Take our quiz

Before deciding to apply for a position at the Bank of England for one of our programmes, you might want to think about what life will be like and how we work. Taking our short quiz will help you find out more about it so you can take an informed decision before putting time into your application.

Don’t worry - you don’t need to have any existing knowledge of the role; just tell us how you’d respond in each situation and you’ll get instant answers to let you know whether you’re suited to the scheme, based on your response. You don’t need to register any details and all your responses will remain anonymous.

At the end of the quiz, you’ll receive some feedback and a recommendation which will give you an indication of whether working at the Bank of England is right for you. This recommendation doesn’t prevent you from submitting an application, it is designed to determine suitability. If the quiz has left you a little unsure, take another look at the website first.

Please be reminded that this questionnaire is not part of the assessment process, and there is no time limit to complete it. Your responses are completely confidential, so please be as open and honest as you can, so that we can give you the best advice. You can also complete the questionnaire as many times as you like but please remember to still complete an application if you would like to apply at the end of the quiz.

There are eight questions and each will present you with a unique scenario or question. Please indicate how you would respond to each one by choosing one out of the three answer options provided each time.

1. Working on your chosen programme you will be taking part in group meetings with many different colleagues and senior stakeholders. Often you will need to prepare and communicate information, discuss ideas and contribute to decisions. How do you feel about working in this way? *

I’d like this although I would want to make sure I had time to think about the topic in advance so I’m not feeling unprepared. This excites me, I am really comfortable being part of a group and sharing my ideas, I would enjoy this. Working in groups is something I find less comfortable but I would do my best as this is part of the role.

Often you will be able to prepare but we are also very open to people giving their ideas even if they are not fully thought out, so think about whether you would feel comfortable with this.
We’re looking for candidates who feel comfortable to contribute and feel part of a team with people of all levels, so this sounds like a good fit for you.
We are looking for people who are comfortable to express themselves. We don’t need you to be an ‘extrovert’ but if being in a group is outside of your comfort zone its worth thinking about whether this is the right working environment for you.

2. When working with us, there will be times where you need to ask for support or help on your tasks and projects. This might be to show you how to do something, or to provide you with additional information, or just to get something done in time for a major deadline. What do you think about this? *

This sounds good. I’m happy to ask for help although I would be careful about how much I leaned on other people as they have their jobs to do too. I’m really pleased to hear this as I know that working with other people is the way I work best and I will always accept help when I need it. I think I would do this some of the time however I am confident that I would be able to work on my tasks without much supervision or support from others.

It’s good to hear you would think about others’ workloads however we would rather everyone working for us always asked for support when they needed it – we work in teams so we can work out how to help.
Working collaboratively and supportively is what we would expect to see, and we would also hope that you would help others out in return. It sounds like this approach would work well for you.
It’s great that you are confident about your abilities. At the Bank of England our environment is supportive so think about whether this culture might feel too intrusive for you. Do you prefer to be independent in your working style?

3. For this question, please imagine that you are working on a large project and there are several tasks that you need to do over the next few weeks. If you put in additional longer hours this week, you will be able to do some new work next week that you have been asked to start - but this timeline isn’t critical. What do you think you would do? *

I would use my time effectively this week to make sure I did what I could within my working hours. Then I would review my tasks next week to see if I can make a start on the new work alongside the current project. I would work longer hours this week as it sounds like there is something else I need to be doing next week and I would like to get ahead and fit it in. I would work late on both tasks this week and try to fit everything in ahead of time so that I had contingency time if I needed it.

This is how we like to work. While occasionally some flexibility may be needed, on the whole we want you to have a good work life balance and there should be no need to put in longer hours, as work tasks will be managed to fit timescales.
It’s good that you are motivated to get ahead, but we would prefer that you consider your work life balance, and extended working hours would not be our preferred solution here.
Work life balance is important to us, rather than working late. Think about whether you might feel frustrated knowing that you had tasks that you could be getting on with, rather than taking the breaks that you need and deserve.

4. From time to time we all need to ask questions to find out more about something. This might be to expand our knowledge, or help solve a problem, or just to check on some facts. We are open to everyone being curious in the way they work and its part of our culture and how we learn. How do you feel about asking questions? *

I’m big on asking questions. I love to find out new information and will usually spot something that I want to know more about. I like to be somewhat limited in what I ask questions about and who I ask. I’m mindful that it can take up a lot of other people’s time. I learn well when I research and find out answers myself and tend to resort to questions when I draw a blank.

Perfect! It sounds like you are a great match for us as sharing information and discussion helps everyone to learn. Just be mindful sometimes of when you ask them as we are busy too.
It’s great that you are mindful of people’s time however don’t limit your own knowledge and learning by being too cautious – we are here to help your development on this scheme.
We all have our own learning styles and blending your approach with our open and questioning style is something you might want to have another think about.

5. We know that some people have a stronger need for recognition than others – for their successes, or those times when they have “gone the extra mile”. Here at the Bank of England we want to give people the chance to make an impact and we recognise people early on for what they do. How do you feel about this? *

I am motivated by recognition and would probably work harder or be more focused on the things that would give me this. Recognition isn’t something that I particularly value so I don’t think this would be something I am looking for. Being recognised is really important to me so I would value this a lot although it wouldn’t change how I work.

Knowing what motivates you is really important. Remember that we sometimes need to work on things regardless of the outcome, so think about what will also give you personal satisfaction.
While we understand not everyone likes recognition, have a think about whether this is actually uncomfortable for you, and whether you are able to ensure that you recognise the people around you when they deserve it.
This sounds about right. We should be working on the right things regardless of the recognition, but we wanted you to know that it is there when it is quite rightly warranted.

6. In this scenario, assume that you are working on some regular tasks independently as well as some larger team projects. You have been asked at short notice to join a new project group to work on an urgent issue. It’s something you are interested in, but you are a little unsure if you can fit it in. What do you think you would do? *

I would say I was interested but I would need to check before committing to the project as I wouldn’t want to be overloaded. While I want to take part in a variety of things, it needs to be in balance. I would decline the request and explain that I needed to ensure that my current tasks are delivered. I prefer to work to a structure and this would be somewhat unsettling to my plans. I would say yes and then look at my current workload and talk to my manager about how to restructure what I am doing. Working on new challenges is exciting and it’s important to be flexible and find a way around things.

This sounds like you would show some flexibility so you’re on the right lines. Being open to new challenges is important in the way we work so think about whether this will take you too far out of your comfort zone.
Working within a structure is important but we are also looking for people who can be adaptable to pick up new challenges and be flexible in how they work. Think about whether this would be a stretch too far for you.
Excellent news, having a can-do attitude to new challenges will be a great match for what we are looking for. You will find that there are new opportunities all the time, and being adaptable is really important.

7. We know that in the past many of our candidates have thought that our work is mostly based on Economics and that studying this has been essential. Actually, this is far from the truth, candidates joining on the schemes will also be placed in many other varied fields such as Supervision, Data or Technology and so different backgrounds and work areas are all part of working life at the Bank. How does this sound? *

I’d like to know more about how different areas operate as I’m not completely sure yet what types of roles there would be for people who haven’t studied Economics or similar subjects. I’m surprised to hear this, I had expected to be working alongside Economics experts so this seems different to what I was thinking it would be. This sounds ideal, I am pleased to see that there would be people from a range of different backgrounds joining the programme at the same time as me. Diversity of viewpoint and experience is important to me.

Finding out about the schemes we operate before applying is really important, so take a good look at all of the available information about the other areas. We value diversity and we are looking for people from all areas of study.
If you have selected this answer, then hopefully we have given you some food for thought. Our teams are diverse and we value the different experiences they bring. Have a think about whether this is what you are looking for.
Perfect. We really value diversity and your degree background is less important than your interest in our work and the ways in which you approach it. You will fit right in.

8. During your time on your chosen programme you will have access to many training and development opportunities and some of the time you will need to stretch yourself to try out and develop new skills. How do you feel about this? *

I’m happy to develop myself as required and would like to see a training plan to understand how this fitted into my overall career goals This sounds ideal for me. I like to push myself outside of my comfort zone and develop new skills. It’s something I do regularly. I know that I am fairly well matched to the skills you are looking for but I’m keen to consider what other development priorities I have that can help me progress.

You are absolutely right that a training plan is valuable, but also consider if you are being open enough to the various experiences we can offer. Sometimes we can learn something of value without knowing exactly how it will fit our longer term aims. Remember that all graduate roles have a study element to them so think about whether this is the right programme for you.
That’s excellent news. We want to find candidates who are open to their learning and development and see the value in enhancing their skillset. Being prepared to take those uncomfortable steps is really important in the development journey.
It’s great that you are already a match for what we are looking for. In addition to this, we are looking for a real openness to personal development, so just check that you aren’t closing down any wider opportunities by focusing on progression. Remember that all graduate roles have a study element to them so think about whether this is the right programme for you.

You scored between

12 - 16

Thank you for completing the quiz. We hope that it has given you a useful insight into how we work at the Bank of England.

Congratulations! Your responses suggest that your preferred approach to your work could be a great match for what we’re looking for.

We would welcome your application, so please take the time to submit an application by clicking the link below:
You scored between

8 - 11

Thank you for completing the quiz. We hope that it has given you a useful insight into how we work at the Bank of England.

Your responses suggest that your preferred approach to your work could be a fair match for what we’re looking for.

There may be a few aspects of life on the programme that differ from your preferred approach. Please feel free to have another read through the information on the website and think carefully about your suitability before applying.
You scored between

0 - 7

Thank you for completing the quiz. We hope that it has given you a useful insight into how we work at the Bank of England.

Your responses suggest that there are several ways in which our programme may not be a great match for you. Your preferred working style may be better suited to alternative working environments and roles.

Please feel free to have another read through the information on the website and think carefully about your suitability before applying.
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