Grounded in the real hiring process
Built from the employer's own process and public material, not candidate reports. Sign up and tell us what you were actually asked.
02 / Hiring process
Four stages, and one of them decides it
4 stages from application to offer. Interactive online assessment is reported to be the one that decides it.
4stages
01
Online application resume, values screened from the start
An online application reported to be screened against BDO's own values from this first stage onward, not only in a dedicated values round later.
02
Interactive online assessment no interviewer present
An interactive online assessment reported to run before any live conversation, testing reasoning and situational judgment.
03
Video interview recorded or live, behavioural focus
A video interview reported to focus on behavioural questions about how candidates have handled specific past situations, ahead of the final assessment day.
04
Virtual assessment centre and final interview 1 full day: group exercise, written task, presentation
A full day virtual assessment centre reported to combine a group exercise, a written task and a presentation, closing with a final interview that factors into the ultimate decision.
Ask before the interview: what will this round cover, who will I meet, and is there anything I should prepare?The question almost nobody asks
03 / Question library
Interview question practice library
The online assessment, the assessment centre day and the five values apply across every practice, so the core set below covers that ground. Each practice then adds the technical depth specific to it.
60questions
Asked in every interviewAsked in every BDO interview
01 Why BDO instead of one of the Big Four? Motivation Open guide
Find your angle. Checks for a candidate with a genuine reason for a mid-market firm, since BDO recruiters are reported to hear a lot of Big Four leftover applications.
Build your answer
- Name something concrete about BDO's scale or client base. Not a vague 'better culture' claim.
- Tie it to something you've actually valued in past work. A project or role that points at this preference.
- State what you want out of working there. Concrete, not generic.
Bring the evidence
A real, specific reason tied to your own experience for preferring BDO's client base or structure over a larger firm.
What weakens it
BDO has a great culture and treats employees well.
Likely follow upAre you also interviewing at any of the Big Four? What's drawing you here instead?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.02 Tell me about a time your values, not just your resume, were what actually got you an opportunity. Values screened early Open guide
Find your angle. BDO is reported to screen candidates against its named values starting at the application stage, not only in a later interview round.
Build your answer
- Describe the opportunity. Concrete, not vague.
- Explain what value driven behavior actually mattered. Specific to one of the five named values.
- State how you know it was the deciding factor. Not just an assumption.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance where a value-driven behavior, not a technical qualification, was what actually earned you an opportunity.
What weakens it
I always try to live by good values in everything I do.
Likely follow upHow would you demonstrate that same value in your first week here?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.03 How would you approach a situational judgment test where more than one answer seems reasonable? Interactive online assessment Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.04 Tell me about a time you had to make a strong impression with limited time and no chance to build up to your point. Video interview Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.05 Describe a time you had to get a group of near strangers to a decision under a real time limit. Group exercise Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.06 Tell me about a time you had to produce a clear written recommendation under a hard time limit. Written task Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.07 Describe a time you had to present something you'd built to people evaluating you directly. Presentation Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.08 What would you want a partner to ask you that an earlier round couldn't? Final interview Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.09 Tell me about a time you noticed what someone actually needed before they said it plainly. Caring Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.10 Describe a time genuine curiosity led you somewhere a checklist wouldn't have. Curious Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.11 Tell me about a time you changed how you worked specifically to make a group's output better. Collaborative Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.12 Describe a time saying what needed saying was harder than staying quiet, but was the right call. Candid Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.13 Tell me about a time you owned a result all the way through, including the part that went wrong. Committed Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.14 Tell me about a time an exercise or task changed format partway through and you had to adjust on the spot. Assessment format Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.Outsourced Finance and Accounting6 to practise
6 questions
The questions this role actually gets asked
The core set above is asked whatever you applied for. These 6 are specific to Outsourced Finance and Accounting, and they are usually what the decision turns on.
Create a free accountWhat you get
Less than the cost of one lunch, for a great deal more confidence.- Unlimited tailored interview preparation
- A massive database of actual questions and answer guides
Role specific
Pick your role and the list narrows to what that role tends to get asked.
A guide for every answer
What the question is testing, three steps to build your answer, and the evidence to bring.
Prepared, not guessing
You walk in knowing the shape of the round and which of your own stories fits it.
04 / In the news
Worth mentioning in the room
The strongest answer to why this company is something that happened last month.
4stories
Free account
What happened at this employer this month
Stories screened from everything published about this employer, chosen because they can be used in the room rather than because they are recent.
- Each one carries a line on how to use it in the answer
- Crime, recalls, litigation and share price moves are excluded outright
- Refreshed daily, so it is different the week of your interview
05 / The five values
What is actually being scored
BDO publishes five values in this exact language: Caring, Curious, Collaborative, Candid, Committed. Bring one real story for each rather than a general answer about wanting to work at a mid-size firm.
5stories
Caring
A time you noticed what someone actually needed before they said it plainly, and acted on it.
Curious
A time genuine curiosity led you somewhere useful that a checklist approach wouldn't have found.
Collaborative
A time you changed how you worked specifically to make a group's output better, not just to be a good teammate.
Candid
A time saying what needed saying was harder than staying quiet, but was the right call.
Committed
A time you owned a result all the way through, including the part that went wrong.
06 / Before you apply
Where candidates lose it
Pro
Where candidates lose this before anyone meets them
The part of the process that eliminates most people is not the interview. It is what happens around it, and almost none of it is written down anywhere.
- The assessment answers that read as dishonest rather than confident
- What the availability question is really deciding
- The application detail that cannot be edited once submitted
Interview in 48 Hours
Turn your experience into your advantage.Bring your own stories to the interview. Start with the role, build your preparation sheet.