Forensic Intensive graduate programme
Sign up to hear first when we open Download printer-friendly PDFOur Forensic team helps clients to protect their businesses by reducing reputational risk and commercial loss. Combining accounting investigation, technology and industry skills, we come in where facts and figures don’t agree, or where behaviour doesn’t comply with expectations or regulations. Through investigations and compliance, fraud risk management, corporate intelligence, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and dispute advisory services, we help to diffuse challenging situations.
Our Forensic Graduate Programme is designed to build your commercial and business awareness across the Forensic practice and enable you to qualify in 3 years. As well as the chance to study towards the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales qualification (ACA) or the Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA) in Scotland. You’ll receive structured internal training and opportunities to help clients across a variety of sectors and services.
The Intensive Programme is KPMG’s front-loaded, classroom-based ACA product which focuses on upskilling trainees more quickly. This means that for the first 12 months of your training contract you will solely focus on passing 14 out of 15 ACA exams, and come into the business on two work experience placements. One is a structured, six week work experience placement during the first quarter of the calendar year after you join, and the second comes after you have completed your 14 exams. The three main training hubs for the Intensive Programme are London, Birmingham and Manchester. Regardless of the selected home office, you will be expected to relocate to one area in order to dedicate the time to attend the programme for the first 12 months.
Programme summary
Programme overview
Capability: Consulting
Programme length: 3 years
Qualifications: ICAEW CFAB & Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Diploma or full ACA
Entry requirements
As a general rule, you’ll be expected to meet the following requirements (*or equivalents)
- Minimum Grade B GCSE* Maths
- Minimum Grade B GCSE* English Language
- Minimum of 320 UCAS* tariff points
- Minimum 2:1 degree in any discipline
Please note, we only consider a candidate's 'top' 3 A-Level grades and do not accept General Studies.
At KPMG, we look at more than just your academic results. We will review your application, together with your performance in our assessments, to ensure that you have the best opportunity to demonstrate your potential. We will be considering your strengths and achievements alongside a number of other metrics, including technical background and/or experience, to ensure that you have the skills to succeed at KPMG.
Key skills
Throughout the recruitment process we will be looking to learn more about your strengths.
To be successful on this programme, you will be required to demonstrate the strengths that we look for in our graduates at KPMG.
Learn more about what we look for and how to apply here.
Training and development
The training and development of our Forensic professionals is critical to the future success of our business, which is why our people are trained to become experts in their field and supported to study for a professional qualification.
The Intensive Programme is KPMG’s front-loaded, classroom-based ACA product which focuses on upskilling trainees more quickly. This means that for the first 12 months of your training contract you will solely focus on passing 14 out of 15 ACA exams, and come into the business on two work experience placements. One is a structured, six week work experience placement during the first quarter of the calendar year after you join, and the second comes after you have completed your 14 exams.
The entire programme is supported by a wide range of mechanisms that will be applied by your tuition provider or KPMG when you require them, but due to the intense pace of the programme you will need to be really dedicated in your approach to learning.
This programme allows you to focus purely on your professional qualification in your first year. In the remaining 2 years of your training contract you can concentrate on building up a fantastic range of work experience (with only one exam left to complete) and will have the technical knowledge to apply within the workplace.
Regardless of route, you will be supported by KPMG’s dedicated Professional Qualification Training and Accreditation team whose focus is to ensure that each KPMG trainee fulfils their potential.
Additional important information
In Forensic, we currently offer either the full ACA or for those working in financial crime the ICAEW Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (CFAB) & Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Diploma. For the full ACA, there are two paths to qualification that you will be able to select upon applying. These are the ACA Intensive Programme or our ACA Empowered Programme. The CFAB would be delivered through the Empowered Programme.
Due to the intensive nature of the programme, holiday dates are mandated during the initial 12 months of the programme to fit in with the study and exam schedule – with no exceptions.
The three main training hubs for the Intensive Programme are London, Birmingham and Manchester. Regardless of the selected home office, you will be expected to relocate to one area in order to dedicate the time to attend the programme for the first 12 months.
If you have undertaken or are in the process of completing a professional/accountancy qualification then you may not be eligible to apply. For more information click here.
Case study

Hannah
This job actually didn’t cross my mind until I read about the scheme online. It looked really varied, something that wouldn’t be the same thing day in, day out.
Then KPMG came to Durham and I met some of their grads. You couldn’t fail to notice how they genuinely enjoyed their jobs. They talked about the friendly environment, how they were still learning. When I compared that to other people I knew, it seemed really different, in a positive way.
View other Consulting programmes
Actuarial
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries
Customer
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
Industry relevant qualifications relevant to role such as (MRS Advanced Certificate, Microsoft Dynamics specific accreditations, BCS Business Analysis Diploma)
Forensic Empowered
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
CFAB & Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Diploma or full ACA
Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance Services (IARCS) Empowered
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
ACA or CA in Scotland
Internal Audit, Risk & Compliance Services (IARCS) Intensive
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
ACA
Management Consulting
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
People Consulting
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
Chartered Management Consultant Award and a CIPD accredited qualification in HR Management
Risk & Regulatory
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or Investment Management Certificate/Diploma
Strategy
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Transport & Public Sector Accounting Advisory
Programme Length:
3 years
Qualifications:
ACA