By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Strategy Analyst · London · 2027-28
Applications close 16 Oct 2026, 23:59 BSTDeadline was set for 16 Oct 2026Missed it? Your options
Short answer: Apply now. Accenture’s Strategy Analyst ad, for London only, closes on Friday 16 October 2026 at 23:59 BST.This year’s ad, for London only, has closed. The deadline was set for Friday 16 October 2026. The next one is likely to open in October 2027. The form takes about 15 minutes, with no CV. Next comes the untimed Discovery Portal assessment. Then you have a virtual Task Based Interview with a recruiter. The final stage has interviews with managers, and Strategy adds a case study. The pay is £40,000, plus a £7,200 signing bonus.
Applying now?Applying next year?
Strategy is London only. Submit by 23:59 BST on Friday 16 October.This year’s ad has closed. The deadline was set for Friday 16 October. The next one is likely to open in October 2027. Roles are filled first come, first served. How to apply
Missed it?
Consulting closes at 23:59 BST on Friday 16 October.The Consulting deadline was set for Friday 16 October. Other Accenture routes were open when we checked on 15 October 2026. You get one role a year.Check which other Accenture routes are open. You get one role a year. Your options
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with Accenture.
Accenture’s UK Strategy Graduate Programme hires Strategy Analysts in London. The ad went live on 5 October 2026 and closes on 16 October.. Its deadline was set for 16 October. This guide uses Accenture’s own words wherever it can.
This playbook covers each stage, from the form to the case study, and what to do if you miss the date. For nearly 10 years, we’ve helped more than 5,000 professionals get hired. Want to know if your CV will pass screening in the UK? Check your CV for free: a score in 30 seconds, then a fix for each problem.
01/10
Your route to an offer
Pick your stage and tick each step when done. Dates come from Accenture’s Strategy ad and its job feed.
1. Apply by 16 October 20261. Apply (deadline was set for 16 October 2026)
Apply now. The ad closes at 23:59 BST on Friday 16 October.This year’s ad has closed. The deadline was set for Friday 16 October. The next one is likely to open in October 2027. Roles are filled first come, first served.
2. The Discovery Portal
Accenture says you cannot prepare for it. Plan 60 to 90 quiet minutes on a laptop instead.
3. Task Based Interview
An online interview about work scenarios. You pick the slot, so book it early.
4. Final interviews and offer
Two to three manager interviews, plus a case study. Accenture publishes no case format, so practise the skill.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The role at a glance
London only, any degree subject, no minimum degree class.
16 Oct 2026
Ad closes at 23:59 BSTDeadline (now closed)
£40,000
Starting salary
£7,200
Signing bonus, subject to terms
London
The only Strategy office
Yes
A case study at the final stage
None
Minimum degree class
The ad adds “plus a £7,200 signing bonus (subject to terms)”. Accenture does not publish the terms. From the Strategy ad, checked 15 October 2026.
After year one, you specialise
Industry strategy
For example banking, energy or consumer.
Functional strategy
For example supply chain, growth or organisation design.
Where these facts come from
- The date. The ad gives 16 October 2026 as the closing date. Accenture’s job feed sets the cut-off at 23:59 BST that day.
- Start dates. Start dates run from September 2027 to August 2028. They “are filled on a first-come, first-served basis subject to availability.”
- Degree. You need a bachelor’s degree by your start date. “Any degree background is welcome”, and Accenture also accepts “holders of higher degrees”. Its Support Hub says “Our graduate programmes do not have a minimum degree classification requirement.”
- Office days. “A minimum of three days per week”, and you “must live within commuting distance”. Client work may take you “across the UK, sometimes more than three days a week, depending on business needs”.
03/10
What Accenture looks for
The ad wants “curiosity, creativity, and critical thinkers – not one “type” of graduate”. Have a short story ready for each trait below.
Commercial awareness
Show it by: a market or tech trend you followed, and what it meant for one business.
Analytical comfort
Show it by: a pattern you found in numbers and explained simply.
Creating clarity
Show it by: a messy problem you turned into one clear recommendation.
Clear communication
Show it by: a time you explained your thinking and changed a decision.
Flexibility and resilience
Show it by: a time plans changed and you adapted fast.
Curiosity
Show it by: a question you chased that others had not asked.
What Accenture says, in its own words
- Business sense. “Commercial awareness: able to make sense of business, economics, and technology trends.”
- Numbers. “Analytical comfort: quantitative reasoning, pattern recognition, and data storytelling.” And a “Bonus: Excel, Power BI, Tableau or other data tools.”
- Clarity. “Turn complex ideas into clear, visual, and actionable recommendations.”
- The work. Analysts are “Reinventors who use hypothesis-driven thinking to design and guide business transformations”. You “help clients frame the questions, structure the hypotheses, and shape the transformation roadmap”.
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
Apply now. Applications close on 16 October 2026. Accenture’s job feed sets the cut-off at 23:59 BST that day (checked 15 October 2026).This year’s ad has closed. The deadline was set for 16 October 2026. The next one is likely to open in October 2027.
Accenture says: “We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, as roles are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.”
So apply as soon as you can, not on the last evening.
1
Choose Strategy
One role, one location a year
2
Open the ad
London is the only office
3
Fill in the form
About 15 minutes, no CV
4
Submit
By 23:59 BST on 16 October
The form asks about your degree, work experience, training courses and right to work. There is no CV, cover letter or motivation question.
The form, replies, adjustments and scams
- The 6-month question. The form asks if you applied to Accenture “in the UK or Ireland within the last 6 months”. So Ireland counts.
- UK residence. The form asks about “5 years’ continuous physical residence in the UK”, for security clearance. The Hub says “sometimes we may need to limit the number of candidates employed who do not meet the criteria”.
- Your circumstances. Accenture says “We will take genuine mitigating circumstances into account”. Diversity questions are optional and “not visible to those assessing your suitability”.
- Replies. Accenture aims to reply “within 2- 3 weeks”, but says busy periods can take longer.
- Adjustments. Accenture works with MyPlus and the Business Disability Forum. Past adjustments include extra time, a changed format and a set interview time. Ask “as soon as possible”. Accenture says these talks are confidential and “would have no impact on the outcome of your application”.
- Scams. Accenture “will never ask for payment to interview or work with our company”. It never contacts you through outside chat apps.
Your form answers: do and don’t
Do
“Part-time sales assistant, 2024 to 2026. Trained four new starters.”
The form asks for your work experience. Give the role, the dates and one result.
Don’t
“Applied to Strategy and to AI & Data in London”
Accenture allows one role in one location each year.
Accenture asks for no CV, but your interview stories start with what you have done. Our CV achievement examples help you find a result for each role. Our guide to writing a strong CV helps you pick your best examples. Getting ready to apply for jobs in the UK? Check your CV for free: see it the way a recruiter does, then fix each problem.
Save Accenture and over 2,000 other UK schemes to one free calendar. See what closes next and what you have applied to.
Track my schemes freeFree account, no card.
Missed the deadline? Your options
- No other Strategy office. Strategy is London only.
- Consulting closes on 16 October 2026.The Consulting deadline was set for 16 October 2026. The Consulting Analyst ads close at 23:59 BST that day. So Consulting is no fallback after this date.are closed, so Consulting is no fallback this year.
- Other Accenture routes. These ads were open on 15 October 2026 with no deadline listed:These ads were open in October 2026. Check each one is still live: AI & Data in London and Edinburgh, Digital Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Chain in London, and Technology Analyst in eight offices. The first two also have a case study interview.
- One role a year. The ad says “You can only apply for one role in one location each year”. So if you applied to Strategy, you cannot also apply to these. The Hub adds: “If you are unsuccessful, you will need to wait 6 months before reapplying to the same or any other programme at Accenture (including regional offices).”
- Penultimate year. There is no Strategy internship for undergraduates. Accenture’s internships page lists two pathways: Consulting and AI & Data. Accenture said in a live stream that its internships would open on 19 October.
- Next year. This cycle opened on 5 October 2026. So the next one will likely open in early October 2027.
- Other firms. See our guides to McKinsey, BCG and Bain.
05/10Stage 2 · Online test
The Discovery Portal
Accenture says its Discovery Portal is “bespoke to Accenture”. It also says plainly: “You cannot prepare for the assessments”.
Accenture does not name a test provider. It publishes no practice test and no pass mark.
The portal is not timed. Accenture recommends that you “put aside 60 – 90 minutes”, somewhere quiet, ideally in one sitting. It records your time, but “the time taken does not factor in the final result”.
A tutorial waits when you log in. Everyone gets “a personal feedback report – whether you pass or not”. Accenture runs weekly live chats for candidates at this stage.
What the portal covered last cycle
- Accenture’s older profile. Accenture’s profile on targetjobs is from last cycle. It uses older programme names, so this year’s portal may differ.
- Skills. That profile says the portal assessed “analytical skills, collaboration, initiative and growth mindset”.
- Questions. It lists “situational judgement, data interpretation and numerical reasoning questions”, “positioned through Video, Animation and Imagery”.
Accenture’s set-up advice
Accenture recommends
- A laptop or desktop, in full screen
- Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox
- One sitting, somewhere quiet
- Picking up where you left off if your connection drops
Accenture asks you to avoid
- AI where the instructions say not to use it
- Pop-up blockers left on
- A phone. It works, but Accenture strongly recommends a laptop
On AI, Accenture says “we encourage the use of Generative AI when appropriate”. But “in the majority of the assessment process we request your authentic participation”. So read each instruction before you start a section.
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 15 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From Accenture
- How Accenture’s online assessment worksAccenture Support Hub UK · 2027-28 intake · no account neededAccenture’s own answers: untimed, about 60 to 90 minutes, one sitting, with a tutorial at the start.Free
- What the Discovery Portal covered, in Accenture’s wordsAccenture’s profile on targetjobs · undated · older programme namesAccenture lists the question types it used last cycle: situational judgement, data interpretation and numbers.Free
Watch
- Accenture people on using AI without losing judgementAccenture UK on YouTube · Oct 2026 · 3 minAccenture welcomes AI when appropriate but wants the real you. Three staff show where AI helps and where your judgement leads.Free
Skip anyone selling Accenture questions or paid help. Accenture says you cannot prepare for its assessments. It never asks for money at any stage.
Next: you cannot practise Accenture’s own portal. If tests in general make you nervous, our guide to psychometric and logic tests explains the common types.
06/10Stage 3 · Interviews
Accenture Strategy interviews
A recruiter interview first, then the final stage with a case study. Accenture publishes no format for the case.
Task Based InterviewOnline, with a recruiter
Client scenarios · How you would respond · On camera, business-casual
Final interviewsFace to face, with managers
Your strengths · An extra case study · Then your questions
The ad lists “One interview with a recruiter” and “Two to three interviews with managers from the business area you applied to”.
The Hub says: “If you’re applying to our Strategy, AI & Data and Digital Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain programmes, there is an additional case study interview at this stage.”
Accenture does not publish the case format, length or topic. We found no official case example.
What Accenture says about each interview
- Booking. “Yes, you can choose a date and time that suits you.” Book early, because start dates “can fill up very quickly”.
- On camera. “you will be on camera throughout”. “The dress code is business-casual.”
- Task Based Interview. It “lasts approximately 45-60 minutes”. You review “written, video and audio content” on client challenges, then answer questions. Accenture asks “that you do not use GenAI”. Feedback comes by email.
- Final stage. The Hub says “face to face interviews with a Manager or Managing Director from our business”. The strengths interview “lasts approximately 50-60 minutes”.
- Timing. The ad says “Interviews typically begin in October and run through to Spring.”
How to answer
Case study
The ad asks for “hypothesis-driven thinking” and “actionable recommendations”. This frame is ours, built on those words:
Frame
Restate the question and what the client must decide.
Hypothesis
Give your best early answer, and how you would test it.
Analyse
Do the maths out loud. Look for the pattern.
Recommend
Lead with the answer, then one risk and a next step.
Task Based Interview
Accenture wants to see “your working style or how you might overcome a client challenge”. This answer frame is ours:
Clarify
Restate the scenario and what the client needs.
Options
Give two ways forward, then pick one.
Reasons
Say why, with the client and the team in mind.
Check
Say what you would watch, and when you would change course.
Strengths interview
Accenture explores “your natural strengths and what motivates you”. Prospects, a UK careers service, advises: “Emphasise activities that energise you, not just those you can do well”.
Your moves
- Prepare four to six varied stories, as Prospects suggests.
- After you name a strength, explain why it matters to you.
- Say what energised you, not only what you did.
See our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
Practise: one question at a time
Case questions
Our own prompts, built on the Strategy ad’s words. They are not Accenture’s case questions.
Frame
“A retailer’s profits fell this year. The CEO asks why. Where do you start?”
What they’re testing: framing the question before the analysis.
Show a strong answer
- Restate the goal and the time frame. Ask two questions, such as how far profits fell. Then split profit into revenue and costs.
Hypothesis
“New rules will raise a client’s supply chain costs. What is your first hypothesis?”
What they’re testing: hypothesis-driven thinking, as the ad asks.
Show a strong answer
- Give one guess you can test, such as “costs rise most where we rely on one supplier”. Say what data would prove it wrong.
Numbers
“A client’s costs are £50 million a year. A new operating model cuts them by 8%. What is the saving?”
What they’re testing: simple maths, done carefully and out loud.
Show a strong answer
- 8% of £50 million is £4 million a year. Then ask what the change costs, and how long it takes to pay back.
Recommend
“You have two minutes with the board. What should they do?”
What they’re testing: a clear, actionable recommendation.
Show a strong answer
- Lead with your answer. Give two reasons with numbers. Then one risk and the next step.
Scenario questions
Our own scenarios, built from the ad’s account of the role. They are not Accenture’s questions.
Client deadline
“A client wants a report two days early. Your manager is away. What do you do?”
What they’re testing: judgement and client focus under pressure.
Show a strong answer
- Ask what the client needs most by then. Offer that part on time and the rest later. Tell your manager what you agreed, in writing.
AI and data
“An AI tool gives you a quick number for a client slide. It looks too good. What do you do?”
What they’re testing: checking your evidence before you share it.
Show a strong answer
- Check the number against the source data. Explain any gap and fix the method. Tell the team what you found.
Team conflict
“Two teammates disagree on the approach, and the work has stalled. What do you do?”
What they’re testing: collaboration and problem-solving.
Show a strong answer
- Hear both views and find what they agree on. Test the open question with data. Agree one plan and a date to review it.
Feedback
“A client says your slides are hard to follow. How do you respond?”
What they’re testing: creating clarity, as the ad asks.
Show a strong answer
- Thank them and ask what they need. Cut each slide to one message. Check the new version with them before the meeting.
Strengths questions
Prospects lists these as typical strengths questions. They are a general guide, not Accenture’s questions. The answer tips are ours.
Energy
“What energises you?”
What they’re testing: what you enjoy, not only what you can do.
Show a strong answer
- Name one activity. Give a recent example, then say why it gives you energy.
Working style
“Do you prefer the big picture or the small details?”
What they’re testing: how you like to work. There is no right answer.
Show a strong answer
- Pick one honestly and give an example. Then show you can handle the other side when needed.
Pride
“When did you achieve something you’re really proud of?”
What they’re testing: what success means to you.
Show a strong answer
- Choose a result you drove. Say what you did, what changed and why it mattered to you.
Self-awareness
“What do you enjoy doing the least?”
What they’re testing: honesty about yourself.
Show a strong answer
- Be honest, but pick a task the role does not centre on. Say how you still get it done well.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two stories for each trait the Strategy ad names. Learn them well enough to tell without notes.
| Trait | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial awareness | ||
| Analytical comfort | ||
| Creating clarity | ||
| Clear communication | ||
| Flexibility and resilience | ||
| Curiosity |
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 15 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From Accenture
- What happens in each Accenture interviewAccenture Support Hub UK · 2027-28 intake · no account neededAccenture’s own lines on each interview, including the extra case study for Strategy.Free
Practise
- Work a full practice case with marking criteriaOliver Wyman’s own case, not Accenture’s · no account neededFive questions with hints and sample answers. Answer each part out loud first.Free
- Three more cases and seven case tipsL.E.K.’s own page, not Accenture’s · no account neededRun the cases out loud with a friend. Practise forming a hypothesis early, as the Strategy ad asks.Free
Watch and read
- Watch a full case, start to finishRocketblocks on YouTube · Sep 2025 · 34 minAn ex-BCG candidate clarifies, structures, does the maths and ends with risks and next steps.Free
- How strengths-based interviews workProspects (Jisc) · updated Sep 2026 · general guide, not Accenture-specificPlan four to six examples. Talk about what energises you, not only what you do well.Free
Accenture does not publish its case format. Other firms’ cases train the skill, not the exact test. Skip anyone selling “real Accenture cases”.
07/10Stage 4 · Final
Final interviews and offer
The final interviews are the last stage. Then comes the offer, for London.
Your start date
Accenture offers “the next available start date”, from September 2027 to August 2028. That can be “up to 12- 18 months in advance”. It allows deferral only in exceptional circumstances.
Your pay
£40,000, “plus a £7,200 signing bonus (subject to terms)”. Accenture does not publish the terms, so ask.
Your training
The Analyst “Runway” programme, then a year of varied projects before you specialise.
Before you join
Accenture says its Pre Joiner Engagement Team will be in touch.
Accenture publishes no wait time from the final interviews to an offer.
Key dates: Strategy Analyst, 2027-28 intake
5 Oct 2026
Strategy ad opened
16 Oct 2026
The ad closes, 23:59 BST
16 Oct 2026
Applications were due by 23:59 BST
19 Oct 2026
Internships due to open, Accenture said in a live streamInternships were due to open, Accenture said in a live stream
Oct 2026 to spring 2027
Interviews, the ad says
Oct 2026 to spring 2027
Interviews, the ad says
Sep 2027 to Aug 2028
Start dates, first come, first served
Early Oct 2027
Next cycle likely opens
08/10
Visa sponsorship
Accenture can consider sponsorship for Strategy in London. Its visa table row reads “Strategy | London | Yes – subject to UKVI restrictions”.
Yes
Strategy, London
No promise
Accenture cannot guarantee it
Sep 2027
The policy covers hires from then
Source: Accenture’s Team Visa Sponsorship Policy – as of October 2026, read on 15 October 2026.
Accenture’s conditions, in its own words
- No guarantee. Accenture “can consider Skilled Worker Visa (SWV) sponsorship” for these programmes, but it “cannot guarantee you will be eligible for sponsorship”.
- Salary rules. UK salary thresholds must be met “at both the application and visa extension stages”.
- The risk. “If salary thresholds are not met at any stage, Accenture may need to withdraw an offer or end employment if you lose your right to work in the UK.”
- Rules can change. Sponsorship also depends on “UK immigration rules in force at the time of your start date – these can change”.
- On a Graduate visa? GOV.UK says it lasts “2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026” and “18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027”. Check when yours ends before you pick a start date.
Our reading: whether you qualify depends on your own visa history and the role. So ask Accenture before you apply.
See our guides to staying in the UK after studying and UK companies that sponsor visas. This is general information, so check GOV.UK.
09/10
Key takeaways
Before you apply
- Apply now. The Strategy ad closes on Friday 16 October 2026 at 23:59 BST.This year’s Strategy ad has closed. The deadline was set for Friday 16 October 2026. The next one is likely to open in October 2027.
- Strategy is London only, and you get one role in one location each year.
- The form takes about 15 minutes and needs no CV. Give each role a result.
- Accenture says you cannot prepare for its portal. Plan 60 to 90 quiet minutes on a laptop.
- Strategy adds a case study at the final stage. Accenture publishes no format, so practise other firms’ free cases.
- Lead with a hypothesis and end with a clear recommendation, as the ad describes.
- Need a visa? Ask Accenture about your own case before you apply.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save Accenture once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
When does the Accenture Strategy graduate programme close?
The Strategy Analyst ad, for London, says applications close on 16 October 2026. Accenture’s job feed sets the cut-off at 23:59 BST that day. Roles are filled first come, first served, so apply as soon as you can.The Strategy Analyst ad, for London, has closed. The deadline was set for 16 October 2026. The next one is likely to open in October 2027. Roles are filled first come, first served, so apply early.
Is there a case study in the Accenture Strategy interviews?
Yes. Accenture says Strategy has an additional case study interview at the final stage. It does not publish the format, length or topic. Free cases from other firms, such as Oliver Wyman and L.E.K., help you practise the skill.
How many interviews does Accenture Strategy have?
The ad says the interviews typically include one with a recruiter, then two to three with managers from Strategy. The Hub adds a case study interview at the final stage.
How much does an Accenture Strategy Analyst earn?
The ad gives a starting salary of £40,000 a year, plus a £7,200 signing bonus, subject to terms. Accenture does not publish the terms. We checked the figures on 15 October 2026.
Do I need a business degree for Accenture Strategy?
No. The ad says any degree background is welcome, and Accenture accepts holders of higher degrees. It has no minimum degree class. You need a bachelor’s degree by your start date.
Does Accenture sponsor visas for Strategy Analysts?
Accenture’s visa policy, as of October 2026, marks Strategy in London as yes, subject to UKVI restrictions. It says it can consider Skilled Worker sponsorship but cannot guarantee it. So ask Accenture about your own case before you apply.
I missed the Accenture Strategy deadline. What now?
Consulting closes on 16 October.The Consulting deadline was set for 16 October. AI & Data, Digital Engineering and Technology Analyst ads were open on 15 October 2026 with no deadline listedwere open in October 2026, so check each one is still live, but you get one role a year. Accenture said in a live stream that internships would open on 19 October. The next cycle will likely open in early October 2027.
