KPMG Launch Pad: Assessment Day Guide (2026)

Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer.

Last Updated: June 8, 2026

 

The KPMG Launch Pad is the final stage of KPMG's graduate and apprentice recruitment in the UK. It is an in-person, half-day assessment day built around a group exercise, an analysis task, and a one-to-one interview with a senior member of the firm. Clear it and you usually receive your offer within two working days.

 

Most candidates reach this stage after an online application, two online assessments, and a recorded video interview. So the bar is already high by the time you walk in.

 

By the end of this guide, you'll know what each exercise looks like, the exact skills KPMG scores you against, and how to stand out in a room full of strong applicants. As a former interviewer who has coached candidates through assessment days, group exercises, and behavioral questions, I'll focus on what assessors actually reward rather than generic advice.

 

Before reading on:

 

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Key Takeaways

 

KPMG Launch Pad is a half-day, in-person assessment day where you complete a group exercise, an analysis task, and a senior interview while assessors score you against 12 KPMG skills.

 

  • Launch Pad is the fourth and final stage, after the application, online assessments, and video interview

 

  • As of recent cycles it is in-person and runs for roughly half a day, not the all-day virtual format used in 2020 to 2023

 

  • You are scored against 12 published KPMG skills, including resilience, critical thinking, and inclusive collaboration

 

  • The group exercise rewards how you include others, not how loudly you dominate

 

  • Bring two or three sharp questions and clear reasons for choosing KPMG and your programme

 

  • You typically hear the outcome within two working days of the event

 

What is the KPMG Launch Pad?

 

KPMG Launch Pad is KPMG's assessment day for graduate, apprentice, and undergraduate hires in the UK. It packs several exercises into one half-day event so the firm can watch how you behave across different situations, not just how you answer a single interview question.

 

KPMG is one of the Big Four professional services firms, alongside Deloitte, EY, and PwC. The firm employs more than 270,000 people across over 140 countries and hires well over 1,000 graduates and apprentices in the UK each year, according to KPMG.

 

KPMG built Launch Pad to compress a slow, stressful process into a single day. When the firm first rolled it out, it reported that 97% of candidates rated the experience better than rival graduate events. The big promise has stayed the same: a decision within two working days.

 

One point to clear up early. The graduate Launch Pad is a strengths and behavior based assessment day, not a strategy case.

 

If you are an experienced consulting hire, you may instead face a KPMG case interview focused on a business problem, which is a different process with different preparation.

 

Where does Launch Pad fit in the KPMG recruitment process?

 

Launch Pad is the fourth and final stage. You reach it only after passing the application, the online assessments, and the video interview, so the people in the room with you are already a filtered group.

 

Here is how the four stages fit together for graduate and apprentice applicants.

 

Stage

What it involves

Format and timing

1. Explore and Apply

A short, unassessed job preview quiz, then an application form covering your education and experience

Online, self-paced

2. Online Assessments

A skills assessment where you rank how you would respond to work scenarios, plus a cognitive test of numerical and logical reasoning

Online. Allow about 20 minutes for skills and 36 minutes for the timed cognitive test

3. Video Interview

Six pre-recorded questions delivered by an AI avatar named Leah, scored later by a recruiter

Online and self-paced. Allow about 40 minutes

4. Launch Pad

In-person assessment day with a group exercise, an analysis task, a senior interview, and networking

In-person, roughly half a day

 

Each stage must be passed before you progress to the next, and the timelines are tight. Treat the online stages as more than a formality, because a strong Launch Pad cannot rescue a weak earlier round.

 

Is the KPMG Launch Pad virtual or in person?

 

Launch Pad is in person again. KPMG moved it online during 2020 and ran a virtual, all-day version through to around 2023, but recent cycles have returned to an in-person, half-day format at venues across the UK.

 

This matters because a lot of advice online is out of date. Guides that describe a three-hour video call, breakfast presentations to a few hundred people, or an all-day marathon are usually describing the old virtual model, not what you will experience now.

 

Recent Launch Pad events have run at sites such as The Oval in London, the Midland Hotel in Manchester, the NEC in Birmingham, and venues in Glasgow, Bristol, and Leeds. KPMG sends full joining instructions in advance, including travel expenses and dress guidance, so read them carefully.

 

What happens on the day?

 

The day mixes assessed exercises with relaxed, non-assessed sessions. You will meet trainees, managers, and partners, learn more about your programme and office, and complete the activities that decide your offer.

 

A typical flow looks like this: a welcome and overview, a group exercise, an analysis or written task, a one-to-one interview, and time to network. The order varies by location and business area, so do not anchor on a fixed schedule.

 

Keep in mind that the informal parts still count. Assessors talk to each other, and a careless comment during a coffee break can undo a strong exercise.

 

What exercises does the KPMG Launch Pad include?

 

Launch Pad is built from a small number of exercises that each target different skills. The exact mix depends on your business area, and some service lines add a short presentation.

 

The group exercise

 

The group exercise puts you in a team of around five candidates with a business brief and a set of tasks to work through in a fixed time. You might be asked to shape a new product or service, weigh options, and agree on a recommendation together.

 

It works much like a group case interview: assessors watch how you contribute, not just what your group concludes. They are looking at whether you listen, build on others' ideas, manage time, and help the team reach a decision.

 

The quickest way to fail is to talk over everyone to look like the leader. Make sure you bring quieter people in, summarize where the group has got to, and keep an eye on the clock. That reads as inclusive collaboration, which is exactly one of the skills KPMG scores.

 

The analysis or written exercise

 

In the analysis exercise you receive a brief with data and background, then produce a short written recommendation. You may be asked to comment on profitability, flag strengths and weaknesses, and suggest specific actions.

 

This task tests critical thinking and how you handle information under time pressure. Assessors want a clear conclusion backed by the numbers in front of you, not a vague summary of everything you read.

 

Lead with your recommendation, then support it with two or three reasons drawn from the brief. State any assumptions plainly so your logic is easy to follow.

 

The one-to-one interview

 

The one-to-one interview is a conversation with a senior member of the firm, often a manager or partner. It blends motivational questions with behavior based questions tied to KPMG's skills.

 

Expect to explain why KPMG, why your chosen programme, and what you think the first couple of years in the role will look like. You will also field behavior based questions such as a time you worked in a difficult team or recovered from a setback.

 

Structure your behavioral answers with the STAR method: situation, task, action, and result. Vague stories are the most common weakness here, so anchor each answer in one specific example with a concrete outcome.

 

If you want to sharpen these answers fast, my Fit Interview Course walks you through how to structure strengths-based and behavioral responses that land.

 

The presentation (some service lines)

 

Depending on your business area, you may give a short presentation to a partner. The topic is often handed to you on the day, so you will not have long to prepare.

 

If this applies to you, keep your structure simple: a clear message up front, two or three supporting points, and a short close. Speaking with structure under time pressure is exactly what assessors want to see.

 

Networking and informal sessions

 

Launch Pad gives you real time with KPMG people, from trainees to partners. Treat this networking as a two-way street: a chance to decide whether the firm suits you, and a chance to show genuine interest.

 

Come with two or three thoughtful questions about the work, the training contract, or the team. Asking nothing, or asking only about salary, signals low motivation and assessors notice.

 

What skills does KPMG assess at Launch Pad?

 

KPMG scores you against 12 published skills throughout the recruitment process, and several show up directly in the Launch Pad exercises. Knowing the list lets you choose examples and behaviors that map onto what assessors are marking.

 

These are the 12 KPMG skills, as set out by KPMG.

 

KPMG skill

What it means in practice

Career Motivation

Clear reasons for choosing KPMG, your programme, and your future direction

Learning and Curiosity

Picking up new information quickly and staying open to new ideas

Resilience

Staying calm and positive under pressure and ambiguity

Relationship Building

Connecting easily and making a strong first impression

Effective Communication

Speaking and writing clearly, and grasping underlying meaning

Initiative

Setting demanding goals and taking on responsibility proactively

Planning and Organisation

Setting objectives, managing time, and working in a logical order

Results Focused

Delivering quality work and juggling several tasks well

Critical Thinking

Evaluating information and making sound, logical judgements

Inclusive Collaboration

Building team cohesion and drawing out other people's input

Integrity

Upholding ethical standards and doing the right thing

Applying Expertise and Technology

Using relevant knowledge and tools to do the job well

 

You will not demonstrate all 12 in a single exercise, and you should not try to. Pick the skills that fit each task, then show them through what you do rather than by naming them out loud.

 

How is the Launch Pad scored?

 

KPMG assessors rate your performance against the relevant skills for each exercise, then combine those scores into an overall decision. Multiple assessors observe across the day, which reduces the impact of one weak moment.

 

The practical takeaway is that consistency wins. A candidate who performs solidly across the group exercise, the analysis task, and the interview usually beats one who is brilliant in a single activity and forgettable in the rest.

 

It also means you cannot coast through the informal sessions. Treat every interaction as part of the assessment, because in effect it is.

 

How do you prepare for the KPMG Launch Pad?

 

Preparation is less about memorizing facts and more about rehearsing how you behave under time pressure. Use the tips below to get ready in the days before your event.

 

Tip #1: Build a real case for why KPMG. Go beyond the brand and tie your reasons to your programme, the work, and the training qualification. Generic motivation is the single weakest answer assessors hear.

 

Tip #2: Prepare five or six STAR stories. Map them to the KPMG skills, especially resilience, collaboration, and initiative. One strong example can cover several skills if you tell it well.

 

Tip #3: Practice the group exercise dynamics. Rehearse bringing others in, summarizing progress, and watching the clock. These habits are far more visible to assessors than a clever idea you keep to yourself.

 

Tip #4: Sharpen your written reasoning. For the analysis task, practice reading a short brief and writing a recommendation with a clear conclusion in 30 to 40 minutes. Lead with the answer, then justify it.

 

Tip #5: Do your homework on the firm. Read about KPMG's services, recent work, and values so you can speak about them naturally. This feeds both your interview and your networking conversations.

 

Tip #6: Plan your logistics. Check the venue, travel, and timings the night before so you arrive calm and early. Small stresses on the morning drain the focus you need for the exercises.

 

Tip #7: Get the basics right on appearance. Follow KPMG's dress guidance in your joining instructions, and if you are unsure what to wear, smart business attire is a safe default.

 

Tip #8: Prepare questions to ask. Have two or three genuine questions ready for the interview and the networking sessions. Good questions show curiosity, which is one of the skills KPMG is looking for.

 

What are the most common Launch Pad mistakes?

 

Most rejections at Launch Pad come from avoidable behaviors rather than a lack of ability. Knowing the common traps gives you an easy edge over candidates who walk in unprepared.

 

  • Dominating the group: talking over others to look like a leader, which reads as poor collaboration

 

  • Staying silent: contributing so little that assessors have nothing to score

 

  • Vague stories: answering behavioral questions with general claims instead of one specific example and outcome

 

  • Weak motivation: giving generic reasons for choosing KPMG that could apply to any firm

 

  • Switching off informally: relaxing during breaks and networking, forgetting that impressions still form there

 

  • Burying the conclusion: writing or presenting without a clear recommendation up front

 

Avoid these six and you immediately separate yourself from a large share of the room. None of them require more ability, only more awareness on the day.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is the KPMG Launch Pad hard to pass?

 

Launch Pad is demanding, but it is fair and you can prepare for it. The hardest part is that everyone in the room has already cleared three stages, so the standard is high. Candidates who rehearse the group dynamics, prepare specific behavioral examples, and show real motivation give themselves a strong chance.

 

Is the KPMG Launch Pad virtual or in person?

 

Recent Launch Pad events are in person and run for roughly half a day at venues across the UK. KPMG used a virtual, all-day format from around 2020 to 2023, which is why older guides still describe a video-call assessment. Always trust the joining instructions KPMG sends you over anything you read online.

 

How long does the KPMG Launch Pad last?

 

The in-person Launch Pad is a half-day event. That is a meaningful change from the older all-day version, so plan your travel around a shorter day. KPMG confirms the exact timings in your joining instructions.

 

What should I wear to the KPMG Launch Pad?

 

Follow the dress guidance in your joining instructions, which KPMG provides ahead of the event. If you are unsure, smart business attire is a safe choice that fits a professional services firm. Comfort matters too, since you will be on your feet and meeting people throughout the day.

 

When will I hear back after the KPMG Launch Pad?

 

KPMG aims to tell you the outcome within two working days of your Launch Pad. This fast turnaround is one of the headline features of the process. If you are unsuccessful, you can request feedback to help with future applications.

 

Can you fail the KPMG Launch Pad after passing the earlier stages?

 

Yes. Passing the application, online assessments, and video interview gets you to Launch Pad, but the offer depends on how you perform on the day. Each stage is scored on its own, so a weak group exercise or interview can still cost you the offer despite strong earlier rounds.

 

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