How Deloitte Interviews in 2026: Process, Questions & What They Score
The complete process, reported questions, and what interviewers score.
Deloitte / Interview snapshot
6
stages from
application to offer
34
reported questions
29
public sources
Independent: SupaCV is not affiliated with or endorsed by Deloitte. This is one well-documented shape of Deloitte's interviews, not a script: processes change and vary by role, team, level, and region, so confirm specifics with your recruiter.
On this page
01 / For every Deloitte candidate
The process, start to finish.
Deloitte is one of the "Big Four" professional services firms. In the US, where most public interview-prep content (and this profile) is aimed, it hires across four main practice lines: Consulting (strategy, technology, human capital), Audit & Assurance, Tax, and Risk & Financial Advisory; these are the current names on Deloitte's US careers site as of 2026.
(Worth knowing: Deloitte's global organization was restructured in 2024 into four differently-named businesses: Audit & Assurance, Strategy Risk & Transactions, Technology & Transformation, and Tax & Legal, so candidates researching Deloitte Global or non-US member firms may see different labels for a broadly similar split. This doesn't change how US recruiting is branded.)
Its interview process and evaluation criteria differ meaningfully by practice: consulting roles use a case-interview format similar to other strategy firms (candidate-led cases plus behavioral, personal-experience-based fit questions), while Audit, Tax, and Technology roles lean more heavily on technical/functional knowledge plus behavioral fit. One terminology correction: many prep sites label Deloitte's behavioral round "PEI" (Personal Experience Interview), but PEI is technically McKinsey's own proprietary/branded interview format. Deloitte's own official careers materials simply call it a "behavioral interview."
By most candidate accounts, Deloitte's version also plays out differently in practice: it moves through several (roughly 4-6) shorter stories in one sitting rather than interrogating a single story in depth the way McKinsey's PEI does. There is no single universal "Deloitte interview format": specifics vary by service line, region (US vs. UK/EMEA campus process differs somewhat), and level (campus/entry vs. experienced hire).
Deloitte does not appear to have one single, uniformly-branded evaluation framework used identically for every role (unlike, say, Amazon's Leadership Principles), but it does have an official, publicly documented set of five "Shared Values" (published on Deloitte Global's own site, in the wording this playbook uses) that interviewers are reported to map behavioral answers against, plus firm-published five-step case-interview and STAR-based behavioral guidance (also published on Deloitte's own careers pages).
Deloitte's "Business Chemistry" model (Pioneer/Guardian/Driver/Integrator) is a well-documented, trademarked Deloitte framework, but public sources describe it as an internal team-dynamics/self-assessment and client-facing consulting tool rather than a confirmed formal candidate-scoring rubric; that connection is not well substantiated, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Stage 1: Online application and resume/transcript screen
Immediate to a few days for initial review
Candidate applies via Deloitte's careers portal, submitting resume, cover letter, and (for campus hires) academic transcripts.
Stage 2: Online assessment
30-90 minutes to complete; roughly 5-10 business days turnaround
For campus/entry-level roles, Deloitte typically sends a battery of assessments: numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) evaluating judgment and values alignment, and sometimes a game-based/'immersive' assessment (some offices use Arctic Shores' 'Cosmic Cadet'). Reported to arrive within a few days of applying, with roughly 5-10 business days' turnaround (longer during peak Oct-Dec season).
Stage 3: Recruiter / HR screen
15-30 minutes (live call) or 20-30 minutes (one-way recorded format)
An introductory phone or video call with a recruiter or HR representative covering background, motivation ('why Deloitte'), and basic fit/logistics. Generally low-stakes. Heads-up: for some roles and high-volume campus pipelines, this step may instead (or additionally) be a one-way recorded video interview (e.g. via HireVue) where you answer pre-set questions on camera with no live interviewer. Prep for it as seriously as a live call, since timing per answer is usually strict.
Stage 4: First-round interview(s): case/technical + behavioral
45-60 minutes per interview; 1-2 interviews at this stage
For Consulting candidates: one or two interviews combining a candidate-led case interview (roughly 30-40 minutes) with 10-15 minutes of behavioral, personal-experience-based fit questions, often labeled 'PEI-style' in prep materials, though PEI (Personal Experience Interview) is technically McKinsey's own branded term, not Deloitte's; multiple independent sources note Deloitte's version tends to move through 4-6 shorter stories in that window rather than one deep-dive story, plus time for candidate questions. For Audit, Tax, and Technology candidates: interviews weighted more toward technical/functional questions (accounting principles, coding/DSA, tool-specific knowledge) plus behavioral questions, often 1-2 rounds with different interviewers.
Stage 5: Assessment centre / group case interview (mainly UK/EMEA campus and many consulting pipelines)
Half-day to full-day event, roughly 60-90 minutes for the group case portion alone
A virtual or in-person assessment centre combining a group discussion/group case exercise (candidates given ~10 minutes to review materials, then ~20 minutes discussing as a group of roughly 3-6 candidates while interviewers observe but do not intervene, followed by ~15-20 minutes of interviewer Q&A to the group), a written case/analysis task, and an individual competency interview. Unique to Deloitte relative to some peer firms.
Stage 6: Final round / partner interview
45-60 minutes
A senior-level interview, often with a partner or principal, focused on strategic thinking, client-readiness, and cultural/values alignment (e.g. 'Where do you see consulting in 5 years?', 'How would a client describe you?'). For non-consulting practices this may instead be a final manager/partner interview focused on technical depth and fit.
Reported interview time, one scale in minutes
Where the minutes go
- Online assessment~30 to 90 min
- Recruiter / HR screen15 to 30 min
- First-round interview : case/technical + behavioral45 to 60 min
- Assessment centre / group case interview~60 to 90 min
- Final round / partner interview45 to 60 min
Not drawn: Online application and resume/transcript screen, whose durations are not given in minutes.
02 / What Deloitte scores
The framework.
Deloitte Shared Values (officially documented) + firm-published case and behavioral interview guidance (not a single unified named competency model like Amazon's Leadership Principles)
01
Lead the Way
02
Foster Inclusion
03
Serve with Integrity
04
Take Care of Each Other
05
Collaborate for Measurable Impact
The five 'Shared Values' above are officially published on Deloitte Global's own site (Global Principles of Business Conduct) as the firm's core behavioral principles, and multiple career-coaching sources report that interviewers are trained to score behavioral/fit answers against these values using structured rubrics, but this specific claim about interview scoring comes from secondary coaching sources, not a Deloitte-published interview rubric, so treat the 'used to score interviews' link as reported/likely rather than firm-confirmed.
Separately, Deloitte's own official careers site publishes two concrete pieces of process guidance that function as a de facto evaluation framework for its case/behavioral interviews: (1) a five-step case-interview approach (understand the issue, identify underlying assumptions, summarize specific issues and findings, state recommendations, and outline next steps and impacts), explicitly evaluating problem-solving, analytical ability, strategic/logical thinking, creativity, comfort with ambiguity, and quick thinking; and (2) explicit endorsement of the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral answers, evaluating track record of achievement, communication, leadership/teaming ability, and role aptitude, with named sub-competencies of priority balancing, problem-solving, collaboration/conflict resolution, adaptability, and leadership.
Read the rest of the framework notesShow less
Deloitte also owns a distinct, well-documented, trademarked 'Business Chemistry' model (four working styles: Pioneer, Guardian, Driver, Integrator), confirmed as a Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) trademark, but public sources describe it as a team-dynamics/self-assessment and consulting-services tool rather than a confirmed formal candidate-interview scoring framework, so treat that link to interview scoring as unconfirmed.
No universal, single named competency framework equivalent to McKinsey/BCG/Bain's PEI-plus-case rubric or Amazon's Leadership Principles is publicly documented as applying uniformly across all Deloitte practices and geographies. Note also: 'PEI' (Personal Experience Interview) is McKinsey's own branded term for its behavioral format; prep sites often borrow it loosely to describe Deloitte's similar-in-spirit behavioral round, but it is not Deloitte's own terminology, and the two formats reportedly differ in structure (McKinsey PEI goes deep on one story; Deloitte's version covers several shorter stories).
03 / Coach's notes
Coach's tips.
01
Tailor prep to the specific practice line: consulting candidates should drill candidate-led case structuring and market-sizing math; audit/tax candidates should prioritize technical accounting fundamentals; technology candidates should expect DSA/coding plus role-specific tool questions. Generic 'consulting case prep' alone is not sufficient for Deloitte's audit, tax, or technology tracks.
02
For cases, explicitly follow Deloitte's own published five-step approach (understand the issue, state assumptions, summarize findings, give a recommendation, then outline next steps and impacts) and narrate your thinking aloud; Deloitte's own guidance states the interview is about how you reason under pressure, not about landing the 'right' number.
03
Prepare 6-8 STAR-structured stories covering leadership, conflict/teamwork, adaptability to change, working under ambiguity or tight deadlines, and a genuine failure. These same five themes recur across nearly all reported behavioral questions regardless of practice. Because Deloitte interviewers reportedly move through several shorter stories in one sitting rather than interrogating a single story in depth (unlike McKinsey's PEI format), having several crisp, ready-to-go examples matters more here than at firms that go deep on one story.
04
If you reach a group case / assessment-centre stage, calibrate your airtime (roughly your fair share of the group, e.g. ~20% in a 5-person group) since interviewers are reported to observe and score group dynamics without intervening: dominating or staying silent are both flagged as red flags in candidate reports.
05
Have a clear, specific answer ready for 'Why Deloitte' and 'Why this practice/service line'; recruiters and partners consistently ask this, and vague answers are a commonly cited weak point in candidate reviews.
06
Practice quick mental math out loud, since multiple sources note Deloitte case interviewers expect candidates to perform and narrate arithmetic accurately under time pressure rather than silently computing.
07
If your first screening step turns out to be a one-way recorded video interview (e.g. HireVue) rather than a live call, prep for it just as seriously: rehearse concise, energetic on-camera answers within the strict per-question time limit, since this format is increasingly used for high-volume campus pipelines and is scored differently than a live conversation.
08
Where possible, connect your behavioral examples to language resembling Deloitte's five published Shared Values (Lead the Way, Foster Inclusion, Serve with Integrity, Take Care of Each Other, Collaborate for Measurable Impact); career-coaching sources report interviewers scoring against these, though this specific scoring link is not Deloitte-confirmed, so treat it as a useful framing device rather than a guaranteed rubric.
04 / The research
Where this page comes from.
Compiled from public sources across 11 sites. Deloitte's own page is among them: deloitte.com/us/en/careers/join-deloitte/recruiting-tips/case-and-s….
- sites
- 11
- coaching and prep guides
- 18
- Deloitte's own pages
- 6
- candidate reports and forums
- 5
Source composition
Where the research comes from
Grouped by the kind of site that published each source: Deloitte's own domain, candidate forums, and everything else.
- Coaching and prep guides18
- Deloitte's own pages6
- Candidate reports and forums5
05 / The questions
Reported questions, by category.
Showing questions for
Roles are grouped by the category each question fits, not by the source.
Case interview / business problem-solving
(Consulting, Strategy, Technology Consulting)
8 questions
A retail client's profits have declined over the past two years. How would you diagnose the cause and what would you recommend?
Should this company enter a new geographic market? Walk me through how you'd evaluate the decision.
Estimate the annual market size for online tutoring services in a given country (market-sizing / guesstimate case).
Estimate the number of coffee shops in a major city, or the U.S. pet food market size.
A client is considering acquiring a competitor. What factors would you analyze before recommending yes or no?
How would you help a company decide whether to build, buy, or partner for a new technology capability?
Walk me through how you'd structure an approach to improving a manufacturer's operational efficiency.
What data would you request first to evaluate whether a new product launch will be profitable?
Group case / teaming exercise
(assessment centre, mainly campus and consulting pipelines)
4 questions
As a group, review these materials and agree on a joint recommendation to present to the interviewers.
Discuss as a team: what are the top three risks or opportunities in this scenario, and how would you prioritize them?
Interviewer follow-up to the group: who made the strongest argument in your discussion and why?
Individual follow-up: what would you have done differently if you were leading this discussion?
Technical / functional
(Audit & Assurance, Tax)
8 questions
What is the difference between point-in-time and over-time revenue recognition?
Accounting knowledge: point-in-time versus over-time recognition criteria under the revenue standard.
Explain the difference between straight-line and units-of-production depreciation.
Accounting basics: straight-line versus units-of-production and when each pattern fits asset use.
What would you do as an auditor if a bank statement doesn't match the accounting records?
Audit judgment: reconciliation steps and evidence gathering when records disagree.
Walk me through the key audit assertions and why they matter.
Audit fundamentals: the assertions (existence, completeness, accuracy, and others) and the risks each addresses.
What is materiality in an audit context, and how is it determined?
Audit fundamentals: what materiality means and how benchmarks and percentages set it.
What are the different types of audit opinions a client can receive?
Audit knowledge: unqualified, qualified, adverse, and disclaimer opinions and what triggers each.
How do IFRS and GAAP differ on a topic relevant to the role (e.g. leases, revenue)?
Technical accounting: articulating a concrete IFRS versus GAAP difference such as leases or revenue.
Describe internal controls you'd expect to see in a well-run finance function.
Tests control-environment knowledge: segregation of duties, approvals, and reconciliations in a finance function.
Reported problems, listed so you know what to expect. Practice them in your own editor or on the platform you prefer; SupaCV's practice mode coaches how you talk through them.
Technical / coding
(Technology Consulting, Software Engineer, Deloitte Digital roles)
5 questions
Solve a data structures and algorithms problem involving arrays or strings.
Standard coding screen on arrays and strings; clean logic and complexity awareness expected.
Explain a Java (or relevant language) fundamental concept, e.g. object-oriented principles or memory management.
Language fundamentals: OOP principles or memory management explained with concrete examples.
Walk me through a real project from your current or most recent role and the technical decisions you made.
Project deep dive testing technical ownership: the decisions you made and the trade-offs behind them.
How would you design or troubleshoot [a specific system/architecture relevant to the client engagement]?
Applied architecture: designing or debugging a system similar to the client engagement's stack.
What is your experience with [specific tool/platform named in the job description, e.g. Salesforce, SAP, cloud platforms]?
Screens hands-on depth with the named platform; expect concrete tasks you performed, not feature lists.
Reported problems, listed so you know what to expect. Practice them in your own editor or on the platform you prefer; SupaCV's practice mode coaches how you talk through them.
Every role
Behavioral / personal-experience-based fit interview (often loosely labeled "PEI" in prep materials, though that term is technically McKinsey's own brand, not Deloitte's), all practices
8 questions
Tell me about a time you led a project or team through a difficult situation.
Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a team member. How did you resolve it?
Give me an example of a time you were juggling multiple competing priorities.
Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a significant, unexpected change.
Think of a time you had to complete a rushed project without all the information you needed. What did you do?
Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn?
Why Deloitte, and why this practice/service line (consulting, audit, tax, etc.)?
How would a client or teammate describe you?
Every role
Technical / coding
(Technology Consulting, Software Engineer, Deloitte Digital roles)
1 question
Describe a time you had to learn a new technology quickly for a client project.
Your next step
Interviewing at Deloitte?
Make sure your resume gets you to the first round.
Practicing for Deloitte against your resume is in Interview Prep on Career.
Common questions
Quick answers.
How many stages are in Deloitte's interview process?
Deloitte has 6 stages, set out in The process.
What framework does Deloitte use to evaluate candidates?
The framework behind Deloitte's evaluation is set out in What Deloitte scores.
What kinds of questions does Deloitte ask?
Deloitte's questions fall into 5 categories, grouped in The questions.
How reliable is this Deloitte interview playbook?
It is compiled from public sources, and the evidence is in The research.
Sources (29)
Every public source this page was compiled from. Links open in a new tab.
11 sites, by sources
- hackingthecaseinterview.com8
- deloitte.com6
- glassdoor.com5
- finalroundai.com2
- myconsultingoffer.org2
- igotanoffer.com1
- graduatesfirst.com1
- roadtooffer.com1
- ophyai.com1
- mockquestions.com1
- business-standard.com1
- 01deloitte.com/us/en/careers/join-deloitte/recruiting-tips/case-and-s…
- 02deloitte.com/us/en/careers/join-deloitte/recruiting-tips/behavioral…
- 03deloitte.com/global/en/about/story/purpose-values/global-principles…
- 04deloitte.com/us/en/services/consulting/services/business-chemistry.…
- 05deloitte.com/us/en/careers/students.html
- 06deloitte.com/us/en/careers/join-deloitte/audit-careers.html
- 07igotanoffer.com/blogs/mckinsey-case-interview-blog/deloitte-case-inter…
- 08hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/deloitte-consultant-interview
- 09hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/deloitte-case-interview-prep
- 10hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/deloitte-behavioral-interview
- 11hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/deloitte-interview-questions-and-answers
- 12hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/deloitte-consulting-culture
- 13hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/mckinsey-vs-deloitte
- 14hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/mckinsey-pei-questions
- 15hackingthecaseinterview.com/pages/deloitte-online-assessment
- 16glassdoor.com/Interview/Deloitte-Interview-Questions-E2763.htm
- 17glassdoor.com/Interview/Deloitte-Software-Engineer-Interview-Questio…
- 18glassdoor.com/Interview/Deloitte-Technology-Consultant-Interview-Que…
- 19glassdoor.com/Interview/Deloitte-Audit-Interview-Questions-EI_IE2763…
- 20glassdoor.com/Interview/Deloitte-Tax-Consultant-I-Interview-Question…
- 21finalroundai.com/blog/deloitte-interview-process
- 22finalroundai.com/blog/deloitte-behavioral-interview-questions
- 23graduatesfirst.com/deloitte-aptitude-tests
- 24roadtooffer.com/blog/deloitte-case-interview-guide
- 25myconsultingoffer.org/case-study-interview-prep/deloitte-case-interview
- 26myconsultingoffer.org/case-study-interview-prep/deloitte-online-assessment
- 27ophyai.com/blog/company-guides/deloitte-interview-guide
- 28mockquestions.com/company/Deloitte/HireVue
- 29business-standard.com/companies/news/deloitte-s-biggest-reorganisation-in-de…
Related reading
- The UK CV Guide: What Actually Differs From a US ResumeCV vs. resume terminology, why UK guidance says leave the photo off, A4 instead of Letter, how NHS hiring often skips CVs entirely, and where GCSE/A-level qualifications fit.
- STAR, XYZ, or CAR: Which Resume Bullet Formula Actually Works?STAR, XYZ and CAR all collapse to the same bullet in practice, why "quantify everything" is more contested than it sounds, and the one modern use of STAR that actually earns its keep.
How similar companies interview
Compare Deloitte's process with other Consulting companies in this playbook: