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Summary

Applying to BNP Paribas in 2024? Read on to accelerate your BNP Paribas online assessment practice.

The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at BNP.

Our website provides scientifically validated practice assessments tests, interviews and assessment centre exercises that can be used to practice and prepare for the recruitment and assessment process. 

Check here for Free and Premium aptitude assessment tests and video interviews to practice and prepare for BNP recruitment.

If you are aiming to apply to BNP or have a BNP assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to start. In this guide we will focus on global opportunities offered by BNP including the US and the UK. 

Not sure if you should practice to prepare for the BNP Paribas tests? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude tests results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.

A recent study (Bradley et al, 2019) found that candidates who do not practise assessments, tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessments (54%-84%). This study looked at the Top 100 global employers.

In a nutshell:

How to prepare for BNP assessment tests and get the job?

  1. Complete your BNP Job Application

Fill out personal details, educational qualifications, work history, etc. 

Do spend some amount of time on the cover letter. 

Use their language/keywords from the job post and align your resume, cover letter, etc., with BNP’s values and core competencies of the job. 

  1. Practice for BNP Online Assessment Tests

BNP Paribas aptitude tests may require you to complete the following BNP online assessments:

You may get rejected already after your aptitude tests. These tests sift out 50-80% of candidates. The only proven way to get to the next round is to practice.

  1. Get ready for BNP Paribas Interview 

BNP Paribas Interview will be a panel interview with 2-3 area managers or seniors in your field. You will be required to answer behavioural, technical and CV-based questions in this interview. The BNP Paribas Interview can be divided into three parts: 

  1. BNP Paribas Technical Interview
  2. BNP Paribas Behavioural Interview 
  3. BNP Paribas HR Interview 

Prepare for your interview by running mock interviews answering typical banking interview questions. For BNP interview practice, use:

Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions for banking and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, time keeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.

Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.

  1. Prepare for the BNP Assessment Centre exercises (BNP Super Day)

BNP makes use of a variety of competitive exercises during the BNP Super Day to examine the behaviours and skills of the candidates in a real life workplace To find the right candidates. Ensure that you practice a variety of exercises including:

Research online, prepare and practice presentation of as many business case studies as possible. This stage is examining how you work with people. Focus will be on your communications skills and brush up your written and spoken communication technique. 

Prepare for your one-on-one final interview with a senior manager. Expect and practice for behavioural and competency-based questions. Aim to stand out. They have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage of BNP Paribas hiring process.

Refine your technique for your final BNP interview to showcase your:

  • deep knowledge 
  • understanding of the role
  • business acumen
  • passion
  • critical thinking and ability to think on your feet

For your final interview, use our video interview platform and record yourself answering typical banking questions.

Continue reading to get answers to these critical questions:

  1. What are all BNP recruitment assessment stages?
  2. What is the BNP Paribas Switch Challenge?
  3. How many rounds are there in the BNP Paribas interview?
  4. How to answer BNP interview questions?
  5. How to successfully apply to BNP Graduate Programmes and BNP Internships?

Looking into assessments with BNP, simply click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!

Relevant Assessments to BNP ParibasPractice Now
Numerical ReasoningStart Practicing
Verbal ReasoningStart Practicing
Logical ReasoningStart Practicing
Game AssessmentsStart Practicing
Situational Judgement TestStart Practicing
Video InterviewsStart Practicing
Assessment CentreStart Practicing

The above table will cater to all your practice needs for your upcoming BNP Paribas tests. Now, before we cover the BNP Paribas recruitment process, let’s discover how to research BNP Paribas before we begin our application. 

BNP Paribas: How to Research

If you decide to apply for BNP Paribas, you must conduct extensive research on the company so that you are able to show the employers that you have genuine interest and are ready to put in effort. 

Therefore, we have come up with some tips and tricks on how you should research BNP Paribas before applying. 

Let’s start with a brief intro of the company. 

Who are BNP Paribas? 

Founded in the year 2000, BNP Paribas is a French international banking group and is the largest banking group in Europe after HSBC. It is also the 9th largest banking group in the world. 

BNP is organized into 3 major business areas:

  1. The BNP Paribas Commercial, Personal Banking & Services (CPBS)
  2. The BNP Paribas Investment & Protection Services (IPS)
  3. The BNP Paribas Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB)

Good to know: BNP Paribas consists of 190,000 employees out of which 145,000 are in Europe alone. BNP employs 3,000-4,000 employees each year. So you may be wondering whether it will be easy to get hired at BNP. In short, you will have to face a lot of competition and so to get ahead of your fellow candidates, you will need to practice and research to bring your best. 

Job functions available at BNP Paribas

Sales and Client Relations IT, Tech and DataFinance and Investment 
Audit, Compliance, Risk and LegalConsulting and Transformation Corporate Finance
Support Functions Operations ManagementActuaries

After understanding what job function you want to apply to, research about BNP Paribas in detail, the first steps of which should be understanding BNP Paribas’s values and vision and mission statements. 

What are the BNP Paribas Values?

Aligning your answer with BNP’s values will help you get an edge over your competitors, because that will ensure the employer that you have done research into the company and that you are fit for the company as you align to the company values. 

BNP’s values are as follows: 

  1. A Sustainable and Responsible Global Leader: BNP aims at constantly transforming business 
  2. A Learning Company 
  3. An Open-Minded Group
  4. The place to work differently 

BNP Paribas Mission Statement 

“We are engaged with our clients to create a better future. We are mobilising resources that have a positive impact”.

To unlock more professional researching tips on how to research BNP, check out our quick video below:

How to Research a Company Before an Interview | Job Application & Interview Tips #shorts

Now that you know what all information you need before you start applying, let’s dive right into the BNP Paribas application process.

BNP Paribas Recruitment Process

What is the BNP Paribas application process?

The BNP Paribas recruitment process mainly consists of 4 stages, which are: 

  1. BNP Paribas Online Application
  2. BNP Paribas Online Assessment Tests
  3. BNP Paribas Interview
  4. BNP Paribas Super Day

Keep reading as we will discuss each of these BNP Paribas test stages in detail. 

BNP Paribas Online Application

What is the BNP Paribas online application?

The BNP Paribas Online Application is your chance to impress the employers with your experience, endeavours and achievements making use of your written and organisational skills. In this online application form you will be required to fill in details such as: 

  1. Personal information 
  2. Contact information 
  3. Educational qualifications
  4. Work history 
  5. Answer requisition questions
  6. Upload documents such as resume, cover letter, transcripts, references, etc. 

See below for an insight into what your BNP Paribas online application form is likely to look like. 

BNP Paribas online application candidate information
BNP Paribas Online Application window 
Source: BNP Paribas website 

BNP Paribas Documents Upload 

The BNP Paribas online application will require you to upload documents such as resume, cover letter, transcripts, references, etc. Include all these documents in your online application, this will give you a strong chance of getting your BNP application shortlisted. Use this opportunity to show your employers that all the achievements shown in your resume hold credibility. 

Good to know: You will also be asked to write a cover letter as plain text during the application, make sure to use all your written skills to make that text legible and for your help.

Below is an insight into the BNP Paribas documents upload window. The different documents you are able to upload at this stage include:

  • Resume
  • References
  • Cover letter
  • Transcripts 
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Employment certificate (if applicable)
BNP Paribas online application document upload
BNP Paribas Online Application Documents Upload Window
Source: BNP Paribas website

In the above picture, you can see what documents you will be required to upload during your BNP Paribas Online Application. Now, let’s see how you can make the most important documents more impactful: 

Top 6 Tips to Write a Good BNP Cover Paribas Letter: 

  1. Keep the body of the cover letter short i.e. 2-3 paragraphs max.
  2. Start the cover letter with “I would like you to consider me for the role…” and not “I have applied to your company after completing my….”.
  3. You have to fit all your achievements in one page, select words wisely and avoid only repeating information that is already in your resume. 
  4. Instead of saying “I have excellent communication skills”, provide evidence of this skill, such as: “ I have hosted over 30 events, participated and even judged several debate competitions which have made me a good conversationalist and orator”.
  5. Show your enthusiasm towards the position by aligning yourself with their values, discussing recent events at BNP which interest you and how you are the best fit for the role. 
  6. Use clear language, and make sure to check the grammar, spellings, punctuations, etc., several times before you submit. 

Top 4 Tips to Build a Good BNP Paribas Resume: 

  1. Use a resume format that is easy to read.
  2. The resume should not be more than 400-600 words or 1-1.5 pages. 
  3. Do not use buzz words such as motivated, teamwork, inspired, passionate, creative, always give 110%, etc. 
  4. Give examples of your achievements with measurable results. For example, you could include statements like, “Worked as X, to manage Y functions which brought a 40% increase in Z”. 

To get tips on what NOT to do in your resume, don’t miss the following video:  

3 CV Mistakes You Must Avoid (Resume Tips) | CV Writing Guide #shorts

Another important section that you have to fill, which is the BNP Paribas Requisition questions section. What is that? Let’s find out. 

BNP Paribas Requisition questions

BNP Paribas’ requisition questions will include several HR questions which will focus around your work preferences and salary expectations. Your answers to these questions should be straightforward. Below, we have shared a picture of what BNP requisition questions you might face during your BNP application:

BNP Paribas requisition questions example
BNP Paribas Requisition questions
Source: BNP Paribas website

With this we have discussed all the major segments of the BNP Paribas online application form

BNP Application Tip: Apply as early as possible, as applications are often reviewed on a rolling basis. This increases your chances of progressing through to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Now, let’s move onto the next stage of BNP Paribas recruitment process, i.e., the BNP Paribas Online Assessment Tests.

BNP Paribas Online Assessment Tests

After you complete the BNP Paribas online application form you will find out whether you have progressed to the next stage of the BNP hiring process – and this will consist of BNP online aptitude tests.

What are the BNP Paribas online assessment tests?

Depending on your line of business, you will be asked to sit any of the following BNP online tests:

Let’s discuss all these assessments in detail. 

BNP Paribas Numerical Reasoning Test

What is the BNP Paribas numerical reasoning test?

The BNP Paribas numerical reasoning test will examine your ability to comprehend information presented in forms of tables, charts, graphs, etc. You will be required to understand the question proposed, extract information from these tables and charts etc., and perform necessary calculations to find the answer. BNP recommends using SHL for US practice and AON assessments for UK practice.

Good to know: You will be required to perform basic math functions such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, including concepts such as average, percentage, simple interest, compound interest, data interpretation, etc.

How much time does the BNP Paribas numerical reasoning test take? 

The BNP Paribas numerical reasoning test will be 12 minutes long and during that limited time, you will have to solve 37 questions. These questions are easy and straightforward. The main purpose of this test is to check your speed and accuracy. 

Want to know about these BNP Paribas online tests developed by SHL? Check this short video for a quick summary of all the details you’ll need about numerical reasoning tests:

What Is a Numerical Reasoning Test? #shorts

Do not worry if you have not done Maths in a while! The complexity of this does not lie in the knowledge tested but in the time pressure and stress involved. To manage the stress and time pressure, you need to be prepared for the test and thus, we have come up with some awesome tips that will help you prepare for the BNP Paribas numerical reasoning test well. 

How to prepare for the BNP Paribas Numerical Reasoning Test?

  1. Revise basic mathematics concepts such as percentage, average, currency conversion, interest calculation, etc. 
  2. Practice a lot of numerical reasoning questions beforehand to understand the pattern. Take these practice tests exactly in the kind of environment and time constraints as you would have to be during the real test.  
  3. Be properly organised before your test, i.e., find a quiet place, keep all the equipment such as a calculator, pencil, paper, etc., ready with you and start the test when you feel relaxed enough. 
  4. Strike a balance between speed and accuracy. You shouldn’t just aim to attempt as many questions as possible, but make sure that you are answering correctly. Also remember, the proven way to give greater focus on accuracy and speed is practice.

Practice FREE QUESTIONS similar to BNP Paribas’ assessment testsregister with GF and take your FREE Numerical Reasoning Test now!

BNP Numerical Test Tip: When taking your Numerical Reasoning Test, be mindful of the time; you will have less than a minute to read each question, analyse the data provided, and perform the necessary calculations.

Or you can also take a break from reading and explore more tips and tricks on how to ace BNP SHL or AON numerical reasoning by watching this quick informative video: 

Top 5 Numerical Reasoning Test Tips and Tricks (2024) #shorts

Let’s prepare for your BNP Paribas numerical reasoning test with this BNP Paribas-style numerical reasoning question designed by our experts to replicate the skills measured in your AON or SHL assessment:

BNP Paribas Numerical Reasoning Test Question Example

BNP Paribas numerical reasoning example question

Solved it? Check the bottom of the page for the answer.

If you are looking for even more BNP-Paribas-style Numerical Reasoning questions with answers, worked-solutions and professional score reports including personalised tips based on your performance – then we at GF have you covered.

BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning Test

What is the BNP Paribas verbal reasoning test?

The BNP Paribas verbal reasoning test likely to be provided by AON Cut-e assesses the candidates on the basis of their comprehension of a previously unseen paragraph. You will be required to read the paragraph and analyse whether subsequent statements are true, false, or impossible to say based on the information contained in the passage of text.

How much time does the BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning Test take? 

The BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning Test is typically provided by AON Cut-e and lasts for 12 minutes and will require you to solve around 47 questions in that time limit. You will be provided a paragraph and will be required to answer 3-4 questions related to this paragraph.

Gain even more insight into verbal reasoning tests ahead of your BNP Paribas verbal reasoning test with our short video below:

What Is a Verbal Reasoning Test? #shorts

But how to effectively pass the BNP Paribas verbal test? GF has got it covered. Below, we have shared some amazing first-hand tips on how to prepare for the BNP Paribas verbal reasoning test. 

5 Top Tips and Tricks to prepare for the BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning test

  1. Invest some in reading before sitting for the actual test. This will help you comprehend written statements better.
  2. Spend some time solving crosswords and other English exercises to make sure you build up on your vocabulary. 
  3. Practice a number of verbal reasoning test questions to understand the pattern of questions and develop strategies that suit you to crack the actual test. 
  4. Understand the answer options. True means correct, false means incorrect and cannot say means the information provided in the passage isn’t enough to determine the validity of the statement. 
  5. Base your answer only on the information provided in the passage. Candidates use their own understanding of a particular statement sometimes, which leads them to choose the wrong answer.

Want more tips on how to pass the BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning Tests? Watch this short video: 

Top 5 Verbal Reasoning Test Tips and Tricks (2024) #shorts

You must have understood by now what BNP Paribas’ verbal reasoning test is. To get a clear idea of what questions come up in the BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning Test, we are sharing with you a BNP Paribas-style Verbal Reasoning question example:

BNP Paribas Verbal Reasoning Question Example

BNP Paribas verbal reasoning test example

Got the answer? Check it out at the bottom of the page.

Want to practice more such FREE QUESTIONS similar to those designed by AON for the BNP Paribas online test questions, register with GF and take your FREE Verbal Reasoning Test now!

Practice solving BNP Paribas-style verbal reasoning tests with us in the following video where we cover 5 commonly used verbal reasoning test questions and provide worked solutions: 

Verbal Reasoning Test Practice Questions and Answers (2024) | 5 FULLY Worked Solutions!

BNP Paribas’ Verbal Test Tip: These tests are often considered to be more difficult for non-native speakers of English. We suggest practicing Verbal Reasoning Test questions as much as possible, as this allows you to understand the specific way in which the texts are built and questions asked.

BNP Paribas Logical Reasoning Test

What is the BNP Paribas logical reasoning test?

BNP’s Paribas Logical Reasoning Test, uses two kinds of logical reasoning questions likely to also be developed by AON/Cut-e. These two kinds of logical reasoning tests are:

  1. BNP Paribas Inductive Reasoning Test
  2. BNP Paribas Deductive Reasoning Test (the BNP Switch challenge)

Let’s uncover the difference between these two BNP online tests together. 

1. BNP Paribas Inductive Reasoning Test

What is the BNP Paribas inductive reasoning test?

The BNP Inductive reasoning test is typically provided by AON/Cut-e and will expose you to 5 diagrams with varying shapes and ask you to identify the right pattern and indicate what comes next in the sequence.

Good to know: What makes the BNP Paribas Logical Reasoning Test difficult is that there is no limit to how abstract these patterns and trends can be. They will usually evolve around the size, arrangement, movements and colours of two and three-dimensional shapes.

Gain key insights in this under 1 minute video to unlock even more information on your upcoming logical reasoning tests: 

What is a Logical Reasoning Test? #shorts

How much time does the BNP Inductive Reasoning take? 

The BNP Paribas logical reasoning test will give you 12 minutes to comprehend, analyse and solve 12 questions. This means you will have only 1 minute to figure out the patterns for each question. And to do this, you must practice and develop strategies to solve these BNP Paribas online test questions. 

Therefore, below, we have discussed some tips and tricks to pass the BNP Paribas logical reasoning and BNP Paribas switch challenge. 

3 Top Tips to pass the BNP Paribas Inductive Reasoning Test

  1. Familiarise yourself with practice to get used to developing pattern recognition skills under time pressure. 
  2. Remember the key logical rules used. Consider how the colours, numbers and letters affect the pattern.
  3. Focus on one question at a time. Don’t panic if you get stuck, move onto the next question and answer any remaining questions before the time limit ends.  

Want to explore more tips on how to pass the BNP Paribas logical reasoning test? Watch the following short video: 

Top 5 Logical Reasoning Test Tips and Tricks (2024) #shorts

If you are looking for a BNP-Paribas-style Inductive/Logical Reasoning Test with answers, worked-solutions and professional score reports including personalised tips based on your performance, then GF has it covered.

Below is an example of the BNP-Paribas-style Inductive/Logical Reasoning Test to help you understand the pattern of questions better:

BNP Paribas Logical Reasoning Question Example

BNP Paribas logical reasoning test example

In the example above you will have ONLY around 60 seconds to notice that:

  • the arrow moves around the diagram
  • shapes change from triangle to circle to square and
  • the long line is either horizontal or vertical, and then to find the right answer! There is a lot of time pressure which often leaves candidates anxious and harms their performance.

Got the answer? Check it out at the bottom of the page.

Want access to more such FREE QUESTIONS similar to BNP Paribas logical reasoning testsRegister with GF and take your FREE Inductive/Logical Reasoning Test now!

Gain more experience on solving BNP Paribas logical reasoning questions, watch this short video with 5 logical reasoning questions and worked solutions: 

Logical Reasoning Test Questions & Answers (2024) | 5 Examples & Worked Solutions | Practice

The above section has given you a comprehensive information on the BNP inductive reasoning test. Now it’s time to talk about the second kind of logical reasoning test used: the BNP Switch challenge

Let’s check out the details of this BNP Paribas test below. 

2. BNP Deductive Reasoning Test (the BNP Switch challenge)

What is the BNP Paribas Switch Challenge? 

The BNP Paribas switch challenge is a gamified reasoning test designed by AON Cut-e. You will have 6 minutes to complete the BNP Paribas Switch challenge also known as the BNP deductive logical reasoning test, during which you have to solve as many questions as you can. Below you can find all the details of this BNP aptitude test. 

BNP Switch Challenge Tip: Ensure to be confident in your answers, as each wrong answer may have a negative impact on the overall score.

How to solve the BNP Paribas Switch Challenge? 

BNP Paribas switch challenge task: In the example below, you can see that the upper set of shapes (square, triangle, circle, plus) is the input and the lower set of shapes is the output. Between these sets can be seen a series of operations. You have to find out which of the operations or the series of digits are used to reach the output. 

Steps to solve BNP Cut-e switch challenge:

  • Step 1: Observe the input set and number each shape in ascending order. For example, the question below, triangle is 1, circle is 2, square is 3 and plus is 4. 
  • Step 2: Name the output icons as 2431, i.e., the sequence of numbers through which the output is obtained. Sticking to the example below, the numbering should be square is 2, circle is 4, plus is 3 and triangle is 1. 
  • Step 3: Arrange the combination obtained after step 2 in ascending order. So, now the shapes will be in the sequence, triangle, square, plus and circle consecutively. 
  • Step 4: Give the same numbers to the icons as you gave in step 1. Therefore, now, triangle is 1, square is 3, plus is 4 and circle is 2. This brings you to your answer, which is 1342. 
BNP Paribas switch challenge example question
BNP Paribas Switch Challenge Example
Source:
YouTube

For many job functions at BNP, you will be assessed on how you deal with likely scenarios you will face in your role. How are these assessed? With the BNP Situational Judgement Test. Keep reading as we fill you in on the details.

BNP Paribas Situational Judgement Test

What is the BNP Paribas situational judgement test?

BNP Paribas’ Situational Judgement Test examines you on the basis of your problem-solving and decision-making skills. You will be presented with real life work scenarios that you are likely to face while working at BNP Paribas. You will be required to read the given scenario, identify the problem, and choose the best course of action to solve the problem proposed in the passage. 

Want to know more about BNP Paribas situational judgement tests? Watch the following short video: 

What are Situational Judgement Tests? (SJTs Explained) #shorts

How much time does the BNP Paribas Situational Judgement Test take? 

The BNP Paribas situational judgement test will give you 20-30 minutes to solve 12 questions. Now thinking that 20 minutes is too much time to solve a question is genuine. But what makes the BNP Paribas situational judgement tests so difficult is that all the courses of actions given in the options seem like good choices. 

Therefore, you need to form a strategy and follow these tips and tricks to ace your BNP Paribas situational judgement test. 

4 Top Tips to ace the BNP Paribas Situational Judgement Test 

  1. Discover the competencies required for your job role and to understand which competencies your employers expect, read the job description very carefully. Learn what behaviour is preferred over the other behaviours for each competency. 
  2. Research well about the work culture of the company to get an idea of what approach is favoured most in a particular situation. 
  3. Practice situational judgement tests before the actual test to get an understanding and expectation of the question. Make sure you focus on one scenario, read and analyse each scenario as you would do in the real test. 
  4. Understand the role, since similar questions may have different preferred answers depending on the competency required for that particular job. 

Take a break from reading and take a look at this short video by GF to unlock first hand tips on how to pass BNP Paribas situational judgement tests: 

Ace the SJT! | 5 Situational Judgement Test Tips #shorts

The best way to ace your BNP Paribas online aptitude tests is to practice beforehand. Practice BNP Paribas-style situational judgement test questions with GF. Check out a sneak peek example we’ve made below for what your BNP situation test may look like:

BNP Paribas Situational Judgement Test Example

bnp-paribas-style-situational-judgement-free-question-example

 For lifetime access to practice situational judgement test sample questions similar to BNP SJTs, register with GF and accelerate your BNP Paribas assessment test preparation.

With this, we have covered the key BNP Paribas online tests and how you can prepare for them. Once you have aced these assessments, you’ll be invited to the next stage of your BNP Paribas assessment process: the BNP Paribas Interview.

BNP Paribas Interview

What is the BNP Paribas interview?

The BNP Paribas Interview will be a panel interview with 2-3 of your area managers or senior members. This interview will be a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your skills and interests that ensure the interviewers you are suitable for the particular role that you applied to.

Good to know: The BNP Paribas Interview will put you through 2-3 rounds of rigorous interviews which will aim at understanding your behavioural personality, your CV screening as well as getting to know about your knowledge in the specific job role. This interview may be a telephone interview or a face-to-face interview.

This interview can be divided into three stages: 

  1. BNP Paribas Technical Interview
  2. BNP Paribas Behavioural Interview  
  3. BNP Paribas HR Interview

Here we have discussed all these rounds of interviews in detail, tips to ace them and previously asked BNP Paribas interview questions and answers. 

1. What is the BNP Paribas Technical Interview?

The BNP Paribas Technical Interview will require you to answer questions related to your field of practice. You might also have to solve several questions on the spot in front of the interviewers, for example you might be asked to complete coding tests in the form of multiple-choice questions or solve programming questions if you have applied for a tech job. 

This interview will put you through rigorous questioning, as you may have follow up questions based on your answers. Therefore, preparation is key for this technical interview. Below our team discovered 3 top tips to prepare for your BNP Paribas technical interview. 

5 Key Tips to Prepare for the BNP Paribas Technical Interview

  1. Research the Role
    • Understand the more complex skill requirements for the role using the job description and BNP’s company culture. What is the skill level required for the job? Consider the essential experience required for the role’s tasks at BNP Paribas.
  1. Brush-up on Programming Language Concepts
    • If you are applying for a software programming role at BNP, choose an object-oriented programming language you’re comfortable with. Aim to spend at least a week or two brushing up on key concepts. Practice solving tricky and complex coding problems to enhance your skills.
  1. Prepare Several Examples
    • Ensure to bring key examples from your experiences so far on the skills you have demonstrated. Think about the top achievements you can provide for each of the key requirements and experiences listed in the job description. Feel free to draw upon working, educational and any other experiences you may have.
  1. Schedule Adequate Time to Prepare
    • Schedule adequate time to enhance your understanding of concepts in data structures and algorithms. Begin your BNP interview prep at least 8 weeks before your interview to give yourself adequate time to get familiar with the problem-solving mindset you need to do well.
  1. Identify Problem-Solving Patterns
    • Pattern recognition and application is a useful method to solve unseen problems in the BNP technical interview. Consider practicing case studies within your fields to develop a technique to solve problems. 

Now that you have got a clearer idea of what you can expect from your BNP Technical Interview and how to prepare, let’s take a look at some previously asked BNP Paribas technical interview questions. 

BNP Paribas Technical Interview Questions 

  1. How to restrict the class from extension without using the final keyword?
  2. Explain about symmetric and asymmetric security handshake
  3. What is the development process/methodology you were using?
  4. Build Rest API for given scenario (assume any scenario)
  5. How would you sort a 10GB file in Java without using any external API? 

BNP Technical Interview Tip: Ensure you sufficiently practice and refine your knowledge on the fundamentals of the field you are applying for in advance. Practice questions such as these to hone your skills.

 Now, onto the second round of interview, the BNP Paribas Behavioural Interview. 

2. What is the BNP Paribas Behavioural Interview?

The BNP Paribas Behavioural Interview will aim at understanding your personality and behaviours in a work environment and ensuring if you are fit for the role and the culture of the company. The interview may last for up to 30-45 minutes

Top 3 Tips to Pass the BNP Paribas Behavioural Interview

  1. Focus on the job description and BNP’s Values
    • Read the job description very carefully to know the core-competencies required for the job and analyse BNP’s values properly. You might be asked to describe a time when you demonstrated any one of the competencies required for the job role.
    • BNP Behavioural Interview tip: If a key competency of the job role is Managerial skills, keep an example answer ready about the time when you demonstrated managerial skills. You may also be asked to describe which of the BNP Paribas’ values you relate to the most. 
  1. Create a Project Portfolio
    • You can expect project-related questions during your BNP behavioural interview. If you’re an experienced hire, create a portfolio of all the notable projects you’ve worked on. Outline your learnings and skills gained from each project.
  1. Practice Communicating Your Problem-Solving Approach
    • Letting the hiring manager know that you’ve understood the question asked is an important aspect of problem-solving during the interview. Discuss your problem-solving approach with the interviewer to ascertain if you’re on the right track. You’ll be assessed not only on the solution you arrive at but also on how you arrive at a solution.

In order to practice communicating well, you can stand in front of the mirror to keep track of your expressions and body language, record yourself to understand your tone or practice with our Video Interviewing tool and gain lifetime access to 150+ interview questions across 50+ practice interview sets including banking and finance

By using the GF video interview preparation tool, you can nail your technique in recording answers, and answering those critical Competency and Tech-Industry questions.

BNP Paribas interview practice question
BNP Video Interview example 
Source: GF

Along with answer preparation, you must look confident while answering. To understand what your body language should be during an interview, don’t miss this short video: 

Top 5 Job Interview Body Language Tips #shorts

To give you a clear understanding of what kind of questions are asked in the BNP Paribas Interview, we have come up with previously asked BNP Paribas Interview questions and tips on how to answer them.

BNP Paribas Interview Questions and Answers

Question: Why do you want to join BNP Paribas?

How to Answer: This is one question you should answer honestly and demonstrate your research by including how your skills align with the company and role requirements. Discuss your interest in the work culture, charity events, profits, ranking, etc. of BNP. 

Do some research, and ask your seniors. An informed analysis of BNP Paribas can convince the interviewer that you are sincerely interested.

To unlock more tips on how to answer this question, watch the following video: 

How To Answer “Why Do You Want This Job?” | Job Interview Question #shorts

Question: How will you add value to this company if you make it through?

How to Answer: This is an opportunity to showcase your strengths but remember it is essential that your strengths should be supported by related achievements. Give a real-life example to convince the panel.

Your background and circumstances can also be your strengths and can be used as equally important points in supporting your answer.

Remember, achievement doesn’t necessarily mean a prize. It can also be your successfully coming out of a crisis situation or your managing to run a small project with your friends.

Question: What do you consider your greatest weakness?

How to Answer: CAUTION. This is not an opportunity to pour out your darkest secrets. The answer should be framed so that it does not reflect badly on your career thus far, or your future career. Always aim to avoid mentioning a weakness related to the skills required for the role.

For example: “I have never allowed failure to drag me down. I just got up, took my lesson, and picked my way forward.” Here it would help to have a positive experience or scenario as an example to support your points.

Most career books tell you to select a strength and present it as a weakness. Such as: “I work too much. I just work and work and work.” Wrong. First of all, using a strength and presenting it as a weakness is deceiving. Second, it misses the point of the question.

You should select a weakness that you have been actively working to overcome. For example: “I have had trouble in the past with planning and prioritization. However, I’m now taking steps to correct this. I just started using a pocket planner . . .“ then show them your planner and how you are using it.

Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it.

To get more first-hand tips on how to answer this question, watch the following video:

How to answer “What is Your Greatest Weakness?” | Job Interview Question #shorts

Question: What is the last book you read?

How to Answer: Many experts would tell you that you should know the ins and outs of the books and everything about the author and his writing style. If you know these facts, it can’t hurt, but if you are not the kind of a person who would research the background and other facts about books, but read for fun, it is okay to mention it. The only thing is that your answer should be natural, convincing and rational.

For example, if the interviewer asks you for more detail about the author you may just reply.

“I’m sorry but I haven’t read much about the author. But I liked this book because…”

Discover more potential questions that your BNP Paribas panel may ask to help with your preparation with our Question Identifier Tool (QIT) when you register with GF.

The final stage of the BNP interview is the HR stage. Read on to find out more about this and the next steps!

3. What is the BNP Paribas HR Interview?

The BNP Paribas HR Interview will require you to answer questions related to your expected salary, working conditions, availability etc. 

Some example BNP Paribas HR Interview questions are:

1. What are your salary expectations?

2. Do you prefer to work from home or the office? 

3. When can you start? 

BNP Paribas HR Interview Tip: When answering these HR questions, you should aim to be transparent with your expectations. Work with the employer to find the best job fit for you in the role and BNP.

Now we come to the end of the BNP Paribas Interview process. Let’s now discuss the last but the most exhausting stage of your BNP Paribas Assessment process, i.e., The BNP Paribas Assessment Centre aka BNP Paribas Super Day. 

BNP Paribas Super Day

What is the BNP Super Day?

The BNP Super Day is BNP Paribas’ assessment centre, which will put you through rigorous exercises to examine your behaviours in a workplace. The main purpose of the BNP Paribas Super Day is to determine if the candidate possesses the core competencies required for the job.  

If you have been successful in your First-round Interview, you will receive an invitation to attend a compulsory BNP Super Day event in the office of your choosing.

Good to know: This day will give you a chance to network with professionals from BNP Paribas and see what work at BNP Paribas looks like. However, do bear in mind that it is also another stage of the recruitment process, so continue to demonstrate that you are an ideal candidate across the range of exercises that will be covered on the day.

What will the BNP Paribas assessment centre involve?

These could include:

Let’s start with the first BNP assessment centre exercise, the BNP group exercise

What is the BNP Paribas Group Exercise?

BNP Paribas Group Exercise will require you to discuss a particular topic with your fellow candidates. You will be divided into small teams of 4-5 people and will be given a topic, so be prepared for a sales exercise. Know the basic stock valuation ratios and how to analyse ratios, as you are likely to need these concepts in order to prove your point and capabilities. 

What does the BNP Paribas group exercise measure?

This exercise will require you to sell your idea and gain appreciation from your fellow candidates and assessors. Therefore, to make sure you succeed in you BNP Paribas group exercise, put the following tips to use:

4 Top Tips to ace the BNP Paribas Group Exercise 

  1. Remember that this is a team task, so you have to focus on the decision that makes your team the best. 
  2. Let your fellow candidates speak and do not interrupt while they are presenting their thoughts. 
  3. Try to convince your teammates to accept your idea without using a dominating tone. 
  4. Bring the shy or introverted teammates into light by asking their opinion on your suggestion and encourage them to give theirs. 

Spare a few minutes to unlock more info on BNP Paribas Assessment Centre Exercises and tips and tricks on how to ace them: 

Assessment Centre Group Exercises | How to Pass, with Example Task & Virtual Assessment Day Tips

Prepare and get ahead in your BNP Paribas Assessment Centre with practice. Go further with your practice group discussion exercises with GF.

Another challenge that you might face during your BNP Paribas Super Day is the BNP Paribas Case study. Let’s dive into the details of that. 

What is the BNP Paribas Case Study Exercise?

The BNP Paribas Case Study exercise will expect the candidates to go through a case study, which will be a real problem previously faced by BNP Paribas which has been solved. You will be required to go through the case study and answer the questions proposed. This test also takes the form of a BNP English test which will assess how you can communicate solutions in written form. 

You will get 45 minutes to solve this case study during which you will have to read the case study, identify the problem, form a strategy to solve the problem and present it in a convincing manner

BNP Case Study Tip: The trick to complete all these tasks in the given time frame is to read the questions and the provided information carefully before you begin. Practice to familiarise yourself with solving case studies to develop a consistent method.

To practice putting the above tip to use, solve as many case studies as you can with our BNP Assessment Centre Package

What is the BNP Paribas Presentation Exercise?

The BNP Paribas Presentation Exercise is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your skills to connect with the customers, your communication skills and whether you are able to build a good pitch. You will be given one and a half hours to prepare for a 5-minute presentation with several questions. 

To ace the BNP Paribas Presentation Exercise, you just need to keep your body language and voice tone in control and to help you with that, we have come up with some tips: 

4 Top Tips to ace your BNP Paribas Presentation Exercise

  1. Watch the time when you present – it is your responsibility not to exceed your allowance. Do not finish too early either – it might mean that you had very little to say.
  2. Ensure good body language and maintain relaxed eye contact. Speak clearly and vary your style, speed and tone. Try to stand still and remember that smiling always helps too.
  3. Make sure to pick up any key facts from the information provided and be confident to speak about it if you are asked questions.
  4. Involve your assessor. At the end of a sub-topic or flipchart you can ask your assessor if they have any questions. You can also start by asking if they would like to see anything specific in your presentation, other than the outline in your agenda.

To gain more insights and do well in your BNP Assessment Centre, subscribe to our Assessment Centre Package packed full of practice assessment centre exercises to help prepare you for the BNP Paribas Assessment Centre.

What is the BNP Paribas Final Interview?

BNP Paribas Final Interview is the last stage of the recruitment process and is a series of final interviews, but how do you prepare for a BNP Paribas interview?

The answer to this question will depend on the particular line of business and role you applied to. Since each position requires a certain set of skills and some prerequisite knowledge, make sure to do extensive research to know exactly what is required for this role.

BNP Paribas Final Interview Questions and Anwers

Potential questions may include:

BNP Paribas Interview – Teamwork questions

How to Answer: Refer to some sort of conflict you were involved with at work or where you helped out a colleague. It is not sufficient to say you have never been in a conflict with anyone. Conflicts are a natural occurrence at a workplace. Explain the context and show how you demonstrated emotional intelligence to support your fellow coworkers and acknowledged their point of view in order to reach a compromise. Aim to refer to skills such as communication skills, compromise, professionalism.

You need to show that you can use your emotional intelligence to be of support to your colleagues and other team members. Refer to your previous experiences where you helped out a colleague, or discuss a hypothetical situation and how you would react to it. It is important to stress that although your involvement and help to team members is appreciated, it cannot be imposed on someone to the extent that their personal space is being invaded.

BNP Paribas Interview – Communication questions

How to Answer: The most common types of questions in this series will be “Tell us more about yourself”. Talk about your academic interests, extracurricular activities, as well as general passions and hobbies. Although these do not have to suit the position you applied to, make sure to stress specific skills you learnt or experiences you gathered. 

For example, if you competed in sports do not just focus on how much fun it was; stress the discipline and hard work it required, and some of the team skills it involved and developed, etc.

For more tips on how to answer this common BNP interview question, be sure to check out this quick video below: 

Tell Me About Yourself | How to Answer this Competency Interview Question #shorts

BNP Paribas Interview – Commercial Awareness questions

In this section you will be tested on your knowledge and appreciation of the company, and its position in the market. Here are some examples of commercial awareness questions that you might be faced with:

  • What do you know about BNP Paribas?
  • What are the differences between BNP Paribas and other competitors in the market?
  • What do you understand about BNP Paribas’ company culture and values?

How to Answer: Demonstrate you have done your research. Consider BNP Paribas’ history and culture, previous and current sustainability projects, recent developments and the significant technological changes in the industry. Have a clear sense of BNP’s competitors and the key differences.

BNP Paribas – Interview Brain teasers

These types of questions are usually considered the most difficult – mainly because they are very abstract and as such, there is little advice you can get besides the old cliché – “be yourself”. Assessors are looking to see how you think when confronted with puzzling questions and how creative your answers can be to questions like:

  • How many barber shops are there in London?
  • Describe the colour red to a person who cannot see
  • How would you test a calculator?

At the end of your BNP Paribas Final Interview, you will be given an opportunity to ask questions, you should definitely use this opportunity. This shows your interest in the company. 

Some questions that you can ask your interviewer at BNP Paribas are: 

1. What does the job expect from me?

  • This question shows the employer that you are eager to fit into the organisation and bring in value with your skills. 

2. How was your experience when you first joined? 

  • This enables the employer to connect with you and shows that you’re up for any advice or heads up that they have to offer. 

3. How do you manage to handle stress coming from such a high post in this company? 

  • Shows the employer that you understand the role and the responsibilities associated with it, and that you are ready to face any challenges that the job has to offer but with a little help. 

To get more ideas on what questions to ask after your BNP Paribas interview, watch the following video:

5 Best Questions to Ask in a Job Interview #shorts

So, with this, we have completed the discussion on the complete BNP Paribas recruitment process. 

But, wait! Are you a college student or a graduate looking for an opportunity to kickstart your career with BNP Paribas? Let’s look at some Entry level careers offered by BNP Paribas. 

BNP Paribas Entry Level Careers

The BNP Paribas offers a number of entry level jobs and opportunities for those who want to kick start their career with the company. The different opportunities provided by BNP Paribas for students and graduates are as follows: 

Let’s dive into the details of these student programmes. 

BNP APAC Graduate Programme

The BNP APAC Graduate Programme is a 2-year programme to give support and development required to launch a career in the banking and finance industry to the final year students completing their bachelors or masters degree and recent graduates. 

The BNP Paribas APAC Programme offers a chance to these students to be a part of a 10-week BNP APAC Summer Internship Programme. What is this? Let’s find out.

BNP APAC Summer Internship Programme

BNP APAC Summer Internship Programme is for those who are in their penultimate year of college and wish to learn the real working of the banking sector. This 10 week internship programme will typically start in the month of May or June and continue until July or August. 

You’ll learn on the job, take part in insight events, attend product and soft skills training, and experience professional networking gatherings. Do well, and you can expect to be considered for conversion to a full-time role when you graduate. 

The applications for the BNP APAC Summer Internship Programme typically open in the month of November. 

BNP APAC Graduate Programme: Eligibility criteria

  1. Apply as a recent graduate, final year undergraduate, or master’s student in any discipline.
  2. Must be fluent in spoken and written English (additional languages are considered an advantage).

BNP APAC Graduate Programme Assessment Process 

The BNP APAC Graduate Programme assessment process consists of almost the same BNP aptitude tests and other assessments as in the recruitment process for BNP Paribas full time jobs. The different stages of the BNP Paribas APAC recruitment process are: 

  1. BNP Paribas Online Application and Situational Judgement Test 
  2. BNP Paribas Online Numerical Test
  3. BNP Paribas CV screening 
  4. BNP Paribas Interviews (Business and HR)
  5. BNP Paribas Offer 

Practice for each stage of your BNP APAC Graduate programme recruitment process with the Premium assessment practice tools provided by GF and gain lifetime preparation to professional candidate assessments developed by industry experts similar to BNP. 

BNP USA Analyst and Associate Training Programme (AATP)

BNP Paribas USA AATP will allow you to learn, discover and demonstrate your skills by handling real responsibilities. You will do valuable work that has a genuine impact for your team and your community. As a key member of the team, you will gain foundational experience, one-on-one mentorship, and an in-depth view into how we work.

The BNP USA AATP accepts applications on a rolling basis throughout the year. 

BNP Paribas USA AATP Campus Recruitment Process 

The BNP Paribas USA AATP Recruitment Process is almost the same as the BNP application process for full time jobs with a few minor changes. Let’s look at the different stages of recruitment USA AATP which are:

1. BNP Paribas Online Assessments: The BNP Paribas assessment tests will consist of various aptitude tests such as the: 

You must answer at least 50% of the questions to qualify the test. If you do qualify the test, you will be invited for a one-on-one interview with the recruiters. 

2. BNP Paribas Interview: The BNP AATP campus placement recruitment process will require you to go through 3 rounds of interviews, where you will go through two kinds of interview questions:

  • BNP Technical interview: 2 out of 3 rounds of interviews will be technical interviews. These interviews will be conventional. You will be required to answer questions related to major projects you have worked on and the times where you have demonstrated skills like leadership, management, etc. 
  • BNP HR interview: The last round of interview may be an HR where questions such as:
    • what part of the recruitment process did you like the most?
    • Are you ready to relocate for this role?
    • What is the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
    • Which stage of the SDLC would you like to work in?
    • Why are you interested in working at BNP? 

After your interviews you will provided with an update on your application and may receive an offer at this stage. 

BNP Spring Insight Programme

The BNP Spring Insight Programme allows its participants to apply to programmes specific to their area of study and Depending on your main degree discipline, you will be invited to join BNP’s STEM/Humanities Spring Insight or our Economics/Finance Insight. This programme allows you to take a deeper look at the working of leading banking sectors and explore your area of interest. The durations of different BNP Spring Insight Programmes are:

  • STEM/Humanities Global Markets Spring Insight – Typically April
  • Economics/Finance Global Markets Spring Insight – Typically April

The eligibility and requirements for the BNP Paribas Spring Insight Programme are:

  1. You must be a first-year Undergraduate or in the second-year of a four-year course.
  2. You will be asked to attach your most up-to-date CV and complete some online tests. Successful applicants will be invited to an assessment centre.

The applications for the BNP Paribas Spring Insight Programme typically close in January. So to improve your chances, apply early and prepare as soon as possible. 

For those who do not want to get into details, here is the BNP Paribas student programmes at a glance.

BNP Paribas Student Programmes At a Glance

BNP Student ProgrammeDuration Eligibility Application dates Recruitment process
BNP Paribas APAC Graduate Programme 2 years1. Recent graduate or final year student 
2. English proficiency 
Applications open: November 1. BNP online application and Situational judgement test
2. BNP Online numerical test
3. BNP CV screening
4. BNP Paribas interviews (business and HR)
5. BNP offer
BNP Paribas USA AATP 2 years1. Your degree is not relevant. 
2. You should be a student in your final year or a third year in a four-year degree.
Applications accepted on a rolling basis1. BNP online aptitude tests
2. BNP Interviews 
BNP Paribas Spring Insight week One week in April1. You should be a first year undergraduate or second year undergraduate in a four year course.Applications close in: January 1. Attach a CV to the online application
2. Complete BNP online tests
3. Attend BNP assessment centre

With this, we have provided you all the information required for the BNP Assessment, hoping this helped and wishing you all the best! 

Discover more insights into BNP with our quick FAQs section below. 

BNP Paribas Recruitment FAQs

What is the BNP Switch Challenge?

The BNP Switch Challenge is a special type of logical reasoning test that BNP uses to assess candidates. The BNP Paribas Switch challenge is also called the BNP deductive reasoning test because each wrong answer in this test has a negative impact on your overall score.

What is BNP Paribas’ hiring process?

The BNP Paribas consists of 4 major stages of assessment. These stages are: 

  1. BNP Paribas Online Application
  2. BNP Paribas Online Aptitude tests
  3. BNP Paribas Interview 
  4. BNP Paribas Super day 

Does BNP Paribas use coding tests?

BNP Paribas uses coding tests to assess candidates who belong to tech background. You may be required to take this BNP coding test online or during the BNP Interview. This coding test may be a multiple-choice questionnaire or you may be asked to show your coding skills on a particular topic in front of the interviewers. You may also get to solve the BNP coding test during the BNP online tests stage. 

How long does BNP take to get back to you?

The complete BNP Paribas hiring process takes about 1-2 months, and after the assessment centre they might contact you within a week with your BNP offer letter or a rejection mail.

What does BNP stand for?

The abbreviation BNP stands for Banque Nationale de Paris since BNP was originally a French banking and financial services company before the merger.

Practice and Register with GF to get your job with BNP Paribas first time

Do you want to pass your BNP Paribas tests first time? Sign up for tools offered by GF, the only aptitude practice test experts that provide tests to over 100 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.

Go to GF now and select from the range of products we offer at no risk. We offer a comprehensive premium package with a full set of assessment tools for candidates (numerical, logical, verbal reasoning, situational judgment tests, assessment centre exercises and more). Buy with peace of mind without commitment to a full 100% money back guarantee.

Correct answers to example questions:

Numerical Reasoning Test: C

Verbal Reasoning Test: B

Logical Reasoning Test: C

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