Inside a UK assessment centre
Several exercises in one day, each scored separately against a framework, often as the final stage. Lunch counts too. Here is a timetable, annotated.
An assessment centre puts you through several exercises in one sitting, often as the final stage at a large graduate recruiter. This is one of the stories in Interviews; below is the timetable for a fictional day, annotated.
Example timetable for a fictional assessment day
Tollmead Partners
Graduate assessment day, London office
Candidate timetable
Arrival and welcome8.45 to 9.00
- Sign in, collect a name badge, meet the graduate recruitment team
Firm presentation and ice-breaker9.00 to 9.30
- A partner on the year ahead; a short pairs exercise with other candidates
Written exercise9.30 to 10.30
- Individual: draft a two-page note to a client from a pack of papers
Group case study10.45 to 11.45
- Six candidates, one brief, two assessors observing and taking notes
Lunch with current graduates12.00 to 12.45
- Informal, in the staff restaurant
Competency interview13.00 to 13.45
- One manager, one person from HR; questions on past examples
Individual presentation14.00 to 14.45
- Ten minutes on a topic sent a week before, then questions
Close and next steps15.00 to 15.15
- When to expect a decision, and how to ask for feedback
- One day, several exercises: assessment centres are often the final stage at large graduate recruiters.
- You will usually share the day with six to eight other candidates. Watch your own performance, not theirs.
- Read the brief fast, then return to it once you see the whole task.
- Assessors score what they see against a competency framework. Bring quieter people in and make your method visible.
- Lunch is not a break from the day. Stay friendly and polite with everyone you meet.
- Questions target one skill each and are marked against set criteria. Answer with real examples.
- A weak morning can be recovered: a strong exercise later can make up for a poor one.
- If the answer is no, ask for feedback. It tells you what to work on for the next day.
Each exercise is scored on its own
The day is a series of separate tests, not one long interview. Prospects (opens prospects.ac.uk) describes how they run.
| What Prospects describes | On a typical day |
|---|---|
| Length | Anything from an afternoon to two days |
| Exercises | Case studies, group discussions, in-tray exercises, presentations, psychometric tests and role play |
| Assessors | Usually a mix of HR consultants and line managers |
| Scoring | Against competency frameworks, then a discussion of the whole performance; fit with the company counts too |
| Other candidates | Six to eight |
All, several, one or none of the candidates could be successful.
You are measured against a framework, not ranked against the others, so helping another candidate costs you nothing.
More on recovering from a weak exerciseLess on recovering from a weak exercise
Prospects notes that a strong exercise later in the day can make up for a weak one, and advises keeping focus on your own performance rather than the other candidates’. Treat each exercise as a fresh start, and save the post-mortem for the train home.
Prospects puts the same point as a rule for the day: do not dwell on mistakes, and concentrate on performing well in the next task. Assessors in the next room have not seen the last one.
The group exercise rewards bringing others in
Assessors here watch how you work with people, not whether your idea wins.
ensure that the assessors can see your working methodology
An assessor can note each move below.
| In the room | What the assessor sees |
|---|---|
| Asking a quiet candidate for their view | Teamwork |
| Summarising where the group has got to | Structure |
| Proposing early how to divide the task | Organisation |
| Naming both options in a disagreement, and a way to choose | Judgement |
| Saying when it is time to decide | Time management |
More on speaking up in the groupLess on speaking up in the group
Talking most is not the same as contributing most. If you tend to wait for a gap in a fast conversation, make one early contribution that sets out a way to divide the task, then return to it as the group moves.
In the timetable above, the exercise means six candidates, one brief, a deadline and two assessors taking notes.
If the group stalls on a disagreement, use the brief’s own criteria to choose. That turns an argument into a decision, which is the work the brief set.
A group that reaches a reasoned answer on time has done what the brief asked, and someone has to say when it is time to decide. That person can be you.
The written exercise tests reading under time
The written exercise tests how fast you find what matters in a pack of papers. An in-tray exercise or a case study gives you more than you can use.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| First | Read the question, and digest the brief quickly, as Prospects advises |
| Second | Skim the pack, then revisit the brief once you see the whole challenge |
| Third | Write: the answer and the reason first, then the detail |
| Short of time | Finish the recommendation; leave a supporting point unwritten |
Most marks sit in answering the task, so choose what to leave out.
More on the fictional packLess on the fictional pack
In the fictional timetable, the pack is a client’s letter, a few pages of figures and a press cutting, and the task is a two-page note to the client in an hour.
For a client note, use the firm’s own spelling and plain sentences. An unfinished conclusion costs more than a missing supporting point. Prospects lists psychometric and written tests among assessment-centre exercises, so a reasoning test may appear on the day as well.
The video interview guide covers the online stages before an invitation.
The interview and presentation run on examples
The interview is often a competency interview: one skill per question, marked against set criteria. The unwritten rules of British interviews has the answer shape.
Final stages vary by firm.
| Firm | Final stage, as its own page describes it |
|---|---|
| Deloitte UK | In person, for graduate roles: a discussion of a topic you prepared, and a skills and motivation interview |
| KPMG UK | Launch Pad, an in-person half-day event |
| PwC UK | A virtual immersive assessment centre, then a final interview with a senior leader from your business area |
Read your firm’s page before the day. In the timetable, the presentation topic arrives a week ahead: ten minutes, then questions.
More on the questions after a presentationLess on the questions after a presentation
Prospects says large graduate recruiters particularly favour competency interviews, and advises giving yourself time to practise any material you are asked to prepare.
Prepare for the questions more than the slides. They are where assessors see how you think once the script runs out, and a calm “I would need to check that” is a fair answer to something you do not know.
Lunch counts, and so does the coffee
Treat the whole day as assessment, lunch included. Prospects advises joining in at mealtimes, and staying friendly with everyone you meet.
remember that you’re always being assessed
Lunch with current graduates is your easiest chance to ask what the job is like.
The visa may come up here, and it is fine to answer directly. If the visa question comes up on the day, getavisasponsor.com has scripts for raising sponsorship (opens getavisasponsor.com) at each stage. Your CV header should already say where you stand; see your visa status on a UK CV.
More on conversation and dressLess on conversation and dress
Being assessed covers the graduates who host lunch, the receptionist and the other candidates. If conversation stalls, Prospects suggests asking other candidates about their university. It is a safe question, and most people are glad to answer it. With current graduates, listen for what they say without being asked.
On dress, Prospects says to lean slightly more formal than casual, and that business professional dress is the safest choice for corporate, finance, law and graduate programmes.
Prepare the week before, ask for feedback after
Most of the work happens before the day. Prospects suggests reading the employer’s website and key literature, such as its business plan and financial reports.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| The week before | Choose three things to discuss: a recent result, a new office or service, a stated priority |
| A few days before | Check the start time, the address and any material to prepare; call the graduate recruitment team if unsure |
| The day before, if virtual | Test your equipment and the platform; PwC UK’s centre, for one, is virtual |
| After | Expect the result on the spot or within a few days; if it is a no, ask for feedback |
For a virtual centre, set the room up as for a recorded video interview.
More on reading before the dayLess on reading before the day
Prospects lists the responsibility strategy alongside the business plan and financial reports as worth reading. Specific knowledge reads as interest; general praise does not. A detail from the annual report works at lunch as well as in the case.
Prospects says the employer will tell you when to expect the result. Feedback after a no tells you what to work on for the next assessment day.
Assessment days recur across consulting and the Big 4, so each one is practice for the next.
This week
- Read the employer's latest annual report and note three things to discuss
- Practise a ten-minute presentation aloud, timed, with questions after
- Write five STAR examples from study, work and volunteering
- Lay out business dress the night before the day
Sources
- Prospects (Jisc): Assessment centres Hosted over anything from an afternoon to two days, assessment centres are often the final stage of the selection process for large graduate recruiters. ... You will work both individually and as part of a group on a variety of exercises, including: case studies, group discussions, in-tray exercises, presentations, psychometric tests, role play, social events, written tests.Assessment centres vary in length, style and content, but an example assessment day might be as follows: 09.00, introduction; 09.15, employer presentation and group ice-breaker exercise; 10.00, psychometric tests; 11.30, individual task: in-tray exercise; 12.45, lunch; 13.45, group exercise: case study; 14.45, assessment interviews; 16.15, individual presentations; 17.15, evaluation; 17.30, finish.You'll usually be joined by six to eight other candidates, but it's important to keep focused on your own performance.Employers don't just assess you against job competencies. They also aim to ensure that you're the right fit for the company.Assessors, who are usually a mix of HR consultants and line managers, score your actions against competency frameworks. They discuss all aspects of your performance before reaching a final decision on whether or not to hire you. All, several, one or none of the candidates could be successful.Being scrutinised for such a long time can be challenging, but assessment centres allow you to compensate for poor performance in one task by excelling in another.draw others into group discussions ... ensure that the assessors can see your working methodologyensure that you understand the requirements of each task by quickly digesting the brief, and revisit this once you understand the overall challengedon't dwell on any mistakes, instead concentrate on performing well in the next taskjoin in with discussions, even at 'informal' mealtimes, and ask other candidates about university if you're struggling for conversation ... maintain a friendly and polite manner with everyone you meet, and remember that you're always being assessedRead the organisation's website, social media profiles and key literature (e.g. business plan, financial reports and corporate social responsibility strategy), ensuring that you're prepared to share your views and ideas.The right outfit depends on the industry, but it's safest to lean slightly more formal than casual. Business professional attire is the safest bet especially for corporate, finance, law, government, or graduate programmes.If you've been unsuccessful, make sure you ask for feedback so that you know what you need to work on for the next assessment day.Call the organisation's graduate recruitment team if something is unclear. ... Give yourself time to complete and practise any material that you've been asked to prepare.You may find out there and then whether you've got the job, or it could take a few days, but the employer will let you know when you're likely to hear the result. Read
- Prospects (Jisc): Competency-based interviews The interviewer has a list of questions, each focusing on a specific skill, and your answers will be compared against pre-determined criteria and marked accordingly.competency interviews can be used by employers across all sectors but are particularly favoured by large graduate recruiters, who may use them as part of an assessment centre. Read
- Deloitte UK: Early Careers Assessment If you're applying for a Graduate, Entry Level Apprentice, Industrial Placement or BrightStart Apprentice role, your final stage assessment will take place in person at the Deloitte office linked to your application. ... The Final Stage Assessment is split into two exercises*: A discussion about your topic preparation with one of our assessors. ... A skills and motivation interview where we’ll ask some questions to learn more about your alignment with the capabilities we look for at Deloitte. Read
- KPMG UK: Application process (graduate) After submitting your application, you will be automatically invited to complete two online assessments. ... If you are successful at Stage 2, you may be invited to our Video Interview. ... If you are successful at Stage 3, you will be invited to attend the final stage of the recruitment process: Launch Pad, an in-person, half day event. Read
- PwC UK: Assessment and selection process (Early Careers) The penultimate stage of our assessment and selection process is a virtual immersive assessment centre. ... The final stage of our assessment and selection process is an interview with a senior leader from the business area you’re matched to. Read
Read next
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