Breaking into consulting
Leadenhall Market, City of London, early morning. Photograph: Pierre Blaché, Wikimedia Commons, CC0, cropped
Three kinds of firm hire graduate consultants in London. Strategy houses test you with a case; the Big 4 with tests, video and a final stage.
Three kinds of firm hire graduate consultants
Graduates enter management consulting through three kinds of firm: strategy houses, the Big 4 and specialist firms, each hiring in its own way. This guide sits in the careers section beside banking, law and the Big 4.
| Firm | Kind of firm | How it selects graduates, from its own page |
|---|---|---|
| McKinsey & Company | Strategy house | A problem-solving interview, also called a case interview |
| Boston Consulting Group | Strategy house | Case study interviews built on a realistic business challenge |
| Bain & Company | Strategy house | A digital assessment, then one or more case interviews |
| Deloitte | Big 4 | One assessment structure for every programme, then a final stage |
| KPMG | Big 4 | Online assessments, a video interview, then a half-day Launch Pad |
| PwC | Big 4 | A virtual assessment centre, then a senior leader interview |
| EY | Big 4 | Set out on its own UK graduate pages |
| Cambridge Consultants | Specialist | Recruits on a rolling basis, with no deadline |
The groups are not a ranking. They describe how each kind of firm says it recruits, in its own words.
£50,000 median starting salary in consulting at leading UK graduate employers
More on the three kindsLess on the three kinds
Strategy houses advise boards on strategy, and select graduates mainly through the case interview.
At the Big 4, the professional services firms, consulting is one business area among several, and you apply through the firm’s graduate process.
Specialist and smaller firms are built around one industry or one kind of problem, and often hire nearer the start date.
The City around Moorgate on a weekday morning is glass, stone and people walking quickly to meetings. Consulting is one of the trades those streets run on.
The strategy houses test you with a case
The case interview is the strategy houses’ signature: a business problem you have not seen, worked through aloud. McKinsey calls it the Problem-Solving Interview, and says what it is for.
we’ll present a business case to evaluate your analytical thinking and approach to solving complex problems.
At Bain, the case comes after a digital assessment. Read each firm’s interview page before you prepare, because the format is theirs to set.
More on how the firms describe itLess on how the firms describe it
BCG gives you a realistic business challenge to work through step by step: structuring the approach, asking questions, analysing data and doing quick calculations.
Bain says its consulting process typically starts with a digital assessment, followed by one or more case interviews.
What the three descriptions share is the shape: a problem you have not seen, worked through aloud, with someone watching how you think rather than what you already know.
More on a daily habitLess on a daily habit
Build a habit before a library of cases. Read one business story a day, in the Financial Times or a trade paper, and sketch in a minute how you would structure the problem behind it. BCG puts structure first; this habit trains it.
structure your approach, ask thoughtful questions, analyze data, perform quick calculations, and identify the most important factors
Practise the case the way firms describe it
BCG’s sentence doubles as a practice plan, in five moves:
- Structure the problem before you touch a number.
- Ask the questions that would change your answer.
- Read the data, and say what it shows.
- Do the arithmetic aloud, clearly.
- Close on the few factors that matter most.
More on a worked exampleLess on a worked example
This case is fictional. A chain of coffee shops in London has seen profits fall for two years and asks why. Structure first: profit is revenue minus costs, and revenue is customers multiplied by what each spends.
Then ask: is the fall in every shop or a few, and in customers or in spend? Suppose the answer is that customers are steady but each order is smaller.
Now calculate aloud what a smaller order costs one shop in a week, then across the chain. Close on the likely causes, such as prices, the menu or a new competitor, and the one you would test first.
Case studies also appear on assessment days outside consulting. Prospects lists them alongside group discussions, presentations and in-tray exercises, so the assessment centre guide is worth reading whichever firm you aim at.
More on practising in EnglishLess on practising in English
Practise out loud, with a partner who reads the case and stays silent while you think. A case is a conversation, so say your structure before you start, then check it with the interviewer as you go.
If English is not your first language, rehearse the numbers in English as well as the reasoning. The firms test both aloud, and practice keeps the arithmetic from slowing you down on the day.
assessment centres are often the final stage of the selection process for large graduate recruiters
At the Big 4 consulting shares one process
At Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC, consulting is one business area inside a larger firm, and you apply through the firm’s graduate process.
| Firm | Stages, from the firm’s own page | Final stage |
|---|---|---|
| Deloitte | Four steps, the same for every programme | In person, at the office linked to your application: a topic discussion and a skills and motivation interview |
| KPMG | Two online assessments, then a video interview | Launch Pad, an in-person half-day event |
| PwC | Earlier stages, then a virtual immersive assessment centre | An interview with a senior leader from your business area |
The tests and video interview come before anyone discusses consulting with you, so prepare for them as seriously as for a case.
If successful you will have your job offer within 2 working days
More on the Big 4 detailLess on the Big 4 detail
Deloitte says its assessment follows the same structure whether you apply for a vacation scheme, a placement or a graduate programme.
The area you choose matters: at PwC, the final interview is with a senior leader from the business area you are matched to.
KPMG publishes its Launch Pad dates, from Tuesday 17 November 2026 in London to Wednesday 5 May 2027 in Leeds.
A video round has nobody in the room, and it rewards practice.
The guide to video interviews and HireVue covers the set-up and the timing, and the Big 4 guide sets the four firms’ stages side by side.
Big firms hire in autumn, smaller ones all year
The large firms recruit on the graduate scheme calendar, opening in September or October and, at the Big Four, closing by December or January.
| Months | What usually happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September to December | Applications open and close | targetjobs; University of York |
| January and February | First-round interviews and assessments | targetjobs |
| March and April | Assessment centres | targetjobs |
| April to June | Offers | targetjobs |
Smaller and specialist firms keep a looser clock, often hiring closer to the start date.
There is no deadline for this role, as we recruit on a rolling basis.
More on internships and smaller firmsLess on internships and smaller firms
Internships follow the same rhythm as schemes. LSE’s Department of Finance lists strategy consulting firms among the employers offering paid internships that in many cases lead to a full-time offer, with deadlines usually later in the autumn or in January.
LSE Careers says smaller organisations hire throughout the year, often closer to the start date. Cambridge Consultants, for one, says successful candidates can join between May and October 2027.
On a one-year master’s, this all lands in your first term.
The edition for Indian graduates of UK universities sets out how that one-year squeeze works across finance, consulting and tech.
More on after the autumnLess on after the autumn
You are a final-year student from the first day of a one-year master’s, so the graduate programmes are open to you at once; apply to the firms with autumn deadlines first.
If the autumn passes without an offer, the year is not over. The University of York’s careers service says some schemes reopen in May and June when places are unfilled, and specialist firms keep hiring.
Choose your firms, then your preparation
Decide which kind of firm you want before you prepare, because the preparation differs.
| If you | Start with | Then read |
|---|---|---|
| Enjoy reasoning aloud about problems you have not seen | A strategy house’s interview page | The practice plan above |
| Want one process across several business areas | A Big 4 graduate programme | The Big 4 guide |
| Already know the industry you want | A specialist firm’s open roles | The graduate scheme calendar |
If you are also weighing finance, the investment banking guide sets out a path that starts earlier, in first year.
More on applying widelyLess on applying widely
You can apply to more than one kind, since the calendars run side by side. Keep the shortlist short enough to prepare properly for each firm on it.
For a strategy house, the case is the work: weeks of practice, out loud.
For the Big 4, it is online tests, a video interview and a final stage, in person or online. For a specialist firm, it is knowing its industry well enough to talk about it.
The graduate scheme calendar has each firm’s dates, read from its own page.
140 applications per graduate vacancy at ISE member employers, 2024 to 2025
Whichever you choose, the application is a UK one: a CV in the UK format, which Manchester’s careers service says is most commonly two pages, with your right to work stated plainly.
On the visa side, a Graduate visa cannot be extended, but you may switch to a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK. The salary rules are on gov.uk’s Skilled Worker visa pages (opens gov.uk), and the graduate pay league table sets consulting pay beside them.
This week
- Read the interview page of each strategy firm on your shortlist
- Practise one case out loud, structuring it before you calculate
- Note each Big 4 firm's stages from the Big 4 guide
- Rehearse a group exercise using the assessment centre guide
Sources
- GOV.UK: Switching from a Graduate visa to Skilled Worker You cannot extend your Graduate visa. However, you may be able to switch to a different visa, for example a Skilled Worker visa. Checked
- High Fliers Research: The Graduate Market in 2026 Chart 9 Graduate Salaries at the UK's Top Employers in 2026, by Sector or Industry. Median starting salaries. Consulting: £50,000. Source, The Graduate Market in 2026 Read
- Institute of Student Employers: Apprenticeships rise as graduate vacancies drop 8% (Student Recruitment Survey 2025 launch, 15 October 2025) Go back two decades to 2002/3, and employers received an average of 38 applications per graduate vacancy. By 2022/3 that figure had more than doubled to 86 per vacancy and for the last two years has been at 140 per vacancy. Competition for roles in retail, FMCG and tourism were the highest at 290 applications for every graduate role. Read
- McKinsey & Company: Interviewing at McKinsey During the Problem-Solving Interview, sometimes referred to as a case interview, we’ll present a business case to evaluate your analytical thinking and approach to solving complex problems. Read
- Boston Consulting Group: Consulting case study interview preparation During a case study interview, or problem-solving interview, you will be presented with a realistic business challenge. Your task is to work through the problem step-by-step: structure your approach, ask thoughtful questions, analyze data, perform quick calculations, and identify the most important factors. Read
- Bain & Company: Interviewing The application process for a consulting role typically consists of different steps, a digital assessment and then case interview(s). Read
- Deloitte UK: Early Careers Assessment Regardless of whether you’re applying for a Summer Vacation Scheme, Industrial Placement, or one of our full-time Graduate or Brightstart programmes, our assessment process follows the same structure: ... STEP 4, Final Stage AssessmentIf you're applying for a Graduate, Entry Level Apprentice, Industrial Placement or BrightStart Apprentice role, your final stage assessment will take place in person at the Deloitte office linked to your application. ... The Final Stage Assessment is split into two exercises*: A discussion about your topic preparation with one of our assessors. ... A skills and motivation interview where we’ll ask some questions to learn more about your alignment with the capabilities we look for at Deloitte. Read
- KPMG UK: Application process (graduate) After submitting your application, you will be automatically invited to complete two online assessments. ... If you are successful at Stage 2, you may be invited to our Video Interview. ... If you are successful at Stage 3, you will be invited to attend the final stage of the recruitment process: Launch Pad, an in-person, half day event.The dates of our Launch Pad events can be found below: Tuesday 17th November 2026: London Oval ... Wednesday 5th May 2027: Leeds New Dock Hall ... If successful you will have your job offer within 2 working days! Read
- PwC UK: Assessment and selection process (Early Careers) The penultimate stage of our assessment and selection process is a virtual immersive assessment centre. ... The final stage of our assessment and selection process is an interview with a senior leader from the business area you’re matched to. Read
- Prospects (Jisc): Assessment centres Hosted over anything from an afternoon to two days, assessment centres are often the final stage of the selection process for large graduate recruiters. ... You will work both individually and as part of a group on a variety of exercises, including: case studies, group discussions, in-tray exercises, presentations, psychometric tests, role play, social events, written tests. Read
- Cambridge Consultants (advert on Gradcracker): Graduate Software Engineer (2027 start) There is no deadline for this role, as we recruit on a rolling basis. Once the position is filled, we will close the advert. ... Successful candidates can join us between May to October 2027. Read
- LSE Department of Finance: Careers advice (MSc Finance and Economics offer holders) They are paid positions, and in many cases can lead to an offer of a full-time position by the employer. These are offered by most investment banks, strategy consulting firms, and other financial and tech institutions. The application process is similar to that for full time positions, although deadlines are usually later in the autumn or January Read
- targetjobs: When to apply for graduate jobs Most employers offering formal graduate programmes open for applications in September/October, with a view to graduates starting work the following September/October. ... Applications for graduate schemes in investment banking often open in August and close as early as October.Those recruiters who set deadlines in November and December typically hold first-round interviews and assessments in January and February. Assessment centres are usually held in March and April and job offers made in April, May and June. Read
- University of York Careers and Placements: Recruitment time frames May to June: Some schemes may re-open if they have unfilled vacancies. ... Schemes with the "Big Four" professional services companies are likely to close by December/JanuarySeptember to December: The peak time to apply for graduate schemes. ... December to February: Initial sifting of applications by online tests, video or phone interviews. Some schemes are still open. Some operate a rolling recruitment process, assessing applications in batches. It is best to apply as soon as possible as they may close when they have enough good applicants Read
- LSE Careers: Looking ahead: careers and professional development (offer holder presentation, 4 June 2025) Recruitment Timeframes August to January Graduate schemes open, some fixed date, some rolling Formal internship schemes open including parliamentary internships October to April Assessments & offers Traineeship applications June to September Internships, grad schemes begin Smaller organisations in public and private sector hire throughout the year Read
- LSE Careers: Graduate job market You will also find there is more flexibility on when to apply for graduate jobs; opportunities will tend to be advertised throughout the year, recruitment will often take place closer to the time of hire Read
- University of Manchester Careers Service: Step 1: Creating your CV The 2 page reverse chronological CV is the most common style of CV for the UK and is suitable for most situations. Read
This page is about the UK job hunt and is not immigration advice. For your own situation, speak to a regulated immigration adviser or an immigration solicitor, and check the current rules on gov.uk.
Change log
- First published.
Read next
- InterviewsInside a UK assessment centre A day of exercises, scored one by one: the timetable annotated
- Big 4 recruitment, stage by stage Tests, video, assessment day, interview: the published stages compared
- Breaking into investment banking From spring week to offer, with the dates each window opens
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