EY Data Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax, and transactions, with operations in over 150 countries. As a Data Engineer at EY, you’ll work with cross-functional teams to design data pipelines, optimize storage, and develop data models using cloud technologies like Azure, Databricks, and GCP. The role requires a strong foundation in data structures, cloud services, and AI/ML models to tackle complex business challenges.

Curious about what it takes to land this role? In this guide, we’ll explore the EY data engineer interview process, covering key steps and providing valuable insights into commonly asked EY data engineer interview questions to help you prepare effectively. Let’s get started!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority; however, you can expect the following on an EY data engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the EY Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the EY hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the EY Data Engineer role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this interview stage may revolve around EY’s data systems, ETL pipelines, and SQL queries.

In the case of data engineering roles, take-home assignments regarding specific projects, data optimization techniques, SQL queries, and leveraging data visualization tools are commonly incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency with Python, window functions like rank, dense rank, and row number, and understanding of cloud platforms like Azure may also be assessed during the round.

Depending on the seniority of the position, case studies and similar real-scenario problems may also be assigned, followed by a presentation of the case study.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the EY office. Your technical prowess, including programming capabilities and data architecture knowledge, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview for the Data Engineer role at EY.

Typically, interviews at EY vary by role and team, but common data engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. What kind of analysis would you conduct to recommend changes to the UI?

You have access to tables summarizing user event data for a community forum app. Conduct a user journey analysis using this data to recommend changes to the user interface.

2. How would you assess the validity of the result in an AB test with a .04 p-value?

Your company is running a standard control and variant AB test on a feature to increase conversion rates on the landing page. The PM finds a .04 p-value. Assess the validity of this result.

3. How would you debug and improve the efficiency of a slow SQL query?

You are running a SQL query that is taking a long time. Determine how to know if it’s taking too long and how to debug the issue to improve efficiency.

4. How would you determine how much Spotify should pay for an ad in a third-party app?

You are a data scientist on the marketing team for Spotify. Determine how much Spotify should pay for an ad in a third-party app.

5. Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department.

Note: If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

Example:

Input:

employees table

Column	Type
id	INTEGER
first_name	VARCHAR
last_name	VARCHAR
salary	INTEGER
department_id	INTEGER

departments table

Column	Type
id	INTEGER
name	VARCHAR

Output:

Column	Type
salary	INTEGER

6. How can PG&E model the electricity supply needed for a town?

PG&E needs to forecast the exact amount of electricity to supply a town each year. Supplying too little causes outages, while supplying too much wastes money. What is one way to model the required electricity supply?

7. How do sentiment analysis models convert raw text data into numerical vectors and get trained?

To perform sentiment analysis on an Amazon customer feedback dataset, you need to convert raw text data into numerical vectors. Explain how these models work and how they are trained.

8. How would you assess the effectiveness of a clustering model for grouping similar basketball players without pre-labeled data?

You are hired by the LA Lakers to identify and cluster similar basketball players based on their strengths and weaknesses. How would you evaluate if your clustering algorithm successfully groups similar players without having pre-labeled data?

Here are some tips on how you can effectively prepare for an interview for an EY data engineer position:

1. Brush Up on Key Technical Skills: EY places a strong emphasis on core data engineering skills. Ensure you are well-versed in SQL, data structures, and cloud platforms like Azure and AWS.

2. Understand EY’s Business: Gain some insights into EY’s core values and recent data projects. Being able to discuss how your skills can contribute to EY’s goals will set you apart.

3. Practice Case Studies: Given the likelihood of a case study component, practice delivering clear, concise, and well-thought-out presentations even under pressure.

What is the average salary for a Data Engineer at EY?

According to Glassdoor, data engineers at EY earn between $106K to $158K per year, with an average of $129K per year.

What skills and qualifications are required for the Data Engineer role at EY?

Candidates should have a strong background in data engineering, experience with relational and NoSQL databases, proficiency in programming languages like Python or Java, and familiarity with big data processing technologies such as Hadoop and Spark. A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field and several years of hands-on experience are typically expected.

What is the company culture like at EY for a Data Engineer?

EY has a diverse and inclusive culture that values collaboration, continuous learning, and transformative leadership. The company promotes high ethical standards and integrity, providing a supportive environment where employees are encouraged to use their unique voice and perspective to make a meaningful impact.

Interviewing for a Data Engineer position at EY is an engaging and insightful experience that covers an array of technical and behavioral aspects. This process ensures a well-rounded evaluation of candidates.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main EY Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as Software Engineer and Data Analyst, where you can learn more about EY’s interview process for different positions.

You can also check out all our company interview guides for better preparation. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!