Shell Game Assessments, Interviews & Video Interviews. 2023 Practice Guide.

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SUMMARY

Are you applying to Shell 2023 internships or graduate programs? Are you exploring a professional job opportunity at Shell? This comprehensive guide is for you.

The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at Shell across the globe, including the UK and US.

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

Should you practice assessments to prepare for the Shell recruitment process? Many large employers are leveraging gamified assessments as part of their recruitment processes (Institute of Student employers, 2018). A few of these major companies include Unilever, HSBC and RBS.

IN A NUTSHELL:

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

1. Online Application
   • Fill in your Shell online application.
   • Match your application to Shell’s core values.
   • Use their language/keywords from the job post in your resume.
   • Tailor the information you provide with the role’s competency needs.
2. Prepare for Shell’s Hirevue Game Assessments

Understand Hirevue game assessments. Learn what they measure, what you need to do, and how much time they take. Practice with us today, games similar to those used by Shell.

3. Record mock video interviews of yourself

Prepare for your Shell HireVue on-demand video interview by running mock interviews and answering typical interview questions for the role you are applying for. For Shell interview practice, use the following:

• a smartphone to record yourself
• Zoom or
• Our reliable video interview platform

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

4. Prepare for the Shell Final Assessment

Excel in the Shell Assessment Centre and get ahead of competitors, practice a variety of exercises including a Personal case study and group case study. Hone your technique in a final interview to showcase your knowledge and understanding of the role.

Continue reading to get answers to the following important questions:

1. What are all Shell recruitment assessment stages? 
2. What games does Shell use to hire? 
3. How to crack and pass Shell’s Hirevue games and interviews? 
4. How to answer Shell competency-based and behavioural interview questions? 

Looking into assessments with Shell, simply click on the table below to practice evaluations relevant to your assessment process!

Shell’s recruitment process is split into four stages. Each stage will assess you on various competencies and skills.

We will cover what each stage entails in this guide:

Contents

1. Who is Shell?
2. Shell Online Application Form
3. Shell Game-Based Assessments
4. Shell On-demand Video Interview
5. Shell Final Assessment
   • Shell Case Study
   • Shell Final Interview

Good to Know Bonuses:

6. Shell Graduate Programmes
7. Shell Assessment FAQs

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Who is Shell?

Royal Dutch Shell, commonly referred to as Shell, is a multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is one of the largest oil and gas companies, and also one of the largest corporations in the world. 

Shell is active in all areas of the oil and gas industry including; exploration, production, refining, transport, trading, as well as the energy sector. Being a vertically integrated organisation, Shell operates in over 99 countries and as of 2022, employs 86,000 people.

Due to the high demands for its various positions, Shell needs to screen thousands of applications every year to select the best candidates. Discover the range of roles you can apply to at Shell below.

Business Areas & Jobs in Shell

What roles can I apply for at Shell?

Shell is a diversified organisation active in all areas of the oil and gas industry and the energy sector. Below are some of the key business areas and roles in Shell:

These are just a few examples of the business areas and job roles at Shell.

So how do we apply for these roles? We cover this in subsequent sections.

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Shell Online Application Form

What is the Shell online application form?

The Shell online application is the first stage of Shell’s recruitment process. Once you have found a position or program you are interested in, you will need to log into the organisation’s careers website and complete an online application.

It takes no longer than 10 minutes to fill out the online application form. While filling out the online application, you will be required to provide information that covers the following areas:

• Personal information 
• Education and qualifications 
• Contact information 
• Resume upload/Experience
• Diversity e.g. race, ethnicity, etc.
• Additional information, e.g. disability information, need for sponsorship, etc.

When filling out your Shell application form, ensure you have extensively researched the role and the company’s core values so you can reflect them in your responses and also throughout your recruitment process.

What are Shell’s Core Values?

Shell has three major core values that you will be assessed for. The values are codes of conduct that Shell employees also apply to the day-to-day tasks. Shell’s core values are:

1. Respect: Equal opportunity for all to progress irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or other differences.
2. Honesty: Having the courage to speak up and celebrate those who do the right thing.
3. Integrity: Empowered staff and business partners who know the appropriate situation to say ‘No’.

Along with its core values, the company also uses the CAR competency framework to assess you throughout the Shell recruitment process.

What is the Shell CAR competency framework?

The Shell CAR is a competency framework that Shell assesses candidates against during its hiring process, especially during the various interviews. CAR entails:

1. Capacity – intellectual, analytical and creative ability to learn quickly, identify issues, make judgements and propose solutions.
2. Achievement – enthusiasm, resilience, confidence, and ability to always get things done.
3. Relationship skills – character and ability to work effectively with others in a diverse team.

After completing the online application form, you will move on to the next stage in the recruitment process which is Shell online assessments. The online assessment is in two phases; Shell game-based assessments and a Shell video interview.

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Shell Game-based Assessments

After you’ve submitted your Shell application, you will be asked to complete 4 online game-based assessments.

What are the Shell game-based assessments?

Shell’s game-based assessments are designed to measure your cognitive abilities and your working style preferences by assessing you with different challenges. These games take approximately 20 minutes to finish and must be completed within five days of receiving the assessment invite.

Who is the Shell game assessment provider?

Shell game-based assessments are provided by HireVue, a reputable game assessments provider, and the company uses the following HireVue game-based assessments:

1. Shell Flashback Game
2. Shell Digitspan Game
3. Shell Puzzle Picture Game
4. Shell PortraitXT Game

Let’s see what these games assess and the challenges you’ll face from each.

1. Shell Flashback Game

What is the Shell Flashback game?

The Shell Flashback gameassessment is a cognitive ability game that assesses your memory and attention.

• The time allotted for Flashback is 3 minutes. 
• Your task is to check if the shapes that appear on the screen match with the shapes that appeared 1,2,3 or 4 steps back.

How to pass the Shell Flashback game?

Practice with our GF Cognition-A™ game to help improve your chances of success with attention-based assessments.

2. Shell Digitspan Game

What is the Shell Digitspan game?

The Shell Digitspan game is a cognitive ability game that measures your memory.

• The time allotted for Digitspan is 3 minutes. 
• Your task in this game is to memorise the numbers that appear on the screen and type them in the same order they were shown to you.

How to ace the Shell Digitspan game?

Practice your short-term memory ability ahead of your Shell game assessment with our own Cognition-M™ game assessment, designed by our experts to test and improve your memory. 

3. Shell Puzzle Picture Game

What is the Shell Puzzle Picture game?

The Shell Puzzle Picture game assessment measures your speed to recall and solve problems.

• The time allotted for Puzzle Picture is 3 minutes. 
• Your task in this game is to memorise the target image and recreate it by moving the tiles to their right position.

How to ace the Shell Puzzle Picture game?

You can also use our Cognition-M™ game assessment to practice your short-term memory ability for the Shell Puzzle Picture assessment.

4. Shell PortraitXT Game

What is the Shell PortraitXT game?

The Shell PortraitXT game gauges and measures your workstyle preferences. This game is similar to a typical personality questionnaire.

• The time allotted for PortraitXT is 5 minutes. 
• Your task in this Shell questionnaire is to indicate the likeness of a particular work personality statement given, with your work personality.

How to prepare for the Shell PortraitXT game?

Prepare for your Shell PortaitXT personality game with our Work Personality Questionnaire and gain first-hand insights into your work personality and preferences.

Shell’s HireVue game-based assessments can be tricky to navigate. However, consider the valuable tips below to help you ace them.

4 Top Tips to Pass Shell Game-Based Assessments

1. Remain highly focused and take the assessment with a clear head. Shell game-based assessments measure your memory, attention, and spatial reasoning. Avoid distractions to stay focused.

2. Read the instructions provided thoroughly. Do not underestimate how helpful they can be. Don’t assume you know what to do just because you’ve played Tetris or Fortnite!

3. Ensure you meet the technical recommendations made by HireVue and Shell before starting the assessments. Check your internet speed and use the recommended device and browser.

4. Practice with similar game assessments to help you become more familiar with the games and how they are used to assess you to prepare and improve your score.

Check out our short video below for more tips on how to pass your Shell game assessments.

How to practice for Shell game based assessments?

Below is a list of GF practice game assessments that are similar to Shell HireVue game-based assessments.

Each of our practice games are designed to replicate one or more of the game assessments that Shell uses.

Based on your performance in the game assessments, if you meet the threshold score and get successfully shortlisted, you will be invited to complete the next part of this stage which is the Shell video interview.

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Shell On-demand Video Interview (ODVI)

What is the Shell on-demand video interview?

The Shell on-demand video interview is the final part of the online assessment stage. The ODVI is a short video interview where you record answers to pre-recorded competency-based questions asked by current Shell graduate employees.

How long is the Shell on-demand interview?

The interview takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and you are required to complete it within 10 days of receiving the ODVI invite.

Watch our short video below to gain more insight into how a Shell on-demand video interview works.

Practice more Competency-based interview questions commonly used by Shell with our 60 unique video interview sets used across top industries on our Practice Video Interviewing Platform.

EXAMPLE SHELL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Some Shell HireVue interview questions you may come across include:

• Why do you want to work at Shell?
• Tell us about a time you asked for feedback.
• Tell me about a time when you changed someone’s opinion.
• Tell me about a time when you resolved a conflict.
• Mention a time when you put your team’s needs above your own.

Below we cover some tips on how to answer some of these questions and have made our own example answers to them using the STAR+R model.

Question: Tell us about a time you asked for feedback.

Good Answer:

• Situation – At my previous job, I was tasked with creating a comprehensive marketing strategy for a new product launch.

• Task – The success of the launch was critical for the company, and I wanted to ensure I was on the right track with my plans. I needed the input of senior colleagues.

• Action – To get meaningful feedback, I scheduled one-on-one meetings with my manager and senior marketers who were involved in the project. In these meetings, I presented my strategy and specifically asked for honest feedback on its strengths and potential weaknesses. The feedback I received was invaluable. My colleagues praised the quality of the strategy and identified a few areas where I could enhance the customer journey. 

• Result – As a result, the product launch following this revised strategy was highly successful, exceeding our sales targets by 20%.

• Reflection – The experience taught me the importance of seeking feedback early in the process and how it can significantly impact my learning and growth. I can use feedback to boost my skills and improve the quality of my work.

Question: Mention a time when you put your team’s needs above your own.

Good Answer:

• Situation – During a critical project at work, our team was facing tight deadlines and an unexpected increase in workload due to several team members falling ill.

• Task – As the team lead, it was my responsibility to ensure the project stayed on track and met the deadlines despite the challenges.

• Action – I ensured to step in and take on some of the tasks that were originally assigned to my team members who were unable to work from the illness. I also organised a meeting to discuss individual workloads and reassign tasks based on everyone’s strengths and availability.

• Result – We were able to manage the increased workload efficiently. My assistance in taking on extra tasks not only lightened the burden on my team but also boosted their morale and we successfully completed the project ahead of schedule, exceeding our client’s expectations.

• Reflection – This experience taught me the importance of selflessness in leadership and teamwork. By stepping in and supporting my team during challenging times, we built a stronger sense of teamwork and trust.

Take a break from reading with our quick video for more tips on how to answer Shell behavioral interview questions:

9 Top Tips to Pass the Shell On-demand Video Interview

1. Research the role you are applying for properly. Read the job description thoroughly to help you identify the skills and competencies required for the position.

2. Tailor your answers with Shell’s core values and CAR competency framework in mind. This way you can ensure you give answers they want to hear.

3. Use the STAR+R model to answer competency-based questions. Describe the specific situation, the challenge you faced, the action you took, the outcome, and what you learned from the experience. Just as we did above in the example answers.

4. Dress smart. The outfit you choose to wear is just as important as it would be in an in-person interview. Presenting yourself professionally is important for a good first impression.

5. Watch the time. Be mindful of the time limit for your answers and try to close them well, it should be smooth and not abrupt.

6. Use the technical recommendations made by HireVue and Shell for the ODVI. Similar to the games, check your internet speed and use the recommended gadget and browser.

7. Use body language effectively: Remember that your body language and voice say a lot about you and help set the first impression. Speak clearly, look directly into the camera and practice to sound both relaxed and confident.

8. Use proper and appropriate hand gestures. These can help display confidence when speaking, but also be mindful to not use them in an excessive or distracting way.

9. Remain relaxed and calm while giving your answers. Practising and reviewing your answers before you answer the questions always helps in this aspect.

Watch our short video below for more body language tips you can learn and use during your Shell video interview.

Once the Shell on-demand video interview is submitted, you are done with the first segment of Shell’s recruitment process. Your recorded answers will be assessed and if you make it through, you will be invited for a final assessment.

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Shell Final Assessment

What is the Shell final assessment?

Shell’s final assessment is typically a virtual assessment centre. It is the final stage of the Shell recruitment process and during this final assessment, Shell will assess your behaviours in a typical work environment and against its competency framework, CAR.

This final stage is a live online session with two professionals from Shell. The exercises you will encounter and be required to complete as part of Shell’s final assessment are;

• Shell Case Study
• Shell Final Interview

Read on to understand what each of these entails, what they assess, and tips on how to navigate them.

Shell Case Study

What is the Shell case study?

A Shell case study will involve you studying and analysing a document brief, usually about a fictional company, and preparing a presentation based on your findings, thoughts, and recommendations.

You will be provided with the case study brief 48 hours before the fixed date and on the fixed day, you will be assigned a topic relating to your case study.

How long is the Shell case study?

Your Shell case study can take up to 60 minutes, which will be split into:

• 20-30 minutes to prepare and make the presentation
• 5-10 minutes to conduct the presentation
• 30 minutes to take questions and additional scenarios from the assessors and answer them.

5 Top Tips to Ace Your Shell Case Study

1. Don’t forget Shell’s CAR competency framework. It is especially important, especially at this stage of the company’s recruitment.

2. Understand the Case. Carefully read and analyse the case study provided. Identify the key issues, challenges, and objectives presented in the scenario.

3. Prioritise Recommendations: Select the most viable and effective solutions and prioritise them based on their impact on the company’s objectives.

4. Prepare a Structured Response. Organise your response in a clear and structured manner. Use headings, bullet points, or numbered lists to present your ideas logically.

5. Stay Calm and Confident. During the assessment, stay composed and confident in your abilities. Remember that your composure and behavioural responses are being taken into account too.

After the case study session, there will be a final interview. 

Shell Final Interview

What is the final Shell interview?

The Shell final assessment interview is a chance for Shell to get to know you better and for you to get to know more about Shell, including the role and what it entails. The questions asked during this interview will be a mix of motivational and strength-based questions. 

Shell Final Interview Example Questions and Answers

Some examples of questions you could be asked in your Shell final interview are:

• Why do you want to work for Shell?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Tell us about yourself.
• What do you look for in a job?
• Why do you want to work in the energy sector?

So how do we answer these Shell interview questions? Consider the following 6 tips to answer questions during your Shell final assessment interview.

1. Research Shell and the role thoroughly. Make sure you have an idea of all aspects of the organisation, especially the business area you are applying to.

2. Personalise your answers. Try to ensure that your answers are about you and how you align with Shell, its values, and the role you applied for.

3. Remember CAR. Incorporate these competencies into your answers whenever you can, especially when talking about yourself.

4. Keep your answers simple. Overall, the assessors are just trying to get to know you better and assess how well you would fit in Shell.

5. Maintain good body language. Use body language that demonstrates positive and professional behaviour, such as subtle hand gestures and sitting up straight.

6. Prepare questions of your own. This final interview is also a chance for you to get to know more about the role and internal structures or procedures at Shell.

What questions can I ask in the Shell final interview?

Here are some questions you might want to consider asking your assessors in your Shell final interview:

1. What are some of the role’s challenges?
2. How do you measure success and what are your expectations for the first 6-12 months?
3. What do you enjoy about your job?
4. Are there opportunities for professional development?
5. Is there anything about my resume that concerns you?

Discover 5 more questions you could ask in your Shell final interview with our short video below:

And….that’s a wrap on the Shell recruitment process! If you are successful with your application, Shell would invite you for a visitation day at one of its branches for you to get a taste of what it’s like to work at Shell. This is called the Shell Connect.

Beyond that, your recruitment point of contact will be in touch with you to provide further advice and take you through your offer.

While you’re still here…

Check out our next section on the graduate programs and internship roles that await you at Shell.

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Shell Graduate Programme and Internships

Shell Graduate Program

What is the Shell graduate program?

Shell’s graduate program aims to develop future leaders by providing comprehensive business knowledge and training. It exposes graduates or soon-to-be graduates to multiple business areas of the organisation, allowing them to choose a career path with appropriate guidance and support.

Shell also provides a degree matcher that helps align your qualifications and interests with suitable roles within Shell. Shell graduate programme offers entry into;

1. Functional roles – Human Resources, Contracting and Procurement, Finance, Information and Digital Technology.
2. Commercial roles – Downstream Commercial, Supply Chain, Renewable and Energy Solutions Commercial, Upstream and Integrated Gas Commercial.
3. Technical roles – Process Engineering, Projects, Civil Offshore and Pipelines, Geoscience, Petroleum Engineering, etc.

Eligibility Criteria for Shell Graduate Programme

• Education: A graduate or a student in the final year of their degree. For technical roles, you will need a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification. For Commercial and Corporate roles you will need a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent.
• Experience: You don’t need to have any prior experience. However, Any roles you have had should be included in your CV along with your achievements.

Duration: The Shell Graduate Program lasts 3 years on average.

Locations: Shell’s graduate programs are available globally in the countries the company operates in including; the UK and the US.

Application Deadline: Shell welcomes applications from August to December. In some cases, it may be open earlier depending on business hiring needs.

Shell Internships

What are the Shell internship opportunities?

The Shell Internships, also known as Assessed Internships, are designed to give soon-to-be graduates an action role in the Shell business.

Giving the leverage to work on real-life projects, Assessed Interns are mentored and supported by their leaders and mentor guides through the completion of a major project with clear deliverables and outcomes, helping them grow in various areas.

Shell Assessed Internships offers openings in various business areas, specifically the project teams. Some example internship areas include;

1. Technical Internship Areas – Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Production, Process, Petroleum, Project, Well), Research & Development and Geoscience.
2. Commercial/Functional Internship Areas – Contracting & Procurement, Sales & Marketing, Commercial & Retail, Trading, Business Development, Human Resources, Accounting, Finance and Information Technology.

Eligibility Criteria for Shell Assessed Internships

• Education: An actively enrolled student who will complete at least one more semester of education after the internship. You must have a minimum Cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 3.20.
• Experience: You don’t need to have any experience. However, whatever role you might have filled in the past, whether voluntary or a position in school, should be included in your CV along with your achievements.

Duration: The Shell Assessed Internship typically lasts for 10-12 weeks.

Locations: Shell’s assessed internships are available globally in the countries the company operates in including; the UK and US.

Application Deadline: Shell welcomes applications from August to December. In some cases, it may be open earlier depending on business hiring needs.

Before you go ahead and begin your Shell application and assessments, check out our FAQ section below to find even more answers to frequently asked questions concerning Shell game assessments, interviews, and hiring process.

Shell Assessment FAQs