Hey
Yeah it seems as though the AC has changed for this year - i think due in part to the volume of info available on the internet about previous ACs...
However I gained a lot from browsing TSR and wikijobs so I feel obliged to give something back. The virtual office exercise is not unlike the etray - but with a few differences - not all the responses you give are in a multiple choice format. Some require you to give a written response, often to a client, manager or colleague. The sort of scenarios you may be faced with include brainstorming prior to a meeting, reassuring a client about the level of your service or replying to a colleague who has asked for a favour. There is also some data handling - working out a few fairly simple calculations or pointing out mistakes in a table of data.
The analysis exercise is very similar to the Trafford Lea written exercise for anyone who has experienced the e-tray at deloitte. Time is extremely tight - you are given a large volume of info about a company to digest, then asked to write 1500 words detailing your recommendations about where the business may be able to improve and how AAA (mock professional services firm) might be able to assist them. You get an hour to do this.
The afternoon involves two role plays, one with a client and one with your manager. The client meeting is first - the key issue really is assuring them about the level of service AAA will provide, as you are trying to rebuild a relationship that had turned a little sour. It is likely the client will have some sort of personality quirk that will make your job a little more difficult - perhaps they will question you aggressively, or conversely be extremely reserved. The meeting with the manager is slightly more informal (and a bit less nerve-racking in my opinion). You will have to brief them on the previous meeting and you will also be pushed to show a little innovation. I imagine the questions they ask will differ, but generating new ideas is certainly a key theme of the meeting.
Keep the competencies in mind during the AC - they assess these throughout in a very objective fashion. This may seem a little obvious but if I had another chance (I was unsuccessful) I would focus far more directly on the competencies and think about how I might best demonstrate examples of them during the AC. There are 8 in total, and you will be scored between 1-4 on all (4 being high). To progress you will need to score a minimum of a 3 in all competencies.
Best of luck to anyone attending the assessment centre at KPMG, they seem like a great company to work for - everyone I met was very friendly and their new office in Canada Square is pretty easy on the eyes...