Barclays sends internship and graduate applicants two short interactive assessments about how you would act at work and your preferred ways of working, and technology programmes add a technical skills assessment. You get one student application a year worldwide, so the assessment is not something to rehearse on a spare application. This page covers what the Barclays online assessment is, its format and timings, how it is scored, the rules to know before you start, how to prepare and a practice plan.
What the Barclays online assessment is
Barclays' own application page says most assessments run on a digital experience platform that also hosts information on its Purpose, Values and ways of working, plus hints, tips and practice tests, and that they can be taken on a phone or tablet. Prep sites describe the two assessments as situational and values-based questions with some numerical, verbal or logical reasoning. For technology roles, candidate reports vary by region and year: UK and US reports describe a HackerRank or SHL coding stage, India campus reports describe HackerEarth tests, and one guide reports Codility for experienced hires.
For the interviews that follow, see the Barclays interview process, and for a timed coding test, the HackerRank assessment guide.
Format and timings
| Part | What it involves | Time and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive assessment 1 | Work scenarios and how you would respond, scored against Barclays' values | Short; Barclays does not publish a time |
| Interactive assessment 2 | Preferred ways of working, with reasoning items in some programmes | Short |
| Technical assessment (technology programmes) | Commonly reported: two easy to medium coding problems, sometimes SQL and multiple-choice questions | Reports range from about 45 minutes for coding to 90 minutes for campus tests with MCQs |
| Assessment centre | Two or three stages, in person or virtual, including a motivational interview with a leader | Set by the programme |
Total: two short interactive assessments for every applicant, plus a technical assessment for technology programmes that candidates commonly report at 45 to 90 minutes.
How it is scored
- Situational answers are compared with Barclays' values, which guides list as Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship.
- Coding problems are auto-graded on test cases, as candidates commonly report.
- Barclays does not publish cut-offs.
Rules to know before you start
- You can apply to only one full-time graduate or internship role globally each year, Barclays' FAQ says.
- Barclays says third-party AI tools, including transcription bots and meeting assistants, are not permitted in its interviews, and using them ends the interview and withdraws the application.
- Adjustments such as extra time or offline assessments are available if you request them with your application.
How to prepare
- Read Barclays' values and its Purpose page on the assessment platform before you start; the situational items test fit with them.
- Do the practice tests on Barclays' platform.
- Technology applicants: practice arrays, strings, hash maps, greedy problems and basic dynamic programming at easy to medium level, plus a few SQL queries.
- Choose the one programme you want most, since one application a year is the rule.
- Prepare a motivation story for the leadership interview at the assessment centre.
A practice plan
- Day 1: confirm from the invitation whether your track gets reasoning tests, a coding test or both, and note the deadline.
- Days 2 and 3: timed numerical and verbal sets, or two coding problems a day if you are on a technology track.
- Day 4: one full timed run of the exact mix your invitation lists.
- Day 5: record yourself answering three motivation and teamwork questions in two minutes each.
- Day 6: rest and check your device, browser and camera.
- Day 7: take the assessment in one sitting, early in the window.
Related guides: UK assessment centres, the Watson Glaser test, the SHL assessment.
On the day, and the mistakes to avoid
- Read which parts are timed and which are only time-recorded; both kinds note how long you take.
- Use a laptop with a webcam and microphone, because many of these assessments end with recorded answers.
- Keep a calculator, paper and pen nearby for numerical items if the instructions allow them.
- For a coding part, pick the language you are fastest in and test edge cases before submitting.
- Dress as you would for an interview and sit facing a light source in case video is requested.
- Finish in one sitting and save the confirmation email.
Mistakes that cost candidates:
- Preparing for the wrong format because a forum post described a different track or year.
- Ranking situational options by what sounds impressive rather than by what the employer's values describe.
- Skipping the multiple-choice computer science questions that sit beside the coding problems.
- Reading a script in the recorded answers instead of speaking to the camera.
- Applying to several programmes at an employer that counts only one application a year.
What happens after the Barclays online assessment
Passing usually leads to a recorded or live interview and then an assessment centre or final round with several conversations in one day. Technology candidates should expect at least one live coding interview; everyone should expect motivation and values questions, so prepare specific stories now. For the next stage, see what a one-way video interview is.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Online assessments are tests you take on your own: outside help is not allowed, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or a second voice. Practice beforehand instead. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview prepares you for the interviews that follow the assessment, with questions built from your résumé and the job description and each spoken answer scored out of ten. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Read the invitation carefully and follow your employer's rules.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What is in the Barclays online assessment?
Two short interactive assessments of how you would act at work and how you prefer to work. Technology programmes add a technical assessment.
Does Barclays use HackerRank?
Many technology candidates report HackerRank, but India campus reports describe HackerEarth and one guide reports Codility for experienced hires. Your invitation names the platform.
How many Barclays programmes can I apply to?
One full-time graduate or internship role globally each year, according to Barclays.
What comes after the Barclays assessments?
An assessment centre of two or three stages, in person or virtual, including a motivational interview with a member of the leadership team.
Can I use AI tools during the Barclays online assessment?
No, unless the instructions explicitly allow it. Assessments are meant to be taken on your own, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or pasted code. Use AI tools to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview