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KPMG Apprenticeship Competencies — What They Test and How to Prepare
KPMGtests school leavers against a specific set of competencies at every stage — from the online assessment through to the final interview. Here's exactly what they test and how to prepare for each one.
KPMG's Core Competencies
Courage
Assessed at: online assessments, video interview, and assessment centre.
What strong looks like:
A STAR story with a clear individual contribution, a specific outcome, and a genuine reflection on what you learned or would do differently.
Integrity
Assessed at: online assessments, video interview, and assessment centre.
What strong looks like:
A STAR story with a clear individual contribution, a specific outcome, and a genuine reflection on what you learned or would do differently.
Excellence
Assessed at: online assessments, video interview, and assessment centre.
What strong looks like:
A STAR story with a clear individual contribution, a specific outcome, and a genuine reflection on what you learned or would do differently.
Together
Assessed at: online assessments, video interview, and assessment centre.
What strong looks like:
A STAR story with a clear individual contribution, a specific outcome, and a genuine reflection on what you learned or would do differently.
For Better — KPMG's five values underpin all competency assessment
Assessed at: online assessments, video interview, and assessment centre.
What strong looks like:
A STAR story with a clear individual contribution, a specific outcome, and a genuine reflection on what you learned or would do differently.
The STAR Framework
S — Situation: Set the scene briefly (1–2 sentences). Enough context, no more.
T — Task: What was your specific responsibility? What was expected of you?
A — Action: What YOU did — not "we". Be specific. This is 60% of the answer.
R — Result: Quantify if possible. What changed? What did you learn?
Where to Find Your Examples
You don't need impressive examples — you need specific ones. Strong STAR stories come from:
- Part-time jobs (customer complaints, covering a shift, managing a task alone)
- School projects or coursework (disagreements, tight deadlines, leading a presentation)
- Sport, volunteering, Duke of Edinburgh, clubs, or societies
- Any situation where something went wrong and you fixed it or learned from it
Want the full prep pack?
KPMG Apprenticeship Prep Pack
Application stages, competencies, real interview questions, commercial awareness, and a pre-submission checklist — in one complete pack.