Assessment centres

In brief

Illustration of a person sitting in the screen of an iMac

Typically, assessment centres are the final stage of the recruitment process for graduate recruiters. They often involve a range of activities, tests and exercises that vary from employer to employer and can take place in person or on-line. You will be assessed by multiple assessors, in different ways. This is seen as more reliable and fairer than an interview alone, while giving you a more personal insight into the company.

In depth: guide to assessment centres

Who uses an assessment centre?

Assessment Centres are used by larger companies as part of their recruitment processes for graduate schemes.

They are popular with recruiters to assess you for the role you have applied for in terms of the soft skills and behaviours needed for the job.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's survey on 'Recruitment, Retention and Turnover' showed that 34% of employers now use assessment centres when recruiting managers, professionals and graduates. They include:

Consultancy companies such as EY, Deloitte etc.
Engineering and Manufacturing firms such as Jaguar Land Rover
FMCG companies such as Unilever, Mars etc.
Marketing companies and firms with marketing departments such as such as Diageo, Nestle etc.
Public sector employers such as the Civil Service Fast Stream and the NHS etc.
IT and Cyber organisations such as IBM etc
Banks such as HSBC etc.
HR consultancies and companies recruiting to positions within their company such as Global HR Management
Sales companies such as Liberty
Supply chain firms such as Amazon
Pharmaceutical firms such as GSK
Not for profit organisations may also use them such as Oxfam.

Some companies will run assessment centres for various streams at once so those with you may be going for work in different departments.

How to prepare

Preparing for Your Assessment Centre: Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you're facing in-person or virtual assessment centres, the insights and strategies shared here will guide you to prepare with confidence and perform at your best! Make sure you have your original application, the original job description and any briefing notes or e-mails the employer has sent to you. Remember you will be being observed throughout the whole day, from greeting at reception, to assessment centre tasks and any lunch breaks. Resist the temptation of reaching for your phone in the break and use this chance to speak to other applicants and staff members.

Before the day:

Clarify doubts: reach out to the company's graduate recruitment team if you have any queries. Be clear on the structure of the day and the type of activities you can anticipate.
Review your application and reflect on how you meet the requirements: identify skills, strengths and values from the job description. Review your original application and consider your own motivations and experience as evidence.
Anticipate questions: based on the job description. Use Graduates FirstLink opens in a new window, to generate interview questions and look at our other resources in the interview section of our websiteLink opens in a new window for further research.
Do your research: research the company and industry. Study the company's website, social media, and key documents. Research news, trends, competitors, and job sector opportunities. See the researching employers sectionLink opens in a new window for more information.
Prepare: follow these tips for delivering effective presentations.Link opens in a new window Plan your approach for any group activities using the advice on Warwick’s careers blog.Link opens in a new window
Practice: use our free resources to practise any psychometric tests using Graduates FirstLink opens in a new window, book a mock interviewLink opens in a new window and/or attend a mock assessment centre.
What to wear: choose your outfit in advance. Find out more about how to prepare for interviews and dress appropriately on our interviews pages.
Help with clothing: need help with interview clothing? Our WorkWear Wardrobe initiative can help you build your wardrobe in an affordable way

Day of the Assessment Centre:

Timely Arrival: plan your journey, aiming to arrive with time spare in case of delays.
Online Event: if virtual, ensure your equipment and software are ready. You can book a space in the Student Opportunity Hub if you don’t have a suitable location and reliable Wi-Fi. Email to book.
Dry Run: practice using the software beforehand to ease nerves.

Tasks and exercises

Exercises can vary between employers but are commonly a combination of individual and group tasks. Some of the more common tasks and exercises include:

Group tasks

Group exercise tests are designed to assess your ability to communicate effectively while working in a team. Other skills typically assessed include problem-solving, planning, analytical and decision-making. You may be set icebreakers, practical tasks or discussion group tasks.

Careers Blog articles on Assessment Centres

myAdvantage careers workshops - look out for group assessment centre practice workshops

Prospects guide to interview tests and exercises

Role play exercises

Role-play exercises often simulate tasks you typically would perform in the role. Normally, candidates receive a brief outline of the scenario and their assigned role with some time to prepare before the role-play meeting. Normally, an actor will be playing a character while an assessor is observing. Often used for professions such as social work, customer service and the police.

Written exercises and case studies

A brief or series of documents is given to candidates, and you must respond to the brief or question posed, these can be individual or group tasks. Designed to assess your analytical, commercial awareness and problem-solving skills while working under pressure. Particularly common in sectors such as law and management consulting.

Careers Blog articles on case studies

Target Jobs guide to case study interviews

Case Study Resources:

Presentations

Presentations can be individual or in a group. Some employers will give you notice before the assessment day to support your preparation while others may ask you to do a presentation on the day.

When planning your presentation, consider: What are my aims and objectives? Who is my audience- what terminology will they understand? What resources are available- flipchart/laptop? How do I want to present- slides/notes? How much time do I have?

If using visual aids, consider what you would do if you had a technical problem, for example, providing a handout. Keep slides clear and simple and consider using images rather than using a lot of text.

Take time to think about how to structure your presentation logically and include:

A brief introduction- who you are, the aims and objectives of the session and a brief outline of the content.
Main content-key points you want to make.
Conclusion-summarise your key points and invite questions.

TED Talks collection on public speaking

Target Jobs guide to presentations

In-tray or E-tray exercises

In-tray exercises evaluate your ability to respond appropriately and prioritise a series of job requests, which often “simulate” an e-mail in-box. You may be given a scenario along with additional background such as your role, key contacts and the organisational structure. You will then be faced with multiple requests and/or actions to respond to and prioritise.

Try one free exercise on Assessment Day

Interviews

Interviews give you the chance to showcase your motivation, skills and interest in the role and company you are applying to.

Read our guide to interviews

Look out for interview workshops on myAdvantage

Book a careers guidance appointment with one of our advisors for a mock interview

Psychometric tests

Employers sometimes set new or replicate psychometric tests that you have already taken as part of the application process. Research the type of tests the employer or industry typically uses and utilise resources on Graduates First to practise so that you are familiar with the type of tests set and how you can manage your time effectively.

What is assessed?

What is assessed (values, strengths, technical competencies)

This will vary between individual employers and industries but expect employers to be a using the following broad assessment criteria:

Motivation:

Are you genuinely interested in the role and the employer? Have you taken time to research the employer, role and industry beyond what you can find in their website and the job description?

Values and Ethos:

Companies are interested in how your values and ethos will fit with the organisation’s culture.

Technical Proficiency:

For roles like engineering, science, and accountancy, technical assessments may be conducted. These tests gauge your grasp of fundamental principles within the company's field.

Competencies:

Employers seek various competencies which are normally outlined in the person specification. Interview questions and assessment centre tasks are designed to evaluate whether you have the necessary skills to perform well in the role.

Strengths:

Candidates' motivations and inherent qualities are evaluated. Authentic responses showing energy and genuineness are valued by employers. For more information on strengths recruitment see our Careers blog.

After an assessment centre

Ask the recruiter for details of the timeline for applicants to hear, check to see if there are specific dates.
Follow up and ask for feedback. This can be particularly helpful, especially if you have been unsuccessful so you can learn and develop your skills for next time.
Reflect on your performance. Try to identify areas for development and come up with a plan for developing your skills.
If you are not offered the job, remember the experience can still be beneficial and an opportunity to learn from. Seek help from the careers team, read our blog Been rejected? What now?Link opens in a new window And consider booking into an Assessment Centre workshopLink opens in a new window.

Useful documents/resources

Read our blog for help preparing for a virtual assessment centre:

How to make an impression at an assessment centreLink opens in a new window

External Links:

Further Help

Graduates First

GraduatesFirst gives you free unlimited access to 100+ assessments and tools which are used by over 8,000 of the world’s top employers.

University of Warwick have partnered with Graduates First, granting Warwick students free access to a range of practice psychometric and personality tests commonly used by employers as part of the recruitment and selection process.

These include Numerical Reasoning, Personality Questionnaires, Situational Judgement Tests, Video Interviews, Game-Based assessments, and many more.

Workshops and webinars

Find all our webinars and workshops on myAdvantageLink opens in a new window - we regularly hold webinars on applications and interviews.

Student Opportunity: Careers