BBS Careers run mock assessment centres during the academic year. You can practice a number of these activities as well as network with local employers. 

Book your place at one of the sessions:

If nothing is displayed, contact us at bbs-careers@contacts.bham.ac.uk to find out the next mock assessment centre date.

Assessment centres offer recruiters the chance to look at how you act and work with others.

They provide more information about your skills and abilities than an interview alone.

You will complete work-based activities to see how you handle them. Examples can include report writing, group exercises and presentations. 

Not all companies will use all of these exercises. They will have their own formats and recruitment exercises developed to identify the person who best matches the role. 

Typically, companies will provide advice on the type of exercises you can expect on the day. 

This interview may be with a Senior Manager from the company. 

You might get the same or similar questions to your first interview; however, you may also get more in-depth commercial/business awareness questions. 

Some interviews might feel less formal as the interviewer may be assessing whether or not you would fit into their team.

Be prepared to talk about yourself and your interests outside of work and study. Practice your interview on shortlist.me. 

• Visit Shortlist.me

You may be presented with a business case and asked to work in a group to solve a problem or think of ideas or strategies. 

Try and contribute as often as you can but without displaying negative behaviours, for example, talking over others. 

You don’t need to adopt a role within the team unless the scenario gives you one. Instead, play to your strengths:

• If you’re a good leader, lead the team.
• If you’re a good problem solver, help the team identify the main issues and provide solutions, helping the team choose the best one.
• If you’re a good organiser, help the team by structuring the task, summarising the discussion and keeping the team on track and on time. 

Display good teamwork skills throughout, including bringing in quieter people. Acknowledge the contributions of others and how they relate to the task.

Online testing is usually done online at an earlier stage. However, you may get re-tested under supervision on verbal and numerical reasoning with different questions.

It is good to practice these in advance. Find out where to practice on our Online Testing web page. 

• Go to Online Testing

E-Tray exercises test your ability to manage time and prioritise. They may also test your written communication and analytical skills. 

Typically, you will be given a simulated inbox containing emails and asked to prioritise and respond to them. As you undertake the test, you will receive more emails. 

Alternatively, you may get a series of documents; memos, letters, emails, and reports. Your task will be to respond according to the instructions. 

The Wiki job forum is a good source of information on the exercises used by different companies. 

Practice E-Tray exercises on Assessment Day.

A presentation can be part of the assessment centre. You might get your topic in advance. Alternatively, you might be given a case to read through or a question to think about on the day. 

Either way, the assessors are not just looking for content. They will be looking for positive body language and communication skills. Pay equal attention to the way you deliver your presentation and the content.  Book a practice presentation with us.

• Book a practice presentation

These exercises may put you in the position of a Manager. An actor or staff member can act as a customer or a junior colleague. 

Usually, there is time to read through the scenario and prepare. 

Make sure you read the information carefully and understand the scenario. Think about:

• Questions you will ask.
• Answers to questions you might get.
• Your strategy.

Knowing the competencies in advance of your assessment centre will give you an understanding of the behaviours the company will expect you to display during the role play.

In a written exercise, you will need to analyse information and write a response, for example, a report with recommendations. 

Often there is a lot of information to get through. Some of this will be more relevant than the rest. One of your first tasks will be to decide what is essential and what is not. 

Make sure that you manage your time well. Allow sufficient time to process the information and prepare and write your report.