EY · Online Assessment
EY screens candidates through SHL (TalentCentral) before any interview. Below: the exact format, what each section tests, and how to practise it in identical conditions until you walk in confident.
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The format
Sits directly after resume submission and before the HireVue job simulation. Issued to nearly all applicants who meet basic eligibility within 12-24 business hours.
Most online assessments split into 3-5 sections, each with its own clock. Speed and accuracy both count.
Modern formats get harder if you answer correctly, easier if you struggle. Your final score reflects what you can actually do under time pressure.
EY sets a pass mark per test type. Below it, you don't progress regardless of how strong the rest of your application is.
Completion window. Must be completed within 24 hours of the talentcentral@shl.com email; cognitive portions run ~20-25 minutes but allocate a quiet 60-minute window.
By division. A single consolidated interface across Assurance, Tax, Consulting and SaT; performance is benchmarked against different internal criteria, with SaT and quantitative consulting weighting numerical outcomes more heavily.
Recent changes. EY US has stayed loyal to SHL for three cycles, bypassing game-based widgets (Pymetrics, HireVue games) in favor of SHL enterprise-grade psychometric validity.
The provider
EY configures its own selection of SHL (TalentCentral) modules. Below: the exact products in the suite, why they were chosen, and what the provider's reputation is across the candidate pool.
History at EY. EY uses SHL as its exclusive US early-careers assessment engine, buying specific product lines from SHL TalentCentral. (International EY firms such as the UK use Cappfinity instead.)
Candidate reputation. Known for uncompromising data interfaces and interactive drag-and-drop elements; it lacks game-app polish but punishes raw test-taking errors and UI friction heavily.
Section breakdown
Each section has its own format, timer and trap pattern. Worked examples below show exactly what you will see and where candidates drop points.
12-15 questions · Countdown per question or section
What it tests. Fractional increases, currency conversions, CAGR, ratio analysis and operating-margin metrics under cognitive load, drawn from charts, financial statements and multi-tab spreadsheets.
Worked example. Interactive layouts may ask you to drag a line to a projected data point or sort columns to isolate a trend, rather than pick a multiple-choice circle.
Common traps. The "All Data" trap (dense five-year tables when only a Q2-to-Q3 ratio is needed) and UI missteps like misreading axes (millions of dollars vs thousands of units).
How to handle it. Keep a physical calculator and scratchpad beside you, write the formula before calculating, and execute the math cleanly once.
Several 150-250 word passages · Countdown per section
What it tests. Comprehending dense corporate, macroeconomic or legal prose and categorizing statements as True, False or Cannot Say strictly on the text.
Common traps. The "Outside Knowledge" trap (using your own economics knowledge over the passage) and mistaking a qualified statement for an absolute one.
How to handle it. Read the question and answer choices before the passage, watch qualifiers (all, some, never, solely), and pick Cannot Say when there is no explicit causal link.
Alternating matrix and arrangement items · Countdown per section
What it tests. Pattern recognition in inductive matrices and constraint-based deductive arrangements (seating charts, schedules) via drag-and-drop.
Common traps. Fixating on a single variable (color while missing rotation or borders) and the sunk-cost trap of spending over two minutes on one matrix.
How to handle it. Use the M.O.V.E.S. checklist: Movement, Orientation, Value/shading, Element count, Symmetry, isolating one rule at a time.
12-16 workplace scenarios · Per scenario
What it tests. Navigating interpersonal friction, project bottlenecks and ethical dilemmas, mapped against EY competencies (adaptability, collaboration, integrity, learning agility, relationship building).
Common traps. The "Lone Wolf" fallacy (fixing a client issue alone without telling your senior) and the passive-escalation error (dumping minor disputes on a partner instead of resolving peer-to-peer first).
How to handle it. Answer as a first-year associate: transparently flag mistakes to your immediate supervisor while presenting two proactive solutions.
Blocks of statements, untimed
What it tests. Maps your working style against SHL 32 traits, prioritizing structural organization, conscientiousness, data-driven orientation and team consensus-building (Most Like You / Least Like You).
Common traps. Inconsistent gaming (claiming high detail-orientation in one item then preferring high-level thinking in another) trips the built-in consistency check; extreme outlier positioning on aggressive traits clashes with EY culture.
How to handle it. Be honest but present a polished, structured, collaborative version of yourself, and keep answers stable when themes reappear in different phrasing.
Pass mark
SHL does not use a linear percentage; it ranks you on a percentile basis against a global norm group of graduates applying to financial and professional services firms.
Methodology. Components aggregate into an overall aptitude profile, but one weak section can sink the application: a 95th-percentile numerical score with a 35th-percentile SJT is filtered out. EY requires a balanced baseline.
Response time. 3 to 7 business days for advancement or rejection emails.
Score visibility. Candidates never see raw scores, percentiles or behavioral profile reports.
How to practise
Same provider, same section structure, same time pressure. With a scored report after every test so you can fix the weakest section before the real one.
Free practice section, scored. Full report unlocks with the Pack.
Why candidates fail
Specific failure patterns documented across past applicants. Most are avoidable with structured preparation.
Treating the 24-hour link as a suggestion
Taking it in the last hour leaves no buffer for Wi-Fi drops, tech issues or cognitive fatigue.
Speed over accuracy
Rushing interactive numerical questions to beat a perceived clock produces inputs that completely miss the underlying math.
Wall-Street-drama SJT answers
Answering situational items with aggressive tactics rather than the collaborative, matrixed Big Four reality.
Tripping the consistency flag
Alternating between an analytical introvert and a social extrovert across the personality module flags low consistency and triggers rejection.
Defaulting to "Cannot Say"
Picking Cannot Say whenever the answer is not stated word-for-word fails to recognize valid logical deductions.
What works
Concrete habits drilled by candidates who clear the cut-off, drawn from applicant accounts and practice patterns.
Set up a clean workspace
A spacious desk with scratch paper, a fast physical calculator and zero extra browser tabs open.
Isolate core variables instantly
Skim dense tables to pull only the data points the question needs, bypassing embedded noise.
Treat the passage as the sole truth
Ignore personal opinion and external economics knowledge on verbal items.
Apply systematic pattern diagnostics
Break geometric matrices down with a structured checklist (Movement, Orientation, Value, Elements) instead of guessing.
From past applicants
Anonymised candidate accounts of how recent applicants approached the EY assessment. Each covers the prep, the experience, and the outcome.
Consulting Summer Analyst (US)
Prep. Two to three weeks of timed numerical, verbal and abstract practice, plus mental-math drills on percentages and ratios.
Experience. The 24-hour SHL window was the real pressure. The interactive numerical section embedded five-year tables when only a single ratio change was needed; isolating variables and writing the formula first kept pacing intact.
Outcome. Cleared the assessment and advanced to the HireVue job simulation.
Practice strategy
Match a timed, mixed-format SHL battery rather than a single test type, and build the interactive-UI familiarity that catches people off guard.
Intervyo timed aptitude practice
Numerical, verbal and inductive/deductive sets under realistic time pressure, scored with a per-section debrief so you can see which type is dragging your pace.
Mental-math drills
Short daily percentage, ratio, CAGR and currency-conversion drills to free up time on the numerical section.
SJT and personality consistency
Practice answering scenarios as a collaborative first-year and keeping personality answers stable across rephrased themes.
Time investment. Around 10-20 hours of timed practice over two to three weeks is typical for strong scorers.
Time management
FAQ
EY uses SHL as its exclusive US early-careers assessment engine, delivered through SHL TalentCentral. The battery is the SHL Verify G+ general ability test (numerical, verbal, inductive and deductive reasoning), a Situational Judgment Test customized to EY, and an OPQ-based personality questionnaire. International EY firms (such as the UK) use Cappfinity instead, but in the US it is SHL across all four service lines, with numerical performance weighted more heavily for SaT and quantitative consulting streams.
The other rounds
Online Assessment is one of four rounds. The Pack covers all four end to end.
EY Pack
Practise the exact SHL (TalentCentral) format ahead of time, scored against the EY pass mark. One Pack covers HireVue, online assessments, live interviews and the superday.
Get the EY Pack · $89Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by EY, SHL, Pymetrics, Cubiks, AON or any other assessment provider. Test details are sourced from past applicants and published guidance; verify on the firm's careers site before applying. Sector: Big 4 / Professional Services.
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