Standard Bank is a South African financial services group that has corporate headquarters in Johannesburg. Founded in 1862 as a subsidiary of a British overseas bank, Standard Bank now operates in 20 countries in Africa as well as elsewhere - they have locations in Brazil, the USA, England, Isle of Man, Jersey, China, and the UAE.
Standard Bank employs a variety of tests during their hiring process to assess candidates’ aptitude, problem-solving skills, and personality alignment with company culture, adapted for different roles.
This example is taken from Standard Bank’s Technology graduate programme. Use your chosen programme’s instructions.
Screening, Odyssey assessment and video interview
The Technology programme describes Odyssey after eligibility screening, followed by a video panel interview. Successful candidates then complete psychometric assessments before an assessment centre or final business interview, depending on the programme. Follow your invitation for question counts and timings.
Process sources checked 11 September 2026 · Your invitation takes priority for role and location details.
Convert a supplier’s invoice and account for a bank fee. This is independent numerical practice for financial calculations, not an Odyssey or Standard Bank assessment item.
Practise with our independent preparation tests, then review the working behind each answer.
The financial services on offer at Standard Bank include banking solutions for consumers, high net worth clients, corporate and investment services, and banking for business and commercial customers. Alongside these strands, there are several support departments that work across the global offices, including:
Standard Bank offers roles for experienced professionals as well as a number of opportunities for early careers, including learnerships, internships and graduate schemes.
Working at Standard Bank comes with many benefits apart from a competitive salary, and there is great focus on personal and professional development in all roles thanks to a personalized and structured training and development plan that is put in place for all employees.
Other benefits (depending on location) include:
Employees are offered a People Promise from Standard Bank when they get a job - a two-way commitment that encourages the best from staff while ensuring that a strong working culture is developed. This promise is structured around the following values:
The application process at Standard Bank is quite simple and straightforward, with different phases depending on the role you have applied for.
All roles at Standard Bank are advertised on the careers site, so this should be the first place you look before you apply.
In each job description, you will be given all the information you need about the role, what the daily activities are, what qualifications are required, and the skills that the recruiters are looking for.
When you click ‘apply now’, you will be invited to create an online SmartRecruiters profile, which will contain all of your contact details, an up-to-date CV, and any certifications that you might have from recognized professional bodies. Your SmartRecruiters profile is the hub of all your job-seeking activities, and where you can monitor the status of your application throughout the process.
For each role, the prerequisites will differ - so you need to be aware of what the Talent Acquisition Team is looking for. When you fill out the application form, make sure that you are answering all the questions as fully as possible, and provide evidence where you can - such as any degrees or certificates, for example.
A cover letter is not mandatory for any of the roles that are available at Standard Bank, but the advice given is to provide one - especially if you are well-qualified or need some more space to demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the role.
The application form and the cover letter are likely to be the first time that the recruiters will have ‘met’ you, so make sure that you check your spelling and grammar before submitting to make the best impression.
The initial interview is a screening interview that usually takes place either by telephone or through a video chat. This is more about getting to know you and going through the information that you have provided in your SmartRecruiters profile than anything else, so you can expect some probing about what you have included in your application.
At this stage, clarification and a more in-depth discussion about your previous experience, your education, and what you are expecting from the position. Your interviewer is trying to get more information about you as a person to fill out what they can already see in your application details.
This is also an excellent chance for you to ask some questions about the role and about Standard Bank as a company, so be sure to have completed a good amount of research before the interview so you can ask some relevant questions.
Assessment centre days are often used during the application process for early careers, and candidates are expected to come to one of the main offices or another location to spend a day with the Talent Acquisition Team and other applicants for some in-depth pre-employment testing.
The assessment centre is a chance for the recruiters to see how you act in the workplace and to assess your soft skills like leadership, communication, teamwork and negotiation. They want to see that you are able to put into practice the skills that you have mentioned in your application form and through the interview, and that you can cope well under pressure and in unfamiliar situations.
There are several types of tasks that you might take in an assessment centre.
Aptitude tests are used to check aptitude and skills. The content of these tests is not based on things that you will have learned in university or even through previous experience, but on the inherent skills and abilities you have. Some tests that you might take include:
Logical Reasoning are the most common type of assessment - the candidate is presented with a series of shapes or images that are in a sequence, with one item missing. They need to find the rule that governs the sequence and apply it to the multiple-choice options to find the right answer.
During a case study exercise, a group of candidates are given some information relating to a fictional customer, and need to work together to come up with a plan to solve the problem that the client has.
This is usually finished with a presentation to the recruitment team and the other groups, outlining the plan and the reasoning.
Sometimes, the case study might be an individual project, with the end product as a presentation or as a long-form written piece.
If you have applied for a role that needs a specific technical skill, such as programming or coding, you may be invited to complete a technical or skills test.
In this type of test, the Talent Acquisition Team is checking to be sure that you have the right level of skill to be successful in the role, and they do this using questions that are related to the type of tasks that you are likely to undertake - for example, if you are coding, you might be asked to debug a portion of code used in a banking app.
The final interview is your chance to really shine - and show that you match not only the values of the business but also that you have all the skills and attributes that they are looking for specifically for the role.
The final interview might be a competency-based interview, where you will be invited to provide examples from your previous experience that demonstrate you have certain competencies. For instance, you might be asked to provide an example of where you have provided leadership for a project, and had to deal with things like competing deadlines and working with other people.
It is a good idea to prepare for this type of interview by looking at the specific attributes that the role requires, and think of some examples before you head into the interview so that you ensure you give all the information with no waffle.
Make sure that you know the role really well, including what is needed for successful applicants so that you are ready to show the panel you have what it takes. Be ready to demonstrate your commercial awareness - so stay up to date with financial news on a local and global scale, and find out all you can about the day-to-day business operations of Standard Bank. This will help you seem more knowledgeable and passionate, but it will also give you some ideas of what questions to ask at the end.
What candidates ask us most often
The difficulty of Standard Bank tests can vary based on the role and individual strengths. Some may find them challenging, whereas others may find them manageable. Preparation is key.
Preparing for Standard Bank tests is best achieved through consistent practice. Practice Aptitude Tests offers a wealth of practice tests that can help you get up to speed and perform your best.
The duration of the recruitment process at Standard Bank varies depending on the role and the number of applicants, but it can take several weeks from application to final decision.
Standard Bank values integrity, excellence, being customer focused, and operating in a responsible and sustainable manner, reflecting their commitment to both clients and communities.
Rated 5.0 out of 5 across 4 reviews. A selection:
I liked that it's a fair evaluation. I just needed to understand and prepare on time. What I did not like was the time pressure and complex questions which gave me an anxiety.
Not much to complain about.There’s enough time to practice.It’s just that you can’t go back to re/do them again
The test makes you have more concentration which is a good thing but is hard to think if you don't have enough time to write
Standard Bank is a trademark of its respective owner. Practice Aptitude Tests is not affiliated with Standard Bank and our practice tests are not endorsed by them. Visit Standard Bank careers.
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