Citi · Psychometric Tests
Citi sifts candidates through Plum Discovery Survey + Korn Ferry Talent Q Elements before any interview. Below: the exact format, what each section tests, and how to practise it in identical conditions until you walk in confident.
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The format
The primary quantitative and psychological gate, immediately after the CV and motivation questions and strictly before the HireVue video interview.
Most psychometric tests split into 3-5 sections, each with its own clock. Speed and accuracy both count.
Modern formats get harder if you answer correctly, easier if you struggle. Your final score reflects what you can actually do under time pressure.
Citi sets a pass mark per test type. Below it, you don't progress regardless of how strong the rest of your application is.
Completion window. The link is dispatched within 24-72 hours of clearing the baseline ATS check, with a hard expiry of 3-5 calendar days (typically 72 hours for IBD and Markets, up to 120 for operations and technology).
By division. The Plum Discovery Survey is universal. Front-office pipelines (IBD, Corporate Banking, Markets) and the Spring Insight add the Korn Ferry Talent Q Elements adaptive tests; Software Engineering and Quant tracks append a HackerRank coding assessment.
Recent changes. Citi has streamlined to Plum as the universal screening layer with Korn Ferry layered on for quantitative front-office roles, moving away from fragmented per-division testing.
The provider
Citi configures its own selection of Plum Discovery Survey + Korn Ferry Talent Q Elements modules. Below: the exact products in the suite, why they were chosen, and what the provider's reputation is across the candidate pool.
History at Citi. Plum is the established universal screen used to remove resume bias; Korn Ferry adaptive testing is the front-office quantitative filter.
Candidate reputation. Plum mixes abstract puzzles with forced-choice behavioural traits in an untimed format that resists cramming. Korn Ferry is a computer-adaptive engine that raises difficulty after correct answers and applies intense per-question time pressure.
Section breakdown
Each section has its own format, timer and trap pattern. Worked examples below show exactly what you will see and where candidates drop points.
Around 12 questions · 75 seconds for a new data set, 45 seconds for follow-ups on it
What it tests. Currency translation, percentage and compound growth (CAGR), ratio analysis and fast data interpretation.
Worked example. Given divisional revenue in EUR and shifting EUR/GBP rates, compute the percentage change in GBP terms; distractor options match common errors such as multiplying instead of dividing by the rate.
Common traps. Distractor answers that correspond to mistakes like simple two-year averages instead of geometric CAGR.
How to handle it. Do not linger on a dead-end; a blank drops your adaptive difficulty and caps your percentile, so make an educated approximation and move on.
Around 15 questions · 75 seconds for a passage, 45 seconds for statement slides
What it tests. Separating verified evidence from assumption under time pressure.
Worked example. On a passage where a policy applies to all cross-border deals above £50m, the statement that emerging-market entities are 'formally exempt' is False; whether a breach reduces a bonus is Cannot Say.
Common traps. Bringing outside banking knowledge to validate a statement the text does not state.
How to handle it. Treat 'True' as needing literal verification, 'False' as directly contradicted, and 'Cannot Say' for anything not explicitly supported.
About 10-14 puzzles · Untimed
What it tests. Fluid intelligence, spatial pattern recognition and rule induction.
Worked example. A 3x3 matrix where side counts increase by one across a row and internal symbols increase by one, with shading alternating; the missing tile is an octagon with three centred stars.
Common traps. Identifying only the first rule and missing a secondary overlapping transformation (rotation or shading).
How to handle it. Decompose each puzzle into independent components, outer shapes, inner symbols, line counts and shading, before checking the options.
About 15 scenarios · Untimed
What it tests. Teamwork, ethics, compliance and conflict resolution in a banking setting.
Worked example. An Associate instructs you to finalise a deck built on outdated, inflated market-share data; the best response checks in, presents the updated source and suggests a clarifying footnote, while escalating straight to the MD is the least effective.
Common traps. Choosing passive (avoid conflict) or aggressive (bypass the chain of command) options.
How to handle it. Filter every choice through risk awareness, long-term client focus and clear ethical standards; the right answer is proactive and collaborative.
About 30-40 screens · Untimed
What it tests. Behavioural consistency and alignment with Plum's talent model (execution, innovation, decision-making, adaptation).
Worked example. From statements on reviewing datasets for errors, leading ambiguous projects, or prioritising collaboration, rank Most and Least; reviewing datasets fits IBD, collaboration fits Corporate Banking and Wealth.
Common traps. Gaming the test with contradictory choices across screens, which the consistency engine flags.
How to handle it. Hold a consistent professional identity that matches your true strengths and your division's requirements.
Pass mark
Citi uses percentile ranking against a moving norm group of top-tier applicants, not a raw-score pass mark. Korn Ferry adaptive scaling weights questions by complexity; Plum maps behaviour across a ten-talent matrix.
Methodology. An aggregated multi-dimensional profile across numerical, verbal, abstract and behavioural areas. A severe weakness in one area can fail the application even with strong scores elsewhere (a risk mismap).
Response time. Typically 2-3 weeks; passes are invited to HireVue.
Score visibility. No raw scores or percentiles are shared. Plum emails a generic Talent Profile of your top three talents and working style, but omits the internal score sent to Citi.
How to practise
Same provider, same section structure, same time pressure. With a scored report after every test so you can fix the weakest section before the real one.
Free practice section, scored. Full report unlocks with the Pack.
Why candidates fail
Specific failure patterns documented across past applicants. Most are avoidable with structured preparation.
Failing the adaptive pacing
Over-investing in one hard numerical question runs the timer out, leaving a blank that caps your maximum score.
Extrapolating in verbal reasoning
Making leaps from real-world knowledge instead of the provided text.
Inconsistent behavioural reporting
Shifting personality answers to guess what the firm wants lowers your consistency score.
Calculation mechanics under pressure
Using simple averages instead of compounding, or the wrong currency direction.
Over-dominating the SJT
Choosing independent action that bypasses risk lines or leaves stakeholders out of the loop.
Treating abstract puzzles as random
Guessing without breaking down the transformation patterns step by step.
Launching without practice runs
Taking the test without acclimatising to the adaptive interface and timers.
What works
Concrete habits drilled by candidates who clear the cut-off, drawn from applicant accounts and practice patterns.
Masterful interface control
Maintaining accuracy on early-intermediate questions to unlock higher-scoring, harder problems under adaptive scoring.
Strict time-budgeting
Using the 75-second data window to map a table's structure before touching the calculator.
Disciplined 'Cannot Say'
Selecting it whenever the text does not explicitly verify a statement, without external assumptions.
Pre-assessment calibration runs
30-45 minutes of numerical and logical practice immediately before logging in to sharpen pattern recognition.
A consistent forced-choice profile
Holding one professional identity across the personality sections, aligned to the division.
From past applicants
Anonymised candidate accounts of how recent applicants approached the Citi assessment. Each covers the prep, the experience, and the outcome.
Corporate Banking analyst (passed)
Prep. About 12 hours on adaptive numerical packages.
Experience. Plum plus Korn Ferry adaptive numerical and verbal. The numerical grew harder after three correct answers, reaching a multi-currency debt-maturity table by question seven; focused on accuracy over speed and kept a consistent, execution-oriented Plum profile.
Outcome. HireVue invite about two weeks later.
Global Markets summer analyst (passed)
Prep. Practised abstract pattern mapping.
Experience. Intense Korn Ferry adaptive reasoning with tight per-question limits and long verbal passages; the untimed Plum abstract puzzles allowed methodical decomposition. Prioritised compliance, verification and team communication on the nuanced SJT.
Outcome. Cleared the threshold and received the interview link ten days later.
Practice strategy
To clear the 80th percentile for front-office roles, practise deliberately against the real formats.
Adaptive simulation
The Intervyo Citi pack runs the Korn Ferry Talent Q and Plum-style formats under question-level timers, matching the adaptive interface.
Core financial maths
Drill percentage change, currency translation, multi-tier margins and CAGR until automatic.
Free practice on Intervyo
Run psychometric practice in the relevant formats to calibrate before the live attempt.
Time investment. Passers typically invest 15-25 hours over two weeks, roughly 40% numerical, 30% verbal, 30% abstract and situational.
Time management
FAQ
A stable desktop or laptop on the latest Chrome or Firefox, with extensions and ad-blockers disabled. Avoid tablets and phones for front-office adaptive tests.
The other rounds
Psychometric Tests is one of four rounds. The Pack covers all four end to end.
Citi Pack
Practise the exact Plum Discovery Survey + Korn Ferry Talent Q Elements format ahead of time, scored against the Citi pass mark. One Pack covers HireVue, psychometric tests, live interviews and the assessment centre.
Get the Citi Pack · £69Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Citi, SHL, Pymetrics, Cubiks, AON or any other assessment provider. Test details are sourced from past applicants and published guidance; verify on the firm's careers site before applying. Sector: Investment Banking.
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