Got a test invite? A plan for the next 72 hours

You applied, and now there's an email with a link, a list of assessments and a deadline that feels very close. Take a breath. Three days is enough to understand the format, practise the right thing, sort out your set-up and take the assessment calmly.

Here's a plan you can follow. If you have less time, jump to the 24-hour version.

How much time you usually get

• Reported: Online tests often arrive within a few days of applying, sometimes within 24 to 72 hours, and deadlines can be just as short, especially for banking and trading roles
• Official: Deutsche Bank gives UK applicants 96 hours for each set of tests, and UBS asks candidates to complete its assessments within 7 days
• Reported: BlackRock's recorded interview is reported to have a five-day window
• Reported: Many firms review applications as they arrive and can close before the advertised deadline

So don't take the assessment the minute the email lands, and don't leave it until the final evening either. A technical problem an hour before the deadline is very hard to fix.

First hour: read the invite properly

Go through the email and any linked instructions, and note down:

• The deadline, including the time zone
• The format: numerical, verbal or logical reasoning, situational judgement, a strengths questionnaire, games, a recorded video interview or a mix
• The length, whether it's timed and whether you have to finish in one sitting
• Practice material, such as practice questions or a practice test on the platform
• Retakes, because some assessments don't allow any
• Technical requirements: device, browser, and whether you need a camera and microphone
• Adjustments: who to contact if you need extra time or another adjustment, so you can ask before you start
• Rules on help: whether you must complete it on your own, without other people or AI tools, as several employers say explicitly

Look for free, official practice first

• If the invite names the assessment provider, check that provider's own website for free practice
• Official: Some employers link to practice themselves: UBS points candidates to its test provider's practice site, HSBC runs a practice area on its provider's platform, and the FCA points applicants to its provider's preparation hub
• Official: BDO's video interview has practice built in, and Jane Street publishes a mock interview video
• Official: Many universities give their students free access to practice platforms, including Cambridge, Warwick, Bath and Loughborough, so check your careers service before paying for anything

Match the format to your practice

• Numerical reasoning or data interpretation: read the numerical reasoning guide and practise with the numerical reasoning tool
• Situational judgement or scenarios: read the judgement and strengths guide and practise with the situational judgement tool
• Recorded or on-demand video interview: read the video interview guide and rehearse with the video interview recorder
• Mental maths or a numerical speed test: read the speed arithmetic guide and drill with speed maths
• Strengths, behavioural or personality questionnaire: honesty and consistency matter more than practice here, as the section on questionnaires explains
• Games: financeprep.uk has no games tool, so use the provider's own practice and read every instruction screen
• Job simulation: a mix of emails, data, scenarios and written or video answers, so practise the parts separately

Day one: learn the format and take a baseline

1. Read the guide for your format, which takes about 10 minutes
2. Do one relaxed practice set and notice what slows you down, not the score
3. Write down your two or three most common mistakes
4. Stop there, because a proper night's sleep will do more for you than a late cram

Day two: targeted practice

1. Do two or three short, timed sessions with breaks in between, rather than one long one
2. Review every mistake and label it: misread, wrong method, slip or time
3. For a video interview, prepare four or five stories you can adapt (a challenge, teamwork, a mistake you learned from, something you led, and why this firm and role) and record them at the timings from your invite
4. Spend 20 minutes on the firm: what it does, the programme you applied for and its values or behaviours page, which helps with motivation questions and with judging what the firm counts as effective

Day three: set up and take it once, well

Before you start:

• Pick a time when you're usually alert, well before the deadline
• Find a quiet room, plug in your charger, check your connection, turn notifications off and put your phone out of reach
• Put pen, paper and a calculator on the desk, if they're allowed
• Run the platform's system check and any practice questions it offers
• Have some water nearby and take a comfort break first, because some assessments can't be paused

While you're taking it:

• Read every instruction screen, because formats and marking rules vary
• Keep an eye on the clock without staring at it
• If a question is eating your time, make your best choice and move on, if the rules allow it
• In questionnaires, answer honestly and consistently

Never use outside help during a live assessment. That includes financeprep.uk, AI tools and other people. Official: Deloitte asks candidates to complete assessments independently, BDO says it removes candidates who misuse AI, and Rothschild & Co expects applications in your own words. Reported: A 2026 programme listing for the FCA says AI-generated responses aren't allowed.

If something goes wrong, take a screenshot, note the time and contact the support address in your invite straight away.

After you submit

• Silence is normal. Reported: Waiting without updates is one of the most common worries students share on UK forums, and timelines vary a lot between firms.
• Read any feedback you get. Official: Schroders says it usually sends a feedback report within about a day of each stage, and Deloitte and Grant Thornton send strengths reports.
• Note the format and timings while they're fresh. It makes your practice for the next invite better targeted. Note the format, not the questions.
• Keep your other applications moving. One assessment is never the whole story.

Short on time? The 24-hour version

1. Read the invite with the checklist above (15 minutes)
2. Do one practice set in the matching format and review your mistakes (45 minutes)
3. Sort out your set-up and run the platform's system check
4. Rest, then take it at a time when you're alert, well before the deadline