Barclays HireVue interview questions

10 researched questions — 10 reported by real candidates or published by Barclays. Updated August 2026.

  1. 1Why Barclays?
    Reported by multiple candidatesMotivation & background

    Reported independently by multiple candidates.

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  2. 2Give an example of a time when you promoted diversity and inclusion.
    Reported by multiple candidatesPast behavior

    Reported independently by multiple candidates.

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  3. 3Describe a team you worked in and how you worked together to solve a problem.
    Reported by multiple candidatesPast behavior

    Reported independently by multiple candidates.

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  4. 4Tell us about a recent M&A deal or market trend that interests you.
    Reported by multiple candidatesPast behavior

    Paraphrased theme, mainly investment-banking programmes.

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  5. 5Tell me about yourself, or walk me through your resume.
    Reported by a candidatePast behavior

    Reported by a candidate; current applicability may vary.

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  6. 6Would you rather have a 50% chance of winning $100, or a 100% chance of winning $40?
    Reported by a candidatePast behavior

    Reported by a candidate; current applicability may vary.

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  7. 7Estimate the number of iPhones sold in London in one year.
    Reported by a candidatePast behavior

    Reported by a candidate; current applicability may vary.

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  8. 8What are your thoughts on Agile working?
    Reported by a candidatePast behavior

    Reported on technology programmes.

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  9. 9How do you measure success?
    Reported by a candidatePast behavior

    Reported by a candidate; current applicability may vary.

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  10. 10Rank these statements in order of how much you relate to them.
    Reported by a candidatePast behavior

    Reported as a multiple-choice ranking item inside the video interview flow.

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The Barclays hiring process at a glance

  1. 1Online application — Application form on the Barclays careers portal; one application per candidate per season.
  2. 2Two interactive online assessments — Workplace performance and ways-of-working assessments, mobile-friendly; developer programmes add a technical assessment.
  3. 3Pre-recorded video interview (HireVue) — Candidate-reported one-way interview: roughly 5-8 questions, about 30 seconds prep, 1-2 minute answers, around 20 minutes total.
  4. 4Assessment centre (in person or virtual) — Two or three stages including a motivational interview with a member of the leadership team; reports add a group case study.
  5. 5Offer — Unofficial prep guides cite roughly 4-8 weeks from application to offer for graduate roles.

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How the Barclays hiring process works

Barclays early-careers hiring starts with an online application on the Barclays careers portal, and the official FAQs state that the bank accepts one application per candidate per year for graduate and internship programmes; unsuccessful candidates can reapply the following season. Reasonable adjustments are available on request through the application form or your recruiter, and telephone or virtual interviews are arranged for candidates who are abroad.

Shortlisted applicants then complete Barclays' online stage, which the bank describes officially as two short interactive assessments designed to show how you might perform in the workplace and your typical or preferred ways of working. These can be taken on a mobile or tablet, and developer programmes add a separate technical skills assessment. Prep sites report these as an immersive, scenario-based situational judgement test alongside cognitive ability and work-style questionnaires, sometimes branded "Business Insight" and attributed to SHL or to Cappfinity — but Barclays does not name a vendor officially and those attributions conflict, so treat the branding as indicative only.

The Barclays video interview typically follows, before the assessment centre. Candidates consistently report a pre-recorded, on-demand HireVue interview: a question appears on screen, you get a short preparation window, then you record your answer with no live interviewer present. Reports vary, but the common configuration is around 5-8 questions (occasionally more), roughly 30 seconds of preparation and about a minute to two minutes per answer, with the whole session taking around 20 minutes. Content skews to competency and motivation questions, with market-awareness, estimation or brainteaser items appearing on investment-banking programmes and Agile or technology themes on tech tracks. Some candidates also report multiple-choice or ranking items embedded in the same flow. Because employers configure these settings per requisition, the number of questions, timings and whether a second attempt is offered can all differ between programmes and cycles — assume one take unless the invitation says otherwise. Barclays' official rules prohibit AI transcription bots or meeting assistants during any interview stage.

The final stage is the Barclays assessment centre, held either in person or virtually, which the bank says runs across two or three stages and includes a motivational interview with a member of the leadership team. Candidate reports add a group business case study and further behavioural or light technical interviews depending on the programme. Unofficial prep guides put the overall application-to-offer timeline at roughly four to eight weeks for graduate roles, so treat that as a rough expectation rather than a published service level.

About this research

Researched questions
10 — 10 officially published or candidate-reported
Typical format
One-way video; a common setup is 30s prep + ~2 min answers. Employers configure their own timing, question count, and retakes.
Research updated
August 2026 · part of our evidence-labeled HireVue question bank

Best-supported scope: UK and EMEA graduate and internship programmes across Barclays Investment Bank, Barclays UK and technology/developer tracks, where a pre-recorded video interview sits between the online assessments and the assessment centre.

Reported by multiple candidates4
Reported by a candidate6

These are questions you may encounter — paraphrased from public, dated sources. No one can guarantee the exact questions in your interview, and we never claim to.

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