PwC uses a short recorded video between its online assessment and the final stage, and the questions are mapped to the PwC Professional. Here is what it asks and how to prepare.
PwC is one of the Big Four professional services firms, with service lines across Audit and Assurance, Tax, Consulting, Deals, and Strategy&. Most entry-level roles run through a Workday application, then an online assessment, then a recorded video, then final rounds with managers and partners. The recorded round is short by design. It is a filter, not the decision.
This guide covers where the video sits, the question themes, what reviewers map to in the PwC Professional framework, how the US and UK routes differ, and a short prep plan. For the application itself, start with our PwC internships application guide.
Where the PwC video sits in the process
PwC US states that most entry-level roles require an online assessment, sent by email within a few hours of applying, and that your application is not complete until both the application and the assessment are submitted. After that, many roles use a recorded one-way video, then a behavioural interview, then final rounds with managers and partners.
A typical US entry-level path looks like this:
- Apply through the PwC careers site, which runs on Workday.
- Complete the online assessment, commonly understood to combine cognitive questions with situational judgement.
- Record the one-way video within the deadline in your invitation.
- Attend a behavioural interview structured around the PwC Professional.
- Final rounds with managers and partners, with a case for Consulting and Strategy&.
Exact order and stages vary by service line, office, and country. Read the invitation rather than assuming.
PwC video interview questions 2026 and 2027
The recorded round is short, so the questions are broad and motivational rather than technical. The recurring themes are stable.
| Theme | What the reviewer is checking |
|---|---|
| Why PwC | A reason tied to the firm and your service line |
| Why this service line | Evidence you read the programme you chose |
| Teamwork | One real situation and your contribution |
| Judgement or integrity | How you handled a grey area |
| Competing priorities | How you decided what came first |
Some roles add a light commercial prompt: a recent development and what it means. Keep that answer to one fact, one implication, and stop. Deep technical questions belong in the later rounds, unless the prompt clearly asks for them.
For the delivery craft that applies to any recorded round, our HireVue practice guide is the companion read. Use this page for the PwC-specific content.
What reviewers map to: the PwC Professional
PwC assesses against its own framework, the PwC Professional, which is built around two dimensions: Trusted Leadership and Distinctive Outcomes. In plain terms, reviewers are listening for whether you act with integrity, build relationships, and deliver a result.
You should not recite the framework. You should make it easy to hear. A story about a team project that went wrong, where you raised a concern early and then fixed the process, reads as trusted leadership. A story about a deadline you saved by prioritising clearly reads as distinctive outcomes. Name the outcome, not the competency.
That is also the fastest way to fail the round: describe the framework back to the camera instead of telling a specific story.
PwC US and PwC UK routes
The recorded stage exists in both markets, but the surrounding process differs, and the UK route is longer.
| Stage | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment | Online assessment for most entry-level roles | SHL cognitive and behavioural tests |
| Recorded round | One-way video, reported as HireVue | Video interview after the assessment |
| Final stage | Manager and partner interviews | Launchpad assessment centre |
| Case element | Consulting and Strategy& add a case | Written and group exercises at Launchpad |
PwC UK moved away from game-based testing to an SHL assessment format for most graduate roles, so do not prepare for a game that is no longer the standard. PwC US does not name its video vendor, which is why the HireVue label stays reported rather than confirmed. If your invite says something different, prepare for what it says.
How long you have, and how many takes
Candidates commonly report about a 72-hour window to record once the invitation arrives, with a short session of only a handful of questions. Some configurations allow a single retake per question, and others do not.
Two consequences follow. First, do not treat the window as extra preparation time. Record within the first day so you have room to fix a technical problem. Second, assume one clean take. Recorded answers should sound decided, not exploratory, so the first attempt has to be complete.
If you are moving into the final stage afterwards, our assessment centre tips guide covers the group and written exercises you will meet at Launchpad.
A short prep plan for PwC
- Write the service line at the top of your notes and keep it there.
- Draft a 45-second "why PwC" that would fail if you swapped in another firm.
- Write three stories: teamwork, a judgement call, and competing priorities.
- Under each story, write the result in one line so it lands before the timer.
- Record three answers and watch them back once.
- Fix the weakest opening, then stop.
Keep to bullets beside the lens. A script on screen is easy to spot and flattens your delivery.
Mistakes candidates repeat
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A generic "why PwC" answer | Fits any Big Four firm | Tie it to your service line |
| Reciting the PwC Professional | Sounds rehearsed and hollow | Show it through one story |
| Waiting until the last day | No time to fix a technical fault | Record on day one |
| Long build-ups | The timer runs out before the point | Answer in the first sentence |
| Reusing one script across roles | Service lines ask different questions | Write a separate draft per role |
After the video: Launchpad and final rounds
In the UK, strong recordings progress to Launchpad, PwC's assessment centre, which runs group, written, and interview exercises and rewards candidates who listen and synthesise rather than dominate. In the US, the behavioural interview and final manager or partner rounds probe the same stories in more depth, and Consulting and Strategy& roles add a case.
The habit that carries across all of it is consistency. Keep the same motivation and the same examples, and add depth rather than new material. If you are preparing several firms at once, keep each separate. Our KPMG video interview guide covers a similar recorded round at another Big Four firm, and the two processes ask different versions of "why us".
What to do after reading this
Applying to PwC this cycle? Confirm the service line on your application, write one reason for it that would not fit another firm, and record two or three timed answers within the first day of the invite.
Keep application timing on our PwC internships application guide, and keep the delivery habits on the HireVue practice guide.