KPMG · Consulting / advisory · Entry to experienced

Competency interview, KPMG competencies

Competency-by-competency interview against the list KPMG publishes

What they actually ask

The question shapes this round uses. Larpy does not read these out. It builds each one from your own resume, because the generic version is the one you have already rehearsed.

“A stretch of real pressure and what you did to stay calm and keep perspective.”
“A decision you made from incomplete data, and which data you went and got first.”
“A piece of work you planned out with objectives, milestones and dates, and where the plan broke.”
“A time you took on something nobody asked you to take on.”
“A team contribution that was not yours, and what you did about the credit.”
“A time you held a standard when it would have been easier not to.”
“Competing deadlines and how you actually chose what to drop.”

What this round is judged on

Resilience · keeps things in perspective and stays calm and focused under pressure
Critical thinking · makes informed and well considered decisions using pertinent data
Planning and organisation · sets clearly defined objectives, milestones and timelines
Results focused · consistently completes tasks with a high degree of quality
Initiative · seeks additional work and proactively takes on new responsibilities
Inclusive collaboration · recognises and acknowledges the contributions of others
Integrity · upholds ethical standards regardless of external pressure

Where this round sits

KPMG’s published process. Lime marks the stage this round runs.

01
Explore and apply
02
Recruiter or hiring manager screen, experienced hires (spoken)
03
Online assessments (not simulated here)
04
Recorded video interview (not simulated here)
05
Competency interview (spoken)this round
06
Launch Pad assessment centre (immersive activities not simulated here)
07
Launch Pad interview (spoken)
08
Offer

What happens in each stage›

Explore and apply: A job-preview quiz built from workplace scenarios, then an application form on academic background and work experience. KPMG budgets about 45 minutes and applies contextual recruitment for socio-economic background and extenuating circumstances. Not simulated.
Recruiter or hiring manager screen, experienced hires (spoken): Not part of KPMG's published four-stage early-careers process, which goes from application straight into online assessments. Experienced-hire routes instead run interviews where hiring managers assess against KPMG's values, competencies, and skills and experience. Simulated.
Online assessments (not simulated here): Two assessments, about 60 minutes in total: an untimed skills assessment presenting scenarios and asking you to rank how you would think, feel or respond, and a 36-minute timed cognitive assessment covering numerical reasoning and logical problem solving. Neither is a spoken round.
Recorded video interview (not simulated here): About 40 minutes across six questions, delivered by an AI-generated avatar. KPMG states that 'your recorded answers will be reviewed and scored by a member of our Student Recruitment team'. One-way, so out of scope.
Competency interview (spoken): The structured interview against the published KPMG competencies, run either on its own for experienced hires or inside Launch Pad for early careers. Simulated.
Launch Pad assessment centre (immersive activities not simulated here): KPMG calls it 'the assessment centre that we run at KPMG': a half-day in-person event that combines assessed and non-assessed activities with time meeting KPMG colleagues. The immersive and group activities are out of scope; the interview inside the day is the next stage.
Launch Pad interview (spoken): The one-to-one interview inside the assessment day, or the equivalent final conversation for an experienced hire, weighted toward values, ethical judgement and durable motivation. Simulated.
Offer: KPMG says of Launch Pad: 'If successful you will have your job offer within 2 working days!' Not simulated.

Sources

Built from what KPMG publishes about its own process. No leaked question lists. The questions you get are generated against your own resume, so they are not from anyone else's interview.

companyKPMG UK Careers, Graduate application processkpmgcareers.co.uk
The four published stages; the untimed skills assessment where 'You will be presented with various scenarios and asked to rank how you would think, feel or respond in each situation' and the 36-minute timed cognitive assessment; the six-question video interview delivered by an AI-generated avatar and scored by a person; Launch Pad as a half-day in-person event; 'If successful you will have your job offer within 2 working days!'
companyKPMG UK Careers, Graduate applying FAQskpmgcareers.co.uk
Per-stage timings (45 minutes to apply, 60 minutes of online assessments, a 40-minute video interview, a half-day Launch Pad); Launch Pad as 'the final stage of the recruitment process'; the twelve skills assessed across the process.
companyKPMG UK Careers, Is KPMG right for mekpmgcareers.co.uk
Definitions of the twelve early-careers skills, including career motivation, learning and curiosity, resilience, critical thinking, planning and organisation, results focused, initiative, inclusive collaboration and integrity.
companyKPMG UK Careers, KPMG competencieskpmgcareers.co.uk
The experienced-hire competencies grouped under three Leadership Principles (Deliver Impact, Seek Growth, Inspire Trust), including 'Make Sound Decisions' as exercising 'sound ethical and business judgement when making decisions' and 'Build Collaborative Relationships' as connecting with individuals, teams and organisations to build lasting relationships.
companyKPMG UK Careers, Experienced application advicekpmgcareers.co.uk
Hiring managers assess against 'KPMG Values', 'Competencies' and 'Skills and Experience'; 'This is a two-way process and we would expect you to also use the experience to assess whether the opportunity is right for you.'
companyKPMG UK Careers, Undergraduate application processkpmgcareers.co.uk
The insight-programme variant: a 90-minute Transforming Small Businesses assessment built on three fictional small businesses, and a 60-minute Delivering Outcomes assessment with timed video and written responses.
companyKPMG UK Careers, Getting ready for your Launch Pad assessment daykpmgcareers.co.uk
KPMG's own description of the final stage: 'Launch Pad is the assessment centre that we run at KPMG.'
companyKPMG US, How we hirekpmg.com
The US hiring tracks (executives, experienced professionals, students, contractors). KPMG publishes no US stage list, which is why the loop here follows the UK process.

Sources last checked August 11, 2026. Hiring loops change, so this date is the honest limit on everything above.

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