Audit, Tax & Accounts Roles Interview

Finance and legal hiring in India typically runs an HR or recruiter screen, a hiring-manager round on what you have actually done (targets owned, engagements worked, deals or matters handled), a role round led by a senior practitioner that tests fundamentals and a live scenario, and a behavioural or fitment round, spread over one to three weeks. Private banks and NBFCs often add a branch or regional-head interview and a short aptitude or product test; CA firms interview articleship applicants on accounting, audit and tax basics; research and investment-banking desks add a stock pitch or a modelling test; law firms and legal teams give a drafting or case-reading exercise. ExamPilot compresses this into one 17-minute panel: an HR screen, a hiring-manager round on your real work, a role-specific technical round where the arithmetic and the legal position must be right, a STAR behavioural round and a closing on expectations. Each round is scored on role knowledge, problem solving, communication and attitude, with feedback that names the number you got wrong or the clause you missed.

1. 1

   Accounting

   We billed a customer ₹1,18,000 inclusive of eighteen percent GST, payable in thirty days. Which accounts are debited and credited, and why?

   What a strong answer covers

   Debit the debtor for ₹1,18,000, credit sales for ₹1,00,000 and credit output GST of ₹18,000, split as CGST and SGST or IGST depending on whether the sale is intra-state or inter-state. Explain the logic of each entry. Avoid putting the full amount into sales.

2. 2

   Audit procedures

   You are verifying fixed assets during a statutory audit of a manufacturing company. What procedures would you perform, and why?

   What a strong answer covers

   Reconcile the fixed asset register to the ledger, physically verify selected items, vouch additions to invoices and approvals, recheck depreciation, review disposals and consider impairment. Explain which assertion each step tests, such as existence or valuation. Avoid listing steps without saying why each one is done.

3. 3

   GST

   A client's input tax credit in its books is higher than what appears in GSTR-2B. What could explain the gap, and what would you do?

   What a strong answer covers

   Possible causes include suppliers not filing on time, timing differences, wrong GSTIN, or invoices booked but not yet uploaded. Reconcile invoice-wise, follow up with suppliers, and claim only eligible credit, reversing or deferring the rest. Avoid claiming the full amount anyway.

4. 4

   AP-AR

   Explain the three-way match in accounts payable and what you do when the quantities do not match.

   What a strong answer covers

   Match the purchase order, goods receipt note and vendor invoice before payment. If quantities differ, hold payment for the difference, check with stores and procurement, and request a credit note or corrected invoice. Avoid paying the invoice amount just to meet the vendor's deadline.

5. 5

   Integrity

   The client cannot locate several purchase invoices, and your senior tells you to mark them as checked so the file can close by midnight. How do you respond?

   What a strong answer covers

   Refuse to mark it verified, document the missing evidence, inform the manager, and suggest alternatives like extended procedures or follow-up after the deadline. Explain audit risk calmly. Avoid compliance under pressure or a confrontational tone.

6. 6

   Receivables

   How would you prepare a debtors ageing report, and what would you do with an invoice that is over 180 days overdue?

   What a strong answer covers

   Classify receivables into buckets such as up to thirty, sixty, ninety and beyond 180 days, then analyse concentration. For long overdue items, check disputes, follow up, consider a provision for doubtful debts and inform management. Avoid treating ageing as only a formatting exercise.

7. 7

   Motivation

   Why do you want to do your articleship at a mid-sized firm instead of a Big 4 firm, or the other way round?

   What a strong answer covers

   Give a reasoned choice: mid-sized firms often offer broader exposure across audit, tax and compliance, while Big 4 offers structured processes and large clients. Connect the choice to your learning goals. Avoid answers based only on stipend or brand name.

8. 8

   TDS

   A vendor raises an invoice for ₹2.5 lakh for repair work. How do you decide whether TDS applies, and at what point is it deducted?

   What a strong answer covers

   Check the nature of the payment, whether it falls under contract work or professional services, the threshold limits, the vendor's PAN and status, and that TDS is deducted at the time of credit or payment, whichever is earlier. Say you would confirm current rates and section numbers. Avoid guessing figures confidently.

9. 9

   Behavioural

   During the March closing season, what was the toughest deadline you faced, and how did you manage it?

   What a strong answer covers

   A STAR answer: the deliverable, the volume, how you planned and prioritised, how you coordinated with the team and client, and the outcome, including any trade-off. Show calm and organisation. Avoid describing only long hours without showing how you managed the work.

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