A Commonwealth Bank interview for an experienced role follows the steps CommBank publishes on its careers support page: you apply through Workday, a Talent Acquisition Partner phone-screens you, you have one or more interviews (virtual or face-to-face) with the hiring manager or other members of the team, and an offer is followed by background checks that take at least three weeks. Graduate, intern and analyst candidates follow a different path: an online application, an online assessment, a recorded digital interview and an assessment centre.
This guide sets out both paths using CommBank's own pages as of October 2026, explains what CommBank's culture of courage, care and commitment means for your answers, and gives practice questions we wrote. For the wider local picture, see our job interview tips for Australia.
The Commonwealth Bank interview process at a glance
| Stage | Experienced roles | Graduate, intern and analyst programs |
|---|---|---|
| Apply | Create or log into a Workday profile and complete the online application; you can review a summary before submitting | Short online application (CommBank says no longer than 10 minutes); choose an area of interest and stream |
| Screen | Phone screening with a Talent Acquisition Partner to discuss your alignment for the role | Online assessment if you meet the eligibility criteria and your application is successful |
| Interview | One or more interviews, virtual or face-to-face, with the hiring manager or members of the broader team | Digital interview: short pre-recorded questions answered on camera, with a 48-hour deadline |
| Final stage | Offer, then background checks (at least three weeks), then a start date | Virtual or face-to-face assessment centre with activities and further interviews with business leaders |
Sources: CommBank's careers support page and its graduate, intern and analyst programs page, as of October 2026. CommBank also warns that scammers may impersonate its recruiters, so apply only through its official careers site.
Experienced roles: phone screen to background checks
1. Application through Workday
Tailor your CV to the role before you apply. CommBank's careers support pages stress that your resume is your first chance to show why you're the right fit. Our guide to Australian resumes vs US resumes covers local conventions if you're coming from overseas.
2. Phone screening
If your application is successful, a Talent Acquisition Partner calls to discuss your alignment for the role. CommBank says this is also when you can raise any accessibility requirements for the process or the role. Expect questions about your background, why you want the role, your availability and, often, your salary expectations. Our phone interview tips cover the basics.
3. Interview(s)
Interviews may be virtual or face-to-face, with the hiring manager or other members of the broader team, and some roles need more than one. CommBank's own interview tips article says many organisations use competency questions based on the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result), and advises you to quantify your achievements, know your strengths and weaknesses, and prepare questions to ask. If competency questions are new to you, read what a competency-based interview is.
4. Offer and background checks
If you're offered the role, you complete background checks, which CommBank describes as part of managing risk for the bank and its customers. It says the checks take at least three weeks, after which you agree a start date. Factor this into your notice period and any other offers.
How does the CommBank graduate interview work?
CommBank's Graduate Program runs for 12 to 24 months depending on the program, with rotations, and graduates are permanent employees from day one. As of October 2026, applications are closed; CommBank lists applications opening in March and August and assessment centres in May and September, with programs starting in mid-February the following year.
Eligibility (as published, October 2026): you must be in your final year of university or have finished in the last 24 months, hold an overall credit average (65 WAM/GPA, or 70 for the Technology Engineering and Cyber Security streams), and be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian permanent resident when you apply. CommBank notes this doesn't include bridging visas while awaiting permanent residency or 820 visa holders. Check the official page before applying, as criteria can change.
Online assessment
Eligible applicants are invited to an online assessment, after which CommBank says you'll receive insights about your capabilities. Take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand.
Digital interview
The digital interview is a recorded, one-way interview: you see short pre-recorded questions and answer to your device's front-facing camera, and you have 48 hours from the email invite to complete it. CommBank's digital interview tips say to try the practice questions first, read up on its vision and values, avoid strong light behind you, and that it's okay to start an answer again within the time limit. Our guide to one-way video interviews explains the format in more detail.
Assessment centre
If you're successful at the digital interview, you're invited to a virtual or face-to-face assessment centre with a series of activities and further interviews with business leaders. CommBank's FAQ suggests researching the program and your business area and being ready to discuss your interest in it, because you'll meet leaders from that area. Its assessment centre tips stress being a team player, listening to everyone in the group, showing leadership while encouraging others to contribute, and asking questions. Our guide to graduate program interviews in Australia covers group exercises across employers.
What does courage, care and commitment mean for your answers?
CommBank's careers site describes a culture of courage, care and commitment. You won't be marked on reciting these words, but they're a useful guide to which stories to prepare. These practice questions are ones we wrote, not questions CommBank has published.
| Theme | What a strong story shows | Practice question (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Courage | You spoke up about a risk, challenged a process or tried something new and owned the result | "Tell me about a time you raised a concern that wasn't popular." |
| Care | You put a customer's or colleague's interests first, especially someone in a difficult situation | "Describe a time you went out of your way to help a customer who was struggling." |
| Commitment | You followed through on a promise under pressure and delivered | "Give an example of when you delivered on a commitment despite a setback." |
| Risk and integrity | You followed the rules when a shortcut was tempting, or escalated something that didn't look right | "Tell me about a time you noticed an error or risk others had missed." |
| Motivation | A specific reason for CommBank and for the team, not a generic one | "Why CommBank, and why this area of the bank?" |
Example answer we wrote: care
An example for illustration, not a real candidate's answer.
- Situation: "In my retail job, an elderly customer was upset because a direct debit had failed and she'd been charged a late fee by her energy provider."
- Task: "I couldn't reverse another company's fee, but I wanted her to leave with the problem solved, not just explained."
- Action: "I helped her call the provider from our store phone, explained the payment error on her behalf with her permission, and set up a reminder on her phone for the new due date."
- Result: "The provider waived the fee, and she came back the next week to thank the team. My manager later used the approach in our service training."
Our free STAR story builder helps you shape your own examples, and our guide to behavioural interview questions in Australia has more themes local employers use.
How to prepare for a Commonwealth Bank interview
- Know why CommBank. Read the role description and CommBank's purpose and values, and connect them to something specific you've done or want to do.
- Bring numbers. CommBank's tips ask you to quantify your successes: customers helped, errors reduced, time saved.
- Prepare for the money conversation. Know your range before the phone screen. Our guide to answering salary expectations in Australia shows how to phrase it.
- Practise on camera and out loud. CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds questions from your CV and the job description, reads them aloud, scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, and ends with a report card. The free plan gives you 15 minutes a day with no account, and the browser AI mock interview needs nothing installed. AI feedback can be wrong, so keep your answers in your own words.
Practise your CommBank answers out loud
Rehearse behavioural and motivation questions, get each answer scored out of 10 and see what to tighten. Free for 15 minutes a day, no account needed.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
What are the stages of a Commonwealth Bank interview?
For experienced roles, CommBank publishes four steps: apply through Workday, a phone screen with a Talent Acquisition Partner, one or more interviews with the hiring manager or team, then an offer and background checks. Graduates complete an online assessment, a recorded digital interview and an assessment centre.
How long do CommBank background checks take?
CommBank says the background checks after an offer take at least three weeks, and you agree a start date once they are complete.
What is the CommBank digital interview?
A recorded interview for graduate, intern and analyst applicants. You see short pre-recorded questions and answer to your camera, and you have 48 hours from the invite to complete it. CommBank says you can try practice questions first.
Who can apply for the CommBank Graduate Program?
As published in October 2026: final-year students or people who finished studying in the last 24 months, with a credit average (65 WAM/GPA, or 70 for Technology Engineering and Cyber Security), who are Australian or New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent residents. Check the official page, as criteria can change.
What values does Commonwealth Bank look for?
CommBank describes a culture of courage, care and commitment. Prepare true stories that show you speaking up, putting customers and colleagues first, and following through on what you promised.
Does CommBank use behavioural interview questions?
CommBank does not publish its question bank, but its own interview tips say many organisations use competency questions based on the STAR approach and advise using specific, measurable examples. Prepare STAR stories for each requirement in the role description.