Top 15 Private Equity Accounting Interview Questions (Technical + Behavioral) | PE Fund Accounting

Top 15 Private Equity Accounting Interview Questions — Technical + Behavioral Welcome to CandiMentor! This video walks you through the most frequently asked private equity accounting interview questions, combining NAV mechanics, capital accounts, fair value marks, waterfalls, carry accrual, and behavioral problem-solving frameworks. Whether you're preparing for fund accounting, fund admin, Big 4 valuations, or KPO PE support roles, this classroom-style explanation gives you the clarity and confidence you need. 0:00 Introduction — what PE accounting interviews test 0:33 Explain the private equity fund accounting model 1:27 What is NAV and how is it calculated? 2:10 Walk through a capital call accounting entry 2:44 How do you account for LP distributions? 3:16 Explain the PE waterfall (pref return, catch-up, carry) 3:46 How are unrealized gains recorded under fair value? 4:20 What goes into a quarterly NAV pack? 4:50 Fund administration vs fund accounting 5:19 Management fees calculation and accounting 5:45 How carried interest is accrued 6:18 How to value a private company under IND-AS 113 6:51 Describe the investment roll-forward schedule 7:18 What are capital accounts and why they matter 7:44 Behavioral — time you caught a NAV/valuation error 8:19 Behavioral — handling tight quarter-end deadlines 8:46 Bonus — why do you want to work in PE fund accounting? 9:14 Bonus — explain DPI, RVPI, TVPI 9:42 Bonus — reconciling bank balances with NAV 10:05 Bonus — most challenging part of PE accounting 10:29 Closing summary — how to stand out in PE accounting interviews 11:00 Final takeaway — mechanics + mindset In this video, you will learn: How private equity funds track commitments, contributions, and NAV The mechanics behind fair value marks under IND-AS 113 & IFRS The waterfall structure (preferred return, catch-up, carry) Critical journal entries for capital calls, distributions, and carry accrual How to prepare for technical & behavioral questions Why capital accounts, DPI/TVPI/RVPI, and roll-forwards matter What fund accounting teams expect from top candidates This is your complete preparation guide for PE Fund Accounting, Fund Admin, Big Four Valuations, KPO PE Support, and PE Operations roles.