A Deloitte interview can mean an aptitude exam and a group discussion on one campus, a HireVue video recording for a co-op, or a case study in front of two directors for a consulting team, and candidates who compare notes rarely describe the same process. The reports here come from audit interns in Switzerland, tax and technology candidates at the USI centres, consulting hires across valuations, strategy and finance transformation, and fresher campus drives in India.
For fresher and campus roles, several candidates describe a timed online test first. One USI candidate sat a 90-minute exam of roughly 55 aptitude, reasoning and computer-fundamentals questions, finished it in about an hour, and also had two very basic coding questions. Campus Audit and Assurance drives in India slot a group discussion between the aptitude test and the interview. One tax consultant candidate at USI cleared a Versant screening before moving on to HR, technical and final interviews.
Several candidates describe an early virtual or recorded video interview. One referenced it as a HireVue step for a Deloitte Canada co-op, and another found the automated interview let them either type or speak their answers. Its length and the exact prompts are not something candidates have laid out, so treat anything more specific with caution.
From there the path splits hard by team. Audit and accounting candidates report HR questions followed by a technical round on auditing, accounting and IFRS. Data and engineering candidates have reported SQL questions in one interview and data-structures questions in another, and one hire did a take-home coding assignment they were told would not count efficiency or memory against them. Consulting candidates run into case studies, then managerial or techno-managerial rounds, and finally a partner or PPMD interview.
Outcomes and communication draw the most frustration in these threads. Candidates report portal statuses such as 'Interview In-Progress' and 'No Seat Allotted', long silences after rounds that felt strong, and one person who saw 'Rejected' on the portal before any email arrived. A couple of candidates who felt their interview had gone well were turned down anyway.
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See how it worksThe interview process, round by round
- Online aptitude assessment Timed online test
Fresher and campus applicants usually start with a timed online test. One USI candidate described a 90-minute paper of about 55 aptitude, reasoning and computer-fundamentals questions, finished in roughly an hour, with two very basic coding questions included. On campus, an aptitude test is the first gate before anything else.
- Recorded or virtual video interview Automated video interview
Several candidates go through a virtual or recorded video interview early on. One referenced it as HireVue for a Deloitte Canada co-op, and another found the automated interview allowed either typing or speaking answers. Candidates have not documented its length or the exact prompts, so go in without assuming a format.
- Group discussion Group exercise
In India campus hiring, notably for Audit and Assurance, candidates who clear the aptitude test move to a group discussion before the interview. One fresher had a group discussion scheduled with no advance word on the topic.
- HR or behavioural interview
Common across audit, tax and USI roles. One audit intern was asked about their background, why Deloitte, why accounting, their strengths and weaknesses and their GPA. A USI candidate's interview covered an introduction, their project work and general HR questions. One audit internship final round was described as two back-to-back behavioural interviews.
- Technical interview Role-specific
Content tracks the role. An audit intern was told the technical round would cover auditing, accounting and IFRS. A data candidate at USI faced SQL questions, including the most complex query they had written and how to optimise one. An on-campus USI candidate was asked only data-structures and algorithms questions while a friend got mostly behavioural ones. One Document Review Services fresher had a 30-minute online technical round.
- Case study interview
Consulting service lines add a case. One valuations candidate had a case study run by two directors. Another consulting candidate was told a case assessment would be sent a couple of days before the round and asked whether that lead time was normal. A finance strategy and transformation candidate cleared case study and behavioural rounds before the final stage.
- Managerial or techno-managerial round
Two experienced candidates reported a managerial or techno-managerial round later in the process. A Java backend developer with several years of experience had a techno-managerial round as round three and a client round as round four, both shown on the invite as panel interviews. A senior consultant candidate's final stage was a techno-managerial round.
- Partner or PPMD final round
Consulting candidates often finish with a partner or PPMD (Partner, Principal, Managing Director) interview. A valuations candidate had a final partner interview after earlier director rounds, a finance strategy candidate's last step was a PPMD interview, and a strategy and business design candidate had a partner interview. Candidates going in ask whether this round leans to fit and strategy or to technical and finance topics, rather than reporting what came up.
Interview questions candidates report
Behavioural and motivation
- Tell me about yourself and your background.
- Why Deloitte?
- Why this field (for example, why accounting)?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Questions about your GPA and academic record.
- Walk me through a project you have worked on.
Audit and accounting technical
- Core auditing concepts.
- Accounting fundamentals.
- IFRS-related questions.
- How would you approach a risk assessment on an engagement?
- How would you decide which areas to test?
- What would you request if you found deviations?
- How can audit engagements differ from one client to another?
Online aptitude assessment
- Aptitude questions.
- Logical reasoning questions.
- Computer-fundamentals questions.
- Two basic coding questions inside the timed exam.
Data, SQL and coding
- What is the most complex SQL query you have written?
- How would you optimise a slow SQL query?
- Data-structures and algorithms problems.
- A take-home coding assignment (one hired candidate had easy-level problems and was told efficiency and memory use would not be judged).
What candidates said about the process
Interviewed for a Large and Complex audit internship. The conversation covered how audit engagements can vary from one client to the next, then moved into a technical part: how they would scope a risk assessment, which areas they would test, and what they would ask for if deviations turned up. They felt they structured their thinking well, landed several relevant points even when unsure, and asked their own questions at the end. They expected feedback within a few days.
Read the candidate's account →Found both the exam and the interview easy. The exam ran 90 minutes but they finished in about an hour, with roughly 55 aptitude, reasoning and computer-fundamentals questions plus two very basic coding questions. The interview itself covered an introduction, their project work and general HR questions, which they answered fluently. Even so, they were told Deloitte would not move forward with their profile.
Read the candidate's account →Their next interview came a few days after the previous stage. The interviewer seemed disengaged and asked for the most complex SQL query they had written; having mostly used SQL to pull tables in a Python-heavy role, they had no answer. They were also asked how to optimise a SQL query, which they got right. No other skills came up and the interview wrapped in about 20 minutes. A rejection followed a few days later.
Read the candidate's account →Their Deloitte round was a take-home assignment rather than live coding. The problems sat at an easy level, and they were told up front that neither the efficiency nor the memory use of their code would count against them. They took that at face value, and they landed the job.
Read the candidate's account →Applying for a consultant role on the valuations team, they had a first round with a director about their current work, then a technical case study run by two directors. A final partner interview was scheduled, and they were trying to learn what that last round usually involves for valuations.
Read the candidate's account →How to prepare
- Pin down your exact service line and level before you prepare, because the reports here barely overlap: an audit intern, a USI data candidate and a consulting lateral hire went through almost completely different interviews.
- For audit and accounting roles, revise accounting, auditing and IFRS for the technical round, and be ready to reason out loud: one Switzerland intern was asked how they would scope a risk assessment, which areas to test, and what to request when deviations show up.
- For data and analytics roles, expect your SQL to be probed. One USI candidate was asked for the most complex query they had written and how to optimise one, and stumbled on the first because they had mostly used SQL just to pull tables.
- If you are sent an automated video interview, check whether you can type or speak your answers; one candidate typed every response, never heard back, and later wondered whether speaking would have gone better.
- Do not over-read the portal. Candidates have seen statuses such as 'Interview In-Progress' and 'No Seat Allotted', and one saw 'Rejected' there before any email arrived, so the status text has been an unreliable signal.
- Brace for slow, thin feedback. One candidate was told to expect two weeks before hearing back, another was still waiting after five days on a first-round result, and one graduate got only a generic written assessment report with no specifics after a tax final round.
Frequently asked questions
How many rounds is the Deloitte interview?
It varies by service line and level. Candidates in these reports went through anywhere from two rounds for an internship to four for an experienced developer, and few see every stage. A common shape is an assessment or video interview, then one or more interviews, with consulting adding case and partner rounds.
Does Deloitte use a HireVue or video interview?
Several candidates describe a virtual or recorded video interview, and one referenced it as HireVue for a Deloitte Canada co-op. One candidate noticed the automated interview let them type or speak their answers. The length and the questions are not something candidates have spelled out.
What is the Deloitte online assessment like?
One USI candidate described a 90-minute exam of about 55 aptitude, reasoning and computer-fundamentals questions, done in roughly an hour, plus two very basic coding questions. On campus, applicants sit an aptitude test before a group discussion and interview.
Is the Deloitte interview technical?
It depends on the role. Audit candidates get accounting, auditing and IFRS; a data candidate faced SQL questions; an on-campus USI candidate was asked only data-structures and algorithms; and one engineering hire did a take-home coding assignment where efficiency and memory use were explicitly not judged. Some behavioural rounds have no technical content at all.
What are the final rounds in Deloitte consulting?
Consulting candidates describe a case study, then managerial or techno-managerial rounds, and a partner or PPMD (Partner, Principal, Managing Director) interview at the end. Candidates heading into the partner round ask whether it focuses on fit and strategy or on technical and finance topics, rather than reporting what came up.
What do the Deloitte portal statuses mean?
Candidates have shared statuses such as 'Interview In-Progress' and 'No Seat Allotted', and one saw 'Rejected' on the portal before receiving any email. These threads treat the status text as an unreliable signal, and a couple of people who felt their interview went well were still turned down.
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