PwC 2028 internship interview guide

For
2028 summer analysts
Sources
15 cited

Got a PwC interview? Here is the format for Assurance, Tax and Advisory, the new Innovation Scenario-Based questions, PwC's own sample case and how to prepare for each.

A student in a navy blazer on a live video interview at a dining table by a window with spring trees outside, a legal pad and pen beside the laptop.
PwC Assurance and Tax candidates usually sit two live virtual interviews back to back: one behavioral, one with innovation scenarios.

Key facts

  • Format: If you are selected, PwC schedules live, virtual interviews with PwC professionals.1
  • Assurance and Tax: Two consecutive live virtual interviews. One has behavioral questions; the other has Innovation Scenario-Based questions.1
  • Innovation Scenario: Forward-looking questions on how you approach AI, technology and innovation, often starting "What would you do if..." or "Imagine you are...".1
  • Advisory: The process is set out in your invitation, and most Advisory roles include a case interview: a two-way conversation, typically 30 to 45 minutes, as part of a longer process.1,3
  • Length: Interviews of about 30 minutes in Audit and Consulting, and 45 minutes each in Technology. The Advisory case runs 30 to 45 minutes.7,12,11,3
  • Who: Usually two people, from associate up to partner. In Audit that has been a VP and an associate, an associate then a partner, or two partners.7,9,8
  • What they score: PwC recruits against its PwC Professional framework, Trusted Leadership and Distinctive Outcomes, and wants examples from work, school, activities or volunteering.4,1
  • AI: AI is not permitted during the assessment or the interviews.1,3

You can interview for only one opportunity at a time, so the interview you are invited to is the one track you are being considered for. Case scenarios differ by practice group or team.1,3

What the PwC interview looks like

  1. Before the interviews

    You apply on PwC's board, then take the work-style assessment that arrives by email within a few hours. Recruiters review applications on a rolling or deadline-driven basis, and if you are selected, PwC reaches out to schedule live, virtual interviews. First-round invites have come within days of the assessment.1,2,13

  2. Assurance and Tax: two in a row

    Candidates typically sit two consecutive live virtual interviews. One is behavioral, built around your education, skills and experience. The other has Innovation Scenario-Based questions: forward-looking prompts on how you would use AI and technology, solve a problem or handle a new situation. Audit interviews run about 30 minutes each, with a mix of associates, senior staff and partners.1,7,9,8

  3. Advisory: read the invitation

    Advisory candidates are told the interview process with the invitation, and most Advisory roles include a case interview. Healthcare consulting ran a case in the first round and an M&A case in the second (New York, 2025). CMAAS ran a merger case and a behavioral interview back to back with partners (New York, Oct 2026). Consulting in Phoenix opened with a group session, then two 30-minute behavioral interviews (2025).1,13,14,12,15

  4. How the case works

    The case is a two-way virtual conversation, typically 30 to 45 minutes, on a mock business problem. You are expected to break it down, ask clarifying questions, do basic math such as a market size or a percentage, and walk the interviewer through your thinking out loud. No PwC frameworks or jargon are needed, and notes are encouraged. At the associate level PwC wants a clear, structured approach, not prior industry experience.3

  5. What they are listening for

    PwC recruits everyone against the PwC Professional: Trusted Leadership, how you work with and grow alongside others, and Distinctive Outcomes, quality, integrity and a business mindset. In the case, interviewers listen for structured thinking, comfort with ambiguity, clear communication, business intuition with basic numeracy, and curiosity and coachability.4,3

  6. After the interviews

    PwC recruits on a rolling basis, and locations close as offers are accepted. Most US processes have run from application to offer inside a month or two. Sophomores who accept a 2028 Audit, Tax, DAT, CMAAS or FDD offer are invited to Destination CPA, a three-day in-person event.1,7,9,5

A PwC case, step by step

Clarify 2 to 3 min
Repeat the goal in your own words and ask one or two clarifying questions before you start.
Structure 3 to 5 min
Lay out three or four buckets out loud, and write them down so the interviewer can follow.
Analyze 10 to 15 min
Work through the facts and any numbers, such as a market size or a percentage, saying each step.
Risks and technology 5 min
Name the main risks and where AI or technology helps or adds risk; the interviewer may push back here.
Recommend 2 to 3 min
Give a clear answer, the conditions on it and what you would want to know next.

The case is typically 30 to 45 minutes, two-way, with basic math and notes encouraged, and PwC's sample cases ask how you would use AI in your analysis. The steps and times above are Intervyo's framework for doing one out loud.3

Before your PwC interviews

  • Write down two stories for each PwC Professional question, from work, school, clubs or volunteering.
  • Prepare one example of a time you used technology or AI to do something better, and what you checked.
  • For Advisory, have paper and a pen, or a virtual whiteboard, for the case: PwC encourages notes.
  • Practice percentages and quick market sizing out loud with a timer.
  • Camera at eye level, light in front of you, a quiet room and a plain background.
  • Test the video link, camera and mic 15 minutes early, and close every AI tool and extra tab.
  • Have a sharp answer to why PwC and why this line of service.
  • Bring two questions for each interviewer about their work.

The questions

Expect three kinds of questions, in a mix set by your line of service: behavioral questions on your background, Innovation Scenario-Based questions on how you would use technology, and in most Advisory roles a case. PwC recruits against the PwC Professional, so prepare every answer with it in mind.1,3,4

  • Behavioral: A time you did something new, adjusted to a surprise or explained something simply, and why PwC.
  • Innovation scenario: "What would you do if..." or "Imagine you are..." questions on AI, technology and new situations.
  • Accounting basics: The three financial statements and how the accounting industry works, in Audit.
  • Case: A mock client problem, from a bank's digital transformation to an acquisition, worked through out loud.
  • Motivation: Why PwC, why this line of service, and what you want from the internship.

Which division question you get

Audit
Two 30-minute behavioral interviews with a VP and an associate, with "what are the three financial statements" as the hardest question (San Francisco, Jul 2024). An associate then a partner, on explaining concepts simply, how school is going and why PwC (New York, Oct 2024). Two partners, behavioral plus questions about the accounting industry (New York, Aug 2024).7,9,8,15
Risk
A conversational interview with behavioral questions, including a time you had to be innovative (New York, Oct 2024).10,15
Technology
Two 45-minute interviews with a break between, on past experience, answered in STAR form (Atlanta, Sep 2024).11
Consulting
A group session that was close to an info session, then two 30-minute behavioral interviews, including the most interesting non-business class you have taken (Phoenix, Mar 2025).12,15
Healthcare consulting
A first round with a case, then a second round with an M&A case about an acquisition that probed financial acumen (New York, Aug 2025).13,15
CMAAS (Capital Advisory Group)
A case study on mergers and a behavioral interview, back to back with partners; the behavioral asked about a time something surprised you badly (New York, Oct 2026).14,15
TaxBest guess
Expect the Assurance and Tax pair: one behavioral interview, with why tax and a time you worked through detailed rules, and one innovation scenario on using technology on tax data.

The Tax line is our best guess from PwC's Assurance and Tax format and the Audit reports above.

Using PwC's values in your answers

PwC recruits, develops and manages everyone against the PwC Professional, built on two dimensions: Trusted Leadership and Distinctive Outcomes. It asks candidates to show each one with examples from work, study, activities or volunteering.4

Trusted Leadership: your impact

“Do you understand your impact on others and how this influences whether people want to work with you?”4

Teamwork and conflict questions. Show how you read the people around you and changed your approach.

Trusted Leadership: coaching

“Do you coach and work side by side with others?”4

A time you helped someone learn or explained something simply.

Trusted Leadership: growth

“Do you continuously find ways to grow as a professional, actively seeking opportunities to learn with an eye towards the future?”4

Innovation scenarios and feedback questions. Show what you taught yourself and why.

Distinctive Outcomes: quality and integrity

“Do you commit to quality, integrity and inclusive behaviors?”4

Ethics and accuracy questions, and the check step in any technology answer.

Distinctive Outcomes: business mindset

“Do you apply a business mindset to the work you do and understand the market around us?”4

Why PwC, the case and any question on clients. Bring one market fact you can explain.

Distinctive Outcomes: collaboration

“Do you collaborate with others to deliver quality and distinctive client experiences?”4

Group project and client-service stories. Credit the team and name your part.

The questions are PwC's own. Matching them to interview questions is Intervyo's advice: use one as the reason your story matters, rather than reciting the framework.

Example questions and how to answer them

Behavioral"Tell me about a time you had to be innovative."10,15,4
  1. 1Situation: one line on the setting and what was not working.
  2. 2Task: what you were responsible for, in your own words.
  3. 3Action: the new approach you tried, and why, with one detail that shows it was yours.
  4. 4Result: a number or a clear outcome, then what you would do differently.
  5. 5Close on the PwC Professional: the business mindset or quality it showed.

Tip: Innovation here can be small. A better spreadsheet, a new sign-up process or an AI tool you checked carefully all count, as long as you can say what changed.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

As treasurer of my residence hall council, I collected dues from 140 students by hand, and about a third paid late every semester.

I set up a payment form that sent reminders and fed a shared sheet, so the board could see who had paid without asking me. Before launch I tested it with ten friends and fixed two broken links.

Late payments fell from about 45 to 9 the next semester, and I spent an hour a week on dues instead of four. The next treasurer kept it. If I did it again, I would bring the board in earlier, because two members first saw it as extra work.

Innovation scenario"Imagine your audit team gets an AI tool that can read every invoice a client sends. What would you do with it?"1
  1. 1Goal: say what the team is trying to get right, such as accurate expenses.
  2. 2Use: how you would apply the tool, step by step.
  3. 3Risk: what could go wrong with the tool's output.
  4. 4Check: how you and the team would test it, and who signs off.
  5. 5Measure: how you would know it helped.

Tip: This prompt is Intervyo's, written to PwC's "Imagine you are..." pattern. The interviewer is listening for judgment, so spend as long on checking the tool as on using it.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example.

The goal is to be confident the client's expenses are real and recorded correctly, so I would start by asking the senior which risks matter most on this client.

I would run every invoice through the tool, not a sample, and have it flag duplicates, round amounts, vendors not on the approved list and invoices dated near year-end.

The risk is that it misreads a scan or misses something it was never trained to look for. So I would hand-check a sample of what it flagged and of what it cleared, and record that in the workpapers so a reviewer can follow it.

I would call it a success if we covered every invoice in less time and found the same or more exceptions, and I would share what we learned with the next team.

Advisory case"Your client, a global bank with $300 billion of assets, plans a two-year digital transformation. What are the key risks, and which would you prioritize?"3
  1. 1Clarify the goal: the bank has struggled to grow deposits and plans a two-year digital shift; the CRO wants the new risks mapped.
  2. 2Structure risks into buckets: customers, technology and cyber, operations and controls, culture and conduct.
  3. 3Use the facts given: about 80% of US banking customers visit a branch each year, 40% never use their bank's app, and the bank has a past of scandal, fraud and inaccurate risk assessments.
  4. 4Prioritize one or two risks and say why, then name actions to reduce them.
  5. 5Recommend: go, wait or go in stages, with what you would want to know next.

Tip: This is PwC's own sample Advisory case. PwC asks for reasoning, not a perfect answer: say your structure out loud before you go into any bucket.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example, built on PwC's published case.

I'd group the risks four ways. Customers: about 80% of US bank customers still visit a branch and 40% never open their bank's app, so moving too fast could lose deposits. Technology: cloud, AI and open banking widen the cyber and vendor risk. Operations: new systems need new controls. Culture: a bank with a record of fraud and poor risk assessments may not manage new risks well.

I'd prioritize culture and controls first. A new digital stack run by the same weak risk culture is the fastest route to another scandal, and regulators will look there first. Actions: a clear owner for each new risk, controls designed before launch, and training tied to it.

Second, customer adoption: phase branch changes and track app use by segment.

So I'd recommend going ahead in stages, starting where customers already use digital, with a risk check at each stage. Before deciding, I'd want deposit trends by channel and the bank's current cyber incident record.

Advisory case"A large healthcare provider is offered a telemedicine company. Should it buy it?"3
  1. 1Size the deal with the numbers given: what it adds in total and in telemedicine.
  2. 2Strategic fit: does it fix the growth problem the client has?
  3. 3Alternatives: build, partner or buy something else.
  4. 4Risks: integration cost, culture and key people.
  5. 5Recommend, with the one or two conditions that would change your answer.

Tip: Also from PwC's own case page. Do the math out loud and round sensibly: the interviewer wants the size of the prize before the strategy.

Example answer, written by Intervyo (not a real candidate)

Intervyo example, built on PwC's published case.

The deal adds about 2.5% on Company A's $20 billion last year, so about $500 million, and grows telemedicine revenue by 35% on $1 billion, so about $350 million. Most of what Company B brings is telemedicine.

Fit: A's growth has slowed because of fewer new and returning patients, and telemedicine goes straight at that. A has tried to build its own and run into delays and tech overspend, so buying looks faster than building.

Risks: A's last three integrations were costly in SG&A and IT, B has never been through a deal, and some of B's key people oppose the sale.

I'd recommend buying, on conditions: retention packages for B's key staff, a separate integration team, and a plan that keeps B's platform running before merging IT. If key people would leave anyway, I'd look at a partnership instead.

Motivation"Why PwC?"9,7,15,4
  1. 1Start with the line of service: what Audit, Tax or Advisory does that you want to do.
  2. 2Give one reason specific to PwC, such as something you heard from a PwC professional at a campus event.
  3. 3Link it to your own story: a class, a job or a club role that led you here.
  4. 4Tie it to one PwC Professional behavior with a short example.

Tip: Audit interviews have been easy on technicals and firm on motivation. Have a solid why PwC, and a why this line of service right after it.

More PwC interview questions

Behavioral

  • “When was a time something surprised you in a bad way, and how did you adjust?”14,15

  • “What is the most interesting non-business class you have ever taken?”12,15

  • “Tell me about a time you had to be innovative.”10,15

  • “How would you explain a concept to someone without a technical background?”9

    Wording ours; Audit, New York, 2024

  • “How is school going, and what do you want from the internship?”9

    Wording ours; Audit, New York, 2024

Accounting basics

  • “What are the three financial statements?”7,15

  • “Questions about the accounting industry.”8

    Wording ours; Audit, New York, 2024

Innovation scenario

  • “How would you leverage AI in your analysis?”3

    From PwC's own sample Advisory case

  • “Imagine a client's month-end close takes two weeks of manual work. What would you do?”1

    Best guess

    Intervyo practice prompt, written to PwC's "Imagine you are..." pattern

Case

  • “An M&A case about an acquisition, with questions on financial acumen.”13,15

    Wording ours; Healthcare consulting, New York, 2025

  • “A case study on mergers.”14

    CMAAS, New York, Oct 2026

  • “How would you approach a request for an initial point of view, and what would you need to know first?”3

    From PwC's own sample case

  • “Would you recommend the client move forward with its digital transformation? Why or why not?”3

    From PwC's own sample case

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How long to hear back after the interview

Recruiters review applications on a rolling or deadline-driven basis, and that sets the timing of every next step. Locations close as offers are accepted, and most US processes have run from application to offer inside a month or two.1,7,13

  1. Oct 2026

    CMAAS, Capital Advisory Group, New York

    A merger case and a behavioral interview back to back with partners; 1 to 2 months from start to finish.14

  2. Aug 2025

    Healthcare consulting intern, New York

    First-round invite a couple of days after the assessment, then a second round; under a month in all.13

  3. Mar 2025

    Consulting intern, Phoenix

    Group session, then two 30-minute interviews; 1 to 2 months, ending in an offer.12

  4. Oct 2024

    Audit intern, New York

    On-campus recruiting, two rounds with an associate and a partner, offer inside a month.9

  5. Oct 2024

    Risk intern, New York

    Through a recruiter, one interview, offer inside a month.10

  6. Sep 2024

    Technology intern, Atlanta

    Two 45-minute interviews, offer inside a month.11

  7. Jul 2024

    Audit intern, San Francisco

    Two 30-minute interviews back to back, offer inside a month.7

PwC recruits on a rolling basis and locations close as offers are accepted, so apply and interview early in your wave.1

Best guessIf a week passes after your interviews with no news, a short, polite note to your recruiter is reasonable. PwC's recruiting map lists your school recruiter.

What happens after the interview

  1. Online application

    A resume on PwC's Workday board, one interview process at a time.1

  2. Work-style assessment

    Emailed within a few hours of applying: untimed, about 15 to 20 minutes, on how you work. Your application is not complete until it is done.2

  3. Live virtual interviewsYou are here

    This page. Two consecutive interviews for Assurance and Tax; for Advisory, the process in your invitation, usually with a case.1

  4. Second round, some Advisory roles

    Some Advisory teams run a second interview after the first: healthcare consulting in New York ran a first round with a case, then a second round with an M&A case (Aug 2025). Assurance and Tax usually finish with the two consecutive interviews.13,1

  5. Offer

    Locations close as offers are accepted. Sophomores who accept a 2028 Audit, Tax, DAT, CMAAS or FDD offer are invited to Destination CPA.1,5

Assurance and Tax vs Advisory interviews

Both start after the same assessment and are live and virtual. Assurance and Tax pair a behavioral interview with an innovation scenario one; most Advisory roles add a case.

Format

Assurance and Tax

Two consecutive live virtual interviews.1

Advisory

Set out in the invitation; most include a case interview.1

Questions

Assurance and Tax

One behavioral interview, one with Innovation Scenario-Based questions.1

Advisory

A mock business problem worked through out loud, plus behavioral questions.3,14

Length

Assurance and Tax

About 30 minutes each in Audit.7

Advisory

The case is typically 30 to 45 minutes, inside a longer process.3

Who

Assurance and Tax

Associates, senior staff and partners.7,9,8

Advisory

Team members and partners; CMAAS ran both interviews with partners.12,14

Technical bar

Assurance and Tax

Light: the three financial statements and the accounting industry.7,8

Advisory

Basic math such as market sizing; no advanced math or PwC frameworks needed.3

Bring

Assurance and Tax

Two stories for each PwC Professional question.4

Advisory

Pen and paper or a virtual whiteboard; notes are encouraged.3

2028 summer analyst status

PwC's summer 2028 Audit, Tax and DAT wave posted from Sep 10, 2026 and closed in early October 2026, with a few late office adds after that. Advisory and Consulting post later for the same summer: the summer 2027 wave went up around Sep 1 to 10, 2026, so expect summer 2028 Advisory roles between late 2026 and September 2027, with interviews after you apply.6

FAQ

What is the PwC interview process for interns?

After the work-style assessment, PwC schedules live, virtual interviews with its professionals. For Assurance and Tax that is usually two consecutive interviews, one behavioral and one with Innovation Scenario-Based questions. Advisory candidates are told their process with the invitation, and most Advisory roles include a case.1,2

What are PwC Innovation Scenario-Based questions?

Forward-looking questions on how you approach AI, technology and innovation. They often start with "What would you do if..." or "Imagine you are..." and ask how you would use technology, solve a problem or handle a new situation. Answer with the goal, how you would use the tool, what could go wrong and how you would check it.1

How long are PwC interviews?

About 30 minutes each in Audit and Consulting, and 45 minutes each in Technology. The Advisory case is typically 30 to 45 minutes, as part of a longer process.7,12,11,3

Does PwC Advisory have a case interview?

Most Advisory roles do. It is a two-way virtual conversation on a mock business problem, with basic math such as market sizing and no PwC frameworks needed. PwC publishes two sample cases on its site, a bank's digital transformation and a healthcare acquisition, and the scenario can differ by team.1,3

Are PwC Audit interviews technical?

Lightly. Audit interviews have been mostly behavioral, with questions such as the three financial statements and the accounting industry, and a firm focus on why PwC.7,8,9,15

Can I use AI in a PwC interview?

No. PwC does not permit AI during the assessment or the interviews. It does support responsible use of AI in the application itself, where appropriate.1,3

Is there a HireVue at PwC US?

PwC's US recruiting FAQ describes the step after the assessment as live, virtual interviews with PwC professionals. Prepare for live calls, and if a recorded interview link does arrive, treat it as a real stage.1

Interview at other firms

Sources

Firm pages first, then dated candidate reports. Last checked Nov 4, 2026.

  1. 1PwC: Entry level recruiting process and FAQs
  2. 2PwC: Entry Level Assessment FAQs
  3. 3PwC: Get Ready for Your Advisory Case Interview
  4. 4PwC: The PwC Professional
  5. 5PwC: Destination CPA | Entry Level Accounting Program
  6. 6Extern: PwC Internship 2027-2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply · prep site
  7. 7Candidate report on a public forum: Audit intern interview, San Francisco (Jul 2024)
  8. 8Candidate report on a public forum: Audit intern interview, New York (Aug 2024)
  9. 9Candidate report on a public forum: Audit intern interview, New York (Oct 2024)
  10. 10Candidate report on a public forum: Risk intern interview, New York (Oct 2024)
  11. 11Candidate report on a public forum: Technology intern interview, Atlanta (Sep 2024)
  12. 12Candidate report on a public forum: Consulting intern interview, Phoenix (Mar 2025)
  13. 13Candidate report on a public forum: Management consulting intern interview, Healthcare, New York (Aug 2025)
  14. 14Candidate report on a public forum: CMAAS intern interview, Capital Advisory Group, New York (Oct 2026)
  15. 15Candidate reports on a public forum: PwC interview questions (Nov 4, 2026 listing)

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