2026 EMPLOYER GUIDES8 min read

John Lewis Assessment Tests, Application Process, Interviews, and Graduate Scheme 2026 Practice Guide.

Are you interested in sending in your John Lewis application and securing a job with the company? Or are you looking to see if you are eligible for its graduate scheme programmes? This guide explains everything you need to know about the John Lewis recruitment process.

Here are six things that I will cover in this text guide:

You can prepare for your John Lewis assessment test with us by practising our custom assessment tests for each level of the recruitment process.

In this guide, you will understand the following:

  1. What are the John Lewis core values?
  2. How to customise your CV to fit the John Lewis job description.
  3. How to pass the John Lewis assessment tests, including verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and situational judgement tests?
  4. What are the John Lewis Partnership interviews?
  5. Top tips to prepare and pass your John Lewis assessment centre exercises.
  6. Everything to know about the John Lewis early career programmes.

Want to pass the John Lewis hiring process?

Prepare for your John Lewis tests with our relevant practice assessments and tools!

Practice Numerical Reasoning Tests

Practice Numerical Reasoning Tests

Practice Verbal Reasoning Tests

Practice Verbal Reasoning Tests

Practice Situational Judgement Tests

Practice Situational Judgement Tests

Practice Work Personality Questionnaire

Practice Work Personality Questionnaire

Practice Video Interviews

Practice Video Interviews

Prepare for your Assessment Centre

Prepare for your Assessment Centre

Increase your skills with our Go Premium package, which provides customised John Lewis assessment exercises designed to assist you in passing your tests.

Before you kickstart your journey in the John Lewis application process, why not take a look at who JLP is and what they do?

1. Who is the John Lewis Partnership?

What is the John Lewis Partnership about?

The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned retail business founded in London, England, in 1864. In 1937, Waitrose began its partnership with John Lewis, making the John Lewis Partnership one of the largest retail brands in the United Kingdom.

The John Lewis Partnership has about 69,000 partners, over 300 Waitrose stores, and 36 John Lewis stores, all operating solely in the United Kingdom.

What roles can I apply for at the John Lewis Partnership?

John Lewis has many departments under its partnership, providing job opportunities for thousands of employees. Here, you will find many roles that you can choose to apply to. Check them out below.

AdministrationComms and MarketingCreative and DesignCustomer Service
FinanceHRITRisk and Compliance
ManufacturingDigitalData and InsightCustomer Proposition

Before you take that step into applying for the John Lewis hiring process, take your time to check out the John Lewis core values.

What are John Lewis’ Core Values?

The John Lewis Partnership’s core values serve as guidelines for how the UK-based company operates with its customers. Before applying to the John Lewis recruitment process, understanding and aligning with the company’s values will help you understand what it seeks in a candidate.

Here are the John Lewis core values:

Partnership:

John Lewis embodies a solidarity value, demonstrating that, as co-owners, it shares every responsibility and reward.

Democracy:

Every partner is given a stand to share their opinion, as this is a democracy, and everyone should have a say in the business.

Fairness:

John Lewis is committed to honesty, transparency, and doing what is right. The retail company embraces fairness and treats everyone with respect.

Quality:

The company strives to provide the highest standard to its partners and customers, becoming an embodiment of a business that prioritises quality and desirability.

Sustainability:

John Lewis displays its passion for the planet by reducing its environmental impact and building a more sustainable future.

Well-being:

The company prioritises the well-being of its partners, communities, and customers, ensuring a healthy environment for all who interact with it.

Having reviewed the JLP core values, you are now ready to begin the John Lewis application process.

2. John Lewis Application Process

How to apply to John Lewis Partnership?

The John Lewis recruitment process is a series of assessment tests, interviews, and assessment centre exercises developed to evaluate your skills, cognitive abilities, personality traits, and workplace behaviours, ensuring you are culturally fit and qualified for the role.

Below are the John Lewis hiring process stages:

  1. John Lewis Application Form
  2. John Lewis Assessment Tests
  3. John Lewis Video Interview
  4. John Lewis Assessment Centre

Want to begin your John Lewis assessment test practice?

John Lewis go essential practice

You are now ready to begin your John Lewis online application form. Good luck with your application journey! 

3. John Lewis Application Form

What is the John Lewis Partnership application form?

The John Lewis application form comprises different stages, each with its sections you are expected to complete when applying for a job with the company. With hundreds of applications sent to JLP, it is important that you ensure you comply with the rules stated on the application site.

In the John Lewis application process, you will be asked to submit the following: 

  • Your name and email address
  • Your work experience 
  • Your resume

You can take a look at the image below to see what to expect on the John Lewis application website.

John Lewis Partnership application form

John Lewis Partnership Application Form

Source: John Lewis Careers

To pass the John Lewis application form, check out these tips below.

5 Top Tips to Pass the John Lewis Application Form

To pass your John Lewis application, I recommend that you:

  1. Research the company first: Before you begin your first step in the John Lewis interview process, take some time to research the company and understand their values, mission, and vision to see if you want to be a part of the organisation.
  2. Tailor your application: When applying to JLP, align your skills and experience with the role you are seeking. Use good examples to illustrate your past roles and how they can help you in the new position you want.
  3. Be authentic and honest: Try not to exaggerate your experience and skills when creating your application profile, as John Lewis Partnership favours honesty and integrity. Rather, let your personality shine through in your answers.
  4. Demonstrate your passion: Explain what interests you about John Lewis, demonstrate your love for the role, and mention aspects of the role that you are genuinely excited about with examples and why.
  5. Complete all sections: Ensure you fill in every section on the website, leaving nothing relevant blank. You can take your time in filling in the blanks, but try to complete them all if you want your application form to pass the screening stage.

Upon submitting your application form, you will then be directed to begin your John Lewis online tests.

4. John Lewis Online Assessment Tests

What are the John Lewis assessment tests?

The John Lewis assessment tests are a series of cognitive and personality assessments set in place to examine your skills as you apply for a position in the UK-based company. The assessment tests will gauge your aptitude and behavioural reactions in a workplace scenario.

Good to Know: Based on the role you are applying for, you may be asked to take a coding exercise or an Excel assessment to verify your skills further and assess whether you are suitable for the position.

Below are the John Lewis tests that you will likely partake in:

  1. John Lewis Numerical Reasoning Test
  2. John Lewis Verbal Reasoning Test
  3. John Lewis Situational Judgement Test
  4. John Lewis Personality Questionnaire Test 

By now, you will begin with the John Lewis numerical reasoning test to assess your mathematical and analytical skills.

However, before you start your John Lewis hiring process, check out the FAQs below to answer any other questions that you might have.

5. John Lewis Recruitment Process FAQs

1 Can I apply for multiple roles at John Lewis at once?

You can apply for multiple roles at John Lewis at once, provided that the positions you are applying for do not have any overlapping requirements or schedules.

2 What happens after I apply for a job at John Lewis?

After submitting your John Lewis application, the recruiters will review it and, if they are interested in you, reach out to invite you to participate in the John Lewis assessment and interview process.

3 What should I wear to the John Lewis interview process?

The John Lewis interviews will likely be virtual, but if they are in person, you can dress casually without a suit and tie for either interview. The goal is to look the part by dressing decently and professionally.

4 Do I need experience before applying to John Lewis?

While experience in retail and customer service roles will be helpful, you do not necessarily need it, as John Lewis instills transferable values in its employees.

5 How long does the John Lewis interview process take?

The length of the John Lewis interview process varies, but it can take several weeks after the application submission to receive an employment letter.

Prepare for your John Lewis hiring process with our expert-made aptitude tests used by over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.

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This article was last updated on 24 February 2026. All information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, based on publicly available sources. For the most up-to-date details, please verify directly with the employer.

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