KPMG puts two online assessments before a recorded video interview, and the prompts are strengths-based rather than technical. Here is what the round asks and how to prepare without sounding scripted.
KPMG is one of the Big Four professional services firms, with programmes across Audit, Tax and Law, Deal Advisory, Consulting, Technology, and Business Services. Its early-careers process front-loads assessment: by the time you record the video, KPMG has already reviewed two online assessments and is checking whether your strengths and motivations fit the programme you chose.
This guide covers where the video sits, the question themes, why KPMG tells candidates not to prepare, how the US and UK routes differ, and a short prep plan. For the application itself, start with our KPMG internship application guide.
Where the KPMG video sits in the process
KPMG UK describes a four-stage graduate route: explore and apply, online assessments, a recorded video interview, and Launch Pad. The recorded round is not the first filter, and it is not the last.
The two assessments come first. KPMG UK's first assessment, Transforming Small Businesses, runs around 90 minutes inside a completion window, and the second, Delivering Outcomes, takes about an hour and includes some recorded video responses of its own. The standalone video interview then follows.
| Stage | What happens | Rough format |
|---|---|---|
| Online application | Eligibility and programme choice | Self-paced |
| Online assessments | Two immersive scenario assessments | About 90 and 60 minutes |
| Recorded video | Strengths and motivation questions | Six questions, about 40 minutes |
| Launch Pad | Final assessment day | Group, written, and partner interview |
Because so much assessment happens before the video, the round is really your chance to add personality to a profile KPMG has already screened. That is a different job from passing a test.
KPMG video interview questions 2026 and 2027
Exact prompts are configured per programme. The reported themes are stable and strengths-based.
| Theme | What KPMG is checking |
|---|---|
| Why this programme and firm | Motivation that fits the service line |
| Teamwork and collaboration | How you work with people who differ from you |
| Handling pressure or setbacks | Resilience and self-awareness |
| A problem you solved | Structured thinking and ownership |
| Your strengths in practice | Evidence, not adjectives |
The prompts rarely ask for technical knowledge. KPMG's assessments already covered reasoning and judgement, so the video is testing motivation and how you come across when you speak about your own experience.
For delivery mechanics that apply to any recorded round, our HireVue practice guide is the companion read. Use this page for the KPMG-specific content.
The AI avatar, and why it changes nothing
KPMG UK's recorded interview presents its questions through an AI avatar. That detail makes some candidates nervous, and it should not. KPMG says people assess the answers, so you are not trying to please a scoring model. You are trying to give a human reviewer something specific to remember.
The avatar does have one practical effect. It removes the human cues you would normally read, so there is no nod to tell you to continue and no follow-up to rescue a vague answer. That makes structure more important, not less. Lead with your answer, give one example, land the result, and stop.
If a question arrives and your mind goes blank, say what you are thinking in one calm sentence rather than filling the silence with filler. Reviewers would rather hear a short, complete answer than a long, uncertain one.
"Do not prepare" and what it really means
KPMG advises candidates not to prepare, because it wants natural responses to a strengths-based assessment. Taken literally, that advice is a trap. It means do not memorise scripts. It does not mean walk in cold.
The distinction is between rehearsing sentences and preparing material. Build a small bank of real examples covering teamwork, a setback, a problem you solved, and something you are genuinely good at. Then practise speaking about them in different ways, so the response fits whatever the prompt asks rather than being forced into a story you already wrote.
That is also how you stay natural on camera. When you know the shape of your story, you can look at the lens and speak rather than searching for words.
KPMG US and KPMG UK routes
The recorded stage exists in both markets, but the road to it differs.
| Element | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| First screen | Two immersive scenario assessments | Standalone aptitude tests |
| Video | Six questions, about 40 minutes | On-demand video interview |
| Extra format | None | Some routes use game-based tests |
| Final stage | Launch Pad, in person | Varies by office and programme |
KPMG UK's immersive assessments weave numerical and verbal reasoning into business scenarios rather than presenting them as separate tests. KPMG US leans on discrete numerical, verbal, and inductive sections before the video. Prepare for the route named in your invitation, not the one you read about online.
If your invitation mentions a completion window, treat it as a deadline rather than a suggestion. Most candidates who struggle are the ones who open the link on the final evening, discover a webcam or connection problem, and rush the answers.
A short prep plan for KPMG
- Write the programme name at the top of your notes.
- Build four examples: teamwork, a setback, a problem you solved, and a strength you can evidence.
- Write five bullets per example rather than a script.
- Record three answers on camera and watch them back once.
- Practise one 90-second answer that explains why this programme.
- Fix the weakest opening, then stop.
KPMG's process rewards candidates who already know how they sound out loud. That is the whole point of the practice, and it is also what makes Launch Pad easier later.
Mistakes candidates repeat
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Memorising a script | Strengths questions punish recitation | Use bullets and speak naturally |
| Long build-ups | The point never lands | Answer in the first sentence |
| Ignoring the assessments | They come before the video for a reason | Practise scenario judgement |
| Giving adjectives, not evidence | "I am resilient" proves nothing | Offer one real example |
| Treating the video as the last stage | Launch Pad still decides the offer | Prepare group and written work too |
After the video: Launch Pad
Strong recordings progress to Launch Pad, KPMG's final-stage assessment day. Recent UK cycles describe it as an in-person half-day with a group exercise, an analytical or written exercise, and a partner interview of about 45 minutes. Decisions usually land within a few weeks.
The video and Launch Pad test the same underlying thing from different angles, so keep your examples consistent and add depth rather than new material. If you are running several Big Four applications at once, keep them separate. Our PwC video interview guide covers a sibling process, and the two ask different versions of "why us". Our assessment centre tips guide covers the group and written exercises you will meet at Launch Pad.
What to do after reading this
Applying to KPMG this cycle? Confirm the programme on your application, build four examples you can talk about naturally, and record two or three timed answers before your invite arrives.
Keep application timing on our KPMG internship application guide, and keep the delivery habits on the HireVue practice guide.