Accenture Consultant Interview Questions (+ 48-Hour Plan)

Expect a mix of candidate-led (sometimes mixed) case interviews, plus behavioral/fit and often a short client-style presentation; group activities appear in some assessment days. Accenture publishes a case interview workbook—their emphasis: problem-solving, business analysis, and professional client presence. Use this to calibrate your structure and tone.

Cultural signals map to Leadership Essentials (do the right thing, lead with excellence, inclusion, caring for people). CEO Julie Sweet's favorite screen: "What have you learned in the last six months?" Have a crisp learning arc ready.

Short on time? Use the 48-hour plan at the end to compress prep without sounding canned.

SwiftPrep difference: paste your Accenture job link → we detect practice (Strategy & Consulting / Technology / Operations / Song / Industry X), likely case types, and generate a firm-style, 48-hour sprint with targeted drills and fit prompts.

TL;DR

• Expect a mix of candidate-led (sometimes mixed) case interviews, plus behavioral/fit and often a short client-style presentation; group activities appear in some assessment days.
• Accenture publishes a case interview workbook—their emphasis: problem-solving, business analysis, and professional client presence. Use this to calibrate your structure and tone.
• Cultural signals map to Leadership Essentials (do the right thing, lead with excellence, inclusion, caring for people). Bring stories that demonstrate judgment, collaboration, and learning.
• CEO Julie Sweet's favorite screen: "What have you learned in the last six months?" Have a crisp learning arc ready.
• Short on time? Use the 48-hour plan at the end to compress prep without sounding canned.

What Accenture Actually Evaluates

Heuristic: if your answer has no numbers, no trade-offs, or no next steps, it's not ready.

Interview Formats You Might Encounter

• Case interview (candidate-led; sometimes mixed): 30–45 minutes; you drive the structure, analyses, and next steps.
• Behavioral / fit: teamwork, conflict, ownership, "Why Accenture?"; often mapped to Leadership Essentials.
• Short presentation / "client" briefing: 3–10 minutes; a mini-deck or verbal walkthrough followed by Q&A.
• Assessment activities (select processes): group exercise, quick games, or day-of tasks.

Case Question Types & Answer Patterns

1) Profitability (classic)

Prompt: "Profits are down—what's going on?"

Pattern: Revenue (price × volume) vs Cost (variable vs fixed). Prioritize the top driver; propose a pilot or pricing test.

Synthesis: "Pricing mix explains ~60% of decline; recommend targeted rollback in low-elastic segments; next, channel elasticity test."

2) Market Entry / Growth

Prompt: "Enter Market X?"

Pattern: Market attractiveness → Company fit → Economics (break-even/payback) → Risks.

Synthesis: Commit with conditions: "Proceed if CAC < ₹Y and partner distribution confirmed."

3) Ops / Transformation

Prompt: "Cut fulfillment cost by 15%."

Pattern: Map the value chain → identify throughput, utilization, defect rates → quantify lever impact → pilot roadmap.

4) Market Sizing

Prompt: "Size managed security services in DACH."

Pattern: Top-down (population → penetration → ARPU) or bottom-up (accounts × attach rate × price). Sanity-check with another path.

Use the Clarify → Structure → Prioritize → Analyze → Synthesize loop. Accenture's workbook examples emphasize professional presence and clear frameworks.

Behavioral & Fit (Accenture-flavored)

Prepare 6 STAR stories: difficult stakeholder, influencing without authority, deadline pressure, conflict resolved constructively, initiative/leadership, and a real failure + learning.

Fit prompts you'll likely see

• "Why consulting, and why Accenture?"
• "Walk me through your resume—highlights only."
• "Tell me about a time you led without formal authority."
• "What have you learned in the last six months?" (have one work + one non-work example).

Leadership Essentials tie-ins (weave into stories)

• Doing the right thing; inclusion/diversity; building great teams; bringing people along through change.

Presentation & Group Exercises

You might be asked to present a short client update (e.g., AI opportunity, tech modernization plan) or work in a small group. Structure wins: objective → 3 key points → risks/next steps.

Example Prompts & Mini-Answers

Case (Profitability dip)

"I'll split revenue vs cost. On revenue, I'll check price vs volume; on volume, channel churn. On cost, variable (COGS, shipping) vs fixed. First cut: price-mix by product; discounting may have compressed margin. If price explains the majority, run a targeted price test in low-elastic segments; quantify expected lift."

Behavioral (Difficult stakeholder)

"Sponsor kept changing scope weekly. I instituted a simple decision log with impact estimates and a weekly change-control review. Churned work fell ~30%; we hit deadline while preserving the most valuable scope."

Fit (Why Accenture?)

"I like ambiguous, business-impact problems and tight feedback loops. Your Technology and Operations depth means juniors see real transformation work early. I'll bring structured thinking and a habit of writing brief 'one-pagers' so stakeholders can decide faster."

Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

• "What does success in 90 days look like for a new consultant on your team?"
• "Which two metrics matter most on your current engagement?"
• "Where do projects typically stall, and how do strong juniors unblock them?"
• "If staffed on Industry X, what should I read this week to ramp faster?"

48-Hour Prep Plan (Accenture edition)

Day 1 (AM) — Structure & math (90 min)

• Build one issue tree each for: profitability, market entry, ops, market sizing.
• 30 minutes quant warm-up (percent change, weighted averages, contribution margin).

Day 1 (PM) — Two full cases (120 min)

• Run profitability + market entry aloud.
• After each: 3-bullet synthesis + 1 improvement.

Day 2 (AM) — Behavioral & fit (60–90 min)

• Draft 6 STAR stories, mapped to Leadership Essentials.
• 45-second "Why consulting / Why Accenture?" (firm practice + how you'll contribute).

Day 2 (PM) — Presentation drill (45–60 min)

• 5-minute talk: "AI opportunity for [industry]—3 value levers."
• Slide-less option: headline → 3 bullets → risk/next step.
• Prepare 4 smart questions for the interviewer.

SwiftPrep shortcut: paste your Accenture job link → we detect practice/industry cues and generate a firm-style 48-hour sprint (two cases, presentation prompt, fit prompts, and a checklist).

Common Pitfalls (and quick fixes)

• Laundry-list structures → Prioritize 2–3 drivers, not 7.
• Math with no narrative → Tie numbers back to the business question.
• Vague behavioral → Add one number and one artifact (deck, model, log).
• Generic "Why Accenture?" → Mention a practice/industry and how you'll add value.
• Presentation without next steps → Always add risks and a follow-up plan.

Printable Checklist

• Four case issue trees (profitability, market entry, ops, sizing)
• 30 minutes of quant warm-ups
• Two full practice cases + syntheses
• Six STAR stories mapped to Leadership Essentials
• 45-second fit answer (Why consulting / Why Accenture)
• 5-minute presentation outline + Q&A
• 4 questions for the interviewer

FAQs

What interview formats does Accenture use for consultants?

Expect a candidate-led (sometimes mixed) case interview, behavioral/fit rounds, and in some processes a short client-style presentation or group activity.

How should I prepare for Accenture's case interview?

Use a Clarify → Structure → Prioritize → Analyze → Synthesize loop. Practice profitability, market entry, operations, and market sizing. Emphasize clear client communication.

What behavioral themes does Accenture emphasize?

Stories that reflect the Leadership Essentials: doing the right thing, leading with excellence, inclusion, caring for people, and bringing others along through change.

Will I need to present during the interview?

Many processes include a short presentation or lightning talk. Structure it as objective → 3 points → risks/next steps and allow time for Q&A.

What should I say if asked 'What have you learned in the last six months?'

Offer one work and one non-work example with concrete outcomes to demonstrate curiosity and continuous learning.

Try SwiftPrep

Paste your Accenture job link and we'll:

• Detect practice/industry and likely case mix
• Assemble a 48-hour sprint (2 cases, presentation drill, fit prompts)
• Generate firm-specific questions to ask at the end

Ready to ace your Accenture consultant interview? Start your personalized prep plan today.