By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Tax Graduate Programme · 7 GB offices and Belfast · September 2027 start, Belfast also April 2027
Open on 17 October 2026. Closes when places fillThis year’s listings have closedCheck each listing for its closing dateOffice full? Your options
Short answer: Apply now. EY’s Tax graduate programme had nine open listings on 15 October 2026: seven offices in Great Britain and two Belfast intakes. Each closes when its places fill.This year’s EY Tax graduate listings have closed. EY closes each listing when its places fill.EY’s Tax graduate programme has nine listings: seven offices in Great Britain and two Belfast intakes. Check each for its closing date. 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. Office full? Other EY routes were open on 17 October 2026.Office full? See your other options.Office full? See your other options.
Applying now?Applying next year?
Pick one office and fill in the form. Every office closes when it fills, so take the tests soon after.This year’s listings have closed. Pick one office when the next ones open.Pick one office, then check its listing for the closing date. Take the tests soon after the form. How to apply
Office full or missed it?
Try another office 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.
On EY’s Tax programme you help “clients navigate evolving tax laws that impact every aspect of society”. This guide to the EY Tax graduate application process uses EY’s own pages for every date and rule.
This playbook covers every open office, 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 closed)1. Application: see your listing’s closing date
An online form, with no CV or cover letter. Each office closes when its places fill, so apply early.This year’s listings have closed. Next year, apply early: each office closes when its places fill.Check your listing for its closing date, and apply early.
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.
9
Tax listings open, 15 October 2026Tax listings, all closed this yearTax listings. See each for its date
Sep 2027
Start date, Belfast also April 2027
3 years
Great Britain, 3.5 in Northern Ireland
No CV
An online form only
In person
EY Experience Day
Competitive
Salary, no figure published
Great Britain: 7 offices
ICAEW or ICAS, over 3 years. EY pays the costs. In England you also gain a Level 7 apprenticeship, “equivalent to a master’s degree”.
Northern Ireland: Belfast, 2 intakes
Over 3.5 years. The September listing names “ICAI”, the April listing “CAI”. You must “remain in Northern Ireland for the entire duration of the programme”.
GB listings add “the option of Chartered Tax Advisor (CIOT), or Association of Tax Technicians (ATT) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CIOT) joint qualification”. EY does not say who takes it.
Where these facts come from
- Listings and pay. EY’s Tax listings, checked 15 October 2026. Pay is “Competitive”. EY’s FAQs add: “We don’t discuss salaries before an offer is made”.
- Qualification. “A globally recognised Chartered Accountancy qualification” with ICAEW or ICAS.
- Level 7. For those based in England, “a government accredited and industry-recognised Level 7 Apprenticeship in accountancy and taxation”. EY says it “was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2024 across all areas of delivery”. By our count, that means Birmingham, London, Manchester and Reading.
- Tax areas. EY’s Careers in Tax page names five areas its Tax practice covers: Global Compliance and Reporting, Indirect Tax, International Tax and Transaction Services, People Advisory Services, and Tax Technology and Transformation. The listing does not say which team you join.
- Background reading. The CIOT’s joint programmes and the ATT’s Tax Pathway.
- Costs and CV. EY says “we’ll cover the costs for you”, and “A CV or cover letter is not required” (EY’s FAQs).
03/10
What EY Tax looks for
The GB listings name six core skills, in the words below.
Curiosity and motivation
“Ask questions and build your understanding of how Tax works in real business scenarios across different organisations.”
Collaboration
“Work as part of a team, building relationships as you contribute to client work and a group case study.”
Analytical thinking
“Make sense of financial information and client data to support tax work and identify risks or inconsistencies.”
Adaptability
“Stay organised and flexible as you balance tasks, learning sessions and case study deadlines during a fast-paced programme.”
Ownership and accountability
“Deliver accurate work you can stand behind, taking feedback on board to improve quality and confidence.”
Digital fluency
“Use technology and data in a practical way to support how tax work is delivered and solutions are developed.”
Belfast’s listings name five: ownership and proactivity, resilience, relationship building, adaptability, and integrity.
EY’s eight skills, used across its hiring
ProactiveDo the right thingCuriousBuild relationshipsAgilityThink criticallyEmbrace technologyMotivated
From EY’s key skills page. No Tax 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.This year’s listings have closed.Check your listing for its closing date. EY gives no closing date.EY gave no closing date. 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
Tax graduate listings by intake
| Intake | Offices | Trains for | Visa |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2027 | London | ICAEW or ICAS, 3 years | Limited |
| September 2027 | Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Reading | ICAEW or ICAS, 3 years | None |
| September 2027 | Belfast | ICAI, 3.5 years | None |
| April 2027 | Belfast | CAI, 3.5 years | None |
From EY’s Tax listings, checked on 15 October 2026. All nine said “Applications are open”.17 October 2026. All nine had closed by then.17 October 2026. Check each listing for its closing date.
Where to apply, the rules and EY’s help
- Where to apply. Each office has its own form, such as London, Belfast, September or Belfast, April.
- 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.
- Convictions. Chartered Accountancy is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, so “you must disclose all spent or unspent convictions”.
- 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 Tax and Tax Technology & Transformation in the same week”
They are different programmes. EY takes one every six months, with no swaps.
EY does not publish its form questions. Our CV achievement examples help you find a result for each Tax 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. On 15 October 2026, all nine Tax listings were open.All nine Tax listings had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check each office’s listing for its closing date.
- Other EY graduate programmes. Tax Technology & Transformation, Global Compliance & Reporting and Finance Operations are different programmes (EY’s vacancies). They were open on 17 October 2026.They had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check each listing for its closing date.
- Placement year ahead? The one-year Tax Industrial Placement in Leeds, London and Manchester starts in July 2027.The one-year Tax Industrial Placement in Leeds, London and Manchester started in July 2027. It was open on 17 October 2026.It had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check its listing for the closing date. EY calls it “a pathway to our Graduate programme within the same business area and location”.
- Apprenticeships and internships. Not open when we checked on 15 October 2026. EY said they “will open shortly”.They had closed when we checked on 15 October 2026.EY’s apprenticeship and intern programmes were open when we checked on 15 October 2026.Check EY’s student pages for when they open.
- Next cycle. EY gives no date for the next cycle.
- Other firms. See our PwC Audit graduate scheme 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.”
EY publishes no Tax-only test.
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 · virtualEY recruiters share tips, then take questions live.EY recruiters shared tips and took questions. Watch the page for new dates.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
EY publishes no Tax interview questions. It names no technical tax test either.
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, says EY’s graduate page. 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”.
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 tax?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
Tax’s skills
Our own practice prompts, built on Tax’s six core skills.
Curiosity
Tell me about a time you asked questions to understand something new.
What they’re testing: whether you “ask questions and build your understanding”.
Show a strong answer
- What you did not know, what you asked, and what you then did with the answer.
Collaboration
Tell me about a time you helped a team finish a task on a deadline.
What they’re testing: whether you “work as part of a team, building relationships”.
Show a strong answer
- Your own part, how you kept the group working together, and the result.
Analytical thinking
Tell me about a time you spotted a mistake in some figures.
What they’re testing: whether you “identify risks or inconsistencies”.
Show a strong answer
- The data, how you checked it, what you found and what changed.
Ownership
Tell me about a time feedback changed your work.
What they’re testing: “taking feedback on board to improve quality”.
Show a strong answer
- The feedback, what you changed and the better result.
Why tax and ethics
Coaches say these come up in Big 4 interviews (Jag Dhaliwal ACA, video below). Not EY-specific or Tax-specific.
Why tax
Why tax, and why EY?
What they’re testing: real interest in the work.
Show a strong answer
- Two reasons tied to EY’s Tax work, such as “evolving tax laws”, each linked to something you have done.
- Our tip: the government will set out its Budget on 28 October 2026. Read about it and pick one change to discuss.Our tip: read about the Budget the government set out on 28 October 2026, and pick one change to discuss.
Ethics
A colleague changes a figure to meet a deadline. What do you do?
What they’re testing: integrity under pressure.
Show a strong answer
- Coaches say “escalate that to your manager immediately”, then “document everything”.
About you
Tell me about yourself.
What they’re testing: “enthusiasm to succeed”.
Show a strong answer
- Coaches say: present, past, future. End on why Tax at EY.
Your questions
“Do you have any questions for me?”
What they’re testing: “a questioning mindset”.
Show a strong answer
- Coaches say: have questions ready. Ask about the work, such as how trainees balance client work and study.
- Skip pay. EY does not discuss salaries before an offer.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two stories per row. In Belfast, use its five skills.
| What EY Tax asks for | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Curiosity and motivation | ||
| Collaboration | ||
| Analytical thinking | ||
| Adaptability | ||
| Ownership and accountability | ||
| Digital fluency | ||
| Why Tax 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 Tax’s six.Free
- EY’s own written exercise brief, 2025EY Experience Day 2025 · PDF · no account neededClient data, questions, then your written view.Free
- EY’s own group exercise brief, 2025EY Experience Day 2025 · large PDF · no account neededArgue for one area while every view is heard.Free
Watch
- 13 common Big 4 interview questions, from an audit managerJag Dhaliwal ACA on YouTube · Oct 2025 · 30 minCoaches say: escalate and document on ethics. Most useful if your route has a final interview.Free
Read
- How UK taxes work, explainedInstitute for Fiscal Studies TaxLab · impartial explainer · no account neededRead one explainer before you answer “why tax?”.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 Tax 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”.
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: Tax, 2026-27
15 October 2026
All nine Tax listings open, each closes when filled
By 17 October 2026
All nine Tax listings closed
17 October 2026
Our last check. See each listing for its closing date
Tuesdays to 24 Nov
EY’s application bootcamp webinars, 4:00pm
Until 24 Nov
EY’s application bootcamp webinars ran on Tuesdays
Nov 2026 to Apr 2027
EY Experience Days, in person
Nov 2026 to Apr 2027
EY Experience Days, in person
April 2027
The Belfast April intake starts
April 2027
The Belfast April intake started
September 2027
The September intake starts in seven GB offices and Belfast
September 2027
The September intake started in seven GB offices and Belfast
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 Tax listing, checked 15 October 2026, says for London: “Visa sponsorship is available for this position on a limited basis.” You “must be eligible for the New Entrant rate for four years from the start date of your programme”. For the other offices and both Belfast listings, 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 Tax listing).
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”.
- Work-permit cut-off, London only. EY’s FAQs give 1 May 2027 as the cut-off for applicants who need a work permit, for the September 2027 intake.EY’s FAQs gave 1 May 2027 as the cut-off for applicants who need a work permit, for the September 2027 intake. EY labels it a 2026 intake, so check with EY. Tax in London has no April intake.
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. Every Tax office closes when its places fill, with no date given.This year’s listings have closed. Next year, apply early: every office closes when its places fill.Check your listing for its closing date, and apply early.
- You get one EY application every six months. Tax Technology & Transformation is a different programme, so pick on purpose.
- The tests are a Realistic Job Preview, then a behavioural skills test. EY publishes no Tax-only test.
- The Experience Day is in person. EY’s 2025 packs had a group and a written exercise.
- Know why you want tax. Read one explainer and follow the Budget on 28 October 2026.Read one explainer and one report on the Budget of 28 October 2026.
- Need a visa? Only London sponsors, on a limited basis. You must qualify as a new entrant for four years.
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 Tax graduate application process work?
You fill in EY’s online form for one office, with no CV. Then you take a Realistic Job Preview and a behavioural skills test, and go to an in-person Experience Day. A final interview follows only if your programme includes one. EY does not say whether Tax does.
When does the EY Tax graduate programme close?
EY gives no fixed date. Each office closes when its places fill, or if EY gets a high volume of applications. On 15 October 2026, all nine Tax listings were open.This year’s nine listings have closed. EY gave no fixed date. It closes each office when its places fill, or if it gets a high volume of applications.Check each office’s listing for its closing date. EY can also close an office early when its places fill. Some roles may reopen later.
Which qualification will I study for on EY’s Tax programme?
In Great Britain, ICAEW or ICAS Chartered Accountancy over three years, with a Chartered Tax Adviser option. In Belfast, the September listing names ICAI and the April listing CAI, over three and a half years. EY pays the costs.
What are the EY Tax online tests?
A Realistic Job Preview, then a behavioural skills test, both on Cappfinity’s platform. EY publishes no Tax-only test. Last year EY also listed a 20-minute numerical test. It has not confirmed one for 2026-27.
Do I need a tax or accounting degree for EY Tax?
No. 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 Tax graduates?
Only in London, on a limited basis. You must qualify for the Skilled Worker new entrant rate for four years from your start date. The other offices and Belfast do not sponsor, and take no Graduate visa holders.
