Consultancy Interview Questions & Answers

Very easy, very standard phone interview. Basic questions, why FDM and why PMO. Followed with a few competency based questions. Lasted 10-15mins

Followed on with a numerical reasoning test which was fairly straightforward.

After completing this i was sent a programmer proficiency test. This was not assessed as i was not applying for a programming role but was supposed to be to give a base set of data for future results.

None. All as expected

Brush up on your simple mental maths and working out sums on paper. Also study venn diagrams and the different way these can be used.

For the programmer questions read the instructions and just try to follow these as accurately as possible. I have never done programming but must have done well enough!

As previously said, be as clear and concise as possible in the interviews and make sure that you answer the questions before the time runs out.

Finally, when shown the contract try to have a good read of it. They do explain it to you but it is still best to have a good read through yourself so that you understand all that it involves.

There were maybe 9-10 of us all applying for different roles and the day started off with a video introducing the company.

Following this there was a HR talk about the company and the contract. This is important as in this role and most with FDM, you have to commit to 10-12weeks of unpaid training in one of their offices. Following on from this you must work for FDM for 2 years otherwise you have to pay them back for the training which equates to about £20k. They lay this out pretty clearly and it is a win win situation as you get training and two years experience in a good role and they get cheap employees for two years.

After the HR talk there were quite a few tests. These consisted of simple numerical reasoning tests but also programmer aptitude tests and a test on venn diagrams. Each one lasted approximately 1 hour and were fairly challenging as you couldn't use a calculator.

We then had a break for lunch after which we had interviews. These interviews were split up into 3 separate 5 minute interviews with different interviewers. Each interview focused on a different set of competencies and probed deeply into your examples. In each interview you were asked 4 questions in the 5 minutes so you had to be clear and concise with your answers. If you do not get finished in the time limit they will stop you and move you on to the next interview.

The initial telephone interview was only about 20 minutes and was with the graduate recruitment team. It was a general and casual conversation asking questions like "tell me about yourself" and talking through experiences on my CV and also because it was a graduate position there were mostly questions on my degree and also my motivations of choosing my degree and if I would have chosen something different. It wasn't difficult as I had a relevant degree and modules it was natural to describe why I wanted to join the graduate programme.

In terms of difficult questions there wasn't anything that stood out to me as particularly challenging as the whole conversation was focused on my motivation for the role and how my degree choice reflected this. I found that the most difficult questions for graduate interviews are not competency questions, but those asking what influenced your choice in applying for that position or the industry and how this can be demonstrated in your CV. This can either be through degree subject or past work experiences and Internships.

For the general interview it's always a good idea to know your motivations for applying for the job and what you have in your CV that supports this. Not only does it answer the direct question of "Why did you choose your degree" but also reflects in the other answers candidates may give. For graduates, our biggest asset on our CV is our degree and we should be enthusiastic about where this leads us.

The assessment centre came after the successful phone interview and it took place at their London offices. It was a group of about 14 candidates (only about 3 girls). It was initially a group exercise which was to prepare for a presentation. We were in a group of 4 and were given the days copy of City AM and the task was to pick and interesting article and present it back to the team as a discussion. What I found interesting about this was that the task highlighted the different backgrounds which our team members came from. We had someone with an International Management, Computer Science, Psychology and Mathematics. This influenced which article we chose to present. The International Manager headed towards financial and economical news - which was surely a topic the other teams would go for. This was a problem because the rest of us had problems understanding the language in the article and seemed difficult to present on a topic 3/4 of the team had no knowledge about. In the end, we settled on the article which was discussing the issue around shops opening on Sunday during the Olympic Games. Instead of just reciting the article our group split up to argue the case for and against opening on Sundays.

Overall experience was very good.

The telephone interview was nice and simple. Someone called me after one week of applying and doing the online test. The phone interview involved questions relating to your knowledge of market research and the company (Kantar WP)-- best thing to do is research the company as much as you can. Also do some research on the industry.

There were two people at the final interview (both worked in different parts of Kantar worldpanel. They were very welcoming and kept a relaxed atmosphere. They asked questions that related to my degree (i.e. why did i study English Lit, and what makes me want to apply for a market research company). They asked me about previous experiences e.g. volunteering work, part time work etc. They also asked a lot of competency questions- make sure you have an example to back each answer.

Describe a situation in which you had to deal with a difficult client. How did you handle it and what was the outcome?

Don't be nervous, try to stand out from the crowd. Make sure to be yourself!! (important to be yourself, they even mentioned this a few times during the assessment). Do your research!-- make sure you understand what the job involves and what the company does.

The assessment centre lasted for the whole day (if you pass the first round). There are two rounds, first round involves presentations, logical reasoning test, and a hat game (where you have to discuss a question that is randomly picked out of a hat). IF you pass the first round, the second round involves a one on one interview and also a group exercise. The assessment was based in a lovely location in London and there were many applicants that attended (roughly 80-90 attendees).

After completing both a numerical and psychometric test online, I was invited down to attend an assessment centre. At the assessment centre there was around 12 of us. We started the morning by all presenting on a topic of our choice for 3 minutes. After we had to complete a problem solving task individually and also a numerical and physics based tests. Then you either had to do a business analytics or supply chain test. During these we were called out for a quick interview with a member of the function you would be most suited to. Once these were done, they sent approx 70% of people home just after lunch.

The most difficult part was the physics test as I had not done physics since GCSE level.

Make sure you have solid knowledge of physics because the physics test was particularly hard for me, as I hadn't done any since year 11. You also have to be comfortable with presenting as it was apparent they liked people who could present not from any prompts.

Had to prepare a three minute presentation on anything we wanted. Three tests (physics, numerical and analytics or supply chain). Whilst doing these we had to complete a problem solving task. Ending with an interview.

My interview was enjoyable overall. I had to travel to London, but the provided me with accommodation for the night before. I showed up early and my interviewer started the interview early so that I did not have to wait, which was very nice of him. He was very friendly. The questions he asked were a little outside the general schedule, a bit more challenging but in the end, they were manageable.

Why would a client choose us and not one of our competitors?

Prepare yourself by studying the firm, the news around them within the last couple of years, and reading their website in detail. From the annual report, you can learn a lot of details useful in the interviews, such as financials for your chosen department and growth for the last year.

The assessment centre was a half-day event. I was in a group of people from varied backgrounds and places, which I think shows how inclusive the recruitment process is.

Initially three sets of psychometric test were completed which took around 2 hours. I was then invited to an E-Tray day where two tasks, one including fictitious emails and another including a business case study, were completed.

Next I was invited to an assessment centre which contained a task reviewing a potential client and an interview with a senior manager.

Current thoughts on a specific client undertaking which I hadn't reviewed.

Massive amounts of research on the current clients of the firm.

Presentation and a group task giving pitches on a potential client, followed by an interview with a senior.

1st Round Interview and 3 Tests. 2 hours total

20 minute face to face interview on my history, motivation for consulting role, why I want to work for FactSet and a few competency based questions. I didn't like my interview much, I felt like my interviewer was just rushing through and not really bothering to listen or even converse with me much.
How did you come across FactSet?
Had you heard of FactSet before?
What do you know about FactSet and what they do?
Why do you want to work at FactSet?
Why do you want to work in finance?
What specific parts of finance are you interested in?
What do FactSet consultants do on a day to day basis?
Why did you choice you degree subject?
What transferable skills did your degree give you which would be relevant for this role?
What did you gain from your work experience?
Why are you interested in a technology/software based role?
Where else have you applied to?
How might an investment management or investment banker use FactSet programs?
Why FactSet is better than its competitors?

Which particular part of finance are you interested in?

Show a keen interest in finance and have a lot to say about it and really do your research about finance. This will be useful for the interview and the finance test. The finance test covered a range of topics. Moneyweek YouTube channel maybe useful or chat to friends who work in the industry. If you really impress with finance knowledge they are more likely to have you as it seems to be what they are looking for. The numeracy and excel tests were not hard granted you have used Excel sufficiently before. The numeracy test was not difficult, definitely not harder than GCSE level maths.

1 and a half hours to do a Numeracy, Excel and Finance test for the 1st Round assessment centre

Numeracy Test - percentages, ratios, fractions, foreign currency, algebra and problem solving questions.
x(x+3)=28

Excel test - formatting cells (Bold and date), formulae - MAX() SUM() MIN() STDEV, VLOOKUP, Freeze panes, making charts, conditional formatting

Finance Test - testing my interest in finanacial markets. This could be challenging or easy, it depends on your background. It was multiple choice though, which made it easier. CAC - French. also central banks change interest rates due to inflation.

The 2nd round assessment centre will feature a whole other range of tests, including a mini teach, exclusive to FactSet

I have only had a telephone interview so far but it was quite nice and relaxed. The lady I spoke to was friendly and easy to talk to. We spoke for around 20 minutes.

These are the questions I was asked:

From your CV, Tell us the main skills you have that are relevant to the role?
Why Market Research?
Why Kantar Worldpanel?

Tell us a brand you like and why?
What is this brands main threat?
How could they improve?

Where do you do your grocery shop?
Why do you shop there?
How do you go about shopping there and how do you go about making decisions on what to buy?
How could they improve their store?

Tell us about a news article you have read recently?

What advice would you give clients for surviving the recession?

What advice would you give clients for surviving the recession?

Research business concepts relevant to current market trends. Research ideas and strategies to improve businesses. I was told the interview would be based on knowledge of the company so to research the company well. However it was more like understanding and using their principles and what they do in case studies with the brand or grocery store I chose.

N/A

I was interviewed by two senior consultants. The interview questions were mostly competency based. For example, to describe myself, why I decided to apply to Columbus, how do I manage my time, what are my strength and what are the weaknesses. The interview lasted about 40 minutes. I was asked to provide detailed responses to the questions.

How many balloons does it take to fill a room? What is more important for a business - making a profit or providing a great customer service?

Have a good night sleep before the assestment day and try to be confident in yourself. I I was very nervous and therefore, was unable to deliver the presentation up to my full potential. Also I would advice to research as much as possible about the company and its competitors.

The assessment centre was based in Nottingham at one of the company's offices. The activities included an individual presentation, an interview, a group exercise and a written exercise. At the end the company provided a lunch for the contestants and assessors.

My final stage interview lasted just under an hour. I was asked questions about both the company and my own personal experience for each of the competency areas available on the website. The panel consisted of two senior managers. The format of the interview involved a series of questions which they read from a booklet and marked my answers from 1 to 5.

Describe how you have been following a recent business issue.

You should prepare answers to each of the competencies explained on the website and think about how the experiences you have had relate. The process is extremely transparent and it is just a case of preparing well in advance to avoid feeling nervous.

I firstly had to retake the online assessments (numerical and logical) before completing a written report. There was then a group exercise with 7 others in which we had to decide what steps a case study business should take.