KPMG online tests.. advise please!

Hey

I sent my application form off to KPMG the other day, and now got to do these online tests in verbal and numerical reasoning. This is my first attempt at applying for a job in tax, so not expecting to get an offer, but I would like to have a chance at an interview to get some experience so I would quite like to pass the test stage at least! But anyway… I was wondering how much preparation should I do, I have never done these sorts of tests before, in the email KPMG sent they recommend doing some practise ones… is that enough preparation? And how similar are they to the real test?

Also anyone who has done the KPMG tests how did you find it, easy or difficult?

thanks :biggrin:

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Reply 1

tek290

I found the verbal reasoning test ok however i thought the numerical was harder than some of the others i had done previously. Look around the internet for some practice ones but make sure you do a few before the KPMG one to give you an idea of what to expect. Apart from doing some practices you cant really prepare for them.

Although not in the best of moods with KPMG, went up to their Dorset Rise office last week to do my E-tray and after finding out i had passed i was told all the places for tax had been filled up!!

Reply 2

ThunderBolt

Hi

I actually found the numerical test no harder than others and passed it well, but struggled a bit with the verbal reasoning...it was more contextual and subject related and contained some law defintions that you had to interpret....rather different to other companies, but I think that was because it was designed in-house...

Thunder

Reply 3

pinky21

thanks, im planning on giving it a go on friday or saturday... once I have gotten rid of a stupid piece of coursework which I am currently doing! I'm quite worried that the questions are tax related.. I wont understand them :frown:

, I'm doing a psychology degree atm, so my knowledge of tax is fairly limited! o well I can only but try!

I was also wondering do you get your results as soon as you finish or have you got to wait for an email or something??

Reply 4

FadedJade

The questions are from a big bank of questions and it doesnt matter which department you are applying for, they will come from the same bank. Definitely do some practice ones. I didnt find the actual questions hard, but I did find the numerical one rather time pressured - make sure you have a calculator!! (I didnt and it wasn't fun.)
They say that they aim to let you know within three working days, so you will probably hear on Monday or Tuesday if you do it at the weekend. Good luck!

Reply 5

davemarkey

I found the numerical test ones ok, and got in the 90th percentile. But the verbal reasoning ones are tough and I only got in the 40th percentile, and just scraped into the first interview.

Practice lots and lots :smile:

Reply 6

the_beast

go to e-financialcareers.com. These tests were the most accurate in terms of difficulty. SHL are good as well but you have to re-register all the time.

Reply 7

Dr. Robotnik

The tests are really difficult and time-pressured. Actually, the numerical wasn't that hard, just ran out of time really quickly. I think I answered 14 questions out of the 24, but I was still in the 65th percentile. The verbal was more difficult than others I have done, mostly because the passages realted to stuff I have studied in my degree and knew inside out, so it was a bit difficult not to make inferences from stuff outside the passage.

But if you're doing psychology you should be fine!

Reply 8

DarthVader

Their tests weren't that hard though I found I did worse in their verbal test (scoring in the 33rd percentile though apparently that was good enough) compared to other verbal tests I've done. The numerical test can't be that hard if you're decent enough at maths - I was in the 98th percentile for that.

Reply 9

pinky21

Well I did the tests on Friday... after a bit of practice. I don’t think I did well enough to pass but its all practice I guess. I actually found the verbal one easier (although still hard), which surprised me as I'm generally better at maths than english! but I'll just have to wait and see... thanks for your help guys!

Reply 10

DarthVader

I'm sure you'll have done well enough to get through.

Reply 11

pinky21

I got an email today from KPMG saying I was in the bottom third :frown:

so not good enough! o well.. it was my first application and attempt at these sorts of tests so cant expect too much!

Just out of interest, how many applications do people generally make before recieving a offer, I know it probably varies, but just on average...?

Reply 12

SWHKG85

as u said it depends... all of my friends did at least 15 application and one friend of mine did more than 40 applications, all for big reputable companies (BIG 4, banks, big companies..) till they got an offer...although they have all reached the assessment centers for more than half of the companies they applied to but didnt get an offer after that...
i consider myself to be lucky as i got an offer from the first time i applied to one of the Big 4 co.

so don't worry or get depressed if you didn't make it from the first dozen times :smile:

and u'll get to practice more especially with ur interview and competency questions...

goodluck

Reply 13

Abercrombie&Fitch

what was the out come?
i have an etray tomorrow and would really appreciate some hints/advice as i have never done anything like them before!

Reply 14

spazbob

I just did both the online tests for KPMG audit ACCA.

The verbal reasoning wasn't too bad, I'm a fast reader got through it in about 2/3rds of the time which allowed me to check some of the ones I wasn't sure about.

The numeracy test you're very pushed for time; I'm reasonable at maths (A at AS-level) and I probably only completed half the questions. It's not so much that they're difficult, they just ask you to do quite a few simple calculations. Here's a sample for anyone curious...

When I was down to the last 10 seconds on the timer I quickly ran through the ones I hadn't answered and picked random answers - I'm now thinking this might've been a bit daft if they distinguish between unattempted and incorrectly answered questions :frown:

Hoping to hear back by the middle of next week anyway

Reply 15

Abercrombie&Fitch

spazbob

Hoping to hear back by the middle of next week anyway

KPMG are very efficient in responding back to you.
i did the same as you in the numerical and i managed to pass. although i dont know my actual score. i had my e-tray today. was ok :0 will hear mid next week if i passed lol

Reply 16

spazbob

I got told I passed today :smile:

and have to book an interview. They haven't mentioned an e-tray yet, does that come before or after an interview?

Reply 17

Abercrombie&Fitch

before usually well done.

Reply 18

Steffy

My first interview came before the e-tray exercise

Reply 19

Federer Rulz

guys and girls slightly off topic, but i decided to apply from an internship in a london office, and all the vacancies for audit were full, that was quick!