In this EY assessment centre guide, you will find practice tests, coaching videos and tips which will help you pass the assessment and recruitment process of EY.
Starting-point resources
- Practice the Ernst & Young aptitude tests here – numerical, verbal and diagrammatic reason.
Get a copy of our Ultimate Assessment Day & Interview Guide here. It comes with tips, tricks and insider secrets and information which will help you succeed and pass.
What will I learn in this EY assessment centre guide?
In this guide, you will be able to have an overview of the EY Assessment Centre process. You will be able to have an idea on what to expect from one of the toughest and hardest corporate recruitment events. In this guide, you will also learn how to succeed and pass this difficult event.
Understanding the Bigger Picture
It is important to understand everything that we will discuss here in this guide. Hence, let us look at the bigger picture.
What are EY looking for in their employees?
Ernst and Young is one of the organizations who puts huge importance in recruiting employees who closely mirrors their core values .
With this, we recommend that you immerse yourself in their culture and language before your EY assessment centre. Do some research and:
- Understand the company
- Understand your team
- Understand your role.
Also, we recommend that you spend time reviewing their latest annual report . Try to learn what their current challenges, what are their aims, which areas they are growing and which areas they are shrinking.
Ernst & Young’s Work and Culture
This video will provide you an introduction to EY’s culture.
The All-Conquering Importance of Preparation
We are often asked if there are shortcuts to success at interview and assessment centre and our answer is unfortunately, there are none. However, there is one secret to succeed and that is lots of preparation. Every minute you spend in preparing the higher the chances you have in acing your test.
How can you prepare for your EY assessment centre?
- Practice a lot and when we say a lot we mean you should allot hours, days and even weeks of time for practicing. Take note however that different employers use different suppliers which means, the tests would differ in content, style and format. With this, we suggest for you to learn which supplier your prospect employer is using. Ernst & Young uses Saville as their test supplier. Hence, you could practice Ernst & Young Saville Tests here.
- Read the article, “How to Prepare for Your Interview or Assessment Centre.” It comes with important tips and advices which will help you succeed in your assessment centre.
- Learn and study the Ernst and Young annual report.
Phone the hiring manager for your role
You could do this by checking LinkedIn or call the EY switchboard. Ask for the hiring manager. Then, ask the hiring manager you would want to learn more about the role, short and long term goals of the company.
Most candidates will not do this as most are scared. By doing this you will get noticed and will be able to establish yourself with the hiring manager.
The hiring manager will see you as someone with initiative, drive and intelligence.
The Ernst & Young Assessment Centre Overview
Only 10% of the candidates taking the EY assessment centre passes the initial interview stage. Hence, if you succeed at the initial stage, be proud of yourself.
What should you expect on the day?
The EY assessment centre includes the following sections:
- Written communication exercise
- Group exercise
- Employee lunch
- Role play- case study exercise
- Confirmatory Aptitude Tests
- Interview
Let us now look at them more closely and more detailed.
Written Communication Exercise
In this part of the test, you will be given about 40 minutes to compile two reports. You will need to carefully analyze the information provided in the reports. The first report assesses your communication, writing skills, analytical judgment and business acumen.
Take note, in this test, you will have to have the understanding of commerciality. It is actually what EY does. Check this video from EY to learn more and define clearly commerciality.
The second report, however, assesses your work ethic. In this part of the assessment centre, Ernst & Young gets a glimpse of your character, values and competencies.
2 Quicktips
- This section will be administered through computer. Hence, take advantage of the grammar and spell checks.
- Remember this test has a time limit. Manage your time carefully. Do not leave too little time for you to work on the second report.
Download our 12-step assessment day cheatsheet!
Group Exercise
This section assesses and measures the following:
- Ability to work as part of the team
- Ability to demonstrate leadership
Candidates will be split into 4 groups and each group will be provided with information pack. You will be given 15 minutes to study the information and another 30 minutes to discuss it as a group.
Here is another short video which focuses on EY’s graduate group exercise.
Your goal in this section is to be able to contribute constructively to the group and exercise. To get the best outcome, volunteer as the leader of the group. This could be difficult to do but you must try.
Being a leader is a balancing act you must be both confident and assertive not aggressive and overbearing. Do not be a bully.
The Employee Lunch
This is the time when you think you could relax. Wrong as even during your lunch time, you will still be closely assessed.
Tip for EY Assessment Centre Employee Lunch
- Ask questions- you will be having your lunch with EY’s trainees and senior staff. The company is looking for people who are hungry for success and eager to contribute. Asking questions could show this.
- Be polite – be polite and smile. Listen and look interested. Some candidates are too tenses and are in the zone of being self-centered. Remember be courteous.
- Be confident – easier said than done but you must project this persona. Speak of things you are passionate about in the company and your wish to get the role.
- Appear relaxed – this is another key for the assessors to see your potential to be able to be comfortable around the senior management. Speak slowly and do not respond to questions with a hair trigger response. Smile and act as if you have all the time in the world.
- Be positive at all times- no one wants a moaner. It is not an acceptable trait in EY. Do not whine nor express any displeasure about anything even about the traffic.
- Make sure you eat a lot- candidates often are busy chatting that they do not eat much. Believe us, you would need to refuel and replenish your energy levels.
Role Play Case Study Exercise
In this test, you will be given a detailed information that you would need to analyze and check for mistakes. After 20 minutes your role playing will start. You will talk to a staff member who prepared the information for you. This will take place on the phone. You will have to provide the staff your analysis of the report and point out the mistakes you have found. Once the phone call is done, you will now have to discuss it with your manager. Be prepared to be scrutinized and cross-examined.
I hate role-plays
Most people dread this test. However, if you approach it right and demonstrate your skills, you should not have any problems.
The Confirmatory Aptitude Tests
Though you have taken and passed this test online already, you will have to take another test to confirm your original results. This is a very crucial part of your assessment centre. If you poorly perform in it, you will not be hired.
Hence, we highly recommend that you do a lot of aptitude practice tests before your EY assessment centre. In this part of the assessment centre, you have to remember that you are being measured and timed against other candidates. If you wish to increase your chances of success, practice Saville EY aptitude tests here.
For more tips and practice tests, check our guides below:
- How to pass numerical reasoning tests
- How to pass verbal reasoning tests
- How to pass diagrammatic reasoning tests
The EY Assessment Centre Interview
Now you are close to completing the EY assessment centre and this is your big moment to shine- the interview. In this part, you will need to prepare for two interviews as you do not know which from the two will be conducted.
EY CV-based interview
This type of interview is usually very conversational and natural. You will have to walk through your CV and explain each point. You will be asked some questions too.
EY Business- based interview
This is much harder type of interview. You will be asked open-ended questions about the current situation of the business world. You will be assessed of your overall commercial awareness. You will also be asked on where you think EY stand in regards to a specific issue. Prepare a lot for this part of the assessment centre. You could get EY’s annual report here .
The video below is very useful and will explain to you what commercial awareness is and how you could develop it.
No matter what type of interview you get, it will last for an hour. For more tips and techniques, click our interview section here.
Update your CV before your Interview
One of the biggest mistakes when going to your interview is not improving your CV. Here’s why:
- Update your CV before the interview event and take with you a fresh, newly and improved version. One that is tailored to the job or role you would want.
- In interviews, one of the basis of your interview will come from the information on your CV. No matter the interview is competency based or no. You will have to answer the questions based on your CV.
- Your CV is one of the basis in the hiring decision process. It is your CV that they look at when they decide whether to hire you or not.
The CV is the one that reminds the hiring manager of what your skills and experiences are and what happened during your hiring process. Aside from that, your CV is also your first and last impression. With this, we remind you to make your CV as strong as you could.
And that’s it!
After your interview, your assessment event is now done and over. The assessors will now tally up all the scores and discuss their observations. A decision will be made and the hiring process will begin.
Good Luck and we hope that this guide has helped you a lot in your EY assessment centre.
