[Mr E]

Do most banks ask applicants to do both the numerical and verbal reasoning tests, or more so just the former? Anyone know if it's different for the Big 4?


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[effofex]

From what I remember:

Numerical + Verbal:
Barclays Capital
Credit Suisse
HSBC

Just Numerical:
Bank of Amerika
BNP Paribas
Citi
Duitse Bank
JP Murugan
Murugan Stanley

Numerical + Logical:
RBS
Stan Chartered
UBS

In-house:
Macquarie
MM houses (Optiver, Tibra)

Face-to-Face grilling:
Goldman
Nomura

[H.JJJ]

What's everyone's opinions on assessmentday.co.uk tests for practice? I just brought the £20 package and it seems similar to questions asked on these online tests

[Mr E]

I also just bought the package. It seems alright to be honest, perhaps the questions that are a bit easier though?


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[sw3]

(Original post by effofex)
From what I remember:

Numerical + Verbal:
Barclays Capital
Credit Suisse
HSBC

Just Numerical:
Bank of Amerika
BNP Paribas
Citi
Duitse Bank
JP Murugan
Murugan Stanley

Numerical + Logical:
RBS
Stan Chartered
UBS

In-house:
Macquarie
MM houses (Optiver, Tibra)

Face-to-Face grilling:
Goldman
Nomura

is this for emea recruiting?

[mmrvk]

(Original post by Mr E)
I also just bought the package. It seems alright to be honest, perhaps the questions that are a bit easier though?


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

You mean that the questions in the package are easier or that the easy questions in the package are similar to the real ones?

[Mr E]

Oh sorry for the poor grammar. I meant the questions in the package are easier than the questions asked by banks. I did the first 9 problem sets for the numerical and only found the 7 th problem set challenging. What about you?


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[effofex]

(Original post by sw3)
is this for emea recruiting?

yes. Actually, I think Nomura now do tests too.

[bluenose53]

Yes Nomura do test now. Numerical and Logic. When I was in the middle-office there in summer 2011 they sent it in an (internal) email for each of us to try and give feedback as they were rolling it out for 2012 applications.

[sw3]

(Original post by effofex)
yes. Actually, I think Nomura now do tests too.

hate these tests, cheating is the way forward lol :P

[effofex]

(Original post by sw3)
hate these tests, cheating is the way forward lol :P

I think when you do enough they become relatively easy. But the toughest one is Jane Street, there it is done over the phone.

In the Netherlands many trading houses (both on the finance side and energy side) like to do speed tests where there are no multiple choices (you have to get the answer right through your own working). Some do not allow you to write your working down (it has to be in your head).

[sw3]

(Original post by effofex)
I think when you do enough they become relatively easy. But the toughest one is Jane Street, there it is done over the phone.

In the Netherlands many trading houses (both on the finance side and energy side) like to do speed tests where there are no multiple choices (you have to get the answer right through your own working). Some do not allow you to write your working down (it has to be in your head).

it's a bit crap, these tests don't mean anything. They only focus on one aspect of talent. So with respect to that, banks are losing out on some great candidates who have raw instinct/ other talents just because they need a few extra minutes on a test :L

[Industrious Orca]

(Original post by sw3)
it's a bit crap, these tests don't mean anything. They only focus on one aspect of talent. So with respect to that, banks are losing out on some great candidates who have raw instinct/ other talents just because they need a few extra minutes on a test :L

Or maybe they get candidates who have those talents AND can pass the tests? Lets face it, the tests aren't hard, and if the system didn't work for the banks (ie: the employers looking for the best candidates) then they would change the system right?

[effofex]

(Original post by sw3)
it's a bit crap, these tests don't mean anything. They only focus on one aspect of talent. So with respect to that, banks are losing out on some great candidates who have raw instinct/ other talents just because they need a few extra minutes on a test :L

I think it is a number-culling procedure designed to reduce the number of applicants whose CVs/applications need serious consideration. In some roles (IBD I guess, how quickly you can make a calculation in your head may not be that important - in certain aspects of flow trading it is).

You could equally argue that there are some great candidates who have raw instinct/other talents who hold 2.2 degrees, who will also be auto-rejected if they put this down. Just because they hold a 2.2. degree does not mean they are not capable of the job - it is often just a way for recruiters to minimize the number of CVs they need to look at.

[hypercaine.]

The tests are just another way of easily filtering people out, when youve done them enough you realise the questions are the same. I wouldnt even bother paying to practice them, the maths is extremely easy, also those who cheat are unlikely to even get past any interview or AC.

[sw3]

(Original post by hypercaine.)
The tests are just another way of easily filtering people out, when youve done them enough you realise the questions are the same. I wouldnt even bother paying to practice them, the maths is extremely easy, also those who cheat are unlikely to even get past any interview or AC.

the maths may be easy, but the time pressures can sometimes mean one wrong answer which can **** up an application. And cheating is fairly common. You just need to walk into a library and look at the 5 students crowded around a screen, each with a piece of paper and a calculator screaming 'A' 'B' or 'C'.

[hypercaine.]

(Original post by sw3)
the maths may be easy, but the time pressures can sometimes mean one wrong answer which can **** up an application. And cheating is fairly common. You just need to walk into a library and look at the 5 students crowded around a screen, each with a piece of paper and a calculator screaming 'A' 'B' or 'C'.

Well, ive never seen that but those who cheat are likely to be caught out at a later stage, so it doesnt really matter. If theyre unable to complete the tests fairly then their academics clearly wont be as good as most other applicants.

[effofex]

(Original post by sw3)
the maths may be easy, but the time pressures can sometimes mean one wrong answer which can **** up an application. And cheating is fairly common. You just need to walk into a library and look at the 5 students crowded around a screen, each with a piece of paper and a calculator screaming 'A' 'B' or 'C'.

are the questions always in the same order, with the answers in the same order too? For the GMAT this is definitely not the case - so cheating is not really possible.

[Teenage Pirate]

(Original post by effofex)
are the questions always in the same order, with the answers in the same order too? For the GMAT this is definitely not the case - so cheating is not really possible.

5 students, 1 test.

they get ****ed over when their score drops 50% in the test they do at the office

[Mr E]

(Original post by hypercaine.)
The tests are just another way of easily filtering people out, when youve done them enough you realise the questions are the same. I wouldnt even bother paying to practice them, the maths is extremely easy, also those who cheat are unlikely to even get past any interview or AC.

What percentage would you estimate is required to pass the online tests? In the numerical practice tests I have taken so far, I usually score around 17/20 or 25/30. Is this enough do you think?