PwC Written Exercise 2027: How to Structure a Timed Recommendation

PwC's written exercise for the 2027 intake gives you business information, a tight deadline, and one deliverable: a written recommendation a client could actually read. Assessors aren't marking an essay — they're asking whether your writing looks like a professional's. Candidates who dump unstructured thoughts fail the PwC written exercise assessment centre task; candidates with a ruthless structure pass.

What the PwC Written Exercise Assessment Centre Task Involves

You receive briefing material — background, data, maybe stakeholder views — and typically 30–60 minutes to produce a written recommendation, often as a memo or email to a senior colleague or client. The scenario mirrors real trainee work: synthesise fast, recommend clearly, write professionally. Spelling, grammar, and tone are all being judged alongside your thinking.

What the PwC Written Exercise Assessment Centre Task Assesses

• Structured thinking: Can you organise a messy brief into a logical recommendation? Assessors look for a clear spine: issue, analysis, recommendation, next steps.
• Prioritisation: Including everything scores worse than including the right things. The exercise tests whether you can distinguish the critical from the merely interesting.
• Professional writing: Clear, concise, client-ready prose. Jargon-free, confident tone, correct grammar — the standard of someone PwC would put in front of a client.
• Evidence-based recommendations: Every claim needs grounding in the brief. Opinions without evidence read as guessing.

How to Structure a Timed PwC Written Recommendation

Use this structure every time and never deviate:

1. Purpose (2–3 lines): What this memo covers and the decision needed.
2. Key findings (short bullets): The 3–4 facts from the brief that actually drive the decision — with numbers.
3. Options: Two or three genuine alternatives, each with a one-line trade-off.
4. Recommendation: One clear choice, justified by the strongest evidence. No hedging.
5. Risks and next steps: The main risk and how to manage it, plus what happens next.

Write plainly. Short sentences. One idea per paragraph. Leave five minutes at the end to proofread — a typo in a client memo is a credibility killer, and assessors know it.

Practise with real briefs under the real time limit until the structure is automatic. Our 2027 PwC Online Assessment | Video Interview Tutorials includes PwC-style written exercises with model recommendations for Audit, Tax, and Strategy & Consulting — so you can rehearse the exact format and compare your work against a passing standard.

A timed written task exposes disorganised thinkers in under an hour — and at the assessment centre, there's no redraft. Candidates who arrive with a practised structure write calmly while others panic. Learn the structure now, and the written exercise becomes the easiest marks of your day.

FAQ

How long is the PwC written exercise? Typically 30–60 minutes of writing time after reviewing the brief. Check your assessment centre invitation for exact timings.

What format should the written recommendation take? Usually a memo or email-style document addressed to a senior colleague or client. Follow any format instructions in the brief exactly.

Is spelling and grammar marked? Yes — professional writing standards are part of the assessment. Always reserve time to proofread.

Can I use bullet points? Absolutely. Clear formatting — headings, bullets, short paragraphs — is what professional writing looks like.

Preparing for PwC's Written Exercise? Our 2027 PwC Online Assessment | Video Interview Tutorials has the exact questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.