John Lewis Partnership Aptitude Test & Graduate Scheme Guide 2026
The complete guide to John Lewis Partnership recruitment — online numerical and verbal reasoning tests, situational judgement, video interview, assessment centre, and expert strategies for John Lewis and Waitrose graduate schemes.
Overview & the Partnership Model
The John Lewis Partnership is one of the UK's largest employee-owned businesses, trading through two well-known brands: John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets. Every permanent employee is a "Partner" — a co-owner of the business who shares in its success through an annual Partnership Bonus and has a formal voice in how the business is run via elected Partnership Councils. This ownership model is not just marketing language; it is a genuinely distinctive structure, and understanding it properly is one of the highest-leverage things a candidate can do before applying.
The Partnership recruits graduates and early-career candidates across a wide range of functions, including Buying & Merchandising, Retail and Branch Management, HR, Finance, Technology and Digital, and Supply Chain, spanning both the John Lewis and Waitrose brands. Some schemes are brand-specific, while others rotate candidates across both businesses during the programme.
Compared with investment banking or Big Four recruitment, the Partnership's process is shorter and less technically demanding, but it still filters heavily at the online testing and assessment centre stages. Candidates typically move through an online application, aptitude and situational judgement tests, a video interview, and a final assessment centre.
Very few UK employers are structured as an employee-owned partnership where every colleague shares in the profits and has a democratic voice. Candidates who can speak specifically about what co-ownership means in practice — shared accountability, long-term thinking, a stake in outcomes beyond a normal salary — consistently stand out from those giving generic "I love retail" answers. Understanding this model, and the Partnership's long heritage of value and trust with customers, is worth more preparation time than most candidates give it.
Application & CV Screening
The application stage asks for your CV or a short online form along with academic details and a small number of motivation questions, typically covering why you want to work in retail and why the John Lewis Partnership specifically, rather than a competitor. There is no publicly confirmed degree classification cut-off for most schemes, but specific, well-researched answers about the Partnership's ownership model, its brands, and its market position help you stand out at this stage far more than generic enthusiasm.
- Mention any customer-facing, retail, or Saturday-job experience — it is directly relevant and valued
- Show you understand the difference between the John Lewis and Waitrose brands, and state clearly which scheme and function you are applying for
- Reference the Partnership's employee-ownership model specifically rather than treating it as a generic "great place to work" line
- Keep answers concise and specific — retail recruiters review high volumes of applications quickly
If you are new to graduate applications generally, our graduate CV guide covers how to structure a CV and cover letter that clears automated and human screening.
Online Aptitude Tests
Candidates who clear the application stage are typically invited to complete online numerical and verbal reasoning tests, often alongside a situational judgement test (SJT) that presents realistic retail and customer-service scenarios drawn from a John Lewis or Waitrose store or head-office context. As with most large UK retail employers, the exact test provider and exact combination can vary by year and by scheme, so treat the specifics below as typical rather than officially confirmed — but the question formats are consistent with the wider UK graduate-scheme market.
| Test | Format | Typical Time | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numerical Reasoning | Data tables, charts — MCQ | ~20 min | Speed and accuracy interpreting sales, stock, and margin data |
| Verbal Reasoning | True / False / Cannot Say | ~20 min | Reading comprehension under time pressure |
| Situational Judgement | Scenario-based MCQ | ~15–20 min | Judgement in customer, team, and store-operations scenarios |
Practise with our free numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning guides, and review our full breakdown of the situational judgement test format before you sit the real thing. If you want a broader view of how these tests compare across employers, see our guide to graduate scheme aptitude tests.
Because every colleague is a Partner with a stake in the business, situational judgement scenarios often reward responses that balance customer service with fairness to colleagues and responsibility for outcomes — not just the fastest or most assertive option. Read each scenario with that shared-ownership lens in mind.
Video Interview
Candidates who pass the online tests are typically invited to a recorded or live video interview covering motivation, customer focus, and one or two competency-based questions in STAR format. Expect questions such as "Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a customer" or "Describe a time you took ownership of a problem and saw it through," reflecting the Partnership's emphasis on accountability.
Treat the video interview with the same seriousness as an in-person interview — dress appropriately, find a quiet, well-lit space, and prepare two or three specific examples in advance. Our video interview tips guide covers technical setup and delivery in detail.
Assessment Centre
Group Exercise
A team task built around a realistic retail or customer problem — for example, prioritising store improvements within a budget, or agreeing how to respond to a customer service issue across a team.
- Assessors score collaboration and influence, not just the final recommendation
- Bring in quieter group members and build on others' ideas rather than dominating — this mirrors the Partnership's collective decision-making culture
Case or Data Exercise
A short case study or in-tray style exercise asking you to interpret store, category, or customer data and make a recommendation. Some schemes also include a store-based or operational task relevant to the specific function.
- Structure your answer clearly — conclusion first, then supporting reasoning
Final Interview
A one-to-one or panel interview with a hiring manager, covering motivation, competencies, and sometimes a short presentation on your assigned scheme or function.
- Expect follow-up questions that probe the detail of your examples, especially around ownership and accountability
For a full breakdown of group exercises and assessment centre formats generally, see our guides to group exercises and the assessment centre in general.
John Lewis vs Waitrose Schemes
Because the Partnership owns two distinct brands, several graduate schemes let you apply into either John Lewis (department stores, general merchandise, homeware, fashion) or Waitrose (grocery, food, supply chain), and a small number rotate across both. The core recruitment process — online tests, video interview, assessment centre — is the same across both brands, but the day-to-day focus of the roles differs.
| Aspect | John Lewis | Waitrose |
|---|---|---|
| Core business | Department stores — homeware, fashion, technology, general merchandise | Supermarkets — food, grocery, fresh produce |
| Common graduate functions | Buying & Merchandising, Retail Management, Digital, Finance, HR | Buying & Merchandising, Branch/Store Management, Supply Chain, Finance, HR |
| Typical commercial focus | Range curation, seasonal fashion cycles, big-ticket and considered purchases | Fast-moving stock, freshness and availability, price competitiveness |
| Shared foundation | Both operate under the same Partnership ownership model, Partnership Bonus, and Partnership Council governance | |
If you are applying to a specific brand, tailor your motivation answers accordingly — a Waitrose application should reference food retail and grocery trends, while a John Lewis application should reference general merchandise, homeware, or fashion retail depending on the scheme.
What Assessors Look For
The John Lewis Partnership does not publicise a single named competency framework the way some Big Four firms do. In practice, assessors consistently score candidates against a small set of retail-relevant and Partnership-relevant capabilities:
- Customer focus: Instinctively thinking about the impact of decisions on shoppers and colleagues in-store.
- Commercial thinking: Basic awareness of margin, cost, and competitive pressure across UK retail and grocery.
- Collaboration and partnership mindset: Working effectively with people across different teams and seniority levels, consistent with a co-owned business.
- Ownership and accountability: Taking responsibility for outcomes, reflecting what it means to be a Partner rather than just an employee.
- Adaptability: Comfort with a fast-changing, operationally complex retail environment across two major brands.
Interviewers respond well to candidates who can speak knowledgeably about the Partnership specifically — its ownership structure, its long heritage of value and trust with customers, and current commercial priorities for John Lewis or Waitrose. A few hours of genuine research on the Partnership's recent trading updates pays off disproportionately compared with generic "I love retail" answers.
Historic Partnership messaging (such as pricing heritage claims) has evolved over the years, and current marketing language is not always the same as what candidates remember. Focus your research on verifiable facts — the ownership model, the Partnership Bonus, and elected Partnership Councils — rather than repeating a slogan you are not certain is still in current use.
3-Week Preparation Plan
- Week 1 — Aptitude tests: Complete timed practice sessions for numerical and verbal reasoning using our free practice tests. Review every wrong answer and note the trap type (percentage vs. absolute change, misread axis, etc.).
- Week 1–2 — Situational judgement: Work through realistic retail and customer-service scenarios and get comfortable choosing the "most effective, least ineffective" response rather than the most extreme one — with a Partnership-minded, ownership-focused lens.
- Week 2 — Video interview: Prepare three STAR examples covering customer focus, teamwork, and a time you took ownership of a problem under pressure. Record yourself answering out loud.
- Week 2–3 — Partnership and commercial awareness: Read recent Partnership trading updates and UK retail/grocery news. Be able to discuss the employee-ownership model specifically, plus one current trend affecting UK retail (cost of living, own-brand growth, online delivery, sustainability).
- Week 3 — Assessment centre rehearsal: Run a mock group exercise with friends using a retail scenario, and practise structuring a short case recommendation in under five minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Prepare for the John Lewis Partnership?
Start with our free numerical and verbal reasoning practice tests — build consistent accuracy before your test date.