RBS Assessment Tests

Careers at RBS

RBS is focused on creating an inclusive and supportive working environment, and is considered a world leader in disability employment, diversity in the workplace, and providing accommodations for all types of working needs.

As a large company that spans multiple different sectors, there are opportunities to work for RBS in many different capacities, such as:

• Customer service

• Business strategy

• Finance

• HR

• Control oversight and assurance

• Front office markets

• Counsel

All employees are offered development and learning opportunities, such as the Learning Academy, which teaches future-focused skills, and the career development programme. Through this you can take degree-level training to specialise and support your professional skills and advancement.

The RBS application process is intensive, but fairly standard for large companies with highly coveted positions. This means there is a lot of competition for every position and multiple steps designed to filter out the strongest candidates from thousands of applications.

RBS is part of NatWest Group, and that is where the hiring happens. Graduate and intern applications are made through the NatWest Group careers site, and you sit the same assessments as every other NatWest Group candidate, so it is worth preparing for the group process rather than looking for something RBS-specific.

For the graduate and intern programmes, the process looks like this:

• Online application

• Online testing (via SHL)

• Video interview

• Virtual assessment centre (including further interviews)

RBS online application

The first step is to submit an online application for your desired position. The vast majority of RBS jobs don’t require a CV, but you will need to answer questions about your background experience.

Try to be thorough and specific with examples of how your work and educational history makes you the best candidate for the role. This will help with applications that are scanned against desired qualities.

RBS jobs are reviewed on a rolling basis and positions often filled before the closing date, so it is in your best interest to get your application in for a job as soon as possible after the position has been posted.

RBS also recommends doing your application on a laptop or desktop PC, rather than a phone or tablet, as some parts of the application – such as the online testing – do not work on mobile devices.

RBS Aptitude Tests

RBS situational judgement test

Once you have submitted an application, you will be automatically sent an invite to take a situational judgement test. NatWest Group calls this one Work Scenarios. It is untimed and takes most candidates 20 to 25 minutes, so you can work through it at your own pace.

These tests present you with hypothetical workplace scenarios and ask you to choose a response to the situation which most closely reflects the one you would do.

Employers like to give situational judgement tests to assess whether candidates would be a good fit for the company culture and environment.

Although you cannot revise for situational judgement tests because they require no prior knowledge, you can improve your performance by practicing, and researching the company values to get a good understanding of the kind of person RBS is looking for.

RBS numerical reasoning test

If you score well on the situational judgement test, you will be invited to take a numerical reasoning test. These are important because they show you how well you work with numerical information, a critical skill for many positions in the banking and financial sector.

Many numerical reasoning tests are difficult because you are given a very short time restriction in order to show your speed and accuracy when working with data.

The tests come from SHL. NatWest Group calls this stage Reasoning Skills, and it is a single timed test of 24 questions in 36 minutes that covers numerical questions alongside patterns and sequences. Many of the questions are interactive rather than plain multiple choice, so you drag and drop your answer instead of picking from a list. That format catches people out, but by doing plenty of numerical reasoning practice, you can significantly improve your performance.

To progress with the application you must score in at least the top 50% of candidates, meaning that it is vital to do your best on these tests.

RBS logical reasoning test

The same Reasoning Skills test also covers logical reasoning, so there is no separate invite for it. This part assesses your critical thinking skills more than any kind of prior knowledge, showing RBS how skilled you are at thinking conceptually and analytically.

The questions here are patterns and sequences in the style of diagrammatic reasoning. This means that you will be presented with abstract shapes and asked to identify patterns, errors and inconsistencies in the sequence of the shapes.

Across the whole test you have an average of 90 seconds a question, and many candidates find this section the harder of the two because of the abstract nature. The best way to improve your speed and accuracy is to do plenty of practice.

RBS video interview

If you score well on the online tests, you will progress to a video interview. These are not live, traditional interviews, but ask you to record responses to set questions, which are then sent into the hiring team for review.

They are becoming increasingly popular with big employers because they allow them to ‘meet’ candidates without having to arrange live interviews, which take a lot more time and resources.

Although you are not meeting anyone in person, it is still important to take this kind of interview as seriously as a traditional one. This is your first chance to really show the team who you are and how you conduct yourself: therefore, you want to make sure that you come across as professional as possible.

Some tips for online interviews are:

• Be presentable. Dress exactly as you would for a live, face-to-face interview.
• Be aware of your surroundings. The best place to do your interview is in front of a plain wall with very little background in view. If this is not possible, make sure to tidy your space before filming.
• Check your equipment. Test out the lighting and sound by doing the practice questions as many times as you need to.
• Ensure privacy. The interview will take 20 to 30 minutes, so plan accordingly to make sure that you will not be interrupted by other people or distracting sounds.
• Relax. They want to see your personality, so let your natural speaking patterns and body language come out as much as you can while answering the questions.

RBS virtual assessment centre

The final stage of the application process is a virtual assessment centre, which is a full day of activities.

The assessment centre takes place over a digital platform, but the tasks are still designed to show how you work on your own and collaboratively with others. It is a chance for the hiring team to see your capabilities in real time, but also your social skills as you build relationships over the course of the activities.

RBS group and individual tasks

These usually consist of analysing and presenting a case study, showing your knowledge of the sector you’re applying for. You will be observed as your team debates and discusses your approach to the issue at hand, which will show how well you both put forward your own ideas and respond to others’.

There may also be a paired role play exercise, in which you are partnered with another candidate to roleplay as RBS representatives, while your interviewer plays a client. This exercise is designed to show off your understanding of RBS, teamwork, and negotiation skills.

RBS competency-based interview

During the day, you will be interviewed one-on-one by a manager in the sector that you have applied for. RBS uses competency-based interviews, which means that the questions are designed to ascertain your strength with specific required skills and your answers are marked against a criteria.

In order to succeed in these interviews, make sure that you are familiar with the details of the role and RBS’s business style, so you can give specific and detailed examples of how you demonstrate each essential skill.

While some aspects of the interview process might be slightly different when done remotely, go through our interview tips to make sure that you are as prepared as you can be beforehand.