By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Tax Services graduate · UK · September 2027 start
Rolling · last checked 15 October 2026This year’s Tax ads have closedCheck each ad for its closing date
Short answer: Tax is rolling, with no fixed closing date. Fourteen UK offices were open when we checked on 15 October 2026.This year’s Tax ads have closed. PwC filled roles on a rolling basis.Check each Tax ad for its closing date. We last checked on 15 October 2026. You apply once to PwC’s Audit, Accounting, Tax and Finance programme and choose Tax Services. Then come SHL tests, a video interview, a virtual assessment centre, a recruiter call and a senior leader interview. In year one, you study for most of your professional exams.
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with PwC.
PwC’s Tax graduate scheme trains you as a chartered accountant in a UK office, for a September 2027 start.
This playbook covers every UK office with a Tax ad. 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. Rules and dates are PwC’s, checked on 15 October 2026. Prep times are our suggestions.
1. Apply: open and rolling1. Apply (this year’s ads have closed)1. Apply: check each ad’s closing date
One online form for one office, with Tax Services as your choice. Prep 1 to 2 days.
2. Online tests: usually 7 days per invite
A values activity, a behavioural test and a reasoning test, all on SHL. Prep 1 to 2 weeks.
3. Video and assessment centre: usually 7 days per invite
A recorded video interview, then a virtual assessment centre. Prep 1 to 2 weeks.
4. Final interview: in person, in your office
Matching, a recruiter call, then an interview with a senior leader. Prep about 1 week. An outcome can take up to a month.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The programme at a glance
A Tax job that trains you as a chartered accountant. Where PwC is silent, we say so.
RollingClosedCheck ads
No fixed closing dateThis year’s Tax adsFor each office’s closing date
Sep 2027
Start date
14 offices
With an open Tax ad, checked 15 Oct 2026Had a Tax ad this cycleWith a Tax ad, checked 15 Oct 2026
Year one
Most of your exams, before your team
Any subject
Degree, passed or on track
3 days
A week, at least, in office or on site
ACA: most offices
The ICAEW route. Most first-year study is at hubs in London and certain regional centres. PwC covers accommodation if you stay away.
ICAS: Glasgow and Edinburgh
The Scottish route. Expert tutors lead it, with self-led study and in-person workshops.
Belfast’s ad names CAI, from Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Where these facts come from
- Study First. PwC’s programme page, checked on 15 October 2026: “In year one, graduates focus on building strong technical foundations and passing most of their professional exams, before joining their business area.”
- The qualification. PwC says you study “during your first three years with the firm in Tax, with most of your study taking place in your first year”.
- Support. PwC names a learning provider for ACA tuition, a dedicated professional qualification team and “your Talent Coach”.
- Other qualifications. The page’s FAQ lists “ACA, ICAS, CAI, ATT, IFoA or CII” across the whole programme. No graduate Tax ad we read names ATT or CII.
- Grade and pay. The ads list the grade as “Associate”. Salary is not published, so ask your recruiter (PwC FAQs).
- Competition. Firm-wide, “PwC received 60,000 applications for 2,000 entry level posts” (BBC, March 2026). PwC publishes no Tax-only figure.
03/10
What PwC looks for in Tax
PwC scores six behaviours at every stage. It calls them the PwC Professional. Show each one with a real example from study, part-time work, volunteering or other activities.
Inspire
“I understand my impact and people want to work with me.” Show it by: a group that chose to follow your lead.
Empower
“I coach and work side by side with others.” Show it by: a time you explained something hard in plain words.
Evolve
“I grow as a person and guide us into the future.” Show it by: a new tool or skill you learned fast.
Champion
“I commit to quality, integrity and inclusive behaviour.” Show it by: a rule you kept when a shortcut was easier.
Build
“I apply a business mindset to my work to increase PwC’s success.” Show it by: money or time you saved someone.
Deliver
“I collaborate across PwC to deliver quality and distinctive client experiences.” Show it by: work you finished with others for someone else.
PwC’s Tax page names 12 teams, from Indirect Tax to Transfer Pricing. It does not say which teams take graduates.
What PwC says about Tax, in its own words
- The work. “In Tax Services, you’ll help businesses navigate complex tax regulations and optimise their tax positions, providing guidance on tax planning, compliance and strategy.”
- Data. PwC says “the future of the tax professional lies in data, where you will get the opportunity to work with the latest technology, including AI”.
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
Apply now: Tax is open and rolling. PwC fills roles as it goes and may close early on high volume.This year’s Tax ads have closed. PwC filled roles as it went.Check each Tax ad for its closing date. PwC may close early on high volume.
1
Pick an office
One ad per office, on PwC’s job site
2
Choose Tax
Tax Services as your business area
3
Fill the form
Exact grades and visa details
4
Online tests
Invite usually open 7 days
Offices with a Tax ad
| Qualification | Offices | Visa |
|---|---|---|
| ACA | Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, East Midlands (Castle Donington), Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton | No |
| ACA | Reading | Yes |
| ACA or ICAS | Edinburgh | No |
| ICAS | Glasgow | No |
| CAI | Belfast | No |
Open ads checked on 15 October 2026. Roles close without notice, so check PwC’s job site before you apply.This year’s Tax ads have closed. Watch PwC’s job site for the next round.Check PwC’s job site for each ad’s closing date. We last checked on 15 October 2026.
London’s Tax ad was not visible when we checked on 15 October 2026. Watford had no Tax ad that day. Look for a London ad on PwC’s job site.
More on the form and the one-application rule
- One application. PwC says: “We’ll only consider one application for our 2027 programmes.” Withdrawing before the online assessment still counts. Inside that one application, you can choose more than one business area.
- Ad labels. Every office ad lists “Specialism: CMAAS” (Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services), and most say “Line of Service: Assurance”. These labels are the same for every route. They are not your placement.
- Grades. Do not convert overseas grades. Do not “be vague or lie about your results”, because PwC checks them later.
- AI. No AI tools, “unless explicitly authorised by PwC”. Ask for adjustments when you apply.
Your CV: do and don’t
Do
“Checked 300 expense claims against the society’s rules and flagged £1,200 of errors”
Show care with rules and numbers. Give each role a result.
Don’t
“Strong interest in tax”
A claim with no proof. Show what you did instead.
Our CV achievement examples show how to write those lines. 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 PwC 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.
Not this year, or not for you? Your other PwC routes
- 2028 programmes. If you are unsuccessful or withdraw, you wait for a 2028 start. PwC had not published a date when we checked on 15 October 2026, so watch its job search.If you are unsuccessful or withdraw, you wait for a 2028 start. See PwC’s job search for the opening date.If you are unsuccessful or withdraw, you can apply for a 2028 start. PwC’s 2028 programmes were open when we checked on 15 October 2026. See its job search.PwC’s 2028 applications have closed. Watch its job search for the next round.
- Summer Internship 2027. Paid, 4 to 8 weeks, for students “graduating in 2028”. Tax runs in 15 offices, not Cambridge. It can lead to an offer (PwC).
- Diversity in Business. Paid three-day placements for students “graduating in 2029”, with three Tax streams (PwC).
- Entry Level Tax. An ATT (Association of Taxation Technicians) route for school leavers and career changers (PwC).
- Flying Start. Accounting degree apprenticeships, applied for through UCAS. It is not a Tax route (PwC).
- PwC Audit. Our PwC Audit playbook covers the audit route.
05/10Stage 2 · Online tests
The PwC online tests
PwC’s online stage runs on SHL, in three parts. Only the last part is timed.
Not assessed
1. Values activity
Untimed
2. Behavioural test
Timed
3. Reasoning test
From PwC’s selection page. The timed test is “an ability test including numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning”. PwC uses no situational judgement test and names no verbal test. PwC does not name the SHL product or publish a timing, so check your invite.
Step through the reasoning test
Numerical: timed
Build the chart
Read the facts on the left, then drag each bar to the right height or type the total under it. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
Split the pie
Work out each share of the budget, then drag the handles round the pie or type the percentages.
Sort into order
Work out a value for each row of the table, then drag the items into order from highest to lowest.
The classic version
SHL also offers a multiple-choice version. Read the table and chart, then pick one of five answers.
Your moves
- Drill percentage change, ratios and totals from tables.
- Read the units and the axis before you answer.
- Keep paper and a pen for working, as PwC’s practice suggests.
Inductive: timed
Fill the next grid
Spot how the pattern moves from grid to grid, then click squares in the big grid to draw the one that comes next. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
Join the points
Each step adds a line. Find the rule, then drag from point to point to draw the lines that finish the sequence.
The classic version
In the multiple-choice version you see a row of figures and pick the one that comes next from five options.
Your moves
- Track one change at a time: shape, position, then count.
- Say the rule in words before you answer.
Deductive: timed
PwC publishes no deductive example. SHL’s sample gives you facts and asks which statement must be true.
Your moves
- Write each rule as a short note.
- Start with the item that has the most rules.
- Check every rule again before you move on.
Behavioural: untimed
PwC’s practice asks “Which statement best describes you?” and shows three statements. You pick one. These are from PwC’s practice:
- “I do not reveal other people’s private information”
- “I always try to find ways my organisation can build stronger ties with the community”
PwC’s advice is “Go with your instincts”.
Your moves
- Answer as you are, not as you think PwC wants.
- Take your time, since there is no timer.
Our own simplified drawings of SHL’s screens, not screenshots. Numbers on them are examples. PwC’s version may differ.
For more on reasoning items, see our tips for psychometric tests.
The rules: allowed and banned
Allowed
- Practice tests sent with your invite
- Adjustments, if you ask when you apply
- A laptop or tablet, as PwC recommends
- A calculator in PwC’s practice. Check your invite for the real test.
Banned
- AI tools, unless PwC authorises them
- Help from anyone else
- Duplicate accounts
- Copied answers
From PwC’s selection page. PwC checks for “highly similar responses” and signs of AI-assisted support. If it finds the process compromised, it withdraws the application.
On the day: practice, deadline and scoring
- Practice. PwC says you can “take some practice tests before you start”. Its own guide warns its samples are “slightly different to the actual tests that we use”.
- Deadline. Usually seven days from the invite.
- No AI marking. PwC says “we do not use AI to assess candidate performance within the Early Careers selection process”.
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 PwC
- PwC’s own guide to the online testsPwC Careers · up to 45 min · no account neededPwC’s practice questions for each test, with its own tips.Free
Practise
- SHL’s free practice testsSHL, the test maker · free SHL account neededThe test maker’s own practice. PwC links to it.Free
- SHL’s example questionsSHL · no account neededSee the formats before you sign up. Skip verbal and SJT.Free
Watch
- 15 SHL reasoning questions solved, step by stepAptitude-Test-Prep on YouTube · Mar 2025 · 54 min · the host is a JobTestPrep affiliateInteractive numerical, inductive and deductive items, worked through.Free
Skip leaked PwC questions and AI helpers. PwC checks for copied answers and AI help, and withdraws applications it flags.
Next: build your speed on numbers and logic with our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
06/10Stage 3 · Interviews
The video interview and assessment centre
Two stages: a recorded video interview, then a virtual assessment centre. Both test the six behaviours. Tax has no extra interview.
Video interviewSHL, on demand
Questions on screen · Recorded · Reviewed by PwC
Assessment centreVirtual
Human and technical skills · Exercises not published
PwC says: “we do not use AI to assess candidate performance”.
PwC: “Instead of having an interviewer, your answers will be recorded and reviewed afterwards by one of our assessors” (selection page). PwC does not publish the questions or timings.
The assessment centre and your Study First questions
- The centre. PwC calls it “a virtual immersive assessment centre”. It does not publish the exercises, their order or their length.
- Study First. ACA students may travel to a study hub or stay away. You can discuss this “with the PwC UK Careers team at the assessment centre”.
How to answer: PwC’s STAR method
PwC’s interview guide recommends STAR. Build each story in four parts:
Situation
Set the scene in one or two lines.
Task
What you had to achieve.
Action
What you did, not the team.
Result
What changed, with a number.
Follow-ups to rehearse
What would you do differently?Which PwC behaviour does this show?Why tax?
PwC’s tip: “you can use notes as prompts, but don’t read from them”. The follow-ups are ours.
See our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
Practise: one question at a time
Motivation questions
The first two come from PwC. The rest, and all answers, are ours.
Motivation
“Why do you want to join your preferred employer?”
PwC’s own practice question, with two minutes to answer
Show a strong answer
- Give one reason about tax work, one about PwC and one about you. Record it, then watch it back.
Why PwC
Why are you interested in joining PwC?
PwC says its final interview covers this
Show a strong answer
- Name something specific: a PwC behaviour that fits you, or what you learned from its people.
Why tax
Why tax?
What they’re testing: that you know what tax advisers do.
Show a strong answer
- Use PwC’s own words: tax planning, compliance and strategy. Link one to a time you worked with rules, numbers or clients. Name one Tax team that interests you.
Study First
How will you handle a year of professional exams?
What they’re testing: commitment, since PwC says the exams are “not designed to be easy”.
Show a strong answer
- Name a time you kept up hard study alongside other work, and how you planned it.
Behaviour questions
PwC publishes no Tax interview questions. These prompts and answers are ours, one per behaviour.
Inspire
Tell me about a time people chose to follow your lead.
What they’re testing: influence.
Show a strong answer
- A role you earned, how you earned it, and what the group achieved.
Empower
Tell me about a time you explained something hard to someone else.
What they’re testing: coaching.
Show a strong answer
- Who needed help, how you made it simple, and what they could do afterwards.
Evolve
Tell me about a time you learned a new tool or skill fast.
What they’re testing: whether you grow.
Show a strong answer
- Why you needed it, how you learned it, and what you did with it next.
Champion
Tell me about a time you kept to the rules when a shortcut was easier.
What they’re testing: quality and integrity.
Show a strong answer
- The pressure, the shortcut you refused, and what checking the detail saved.
Build
Tell me about a time you saved someone money or time.
What they’re testing: a business mindset.
Show a strong answer
- The old way, your change, and the saving in numbers.
Deliver
Tell me about a time you worked across groups to finish something.
What they’re testing: teamwork.
Show a strong answer
- Who was involved, how you kept them aligned, and what the end user got.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two STAR stories per behaviour, plus your Tax answers.
| Behaviour | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Inspire | ||
| Empower | ||
| Evolve | ||
| Champion | ||
| Build | ||
| Deliver | ||
| Why tax and Study First |
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 PwC
- The six behaviours PwC scoresPwC Careers · no account neededMatch one story to each behaviour.Free
- PwC’s interview guide, with a 2-minute practicePwC Careers · no account neededFilm a two-minute answer, then review it with PwC’s checklist.Free
- PwC’s guide to assessment centresPwC Careers · no account neededCommon exercises and tips for a virtual centre.Free
- The Tax teams you could joinPwC Careers · no account neededPick one team, such as Indirect Tax or Transfer Pricing, and say why it interests you.Free
Watch
- PwC recruiters answer the top questionsPwC UK Careers on YouTube · Oct 2026 · 5 minAnswers on AI, one application and practice tests.Free
- What studying for your qualification at PwC feels likePwC UK Careers on YouTube · Sep 2026 · 7 minA recent joiner on college days, weekend study and support. Useful for Study First questions.Free
07/10Stage 4 · Final
Matching and the final interview
The final interview is in person, with a senior leader from your matched business area.
Matching
After the assessment centre, PwC matches you to a business area and office. Preferences “are considered but not guaranteed”.
Recruiter call
You book a call with a recruiter. It includes a recap of your feedback so far.
Senior leader interview
In person, in your matched office. PwC wants to hear “why you are interested in joining PwC”.
Outcome
The PwC UK Careers team gives you feedback and the result. It could take up to a month.
Offer checks and joining
- Checks. Fit and Proper and Independence assessments, background and criminal record checks, and Right to Work. PwC also checks “your grades and job history”.
- Travel. PwC pays overseas travel to its in-person offer holder event only if agreed first. Then it pays economy only.
- No deferrals. PwC does not offer deferred starts.
Key dates: September 2027 intake
14 and 16 Sep 2026
Tax ads posted
17 Sep 2026
Applications opened
15 October 2026
Open and rolling. Apply now
By 15 October 2026
This year’s Tax ads closed
15 October 2026
Our last check. See each ad for its closing date
Each stage
Invite usually open 7 days
Each stage
Invite usually open 7 days
1 Jun 2027
Last day to apply if you need a visaVisa applications were due by this date
Sep 2027
You start, with a year of study firstThe programme started, with a year of study first
08/10
Visa sponsorship
PwC lists Tax Services in London, Reading and Watford as roles it can sponsor. Reading was the only open office with both Tax and sponsorship when we checked on 15 October 2026. Check PwC’s job site for the Reading ad.This year’s Tax ads have since closed.
1 Jun 2027
Last day to apply if you need a visaVisa cut-off was set for this date
Listed
Tax, on PwC’s October 2026 visa list
18 months
Graduate visa, if you apply from 2027
Our reading: if you need a visa, apply only for Tax in London, Reading or Watford. The other Tax offices do not sponsor.
More on PwC’s visa rules
- PwC’s list. PwC’s immigration page, “correct as of October 2026”, names “Graduate – Tax Services – London, Reading and Watford”.
- Watford and London. Watford is on PwC’s Tax visa list. When we checked on 15 October 2026, it had no Tax ad. London’s Tax ad was not visible either.
- The cut-off. PwC sets 1 June 2027 as the visa cut-off for the September 2027 intake. It adds: “If you do apply after this date, we will withdraw your application.”
- Graduate visa. 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” (GOV.UK). PhD graduates get 3 years.
- Not sponsored. Internships, Entry Level Tax and Diversity in Business.
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
- Tax is rolling, so apply early. Fourteen UK offices were open when we checked on 15 October 2026.This year’s Tax ads have closed. PwC fills roles on a rolling basis, so apply early next time.Check each Tax ad for its closing date. PwC may close early on high volume.
- You apply once to PwC’s Audit, Accounting, Tax and Finance programme and choose Tax Services.
- PwC considers one application for all its 2027 programmes.
- The SHL tests are an untimed behavioural test and a timed reasoning test.
- In year one, you study for most of your exams before you join your Tax team.
- The final interview is in person, with a senior leader.
- If you need a visa, choose Reading. PwC’s visa cut-off is 1 June 2027.The cut-off for this intake was set for 1 June 2027.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save PwC once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
Is the PwC tax graduate scheme open now?
Yes. Fourteen UK offices had a live Tax ad for the September 2027 intake when we checked on 15 October 2026. There is no fixed closing date. PwC may close early on high volume, so apply early.No. This year’s Tax ads for the September 2027 intake have closed. PwC filled roles on an ongoing basis. Use this guide to prepare for the next round.Check each Tax ad for its closing date. We last checked on 15 October 2026. PwC may close early on high volume, so apply early.
Can I apply to PwC Tax directly?
Not as a separate scheme. You apply to PwC’s Audit, Accounting, Tax and Finance programme for one office and choose Tax Services as your preference. PwC matches you to a business area and office after the assessment centre.
Can I apply to PwC Tax and another PwC programme?
No. PwC will only consider one application for its 2027 programmes. Inside that application, you can choose more than one business area. If you are unsuccessful or withdraw, you wait for a programme starting in 2028.
Which qualification will I study in PwC Tax?
It depends on your office. Most offices, including Aberdeen, offer the ACA. Glasgow offers ICAS, Edinburgh offers ACA or ICAS, and Belfast offers CAI. Under PwC’s Study First pathway, you take most of your exams in year one.
What online tests does PwC use for tax graduates?
The tests run on SHL. You start with a values activity that is not assessed. Then you take an untimed behavioural test and a timed test with numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning.
Is London open for PwC Tax?
London’s Tax ad was not visible when we checked on 15 October 2026. PwC does not say why. Check PwC’s job site for a London ad before you apply.This year’s Tax ads have since closed.
Does PwC sponsor visas for the tax graduate scheme?
PwC lists Tax Services in London, Reading and Watford as roles it can sponsor. Reading was the only open office with both Tax and sponsorship when we checked on 15 October 2026. PwC’s visa cut-off is 1 June 2027. It withdraws later applications.PwC’s visa cut-off for this intake was set for 1 June 2027. It withdraws later applications.
