Reading time: 21 minutes
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.
A recent study found that applicants report higher levels of process satisfaction, perceived fairness and organisational attractiveness when the gamified assessment method is used compared to the traditional version. K. Georgiou & I. Nikolaou (2020)
A recent study found that applicants report higher levels of process satisfaction, perceived fairness and organisational attractiveness when the gamified assessment method is used compared to the traditional version.
How to prepare for Shell assessment tests and get the job?
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.
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:
Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
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:
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:
Good to Know Bonuses:
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
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.
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.
Back to Contents
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:
Shell Online Application tip: Remember to brush up your CV with keywords from the job description and necessary skills. You only make it to the next stage if your application stands out from others.
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.
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:
Good to know: The questions you will be asked in Shell’s online application form will cover the company’s core values and simple questions regarding your eligibility of being an employee of the organisation.
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:
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.
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:
Good to know: Each of the Shell HireVue game assessments has several levels so brace yourself because the games get more difficult with each level you pass.
Let’s see what these games assess and the challenges you’ll face from each.
What is the Shell Flashback game?
The Shell Flashback gameassessment is a cognitive ability game that assesses your memory and attention.
Shell Flashback Game tip: Attention and focus are very paramount when playing this game. Ensure you are taking the assessment in a distraction-free area.
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.
What is the Shell Digitspan game?
The Shell Digitspan game is a cognitive ability game that measures your memory.
Shell Digitspan Game tip: As the numbers and letters appear on the screen, try reading them aloud. Your memory works better when you’re active rather than passive.
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.
What is the Shell Puzzle Picture game?
The Shell Puzzle Picture game assessment measures your speed to recall and solve problems.
Shell Puzzle Picture Game tip: Don’t rush into this game. You have unlimited time to memorise the picture before starting the game so leverage it. Only start the game when you are sure you have memorised the picture well.
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.
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.
Shell PortraitXT Game tip: With this game, Shell wants to see how well you would potentially fit into the role and organisation so answer the questions with Shell’s core values and CAR competency framework in mind and honesty.
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.
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.
Good to know: For some specific roles and locations, Shell may opt for a telephone interview and include some assessment tests such as numerical reasoning tests, verbal reasoning tests, and abstract reasoning tests.
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.
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.
Good to know: You will be asked five questions in total, and after each question, you will be given time to think. For each question, you will have 30 seconds to prepare and 3 minutes to record your answer.
Watch our short video below to gain more insight into how a Shell on-demand video interview works.
Shell ODVI tip: Reflect on why Shell is your chosen choice of organisation and personalise your answers. Use your standout experiences to answer these motivational questions.
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.
Some Shell HireVue interview questions you may come across include:
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.
How to Answer: Be specific and provide concrete examples of a time when you received feedback which had a positive influence on you. By sharing specific details, you demonstrate your ability to effectively communicate, seek improvement, and learn from your experiences.
Good Answer:
Question: Mention a time when you put your team’s needs above your own.
How to Answer: While answering this question, ensure you emphasise the positive impact your actions had on the team and the successful outcome achieved. Avoid generalisations and be concise in your explanation while showcasing your leadership and collaboration skills.
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
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.
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;
Read on to understand what each of these entails, what they assess, and tips on how to navigate them.
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:
Discover more about presentations and roleplay scenarios you can expect in an assessment centre with our in-depth guides.
5 Top Tips to Ace Your Shell Case Study
Ace your Shell final assessment with our 10 full sets of exercises including written exercises, presentations, roleplay scenarios and more in our Assessment Centre Prep pack.
After the case study session, there will be a 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.
Good to know: For more experienced roles and positions, Shell may conduct a competency-based or situational-based interview.
Some examples of questions you could be asked in your Shell final interview are:
So how do we answer these Shell interview questions? Consider the following 6 tips to answer questions during your Shell final assessment interview.
Here are some questions you might want to consider asking your assessors in your Shell final interview:
Discover 5 more questions you could ask in your Shell final interview with our short video below:
Get interview-ready with our video interview practice tool! Sign up with GF now and access 39 employer interview sets to practice and hone your skills.
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.
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.
Good to know: For many graduate roles, you may be required to complete a virtual job tryout which contains a job preview to discover more about the program.
Shell also provides a degree matcher that helps align your qualifications and interests with suitable roles within Shell. Shell graduate programme offers entry into;
Eligibility Criteria for Shell Graduate Programme
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.
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;
Eligibility Criteria for Shell Assessed Internships
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.
Good to know: To be eligible for full-time opportunities, you should be in your final year of study or have less than three years of relevant work experience.
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 Virtual Job Tryout is a realistic job preview for you to know more about a graduate program or an assessed internship role. This preview was usually offered in stage one of the Shell recruitment process.
Depending on the role, Shell recruitment process could last between three to four weeks. Note that the recruitment timeline could change depending on the organisation’s needs or for further assessment of candidates.
Start an application on the Shell career website. If your application is accepted, you will go through various stages of assessments and interviews before getting an offer from Shell.
You should receive a response regarding a decision within two weeks, however for some roles this may change, depending on the number of applications received.
Do you want to pass your Shell assessments 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 job candidates (numerical, logical, verbal reasoning, situational judgement tests, assessment centre exercises and more). Buy with peace of mind with a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job assessment tests.
VIEW OUR TEST OPTIONS