Start applicants go through UCAS first with the specific course code, then this same process.
2Online assessment on the SHL platform: the non-assessed "Bringing our values to life" activity, then the untimed behavioural profile test, then the timed cognitive test covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning.
3On-demand video interview, also conducted via the SHL platform. Questions appear on screen, there is no interviewer, and a PwC assessor reviews the recording afterwards.
4Virtual immersive assessment centre — the penultimate stage, assessed against the core skills and attributes PwC says matter for the role. PwC publishes no exercise list.
5Finding you the right role: graduate applicants only. Once matched to a business area and office you have a call with a recruiter who explains the area, guides you through the final stage and recaps your feedback from earlier stages. Preferences are considered but not guaranteed.
6Business assessment: an interview with a senior leader from your matched business area, in person in your matched office. A Careers team member then contacts you with feedback and the outcome.
7Offer and onboarding: Fit & Proper and Independence assessments, background and criminal record checks, grade and job-history verification, Right to Work via an app, and a pre-joining event. No deferred start dates for Early Careers programmes.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process; PwC UK early careers FAQs

US entry level: two required submissions, then live interviews

Much lighter than the UK, and the most common mistake is treating the assessment as optional.

1Apply online. PwC US recruits many roles on a rolling basis and notes that available locations will close as offers are accepted, so apply early rather than at the deadline.
2Complete the assessment emailed to you within a few hours of applying. Your application is not complete until both the application and the assessment are submitted, and both are expected by any posted deadline. If nothing arrives within one business day, PwC asks you to call.
3The assessment itself: untimed, about 15 to 20 minutes, resumable across sittings, a work-style questionnaire of "Which statement describes you best?" items. PwC says preparation is not needed and does not share your results. Results are valid for 120 days, so a recent one can carry to a new application. Exempt roles: senior associate intern, senior associate full-time, seasonal and fixed-term.
4If selected, live virtual interviews with PwC professionals. PwC US does not describe a one-way recorded video stage on its own recruiting pages.
5Advisory and consulting candidates additionally sit a virtual case interview, typically 30 to 45 minutes within a longer interview process.

Source: PwC US entry level assessment FAQs; PwC US entry level recruiting process

US Advisory case interview: what assessors listen for

PwC publishes an unusually detailed preparation page for this stage, including two full sample cases.

1Structured thinking: break a complex problem down and organise a clear response. There is no single right answer and no PwC-specific framework you are expected to use.
2Comfort with ambiguity: not everything will be spelled out, and asking clarifying questions is part of the assessment rather than a sign of weakness.
3Communication: think out loud, clearly and concisely. It is a two-way conversation with an interviewer, not a monologue.
4Business intuition and basic numeracy: estimating figures, percentages, ratios and market sizes. Mental math is possible and notes are encouraged.
5Curiosity and coachability: how you respond when the interviewer introduces new information mid-case.
6Level matters: associate candidates are judged on structure and logic without prior business experience, while MBA and senior associate answers are expected to weigh trade-offs and real-world complexity. AI and GenAI use is not permitted.

Source: PwC US — Get Ready for Your Advisory Case Interview

The video interview, and what to prepare for it

PwC UK’s framing tells you more than it looks. Our researched question page is at /hirevue/questions/pwc.

1Format: questions on screen, no interviewer, answers recorded and reviewed later by a PwC assessor. It runs on the SHL platform, not HireVue — PwC UK states this on its own page.
2PwC says you will be "asked to describe your experience", so the raw material is worked examples from study, university or prior work experience, not opinions.
3Prepare one example against each of the six PwC Professional behaviours: Inspire, Empower, Evolve, Champion, Build, Deliver. That is the rubric for this stage and the two after it.
4Prepare motivation answers for why PwC and why this business area. PwC does not publish its question list, but its own preparation guidance emphasises research into PwC and the specific role.
5Prepare a commercial-awareness line: a recent piece of business news relevant to PwC or your business area, and why it matters. Competency questions reported by past candidates run to improving work after criticism, handling a difficult person, and leading a group — useful for flavour, though those reports are several cycles old.
6Record yourself once before the real thing. Concise recorded answers are a different skill from a live conversation, and the first take is always the worst.

Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process; PwC UK the behaviours we look for

Outside the UK and US: four more shapes

If you applied elsewhere in the network, none of the UK detail above applies to you.

1Australia: apply online (one application per person), then four online assessments covering behaviours, skills and emotional intelligence in around 50 minutes with 48 hours to submit, then a digital interview of only two questions plus team preferences in around 10 minutes with another 48 hours, then an in-person assessment centre — group case study in the morning, an individual interview with a senior and a junior team member in a café-style setting in the afternoon — then a verbal and then written offer. Starts are generally January or February.
2Middle East: apply online, and you may apply to more than one line of service. Online assessments vary by line of service, with verbal, numerical and inductive reasoning core to the process, followed by a digital interview if you pass. Then an HR interview (biographical plus competency), a business interview (competency and technical, possibly a case study), and a final interview of roughly 30 minutes with a Partner or Director. Then offer and graduate induction.
3Indonesia: apply online, then an assessment test comprising an English test, a logic test and a technical test, then a case study which may fall before or after interview depending on line of service, then a Human Capital interview, then a user interview with the business team across one to three rounds.
4Canada campus: meet PwC at events, apply online with a resume or CACEE form plus an unofficial transcript and no cover letter, interview in office or on campus with behavioural questions answered in STAR against the PwC Professional, then offer. One application per round with 90 days between applications. No test stage and no video stage is published. Canadian experienced hires do get HireVue on-demand video interviews.
5Central & Eastern Europe: the games process, about 15 minutes via browser or the HireVue app, with a feedback report by email and possible later stages including an English test, a virtual video interview, a group assessment centre and a hiring-manager meeting. Covered in full at /employers/pwc-cee.
6India: PwC India publishes no assessment stages, tests or vendor for its campus programs. We make no claim about it.

Source: PwC Australia graduate program; PwC Middle East recruitment journey; PwC Indonesia FAQ; PwC Canada campus page

When is the PwC assessment?

UK dates are the most fully published, and PwC UK fills roles on a rolling basis rather than to a single national deadline — so the practical deadline is "before the programme fills", not the one on the page. Three operational details below come from PwC UK’s September 2025 page and have since been removed from the current version; they are labelled as dated to the 2025-26 cycle and should be treated as a guide to shape rather than as this cycle’s promise. Everything was checked on 11 September 2026.

Cycle	Application dates	Likely assessment window	Evidence
UK graduate programmes open 17 September; undergraduate and entry level open 30 September	Rolling — no fixed national deadline. PwC may close to new applications if it receives a high volume	Stage deadlines usually seven days from receiving the invitation email	Official source PwC UK: "Graduate opportunities will be available to apply to from 17 September, undergraduate and entry level opportunities will be available to apply to from 30 September. Roles are filled on an ongoing basis." It also recommends applying early because it may close to new applications on volume. Since you get one application per intake year, applying early and applying carefully are in tension — resolve it by deciding your programme and business area before the window opens. Source: PwC UK early careers FAQs
UK: one application per intake year	One application for the 2027 programmes; unsuccessful or withdrawn means waiting for 2028	n/a	Official source PwC UK: "We'll only consider one application for our 2027 programmes. If you're unsuccessful or withdraw from our process, you'll need to wait to re-apply for one of our programmes starting in 2028." This is stricter than the previous rule, which as recently as August 2025 allowed one application every six months. Withdrawing before the online assessment still uses up the year. Source: PwC UK early careers assessment and selection process
UK: how long before you hear anything	n/a	Up to a month for an application outcome	Official source PwC UK: "We aim to get back to you as soon as possible but in some cases it could be up to a month before you hear an outcome." Plan for silence rather than reading it as rejection. Source: PwC UK early careers FAQs
UK online assessment outcome — dated to the 2025-26 cycle	n/a	Within 48 hours of completing the online assessment, per the 2025-26 page	Official source PwC UK’s September 2025 page said: "You'll be contacted within 48 hours of completing your online assessment with the outcome, if you've met the scores required, you'll automatically be sent details of the next stage." That sentence is not on the current version of the page, so treat the 48-hour figure as a guide from last cycle rather than a commitment for 2026-27. Source: PwC UK assessment and selection process, archived 28 September 2025
UK video interview length and window — dated to the 2025-26 cycle	One week to complete, per the 2025-26 page	Expected duration one hour, per the 2025-26 page	Official source PwC UK’s September 2025 page said: "The expected duration is one hour... You will receive your log on details and instructions in advance and will have one week to complete the video interview." The current page no longer gives a duration or a window, so use your invitation email, not this figure. An hour is longer than most on-demand video interviews, which is a reason to rehearse rather than wing it. Source: PwC UK assessment and selection process, archived 28 September 2025
UK assessment centres: November to April — dated to the 2025-26 cycle	n/a	November to April, per the 2025-26 page	Official source PwC UK’s September 2025 page said assessment centres "are typically conducted throughout November to April so you may not be invited to attend the assessment centre straight away". Expect a wait after passing the video interview rather than a fault in the process. The current page does not repeat this, so it is last cycle’s pattern rather than this cycle’s promise. Source: PwC UK assessment and selection process, archived 28 September 2025
US entry level: assessment emailed within a few hours, result valid 120 days	Both the application and the assessment are expected by the posted application deadline	Untimed; PwC recommends about 15 to 20 minutes, resumable across sittings	Official source PwC US: "To be considered for an entry level role by PwC, your application and the assessment are both expected to be completed by the application deadline. Please plan ahead." If the email does not arrive within one business day, PwC asks you to call. Results are valid for 120 days, so a prior result can carry to a new application within that window. Many US roles also recruit on a rolling basis, with locations closing as offers are accepted. Source: PwC US entry level assessment FAQs
Australia: 48-hour clocks on both online stages	48 hours per online stage from the invitation landing in your inbox	Around 50 minutes for the four online assessments; around 10 minutes for the digital interview	Official source PwC Australia: "The online assessment should take around 50 minutes to complete. You'll have 48 hours to submit it once it arrives in your inbox", and the digital interview plus team preferences "should take around 10 minutes... You'll have 48 hours to submit it." That is far tighter than the UK’s seven days, so watch your inbox after applying. Graduate program starts are generally January or February. Source: PwC Australia graduate program
Canada campus: spring and fall recruitment rounds	One application per round; 90 days between applications	No test stage published for campus	Official source Spring recruitment runs March to May and fall recruitment August to October, covering summer internships (May to August), co-ops (January to April and September to April) and new graduate roles starting January or September. Source: PwC Canada early careers

How to practice for the PwC assessment

Work out which firm you are applying to before you prepare anything, because the right preparation for a UK applicant is close to useless for a US one and vice versa. UK early careers: SHL behavioural profile plus a timed numerical, inductive and deductive cognitive test, then a recorded video interview. US entry level: a short untimed work-style questionnaire PwC says needs no preparation, then live interviews, plus a case interview if you are in Advisory. Australia: four online assessments and a two-question digital interview, both on 48-hour clocks. Central & Eastern Europe: games. Canada campus: no published test at all.

If you are in the UK, split your time unevenly. The cognitive test is worth a few timed sessions on numerical and inductive items, because that is the only timed, trainable part of the whole process. Everything after it — the video interview, the assessment centre, the final interview with a senior leader — is scored against the same six PwC Professional behaviours, so six well-chosen examples do triple duty. That is where most of your hours should go.

PwC publishes no scoring model and no cutoff for any stage. Our practice metrics track your own improvement, which is the only number either of us can see.

Step 1

Confirm your country and your programme before anything else

UK early careers sit SHL tests and no games. US entry level sits a 15-to-20-minute untimed questionnaire with no cognitive component. Central & Eastern Europe sits games via HireVue — go to /employers/pwc-cee. Canada campus has no published test. India publishes nothing. PwC is a network of separate member firms, and your invitation email is the authority for the process you will actually sit.

Step 2

UK: spend your one application deliberately

One application for the 2027 programmes, and an unsuccessful or withdrawn one costs you the whole year until 2028. Decide the programme, business area and office before you submit. Because PwC also fills roles on a rolling basis and may close on volume, do that deciding before the 17 September graduate opening rather than after it.

Step 3

UK: build a timed baseline on numerical and inductive

These are the two formats PwC names on both its assessment page and its Employability Hub. One timed run of each shows whether locating figures fast or inferring rules is the weaker side. Inductive items reward forming a hypothesis about the rule early and testing it on one more item; numerical items reward finding the right figure quickly rather than elaborate calculation. Skip verbal reasoning — PwC does not name it for early careers.

Step 4

UK: treat "Bringing our values to life" as what it is

The first activity in the online assessment is not assessed. PwC presents it as a culture preview to help you decide whether to continue. Read it properly rather than racing through it, and do not spend nerves on it. The behavioural profile that follows is untimed too, so the only clock in the whole stage is on the cognitive test.

Step 5

Prepare six examples against the PwC Professional

Inspire, Empower, Evolve, Champion, Build, Deliver. One concrete example each, from study, university or work, structured so you can tell it in ninety seconds. These same six carry you through the recorded video interview, the assessment centre and the final interview with a senior leader — and PwC Canada explicitly asks campus candidates to answer in STAR against them. This is the highest-leverage preparation on the page.

Step 6

Rehearse the recorded interview once, out loud

No interviewer, questions on screen, answers reviewed afterwards by a PwC assessor. PwC frames it as describing your experience, so lead with worked examples. Add a why-PwC and a why-this-business-area answer, plus one piece of recent business news relevant to your area and why it matters. Record a practice take: concise recorded answers are a different skill from a conversation. Our researched PwC question page is at /hirevue/questions/pwc and a mock run is at /mock-interviews/pwc.

Step 7

US Advisory: practice the case as a conversation, not a presentation

Thirty to 45 minutes, virtual, two-way. PwC publishes two full sample scenarios — digital transformation risk at a $300bn global bank, and a healthcare expansion strategy — and names exactly what it listens for: structure, comfort with ambiguity, communication, business intuition and basic numeracy, and curiosity. No PwC-specific framework is required, notes are encouraged, and mental math may come up. Practise thinking out loud and asking clarifying questions.

Step 8

Australia: watch the inbox, not the calendar

Both online stages run on 48-hour clocks from the moment the invitation arrives, against the UK’s seven days. Around 50 minutes for the four assessments and around 10 minutes for the two-question digital interview. Have your team preferences decided before the digital interview, because you select them in the same step.

Step 9

Sit the live stages unaided

PwC UK says it does not use AI to assess candidate performance in Early Careers selection, and candidate AI use is against its conduct policy. PwC US states outright that AI and GenAI use is not permitted during Advisory assessment and interviews. Practise with whatever you like beforehand; take the real thing alone.

Step 10

Ignore Career Unlocked preparation material

Prep pages still describe PwC’s retired games battery as though it were current, some of them dated as recently as 2025. PwC UK’s own page dropped the games language by August 2024 and the app listing is delisted. Practising a game list sourced from those pages would be practising for an assessment UK candidates no longer sit. If your invitation genuinely names games, follow the invitation — and if it does, we would like to hear about it.

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PwC assessment FAQ

Does PwC use games in its assessment?

Not in the UK, and not in the US. PwC UK’s current assessment and selection page describes a behavioural profile and a cognitive test on the SHL platform, then a video interview, and mentions games nowhere. PwC US runs a short untimed work-style questionnaire with no games. The one exception is PwC Central & Eastern Europe, which confirms a game-based assessment of about 15 minutes played in a browser or the HireVue app — see /employers/pwc-cee.

What platform does the PwC online assessment use?

SHL, for the UK. PwC UK states that the online assessment "is hosted in the SHL platform" and that the on-demand video interview is "conducted virtually via the SHL platform". Its Employability Hub sends candidates to SHL practice tests, and the separate experienced-hire pages point to shldirect.com. PwC does not name a vendor for the US entry-level assessment, and we will not guess one.

What tests are in the PwC UK online assessment?

Three parts in order: a non-assessed activity called "Bringing our values to life", then an untimed behavioural profile test, then a timed cognitive ability test covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. Verbal reasoning is not named — it appears only on the separate experienced-hire route, which is a different process. Prep sites that add verbal to the graduate battery are importing it from the wrong page.

Does PwC still use Career Unlocked?

Not in the UK. PwC UK’s own pages described "a series of games based Psychometric Assessments" branded Career Unlocked through at least June 2023, but the language was gone by August 2024 and the Career Unlocked app listing returns a 404. PwC also never named the vendor behind it, even while it was live — Arctic Shores is widely reported as the builder but does not list PwC among its own customers. Treat it as retired, and follow your invitation email rather than a prep page.

Is the PwC video interview on HireVue?

Not in the UK. PwC UK states that the on-demand video interview is conducted via the SHL platform. HireVue is confirmed at PwC only for the Central & Eastern Europe game-based assessment and for PwC Canada’s experienced-hire on-demand video interviews. Our researched PwC interview question page is at /hirevue/questions/pwc; the questions are useful whichever platform records them.

How many times can I apply to PwC UK?

Once per intake year. PwC UK says it will "only consider one application for our 2027 programmes", and if you are unsuccessful or withdraw you must wait to apply for a 2028 programme. This is stricter than the old rule of one application every six months, which was still on the page in August 2025. Withdrawing before the online assessment does not give you the year back.

What is the PwC US entry-level assessment?

A short behavioral questionnaire, not a test you can revise for. It is emailed within a few hours of applying, is untimed with PwC recommending about 15 to 20 minutes, can be done across several sittings, and its results are valid for 120 days. PwC publishes sample items of the form "Which statement describes you best?" and says "Preparation is not needed". Your application is not complete until both it and the application are submitted. Senior associate intern, senior associate full-time, seasonal and fixed-term roles are exempt.

What does the PwC assessment centre involve?

PwC does not say. It calls the stage a "virtual immersive assessment centre" and says it assesses the core skills and attributes crucial for success in a PwC role, but publishes no exercise list. Prep sites assert group exercises, written cases and presentations without official backing. What we can tell you is the rubric: the PwC Professional behaviours — Inspire, Empower, Evolve, Champion, Build, Deliver — which also govern the video interview and the final interview.

Do PwC Canada campus candidates take a test or a video interview?

PwC Canada’s current campus page publishes neither. It describes four steps: meet PwC at events, apply online, interview in office or on campus with behavioural questions in STAR against the PwC Professional, then offer. HireVue on-demand video interviews appear only on PwC Canada’s experienced-hire page. Claims that Canadian campus candidates play games are not supported by PwC Canada’s own page.

How long does PwC take to get back to me?

PwC UK says it can be up to a month before you hear an application outcome, and that stage deadlines are usually seven days from the invitation email. Its September 2025 page also said you would hear the online assessment result within 48 hours and that assessment centres run from November to April, but both statements have been removed from the current page — so treat them as last cycle’s pattern and use your invitation for the binding dates.

Game Assessment Prep is independent and is not affiliated with PwC or HireVue. Employer processes can change by program, role, country, and recruiting cycle. Follow your invitation over this guide. Claims were reviewed against the linked employer, vendor, and candidate sources in July 2026 and labeled by evidence strength. How we research and label claims.

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