Accountant Interview Questions

Accountants help businesses make financial decisions by collecting, tracking, correcting, and communicating the financial position of the company. They record transactions, compile and analyze data, perform audits, assist with budgets and financial forecasting, compute taxes, and report their findings to management and other entities, such as the IRS or investors.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Accountant or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Accountant position, these Accountant interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Accountant Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Accountant interview questions.

1. Why did you choose accounting as a career?
2. Tell me about a time you were able to reduce the cost of a critical process or procedure?
3. What are the different types of accounting?
4. Describe one of the biggest challenges in the accounting field and how you strive to overcome it.
5. What’s the difference between deferred revenue and accounts receivable?
6. How do you maintain accounting accuracy?
7. What are three examples of common budgeting methods?
8. What impact do you think AI and automation will have on accounting?
9. What is the difference between a trial balance and a balance sheet?
10. If our organization has three bank accounts for processing payments, what is the minimum number of ledgers it needs?
11. What is Scrap Value in accounting?
12. What types of accounting software programs are you familiar with?
13. What is the top challenge facing those in the accounting field?
14. What is working capital?
15. How do you answer questions from clients who don’t have any background in accounting?
16. Which accounting platforms have you worked on? Which one do you prefer the most?
17. Have you ever developed your own accounting process?
18. Can you walk me through the three financial statements?
19. Explain how you decreased operational costs in a previous role.
20. How do you reduce the likelihood of human errors in the accounting department?
21. When it comes to accounting software, what matters most—price or functionality?
22. What is the difference between executive and public accounting?
23. What strategies do you use to detect fraudulent entries in a journal or ledger?

Accountant Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Accountant interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want This Job?
2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
3. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
4. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
5. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
6. Tell Me About Yourself
7. Why Should We Hire You?
8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
9. What is Your Salary Expectation?
10. Are You a Leader or a Follower?