18 Accounting Interview Questions You Need to Ask

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The hiring market for accounting roles remains competitive, with high demand and limited supply of skilled candidates. Whether you're staffing permanent positions or bringing in contract professionals for tax season and year-end close, you'll want to be prepared when you interview candidates.

Hiring accounting professionals is high stakes. Bringing aboard the wrong person wastes time, money and resources. That's why it's important to have a list of good accounting interview questions ready and to make sure each one counts.

Asking the right questions will help you assess accounting candidates’ problem-solving abilities, technical knowledge, critical thinking skills, leadership potential, motivation and values. Don't be afraid to ask deeper questions. When you do, you'll get a more complete picture of candidates and a better sense of how they'll work with your team. Their answers can reveal insights into both hard and soft skills, helping you identify the right person for the job.

Here are some effective accounting questions for interviews in three categories that cover skills, experience and suitability for roles from entry-level through senior positions.

What are the best accounting interview questions to ask?

Basic accounting knowledge for entry-level roles
More advanced questions
Accounting software and systems
Accounting processes and analysis

Basic accounting knowledge for entry-level roles

1. When a company is using double-entry accounting, what elements of a given ledger must be equal?

This gets you started with a straightforward question. Candidates with accounting training should have no trouble answering. How they reply shows whether they're ready for an entry-level role.

2. What are two or three types of special journals?

In addition to this accounting interview question, you could also present journal samples for applicants to read and explain as a skills test. How they respond reveals their ability to identify mistakes or omissions.

3. If a company has three bank accounts for processing payments, what is the minimum number of ledgers it needs?

This question explores a candidate’s knowledge of ledgers and opens a discussion about generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). A good response shows the applicant has thought through how accounts relate to lines of business.

4. What methods have you used for estimating bad debt?

Accounting interview questions like this one can help highlight how the applicant has approached a routine process at previous employers. This line of inquiry allows recent grads to apply theoretical knowledge in venturing educated guesses, which could open a dialogue about how your company handles this issue.

5. How do you differentiate between auditing and accounting?

For recent graduates, you're checking how well they grasped fundamentals in their coursework. Look for clear explanations of key roles and processes.

Accounting software and systems

8. Which enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have you used?

Candidate answers should not be vague here; either they have direct experience with an ERP system, or they don’t. Candidates should describe the brand or system they used, which varies depending on company size.

Applicants who worked with smaller companies may describe a more customized or hybrid ERP solution they used. How they answer reveals how much training they'd need on your system.

9. What accounting systems, including ERP platforms, have you worked in, and how do you get up to speed quickly when learning a new one?”

Experience with the specific tools your company uses (e.g., Excel, Hyperion, IBM Cognos, QuickBooks) is useful, but adaptability is more important. Many teams now use cloud‑based finance ecosystems—often ERPs—and systems change frequently during upgrades, integrations and acquisitions. Look for candidates who can explain how they learn new platforms efficiently and transfer knowledge across tools.

10. How comfortable are you working with AI-powered accounting tools?

AI is changing accounting workflows, from automated data entry to anomaly detection and predictive analytics. Candidates who've used AI tools—or show genuine curiosity about them—are better prepared for how the profession is evolving. Consider adding this accounting job interview question for any level, as AI fluency is becoming expected across roles.

11. How do you see AI changing the accounting profession, and how are you preparing for that?

This follow-up assesses whether candidates are thinking ahead. Strong answers demonstrate awareness of how automation shifts routine tasks, freeing accountants to focus on analysis and advisory work. Accounting manager candidates, especially, should have a perspective on this, since they'll likely be leading their teams through these changes.

Accounting processes and analysis

12. What is your experience with developing or monitoring business metrics?

Candidates’ answers should include specific details about how they were involved in business metrics, such as helping to determine and monitor a business’s gross margin or the cost of finding new customers. This accounting interview question works for entry-level analysts through to midcareer professionals with budget oversight.

13. If a private company with break-even operations received a $10 million investment, how would you develop a strategy to spend or invest that money?

This is an example of a situational interview question. Here, you’d be gauging an applicant’s ability to think through a scenario like one they might face in a more senior finance role.

14. What challenges have you overcome in leading a team through an analysis project?

Answers to this question will give you a hint of the candidate’s critical thinking skills. It may also provide a better picture of their leadership aptitude.

15. Can you give me an example of how you would explain a complex accounting process or financial data to someone in another department, such as HR or tech support?

In today’s highly automated business world, communication skills still matter. Look for candidates who can simplify concepts without jargon and tailor their explanations to the audience. People who can translate “accounting speak” for non‑finance colleagues help teams work faster, avoid errors and strengthen cross‑department collaboration.

16. Can you describe a time when you’ve made an accounting error and how you handled it?

Don't judge the mistake—look for lessons learned. Did they take responsibility? Were they proactive in fixing it? The answer reveals character as much as competence. Among accounting questions for interviews, this one works well at any level.

17. What criteria do you use to assess the reliability of the financial information you receive?

Look for candidates who demonstrate strong attention to detail and a disciplined approach to data quality. Strong answers often include steps they take to verify source data, cross‑check entries, confirm supporting documentation, or spot inconsistencies and errors. Candidates who can describe specific methods—such as reconciliation practices, variance reviews, or controls they’ve put in place—tend to demonstrate a higher level of accuracy and stronger judgment.

18. How do you stay current on accounting legislation, rules and policies?

No job candidate could remain completely up to date on all of these, but the most promising applicants will answer this interview question by describing the methods they use to keep as current as possible with notable industry developments. These may include attending a recent professional conference or seminar, membership in professional organizations such as the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA), or subscriptions to a wide range of industry publications.

And here’s a question you should be ready to answer

"What accounting salary are you offering?"

Once you've worked through these accounting interview questions and answers, candidates may turn the tables. Recognize that in today’s hiring environment where employers report challenges in finding candidates with specialized skills, you may need to increase salaries to attract and retain the professionals your team needs to succeed.

You can see starting salaries and the trends shaping the finance and accounting sector’s hiring market in the latest Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half. Localize your insights with the guide’s Salary Calculator by selecting the city nearest you to automatically take into account regional cost of living, talent availability and other factors.

Stop searching. Start hiring with Robert Half.

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