Assessment centres

A brief guide to graduate assessment centres

Find out why graduate employers use assessment centres, what recruiters look for and how you can prepare to be a successful candidate.

Coping with case studies

Case studies are a popular way to simulate a ‘typical’ working experience. If you want to prove that you’re a competent employee in real life as well as on paper you’ll need to impress in this task.

Group exercises - what to expect

No matter what other tasks an assessment day involves, a group exercise will definitely be one of them. From discussion groups to job-based scenarios, discover how to show off your skills.

How to be yourself (but not too much)

Contrary to popular belief, assessments aren't a cut-throat fight for survival. It may feel like an unnatural situation but assessment centres do offer you the chance to show your true self over the course of the day.

What are in-tray exercises?

How would you cope with an in-tray full of real work and a set time limit to deal with it? You’ll need to prove that you can prioritise under pressure to impress recruiters in this task.

Preparing for panel interviews

It's like a normal interview, just with more assessors staring at you. Panel interviews needn’t be daunting with a little preparation and a few tips on how to cope with answering more than one interviewer.

After your assessment - next steps

There are a number of useful things to remember after an assessment centre. So, breathe a sigh of relief and feel a glow of pride, whether you get the job or not it's an extremely useful experience.

Deliver a presentation that's worthy of a graduate job

If the thought of speaking in front of a mixed group of candidates and assessors has you going weak at the knees, follow our ground rules for a perfect presentation.

Application planner: quick tips

Quick tips on the three stages of the graduate recruitment process. Use them as a handy check list to make sure you’re on the right track to get a graduate job.

Becoming business-savvy: the importance of commercial awareness Deliver a presentation that's worthy of a graduate job Insider reports from employees. Get the inside track before you apply