Ernst & Young (EY) is one of the Big Four accounting firms, providing assurance, tax, consulting, and advisory services globally.
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EY is a Big Four consulting-style bar. Clearing the printed CGPA floor only gets you into the funnel - the timed aptitude paper, GD presence, and interview composure decide offers.
Academic requirements
Marks: Typically 60% or 6.0 CGPA throughout (10th, 12th, graduation when listed)
Degree: B.Tech/B.E./M.Tech/MCA/MBA in any discipline
Year of Study: Final-year students and recent graduates
Backlogs: No active backlogs (offer-stage verification is common)
Branch & skills
Eligible Branches: All branches on many campus drives
Skills: Analytical thinking, clear English, problem-solving
Experience: Internships and projects are valued, not always mandatory
Minimum CGPA required (candidate-reported): 60% or 6.0 CGPA throughout (10th, 12th, graduation). Treat this as a shortlisting floor - EY still filters heavily on assessment and interview performance. Always verify the exact requirement on your drive notice or careers portal. Criteria chatter for 2025 and 2026 is the same band, so you do not need a separate year-tagged eligibility FAQ.
| Academic Level | Typical floor (candidate-reported) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation | 60% or 6.0 CGPA throughout | Confirm on campus JD / careers post |
| 10th / 12th | Often aligned when the JD lists all three | Consistency across years matters |
| Backlogs | Usually none active at joining | Offer-stage verification |
What that means day to day: a 7.8 CGPA who freezes in GD loses to a 6.2 who speaks in structured points and clears the aptitude sectional comfort zone. EY’s brand looks “professional services,” but the fresher filter is still timed aptitude + communication - Excel interest helps Tax/Assurance answers, not OA scoring.
Good fit: You already solve medium aptitude under a timer, you can narrate a project without rambling, and you read business news enough to hold a GD for two minutes without panic. Internships in consulting/IT/finance help, but a clear campus project with ownership beats a vague “assisted team” bullet.
Harder path: You only practiced untimed puzzles; you dominate GD without listening; your “Why EY?” is “Big Four brand” with zero service-line curiosity. Technical rounds reward concrete project trade-offs more than namedropping frameworks.
Branch myth: Non-CS students clear EY when aptitude and communication are real. Branch does not replace OA speed; it also does not auto-reject you if the JD lists any discipline.
Locations: Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, and other metros dominate India chatter. Be honest early if you cannot relocate.
Backlogs and gaps: active backlogs are the usual hard stop. Cleared historical backlogs rarely matter if the transcript is clean at offer time - still, do not surprise HR. Unexplained multi-year gaps invite questions; prepare a one-sentence ownership answer.
Off-campus reality check: Careers applications without a referral can sit longer. A tight resume with measurable projects helps more than a generic “passionate about consulting” summary. Referrals improve visibility; they do not lower the aptitude bar.
Download 2026 EY placement papers
2026 pattern in detail
2025 placement papers
2024 placement papers
Previous year question papers
EY does not publish one permanent “official paper.” Previous-year style packs on placementpapers.app train the timed aptitude + verbal OA and early interview themes - quant, LR, English - plus enough GD flavor for Round 2. Think of papers as simulators for 60-90 minute stamina, not a question bank to memorize. EY reuses themes more than exact clones.
| Round (typical) | What to practice |
|---|---|
| Online aptitude | Timed quant / LR / verbal accuracy |
| Group Discussion | Topic structure, not MCQ drills |
| Technical | Domain + projects + problem-solving |
| HR | Why EY, motivation, location |
Across recent drives and candidate write-ups, the same families show up:
How to use a paper: time a full OA block; mark every question you guessed; rewrite any DI approach that blew time; spend 20 minutes listing which pattern you missed. Three reviewed papers beat ten skimmed ones.
Year-page cheat sheet:
| Year pack | Use it for | Skip if… |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Baseline aptitude themes | You only have 3 days - jump to timed PDF |
| 2025 | Newer DI/LR mixes, pattern notes | You have not finished one full timed mock yet |
| 2026 | Expected pattern + study plan framing | You are still weak on percentages/ratios basics |
2024 vibe (from student reports): aptitude → GD → tech → HR; clear rates after aptitude often cited ~30-40%; packages in the ₹6-10 LPA chatter band. 2025 vibe: same skeleton with more digital/risk talk. 2026 prep implication: do not chase a mythical “AI-only paper” - keep aptitude sharp and add one digital-consulting talking point for GD/HR.
What “previous year paper” does not mean: it is not a leaked live exam. Patterns recycle - exact numbers and RC passages do not. Students who memorize answer keys without timing themselves still fail when the DI table format changes. Use papers to build a personal error log: “I always misread ‘approximately’ in DI” is more useful than “I finished paper #7.”
Printable practice tip: when you download the PDF, solve one section with a phone timer face-up. Pause only to log misses. Then redo the same section cold two days later. That spaced redo is where Big Four aptitude prep actually compounds.
A consultant’s bill rises from ₹8,000 to ₹9,200. What is the percentage increase?
Solution: Increase = 1,200. Percentage = (1200/8000) × 100 = 15%.
Five analysts P, Q, R, S, T sit in a row. P is left of Q; R is between Q and S; T is at one end. Who sits in the middle if T is at the left end?
Solution: Order T - P - Q - R - S (one valid arrangement matching constraints). Middle = Q.
Choose the incorrect segment: “Neither the managers nor the associate (A) / were available (B) / for the client call (C) / No error (D).”
Solution: With “nor the associate,” the verb agrees with the nearer subject → was available. Error in (B).
Assurance hours: Mon 12, Tue 15, Wed 18, Thu 14, Fri 21. What is Wednesday’s share of the weekly total?
Solution: Total = 80. Wed share = 18/80 = 22.5%.
EY runs campus drives at engineering and business schools and off-campus / careers applications. Role tracks (Assurance vs Technology Consulting vs GDS) can change whether coding or Versant appears - always read your invite.
Campus recruitment
Placement cell PPT → resume shortlist → aptitude → GD → interviews. Season-aligned for many colleges.
EY careers / off-campus
Apply on EY careers for Analyst / Associate / GDS roles. Resume screen → assessment invite → same interview ladder shape.
Referrals
Employee referrals improve visibility; the aptitude and GD bar stay the same.
Campus vs off-campus: On-campus = reserved slots and peer energy. Off-campus = denser pools. Content does not soften because the venue is familiar.
Resume / campus shortlist (days to ~1 week)
They scan CGPA floors, projects, and communication signals. Put measurable work on the resume - “reduced report cycle time by 30% in internship dashboard” beats “interested in Big Four.” Honesty matters because interviews reopen every bullet.
Online Aptitude Test (60-90 minutes)
Typical: ~50-60 questions · Format: online proctored · Negative marking: usually none reported.
| Section | Questions | Time feel | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative | 20-25 | 25-30 min | Percentages, ratios, algebra, DI |
| Logical Reasoning | 15-20 | 20-25 min | Series, puzzles, arrangements |
| Verbal Ability | 15-20 | 20-25 min | RC, grammar, vocabulary |
Clear rates after aptitude are often cited around ~30-40%. Time boxing that works: bank easy quant first, do not marry one puzzle, leave buffer for RC.
Group Discussion (20-30 minutes)
Groups of ~8-10. Topics: current affairs, business cases, industry trends. Evaluators watch structure, initiative without bullying, listening, and teamwork. Roughly ~40-50% of OA survivors advance in many student reports.
Open with a definition + 2-3 points + close; invite quieter peers once; never invent fake stats.
Technical Interview (30-45 minutes)
Domain basics, projects, problem-solving. Tech tracks may touch SQL/OOPs/cloud; assurance/tax tracks lean domain. About ~50-60% of GD survivors advance in many reports.
Restate → structure → answer → check assumptions. Silent rambling without a framework is a common fail mode.
HR Interview (20-30 minutes)
Motivation, Why EY?, teamwork, location, career goals. Around ~70-80% of tech-clear candidates get offers when logistics are sorted.
Prepare a specific Why EY (service line + client impact - pick what is true for you). Vague “prestige” answers underperform.
| Phase | Duration | Key activities |
|---|---|---|
| Application / shortlist | 3-7 days | Campus cell or EY Careers |
| Online Aptitude | 1 day window | 60-90 minute assessment |
| GD + Interviews | ~1 week | GD, technical, HR (sometimes same day) |
| Result / offer | 3-5 days | Offer letter and joining details |
Total: usually 2-3 weeks end to end (campus same-day stacks can feel longer because of waiting).
Some EY GDS and Consultant write-ups describe aptitude plus coding, English Versant with a mic, then technical and HR - with long waits between slots. If your mail mentions Versant or coding, add those drills immediately; if it does not, do not invent a LeetCode grind that starves GD prep.
If you only remember three numbers: 60-90 minute aptitude, four-stage classic loop, fresher CTC band ₹6-10 LPA (candidate-reported).
Most rejection stories after a green OA sound the same: “I knew the topic but spoke last / spoke too much / had no examples.” EY GD is not a debate club. It is a 20-minute signal that you can work with clients and peers. Practice with friends who interrupt when you ramble. If you cannot summarize a Business Standard headline in four sentences, you are not ready - and that is fixable with two weeks of daily news + five mock GDs, not another hundred percentage drills.
Another under-prep area: Versant/English filters on some GDS/Consultant drives. If your invite mentions a mic-based English test, practice speaking clearly into a phone for ten minutes a day. Do not discover mic lag on drive day.
When the placement cell drops an EY PPT with a short window, compress ruthlessly:
Students who “wait to see if they clear OA before preparing GD” waste the only buffer they have. EY loops move in days once you are shortlisted.
You do not need a CFA for campus Analyst roles. You do need enough service-line awareness to sound specific:
Pick one line that matches your interests and prepare a 30-second angle (client problem → EY-style approach → skill you bring). That is enough for HR and many technical openers.
Practice aloud with a timer (8-10 minutes group or solo outline):
For each: define terms, give 2 balanced arguments, one example, one close. That beats collecting 50 GD “quotes.”
Online assessment
OA format, timing, and question types.
Coding questions
DSA patterns for OA and technical rounds.
Aptitude / mock quiz
Quant, logic, and timed mock quiz.
Interview experiences
Candidate stories and round notes.
HR interview questions
Common HR questions, sample answers, STAR tips.
Week-by-week prep
Study plan and round-by-round strategy.
If a Ernst & Young (EY) invite is 3-8 weeks out, treat this hub as the map and the nested pages as the drills. Do not reread eligibility ten times. Check the JD once, then spend hours on the filter that actually rejects people.
Typical fresher CTC chatter for Ernst & Young (EY) sits around ₹6-10 LPA (candidate-reported - confirm the letter). Languages students mention most often: C, Go, SQL. Pick one and stay with it in OA and interviews.
Eligibility reminder (from student reports): EY eligibility for freshers 2026 (candidate-reported): typically 60% or 6.0 CGPA throughout 10th, 12th, and graduation; B.Tech/B.E./M.Tech/MCA/MBA in any discipline; final-year students and recent graduates; no active backlogs. Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills matter as much as the academic floor. Always verify your campus JD or EY careers posting.
What you are training for: EY placement process typically runs: Online Aptitude Test (60-90 minutes, quant + logical + verbal) → Group Discussion (20-30 minutes) → Technical Interview (30-45 minutes) → HR Interview (20-30 minutes). Some GDS / tech-track drives add coding or Versant English. End-to-end is usually 2-3 weeks.
Short version of the prep split: Split prep roughly: aptitude & reasoning ~40%, verbal ~25%, GD practice ~20%, domain/tech basics ~10%, interview/HR ~5%. Timed mocks, daily business news, and STAR stories for consulting fit matter more than random puzzle grinding. Full plan: preparation guide on placementpapers.app.
Week 1 - pattern, not vibes. Oa pattern first: sit one untimed paper, then redo it under the real clock. Open the Ernst & Young (EY) previous-year sets on this site and mark which sections ate your time. Write the timing on a sticky note. That number is more useful than a 200-problem LeetCode streak you never timed.
Week 2 - the steep filter. Most Ernst & Young (EY) drives fail people on the first timed paper or OA. Do three timed sits this week. After each one, log every miss in a two-column note: topic and why (slow, wrong formula, bad edge case, panic). The next sit should only add problems from that log.
Week 3 - talk tracks. Technical interviews at Ernst & Young (EY) usually want a clean project story, one or two CS fundamentals, and (if the process has it) a behavioral or values round. Write STAR stories on paper, not in your head. Practise “Why Ernst & Young (EY)?” with one concrete product, lab, or business line - not a slogan.
Week 4 - mocks and logistics. Star stories + one project walkthrough recorded on your phone. If you still have energy, redo only the questions you failed in week 2.
| Slice | Share of weekly hours | What “done” looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Timed papers / OA | ~40% | You finish a Ernst & Young (EY)-style sit without guessing the clock |
| Coding / role technical | ~30% | You can explain a solution out loud in your chosen language |
| Fundamentals / domain | ~20% | You can teach one OS/DBMS/networks (or domain) topic to a friend |
| Stories + HR | ~10% | Two STAR stories and a specific Why-this-company answer |
If you only have 10 days, keep the same ratios and cut volume, not the timed sits.
Use this hub for the Ernst & Young (EY) story (eligibility, rounds, salary). Use those pages for reps. If a card 404s on your campus mirror, the explore links at the top of this page are the same destinations.
If you do one thing after reading this: schedule three timed Ernst & Young (EY) papers on three different days, then interview prep on the leftovers.
A TCS/Infosys aptitude deck still helps the quant/logic slice of many Ernst & Young (EY) papers, but do not assume the same cutoff culture. Read the process section on this page once, then swap in Ernst & Young (EY)-specific coding or domain drills from the nested banks. Shared prep is fine; shared assumptions about rounds are not.
Days 1-3: one timed Ernst & Young (EY) paper each day plus error log. Days 4-6: only the topics you missed, plus 4-6 coding problems in one language. Days 7-8: project + STAR + Why Ernst & Young (EY). Day 9: one more full mock. Day 10: light review and sleep. This is worse than four weeks, but it beats rereading notes the night before.
Know your project at the level of what broke and what you changed, not only the tech list on the resume. For Ernst & Young (EY), interviewers often poke the same hole the OA already tested - be ready to re-solve a warm question on a shared editor or whiteboard. If you used AI to draft code while practising, you still need to type it yourself on the day.
A single note with date, paper name, score/time, and three misses is enough. If you cannot name your last three Ernst & Young (EY) mistakes, you are collecting content, not preparing.
Figures below are candidate-reported as of August 2026 (total annual package bands). Treat them as ranges, not offer letters.
| Level | Experience | Base (approx.) | Total Package | Typical background |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst / Associate | Fresher | ₹6-8 LPA | ₹6-10 LPA | Engineering / business graduates |
| Associate (experienced) | 1-2 years | ₹8-12 LPA | ₹10-15 LPA | Relevant experience |
Health coverage, professional development / certifications, flexible arrangements (team-dependent), global mobility chatter, PF/gratuity, and wellness programs. Metro living costs differ - HR will still discuss location explicitly.
How to read the fresher band: ₹6-10 LPA is the Analyst/Associate range students most often cite; most offers cluster ₹6-8 LPA. Tech consulting / risk advisory in metros often sit toward the top. Exact CTC splits vary by offer letter - use the band for expectation-setting.
How EY pay compares in student chatter: similar to other Big Four fresher bands, typically below top product-company packages, often above many pure service-company campus floors depending on role. Still - pick the service line and team, then read the letter.
Hiring trends 2026
Digital, risk, cyber, and tech consulting vocabulary shows up more in GD/HR. Classic aptitude OA remains the first filter on many campus drives.
Process shape
Virtual interviews remain common. Some GDS/Consultant loops still add coding + Versant. Same-day campus stacks with long waits still appear in write-ups.
Access paths
Campus + Careers + referrals. Role-track clarity (Assurance vs Tech Consulting vs GDS) matters more than ever.
Company context
India offices across major metros; Big Four brand with service-line specialization for early careers.
Net for 2026 prep: do not wait for a “new pattern” rumor. Double down on timed aptitude, one polished GD habit, and project stories with trade-offs. Process length and virtual formats matter for calendar planning; they do not replace fundamentals.
Yes. Free EY placement papers PDF download and previous-year style aptitude/interview practice (2024-2026) are on placementpapers.app - no registration. Start with the 2026 PDF and the archive. Papers train patterns and timing; they are not leaked live exams.
Typical fresher ladder: Online Aptitude (60-90 min) → GD (20-30 min) → Technical (30-45 min) → HR (20-30 min). End-to-end often 2-3 weeks. Some GDS/tech drives add coding or Versant - follow your invite.
Most students report four core stages (aptitude + GD + technical + HR). Extended GDS/Consultant journeys can insert coding/English assessments. Count the rounds on your schedule.
Common report: 60-90 minutes, ~50-60 questions across quant, logical reasoning, and verbal; usually no negative marking; online proctored. Clearing OA only shortlists you for GD/interviews.
Classic consulting/assurance campus drives are aptitude-first. Some EY GDS / technology Consultant drives report coding plus Versant. Read the mail before skipping coding or before ignoring GD.
Aptitude themes (quant, LR, verbal), GD on business/current affairs, technical/domain and project questions, behavioral STAR, and HR (Why EY, location, goals).
Structure beats volume. Define the topic, give 2-3 points with an example, invite others, and close cleanly. Avoid fake statistics and personal attacks. Daily business-news reading is the real prep.
Candidate-reported: typically 60% or 6.0 CGPA when listed across 10th/12th/graduation; B.Tech/B.E./M.Tech/MCA/MBA in any discipline; no active backlogs. Same band students cite for recent cycles - verify your JD. Strong OA + GD still decide advancement.
Technology Consulting, Risk Advisory, Tax, Assurance, and Advisory tracks are commonly discussed. Titles are often Analyst/Associate. Match prep to the JD service line.
Yes on many drives that list any discipline. You still need aptitude speed and communication. Branch is not a free pass past the OA.
Candidate-reported as of August 2026: Analyst/Associate roughly ₹6-10 LPA CTC (most offers cluster ₹6-8 LPA). Role and metro matter. Offer letter wins over blogs.
Split ~40% aptitude/reasoning, ~25% verbal, ~20% GD, ~10% domain, ~5% interview/HR. Timed mocks and business news matter more than random puzzle apps. Details: preparation guide.
EY: tech consulting / risk advisory chatter strong. Deloitte: largest scale. PwC: assurance/tax brand. KPMG: advisory/risk focus. Fresher bands often overlap (~₹6-10 LPA). Choose by service line, location, and written offer.
Treat GD as scored. Stay current on business news, speak in structured points, and bank the aptitude OA with accuracy. Dominating every minute or staying silent both fail.
The aptitude OA and GD are the steepest drops for many campuses. Technical/HR are manageable if projects and Why EY are specific. Harder than pure “HR-only” drives, beatable with deliberate timed aptitude + GD practice.
Analytical problem-solving, clear English, structured teamwork in GD, domain curiosity for your track, and ethical judgment. Consulting composure beats buzzwords.
An EY GDS campus candidate (write-up updated 13 October 2024) said that after the online test, shortlisted students reported at 9:30 A.M.: “First 1 hour was a Pre Placement talk then after that they divided the candidates based on their college and ask 10 people to stand in a queue for their Technical Interview” (GeeksforGeeks). HR could be taken online on college devices or offline on the spot - they chose online because it was quicker.
On 21 August 2024 at Sister Nivedita University, an EY Consultant candidate described four rounds on GeeksforGeeks: aptitude plus two coding, English Versant with a Bluetooth mic, technical, then HR. About 300 cleared the first two stages. Scheduling slipped badly - “After a long wait (my interview, scheduled for 9:00 a.m., wasn’t conducted until 4:00 p.m.), I finally had my technical interview” - covering Express.js auth and cybersecurity. Of roughly 300 interviewed, 67 were selected at 4.8 LPA.
What to steal from these stories: expect long campus wait days; confirm whether your drive is aptitude-only or coding+Versant; keep project stories ready for late technical slots; treat one GfG post as a vibe check, not a fixed template - return to timed mocks on placementpapers.app.
Nested interview pages on placementpapers.app also echo GDS and Consultant stories with aptitude openers, occasional coding+Versant, and technical rounds that reopen resume stacks (auth, cyber basics, project ownership). Candidates who failed often admit the same two mistakes - treating GD as optional after a green OA, and walking into technical rounds unable to explain their own internship beyond tools listed. Candidates who cleared usually sound almost boring: timed DI accuracy, structured GD opens, and one project story with a metric.
If you interview this month: print your invite sections, map them to the practice map above, and schedule two full aptitude mocks before the real OA. Do not collect five more PDFs. Execution beats archive hoarding.
Offer-stage checklist: reread the role title (Analyst vs Associate vs GDS track), base vs variable, joining location, background-verification docs. Celebrate after the letter is signed - not after the HR smile.
Offer negotiation reality for freshers: Big Four fresher bands are often fairly standardized by role and college tier. Asking for a 3 LPA jump with no competing written offer rarely works. Do ask clarifying questions about joining location, service line, variable pay, and background verification timelines once the letter exists.
Competing offers framing: if you also hold Deloitte/PwC/KPMG/product offers, be honest and specific about what you are comparing (service line, location, learning, not only CTC). Interviewers have heard “Big Four prestige” a thousand times - concrete trade-offs travel better.
