Career Center • Interview

Bookkeeping Interview Preparation

The technical and situational questions to expect for a bookkeeping role.

6 min read

Technical questions to prepare

  • Walk me through your monthly close.
  • How do you reconcile a bank account with a large number of transactions?
  • Which QuickBooks Online reports do you rely on to review the books?
  • How do you record a customer prepayment?
  • Explain the difference between accrual and cash basis.

Sample answers

  • 'Walk me through your close.' — 'Bank feeds first, then bank and credit card reconciliations, AP and AR aging review, sales tax if applicable, payroll journal, and adjusting entries. I finish with a P&L and balance sheet review compared to prior period, then package the reports.'
  • 'Prepayment?' — 'It's a liability until earned — I book it to a customer deposits account, then move it to revenue when the work is delivered.'

Behavioral questions

  • Tell me about a time you found and fixed a material error.
  • How do you handle a client whose records are a mess?
  • Tell me about a time you had to say no to a shortcut.

Recommended learning on 10KeyTrainer.com

Free training you can start right now — no sign-up.

Related career guides

Career Guide

Bookkeeping Careers

Managing the day-to-day books for small businesses and accounting firms.

Resume

Bookkeeper Resume Guide

A resume that shows accountants and business owners you can be trusted with the books.

Checklist

Bookkeeper Skill Checklist

The technical and workflow skills that make a hireable bookkeeper.