Behavioral interview
How you manage and overcome challenging situations, since many roles work closely with clients.
- Structure
- STAR
- Bring
- One or two stories from major projects
- Source
- Accenture careers blog, 2022
Accenture consulting interview questions, behavioral and case
Accenture's careers posts describe behavioral questions, such as a time you managed a challenging project, a skills interview on your expertise where you can count on "Tell me about yourself", and the case interview, which Accenture publishes a workbook for. Accenture says each interview is unique to the role, and that the number of interviews depends on the role. To rehearse both out loud, Soreno, an AI voice interview practice app for consulting, investment banking and other finance candidates, runs Accenture-style cases and behavioral questions with follow-ups and scored feedback.
Updated
- Its own six questions. Accenture's careers blog lists six behavioral examples, each asking about a real past situation.
- Behaviors it looks for. Collaboration, leadership, problem solving, ability to learn, business acumen, resilience.
- Count on "Tell me about yourself." Accenture suggests a Present, Past and Future answer.
- A case, with its own workbook. 45 to 60 minutes in its 2018 workbook, with 30 to 45 on the case.
- Rounds depend on the role. By phone, video or in person, Accenture says.
How Accenture interviews
Accenture's US careers site lists six steps after you apply: it confirms receipt, reviews your application, reaches out, meets you, assesses your skills for some roles, then makes an offer. Interviews are by phone, video or in person, and the number depends on the role. Accenture publishes nothing current on Strategy & Consulting rounds alone, so each card dates its source.
Skills interview
For many roles, the step after the screening interview: your knowledge and expertise.
- Count on
- "Tell me about yourself"
- Answer in
- Present, Past and Future
- Source
- Accenture careers blog, 2023
Case interview
A real business situation, often from the interviewer's own projects.
- Length
- 45 to 60 minutes
- On the case
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Source
- Its case workbook, 2018
What Accenture says about the caseIts 2023 post and 2018 workbook
Both are on accenture.com. For the workbook's three case types and our cases in each, see our Accenture case interview guide.
Format, 2023
It may start with your experience
The interviewer may spend the first half asking about your past work, or go straight to the case. Be ready for both.
Accenture: case-study tipsSuccess, 2023
Ask what success means
If asked how to achieve success, Accenture says to ask what success means to the client: profit, profile or something else.
Accenture: case-study tipsWorkbook, 2018
Two common case types
"The Great Unknown" and "The Back of the Envelope" are the most common of its three types. Success depends on how clearly you define the problem, not on the correct answer.
Our Accenture case interview guide
From Accenture: recruiting and hiring process, Accenture: case-study interview tips and Accenture: case workbook (PDF).
What Accenture looks for
Accenture does not publish a rubric. Its behavioral interview post names the behaviors:
Collaboration and leadership
Working with others to get things done, including people who are hard to get along with.
Problem solving and business acumen
Stories from major projects that show how you solved problems and why the result mattered to the business.
Ability to learn
Accenture asks you to mention the emerging technologies in your area and how well you know them.
Emotional resilience
How you adapt to change and handle pressure. Accenture says there aren't necessarily wrong answers, the questions aim to get to know the real you.
From Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022) and its skills interview post (2023).
17 Accenture consulting interview questions
The first six are Accenture's own examples, from its careers blog. The rest are in our words. Each note says what a strong answer does.
Accenture's own behavioral questions6 questions
From its behavioral interview post. Answer each in STAR. Follow-ups are ours.
Tell me about a time you had to manage a challenging project. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?
Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022)
What a strong answer does
Name the two or three challenges, then what you did about each. The result in numbers if you have them. Practice it, see a model answer
- “Which challenge did you not solve?”
- “What would you do differently?”
Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology or idea that was a major departure from the old way.
Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022)
What a strong answer does
Ability to learn. What changed, why you backed it and how you helped others make the switch. Practice it, see a model answer
Give an example of when you had to work with someone who was difficult to get along with.
Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022)
What a strong answer does
Collaboration. Be fair to them, say what you changed in how you worked, and what got done. Practice it, see a model answer
- “What did they think of you?”
- “Would you work with them again?”
Tell me about a time you learned a new skill. How did you approach it, and how did you apply it?
Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022)
What a strong answer does
How you learned, how fast, and the real work you used it on. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you overcame a conflict at work.
Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022)
What a strong answer does
The disagreement in one line, how you heard the other side, and the decision you reached together. Practice it, see a model answer
Tell me about a time you handled a stressful situation under a lot of pressure.
Accenture's behavioral interview post (2022)
What a strong answer does
Emotional resilience. What made it stressful, what you did first and how it ended. Practice it, see a model answer
The skills interview and why Accenture5 questions
Accenture says you can count on the first one. Our wording for the rest.
Tell me about yourself.
What a strong answer does
Accenture's format: present (your role now, two or three sentences), past (three or four accomplishments) and future (why this job). Practice it, see a model answer
Why consulting at Accenture?
What a strong answer does
Tie its work to something you have done. Accenture suggests reading CEO interviews, press releases and company news first. Practice it, see a model answer
Which emerging technology matters most in the work you want to do here?
What a strong answer does
Accenture asks you to show how well you know the technologies in your area. Name one, how you've used it and what it changes for a client.
How would you explain a technical idea to a client who isn't technical?
What a strong answer does
Start from what they need to decide, use one plain example and check they followed.
What questions do you have for us?
What a strong answer does
Learn about your interviewer beforehand, as Accenture suggests, and ask about their own work. Practice it, see a model answer
Case questions6 questions
Our own prompts in the workbook's case types. For full cases, see our Accenture case interview guide.
A furniture retailer wants to start selling online. Should it?
What a strong answer does
A Great Unknown. Ask what success means first, then the customers, the costs and the risk to the stores. Practice it, see a model answer
A SaaS company is growing but losing money. What is going on?
What a strong answer does
Ask questions to find the facts you need. Revenue and costs per customer first, then where the money leaks. Practice it, see a model answer
How many commercial flights take off in the US each day?
What a strong answer does
A Back of the Envelope case. Round numbers, each step out loud, and a sanity check at the end. Practice it, see a model answer
A manufacturer's unit costs keep rising. What would you do?
What a strong answer does
Listen for cues. Accenture says a detail that seems extra usually rules something in or out. Practice it, see a model answer
The client asks for your answer now. What do you recommend?
What a strong answer does
The answer in one sentence, two or three reasons with numbers, the main risk and the next step. Practice it, see a model answer
How would you size the US market for electric scooters?
What a strong answer does
Top down or bottom up, said out loud, with your assumptions clear enough to change. Practice it, see a model answer
Mistakes and how to prepare
Where Accenture candidates slip
Only preparing the case
Accenture says the case interview may spend its first half on your past experience. Have your stories ready too.
A long "Tell me about yourself"
Accenture's format is short: two or three sentences on now, three or four accomplishments, then why this job.
Ignoring a detail
In Accenture's own example, a client who loved a brand growing up rules out selling it. Cues mean something.
Raising pay first
Accenture suggests letting the interviewer bring up compensation.
How to prepare for Accenture's questions
Accenture's own advice first. The last step is our suggestion.
Accenture's advice
Research the company and the role
Its job description, CEO interviews, press releases and news, and your interviewer.
Accenture's advice
Prepare one or two big stories
From major projects, showing problem solving, teamwork, creativity and how you adapt. Include a negative experience too.
Accenture's advice
Work through its case workbook
Its three case types and samples, from 2018.
Our suggestion
Practice out loud, with follow-ups
Accenture says to prepare, polish and practice your answers. A partner or an AI interviewer that asks follow-ups both work.
Rehearse Accenture's questions, out loud
Soreno's AI interviewer asks behavioral questions and runs consulting cases one step at a time, follows up like a real interviewer and scores every answer.
Questions people ask
What questions does Accenture ask in a consulting interview?
Behavioral questions such as a time you managed a challenging project or worked with someone difficult, "Tell me about yourself" in the skills interview, and a case, which its own workbook prepares you for.
Does Accenture publish its interview questions?
Its careers blog lists six example behavioral questions, in a 2022 post on preparing for a behavioral interview. It does not publish its case questions, but its 2018 workbook has sample cases.
How many interviews does Accenture have?
Accenture says the number of interviews depends on the role, and that interviews are held by phone, video or in person.
How long is an Accenture case interview?
Its 2018 case workbook says case interviews typically last 45 to 60 minutes, with 30 to 45 minutes on the case itself.
How should I answer "Tell me about yourself" at Accenture?
Accenture suggests Present, Past and Future: your role now in two or three sentences, three or four accomplishments, then why you want the job.
Can I use AI in Accenture's assessments?
No. Accenture says external AI tools are not permitted in its technical assessments. Some coding questions have a built-in assistant, clearly shown if it is available.