Accounts Assistant Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Applying for a Accounts Assistant job in the UK? Here is what you are likely to be asked. These questions come from our Accounts Assistant question bank of 25 questions, written for UK employers at junior level.

Eight Accounts Assistant interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Talk me through how you process a purchase invoice, from the moment it arrives to when the supplier is paid.

Why they ask: This is the core daily task of most accounts assistants, so they want a clear, accurate process.

2. Why do you want to work as an accounts assistant?

Why they ask: They want to see genuine interest in finance and an understanding of what the job involves.

3. Which accounting software have you used, and how would you post a journal in it?

Why they ask: They need to know how quickly you'll be productive on their system.

4. How do you decide which nominal code to post an invoice to, and what's the difference between capital and revenue expenditure?

Why they ask: Coding accuracy affects the management accounts and the tax computation, so they want careful judgement.

5. What makes an invoice a valid VAT invoice, and what would you check before reclaiming the VAT on it?

Why they ask: Reclaiming VAT on invalid invoices is a common and costly mistake for junior staff.

6. How do you allocate customer receipts on the sales ledger, and what do you do with a payment you can't identify?

Why they ask: Accurate cash allocation is essential for credit control and reliable debtor balances.

7. A customer phones, upset, saying they've already paid an invoice that you've just chased them for. What do you do?

Why they ask: Handling customer queries politely and accurately is an everyday part of the job.

8. Tell me about a time you had to process a large volume of transactions accurately under time pressure.

Why they ask: Accounts assistants handle high volumes, so they want evidence you stay accurate when busy.

A sample answer to question 1

Talk me through how you process a purchase invoice, from the moment it arrives to when the supplier is paid.

Invoices usually come into a shared accounts inbox, so the first step is to log them, often through a capture tool like Dext or the system's own inbox. I check the basics: it's addressed to our company, the supplier is set up on the system, and it's a proper VAT invoice with the supplier's VAT number if VAT is charged. Then I match it to the purchase order and the goods received note, checking quantities and prices. If everything agrees, I code it to the right nominal code and cost centre and post it to the purchase ledger with the correct invoice date, due date and VAT rate. Anything that doesn't match, or has no PO, goes back to the budget holder for approval. Approved invoices then sit on the aged creditors report until they're due, when they're picked up in the weekly payment run, paid by BACS and the remittance advice is emailed to the supplier.

Common mistake to avoid: Posting invoices without approval; Ignoring due dates

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 25 questions are on the Accounts Assistant interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.