Practical tips for passing a Transaction Services interview at EY, PwC, KPMG or Deloitte: technical preparation, common mistakes and what makes a strong candidate.
Interviewing for Transaction Services at one of the Big 4 is competitive. The technical bar is higher than for equivalent audit roles, and recruiters are good at distinguishing candidates who have studied from candidates who have actually understood the material. Here's what actually helps.
If you're coming from an audit background, the most important shift is conceptual. Auditors ask: "Are the accounts correct?" Transaction Services professionals ask: "Does the reported performance reflect the sustainable earning power of this business?"
The answer to the second question requires judgment, context and an understanding of what drives value in a deal — not just technical compliance. Make this shift visible in your answers from the very first round.
Every Big 4 Transaction Services interview will test your understanding of the EBITDA bridge. You should be able to:
If you can do all four fluently, you're ahead of 80% of candidates.
Beyond the P&L, interviewers test:
You don't need to be a balance sheet expert, but you need to be comfortable navigating these concepts under pressure.
Arrive speaking the language of the deal: locked box, completion accounts, earn-out, data room, request list, signing, closing, SPA. Using these terms naturally signals professional awareness.
Before any interview at EY, PwC, KPMG or Deloitte, research:
One precise reference to their activity in the interview goes further than five generic statements about the firm.
Giving textbook definitions without any economic context. "Quality of Earnings is an analysis of the recurring profitability of a business" is a textbook definition. The interview-winning version adds: "It matters because buyers price companies on an EBITDA multiple — if that EBITDA is overstated by EUR 500k and the multiple is 8x, the overvaluation is EUR 4m. The QoE is how you prevent that."
The case studies in this programme simulate exactly the scenarios you'll face in a Big 4 Transaction Services interview — with real numbers and real decisions.
Hundreds of candidates prepared their interviews with this programme. Those who landed the role have one thing in common: they worked the cases before walking into the room.
