By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Graduate Forensic Risk and Assurance · Consulting · ACA, or CA with ICAS in Scotland · Autumn 2027 start
Not open yet, no date givenOpen, see your office’s adClosed this yearSee KPMG’s FRA pageYour other options
Short answer: Not open yet. When we checked on 17 October 2026, KPMG’s FRA page said “Sign up to hear first when we open”. Join KPMG’s Talent Community and prepare now.KPMG’s FRA programme was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. KPMG recruits on a rolling basis, so apply early.KPMG’s FRA applications had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026. Use this guide to prepare for next year.Check KPMG’s FRA page for the opening date. Join KPMG’s Talent Community and prepare now. You get one KPMG application per intake year. So an Audit, Tax or Technology Audit application rules out FRA for 2027. To apply, you take a quiz, a form with no CV, two online tests and a video interview with Leah. Last is a half-day Launch Pad.
Set on FRA?
Join the Talent Community, then prepare for the tests and Leah. How to get ready
Thinking of another KPMG programme?
Audit, Tax and Technology Audit also hire graduates. Each uses your one application. Your options
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with KPMG.
KPMG pitches FRA at anyone “interested in understanding how businesses operate, the risks they face and how to protect them”. This guide to the KPMG Forensic Risk and Assurance graduate application process uses KPMG’s own pages for every date and rule.
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: quiz and form
A job preview quiz, then a form with no CV. KPMG says allow up to 45 minutes.
2. Online tests: skills, then reasoning
An untimed skills assessment and a 36-minute cognitive test. Prep a few days.
3. Video interview: six questions from Leah
You record six answers for KPMG’s avatar Leah. Allow 40 minutes. Prep about a week.
4. Launch Pad: half a day, in person
A half day in person, with your final interview. Offers come within 2 working days.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The role at a glance
Everything you need to decide, on one screen. If KPMG has not published something, we say so.
Not openOpenClosedCheck
FRA status on 17 October 2026When we checked on 17 October 2026KPMG’s FRA page for the date
3 years
Programme length
12
ACA exams in your first year
No CV
A quiz and a form only
36 min
Cognitive test, timed
Competitive
Salary, no figure published
The teams inside FRA, in KPMG’s words
Governance, Risk & Compliance Services
“Internal Audit and Risk Assurance” and “Governance, Risk and Compliance”.
Forensic
“Investigations and Compliance”, “Dispute Advisory Services” and “Infrastructure Government & Health Transport Advisory”.
Contract Intelligence
Qualified accountants “who specialise in providing contract investigation and compliance services”.
From KPMG’s FRA page. GRCS is a team inside FRA, not a separate programme. KPMG does not say how graduates join a team. Regulatory & Risk is a different Consulting programme, with CIMA.
The qualification and the work, in plain words
- ACA offices. In year one you “focus purely on your professional qualification”, taking 12 ACA exams. BPP is the tuition provider.
- Scottish offices. The CA with ICAS. You “sit the majority of the ICAS exams in your first year”.
- Costs. KPMG pays, including second attempts.
- Years two and three. You focus on “building up a fantastic range of work experience” and complete your exams.
- The work. KPMG lists “investigations and compliance, fraud risk management, corporate intelligence, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and dispute advisory services”. It also names “in-depth analyses of data and business processes”.
From KPMG’s FRA page, ICAEW’s ACA page and ICAS. KPMG’s reward page says “Competitive salary”.
03/10
What KPMG FRA looks for
KPMG scores the same 12 skills at every stage. The quotes below are KPMG’s own definitions.
Career Motivation
“Why you want to work for KPMG and your chosen programme and location.”
Learning & Curiosity
“Absorbing new information and techniques quickly.”
Resilience
“Keeping calm under pressure and staying positive when facing difficulties or criticism.”
Relationship Building
“Making new connections easily.”
Effective Communication
Being able to “communicate with clarity and impact”.
Initiative
“Seeking additional work and responsibilities proactively.”
Planning & Organisation
“Setting yourself clear objectives, managing your own time and work.”
Results Focused
“Getting work done to a high standard.”
Critical Thinking
“Using it to make rational judgements and decisions”, after evaluating the information.
Inclusive Collaboration
“Fostering team cohesion, appreciating others’ efforts and actively seeking their input.”
Integrity
“Always upholding ethical standards and being trusted to do the right thing.”
Applying Expertise & Technology
“Applying relevant knowledge to the job” and the right technology.
What FRA adds, in KPMG’s words
How businesses operateThe risks they faceAn eye for detailGood analytical skillsProblem-solving
From KPMG’s skills page and FRA page. Grades: GCSE Maths and English Language at grade 5 or B, 120 UCAS points and a 2:1 “in any discipline”. A few grades short? KPMG still encourages you to apply.
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
KPMG recruits on a rolling basis, so apply early. It says “some programmes fill faster than others, so we’d encourage you to apply as early as possible”.
1
Join the Talent Community
Get updates on new roles
2
Pick one office
One application per intake year
3
Take the quiz
A job preview, not assessed
4
Fill in the form
No CV, allow up to 45 minutes
5
Watch your inbox
The tests come by automatic invite
When and where FRA opened last cycle
Last cycle, from KPMG’s archived pages
13 Mar 2026
FRA page still said “Sign up to hear first when we open”
13 Apr 2026
Six FRA ads live, for an Autumn 2026 start
17 October 2026
Not open for 2027. KPMG gives no date.Open for 2027 when we checkedHad closed for 2027 when we checkedKPMG gives an opening date. Check its FRA page.
Offices with an FRA ad last cycle
BirminghamBristolEdinburgh, CA with ICASLeedsLondonManchester
From Wayback Machine copies of KPMG’s FRA page and vacancy search. This cycle may differ. On 15 October 2026, KPMG listed no FRA ad in any office.FRA was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. Use the vacancy search for this cycle’s offices.FRA had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check KPMG’s FRA page for the opening date.
Where to apply, the rules and KPMG’s help
- Where to apply. Use the ad for your office in KPMG’s FRA vacancy search.
- One at a time. “You can only make one application per intake year.” You cannot switch programme or office after you submit.
- If you are rejected. “You cannot make another application until the next intake year.”
- The form. Grades, work experience and any mitigating circumstances. KPMG’s form video walks through it.
- Be accurate. KPMG checks your certificates against your form, and “your offer could be withdrawn” if they differ.
- Adjustments. Ask on the form. KPMG lists “Extra time, larger fonts, coloured backgrounds”.
- Questions. Call KPMG on 0800 328 5764, or use its contact page.
Your form answers: do and don’t
Do
“Maths (A), Economics (B), History (B), 2024”
KPMG checks your certificates against your form. Match them exactly.
Don’t
“Applied to Audit in October, then to FRA in spring”
KPMG allows one application per intake year.
KPMG asks for no CV. Our CV achievement examples help you find a result for each of KPMG’s 12 skills. 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 KPMG 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.
Want another route, or to start sooner? Your options
- The rule first. One KPMG application per intake year. Another programme now rules out FRA for 2027.
- Talent Community. You “receive updates on any roles that become available in the business areas and locations of your choice” (sign up).
- Watch the FRA page. Last cycle it changed from “Sign up” to “Search and apply” when ads went live. Any ad shows in KPMG’s FRA vacancy search.
- Other KPMG programmes, each using your one application. Graduate Audit ACA, Graduate Tax ACA and Technology Audit in Manchester. Check which are open in KPMG’s vacancy search.
- Different jobs. Each is a different programme from FRA. Unsure? Ask KPMG before you apply.
- Other Consulting programmes. None was listed in KPMG’s vacancy search when we checked on 17 October 2026.Some were listed when we checked on 17 October 2026. See KPMG’s vacancy search.Their ads had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check KPMG’s vacancy search for their dates.
- Still at university? KPMG’s internships cover Audit and Tax, not Consulting.
- School leaver? See KPMG’s Consulting apprenticeships. They were not open when we checked on 17 October 2026.They were open when we checked on 17 October 2026.They had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check that page for their dates.
05/10Stage 2 · Online tests
KPMG’s online tests
KPMG sends two online tests by automatic invite. FRA adds no test or stage of its own.
Untimed
Skills assessment, allow 20 min
36 min
Cognitive assessment, timed
Chrome
On a desktop or laptop
From KPMG’s application process page. The cognitive test asks you to “interpret information, complete numerical calculations and draw logical conclusions”.
Likely SHL; KPMG does not name the product. KPMG links SHL’s practice. SHL’s factsheet for Verify Interactive G+ gives 36 minutes and up to 24 questions. Those are SHL’s figures, not KPMG’s.
Step through the tests
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 and ratios from tables.
- Read the units and the axis before you drag a bar.
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
- Check one change at a time: shape, position, then count.
- Say the rule in words before you answer.
- Try SHL’s free example questions first.
Deductive: timed
KPMG says the test reviews your “numerical and logical reasoning”. SHL’s G+ includes deductive items, so expect some. You get a set of facts or rules and pick what 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.
Skills assessment: untimed
KPMG says you “rank how you would think, feel or respond” in work scenarios. Its recruiter adds: “We recommend that you do not prepare for the skills assessment”.
Your moves
- Picture yourself at work and answer as you would really act.
- There is no timer, but KPMG suggests you allow 20 minutes.
Our own simplified drawings of SHL’s screens, not screenshots. Likely SHL; KPMG does not name the product, so your screens may differ.
For more on reasoning items, see our tips for psychometric tests.
The rules: do and don’t
Do
- Use Chrome on a desktop or laptop
- Finish each test in one sitting
- Try the practice items before the live test
- Ask for adjustments before you start
Don’t
- Use any AI tool
- Take help from anyone else
- Use other resources, such as answer packs
KPMG says to work “without the assistance of others, or any artificial intelligence or other resources”. Breaking this can mean withdrawal. KPMG adds: “We will also be re-testing elements of the online assessments.”
On the day: time, calculator and scoring
- Time to finish. Your invite gives the number of days.
- Calculator and paper. KPMG does not say. Check your invite email or ask KPMG.
- Practice. KPMG says you can try “practice tests and examples right before moving into the live assessment”.
- Scoring. KPMG publishes no pass mark.
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 KPMG
- KPMG explains its two online testsKPMG UK Careers on YouTube · Jan 2026 · 3 minA KPMG recruiter explains both tests.Free
Practise
- SHL’s free practice testsSHL, the test maker · free SHL account neededThe practice KPMG itself links to.Free
- SHL’s example questionsSHL · no account neededTry numerical and inductive. Skip verbal.Free
Watch
- 15 SHL reasoning questions solved, step by stepAptitude-Test-Prep on YouTube · Mar 2025 · 54 min · the host is a JobTestPrep affiliateReasoning items in the SHL style, worked through.Free
Skip AI helpers and paid KPMG test packs. KPMG bans outside help, re-tests results and says it has no link with paid prep providers.
Next: build your speed on numbers and logic with our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
06/10Stage 3 · Video interview
The Leah video interview
You get “6 pre-recorded questions asked by our AI avatar Leah”. KPMG gives you a “set time to prepare and then record” each answer.
6
Questions from Leah
40 min
KPMG says allow this long
A person
Scores your answers
From KPMG’s application process page. Answers are “reviewed and scored by a member of our Student Recruitment team”. KPMG publishes no FRA questions.
Step through the video interview
Leah asks the question
Leah, KPMG’s AI avatar, asks one of six pre-recorded questions. This is our sketch from KPMG’s description, because KPMG publishes no screenshot.
Prepare your answer
You get a set time to think before you record. KPMG sets the time and does not publish it.
Record your answer
You record your answer on camera within a set time. KPMG does not publish the time or say if you can record again.
Six questions, then done
After six answers you are finished. A member of KPMG’s Student Recruitment team reviews and scores your answers, not the AI.
Your moves
- Use the prep time to pick one story and two or three points.
- Link each answer to one of KPMG’s 12 skills.
- Practise recording yourself first, as KPMG suggests.
Our own sketch from KPMG’s description. No real screen is public, and our Leah is a drawing, not KPMG’s avatar. KPMG sets the prep and answer times and does not publish them.
How to answer
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.
Reasons to have ready
Why FRA?Why KPMG?Why this office?What did you do, not the team?
See our guide on how to pass a job interview, then rehearse the toughest interview questions.
Practise: one question at a time
Motivation and drive
Our own practice prompts, built on KPMG’s 12 skills. KPMG publishes no interview questions.
Career Motivation
Why Forensic Risk and Assurance, why KPMG, and why this office?
What they’re testing: your “chosen programme and location”.
Show a strong answer
- Two reasons for FRA and one for your office, each tied to something you have done.
- Show you know the three teams KPMG names inside FRA.
Resilience
Tell me about a time something went wrong under pressure.
What they’re testing: “keeping calm under pressure”.
Show a strong answer
- The setback, your next step, the result and what you learned.
Initiative
Tell me about a time you took on work nobody asked you to do.
What they’re testing: “seeking additional work and responsibilities proactively”.
Show a strong answer
- What you saw needed doing, and why you stepped in.
- What you did on your own, and the result.
Planning & Organisation
Tell me about a time you had several deadlines at once.
What they’re testing: “managing your own time and work”.
Show a strong answer
- The deadlines, the plan you made and how you kept to it.
- Year one is mostly exams, so show you can plan your study.
Thinking and integrity
Our own practice prompts, built on KPMG’s 12 skills. KPMG publishes no interview questions.
Integrity
Tell me about a time you did the right thing when it was not easy.
What they’re testing: being “trusted to do the right thing”.
Show a strong answer
- A real moment, what you did and why. Keep it honest and specific.
Critical Thinking
Tell me about a decision you made by weighing up information.
What they’re testing: “rational judgements and decisions”.
Show a strong answer
- The facts you checked, the options and why you chose one.
Results Focused
Tell me about a time you spotted a mistake others had missed.
What they’re testing: “getting work done to a high standard”.
Show a strong answer
- What you checked, what you found and what you did next.
- KPMG’s FRA page asks for “an eye for detail”, so show how you check your work.
Applying Expertise & Technology
Tell me about a time you used data or a tool to answer a question.
What they’re testing: “applying relevant technology” to do the job well.
Show a strong answer
- The question, the tool or data you used and what you found.
- FRA work includes “in-depth analyses of data and business processes”, so a data example fits.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two stories per row. One story can cover two rows.
| KPMG’s skills | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Career Motivation: why FRA, KPMG and your office | ||
| Learning & Curiosity, Initiative | ||
| Resilience | ||
| Relationship Building, Inclusive Collaboration | ||
| Planning & Organisation, Results Focused | ||
| Critical Thinking, Integrity | ||
| Effective Communication, Applying Expertise & Technology |
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 KPMG
- KPMG’s guide to the Leah video interviewKPMG UK Careers on YouTube · Jan 2026 · 2 minHow the six questions work, from KPMG.Free
- KPMG’s tips for the Launch PadKPMG UK Careers on YouTube · Jan 2026 · 3 minFive tips for the final day.Free
- The 12 skills KPMG scoresKPMG Careers · with a 5 min video · no account neededPrepare one story for each skill.Free
- KPMG’s free live sessionsKPMG on Microsoft Teams · Application Process 28 Oct, 3 Dec and 19 Jansessions ran 28 Oct, 3 Dec and 19 Jan · Interview Skills 17 Febsession ran 17 Feb · free registrationAsk KPMG your questions live.Check the page for new sessions.Free
- KPMG’s FRA programme pageKPMG Careers · live page · no account neededKPMG’s own words on the three FRA teams.Free
07/10Stage 4 · Launch Pad
The Launch Pad and offers
The Launch Pad is “an in-person, half day event”. It mixes “assessed and non-assessed activities”, and your final interview is part of it.
Meet the team
You meet people from your business area and office, “from partners to trainees”.
Your final interview
KPMG does not publish its format. It publishes no FRA case, group task or technical question.
An offer within 2 working days
“If successful you will have your job offer within 2 working days!”
Feedback if not
“You will be offered the option to request feedback.”
Before the day: KPMG’s own tips
- An online session first. KPMG invites you to one before the day.
- Instructions. These arrive ahead of the event, “including travel expenses and what to wear”.
- Research. Be ready for “Why do you want to work here?” KPMG also says to research “why have you chosen the business area”.
- Your questions. KPMG says “prepare some questions to ask the interviewer”.
Launch Pad dates, 2026-27
| Date | Place |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 17 November 2026 | London, the Oval |
| Tuesday 1 December 2026 | Birmingham, NEC |
| Wednesday 9 December 2026 | Manchester, The Midland hotel |
| Tuesday 16 March 2027 | Bristol, Ashton Gate Stadium |
| Tuesday 23 March 2027 | Glasgow, Radisson Blu |
| Tuesday 27 April 2027 | London, the Oval |
| Wednesday 5 May 2027 | Leeds, New Dock Hall |
From KPMG’s application process page. KPMG does not say which dates FRA uses.
08/10
Visa sponsorship
KPMG sponsors London Consulting roles, but does not name FRA. KPMG listed no London FRA ad on 15 October 2026.Check KPMG’s vacancy search for a London FRA ad.
London
The only FRA office that could qualify
Not named
FRA, on KPMG’s sponsor list
1 Jun 2027
Accept your offer by this dateVisa needers had to accept by this date
Our reading: a London FRA role may qualify, but KPMG has not said so. Ask KPMG before you apply.
KPMG’s rules and the GOV.UK facts
- KPMG’s list. Its international students page lists “Any Consulting and Technology programme based in London”. It does not name FRA.
- Other offices. KPMG cannot sponsor “any other graduate programme”. So last cycle’s other five FRA offices do not qualify.
- Accept early. Accept “at least three months prior” to starting. For the Autumn 2027 intake, accept your offer by 1 June 2027. This is the date to accept an offer, not to apply.For the Autumn 2027 intake, visa needers had to accept their offer by 1 June 2027.
- Can change. Sponsorship is “subject to change with little notice”.
- Ask first. KPMG’s international students page sends other questions to its contact page. Ask there whether FRA qualifies before you apply.
- 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).
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 your next step
- FRA was not open when we checked on 17 October 2026, and KPMG gave no date. Join the Talent Community to hear first.FRA was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. Apply early, as places can fill.FRA had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026. Join the Talent Community for next year.Check KPMG’s FRA page for the opening date. Join the Talent Community to hear first.
- You get one KPMG application per intake year. An Audit, Tax or Technology Audit application rules out FRA for 2027.
- FRA has three teams: GRCS, Forensic and Contract Intelligence. You study for the ACA, or the CA with ICAS in Scotland.
- FRA adds no test. Take both tests alone, with no AI.
- Leah asks six questions, and a person scores them. Then comes the half-day Launch Pad.
- Need a visa? KPMG sponsors London Consulting roles but does not name FRA. Ask KPMG before you apply.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save KPMG once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
Is the KPMG Forensic Risk and Assurance graduate programme open?
Not when we checked on 17 October 2026. KPMG’s FRA page said “Sign up to hear first when we open” and gave no date. No FRA ad was listed in any office on 15 October 2026. Join KPMG’s Talent Community to hear when it opens.It was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. KPMG recruits on a rolling basis, so apply early.Applications had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026. Join KPMG’s Talent Community to hear when the next intake opens.Check KPMG’s FRA page for the opening date. Join its Talent Community to hear first.
How does the KPMG Forensic Risk and Assurance application process work?
You take a job preview quiz, then fill in a form with no CV. Next come a skills assessment and a 36-minute cognitive test. Then you record six answers for KPMG’s avatar Leah. Last is the Launch Pad, a half day in person with your final interview.
Can I apply to FRA and another KPMG programme in the same year?
No. KPMG allows one application per intake year. If you apply to Audit, Tax or Technology Audit for 2027, you cannot also apply to FRA that year. You cannot switch programme or office after you submit. Unsure? Ask KPMG first.
Is GRCS a separate KPMG graduate programme?
No. KPMG’s FRA page names Governance, Risk & Compliance Services as one of the teams inside FRA, with Forensic and Contract Intelligence. You apply to FRA.
What grades do I need for KPMG Forensic Risk and Assurance?
GCSE Maths and English Language at grade 5 or B, 120 UCAS points from your top three A levels, and a 2:1 in any discipline. If you are a few grades short, KPMG still encourages you to apply.
Does KPMG sponsor visas for Forensic Risk and Assurance?
KPMG’s list covers “Any Consulting and Technology programme based in London”, but does not name FRA. Other offices are not on the list. KPMG listed no London FRA ad on 15 October 2026.Check KPMG’s vacancy search for a London FRA ad. Ask KPMG before you apply.
