Lloyds Tests

Careers at Lloyds

Lloyds Banking Group describes itself as inclusive, driven by its values and actively embracing diversity. Routes into a career with Lloyds can include early access through apprentice and undergraduate schemes, as well as the more usual entry options for qualified candidates.

Lloyds Banking Group has a particularly strong graduate programme that is popular with graduates in finance, software engineering and data science. The prerequisites for a place on one of the six graduate schemes are either an achieved or predicted 2:2 degree.

Your choice of graduate scheme will depend on where you want to be in your career. The available routes are:

• Commercial Banking
• Data Science
• Finance
• Retail Customers and Products
• Risk Management
• Software Engineering

Through each scheme you will be supported to achieve a qualification related to the course you are on, including CIMA, ACA, ACT, CFA and LIBF. These paid schemes take 2 to 3 years to complete and are a great way to earn as you learn, taking advantage of the opportunities to progress.

Applications for the graduate scheme are invited at specific times, and will close once enough have been received. It is a very competitive job route, so understanding the application process and preparing for each stage will help you to stand out.

A standard application process is used through all the graduate schemes, and this is structured to assess candidates simply and without prejudice. Applicants must be able to demonstrate passion and enthusiasm for the role.

As applicants move through the process, understanding the importance of values and behaviours helps them to align themselves with what the recruiters are looking for.

These values and behaviours are:

• Keeping it Simple
• Putting Customers First
• Making a Difference

Traits you will need to evidence include communication skills, responsibility, organisation and planning, leadership, decision making and teamwork, as well as good commercial awareness.

Online application form

Unlike some other online application forms, this does not require a CV full of detail. Instead, the recruiters need some basic information, including your predicted or actual degree result.

This is an opportunity to demonstrate that you have potential and align with the core values and behaviours above, rather than a list of achievements and accomplishments or related experience.

If you meet the criteria then you will be invited to take part in the online psychometric tests that are the next stage in the recruitment process.

Online aptitude tests

Aptitude tests are used to assess applicants on their inherent learning abilities, rather than on any previous knowledge. The Lloyds online assessment takes about 90 minutes to complete and includes questions on various skills and abilities.

To take them, you need a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed as well as a pen, some paper and a calculator.

The tests themselves are based on SHL-style assessments, and include questions on numerical, verbal and inductive reasoning, as well as situational judgement tests.

Lloyds numerical reasoning test

Numerical reasoning assessments are based on basic mathematical principles. Candidates are required to study and analyse numerical data via graphs, charts, percentages and ratios, and use it to answer multiple-choice questions.

To be successful in SHL-style numerical reasoning tests you do not need any advanced mathematical knowledge. Instead, it’s best to work on sharpening your data interpretation skills.

Lloyds verbal reasoning test

Verbal reasoning tests present a paragraph of information with a multiple-choice question. All the data you need to answer that question is provided in the paragraph, and your ability to digest, understand and analyse that written information is what’s evaluated.

There are no specific requirements in terms of previous knowledge, but working on your understanding of formal English language (and practising SHL-style verbal tests) is always a good way to prepare.

Lloyds inductive reasoning test

In the inductive reasoning assessment, the candidate must make an inference based on limited information – usually presented in the form of diagrams, patterns and sequences. To answer the question, you must decide which is the next shape in the pattern, or what is missing.

To make this induction, you’ll need to consider the rules of the pattern and decide what the underlying relationship is.

Lloyds situational judgement test

A situational judgement test assesses how candidates would react to a given work-based scenario, from a number of potential outcomes.

In situational judgement tests, there are not always obviously right or wrong answers. To perform well on these tests, the candidate needs to react in a way that most closely matches the preferred behaviours of the company.

Preparing for situational judgement tests involves understanding the core values and desired behaviours of the business. These will help you make sure that your answers align with what’s preferred.