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Standard Chartered: application stages, tests and practice

Standard Chartered lists a Skills Insight Assessment provided by SHL, a coding simulation for tech roles, a one-way video interview called Workplace Scenarios and an assessment centre. It says AI is not used to score the Skills Insight Assessment or the video answers, and that a candidate can reapply after six months.

Routes: Graduate programme, internship programme (penultimate or final year) and the first-year Insight Programme. The Application Zone steps are stated for early careers in general; the Insight Programme's own selection steps are not described. UK and EMEA are covered by the same global pages. Last verified 2026-10-09.

Stages in order

What do the confidence badges mean?

Vendor-published Stated in the test publisher's own document or practice site.
Academic From peer-reviewed research.
Official employer Stated on the employer's own page.
Near-official Near-official: an employer-run practice portal, or a vendor or employer-quoted press release naming the employer.
Candidate-reported Reported by candidates. Treat as likely but unconfirmed.
Third-party From prep sites, press or forums. Not confirmed by the employer or publisher.

Apply online
Official employer
Upload your CV and follow the guided steps. Choose one business area for the graduate or internship programme.
Sources: [1] [2]
Skills Insight Assessment
Official employer
Two parts. Behavioural skills: choose the behavioural skills that best represent you (untimed, 15 to 20 minutes suggested). Reasoning skills: deductive, inductive and numerical reasoning, timed at 36 minutes with unscored practice questions beforehand and no pausing. Set aside 60 minutes overall. The FAQ says the assessment is provided by SHL and links to SHL's Behaviour-Based Assessment and General Ability Test (Mobile-Enabled, Interactive) as practice. Scores are checked against a pass level set in advance by humans, and the FAQ says AI is not used in this assessment. A feedback report on the behavioural part is sent whatever the outcome.
Publisher: SHL (named by the employer or an employer-run portal)
Practise: Deductive reasoning test practice, Logical and inductive reasoning test practice, Numerical reasoning test practice, Personality questionnaire practice, SHL-style test practice
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [5]
Coding Simulation (tech roles only)
Official employer
Two problem statements solved in a simulated IDE, taking 45 to 85 minutes depending on the role. Data science applicants also get multiple-choice data science questions. Scoring uses AI to evaluate code, and some roles use AI-based proctoring.
Sources: [1] [2]
Workplace Scenarios (one-way video interview)
Official employer
Four workplace scenarios, each followed by one question, answered by recording yourself. You get 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to record each answer, with one re-record allowed per question (the second attempt is the one submitted). A member of the Early Careers team reviews the recordings, and the FAQ says AI is only used to check your camera and microphone, not to evaluate answers. A practice question can be repeated as many times as you like. Allow about 20 minutes.
Practise: Video interview practice
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [7]
Assessment centre
Official employer
The final stage. Details are emailed with the invitation (virtual or face to face), preparation materials arrive about a week before, and the outcome follows within two weeks. Standard Chartered says centres differ by role and market.
Practise: Assessment centre practice, Group exercise practice
Sources: [1] [4]

Final stage line-up

Official employer

Varies by role and market. Standard Chartered says an assessment centre might include interviews with HR and the team you would join, plus group exercises, and that depending on role or market you may take part in an interview, a collaborative exercise and a work simulation. Exact details are sent about a week before.

Assessment centre practice

Retakes and validity

Reapply after 6 months from the original application date (an earlier attempt gives an error). The reasoning section's practice questions can be repeated, but the live assessment cannot be paused, and results are not considered if the deadline is missed. A retake rule for the live Skills Insight Assessment is not stated.

What we could not verify

Selection steps for the Insight Programme.
Which vendor runs the Workplace Scenarios video interview.
Exact assessment centre line-up and number of interviews for UK graduate and internship roles.
Whether Pymetrics is still used in any role or country (only an old link slug suggests it was used earlier).
A retake rule for the live Skills Insight Assessment.

Sources

Standard Chartered Early Careers Application Zone Checked 2026-10-09
Six-step list: apply online, Skills Insight Assessment, Coding Simulation (tech roles), Workplace Scenarios (video interview), Assessment Centre, offer. The brief's starting URL www.sc.com/en/careers/graduates/ redirects to the global early careers page.
Standard Chartered Early Careers FAQ Checked 2026-10-09
Names SHL as the provider of the Skills Insight Assessment, gives the 36 minute reasoning section, the 60 minute total, the SHL practice tests, the no-AI statement, the video timings (1 minute prep, 2 minutes answer, one re-record), the coding simulation details and the six month reapplication rule.
Standard Chartered application hints and tips Checked 2026-10-09
Confirms the assessments are sent after application, the reasoning section and coding simulation are timed, and the video preparation and answer are timed.
Standard Chartered assessment centre advice Checked 2026-10-09
Describes possible interviews with HR and the team, group exercises, and the interview, collaborative exercise and work simulation line-up depending on role or market.
Standard Chartered Skills Insight Assessment advice Checked 2026-10-09
Describes the two parts of the assessment. An older link slug on the Assessment advice page (candidate-experience/pymetrics-assessment/) redirects here, which suggests an earlier Pymetrics-based assessment, but this page now names no Pymetrics test.
Standard Chartered Insight Programme Checked 2026-10-09
First-year, in-person programme run in London in March or April. Says strong performers may be fast-tracked to assessment for internships. Does not describe how Insight Programme places are selected.
Standard Chartered Workplace Scenarios advice Checked 2026-10-09
Confirms the Workplace Scenarios video interview purpose and that the application is reviewed by the recruitment team afterwards.

Common questions about Standard Chartered

What are the stages of the Standard Chartered application process?

As we could verify, the stages are: Apply online, then Skills Insight Assessment, then Coding Simulation (tech roles only), then Workplace Scenarios (one-way video interview), then Assessment centre. The page says which of these are stated by Standard Chartered itself and which are only reported by candidates. Check your own invitation, because processes change every cycle.

Which test publisher does Standard Chartered use?

SHL (named by Standard Chartered or an employer-run portal). Publishers change, so confirm with your invitation.

What is the final stage of the Standard Chartered process?

Can I practise for Standard Chartered here?

Yes. Each stage links to the matching free practice, with real timings, an untimed mode and a learn mode. The practice is independent, uses original questions and is not affiliated with Standard Chartered or any test publisher.

Independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Standard Chartered and SHL.

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