Assessment centre
Presentation exercise practice
Prepare for 20 to 30 minutes, present for 5 to 10, then answer questions.
Example brief
You are an analyst in the Debt Advisory team at Pellham Quay Advisory. Present a recommendation to the CFO and Group Treasurer of Hallam Forge Components Ltd on whether the company should refinance its £80.0m of debt now or wait. You have 25 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to present, then the panel will ask questions.
- Prepare
- 25 minutes
- Present
- 7 minutes
- Questions
- Kvanta asks 3 or 4 challenge questions.
Prepare with documents for 25 minutes, present for about 7 on camera (kept on your phone), then face the panel's questions.
Practise this format
Choose a format
- Presentation practice (video)A short written brief, time to prepare, then record a presentation of about three minutes. Replay it and get feedback on structure.
- Presentation exercisePrepare with documents for 25 minutes, present for about 7 on camera (kept on your phone), then face the panel's questions.
Need extra time or a different format? Every timed practice has 1.25x and 1.5x options. See reasonable adjustments.
Your video is recorded and kept on your own device. Kvanta never receives it. If you ask for written feedback, only the audio is uploaded to our server. It waits in the server's memory for its turn, which is usually a few minutes, and is deleted as soon as it has been turned into text. The text of your answer is then scored by Cloudflare, a provider headquartered in the US that may process it outside the UK, and you are asked to agree before your first review. The transcript and feedback are deleted from our server 30 days after you ask, or sooner if you delete them, but we cannot delete a copy held by Cloudflare. Our database backups can hold a copy for up to 31 days more. Eye and head tracking runs on your device, and its results stay on your device.
About this test
In a presentation exercise you get a brief and a preparation time, then talk for a few minutes and take questions. It tests structure, clarity and how you think on your feet. Some firms also ask you to pitch an idea, such as an investment, in a short talk.
Our version gives 20 to 30 minutes' preparation and a 5 to 10 minute talk, recorded on your device. Feedback covers structure and delivery. For pitch practice it covers structure only, and never the merit of your idea. Nothing here is financial advice.
What we know about this format
Each point carries a badge showing where it comes from. Where only candidates have reported something, the badge says so.
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.
- Official employer
Fast Stream oral briefing: 45 minutes' preparation, then 10 minutes to brief and 15 minutes of questions.
- Academic
Assessors rate presentations on the same anchored scale as other exercises, in line with the BPS assessment centre standard.
- Academic
Looking away while thinking is normal and helps recall, so only sustained look-aways are flagged in the camera habits report.
Source · Glenberg et al. 1998.
Presentation practice (video)
- Third-party
Briefs are fictional, with invented figures; the feedback covers structure, use of the facts given, recommendation and risks
Kvanta's own format.
- Third-party
120 seconds to prepare and 3 minutes to present; unlimited re-records
Kvanta default. Real presentation exercises vary; adjust it to match yours.
Presentation exercise
- Third-party
Presentation exercises give about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare from the materials. Kvanta uses 25.
Source · One prep site reports as little as 15 minutes. The Fast Stream oral briefing allows 45.
- Third-party
The talk is usually 5 to 10 minutes. Kvanta tasks set 7 or 8.
- Third-party
A question session follows. Kvanta asks 3 or 4 challenge questions.
Source · The only source for a 5 to 15 minute question range.
- Official employer
Fast Stream oral briefing: 45 minutes to review the documents, 10 minutes to brief the assessor and 15 minutes of questions.
Questions people ask
How should I structure a short presentation?
State your answer first, give two or three reasons with evidence, handle the main risk and finish with a clear next step. Practise saying the opening sentence and the closing sentence word for word.
How long are real presentation exercises?
A published public-sector example gives 45 minutes of preparation and a 10-minute briefing with 15 minutes of questions. Firms vary.
Is my recording stored?
Your video stays on your device. If you ask for written feedback, only the audio is uploaded to our server for transcription and is deleted as soon as it has been turned into text. The text of your answer is then scored by Cloudflare, a provider headquartered in the US that may process it outside the UK, and you are asked to agree before your first review. The transcript and feedback are deleted from our server 30 days after you ask, or sooner if you delete them, but we cannot delete a copy held by Cloudflare. Our backups can hold a copy for up to 31 days more.
Will you tell me if my stock pitch is good?
No. Feedback on pitch practice covers structure only, never merit. Kvanta is not authorised by the FCA and gives no investment advice.
What delivery measures do you show?
Pace, pauses over two seconds, ownership words and figures cited. They are for feedback only and are approximate.
What if I stammer or dislike eye contact?
Turn on the stammer-friendly mode or switch eye-contact feedback off. See our adjustments page.
Is this a real exercise?
No. Briefs are original and set in fictional firms.
Where this appears in firm processes
- BDO UK Official employer
- BlackRock Official employer
- Forvis Mazars (UK) Official employer
- Legal & General (L&G) Official employer
- M&G Official employer
- Macquarie Group Official employer
- RSM UK Official employer
- Schroders Official employer
See all firm pages. Check your own invitation, because processes change each cycle.
Independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any test publisher or employer.
Practice builds familiarity. Assessment centres vary a lot between firms, and assessors score against criteria we cannot see, so treat this as rehearsal, not prediction.
Use Kvanta to practise and learn. In a live assessment, do not use AI tools, notes or another person unless the employer says you may. Read our approach to integrity.