Marks and Spencer is one of the most famous multinational British retailers.
M&S recruitment depends on the role. Store applicants attend an in-store interview, while Support Centre roles may include interviews, tasks or presentations. Check your invitation for any online assessment.
Use the route that matches your vacancy. The guidance below identifies the programme or location it covers.
Application and in-store interview
M&S advises allowing about 45 minutes for the application, including personal details, right-to-work documents and interview availability. The interview takes place in store. Prepare examples of customer focus and visit a store to understand how the team works.
Interviews, tasks and presentations
Support Centre applications usually begin with a CV and initial questions. Shortlisted candidates may have one or more interviews, plus task-based exercises or presentations where relevant. The recruitment team explains the requirements for each role.
Process sources checked 11 September 2026 · Your invitation takes priority for role and location details.
Consider how to support a teammate without losing sight of your own responsibilities. This is independent practice from Practice Aptitude Tests, not an actual M&S assessment question.
Practise with our independent preparation tests, then review the working behind each answer.
Marks and Spencer is the retail industry giant for luxury food, clothing, and home products. It has 979 stores in the UK, and 454 international stores reaching 10,622 bn revenue in 2017.
M&S separates store and Support Centre recruitment, with further variations for early-careers programmes. Its current guidance describes in-store interviews for store applicants, and possible tasks or presentations for Support Centre roles. The formats below are preparation options where they match your invitation, not a confirmed test battery for every M&S applicant.
There are many factors that could determine who would be successful in a given role or a position. Strong intellectual abilities, years of experience, and outstanding numerical skills are just some of them, but on many occasions, your job performance would be saturated and influence by whatever motivates your actions, and what do you believe is important in your life. In short, this is what we call - personality.
The Situational Judgement Test is a set of questions assessing how you might react to hypothetical events and situations that might be encountered in the M&S workplace environment. Based on your answers to these questions it will be verified how aligned you are with the company’s values and behaviours. So do your research and try to memorize them by heart ( might come in handy in the future!).
A practice verbal reasoning test comprises of a series paragraphs which you will be required to read and a set of questions matching the information provided in paragraphs. Your answer options will be True, False or Cannot Tell.
A multiple-choice numerical reasoning test assesses your ability to evaluate, analyze, and interpret numerical information that is provided to you in charts, graphs, and tables. You will have limited time to find a correct answer, so all the calculations such as such as percentages, ratios, and basic arithmetic should be executed quickly and accurately.
Diagrammatic reasoning practice asks you to identify rules in shapes and patterns. It does not need specialist subject knowledge. Use it if your assessment invitation includes this skill.
If your programme includes an assessment centre, follow the exercise brief supplied by M&S. The advice below covers common group, interview and presentation formats.
The group exercise usually aim at testing how you conduct yourself in a group setting, and if you are able to co-operate to achieve an assigned task. The general skills that the assessors are looking for is a good balance between teamwork and leadership skills. You might be a great leader, but approach the group exercise as a test of your collaboration and teamwork skills rather than a show of directorship.
The M&S evaluation interview is based on business competencies, that will give you the opportunity to share details of your capabilities and previous experience. Make sure you use the time given to make a clear assessment of your skills compared to other candidates.
This stage could take two forms. You might be given a topic to research and prepare your presentation beforehand, or you will be supplied with materials during the actual assessment centre and have limited time to prepare. Anyhow, it is important that you practice your presentation skills. If you are not a born speaker and feel like you could use a little bit more advice, you can check the Assessment Centre Guide, for more useful tips.
What candidates ask us most often
The difficulty of M&S tests can depend on your familiarity with the format and your innate aptitude. Like any assessment, they can be challenging but are designed to measure your true potential in relevant skills.
Preparing for M&S tests is best achieved through practice. Practice Aptitude Tests offers a wealth of practice tests to help familiarize yourself with the types of questions you’ll encounter and assess your readiness.
The M&S recruitment process timeline varies, often a few weeks, it can extend depending on the role and the number of applicants. It’s a thorough process aimed at finding the best match for their team.
M&S’s core values revolve around quality, value, service, innovation, and trust. These principles guide not only their customer relationships but also the essence of their workforce.
Marks and Spencer is a trademark of its respective owner. Practice Aptitude Tests is not affiliated with Marks and Spencer and our practice tests are not endorsed by them. Visit Marks and Spencer careers.
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