Financial Conduct Authority Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

I completed a coversheet and then a case study. I wasn't selected to move forward, and it wasn't communicated to me that I would be considered for the next round. I sent two follow-up emails to the hiring manager, but received no response. HR also did not inform me of the unsuccessful outcome.

I went through the whole process: First, I had to answer the application questions which were quite challenging and required a lot of research. The key here is sounding genuine and selecting some good, recent, examples of the FCA's involvement. Second, I had to complete the online testing stage. They had SJT, numerical and logical tests. The most challenging one was probably the numerical one. Aside from awkward software requirements the online testing stage is very normal. Third, I was contacted for a phone interview. I looked at Glassdoor and other websites for past questions asked by the FCA. I must recognise that looking up their questions made a real difference. I would recommend really reading up on the FCA and thinking of past examples which really impressed you. The interview is around 30% competency and 70% motivational. In the motivational questions, examples are key. They really convey your interest. I have attached a few questions that really helped me prepare. Extra: no point in preparing questions for them because the phone interview is outsourced. Fourthly, I was invited to the Assessment Centre in their Canary Wharf office. It was my first assessment centre and I was not adequately prepared. There are 4 stages to the AC: case study, presentation, interview and group exercise - in that order. For the case study, you will be asked to plan a trip for a couple who has come to your travel agency. You will have to send the couple and email with the itinerary and a report to your travel agency explaining your choice of locations. My advice is be careful not to get to caught up in the details. I don't personally think the hour they give you is enough to complete the exercise, however I know people who say they completed it on time. Really try to finish the task, it is an incredible amount of information which you have to synthesise. Practice by trying to push yourself to your limits. The presentation is on the case study. They give you some time to prepare your presentation so use it wisely. The staff will ask you hard questions. Recognise your shortcomings and really try to say in words what you couldn't on paper. The interview is based on the FCA's core values. Can't remember them but they are on their website. They will literally have their core values on a piece of paper, read them to you explain what they mean, give you questions where you can show you have these core values. My advice is smile and try to make them smile. Always be polite and don't be afraid to ask them to repeat their questions. Finally, select a few relevant questions to ask them at the end. The group exercise unfortunately can very much depend on your group. Personally, I find that I suffered from having a very quiet group. It made me come across as forceful and too eager to take command. Therefore, always try to bring people's opinions out and don't take command of the situation in a forceful way. Be polite and amicable at all times, putting others ahead of your ideas. It doesn't matter how quiet your group members are, get them speaking.

The interview process was pretty simple, with two main steps. First, there was an initial chat where I talked about myself, the job, and what they were looking for. After that, if I got through, the second interview was set up within a week. This second interview was all about situational, CV-based, and competency-based questions. They gave us the JEDS questions beforehand to help us get ready for it. It's really important to be prepped to talk about yourself and answer those JEDS questions. All in all, from applying to hearing back, it took about a month and a half.