Guide to a Engineering Graduate Assessment Centre

What happens in a graduate assessment centre for engineers

Group tasks: You'll be divided into groups and assigned a task, which could be an engineering challenge or something entirely unrelated to engineering. Your team will need to collaborate to solve the problem and propose solutions. Interviewers will watch from a corner.

Presentations: You and your team will need to do a presentation on the group project. Alternatively, you might present a case study that you've prepared in advance or one that you've been given on the day, though that is less common.

Competency interview questions: Focused on evaluating your experience, motivations, non-technical problem-solving abilities, project management, and teamwork skills. They often begin with phrases such as "Tell me about a time when..." or "Give an example of how you would...".

Technical interview questions: Designed to assess your engineering knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of industry standards and practice.

How to prepare for an engineering graduate assessment centre

Prepare good hard-hitting questions

Develop questions that reflect genuine curiosity and a deep understanding of the company. Avoid relying only on information from the company’s website, as it’s often full of fluff. Instead, find more substantive sources like financial reports, annual reports, and even negative reviews on Glassdoor. Compare this information with other companies in the industry.

This approach helps you spot business challenges, employee issues, and areas where the company might lag behind competitors. Use these insights to ask direct and informed questions about their operations and culture.

Don’t over-prepare

Avoid the trap of memorising answers or over-preparing for every possible question.

No matter how much you prepare, interviewers will ask unexpected questions or approach familiar ones from new angles. These situations call for adaptability rather than a mental scramble for rehearsed replies. The goal is to maintain a smooth, natural conversation instead of delivering pre-packaged responses.

Relying too much on memorised answers can prevent you from being relaxed and authentic during the interview. It's usually obvious when someone is reciting from memory, which can disrupt the conversational flow essential for a successful interview. Furthermore, memorisation can derail your thought process, making it easier to lose your train of thought and negatively affecting your performance.

How to ace the graduate assessment centre group exercise

It’s not about making bold moves

I heard of an graduate assessment centre held by an engineering consulting firm, where participants were divided into teams to advise a client on an underperforming infrastructure asset. The task was to propose plans for its rehabilitation or replacement.

Some teams presented overly ambitious plans, overestimating the client’s financial capabilities and the feasibility of their engineering solutions. Others made very conservative proposals, suggesting minimal changes and investment, which almost disparaged the value of the project.

One team stood out by recommending against a full project commitment. They cited their firm's limited resources and the project's limited potential for success. Instead, they focused on enhancing a single, profitable component of the infrastructure, proposing improvements for a reasonable cost.

Despite not proposing a full project plan, their cautious and analytical approach won most of them job offers. This example highlights the importance of thoughtful analysis and strategic planning over rash decisions and grand promises. It's not about the number of proposals but the quality and feasibility of your solutions.

Ignore graduate assessment centre group exercise tips that advise you to make bold moves.

Make others shine

You will be judged on your ability to collaborate effectively and be a leader. However, the key to success isn't about grand gestures or taking the limelight.

Don't just give room for your teammates to speak, encourage their participation and actively seek their insights.

Continuously gauge your share of the conversation across all assessment day exercises to make sure you’re not being overbearing. Aim for a sweet spot where you're contributing just a tiny bit more than what might be considered 'your fair share.’

Ignore the awkwardness

One of the most common tips for group exercise in graduate assessment centres is: participate actively but avoid dominating the conversation. All participants follows this advice so remember that this leads to a comical display of politeness, as everyone constantly seeks each others' opinions and offers gentle suggestions.

This situation will often feel awkward.

Bring order

Since everyone tends to be overly polite, conversations can become confusing and slow.

Be the person who summarises arguments, presents the options, and outlines the next steps. However, remember not to dominate the conversation.

How to ace the graduate assessment centre presentation

Bring up the energy

Unlike in a group exercise, you don't need to worry about getting in the way of others speaking. Your presentation slot is all yours.

Take a step forward and turn up the energy levels.

Watch the clock and make each word count

Do NOT speak for more than your ‘fair share’ of time. It won't earn you extra points and may even cost you some.

Make sure every sentence serves a clear, distinct purpose. It's the quality of your speech and the density of your ideas that matters.

Anybody can babble for a long time. Don’t do it.

When it comes to slides, less is more

If you've watched an Apple release event, you might have noticed their minimalist approach to slides. This is despite the fact they’re presenting high-tech, globally impactful products to tech industry professionals and journalists.

Apple’s approach underscores an important presentation principle: slides are there to serve as a guide, not to be the main attraction. Avoid cluttered visuals to ensure that the audience's attention remains on you and the story you're weaving with your words.

Create slides that subtly structure your points, and then talk to your audience, not the slides.

Reflecting on the assessment centre group exercise

You will likely be asked to reflect on the assessment centre group exercise in your assessment day interview.

Focus on self-critical analysis to demonstrate your ability for self-reflection and commitment to growth.

Recognise the positive contributions of other interviewees. At the same time, offer critical feedback, but ensure it is constructive and light touch. Avoid appearing like you're trying to undermine others.

How to ace the graduate assessment centre interview

The technical interview questions

You can’t get good at technical interview questions as part of your last minute assessment day preparation. They assess your capacity for analysis, problem-solving, and your engineering knowledge. You might be asked about projects you've worked on, challenges faced by the company you're applying to, or even specialised engineering subjects that will likely be unfamiliar to you.

Success doesn't come from preparing for specific questions, but rather from understanding the structure of the questions and adhering to key principles.

There’s a lot to it, so we've written a special guide:

The competency interview questions

When it comes to competency questions, it's not the granular breakdown of the conversation that leaves a lasting mark on the interviewer but rather the overarching impression you make, which they can comfortably communicate to their colleagues.

To give you with the tools to make a memorable impact, we've crafted a guide focused entirely on this topic:

Guide to engineering Job Interviews for Students and Recent Graduates

What about reasoning tests?

Most graduate schemes make you take online reasoning tests as part of your application. It's important not to cheat, as many companies will ask you to retake the tests at your assessment centre.

If you did cheat (I wasn’t born yesterday, I know a lot of you do), it’s not too late to start practicing. Check our guide to reasoning tests.

What to wear to a graduate assessment centre

Find out the company's everyday dress code and wear something slightly more formal. If they wear suits without ties, wear a suit with a tie. If they wear jeans and T-shirts, opt for a casual shirt. Matching their vibe and making an effort shows you can read the room and align with their culture.

Don’t stress about a cheap outfit. Recruiters know you’re likely a student with limited funds and don’t care. In fact, they might judge you negatively if you wear something flashy.

The social side of assessment days for engineers

Social breaks

While it might not be an explicit criteria on the interviewers' evaluation sheet, your ability to engage with others during these breaks can subtly influence their overall impression of you, both consciously and subconsciously.

Most companies operate through personal connections among colleagues so it’s important to show you can build friendly relationships. Engage in light-hearted conversations with fellow interviewees—remember, they don't influence the hiring decision, but appearing sociable to interviewers is key. So, relax and have a good time and remember it’s an important part of engineering assessment centre activities.

Social events

Some graduate assessment centres do social events like lunches or tea breaks. The change to a more casual social setting doesn't mean you should let down your guard.

If you're somebody who naturally gravitates towards the spotlight, remember that these moments aren't your cue to dominate the scene.

On the other hand, if you don’t consider themselves the life of the party, there's no need to stress. Interviewers understand that many confident leaders identify as introverts and may have begun their corporate journeys as shy and reserved individuals. What truly matters in these situations is effort.

How to know if your graduate assessment centre went well

Reflect on the day's events and consider what you can learn from the experience, but avoid over-analysing. Excessive reflection can lead to overthinking.

Always ask for feedback. Regardless of your performance, feedback is something you are owed.