Royal Bank Of Canada Assessment Tests

Careers at Royal Bank Of Canada

There are many business areas that potential employees could work in at RBC, including:

• Personal and Commercial Banking
• Wealth Management
• Capital Markets
• Investor and Treasury Services
• Technology and Operations
• Insurance
• Corporate Functions
• RBC Ventures

Although headquartered in Canada, the global operations of RBC means that there are offices in the US, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

Internships, co-ops and graduate placements are available in a number of business paths, with opportunities for international rotations and different career options. Entry-level roles are suitable for those still in school or who have recently graduated, and those that are changing careers or lifelong learners.

In each early career path, whether it is an internship, graduate, or summer program, learning and development happens throughout – with input from mentors, experts and industry professionals.

Career programs

Graduate and student career programs are available in a range of business streams, including Investor Services, Analyst, and Indigenous Programs.

RBC Amplify Program

The Amplify program is an intensive summer innovation program that puts students into teams of four to develop a product that could solve a business problem. A great opportunity for students interested in a career as a business analyst, developer, or data scientist.

RBC Career Launch

The Career Launch program is a one-year paid internship that has three rotations: support RBC clients; support a local charity; and support a business unit. To be eligible for this, candidates need to be under 24, a recent graduate, and eligible to work in Canada.

RBC Leadership Development Program

This accelerated two-year development program is designed to create and mould leaders in one of five different business streams. There are four six-month rotations in the program, allowing candidates to collaborate with leaders on complex assignments, while developing skills through formal training.

The streams that are available include:

• CFO (the RBC Global Finance organisation)
• Internal Audit
• Group Risk Management
• Enterprise
• Personal & Commercial Banking

For these business streams, candidates must be a Master’s-level graduate, have 3+ years of working experience, and exceptional communication skills.

Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Program

The CPA Pre-Approved Program offers a 30-month blend of specialised training and wide exposure to CPA experience, ready for the CFE exam.

Through this program, candidates spend 15 months in Internal Audit, and 15 months in Finance with close mentoring from the program manager, a mentor, and sponsors throughout.

Students receive a competitive compensation package and benefits, as well as a subsidy to complete a graduate diploma in accountancy. There are opportunities for an additional rotation in New Jersey, London, or Luxembourg.

To qualify, candidates need to be in the final year of their studies at Bachelor’s, post-grad, or Master’s level, with top-quartile standing, leadership and communication skills, as well as relationship-building experience.

Roles are highly competitive, especially for graduate and internship programs. Understanding the application process will help ensure that you are able to compete for the position that you want.

RBC online application

The online application starts with a simple account creation. This will include contact information and provision to upload a resume. Cover letters are not needed, though you can include one as an additional document if you want.

Roles open throughout the year, with many graduate and internship opportunities recruiting in the summer for the following academic year. If you are successful, the recruitment team will be in contact within ten days.

RBC Aptitude Tests

After your application is received, if you meet the basic criteria for the program of your choice you will be sent a link to complete some online assessments. Each role has different requirements, so the tests will differ depending on what you have applied for.

The tests must be completed within the given timeframe, and there will be full instructions given alongside practice questions.

These tests are not about your experience or learning, but rather about your innate abilities and how you learn.

RBC verbal reasoning test

The verbal reasoning test is an assessment of your ability to quickly read, understand and analyse information in text.

These are usually paragraphs of information in formal, business language, which are followed by one or more questions about the text. The answers are multiple choice, and this assessment is usually timed.

RBC situational judgement test

In a situational judgement test, candidates are provided with a realistic work-based scenario that has more than one potential outcome. You will be presented with a common business problem and need to decide on the most appropriate course of action to take.

This is an assessment of your work behaviour and decision-making skills, looking at how you solve problems based on limited information.

This can also be a strengths-based assessment, which combines a number of different types of questions that test your skills in problem-solving, logic and information processing.

RBC numerical reasoning test

The numerical reasoning test is not a math test as such; instead, it is an assessment of the way you apply basic mathematical knowledge to answer questions. In a numerical reasoning test, you will be presented with numerical data in the form of tables and graphs, and you will be asked questions based on that information.

The calculations that need to be made are simple and straightforward, and there are multiple-choice answers.

In the assessments, there are some sections that are timed, and some that are not. Your score on the tests that you take will be used in conjunction with your application form.

For student and graduate roles, you will receive a feedback report on your performance in the test.

Once completed, the recruiter will contact you with information about the next step in the application process – in this case, an interview.

RBC interview

Interviews for RBC positions can be completed via telephone, video conferencing, or in person. These are usually a combination of motivational and competency-based questions, as well as technical questions if the role needs it.

In the motivational questions, you might be asked about your future career aspirations, why you want to work at RBC and what you want to learn. These questions are looking for enthusiasm and research – specific things about what made you apply for the role.

You might find questions such as:

• “Why do you want to work for RBC?”
• “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
• “What are your strengths?”
• “What are your weaknesses?”

With these questions it is important to offer unique answers, with reference to specific information about the position that interests you. Think about what you want to achieve and how this specific role can help you get there (through qualifications or experience).

In the competency-based questions, you will be asked to provide examples of your soft skills and abilities like teamwork and communication. Recruiters want specifics here, so before the interview think about the competencies that the role needs.

These can usually be found in the job description. If you can think of at least one good example from either your work experience or extra-curricular activities for these competencies, you can demonstrate in detail the information that an RBC recruiter is looking for.

Some questions you might face in the RBC interview about competencies include:

• “Tell me about a time you successfully overcame a challenge”
• “Describe a time where you were in charge of a team”
• “Tell me about a time when something you tried to achieve did not work”

You might find it useful to think of these examples and describe them using the STAR mnemonic (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to give a full description with all the necessary details.

There are often other questions that might focus on your academic achievement, and your knowledge about the wider financial market.

Remember, an interview should be a two-way discussion, so there will be time for you to ask questions too. Use the information about the role and the business that you have discovered in your research to come up with some interesting and thoughtful questions to ask.