IMF Financial Analyst Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 38 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at IMF.
IMF
Economist
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The interview will be virtual and include 5 questions, lasting about 35-40 minutes total. You'll get 1 minute to prep for each question, and each one will take about 3-7 minutes. Expect questions on behavioral topics and macroeconomics, like fiscal and monetary policy.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you explain the job market paper?
IMF
Economist
Entry Difficult Positive experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
Had a preliminary interview with 5 questions on HireVue. Two were behavioral and three were economics-focused. One economics question was pretty tough, dealing with fiscal stabilization. The others were manageable (about the effects of low/high inflation). There was also a question about my job market paper.
Confirmed questions5 questions
- Reasons to think the IMF is a good fit.
- Describe a moment to work as a team.
- Discuss your job market paper and its connections with the IMF.
IMF
Economist
Mid Difficult Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Take home Technical screen Technical screen
Interview formats
Technical Technical Technical
So the interview process had two rounds of interviews and also a writing test. The interviews were mostly technical and focused on the broader macroeconomy. They asked a question on fiscal policy, a question on monetary/financial policy, and a question on structural reform. They wanted to cover as much ground as possible. I prepared by reading a lot of IMF reports.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Regarding countries with debt exceeding 100% of their GDP, what strategies could they employ to prevent unsustainability?
- In relation to the broader macroeconomy, what are your views on fiscal policy?
- What is the connection between monetary or financial policy and the macroeconomy?
IMF Financial Analyst Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from IMF interview reports.
“What is the effect of US monetary policy in global capital movements?”
Read reports →“What is the connection between monetary or financial policy and the macroeconomy?”
Read reports →“Regarding countries with debt exceeding 100% of their GDP, what strategies could they employ to prevent unsustainability?”
Read reports →“What are the effects of structural reforms on the economy?”
Read reports →“What data would be necessary for comparing two countries' tax systems?”
Read report →“How do you assess if a 3% GDP government deficit is excessive or insufficient?”
Read report →“What is your comparison between two countries that have deficits of 3% and 5% of GDP?”
Read report →“If a country aims to increase its deficit from 3% to 5%, what advice would you give to the fiscal authority?”
Read report →“Could you explain the real and financial impacts of U.S. monetary tightening on small, open economies?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 38 IMF interview reports.