Shell Assessment Tests

Careers at Shell

Working for Shell, you operate as part of the network and can take advantage of development and career opportunities across the globe. Its core values are honesty, integrity, and respect, so Shell looks for people who enjoy being part of a team and making a positive impact on their community.

There is high competition for roles, so when applying it’s important to make sure you meet both the qualifications and culture criteria. Do research on Shell’s website to find out about the company culture and if it sounds like the kind of place you would fit into.

The application process for Shell jobs and graduate schemes is done online and their position can be found via their website. The steps of the application are:

• Online application
• Games-based assessments
• Video interview
• Remote presentation and interview

It is important to learn about what Shell is looking for and try to show how you emulate these qualities in your application. Shell’s assessment process follows the CAR method:

• Capacity. Seeing how well you absorb information, analyse problems, and provide innovative solutions.
• Achievement. Assessing how you get the job done. This includes looking at your resilience, confidence, drive, and organisational skills.
• Relationships. Looking at how well you work and communicate with others.

Shell online application form

For the online application you will need to upload your CV, basic information about yourself, and answer some questions about relevant work experience and motivations for wanting to work for Shell. This part should only take 5–10 minutes, and you can use your LinkedIn profile to autofill the information.

If you’re not sure which position might suit you, you can use Shell’s degree matcher, and see if your qualifications and interests point towards a particular role within the company.

There are no specific degree requirements for the graduate scheme, though you must have a strong academic record from a recognised university.

Shell Game-Based Assessments

A ‘games-based’ assessment may sound unfamiliar, but it is just a different way of administering aptitude tests. Shell uses four short game-based assessments that measure your cognitive abilities and working-style preferences. They take around 20 minutes in total and need to be completed within five days of receiving your invite. The main cognitive skill areas are:

Shell numerical reasoning tests

These assess your ability to work with numerical data. Numerical reasoning tests usually present this in the form of graphs, charts and tables. As well as your ability to process numbers, they assess your problem-solving skills, ability to work under pressure, and can be reflective of actual tasks you’ll face on the job.

Shell verbal reasoning tests

Here your complex language and communication skills are put to the test. It is not simply about basic grammar, but processing data in the form of large blocks of texts. During verbal reasoning tests you are usually given a few paragraphs to read and then have to answer corresponding questions with true, false, or cannot say.

Shell logical reasoning tests

For these tests, it is not your prior knowledge that is tested but your critical thinking and problem solving skills. Logical reasoning is an umbrella term for lots of different types of logic tests, which can include diagrammatical reasoning (working with shapes), deductive reasoning (top-down logic questions), and inductive reasoning (inference of probable conclusions). They help employers assess your general intelligence, problem solving, and decision-making skills.

The best way to prepare for aptitude tests is to do plenty of practice. Our energy sector aptitude tests section has plenty of free practice tests and advice for all the different types of tests that you may be faced with. Shell does not say who builds its assessments, so prepare for the question types rather than one publisher’s house style. It is worth using Shell’s own names for the stages when you research, because they are distinctive. The first sitting is the Virtual Job Tryout and the On-Demand Interview, run together in about 40 minutes, and the second stage is a Final Assessment made up of a virtual case study and an interview.

Shell video interview

If your online application and assessments go well, you will be invited to do a video interview. This is where you record verbal responses to pre-set questions and then send the videos in for hiring managers to watch at a later date.

They are becoming increasingly popular with companies as they can ‘interview’ many more candidates and have the data available to better directly compare performances.

Make sure you treat this as seriously as an in-person interview. This means being presentable, finding a quiet, well lit place to record in, and making sure there are no interruptions or distractions while you film.

There will be an opportunity to do practice questions before you start recording, so use this time wisely to settle your nerves and ensure your audio and visual equipment is working properly.

You’ll have about three minutes for each question, so relax and let your personality come through, as this is the first chance to really let them get to know you.

Shell online case study and interview

The final assessment in the application process is a remote presentation and interview with two Shell professionals.

Around 48 hours before your meeting, you will be given a case study to learn about and research. Then, on the day, you will be given a topic related to that case study and 20 minutes (30 minutes for non-native English speakers) to create a 5-minute presentation on the topic.

After your presentation you will have to answer questions and additional scenarios from your assessors, which will go on for another 30 minutes.

After the presentation, you will then go into a more traditional interview. The questions will be a mix of competency and culture questions such as:

• Why do you want to work for Shell?
• What are your strengths/weaknesses?
• Talk about a time you dealt with a challenging teammate.

Make sure you are familiar with Shell’s business history, its company values, and the specifics of the role that you are applying in relation to your own experience.

This is your last chance to learn more about Shell and to let them get to know you better, so have a look at some interview tips to make sure you’re prepared.