BMW Group UK Interview Questions
& Process

First, there were some online tests, which included some straightforward games and a general engineering assessment. After that, I had a 30-minute phone call where they inquired about my university studies and delved deeper into my background and engineering experience. Lastly, an on-site assessment centre took place. Here, we were divided into teams to tackle simple group activities, such as constructing a tower using straws and string, and we were also given information about the placement program. The day concluded with a formal, in-person interview that was essentially an extension of the phone interview, focusing on my CV.

I applied online. About two weeks later, I got requests for online tests covering verbal and numerical abilities. After a really long wait of about a month, I had a 40-minute phone interview where I was asked seven questions about different skills like leadership and multicultural competence. It was a pleasant call. Three weeks after that, I was invited to an assessment center with 9 other candidates. This lasted around 5 hours and included ice-breaker exercises, team presentations on a recall car issue, speed dating with 5 interviewer groups, and a group discussion with presentations. I found the BMW UK assessment center kind of boring and repetitive compared to others. The speed dating involved similar questions, making it feel silly to repeat answers. Two group assignments were also focused on leadership skills. Apparently, the salary for the MAP program isn't great, only 25K pounds before tax.

The assessment centre day was a really negative experience after I'd already been through all the applications and tests. They don't pay for any travel or accommodation costs, even though the plant is really remote and I had to travel the night before to make an 8am start, costing me about £200. When I asked about it, they gave no real reason for not reimbursing me, which is disappointing considering I'm a student. The advertised 'free lunch' was just a sandwich, which wasn't enough to keep me going through a very long day. The one-on-one interviews were done one after another, not at the same time, so I ended up waiting around for three hours doing nothing. Overall, it was a long, bad day that wasn't worth my time and made the company look bad. The feedback I got after the assessment centre was also weird - they said I was too ambitious and that they wanted someone less confident than me in a team. I'm glad I didn't get an offer, because I would have rejected it.

Submitted an online application with questions about why I'm applying. Then there was an online test with numerical and verbal reasoning. Followed by a casual telephone interview asking what I know about BMW and why I'm applying. The assessment centre included an introduction from a current intern and a group activity that was about teamwork and including others.