Updated April 2026 · 14 min read · 3–5 year graduate development path
| Full name | Shell plc |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom (operations in 70+ countries) |
| Graduate programme | Shell Graduate Programme (3–5 years, rotational) |
| Online assessment | Virtual Job Tryout (VJT) + On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI) — combined, 7-day window |
| Game-based assessment | HireVue cognitive games (~20 minutes): Flashback, Digit Span, PuzzlePicture |
| Trading roles | Cubiks Logiks Advanced numerical test (separate, higher difficulty) |
| Core values | Honesty · Integrity · Respect for people · Safety · Sustainability |
Shell is one of the world's largest energy companies, with operations spanning oil, gas, renewables, and energy transition projects in over 70 countries. Its graduate programme is highly regarded — a structured 3–5 year rotational scheme across technical, commercial, and leadership tracks. The assessment process is distinctive: Shell combines a Virtual Job Tryout (VJT) with an On-Demand Video Interview (ODVI) in a single online assessment delivered via HireVue. You have 7 days from your invitation email to complete both components.
The VJT and ODVI are delivered as a single integrated experience on the HireVue platform. Most candidates complete both in one sitting (approximately 60–90 minutes total), but you can pause and return within your 7-day window.
Work Scenarios (SJT): Realistic scenarios from daily life at Shell — an email from a colleague with a values dilemma, a data analysis task, a resource allocation decision, a safety reporting situation. You rate or rank 4 possible responses. Shell's values — particularly Honesty, Integrity, and Safety — should guide every response. Candidates consistently report that safety-related scenarios are the most critical: Shell has an absolute priority on safety above commercial outcomes. Any response that deprioritises safety reporting will score poorly.
Personality / Working Style Assessment: Forced-choice personality questions assessing the "Big Five" personality dimensions: Drive, Adaptability, Supportiveness, Assertiveness, and Creativity. Presented as paired statements; select which more closely describes how you prefer to work. Align toward: growth mindset, collaborative leadership, data-driven decision making, and commitment to energy transition — all consistently emphasised in Shell graduate recruitment.
Cognitive ability questions: Numerical reasoning (chart and table interpretation, percentage calculation, trend analysis) and verbal reasoning (passage comprehension, true/false/cannot say) embedded within the VJT scenarios. Not separated into a standalone test — they appear as natural tasks within the VJT work context. For example: "Your colleague shares a data exhibit showing regional energy demand growth. Review the data and select the most accurate conclusion."
Pre-recorded via HireVue's platform. You get a preparation time (typically 30 seconds) and record your answer (typically up to 3 minutes). Typical 2026 questions:
1. "Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly to solve a problem. How did you approach it?" (Tests learning agility — a core Shell graduate trait.)
2. "Describe a situation where you had to build a strong working relationship with someone different from yourself." (Tests collaboration and inclusion.)
3. "Why do you want to work for Shell, and why now?" (Tests motivation for Shell specifically, not just the energy sector generally.)
Use STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Dress professionally. Film in a clean, well-lit space. Shell uses AI-assisted scoring on the video — this evaluates speech clarity, structured communication, and eye contact alongside content. Practise your answers aloud at least 3–4 times before recording.
Shell uses HireVue's cognitive game battery to assess memory, attention, and spatial reasoning without the candidate being consciously aware of what is being measured. The games are adaptive — difficulty increases as you succeed. There are three active games:
| Game | What it tests | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Flashback | Working memory, n-back attention | Shapes appear one at a time. Click if this shape matches the shape shown N steps ago. N increases as you succeed (2-back, 3-back, 4-back). |
| Digit Span | Verbal working memory, attention | A sequence of digits appears briefly. Enter the sequence in order (forward) or reverse (backward). Sequence length increases as you succeed. |
| PuzzlePicture (PortraitXT) | Pattern recognition, visual processing | Memorise a picture, then identify which of several options matches what you saw. Complexity increases over levels. |
The most important tips for HireVue games: maintain absolute focus — any distraction resets your performance at that level. Do not multitask. For Flashback (the hardest game), practise n-back tasks online before your assessment date — even 10–15 minutes of n-back practice significantly improves performance. The games take approximately 20 minutes; take breaks between games if allowed.
Shortlisted candidates attend a half-day or full-day assessment centre, now conducted in a hybrid in-person/virtual format. The centrepiece is a case study specific to the business area you've applied to: Engineering, Commercial, or Corporate. You receive a large document pack — financial reports, market data, stakeholder memos, technical specifications — and must produce a written recommendation or present your analysis to senior Shell staff. Commercial candidates: expect energy market data, trading scenarios, and supply chain decisions. Engineering candidates: expect technical safety trade-offs and project management constraints. Corporate/HR: expect organisational design, talent management, and change management scenarios.
Shell has committed to being a net-zero energy business by 2050. This is not just a PR position — it directly shapes what Shell is looking for in graduate recruits. In every SJT, ODVI, and case study response, demonstrate awareness of the energy transition: renewables investment, carbon capture, LNG as a transition fuel, hydrogen economy, and the tension between energy security and decarbonisation. Candidates who can discuss this tension intelligently — without being naive about commercial realities — consistently outperform those who give generic "green energy" answers.
If you succeed in the process, you join Shell's graduate programme: 3–5 years of rotational assignments across different business areas, formal training programmes (including leadership development), technical mentorship from senior Shell engineers or commercial managers, and a personalised development plan targeting early promotion to a senior technical or leadership role.
Shell's global graduate schemes are competitive — intake sizes of 100–500 across dozens of countries. Process runs 6–10 weeks.
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Providers Shell commonly uses during their aptitude and assessment stages.