By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Business Consulting Graduate Programme · London, Manchester and Belfast · September 2027 start
Open now, closes when places fillThis year’s listings have closedCheck EY’s listingsOffice full? Your options
Short answer: Apply now. On 15 October 2026, EY’s Business Consulting graduate programme was open in London, Manchester and Belfast. Each office closes when its places fill, with no date given. Office full? See your other options below.This year’s Business Consulting listings had closed when we checked on 21 October 2026. Watch EY’s graduate page for next year’s.EY’s Business Consulting graduate programme runs in London, Manchester and Belfast. Check each office’s listing on EY’s site. You fill in a form with no CV. Then you take a Realistic Job Preview and a behavioural skills test, and go to an in-person Experience Day. Only London sponsors visas, on a limited basis.
Applying now?Applying next year?Applying?
Pick one office and fill in the form. Every office closes when it fills, so take the tests soon after.This year’s listings had closed when we checked on 21 October 2026. Watch EY’s graduate page for next year’s.Pick one office and check its listing on EY’s site. How to apply
Office full or missed it?
Try another office, a placement year or another EY programme.Try another EY programme or another firm.Try another office, a placement year or another EY programme. You get one EY application every six months. Your options
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with EY.
EY hires Business Consulting graduates to “shape business transformation through strategy, insight and technology”. This guide to the EY Business Consulting graduate application process uses EY’s own pages for every date and rule.
This playbook covers all three offices, including 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. Prep times are our suggestions.
1. Application: open now, closes when filled1. Application: this year’s listings have closed1. Application: an online form
An online form, with no CV or cover letter. Each office closes when its places fill, so apply early.This year’s listings had closed when we checked on 21 October 2026.Check each office’s listing on EY’s site.
2. Online tests: job preview, then skills test
A Realistic Job Preview, then a behavioural skills test. Both run on Cappfinity’s platform. Prep a few days.
3. Experience Day: in person
A day in an EY office, with group and individual tasks. EY aims to give at least a week’s notice. Prep 1 to 2 weeks.
4. Final step: an interview only if your programme has one
Check your invitation for a final interview. If you have one, it usually comes two to three weeks after the Experience Day.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The role at a glance
Everything you need to decide, on one screen. If EY has not published something, we say so.
3Closed3
Offices open on 21 October 2026This year’s listingsOffices with a listing
Sep 2027
Start date, all three offices
2 years
Programme length
No CV
An online form only
In person
EY Experience Day
Competitive
Salary, no figure published
London and Manchester: one listing
You work across capabilities “including: Business Transformation, Studio+, Finance, and Supply Chain & Operations”. In Financial Services you study for CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants). In Public and Private, a role-specific qualification.
Belfast: a Northern Ireland listing
No named qualification, but “Skills and training for the future”. You must “remain in Northern Ireland for the entire duration of the programme”.
Where these facts come from
- Listings and pay. EY’s Business Consulting listings, checked 15 October 2026. Each says “Programme length: Two years” and “Salary: Competitive”.
- The work. Tasks include “developing proposals and business cases that support decisions and drive change”.
- No CV. “A CV or cover letter is not required” (EY’s FAQs).
03/10
What EY Business Consulting looks for
The London and Manchester listing names six core skills, in the words below. EY also weighs your A-levels with your online test scores.
Analytical thinking
“Interpret data, trends and evidence to develop insights that inform strategy and transformation.”
Problem solving
“Break down complex client challenges into practical solutions that improve performance and efficiency.”
Inclusive collaboration
“Work with diverse teams and clients to deliver shared outcomes.”
Critical thinking and judgement
“Assess options, risks and implications to make sound recommendations.”
Adaptability
“Respond to changing client needs, industries and project demands with confidence.”
Digital fluency
“Use technology, data and tools to support transformation and improve performance.”
Belfast’s listing names four: analytical and systems thinking, collaboration, curiosity and motivation, and adaptability and resilience.
EY’s eight skills, used across its hiring
ProactiveDo the right thingCuriousBuild relationshipsAgilityThink criticallyEmbrace technologyMotivated
From EY’s key skills page. No Business Consulting listing names a degree class. EY also uses contextual recruitment, which weighs your socio-economic background.
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
Apply now: every office closes when it fills. EY gives no closing date.This year’s Business Consulting listings have closed. Watch EY’s graduate page for next year’s.Check each office’s listing before you apply. Roles close “once positions are filled or if we receive a high volume of applications”.
1
Pick one office
One EY programme per six months
2
Fill in the form
No CV or cover letter
3
Take the tests
Job preview, then skills test
4
Watch your inbox
And your junk folder
Business Consulting listings by office
| Office | Listing | Visa sponsorship |
|---|---|---|
| London | Business Consulting, September 2027 | Limited |
| Manchester | The same listing as London | None |
| Belfast | Northern Ireland listing, September 2027 | None |
From EY’s Business Consulting listings, checked 15 October 2026. All three said “Applications are open”.21 October 2026. All had closed by then.21 October 2026. Check each listing for its status.
Where to apply, the rules and EY’s help
- Where to apply. Each office has its own form: London, Manchester or Belfast.
- One at a time. “You can only apply for one programme every six months, so choose carefully.” No swaps.
- If you are rejected. Wait six months and use a new email address. At most two applications a year.
- Changing office. Transfers “may be reviewed depending on vacancy availability”. A Belfast offer “cannot be transferred to any other EY location in the UK or Ireland”.
- Stay active. If your application “has been inactive for 10 days”, EY withdraws it.
- Emails. Hotmail addresses “often reject or block our emails”. Real EY emails end in @ey.com or @uk.ey.com.
- Questions. Call EY on +44 (0)800 289 208, weekdays 8:30am to 5:30pm.
Your form answers: do and don’t
Do
“Maths (A), Economics (B), History (B), 2024”
EY asks for your qualifications and says “proofread before submitting”. Match your certificates exactly.
Don’t
“Applied to Business and Technology Consulting in the same week”
EY takes one programme every six months, with no swaps.
EY does not publish its form questions. Our CV achievement examples help you find a result for each Business Consulting skill. 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 EY 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.
Office full or missed it? Your options
- The rule first. Each route below uses your one EY application for six months.
- Another office. London, Manchester and Belfast were all open on 21 October 2026.This year’s listings had all closed when we checked on 21 October 2026.Check each office’s listing on EY’s site.
- Other EY graduate programmes. People Consulting was open in all three offices on 15 October 2026.Not all of EY’s other routes were open when we checked on 21 October 2026. Check People Consulting on EY’s site.Check EY’s listings for People Consulting. Risk and Technology Consulting, EY-Parthenon, Technology Risk, Forensic and Tax also hire graduates. Check which are open on EY’s vacancies.
- Placement year ahead? On 21 October 2026, EY listed the 11-month Business Consulting Industrial Placement in London as closed. Look for the next intake on EY’s site.Not every EY route was open when we checked on 21 October 2026. Check the Business Consulting Industrial Placement on EY’s site.Check EY’s listings for the Business Consulting Industrial Placement in London. EY calls it “a pathway to our Graduate programme within the same business area and location”.
- Internships. When we checked on 15 October 2026, they were not open yet. EY said its intern programmes “will open shortly”.They were open when we checked on 15 October 2026.They had closed when we checked on 15 October 2026.
- Next cycle. EY gives no date for the next cycle.
- Other firms. See our McKinsey Business Analyst guide.
05/10Stage 2 · Online tests
EY’s online tests
EY’s tests run on Cappfinity’s platform. EY’s careers pages do not name it. But EY’s prep hub says its systems are “operated on behalf of EY by Cappfinity Limited”.
First: Realistic Job Preview
“A first stage of online assessment including teamwork and learning capability.”
Then: behavioural skills test
“Measuring whether you have the required skills for the role.”
Step through the tests
Behavioural questions: rank, scale, pick and write
Read the welcome page
A welcome page explains the assessment and gives a few tips. Press Continue to start. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
Rank the responses
A short work scenario comes with four possible actions. Drag them into order, from the one you would most likely take to the least likely.
Move the slider
Some questions ask where you sit between two views. Drag the handle along the scale, and a box above it shows what you picked.
Pick the best response
A scenario comes with four responses. Pick the one you think is most appropriate, then save and go on.
Write your answer
Some questions ask for a written answer. These can be timed, and a counter shows how many characters you have left.
Your moves
- Answer as you would really act. EY checks if your values “align with ours”.
- For written answers, plan two or three points first.
Video answers: check, read and record
Test your camera
Before the questions you record a short test clip, play it back and accept it. Employers set their own version, so yours may differ.
Read the question
The question appears with a short preparation countdown. Use the time to plan, then press Record Now.
Record your answer
A second timer shows how long you have to answer. Press Finish Recording when you are done.
Your moves
- Check your webcam and mic in a quiet, well-lit room.
- Use the prep time to plan two or three points.
Last year EY listed a 20-minute numerical test. EY has not confirmed one for 2026-27.
Our own simplified drawings of Cappfinity’s practice screens, not screenshots. Employers set their own version, so your screens may differ. We do not draw the pattern or rules format.
The rules: do and don’t
Do
- Work alone and answer as yourself
- Use a PC or laptop, not a phone
- Keep your camera on if asked
Don’t
- Use help from anyone or any AI tool
- Share any test content
- Use anyone else’s materials
EY’s rules say do every test “without any assistance”. EY names no AI rule, so use none.
Time limits, practice, adjustments and re-sits
- Time. Your invite and each test’s instructions give any time limits.
- Practice. EY’s practice hub sits “within the assessment portal”.
- Adjustments. Ask before you start: usually up to 25% extra time. EY “won’t be able to let you re-sit” if you ask afterwards.
- Re-sits. EY may ask you to re-sit. If it suspects help, it can reject you.
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 EY
- What EY’s online tests could involveEY Careers FAQs · 2026-27 · no account neededEY’s six question formats, time limits and fair-play rules.Free
- EY’s application bootcamp webinarEY Careers · Tuesdays to 24 Nov, 4:00pm · virtual · free sign-upRan on Tuesdays to 24 Nov · virtualTips from EY recruiters, with live questions.Free
Practise
- Try Cappfinity’s numerical demoCappfinity, EY’s test provider · EY listed a numerical test last year · no account neededGeneral practice in last year’s format. EY sets its own version.Free
Skip anyone selling real EY questions or offering help during the tests. EY’s rules say you work alone and share nothing.
Next: learn how ranking and judgement questions work with our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
06/10Stage 3 · Experience Day
The EY Experience Day
The Experience Day is in person, in an EY office. EY uses it to “see how you work with other people and apply your skills in work-based scenarios”.
Group exerciseEY’s 2025 pack
Argue for one area · Hear every view · Agree as a team
Written exerciseEY’s 2025 pack
Client data · Short questions · Your written view
No case interview is published. EY names no case study or case interview for Business Consulting. Prepare for group and individual tasks instead.
When: EY’s graduate page says Experience Days run from November 2026 to April 2027. Book travel only after EY’s guidelines arrive.This cycle’s Experience Days ran from November 2026 to April 2027. EY repays travel “up to a set maximum amount”.
How to answer
Group exercise
EY’s 2025 pack asks you to “champion the successes of your industry and initiatives, whilst also ensuring that all parties’ views are included and considered”.
1
Read your brief
Note two facts for your area
2
Make your case
Short, with one number
3
Bring others in
Ask the quietest person
4
Help decide
Sum up and agree
Written exercise
EY’s 2025 pack asks you to “dig into this data, answer some questions about it, and then put together some written thoughts”. It adds: “We’re not just looking for number-crunching; we want your insights”.
1
Read the email
Know what the manager wants
2
Find key figures
Two or three, not all
3
Answer each question
Short and exact
4
Give your view
The answer first, then risks
Last year’s tip from EY: no mobile phone, and have a calculator, notepad and pen.
Skills interview
EY’s skills-led interviews are “either virtual or in-person depending on which stage in the process you are at”. Build each true story in four parts:
The moment
Where and when, in one line.
Your aim
What you set out to do, and why it was hard.
What you did
Your own steps, not the team’s.
What changed
The result, with a number if you can.
Follow-ups to rehearse
Why Business Consulting?Why EY?What exactly was your role?What would you do differently?
See our guide on how to pass a job interview, then rehearse the toughest interview questions.
Practise: one question at a time
Business Consulting’s skills
Our own practice prompts, built on Business Consulting’s six core skills. EY publishes no Business Consulting interview questions.
Problem solving
Tell me about a time you broke a big problem into smaller parts.
What they’re testing: turning “complex client challenges into practical solutions”.
Show a strong answer
- The problem, how you split it, what you tackled first and the result.
Inclusive collaboration
Tell me about a time you worked with people who saw things differently.
What they’re testing: working with diverse teams “to deliver shared outcomes”.
Show a strong answer
- Who differed and how, how you drew each view in, and what you agreed.
Digital fluency
Tell me about a time you used data or a tool to improve how something worked.
What they’re testing: using “technology, data and tools” to “improve performance”.
Show a strong answer
- The tool, what you changed with it and a measured result.
Critical thinking and judgement
Tell me about a time you weighed up options and recommended one.
What they’re testing: whether you “assess options, risks and implications”.
Show a strong answer
- The options, the risks you weighed, what you chose and why, and the result.
Why EY and EY’s skills
Our own practice prompts, built on EY’s eight skills. Not from a real EY interview.
Why EY
Why Business Consulting, and why EY?
What they’re testing: real interest in the work.
Show a strong answer
- Two reasons tied to EY’s words, such as “transformation projects that create measurable business impact”, each linked to something you have done.
Curious
Tell me about something you had to learn quickly.
What they’re testing: “a questioning mindset”.
Show a strong answer
- What you learned, how you went about it and how you used it.
Agility
Tell me about a setback and how you responded.
What they’re testing: “Setbacks don’t faze you; they energise you.”
Show a strong answer
- The setback, your next step and what changed because of it.
Do the right thing
Tell me about a time you did the right thing when it was not the easy choice.
What they’re testing: “Working ethically is important to you.”
Show a strong answer
- The pressure, what you chose and why, and what happened next.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two stories per row. One story can cover two rows.
| What EY Business Consulting asks for | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical thinking | ||
| Problem solving | ||
| Inclusive collaboration | ||
| Critical thinking and judgement | ||
| Adaptability | ||
| Digital fluency | ||
| Why Business Consulting at EY |
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 EY
- The eight skills EY looks forEY Careers · no account neededPlan one story per skill, then match them to Business Consulting’s six.Free
- EY’s own written exercise briefEY’s own, from the 2025 cycle · PDF · no account neededClient data, questions, then your written view, much like a business case.Free
- EY’s own group exercise briefEY’s own, from the 2025 cycle · large PDF · no account neededGive each friend one industry from the brief, then argue it out.Free
Read
- How assessment days workProspects (Jisc) · updated Sep 2026 · general guide, not EY-specificPlain tips for group tasks: draw others in, show your working, read the brief twice.Free
07/10Stage 4 · Final step
Final step and offers
EY holds a final interview only “if your programme includes” one. EY does not say whether Business Consulting does, so check your Experience Day invitation.
A final interview, if any
It “will usually take place two to three weeks after your EY Experience Day”.
An offer or the reserve list
When roles fill, EY puts some high performers on a reserve list, and offers a place if one frees up.
Another office
EY may contact you about “alternative office locations or vacancies”. A Belfast offer cannot move.
Feedback and hearing back
- Feedback. “At each stage in our process, we are committed to giving you feedback.”
- Hearing back. EY publishes no timeframe. Watch your portal, inbox and junk folder.
When things happen: Business Consulting, 2026-27
21 October 2026
London, Manchester and Belfast open, each closes when filled
21 October 2026
This year’s listings had closed when we checked
21 October 2026
Listings checked. See each office’s listing on EY’s site
Tuesdays to 24 Nov
EY’s application bootcamp webinars, 4:00pm
20 Oct to 24 Nov
EY’s bootcamp webinars ran on Tuesdays, 4:00pm
Nov 2026 to Apr 2027
EY Experience Days, in person
September 2027
The two-year programme starts in all three officesThe two-year programme started in all three offices
08/10
Visa sponsorship
Our reading: only London sponsors visas, on a limited basis. Graduate visa time counts towards GOV.UK’s four-year cap on the new entrant rate EY needs. If you have held a Graduate visa, ask EY before you apply.
EY’s London listing, checked 15 October 2026, says “Visa sponsorship is available for this position on a limited basis.” You “must be eligible for the New Entrant rate for three years from the start date of your programme”. For Manchester and Belfast, EY “cannot accept applications for this role from those who would require EY visa sponsorship. This includes individuals who have or plan to apply for a Graduate visa” (EY listings).
The Graduate visa, right to work and EY’s cut-off
- 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).
- Right to work. It must be “in place in time for the first day of the graduate programme”. Students finish their degree “by 31 August”, with a CAS end date before then.
- Work-permit cut-off, London only. EY’s FAQs set a last date to apply if you need a work permit. For the September 2027 intake, it is 1 May 2027.For the September 2027 intake, it was set for 1 May 2027. EY’s label for this date still says 2026, so check with EY.
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 your next step
- Apply now. London, Manchester and Belfast each close when their places fill, with no date given.This year’s listings had closed when we checked on 21 October 2026. Use this guide for next year.Check each office’s listing on EY’s site before you apply.
- You get one EY application every six months, so pick Business Consulting and your office on purpose.
- The tests are a Realistic Job Preview, then a behavioural skills test. Do them alone.
- The Experience Day is in person, with no published case interview. EY’s 2025 packs had a group and a written exercise.
- Need a visa? Only London sponsors, on a limited basis. You must qualify as a new entrant for three years.
- Office full? Try another office, a placement year or another EY programme.Missed it? Check EY’s other programmes, or another firm.Office full? Try another office, a placement year or another EY programme.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save EY once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
How does the EY Business Consulting graduate application process work?
You fill in EY’s online form for one office, with no CV or cover letter. Then you take a Realistic Job Preview and a behavioural skills test. Next comes an in-person EY Experience Day. A final interview follows only if your programme includes one. EY does not say whether Business Consulting does.
When does the EY Business Consulting graduate programme close?
EY gives no fixed date. Each office closes when its places fill, or if EY gets a high volume of applications. London, Manchester and Belfast were all open on 21 October 2026.This year’s listings had all closed when we checked on 21 October 2026.Check each office’s listing on EY’s site. Some roles may reopen later.
Which qualification will I study for on EY’s Business Consulting programme?
In London and Manchester, Financial Services joiners study for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification. Public and Private joiners study a role-specific qualification. The Belfast listing names no qualification.
Is there a case interview for EY Business Consulting?
EY publishes no case interview or case study for Business Consulting. The in-person Experience Day has group and individual activities. EY’s own 2025 practice packs had a group exercise and a written exercise built on client data.
Do I need a 2:1 for EY Business Consulting?
No Business Consulting listing names a degree class. EY asks for an honours degree in any subject, GCSE grade 4/C in English Language and Maths, and three A-levels or five Highers, or equivalent. EY also weighs your A-levels with your test scores.
Does EY sponsor visas for Business Consulting graduates?
Only in London, on a limited basis. You must qualify for the Skilled Worker new entrant rate for three years from your start date. Manchester and Belfast do not sponsor. They cannot take people who need sponsorship, including Graduate visa holders.
