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PwC Apprenticeship Competencies: What They Test and How to Prepare
PwCtests 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.
PwC's Core Competencies
Commercial acumen
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.
Collaboration
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.
Communication
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.
Leadership
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.
Problem solving
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.
Resilience
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
Free prep pack
Preparing for PwC? Get a full pack free
The full PwC School Leaver pack is free: application stages, the competencies they score, real interview questions, commercial awareness, and a pre-submission checklist. No payment, just an email address.
Want the PwC pack specifically?
PwC Apprenticeship Prep Pack
Application stages, competencies, real interview questions, commercial awareness, and a pre-submission checklist: in one complete pack.
Read the free PwC pack →