By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Audit graduate · seven UK regions · September 2027 start
London closes Sun 25 OctLondon deadline was set for 25 Oct · other ads close 15 Novothers for 15 NovMissed it? Your options
Short answer: Apply now. London closes on Sunday 25 October 2026. BDO gives no closing time, so submit by Saturday 24 October.London’s ad has closed. Its deadline was set for Sunday 25 October 2026. The six other regions and Audit Technology close on Sunday 15 November.The other ads had a deadline set for Sunday 15 November. The next season is likely to open in late September 2027. You get one application, in one stream, per season. After the form come puzzle-style tasks from Arctic Shores, a timed video interview and a virtual assessment centre. The final interview is in person, at your office. BDO sponsors no visas.
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with BDO.
BDO’s Audit Graduate Programme trains you as a chartered accountant over three years, in one of seven UK regions. This intake starts in September 2027.This intake started in September 2027.
This playbook covers every regional audit ad, plus the rules for international students. 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 BDO’s, checked 14 October 2026. Prep times are ours.
1. Apply: London 25 OctLondon deadline was set for 25 Oct, others 15 Novothers for 15 Nov
One application, in one stream, for a region you can commute to. Prep 1 to 2 days.
2. Online tasks: 5 to 15 minutes each
Puzzle-style tasks from Arctic Shores. BDO says no prep is needed, but try the practice task first.
3. Video and assessment centre: timed video, then online
A timed video interview, then a virtual assessment centre. Prep 1 to 2 weeks.
4. Final interview: in person, in your office
A face-to-face conversation with senior staff. Prep about 1 week. BDO does not publish how long each stage takes.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The programme at a glance
A three-year training contract that ends in a chartered qualification. Where BDO is silent, we say so.
25 Oct15 Nov
London closes. Most ads close 15 NovDeadline for most ads, now closed
20 Sep 2027
Induction day, which you must attendInduction day for this intake
3 years
Training contract, then a permanent role
ACA or ICAS
Qualification, by region
2:2
Degree, any subject
£29k to £33k
Salary, by region
Audit graduate: seven regions
You train for the ACA, or with ICAS in Scotland. London teams include Financial Services, Public Sector and Not For Profit audit.
Audit Technology: London
Data Analytics or IT controls. You take ICAEW’s CFAB, plus Power BI, CISA and DataCamp courses.
Where these facts come from
- Salary. From each ad: London and Audit Technology £33,000. South East £30,000 to £32,000. South West and East Anglia £30,000. Other regions £29,000. Compare our guide to salaries in the UK.
- Qualification. ICAEW’s ACA in England, ICAS in Scotland. London says “ACA or CFAB via ICAEW, depending on the team”. BDO gives paid study leave and pays your tuition (BDO qualifications page).
- Apprenticeship. BDO says “the majority of our trainees join on an apprenticeship route”. Graduates take “around 36 months” to qualify (BDO FAQs).
03/10
What BDO looks for
BDO names four Skills for Success. It says the focus is “less on past experience and more on how you think, solve problems and interact with others”.
Leading Self & Others
Show it by: a time you took charge of your own learning, or got a group over the line.
Driving Growth
Show it by: a result you improved, in money, time or numbers.
Harnessing Business Thinking
Show it by: a decision you made with the bigger picture in mind.
Activating Innovation & Change
Show it by: a better way of working that you suggested and tried.
The four skills are from BDO’s recruitment process page. The “show it by” examples are ours. BDO’s four values are Being Responsible, Being Bold, Being Collaborative and Being Genuine. Its tips page says to link your final interview answers to them.
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
Apply now: London closes on Sunday 25 October 2026. BDO gives no closing time, so submit by Saturday 24 October.London’s ad has closed. Its deadline was set for Sunday 25 October 2026. The six other regions and Audit Technology close on Sunday 15 November.The other ads had a deadline set for Sunday 15 November. The next season is likely to open in late September 2027.
1
Pick one region
One you can commute to
2
Pick up to two teams
All within Audit, your one stream
3
Fill the form
Save as you go, then track it online
4
Online tasks
Arctic Shores, after the form
The one-application rule, grades and the form
- One application. “You can only apply to one stream per recruitment season.” Within it you can “select up to two teams”. BDO adds that “we welcome one application per season” (BDO FAQs).
- No moves later. There are no rotations between teams and no office transfers.
- Commuting. You must “live within a commutable distance of the office you apply to. Relocation support is not provided”.
- Grades. A 2:2, three A-levels at A* to C, not counting General Studies, and GCSE grade 4 in Maths and English. You show proof only if you get an offer.
- Who cannot apply. People already qualified as accountants, or with work history in accountancy. Check overseas grades through NARIC.
- The form. BDO does not publish its form questions. Its tip is “don’t exaggerate; keep everything factual”.
- Adjustments. Ask “at the point of application”. They cannot be added once you begin.
The audit ads: pick one region
Each region has its own ad. Pick the one whose offices you can reach every day.
| Region | Offices | Closing date |
|---|---|---|
| London | London | Sun 25 OctDeadline was set for 25 Oct |
| South East | Guildford, Gatwick, Reading, Southampton | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
| North East and West | Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
| East Anglia | Ipswich, Cambridge | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
| Midlands | Nottingham | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
| South West | Bristol | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
| Scotland | Glasgow, Edinburgh | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
| Audit Technology | London | Sun 15 NovDeadline was set for 15 Nov |
From each ad, 14 October 2026. No ad gives a closing time. BDO’s job site showed 10 days left for London that day, not 11. So treat Saturday 24 October as your last safe day for London. BDO had no Birmingham audit graduate ad when we checked on 14 October 2026.BDO listed a Birmingham audit graduate ad when we checked on 14 October 2026. See its job board.BDO has announced a Birmingham audit graduate ad. Check its job board for the date.A Birmingham audit graduate ad may follow. Check BDO’s job board.BDO’s Birmingham audit graduate ad was no longer open when we checked on 14 October 2026.
Apply early even with a fixed date. BDO gets “more than 30,000 applications” a year. In the first season of BDO’s new process, it “went into Christmas over 80% filled”, says the test maker’s case study.
Your CV: do and don’t
Do
“Checked 300 stock lines against till records each month and found £1,200 of errors”
Show care with numbers. Give each role a result.
Don’t
“Hard-working team player with great attention to detail”
A claim with no proof. BDO asks you to keep everything factual.
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 BDO 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 London or not selected? Your optionsMissed it or not selected? Your options
- Another region or Audit Technology, by 15 Nov. Only one you can commute to, and only if you have not used this season’s application.Another region next season. The other regions had a deadline set for 15 Nov this year. Pick one you can commute to.
- Still a student? BDO runs a six-week Audit Summer Internship and a 12-month Audit Industrial Placement. The internship closes on 15 Nov.The internship deadline was set for 15 Nov. The placement closes on 15 Nov.The placement deadline was set for 15 Nov. BDO calls the internship a “potential fast track”. Look for both on BDO’s job board.
- Next season. Going by BDO’s FAQ, the next season is likely to open in late September 2027. You can reapply then.
- Meanwhile. Campus careers fairs run until 21 October 2026 (BDO events).This season’s campus careers fairs ran until 21 October 2026. Check BDO events for what comes next.
05/10Stage 2 · Online tasks
The BDO online tasks
BDO’s online stage is a set of puzzle-style tasks from Arctic Shores. BDO says they “don’t require prior preparation”. You can still try the practice task.
5 to 15 min
Each task, after a short tutorial
Not published
Which tasks BDO sets
4-point
Scale on your feedback report
BDO says the tasks measure “cognitive ability, resilience and decision-making” and are “based on quantitative and inductive reasoning” (process page). The test maker’s 2026 guide says employers choose “some or all” of six task types, at 5 to 15 minutes each. BDO’s own list of task types is not published.
The six task types in the test maker’s guide
- Fast prompts. Shapes or numbers, where “each new prompt briefly appears and disappears”. You respond quickly.
- Patterns. “abstract patterns in shapes”.
- Numbers. “quantitative and mathematical concepts”.
- Faces. “Interpret and label facial emotional expressions”.
- Movement. “Coordinate finger-tap or click responses to the movement of a visual stimulus”.
- Predictions. “Use information and feedback from the task to make a series of predictions”.
Step through the tasks
Your journey: before you start
Your welcome page
Your invite link opens a welcome page with a practice task you can try first. It does not count. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
What to expect
Next, a page lists the kinds of task you might get. Most people get only some of them.
Your feedback report
Afterwards you get a report by email. It places you on a four-point scale for each area.
Your moves
- Try the practice task before the real tasks.
- Ask BDO for adjustments when you apply.
Practice task: does not count
Read the rules
Before you play, short steps explain the keys: Q for the orange lightbulb, P for the blue cog. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
Press Q or P
An icon flashes up in one of the three boxes. Press the matching key on your keyboard, not the mouse.
See if you were right
Ticks fill all three boxes when you are right. Crosses show when you are wrong or miss one.
Finish or play again
Play again as often as you like, then press Continue. The practice does not count.
Your moves
- Play it on the device you will use for the real tasks.
- Use the Q and P keys, not the mouse.
- Get used to the keys before the real tasks.
Direction: a tutorial example
Tutorial first
Each task starts with a short tutorial. Here it says press P when the centre arrow points right. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
Answer with Q or P
Press Q if the centre arrow points left and P if it points right. This screen is our reading of the tutorial.
Your moves
- Each task begins with a guided tutorial. Read it in full.
- Q means left and P means right.
Our own simplified drawings of Arctic Shores-style screens, not screenshots. Employers set their own version, so BDO’s may differ.
The rules: allowed and banned
Allowed
- The free practice task, before you start
- A laptop or tablet. A phone works, but BDO advises a bigger screen
- Adjustments, if you ask when you apply
- Logging back in after a crash, as progress saves
Banned
- AI tools. BDO says “AI won’t help you”
- AI at the video interview or assessment centre
- Outside “help guides”, which give “poor or invalid measures”
From BDO’s tips page and the test maker’s help centre. BDO says “Any misuse of AI may result in your removal from the recruitment process”.
On the day: invite, deadline and feedback
- Invite. An email with your deadline. Check junk mail. It runs in a web browser, with no app.
- Missed the deadline? The test maker cannot extend it “without permission from the employer”. Ask BDO.
- Feedback. “You’ll receive personalised feedback afterwards”, says BDO. No pass mark is published.
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 14 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
Practise
- Arctic Shores demo taskArctic Shores, the test maker · about 5 minutes · no account neededThe practice task BDO links from its own tips page. Try it on the device you will use.Free
From the test maker
- A Guide to Your Assessment, 2026Arctic Shores · PDF, 12 pages · no account neededThe six task types, the tutorials and the feedback report you get.Free
- Do I need to practice?Arctic Shores help centre · no account neededWhere the practice button sits on your invite page, and why outside guides can count against you.Free
- Stuck on the practice task?Arctic Shores help centre · no account neededIf the practice task seems frozen, it wants the Q and P keys, not your mouse.Free
Watch
- How does a task-based assessment work?Arctic Shores on YouTube · May 2024 · 6 minThe test maker explains what the tasks measure and walks through the code breaker task.Free
Skip paid game packs and “how to pass” videos. The test maker says outside guides can make your result invalid, and BDO says the tasks need no preparation.
Next: see how employers use reasoning and behaviour tests in our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
06/10Stage 3 · Interviews
The video interview and assessment centre
Two stages: a timed video interview, then a virtual assessment centre. BDO says it never uses AI to make hiring decisions.
Video interviewTimed, recorded
Scenario questions · Practice question first
Assessment centreVirtual
Case study presentation · Group exercise
BDO says: “there’s no one perfect answer”.
The video interview assesses “your communication skills, awareness of the business stream you applied to, and how you align with BDO’s values” (process page). The number of questions and retakes are not published.
The practice question and the centre’s format
- Practice. You “Answer a sample practice question” and check sound and picture. “You won’t be assessed until the real interview begins”.
- Timed. BDO says “It will be clear which parts are timed at the beginning of each section”.
- The centre. First “the case study presentation”, where you present recommendations to assessors. Then “the group exercise”.
- Dates. You choose from the dates offered. The case topic, length and group size are not published.
How to answer: STAR, even for what-ifs
BDO’s video questions take the form “What would you do if…?”. It suggests STAR even for these. Draw on work, study, volunteering or group projects.
Situation
Set the scene in one or two lines.
Task
What had to happen.
Action
What you did, or would do.
Result
What changed, with a number.
Follow-ups to rehearse
What would you do differently?Which BDO value does this show?What risk did you spot?
The follow-ups are ours.
See our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
The case study and group exercise: BDO’s tips
Case study presentation
Read everything, then plan your time. Give the problem, your recommendation, why, and the risk. For audit, “you’d address risks and controls”. “aim for 5-7 points”.
Group exercise
“collaboration over competition”. Bring in quieter members and keep the group on task.
From BDO’s hints and tips, 14 October 2026.
Practise: one question at a time
What would you do: scenario questions
BDO publishes no question bank. These are our prompts in its “What would you do if…?” style. The answers are ours.
Deadline
What would you do if a client could not give you a document you needed by the deadline?
What they’re testing: judgement and communication.
Show a strong answer
- Say what you would ask, who you would tell, and how you would still meet the deadline. Back it with a real moment like it.
Teamwork
What would you do if a teammate kept missing their part of a group task?
What they’re testing: Being Collaborative.
Show a strong answer
- Talk to them first, offer help, then agree a plan. Show a time you did this.
Integrity
What would you do if a number did not match the records?
What they’re testing: Being Responsible, and an audit mindset.
Show a strong answer
- Check it again, note it and raise it with your manager. Never fix it quietly.
Learning
What would you do if you were given a task you had never done before?
What they’re testing: learning agility. BDO’s ads ask you to be “ready to learn, ask questions”.
Show a strong answer
- Say how you would find out: ask, check past work, try it, then get it reviewed. Back it with a time you learned fast, and say what you learned.
Motivation questions
BDO says to explain why you chose your stream. These prompts and answers are ours.
Why audit
Why did you choose audit?
What they’re testing: awareness of the stream you applied to.
Show a strong answer
- Say what auditors do: test a company’s accounts, its risks and its controls. Link it to a time you checked detail.
Why BDO
Why BDO?
What they’re testing: real research.
Show a strong answer
- Name something specific: a value that fits you, or something you learned from BDO’s people.
Your region
Why this office and team?
What they’re testing: that you will stay.
Show a strong answer
- Show you live within reach of the office and know what the team audits.
Your questions
Do you have any questions for us?
What they’re testing: real interest in the role.
Show a strong answer
- Use BDO’s own example: “What does success look like in this role?” Or ask what they like about working in audit.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two STAR stories for each of BDO’s Skills for Success.
| Skill | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Leading Self & Others | ||
| Driving Growth | ||
| Harnessing Business Thinking | ||
| Activating Innovation & Change |
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 14 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From BDO
- Interview hints and tipsBDO Careers · no account neededBDO’s own tips for every stage, from the video interview to the case study, the group task and the final.Free
- AI and your application to BDOBDO Careers · no account neededWhat AI you can use to prepare, and what gets you removed from the process.Free
Practise
- BDO HiveBDO · free account neededMessage BDO mentors and work through BDO’s own short modules before your interviews.Free
- BDO audit GradSimTARGETjobs · free TARGETjobs account neededTARGETjobs calls it an actual task from BDO, with graduates in the role talking about it.Free
Watch
- Audit at BDO is Beyond the OrdinaryBDO on YouTube · Oct 2024 · 3 minBDO’s auditors describe the work. Use it for why audit and why BDO.Free
07/10Stage 4 · Final
The final interview and your offer
The final interview is face-to-face, in the office you applied to. It is a conversation with senior staff.
In person
In the office you applied to. You also “meet some of your potential colleagues”.
What they explore
Your “motivation, decision making, learning agility” and your potential.
Travel
BDO’s FAQ says “you can claim up to £150” for the graduate final interview. Checked 14 October 2026.
Your offer
Good news comes “via a phone call from the Early Careers team”. Hear-back times are not published.
BDO’s prep list, and the checks after an offer
- Examples. Recent leadership, teamwork or adaptability. Explain how, why, and what you learned.
- Your stream. “Be ready to explain why you chose your business stream”. Link your answers to BDO’s four values.
- Questions to ask. BDO suggests “What does success look like in this role?”
- After an offer. You show proof of your grades and your right to work. The interview’s length and panel are not published.
Key dates: September 2027 intake
23 Sep 2026
Most audit ads posted
17 October 2026
All audit ads were open when we checked. Apply now
25 Oct 2026
London closes. Submit by Sat 24 OctLondon applications were due by this date
15 Nov 2026
Other regions and Audit Technology close
15 Nov 2026
Deadline for the other regions and Audit Technology
20 Sep 2027
Induction day, the first day of the programme
08/10
Visa sponsorship
Our reading: BDO sponsors no visas for its early careers programmes. It also does not accept people who hold or need a Graduate visa.
BDO says its programmes “do not meet the current minimum salary requirements for sponsorship set by the Home Office” (BDO FAQs).
The Graduate visa and right to work
- 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). Either way it ends before a three-year contract does.
- Right to work. It must cover the full contract, say the ads. See how to prove your right to work.
- A past student visa. It can rule out the apprenticeship route. BDO says you can still join outside it.
- Fraud. BDO warns that fraudsters may ask for money, for example for visa fees.
Need sponsorship? See our guides to UK companies that sponsor visas and staying in the UK after studying. This is general information, so check GOV.UK.
09/10
Key takeaways
Before you apply
- London closes on Sunday 25 October 2026. Submit by Saturday 24 October to be safe.London’s deadline was set for Sunday 25 October 2026. The other regions close on 15 November.The other regions’ deadline was set for 15 November. The next season is likely to open in late September 2027.
- BDO welcomes one application per season, in one stream, with up to two teams.
- You must live within commuting distance of your office. BDO gives no relocation support.
- The online tasks come from Arctic Shores. Try the free practice task, and use no AI.
- The video interview uses timed scenario questions. Answer with STAR, even for what-ifs.
- BDO sponsors no visas and does not accept Graduate visa holders.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save BDO once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
When does the BDO audit graduate scheme close?
London closes on Sunday 25 October 2026.London’s ad has closed. Its deadline was set for Sunday 25 October 2026. The six other regions and Audit Technology close on Sunday 15 November 2026.The six other regions and Audit Technology had a deadline set for Sunday 15 November 2026. The next season is likely to open in late September 2027. BDO gives no closing time. So submit a London application by Saturday 24 October.
Does BDO sponsor visas for audit graduates?
No. BDO says its early careers salaries are below the Home Office minimum for sponsorship. It also does not accept applicants who hold or need a Graduate visa. Your right to work must cover the full three-year contract.
What grades do I need for the BDO audit graduate scheme?
A 2:2 in any subject, obtained or predicted. You also need three A-levels at A* to C, or four Scottish Highers at A or B, plus GCSE grade 4 in Maths and English. BDO does not use UCAS points.
What is the BDO online assessment?
Puzzle-style tasks from Arctic Shores. BDO says they measure cognitive ability, resilience and decision-making, and need no preparation. Each task starts with a tutorial and takes 5 to 15 minutes. You can try a free practice task first.
What happens in the BDO video interview?
You record answers to timed scenario questions, in the style of what would you do if. BDO assesses your communication, your awareness of audit and your fit with its values. A practice question comes first and is not assessed.
Can I apply to more than one BDO region or stream?
BDO welcomes one application per season, in one stream. Within that stream you can pick up to two teams. Each region has its own ad, and you must live within commuting distance of the office you apply to.
Can I use AI when applying to BDO?
Yes, to research BDO, prepare and polish your own drafts. No, during the online tasks, the video interview or the assessment centre, and never to invent experience. BDO may use detection tools, and misuse can remove you.
