NERA Research Associate Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 112 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at NERA.
NERA
Research Associate
Entry Easy Positive experience Accept offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
There were two interviews. The first was a screening interview, a one-on-one with an analyst, where they asked a lot about my previous work and schooling, and why I'm passionate about the work. The second part was a 'super day' which lasted 1.5 hours and had three interviews with two team members in each. All the questions focused on past data and econometric projects. They really want to see that you know your projects, the methods you used, and the underlying theory. They're looking for intellectual curiosity and want you to be yourself.
Confirmed questions8 questions
- Can you describe a project you worked on with data, including the challenges you encountered?
- Tell me about your previous work experience and your academic background.
- What makes you passionate about this area of work?
NERA
Research Associate
Entry Average Positive experience Accept offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Technical Presentation Behavioral
So, first round was with one analyst. Then, there was a superday, which had five interviews happening back-to-back. These interviews were with people from all different levels, from MDs to 2nd years. It was a technical interview, where I had to explain a project I worked on. They also asked why I wanted to work at NERA and why I was interested in economic consulting.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- Can you define multicolinearity and explain how you applied it in your project?
- Could you describe a project you've worked on?
- What motivates your interest in NERA?
NERA
Research Associate
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 2 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I sent in my resume and then had a first chat with an associate, which was mostly behavioral and went pretty well. After that, I was invited to interview with the director of the DC Anti-trust team for a second round. I was pretty let down by this interview, honestly. The interviewer seemed to be in a bad mood and wasn't really engaged (even took a phone call during our talk). They cut me off just 7 minutes in and rudely said I wasn't a good fit for the team, offering no other feedback before ending the interview. It was a real bummer.
Confirmed questions1 question
- In what ways have you benefited from attending school in Washington D.C.?
NERA Research Associate Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from NERA interview reports.
“What would be the effects if the NYC government decided to limit building heights in Manhattan?”
Read reports →“How would you calculate a company's WACC using CAPM and leverage to find the discount factor?”
Read reports →“Can you perform a regression analysis on the amount of fat a person eats and the...”
Read reports →“What's the reasoning for excluding the lowest 1% and highest 1% of your data?”
Read reports →“Could you explain what a regression coefficient means, as if you were talking to someone completely new to economics?”
Read report →“What challenges might a company encounter when exploring the establishment of a new market in a foreign country?”
Read report →“Can you explain the concept behind removing the bottom 1% and top 99% of the data?”
Read report →“Which econometrics paper did you find most fascinating, and what did it aim to quantify?”
Read report →“Can you describe how you would construct a regression model to assess the effect of securitization on credit supply?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 112 NERA interview reports.