Updated April 2026 · 15 min read · One of the world's largest banks by assets
| Full name | HSBC Holdings plc |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Graduate assessment provider | Cappfinity (students/graduates) · SHL (experienced hires) |
| Main graduate assessment | HSBC Online Immersive Assessment — 38 questions, ~50 minutes |
| Time limit | Officially untimed; aim for 50 minutes |
| Core values | Responsibility · Diversity · Getting It Done · Succeeding Together |
HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations, with over 40 million customers in 60+ countries. Graduate and student applicants (including Spring Insight and Summer Internship candidates) complete the HSBC Online Immersive Assessment, a Cappfinity-built simulation of a working day as an HSBC graduate. Experienced professionals instead complete the HSBC Apta Values Assessment, built on SHL's OPQ32 personality framework.
| Stage | Format | Who takes it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Online application | Form, CV, eligibility questions | All applicants |
| 2. Online Immersive Assessment | Cappfinity, ~38 questions, ~50 min | Students and graduates |
| 3. Apta Values Assessment | SHL OPQ32-based, 70–90 questions, ~30–45 min | Experienced hires |
| 4. Job Simulation / ODVI | HireVue automated video, ~50 min | Students and graduates |
| 5. Super Day / Assessment Centre | Half-day or full day, in-person | Shortlisted candidates |
The assessment has five sections, presented as episodes from a workday. The 38 questions split into two groups: 16 cognitive (numerical, verbal, inductive reasoning) and 22 situational judgment and personality questions.
Pure situational judgment. You are onboarding to a new project team. Questions involve prioritisation, communication with stakeholders, and handling ambiguous instructions. Rate each of four responses as effective, fairly effective, ineffective, or counterproductive. The HSBC values most tested here: Getting It Done and Succeeding Together.
More SJT focused on cross-cultural collaboration, working across time zones, and managing conflicting client demands. Again four-response rating format. The Diversity value is heavily weighted in this section.
The primary cognitive section. You receive a data pack — typically: 1 table chart, 2 graphs, 1 pie chart, and an email from a colleague. Eight of the 10 questions are cognitive (numerical analysis of the visual data) and 2 are situational judgment. Expect questions like: "Which region showed the largest percentage decline in Q3?" or "If the trend continues, what revenue will market X generate by year-end?" A calculator is not typically available — all arithmetic should be doable mentally or with simple working.
Another cognitive-heavy section. You are juggling multiple live projects. Questions combine numerical chart analysis (ratios, trends, data comparison across two exhibits) with occasional free-text or ranking responses. The majority of the challenging numerical questions sit in sections 3 and 4. Candidates consistently report that integrating two data sources simultaneously (e.g. matching a graph's trend to a table's absolute figures) is the hardest element.
Primarily personality profiling and situational judgment. Forced-choice personality questions: you see three statements and select which is most and least like you. Some questions in this section are structured as values-based SJT. There are no right answers in theory, but responses that demonstrate Responsibility and Succeeding Together score higher for most HSBC roles.
Responsibility: Act with courageous integrity. Think long-term. Do what is right for customers, employees, and communities — not just shareholders.
Diversity: Value differences. Build teams and solutions that reflect the full range of people we serve globally. Inclusion is not optional.
Getting It Done: Drive results with urgency and quality. Execute with discipline. Combine speed with considered judgment.
Succeeding Together: Share knowledge. Remove silos. Support colleagues to achieve shared goals. Sustainable success requires collaboration.
The Apta assessment is built on SHL's OPQ32 — the most widely deployed personality questionnaire in the world — but adapted specifically to HSBC's competency framework. It contains 70–90 questions depending on the role. Officially described as a 16-minute test, it typically takes 30–45 minutes in practice. You see three statements at a time and select the one that is most like you. Once chosen, that statement disappears and you choose again from the remaining two.
The test evaluates you across HSBC's Universal Competency Framework, covering dimensions such as Achieving Goals, Influencing People, and Analysing and Interpreting. Review the job description carefully before taking the Apta — align your responses to the role's core competencies.
If you pass the Online Immersive Assessment, you proceed to the Job Simulation — an automated video assessment by HireVue. It's specific to the business area you've applied to. Typical formats: a pre-recorded video response to a manager's request (30 seconds prep, 3 minutes to answer), multiple-choice numerical reasoning based on a data exhibit, free-text email replies, and ranking of possible actions in a scenario. The whole simulation takes approximately 50 minutes and must be completed within a window specified in your invitation email.
The Super Day is a half-day event, typically at an HSBC office. It includes a bank-specific case study (you receive a large pack of documents about a fictional bank and answer questions and make recommendations), a strengths-based interview with senior HSBC staff, and possibly a group exercise. The strengths interview does not follow STAR format — you are asked directly "What are you good at?" and "Tell me about a time you genuinely enjoyed a task." Prepare 6–8 specific strengths you can discuss naturally.
For the cognitive sections (3 and 4), practice data integration questions — scenarios where you must draw conclusions from two unrelated-looking data sources simultaneously. This is the most distinctive feature of the HSBC assessment and the hardest to replicate with standard numerical reasoning practice alone.
For the SJT sections, review HSBC's four values in detail. For every scenario, identify which value it is testing. The "Getting It Done" value requires demonstrating urgency without sacrificing quality or ethics — avoid responses that cut corners even when time-pressured.
TestSolve handles both the cognitive and SJT components of the HSBC Online Immersive Assessment. Press F8 on any numerical chart question to get an AI-calculated answer in a few seconds. For SJT scenarios, the TestSolve SJT engine classifies each scenario by which HSBC value it tests and ranks the four response options accordingly. Try a free solve.
HSBC's assessment process has been updated to include a three-step procedure: a 10-15 minute online application form, a 90-minute online assessment, and a 3-hour assessment center session, known as "Super Days" in the US. For insight and work experience programs, the third stage is typically an online interview. The online assessment comprises various question types, including audio or video content, mock emails, data tables, graphs, and written articles. Some assessments are time-recorded or require time-limited video responses. ([hsbc.com](https://www.hsbc.com/careers/students-and-graduates/application-guide?utm_source=openai))
Recent candidate experiences highlight the importance of understanding HSBC's core values and demonstrating problem-solving capabilities. One candidate noted that the interview focused on company values, problem-solving abilities, and current banking issues, advising that prior research is beneficial. ([glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/HSBC-Global-Payments-Solutions-Intern-Interview-Questions-EI_IE3482.0%2C4_KO5%2C37.htm?utm_source=openai)) Another candidate emphasized the significance of commercial awareness, mentioning that the assessment center primarily tested this aspect without delving deeply into technical knowledge. ([glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/HSBC-Investment-Banking-Intern-Interview-Questions-EI_IE3482.0%2C4_KO5%2C30.htm?utm_source=openai))
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