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Barclays interview questions

111 questions researched across 6 Barclays seats in Investment Bank, Markets, Private Bank & Wealth. Below are 12 of them.

Seats we researched

  • Graduate AnalystInvestment Bank · graduate · 30 min
  • Summer AnalystInvestment Bank · intern · 20 min
  • Markets Summer AnalystMarkets · intern · 20 min
  • Wealth InternPrivate Bank & Wealth · intern · 20 min
  • Operations InternOperations · intern · 20 min
  • Technology InternTechnology · intern · 20 min

12 Barclays interview questions

  1. Define WACC, give the formula, and explain which inputs matter most.

  2. Walk through an LBO and explain how MOIC and IRR can diverge.

  3. What are the three main valuation methodologies, and which one usually gives you the highest value and why?

  4. Say two companies have very similar balance sheets, but one is valued much higher than the other. Why could that be?

  5. How would you value a supermarket chain?

  6. How do you get from EBITDA to unlevered free cash flow?

  7. And how do you get from enterprise value to equity value? Why do we subtract cash?

  8. Quick one, no calculator: what is 19 squared?

  9. How many light bulbs are there in New York City? Talk me through your estimate.

  10. Tell me about something that is not on your CV.

  11. Walk me through an LBO.

  12. Discuss a recent deal you have followed.

What a strong answer does

The questions above fall into 4 kinds. What a strong answer does differs by kind, not by question.

Technical9 of 12 above
State the intuition first; walk through the mechanics; make assumptions explicit; test a risk or edge case; connect the answer to the role.
Case1 of 12 above
Clarify the objective; build a mutually exclusive structure; prioritize the highest-value branch; analyze with evidence; synthesize a recommendation, risks, and next step.
Behavioral1 of 12 above
Lead with the claim and context; isolate your personal action and decision; explain the trade-off; quantify the result; finish with what you learned and changed.
Market1 of 12 above
State a view; support it with evidence and a catalyst; explain valuation or transmission; give the strongest countercase; name the risk that would change your mind.

99 more Barclays questions

The rest of the bank — 111 in total — is asked by the interviewer during practice, so you meet them the way you would on the day rather than reading them first.

Practise Barclays questions

How these questions were researched

Every question carries a provenance grade. Some were reported by candidates who sat the round, some come from the firm’s own published guidance or a source that trains for it, and the rest are written to match how this firm asks. Each seat is studied on its own — the round it actually runs, the order it runs it in, and what it is listening for. A Barclays round is not a generic behavioural screen, and practising one as the other is how people walk in unprepared.

Falas is not affiliated with or endorsed by any employer named. Simulations are independent practice based on publicly described recruiting formats.