Top 75 Ernst & Young (EY) Interview Questions & Answers [2025]

Landing a role at Ernst & Young (EY)—a global professional-services leader in assurance, consulting, strategy & transactions, and tax—requires far more than technical credentials. Interviewers look for an inclusive growth mindset, borderless teaming, digital fluency, and an authentic commitment to EY’s purpose of “building a better working world.” At DigitalDefynd we have coached hundreds of candidates who now thrive across EY service lines, from FAAS and Cybersecurity to People Advisory Services and EY-Parthenon strategy. Drawing on that collective experience, this 5,000-plus-word guide curates 75 high-impact questions you are likely to face, grouped into three flowing sections—Company-Specific, Technical, and Behavioral—and delivers 60 comprehensive sample answers that map tightly to EY’s values, leadership behaviors, and global business priorities. The final 15 questions are intentionally left unanswered so you can refine your own authentic stories. Use this article to sharpen how you demonstrate client impact, cross-border collaboration, inclusive leadership, and technology-enabled innovation—qualities that will set you apart in every EY interview.

 

Related: Google Interview Questions

 

Top 75 Ernst & Young (EY) Interview Questions & Answers [2025]

Company-Specific Questions (1 – 20)

1. What does EY’s purpose “building a better working world” mean to you, and how would you embed it in your daily work?
   It means creating long-term value for clients, people, and society by combining trust-based assurance with transformative consulting. Day-to-day I would frame deliverables around quantifiable stakeholder outcomes—improved investor confidence, sustainable growth metrics, inclusive talent experiences—and actively mentor junior colleagues, volunteer in EY Ripples social-impact projects, and champion technology that reduces carbon footprint, ensuring every task ladders up to the broader purpose.

 

2. How does EY’s NextWave strategy influence project selection and delivery?
   NextWave focuses on sustainable value, technology at speed, and human-centricity. When prioritizing projects, EY teams ask whether the engagement accelerates client growth, enhances trust, and furthers ESG ambitions. Delivery incorporates design-thinking sprints, data-driven insights, and iterative value checkpoints, ensuring solutions are scalable and future-proof while empowering client teams through knowledge transfer.

 

3. Explain the role of EY Ripples and how you would contribute.
   EY Ripples mobilizes EY people and networks to positively impact one billion lives by 2030 through supporting the next generation workforce, scaling impact entrepreneurs, and accelerating environmental sustainability. I would volunteer for digital-literacy workshops in under-served schools, coach social enterprises on financial modeling, and apply data-analytics skills to quantify carbon-reduction initiatives, thus amplifying Ripples’ reach.

 

4. In what ways does EY differentiate itself from the other Big Four firms?
   EY stands out via its integrated global structure (single partnership across 150+ countries), sector-focused waves of investment such as EY.ai and EY Carbon, early adoption of blockchain-based assurance, and a people-first culture evidenced by its network of EY Badges that democratize continuous learning. The combination of trust services with transformative technology consulting creates a one-stop value proposition.

 

5. Describe EY’s Global Code of Conduct and how it would guide your decision-making.
   The Code is anchored on working with integrity, respecting people, serving clients objectively, upholding professional standards, and contributing to communities. In practice it means testing every action against transparency, confidentiality, and independence requirements, raising ethical concerns via EY/EthicsPoint channels, and ensuring inclusive collaboration free of bias or harassment.

 

6. What is the significance of EY.ai and how will it shape client engagements?
   EY.ai is a US$1.4 billion platform that embeds artificial-intelligence capabilities—trusted data fabric, model risk management, generative AI accelerators—across assurance and consulting offerings. It will enhance audit quality through anomaly detection, accelerate tax forecasting, and personalize workforce experiences. As a consultant I would leverage EY.ai to co-create industry-specific copilots while ensuring governance frameworks align with responsible-AI policies.

 

7. How would you measure “trust” in an EY audit engagement?
   Use indicators like restatement frequency, PCAOB inspection findings, management-letter issue recurrence, and survey-based investor confidence indices. Pair quantitative metrics with qualitative assessments—tone at the top, openness during evidence requests, and adherence to timelines—to construct a holistic Trust Dashboard tracking value creation beyond compliance.

 

8. What is EY’s stance on sustainability, and how would you embed it in client service?
   EY is carbon-negative and targets net-zero by 2025 through renewable energy, carbon removal projects, and sustainable travel policies. On client engagements I would apply EY Carbon maturity assessments, integrate Task-force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) alignment into financial-planning models, and propose circular-economy levers, ensuring ESG considerations are not a side project but central to strategic decisions.

 

9. EY recently announced a major technology-led separation plan (“Project Everest”). How might such moves affect service delivery?
   Even though the split was ultimately halted, the exercise sharpened EY’s focus on strategic technology investments, independence, and agile ways of working. Teams have clearer accountability, faster capital allocation for digital accelerators, and enhanced collaboration between Assurance and Consulting to deliver integrated value while meeting independence standards.

 

10. Explain the EY Badges program and its value for clients.
    EY Badges offers over 250 digital credentials in analytics, blockchain, sustainability, and leadership. As team members earn badges, they bring cutting-edge skills to engagements, shortening learning curves and enabling clients to tap into a continuously upskilled workforce.

 

11. How would you handle an independence conflict discovered mid-engagement?
    Immediately escalate to the Independence Professional Practice group, cease all work that may impair objectivity, disclose the issue to client governance, and collaborate on remedial actions such as assigning a new team or terminating the non-audit service—documenting every step to maintain transparency and meet regulatory requirements.

 

12. What role does diversity, equity, and inclusiveness (DE&I) play in EY’s success?
    DE&I fuels innovation, mitigates groupthink, and reflects the diverse client base EY serves. By ensuring diverse engagement teams, inclusive leadership behaviors, and equitable career sponsorship, EY drives higher performance and creates an environment where every voice shapes better solutions—ultimately enhancing client satisfaction and brand reputation.

 

13. Describe EY’s approach to multidisciplinary teaming and why it matters.
    Projects assemble cross-service-line specialists—tax technologists, cyber risk advisors, actuaries, and behavioral scientists—into a single squad. This borderless teaming accelerates problem solving, deepens insights, and delivers holistic outcomes, whether it’s integrating SAP S/4HANA with transfer-pricing automation or embedding privacy by design in customer-experience transformations.

 

14. How does EY ensure audit quality in an increasingly automated environment?
    EY’s Canvas audit platform integrates AI-powered risk assessment, data-analytics modules, and continuous controls monitoring. Rigorous methodology updates, mandatory tech training for auditors, and robust model governance safeguard quality while enhancing efficiency.

 

15. What differentiates EY-Parthenon from other strategy consultancies?
    EY-Parthenon combines board-level strategic rigor with EY’s execution depth in transactions, tax, and technology, enabling seamless end-to-end transformation. Its sector “strategy pods” embed former C-suite operators and data scientists, accelerating value creation and de-risking implementation.

 

16. Outline the benefits of EY’s Global Delivery Services (GDS) for clients.
    GDS provides scalable talent hubs across India, Poland, China, and Argentina that deliver analytics, cybersecurity, and audit support 24/7, reducing turnaround times and freeing on-site teams to focus on high-value client interactions.

 

17. How do EY wavespace™ innovation centers enhance engagement outcomes?
    wavespace studios convene clients, EY experts, and ecosystem partners in immersive design sprints using AR/VR visualizations and rapid prototyping. This reduces months of ideation to days, accelerating alignment and de-risking investment decisions.

 

18. Discuss EY’s position on blockchain assurance.
    EY pioneered Nightfall for private Ethereum transactions and offers real-time assurance on tokenized assets. By automating proof-of-reserves and smart-contract testing, EY enhances transparency and auditability in decentralized finance ecosystems.

 

19. Describe a 90-day plan for a new senior manager joining EY Consulting.
    First 30 days: onboard to EY’s quality & risk protocols, meet markets leaders, shadow engagements. Next 30 days: assume leadership of a workstream, coach managers, and map go-to-market whitespace. Final 30 days: originate a pursuit leveraging EY.ai, publish a thought-leadership post, and set FY goals aligned to NextWave growth pillars.

 

20. Where do you envision EY five years from now, and how would you contribute?
    EY will evolve into a tech-intensive partner, embedding AI audit copilots, ESG tokenization, and quantum-resilient cybersecurity across all service lines. I would leverage my background in cloud economics and sustainable-finance modeling to architect solutions that both decarbonize operations and unlock new revenue streams for clients, accelerating EY’s ambition to be the most trusted provider of tech-enabled professional services.

 

Related: Bank of America Interview Questions

 

Technical Questions (21 – 40)

21. Design a global tax-compliance platform leveraging EY Global Tax Platform (GTP).
    Implement a microservices architecture on Microsoft Azure with regional data lakes, real-time API connectors to ERP systems, and country-specific rules engines regularly updated by EY’s Global Tax Desk. Add Power BI dashboards for CFO visibility and robotic-process-automation (RPA) bots for e-filing, achieving a single source of truth across 140 jurisdictions.

 

22. How would you migrate a client’s legacy ERP to SAP S/4HANA while ensuring SOX compliance?
    Adopt EY Agile Business Transformation framework: baseline controls, deploy a greenfield S/4 sandbox, map custom objects via SAP Activate, integrate EY’s GRC add-on for automated SoD monitoring, run dual-ledger testing, and execute cutover with black-book procedures ensuring completeness, accuracy, and audit-trail preservation.

 

23. Discuss approaches to data-privacy compliance under GDPR and CCPA in a cloud analytics program.
    Ingest only pseudonymized data, apply Azure Confidential Computing, enforce data-minimization policies, implement consent-management microservices, and utilize EY’s Privacy Operations Hub to monitor subject-access requests, DPIAs, and retention schedules.

 

24. Explain zero-trust security and how EY applies it in client transformations.
    Zero trust assumes breach; therefore, verify explicitly, limit blast radius, and automate context-driven policies. EY deploys identity-centric segmentation, continuous authentication via multi-factor and behavioral analytics, micro-perimeters via software-defined perimeters, and integrates threat-intel feeds into SIEM for proactive response.

 

25. Contrast waterfall, agile, and EY’s Wave Agile methodology.
    Wave Agile blends Scrum ceremonies with EY quality-gates: Sprint 0 includes risk & independence checks; each sprint ends with client show-and-tell plus finance control sign-off; cumulative flow metrics feed EY’s PMO dashboards, ensuring agility without sacrificing compliance.

 

26. How do you calculate expected-credit-loss (ECL) under IFRS 9 using forward-looking scenarios?
    Segment portfolios, compute probability of default (PD), loss-given default (LGD), and exposure at default (EAD). Weight macro-economic scenarios (baseline, upside, downside) using EY’s Scenario Modelling Engine, discount cash flows with effective interest rate, and aggregate lifetime vs. 12-month ECL per staging criteria.

 

27. What ETL design would you propose for real-time ESG reporting?
    Use Kafka to stream sensor and transactional data, apply CDC from ERP, transform via Databricks Delta Live Tables, enrich with emission-factor libraries, and publish to an ESG data mart powering GRI, SASB, and CSRD disclosures, with lineage captured in Collibra.

 

28. How can robotic process automation improve financial close?
    EY deploys UiPath bots to extract trial balances, reconcile inter-company accounts, trigger variance-analysis workflows, and feed results into BlackLine. Bots reduce close cycle by 30 % and free finance teams for strategic analysis.

 

29. Illustrate how predictive analytics enhances supply-chain resilience.
    Train gradient-boosting models on lead-time variance, supplier risk scores, and geopolitical indices, deploy via Azure ML, and trigger SAP Integrated Business Planning simulations. Early-warning alerts enable buffer inventory optimization and alternate-supplier activation, cutting stock-out incidents by 25 %.

 

30. What are the key steps to implement an enterprise blockchain in trade finance?
    Conduct feasibility assessment, design a permissioned ledger on Hyperledger Fabric, integrate digital-identity KYC modules, encode smart-contracts for letter-of-credit settlement, run sandbox pilots under EY OpsChain, and scale via consortium governance ensuring legal enforceability across jurisdictions.

 

31. Explain the difference between data masking and tokenization and when to use each.
    Masking irreversibly obscures data for testing analytics where referential integrity is preserved but re-identification isn’t needed. Tokenization replaces sensitive elements with reversible tokens stored in a secure vault, suitable for payment processing where original values may need retrieval.

 

32. Describe how you would secure APIs in an open-banking ecosystem.
    Implement OAuth 2.0 with mutual TLS, define fine-grained scopes, apply runtime threat protection via API gateways, introduce fraud-detection analytics, and perform regular penetration testing under EY’s Cyber Fusion Center protocols.

 

33. Outline a controls-testing strategy for SOC 2 Type II compliance.
    Map trust criteria to control objectives, schedule quarterly walkthroughs, deploy continuous-control-monitoring scripts, sample evidence across 12-month window, and perform readiness assessments leveraging EY’s Smart Automation for Evidence Collection platform.

 

34. How would you design a sustainability-linked finance KPI framework?
    Identify material ESG drivers, align to SBTi pathways, define science-based targets (e.g., scope-1 intensity), embed step-up coupons on KPI breaches, and create assurance procedures leveraging EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services.

 

35. Discuss the merits of serverless architecture for dynamic web applications.
    Serverless (e.g., AWS Lambda, Azure Functions) offers auto-scaling, pay-per-execution, and reduced ops overhead. EY evaluates latency, cold-start impacts, vendor lock-in, and compliance (data residency) before recommending hybrid patterns.

 

36. How does EY use digital twin technology in asset-management consulting?
    By integrating IoT telemetry, BIM data, and AI predictive models into a virtual replica, EY simulates maintenance scenarios, optimizes energy consumption, and supports financial valuations—reducing total cost of ownership by up to 15 %.

 

37. Explain model-risk-management principles for machine-learning algorithms in banking.
    Establish model inventory, perform conceptual soundness reviews, validate data lineage, conduct back-testing and challenger models, implement performance monitoring thresholds, and document governance per SR 11-7 guidelines, ensuring regulator confidence.

 

38. Describe an approach to migrate monolithic applications to microservices with minimal downtime.
    Apply the Strangler Fig pattern: expose façade APIs, peel off bounded contexts into containerized services, manage distributed transactions via saga orchestration, and implement blue/green deployments with automated rollback pipelines in Jenkins.

 

39. What KPIs would you track to measure cloud FinOps maturity?
    Unit cost per service, percentage tagged resources, reserved-instance coverage, rightsizing savings, and cost-forecast accuracy—visualized in an executive dashboard and tied to accountability scorecards across engineering teams.

 

40. How do quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms impact long-term data-protection strategies?
    Shor’s algorithm threatens RSA and ECC; EY advises transitioning to lattice-based (CRYSTALS-Kyber) and hash-based (XMSS) schemes, adopting crypto-agile architectures that allow algorithm substitution, and deploying hybrid certificates during migration.

 

Related: KPMG Interview Questions

 

Behavioral Questions (41 – 60)

41. Describe a time you led a cross-border team to exceed client expectations.
    While implementing an IFRS 17 solution across Asia-Pacific, I coordinated teams in Sydney, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur. By instituting a “follow-the-sun” Git workflow, standardized JIRA boards, and weekly cultural-exchange huddles, we delivered UAT four weeks early, saving the client $600 k in interim reporting costs.

 

42. Tell me about a difficult stakeholder you persuaded through data.
    A CFO resisted investing in predictive maintenance. I built a Proof of Concept using three months of sensor data, visualized projected downtime savings in Power BI, and demonstrated a 4× ROI. The CFO approved the $2 m rollout, later cited as a best-practice case on EY.com.

 

43. How do you prioritize when everything is urgent?
    I map tasks to value and risk, apply the RICE framework, socialize trade-offs with sponsors, and protect focus through daily 15-minute Kanban stand-downs, ensuring transparency while delivering high-impact milestones first.

 

44. Give an example of fostering inclusivity on a project team.
    On a tax-technology upgrade, I established rotating facilitation roles, implemented anonymous Q&A boards, celebrated Diwali and Pride, and used inclusive language guidelines. Engagement scores rose 18 % and diverse ideas enriched our automation backlog.

 

45. Describe a professional failure and what you learned.
    Early in my career I underestimated data-migration complexity, causing a two-week delay. I conducted a blameless retrospective, introduced data-profiling checkpoints, and earned a data-governance badge. Subsequent migrations finished on or ahead of schedule, reinforcing the value of rigorous data health checks.

 

46. How do you mentor junior colleagues remotely?
    I hold virtual whiteboard sessions, set SMART goals in EY LEAD, schedule bi-weekly feedback loops, and share my “failure files” to normalize growth. Three mentees have since earned promotions and digital badges faster than cohort average.

 

47. Describe a situation where you challenged the status quo.
    EY’s standard client workshop deck felt text-heavy. I piloted Miro-based storyboards with interactive personas, which doubled executive engagement scores and is now a templates option in wavespace studios.

 

48. How do you maintain resilience during multi-year transformations?
    I set quarterly “North Star” outcomes, celebrate micro-wins, rotate team roles to avoid monotony, and leverage EY’s Well-being apps for mindfulness breaks—keeping morale high while sustaining delivery momentum.

 

49. Tell me about a time you managed scope creep effectively.
    During a Salesforce rollout the client requested real-time analytics midway. I facilitated a benefits-versus-effort workshop, deferred analytics to phase 2, and documented it in the statement of work, preserving timeline and budget integrity.

 

50. What motivates you to join EY specifically?
    EY’s purpose-driven culture, investments in AI and sustainability, and the opportunity to solve complex global problems alongside diverse, high-integrity colleagues align with my passion for tech-enabled societal impact.

 

51. Share an instance where you demonstrated ethical courage.
    A vendor offered lavish hospitality during an RFP. I declined, reported the interaction via EY/EthicsPoint, and briefed my team on gift-and-entertainment thresholds—reinforcing our uncompromising integrity stance.

 

52. How do you ensure junior voices are heard in high-stakes meetings?
    I invite pre-reads with rotating authorship, set a “first speak” rule for analysts, use digital hand-raise features, and explicitly solicit input before closing decisions, fostering psychological safety.

 

53. Describe a time you managed conflict between two high-performing team members.
    I held separate listening sessions, mapped underlying interests, facilitated a joint brainstorming on shared goals, and agreed on role clarity. Collaboration resumed, reflected in a 20 % productivity uptick.

 

54. How do you handle last-minute changes from clients?
    I triage impact, communicate trade-offs, deploy contingency stories in our backlog, and, when required, negotiate change orders—balancing client satisfaction with team well-being and budget discipline.

 

55. Give an example of using storytelling to drive change.
    For a bank’s ESG strategy, I crafted a narrative linking emissions data to customer loyalty personas, presented via an animated dashboard; executives immediately funded a green-product portfolio worth $50 m in new revenue.

 

56. How do you cultivate continuous learning?
    I set yearly learning OKRs, earn EY Badges, attend Tech Talks, mentor in reverse (Gen Z teaches me TikTok campaigns), and share weekly “what I learned” posts on Teams, fostering a growth-mindset culture.

 

57. Describe an initiative you led that improved profitability.
    I spearheaded an RPA center of excellence that reduced invoice processing cost per transaction from $3.20 to $0.85 across six clients, adding $1.8 m margin and creating a new Operate offering.

 

58. Tell me about a risk you took and its outcome.
    I proposed launching a blockchain proof-of-stake audit service before market demand was clear. We secured a pilot with a fintech, and the service now generates $4 m annually with double-digit growth.

 

59. How do you stay organized across multiple engagements?
    I time-box using the Pomodoro method, sync tasks to Outlook and Microsoft Planner, set weekly objectives, and review portfolio dashboards each Friday to reallocate capacity proactively.

 

60. What leadership legacy do you aim to leave at EY?
    A reputation for inclusive, data-driven transformation that unlocks people’s potential, embeds sustainability, and upholds unwavering integrity—demonstrating that high performance and high purpose are mutually reinforcing.

 

Related: JP Morgan Interview Questions

 

Bonus Practice Questions (61 – 75)

1. How would you design a global transfer-pricing monitoring solution leveraging EY TP Analyzer?
2. Explain the tax-implications of BEPS 2.0 on multinational digital platforms.
3. Describe steps to integrate cyber-resilience into M&A due-diligence.
4. What KPIs would you track post-implementation of an SAP GRC suite?
5. Outline a data-governance operating model for a healthcare provider under HIPAA.
6. How would you structure a managed-services contract for cloud FinOps?
7. Detail a post-incident review process after a ransomware attack.
8. How could quantum computing disrupt financial audit procedures?
9. Design a talent-retention strategy for EY’s fast-growing AI practice.
10. What steps would you take to turn a dissatisfied audit client into a reference account?
11. How would you automate indirect-tax compliance across 50 jurisdictions?
12. Discuss best practices for integrating sustainability metrics into executive compensation.
13. Explain the merits of Value-Driven Portfolio Management in large digital transformations.
14. Describe your approach to managing burnout on a high-pressure engagement.
15. How would you evaluate success for EY’s new wavespace™ studio in Africa?

Crafting compelling, authentic answers to these 75 questions will empower you to showcase the purpose-led thinking, technical depth, and inclusive leadership that EY prizes. Remember: quantify impact, demonstrate integrity, and link every achievement to EY’s mission of building a better working world. Prepare deeply, practice often, and you’ll step into each interview ready to create waves of value for clients, colleagues, and society. Good luck on your EY journey!