Citi Online Assessment 2026: SHL Tests, HireVue & Superday Guide
Citi screens tens of thousands of graduate and internship applicants each year using SHL aptitude tests, a HireVue video interview, and a full-day Superday. Here is exactly what to expect at each stage — and how to prepare for it.
Citi Graduate Hiring Overview
Citi is one of the largest global banks in the world, operating in more than 160 countries with a business mix spanning Banking, Capital Markets & Advisory, Markets, Treasury & Trade Solutions, Wealth, Risk, Technology, and Operations. Every year it recruits large cohorts of graduates and interns into these divisions through structured Analyst and Summer Analyst programmes, alongside earlier-stage insight and diversity programmes for first and second-year students.
Because Citi hires at scale across so many functions, the recruitment process is deliberately standardised in its early stages — every applicant, regardless of division, passes through the same online assessment package and video interview before the process diverges into division-specific final rounds. Understanding this shared structure means you can prepare efficiently rather than guessing what to expect.
| Programme | Who It's For | Typical Application Window |
|---|---|---|
| Summer Analyst / Summer Associate | Penultimate-year undergraduates and MBA students | August – November for the following summer |
| Full-Time Analyst Programme | Final-year students and recent graduates | August – November for the following year |
| Insight & Discovery Programmes | First and second-year students | September – November |
Applications are reviewed and assessed as they arrive rather than in a single batch after the deadline. Popular divisions — particularly Banking, Capital Markets & Advisory and Markets — can fill their online assessment and interview slots well before the published closing date. Applying within the first few weeks of the window opening meaningfully improves your chances of being invited to assess.
For a full breakdown of Citi's divisions, culture, and competitive positioning relative to other banks, see our detailed Citi aptitude test knowledge guide.
The Citi Online Assessment Package
Once your application clears the initial CV and eligibility screen, you receive an email invitation to complete Citi's online assessment package. The tests are delivered through SHL TalentCentral, the same platform used by many other major banks, and are typically completed within a 48–72 hour window from the date of your invitation.
For most Banking, Markets, Risk, and corporate function applications, the package consists of three cognitive tests:
- Numerical Reasoning Test — interpreting data presented in tables, charts, and graphs to answer multiple-choice questions.
- Verbal Reasoning Test — evaluating written passages and classifying statements as True, False, or Cannot Say.
- Inductive Reasoning Test — identifying the underlying rule in a sequence of abstract shapes and patterns.
Operations roles typically add a fourth component — the SHL Checking test, which measures accuracy and speed when comparing codes, figures, and records for errors — reflecting the process-accuracy demands of the role. Technology roles frequently substitute or supplement the reasoning battery with a coding assessment delivered via a separate platform.
| Division | Numerical | Verbal | Inductive | Error Checking | Coding Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banking / Markets | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Treasury & Trade Solutions | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Risk Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Operations | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ | — |
| Technology | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ |
Citi has never confirmed a specific pass mark for its online assessment, and any figure you see quoted elsewhere is an estimate based on candidate reports rather than a published policy. What is confirmed is that each test is scored independently against a graduate-level norm group, and a weak score on one test is not offset by a strong score on another — balanced preparation across every test in your battery matters more than maximising a single one. See our guide to how SHL scores and percentiles actually work for the mechanics behind this.
Citi Numerical Reasoning Test
Citi's numerical reasoning test follows the standard SHL Verify format used widely across banking recruitment. Each question presents a data set drawn from a business or financial context — a revenue table, a market-share pie chart, a cost trend line graph — and asks you to perform a calculation using only the information provided. No specialist financial knowledge is assumed; the arithmetic itself is GCSE-level, but the time pressure and volume of data make the test genuinely demanding.
Test Format
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | Typically 18–20 |
| Time allowance | Approximately 25 minutes |
| Calculator | On-screen calculator provided |
| Answer format | Multiple choice |
| Data format | Tables, bar charts, line graphs, pie charts |
| Topic area | Financial and business data — revenue, cost, margin, market share |
Common Question Types
| Question Type | What It Tests | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage change | Calculating an increase or decrease between two periods | Net interest income rose from $2.1bn to $2.4bn — what is the percentage increase? |
| Ratio & proportion | Expressing one figure as a share of a total | What proportion of total group revenue does the Markets division represent? |
| Two-step calculation | Combining two data points to reach a derived figure | If costs fall 4% while revenue rises 9%, what is the change in operating margin? |
| Estimation | Reaching an approximate answer quickly under time pressure | Which region is closest to the group's average quarterly growth rate? |
Every data set on this test contains more information than a single question requires. Reading the question first tells you exactly which row, column, and time period you need — so you extract only that value rather than processing the entire table. Across 18–20 questions, this habit alone can be the difference between finishing the test and running out of time.
For a full breakdown of numerical reasoning strategy, worked examples, and timing techniques, see our guide to how to pass the SHL Numerical Reasoning test.
Citi Verbal Reasoning Test
Citi's verbal reasoning test also follows the SHL Verify format: you read a short passage — usually 150–300 words on a business, economic, or corporate topic — and classify a series of statements as True, False, or Cannot Say based strictly on what the passage states. It is never a five-option multiple-choice format; the answer is always one of these three.
Test Format
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | Typically 30 statements across 6–8 passages |
| Time allowance | Approximately 25 minutes |
| Answer format | True / False / Cannot Say |
| Passage length | 150–300 words |
| Topic area | Business, economics, corporate strategy, financial markets |
The Three Answer Options
| Answer | When to choose it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| True | The passage explicitly states or directly implies the statement | Choosing True because the statement sounds plausible, not because the passage confirms it |
| False | The passage explicitly contradicts the statement | Choosing False when the passage simply never mentions the topic (this is Cannot Say) |
| Cannot Say | The passage does not give enough information to confirm or deny the statement | Underusing this option in favour of a guess based on outside knowledge of banking or economics |
Citi's verbal passages often cover topics — interest rates, trade finance, market structure — that candidates applying to a bank may already know something about. The test is not asking what you know; it is asking what the passage says. If you know independently that a statement is factually accurate but the passage does not confirm it, the correct answer is still Cannot Say. This is the single most common source of avoidable errors on this test.
For a complete walkthrough of the True / False / Cannot Say format with worked examples, read our guide on mastering SHL verbal reasoning, and see our inductive reasoning pattern guide if your Citi package also includes that test.
Citi HireVue Video Interview
Candidates who pass the SHL assessments are invited to complete a HireVue digital interview — a one-way, pre-recorded video assessment. You are shown a question on screen, given a short preparation window, and then record your answer directly to camera. Unlike some employers that rely heavily on AI-driven scoring, Citi's HireVue submissions are reviewed by human recruiters, which means clarity, specificity, and genuine alignment with Citi's values carry more weight than performing confidently to camera.
Format
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | Typically 4–6 |
| Preparation time | Approximately 30 seconds per question |
| Response time | 2–3 minutes per question |
| Practice question | One unscored practice question at the start |
| Completion window | Typically 5–7 days from invitation |
Common Question Types
| Question Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Motivation | "Why do you want to work at Citi, and specifically in this division?" |
| Competency (STAR) | "Tell me about a time you had to work with someone from a very different background or working style to your own." |
| Values-based | "Describe a situation where doing the right thing was harder than doing the easy thing." |
| Commercial awareness | "What is a recent development in financial markets that you think will matter to Citi's business?" |
Situation and Task should together take no more than a quarter of your answer — the assessor is scoring what you specifically did, not the background story. Be concrete: "I built a shared tracking spreadsheet and ran a 15-minute daily check-in with the other team" scores far higher than "I improved how we communicated."
For broader preparation on one-way video interviews — including technical setup, camera presence, and how to handle a dropped connection mid-recording — see our HireVue interview knowledge guide.
Citi's Leadership Standards
Citi assesses candidates against a published framework of five Leadership Standards, and interviewers at every stage — HireVue, first-round, and Superday — are trained to listen for evidence of them in your answers. Knowing this framework before you prepare your stories lets you choose and frame examples that resonate specifically with how Citi evaluates candidates, rather than relying on generic behavioural answers.
| Leadership Standard | What It Means | What to Demonstrate |
|---|---|---|
| Develops Our People | Investing in others' growth, not just your own output | Mentoring, coaching, or sharing knowledge that helped someone else improve |
| Drives Value for Clients | Understanding client or stakeholder needs deeply and acting on them | Identifying an unmet need or adapting your approach to genuinely help someone |
| Works as a Partner | Collaborating across teams, functions, and geographies | Cross-functional collaboration or building a working relationship across a divide |
| Champions Progress | Driving improvement rather than accepting the status quo | Proposing or implementing a change, even where it met resistance |
| Lives Our Values | Acting with integrity, especially when it is inconvenient | A moment where doing the right thing came at a personal or short-term cost |
Aim for ten stories in total, drawn from a mix of academic, extracurricular, and work contexts, each clearly mapped to one standard. This preparation lets you retrieve the right story quickly during a 30-second HireVue think-time, rather than searching your memory under pressure. Candidates who can name which standard their story demonstrates consistently score more highly than those who simply describe "a time I worked hard."
For a full worked question bank mapped to each standard, see our Citi interview questions guide, and our general STAR method guide for the underlying technique.
The Citi Superday
Candidates who pass the HireVue stage are invited to Citi's final assessment event, commonly referred to as the Superday. It typically runs as a full day — in-person at a Citi office or held virtually depending on your location and division — and combines several exercise formats designed to test different competencies in different settings.
| Exercise | Typical Duration | What Is Assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Case study / written exercise | 30–45 min analysis + 10 min presentation | Structured thinking, data interpretation, commercial judgement, communication |
| Competency interviews | 2–3 interviews of 30–45 min each | STAR-format evidence mapped to the Leadership Standards |
| Group exercise | Approximately 45 min | Collaboration, active listening, constructive contribution |
| Technical interview (Banking, Markets, Risk) | 30–45 min | Valuation basics, market awareness, or regulatory knowledge depending on division |
Group Exercise: What Assessors Actually Reward
In the group exercise, five or six candidates work together on a business problem while assessors observe without participating. The exercise is not designed to identify who is individually "right" — it is designed to see how each candidate helps a group reach a good decision together. Assessors consistently mark down candidates who dominate the discussion or dismiss others' ideas without engaging with them, and mark up candidates who draw in quieter participants, build on contributions constructively, and help the group stay on track under time pressure.
The strongest performers in Citi's group exercise are rarely the candidates who speak the most. They are the ones who summarise where the group has got to, flag when time is running short, and explicitly invite quieter candidates into the conversation. These behaviours map directly onto the "Works as a Partner" Leadership Standard and are exactly what assessors are scoring for.
For a full breakdown of assessment centre formats across every exercise type, see our Assessment Centre knowledge guide.
4-Week Preparation Plan
Candidates who prepare in a structured way over several weeks show consistently stronger results than those who cram in the final days before their assessment window opens. The plan below assumes you have roughly four weeks between applying and completing your online assessment.
| Week | Focus | Key Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Diagnosis & foundations | Take one timed numerical and one timed verbal practice test. Review every error in detail. Refresh percentage change, ratio, and chart-reading fundamentals. |
| Week 2 | Test-by-test deep work | Complete 3 timed numerical and 3 timed verbal practice tests. If your division uses inductive reasoning, add 2 timed inductive sets. Draft two STAR stories per Leadership Standard. |
| Week 3 | HireVue & commercial awareness | Record 5 HireVue-style answers on camera and review them critically. Read financial news daily and note three stories relevant to your target division. |
| Week 4 | Full simulation | Complete one full mock assessment (numerical + verbal in one sitting). Run a mock HireVue with a friend for feedback. Confirm your test environment — quiet room, stable internet, working camera and microphone. |
Candidates who only practise without a timer routinely overestimate their real readiness. SHL Verify tests are deliberately built so most candidates cannot comfortably finish every question in the time given — the test is measuring your speed and discipline under pressure, not just your accuracy. Build timed conditions into your practice from week one, and track the trend across sessions rather than judging yourself on any single score.
Access timed, SHL-format numerical, verbal, and inductive reasoning practice tests at CareerTestPrep Practice Tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practise the Exact Test Formats Citi Uses
Our timed, SHL-format numerical, verbal, and inductive reasoning practice tests are calibrated to graduate-level norms — helping you build genuine speed and accuracy before your Citi assessment window opens.