The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at BP across the globe, including in the UK and US.
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 BP recruitment.
If you are aiming to apply to BP or have a BP assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to start.
Not sure if you should practice to prepare for BP assessments? 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.
BP Hiring Process Glossary
BP recruitment process in a nutshell:
How to prepare for the BP assessment process and tests to get the job?
BP uses a variety of aptitude assessment tests. These include:
You may get rejected already after these aptitude tests; these tests sift out 50-80% candidates at this stage. The only proven way to get to the next round is practice.
BP uses HireVue to pre-record candidate’s answers to questions. Practice for your BP pre-recorded interview by answering typical interview questions.
Prepare for a telephone or video interview by running mock interviews answering typical interview questions. For BP interview practice, use:
Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews such as HireVue. Record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.
Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
BP uses a competitive variety of exercises during the assessment centre which may be hosted virtually or face-to-face. These activities typically consist of:
Ensure that you sharpen your spoken and written communication skills. Research online, prepare and practice presenting as many relevant business case studies as possible.
Be aware, not many get to this stage as the competition is very fierce.
Your BP Final Interview will have 2-3 rounds of interviews with a senior manager, i.e. BP Technical Interview and BP Competency-based Interview.
Keep up the good work, as they are looking for the best talent. They likely will have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage.
Hone your technique for your final BP interview to showcase your:
For this final interview, use the video interview platform and record yourself answering the interview questions using the STAR technique.
Continue reading to get answers to 4 critical BP recruitment questions:
Looking into assessments with BP, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!
The above table is fully equipped with practice assessments and tools that will help you prepare for your upcoming assessments at BP.
Before we dive into these assessments, let’s start your road to success with the basics that any aspiring BP candidate should know.
British Petroleum, commonly called BP, is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, known as the 7 “supermajors”. The company operates in all areas of oil and gas industry which includes exploration and extraction, refining, distribution and marketing, power generation, and trading.
The main values of BP stand as follows:
Because of its reputation and work, BP attracts a number of applications each year for many areas. Check out the below job areas which you can apply at BP right now:
Job functions available at BP
We’ll cover how to begin your BP application below, so keep reading!
Throughout your BP hiring process, you are likely to be assessed on your knowledge of the company. To prepare for these questions in your applications and interviews, we recommend that you do your research on BP.
British Petroleum Researching Tips
Here are some of the most crucial topics that you should research about BP before you begin your BP application process:
Check out this short video to discover more of our best job research tips to help ace your BP application form and interviews:
So how do I apply to BP?
Let’s start things off with an overview of the BP assessment process.
The BP hiring process is made up of five different stages; each requiring you to do your best and outperform your competitors if you want to land your dream job.
The five stages that make up the BP recruitment process are:
The BP Online Application is the first part of the recruitment process and your first chance to impress your recruiters and stand out. Your BP Online Application will require you to fill in the details like:
When you apply to BP, you will be required to upload your resume and CV. Consider including a cover letter for the job you are applying for.
Your BP application is your first opportunity to impress the BP talent acquisition team and potential managers through your communication skills. The better you put your achievements and education in your resume, the more chance you have of getting shortlisted.
How to make your resume get selected at BP
For more of our best tips on how you can build your perfect BP Resume/CV, don’t miss our super easy to follow CV writing guide to maximise your chances of getting hired with BP!
Don’t miss out! Watch the video below to know the 3 most common mistakes that you should not repeat while building your Resume/CV.
For more first-hand tips on CVs and Resumes, Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
BP Application Tip: Apply as early as possible. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. By doing so, you increase your chance of progressing through to the next stage of the recruitment process.
After the Online Application stage, comes the BP Situational Judgement Questionnaire.
What’s that? Let’s find out!
The BP Situational Judgement Questionnaire or the BP Situational Judgement Test is a set of real-life work scenarios that you might have to go through as an employee at BP. You are required to analyse the problem proposed and choose the most suitable and the worst course of actions from the options given.
This BP Situational Judgement Test aims to assess your problem-solving skills and your suitability to the role you have applied to by examining you on the basis of your thought process.
Discover even more about BP-style situational judgement tests with our short YouTube video:
Let’s take a look at the tips and tricks that will bring you a lot closer to succeeding in the BP SJQ.
5 Tips to pass the BP Situational Judgement Questionnaire?
Think you got it? Check out what your BP-style SJQ exercise question may appear as with our below example question.
Looking for BP SJQ practice questions? Register with GF today to get started with practice BP-style Situational Judgement Tests and get worked solutions, tips on how to improve and detailed feedback on your responses. GF is your one stop solution to all your assessment-related problems.
So now you know a little more about Situational Judgement Tests, you may be wondering how to pass these SJTs? We’ve got you covered there.
Discover more tips and tricks on our YouTube channel, check out this short YouTube video to get the hang of Situational Judgement Tests.
Once you clear the BP Situational Judgement Questionnaire round of the BP application process, you will be invited to the BP Online Assessment Test. What does this round hold for you?
Let’s find out!
The BP Assessment is the third stage of your BP recruitment process, to which you will be invited within 2-3 weeks after the BP Situational Judgement Questionnaire.
The BP assessment tests consist of aptitude tests to examine your various cognitive abilities.Depending on your line of business, this round may include BP’s:
BP Online Assessment Tests Tip: The invite email will carry all the relevant information for these ability tests. The total time required to complete the BP assessment tests is 40 minutes. You are given a period of 5 days to complete the assessments.
Moving on, let us discuss these BP numerical and verbal tests in detail, starting with the BP numerical test.
The BP Numerical Reasoning Test will examine your ability to understand a previously unseen passage – as well as its data. You will be required to perform basic mathematical calculations. Candidates for roles at BP which will require use of numerical skills and interpreting data from tables and charts will be assessed with this assessment.
Do not worry if you have not done any mathematics in a while! The complexity of this does not lie in the knowledge tested but in the time pressure and stress involved. When taking your numerical reasoning test, you will have less than a minute to read the question and analyse data provided including ratios, percentages and charts, performing the necessary calculations.
To understand numerical reasoning tests better, check out this short YouTube Video:
The only way to ensure your success is by taking practice tests beforehand. By doing so, you familiarise yourself with the types of questions and become more confident.
Learn how to manage your stress in a safe environment and you will not have to face rejection – just because you were unfamiliar with the process.
How to pass the BP Numerical Test?
Let’s practice some example numerical reasoning questions with worked solutions to prepare for your BP Numerical Reasoning test:
You can find more Numerical Reasoning tips on our YouTube channel.If you are looking for a BP-style Numerical Reasoning Test with answers, worked-solutions and professional score reports including personalised tips based on your performance – then GF has it covered.
BP-Style Numerical Reasoning Free Question Example
Check if you got the correct answer at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to BP numerical tests, register with GF and take your FREE Numerical Reasoning Test.
BP’s Verbal Reasoning Test strives to identify whether a candidate can accurately extract the relevant information from a previously unseen passage of text, and use this to analyse whether subsequent statements are true, false, or impossible to say based on the information contained in the passage of text.
BP’s Verbal Reasoning Test may be more difficult for non-native speakers of English. Nevertheless, we recommend practicing Verbal Reasoning Test questions as much as you can to understand the specific way in which the texts are built and questions asked. Only then can you be more confident in your ability to succeed at the real thing.
Want to know more about Verbal Reasoning Tests? Do not miss out on the following short video by GF:
BP Verbal Assessment Tip: Ensure you read all of the passage and the relevant information before attempting the question. Examine the question carefully and make sure to find enough evidence to support your answer. Do not jump to conclusions.
How to pass the BP Verbal Test?
Make notes and practice some of our example verbal reasoning test questions with worked answers with us in the below video:
Remember, you will have around 45 seconds to answer questions like the following:
BP-Style Verbal Reasoning Free Question Example
Got the answer? Check it out at the bottom of the page.
For more FREE QUESTIONS similar to BP verbal reasoning tests, register with GF and take your FREE Verbal Reasoning Test now!
5 Quick Tips to ace your BP verbal and numerical test:
Once you’ve aced your BP online aptitude assessments, you will be invited to the next step: the BP video interview.
The BP HireVue Video Interview is the fourth stage of the BP hiring process, and if you have gotten to this stage, Great!
So, what is the BP Video Interview?
BP Video Interview is an On-demand Video-based Interview, where you are expected to record yourself answering the pre-recorded interview questions by your employer and submit them. BP uses HireVue to conduct these on-demand video interviews.
For more info on HireVue Video Interviews, check out our short video below:
This will typically be a competency based interview, and will be a final chance for you to demonstrate your passion, skills and enthusiasm to work for BP.
How much time does the BP HireVue Video Interview require?
The BP Video Interview may last up to 30 minutes, where you will be required to answer various competency-based and behavioural questions related to the job position you have applied to.
You will get 3 minutes to answer each question and get 30 seconds prep time before starting the recording.
How do I practice for my BP HireVue Video Interview?
Practice using the below tips with our Video Interviewing tool to prepare for unique Competency-based and Strength-based Interview questions used by BP with our 13 unique video interview sets used across top industries including various the many job functions at BP including finance, HR, marketing construction and engineering.
BP-Style Video Interview Free Example Question
Moving on, here are some more top tips to ace your BP Video Interview.
6 Tips to Ace the BP Video Interview
Want to understand STAR+R better? Watch the following short video to find out how to use the STAR+R Technique in your BP Behavioural Interview:
Now that you know the basics of BP HireVue Video Interview, take a look at the following 5 BP Video Interview example questions and answers to get an idea of how you may form answers to BP Video Interview questions. Let’s put the above tips into practice.
Top 5 BP Video Interview Example Questions & Answers
Question 1: Do you consider yourself successful?
Tips to Answer: First things first, DO NOT say no, even if you don’t consider yourself successful at the moment. Bring out the positive approach in your answer. Explain to them what success means to you, i.e., how you define success. Your answer should show pride in what you have struggled to achieve so far and confidence to achieve and work for more.
Good Answer: I define success by the goals you set for yourself and how you surround yourself with people who respect and admire you. So, in some ways I’m both, I have struggled to achieve what I wanted and kept the people who became my inspiration, really close. I haven’t yet achieved everything; I still have some goals and aspirations which I would like to achieve. I have also had my fair share of failures. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that I am not completely successful, but I would not consider myself unsuccessful too.
Question 2: What are your weaknesses?
Tips to Answer: Do not include qualities like pleasing people, difficulty in saying no, etc., pick something that is actually true to you. Be honest when answering for weaknesses because your interviewers very well know that no one is perfect, and they want to know more about you as a person. Make sure to tell them something you struggle with at times but try to overcome by putting in effort. Tell them how you are trying to turn your weakness into an opportunity to get more skilled at your job.
Good Answer: Although I have always met deadlines, I do struggle with procrastination. Because of this, I work all day as the deadline approaches. I used to struggle a lot in my early days as XYZ. Therefore, I started taking project management and time management lectures, in order to learn to manage and organize tasks in a way that I do not get overburdened. And I’m glad to say that I’m getting the hang of this and I think I am successful at the attempt so far.
And, be sure to check out our further tips on how to answer this behavioural question below:
Question 3: What is your ideal work environment?
Tips to Answer: Try to tailor an answer that blends in well with BP’s values and vision. Do not focus your answers solely on the people you will be working with.
Good Answer: My ideal work environment is the one which is a blend of collaboration and innovation. I am an innovative person and I believe when we work in a collaborative environment, we put together all the great minds and there’s where we can find innovation. The best part about collaboration is that it leads to faster decision-making and diverse ways of problem-solving.
Question 4: What do you know about BP?
Tips to Answer: Focus on specific facts that you found out during your research about the BP. Show them how their mission and vision fascinates you. Talk about the major milestones and accomplishments of BP that moved you. Keep your answer basic yet reflecting your knowledge about BP.
Good Answer: I know that BP has been in work for more than 100 years now, and providing remarkable service since then. And I love BP for the fact that despite being such a successful organisation, it is working towards a safer planet by investing in low carbon energy to rapidly scale up in solar and offshore wind aiming to reduce emissions by 2030. I’m also delighted and eager to know more about the upcoming Tangguh Expansion project.
You can also gain further insight into this behavioural question with the video below:
Question 5: Tell us something that is not on your CV?
Tips to Answer: For this, you can either open with a joke, because in these situations, humour will probably go on the positive side of your candidacy. However, don’t risk it if you don’t believe the joke is appropriate. For this, consider the workplace culture of the company. You can tell them about any casual events or even tell them about a social cause that you feel deeply about and work in your idle time towards that cause. Tell them how far you have gone on that road and how far you would like to reach in the future.
Good Answer: Anything that’s not on my resume can get me rejected straightaway (jokingly). Jokes apart, I do feel that the increasing deforestation will have an adverse effect on the planet in the long run, and for that I try to do the bare minimum that I can in my capacity. I run campaigns on vacations to spread awareness in different cities. I have also hosted a number of plantation drives in recent years. I know that these things aren’t enough to save our planet from grave danger, but I do feel that if I can bring change to even one in a thousand people, that’s a win-win.
Looking for more potential BP interview questions? Go Premium with GF and discover more potential BP interview CBI questions with our Question Identifier Tool.
Alternatively, check out this quick video below on the best way to answer the commonly asked BP interview question “Why do you want to work for BP?”:
Discover more Tips and tricks to ace Video Interviews, check out our 3 quick video interview tips or below in our short YouTube video:
3 Tips to Ace your Video Interview
You are nearing the last stage of the recruitment stage; the BP assessment centre. Congratulations for making it this far! There are only a few things left before you land your dream job.
What does the assessment centre hold for you? Let’s find out!
The BP Assessment Centre will be a chance for you to network with professionals working at BP, and learn more about the company. It is the perfect time for you to get a better insight into what it is like to work at BP.
The exercises you might be expected to take are:
Quick Tips to Ace Your BP Assessment Centre:
With that, let’s go into the details about each of these potential BP assessment centre exercises. First, the group exercise.
The BP Group Exercise requires you to read, observe and solve case studies with your teammates, which will be the fellow shortlisted candidates. Throughout this task, various BP employees will observe you on how you solve problems when required to work with others.
It is important that you are confident to share and argue for your ideas, but also be ready to contribute to somebody else’s input. Most importantly, speak clearly and do not interrupt anyone!
BP Group Exercise Tip: Try to persuade others towards your ideas and also ask critical thought-provoking questions; but only do so when it feels natural. You need to appreciate that other people on the team are just as important. Your goal is to work together as a team to solve the case study.
Discover more about group exercises and the best tricks to pass your BP Assessment Centre with our YouTube video below:
Now, let’s discover more about the BP presentation exercise together.
BP Presentation exercise will mainly test you on your communication skills. Your assessors will be looking at your body language and tone to see how you would cope with delivering professional presentations, taking part in group discussions or explaining your point of view.
How to Excel in your BP Presentation Exercise?
The BP assessment centre will conclude with a series of interviews, which will depend on the role you’ve applied for. Continue reading as we go through these below.
The BP interviews in this final stage of the recruitment process will consist of a number of one-on-one interviews with directors or senior managers from the business area you wish to join. This stage typically consists of two types of interviews:
BP Technical Interview
The BP Technical Interview aims at checking your technical knowledge, i.e., the knowledge you possess in your field. The interview will last for an hour. They will ask you basic concept related questions, or ask you to work some solutions in front of them.
BP Technical Interview Tip: The scope of your BP Technical Interview depends on the role you have applied for. For example: Finance applicants will be asked questions in that field. Similarly, if you have applied for a role in Data Technology, you will be asked the basic conceptual questions.
What kind of questions are there in a BP Technical Interview?
Here are some examples of the questions asked by employers at BP at a Technical Interview:
Two tips to ace the BP Technical Interview
Make sure you brush up the basics of your job and practice. Revise the fundamentals of your field be it pipelines engineering, finance or HR. Pay special attention to how your field relates to the oil and gas industry. For example: if you’re applying for an engineering role, revise basic principles of fluids, mechanics and materials. Look for advancements that can be made in the oil extraction machinery, ships,etc. However, if you’re applying for a business role such as finance, find out cost cutting solutions in BP case studies. Read BP’s annual reports and see how you can put your business knowledge to make it better by applying basic business formulas.
Research about are the companies’ values, goals, and ongoing projects. Discover the key problems being faced and the upcoming tasks that BP has undertaken. Think of several possible solutions on how you will solve the problems being faced through your expertise.
BP Behavioural Interview
The BP Behavioural Interview focuses on knowing you as a person and understanding how you would react to BP’s problems and solve them with your hard and soft skills.
You will be asked questions related to your past experiences at work, how would you behave in a certain situation, etc. Your BP interviewers will want to know your motivations and aspirations and try to know you more on the inside as to what kind of a person you are.
Examples of BP Behavioural Interview questions:
It is important that you keep in mind the core competencies of the job position you have applied to and BP’s values when answering these questions. Let’s see a couple ways in which you can answer the above-mentioned questions.
How to answer the BP behavioural Interview questions:
Good Answer 1: The moment is yet to come in my life, the day I will be able to make it to the ABC position in a great company such as yours and make a real contribution, I will be the proudest.
Good Answer 2: “I worked at ABC company and once we had to pull all nighters to improve our shipping function, but me and my team really went on with it and covered the gaps that were creating the problems, and my team worked hard with me and we increased our efficiency to 35% which brought us back on the level. I’m proud to be able to motivate my team and see my organisation succeed as a whole”.
Explanation: Of course in this answer you can add more specifics, as to what was the shipping function that needed attention, what you did to improve it and what were the gaps you filled. This particular answer shows that you are a team-oriented person, and aligns with two of the company’s values, that are ‘One team’ and ‘respect’.
Good Answer: “Teamwork comes from motivation and motivation can be derived from small recognitions. Therefore, I make time to appreciate my team members for their work. I also try to communicate more so that I understand my teammates’ thought process. And thus, knowing and supporting each other with their strengths and weaknesses works a great deal in increasing efficiency. One more thing that I consider important is delegating the responsibilities, because that makes my team members feel responsible and important”.
Explanation: By demonstrating to your interviewer how you work as a team, you are basically showing what leadership skills you have. Because, only a leader knows the value of the team working together, and how to make sure that the team puts efforts in the workplace.
Good Answer: “As a person who has spent the last five years in a xyz role, I understand that stress becomes an integral part when you are in any job. A little stress can behave like a catalyst in getting the work done at the earliest and the best. But, when the stress exceeds the limit I often try to use my organisational skills in order to prioritize the most important thing at that particular hour. I also try to meditate more in such situations to keep my head clear. Because it’s important to make decisions without any pressure in such cases”.
Explanation: Showcasing that you understand and can handle stress in the workplace demonstrates that you can be trusted with important tasks for the company while maintaining performance under pressure. Additionally, this shows that you are resilient and align with two of the company’s values in ‘Excellence’ and ‘Courage’.
At the end of interviews, you will be given a chance to ask questions. You must definitely use this opportunity! This is a way of showing that you are interested and motivated, so prepare some thought-provoking and interesting questions beforehand.
Some questions that you can ask your interviewer at BP are:
For even more questions you can ask in your BP interview, check out our short video below:
Once you’ve aced your final interview using our best tips and tricks, you will receive an offer from BP shortly. All the best!
Wait, before you go!
Are you a grad student or a fresh graduate interested in early career opportunities? Keep reading to discover the opportunities available for you!
BP is not only a great place for experienced professionals to work but it’s also a great place where the graduates and undergraduates can kick start their career. BP offers a number of opportunities for graduates, students and even the people with no professional degree.
There are three main options for young individuals to get started with BP:
Below, we will discuss each of these student careers at BP in detail, and then will cover the application process you can expect for these.
BP student programmes are training and internship programmes for the students who are in the first, second or third year of university or college. This is a great opportunity to earn while you learn.
BP offers a life changing opportunity to students with the help of these Student Programmes with very basic qualifications and requirements. Let’s take a look at the qualifications required to apply for BP Student Programmes.
Qualifications to apply for BP Student Programmes
You can apply to the following career areas at BP, but it’s not limited to this. These areas consist of a vast number of job functions within them.
Job Functions available for BP Student Programmes
Salary and perks of getting into BP Student Programmes
And much more!
The BP Graduate Programmes are training and development programmes specially curated for the fresh graduates. These programmes enable the candidates to develop various soft and hard skills while working with BP.
What qualifications do you need to apply for BP Graduate Programmes? There’s not much. Let’s take a look.
Qualifications for BP Graduate Programmes
BP Graduate Programmes allow you to apply in various career areas, these are discussed below. However, the career opportunities at BP aren’t limited to these areas.
Job Functions available at BP for Graduates
Salary and perks of getting into BP Graduate Programmes
BP School leavers Programme comes with three kinds of opportunities, these are:
You can apply to any three of the above programmes, depending on your area of interest and qualifications. Let us discuss the essentials of a couple of these programmes in detail below.
BP apprenticeships enable the school leavers to start their career and get opportunities for training and development from the best mentors at BP. BP offers Level 4 to Level 6 apprenticeships to school leavers in the following areas:
To get into the BP School Leavers apprenticeships, you need to meet the basic requirements. We will discuss them below, let’s take a look.
Minimum requirements to get into any BP Apprenticeship
Having noted that, below are the different programmes that fall under the BP Apprenticeship programme.
The applications for BP Apprenticeship Programmes mostly start in the month of September. Make sure to apply on the website as soon as possible.
Next, let’s discuss the BP Shipping Cadets Programme.
BP Shipping Cadets Programme is for those who are interested in working as the crew members of the ship.
The Shipping Cadets programme lets you understand and contribute to the real strength of the BP transportation wing.
The BP Shipping Cadets Programme is a 3-year programme, offering a salary that starts at £11,000 per year and offers careers in the following areas:
To apply to the BP Shipping Cadets Programme, you need to fulfil the minimum requirements of the programme. They are:
What soft skills are expected by a BP Shipping Cadet?
The soft skills BP expects in a shipping cadet are:
How to Apply for the BP Student and Graduate Schemes?
Now that we have discussed the basic requirements, you should know the BP graduate and internship recruitment process. Let’s go through each of these recruitment stages briefly:
Go Premium with GF and practice for your BP graduate scheme application process to get ahead!
Many of the applications for these BP Student and Graduate Careers programmes open on the 5th October, but there are a number of different opportunities they offer on a rolling basis.
Apply to BP on their website as early as possible to boost your chances of an offer and kickstart your professional career with BP today!
Still looking for answers to some of your burning questions about the BP hiring process? Don’t miss our quick BP FAQs below.
The BP Assessment Centre will require you to sit for various assessments which are:
Practice for your BP assessment centre exercises with GF to get a head start!
BP graduates programs will depend on the location and the graduate job. BP graduate schemes in the US will last between 18 to 36 months with opportunity to explore other areas of the business. Explore the graduate descriptions using the BP candidate matching tool.
The first round BP interview will be a 30-minute video interview. You will have 3 minutes to answer each question. Depending on the role, candidates will expect 1-2 interviews during the BP assessment centre, with behaviour and technical questions.
Applicants can check the status of their application at any time. Log into your BP account using your email address and password in order to review the current status of your application.
Practice for your BP video interview with our practice video interview tool.
Practice and Register with GF to get your job with BP first time
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Correct answers to example questions:
Numerical Reasoning Test: D
Verbal Reasoning Test: B
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