Morgan Stanley · Psychometric Tests
Morgan Stanley sifts candidates through Aon Assessment Solutions (Cut-e) 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 first quantitative filter, sitting at the front of the process before any human reviews your CV and strictly before the HireVue invitation.
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.
Morgan Stanley 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 usually arrives within 24-72 hours of applying (some infrastructure tracks fire within 2-3 hours), with a strict 3-5 calendar-day completion window. Earlier in the cycle the effective threshold is lower.
By division. Front-office tracks (IBD, GCM, S&T, Research) run the Aon (Cut-e) suite. Technology and quant trading frequently add or substitute a HackerRank or code-based diagnostic on data structures and algorithmic efficiency.
Recent changes. Morgan Stanley moved away from traditional publishers like SHL or Kenexa to the Aon (Cut-e) ecosystem for its primary front-office intake, and has used it for several consecutive cycles.
The provider
Morgan Stanley configures its own selection of Aon Assessment Solutions (Cut-e) 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 Morgan Stanley. Used for multiple consecutive cycles, replacing legacy SHL/Kenexa testing for front-office intake.
Candidate reputation. Distinct and challenging. Two design features define it: a tabbed dashboard interface where data is split across 5-6 tabs and each question is a separate statement, and a negative-marking policy where wrong answers actively lower your score.
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.
37 questions · 12 minutes (about 19 seconds per question)
What it tests. Data location, rapid fractional arithmetic, compound percentages, currency conversion and chart analysis.
Worked example. Across a Revenue tab and an Exchange-Rate tab, verify 'In Year 3 the Americas division earned more in GBP than UK and Europe combined.' Converting ($110m / 1.25 = £88m) vs (£50m + EUR65m / 1.15 = £106.5m) gives False.
Common traps. The 'tab hang': wasting seconds on the wrong tab when a metric is split across documents, plus blind end-of-test guessing into the negative-marking penalty.
How to handle it. Do not expect to finish all 37. Aim for high accuracy on 24-28, scanning keywords to the matching tab before calculating.
49 questions · 12 minutes (about 15 seconds per question)
What it tests. High-speed scanning, inference vs explicit fact and comprehension of dense text.
Worked example. Given a passage on Basel IV compressing ROE 'unless offset by operational efficiencies', the statement 'Every bank under Basel IV will see an ROE drop' is False, because the text allows an efficient bank to avoid it.
Common traps. Importing outside market knowledge. If the tab does not explicitly support a statement, 'True' is wrong.
How to handle it. Read the statement first, use it as a search query into the right tab, decide and move on. Never wrestle one statement past 20 seconds.
Adaptive, up to ~30 layers · 6 minutes
What it tests. Non-verbal deduction, working memory and algorithmic tracking under stress.
Worked example. With operator 2413, the symbol in position 2 moves to 1, position 4 to 2, position 1 to 3 and position 3 to 4. Stacked operators require deducing the final or the broken code.
Common traps. Losing focus on multi-stage stacked operators by trying to track all four symbols at once.
How to handle it. Track one or two symbols to eliminate code options, and follow the numbers rather than the shapes.
20 tasks · 5 minutes (about 15 seconds per task)
What it tests. Inductive pattern recognition and abstract rule generation.
Worked example. If panels follow a count sequence, the odd one out is the panel with three shapes where the rule expects two; colours and sizes are deliberate distractions.
Common traps. Getting drawn into line thickness or shading when the real rule is count, symmetry, intersection or enclosure.
How to handle it. Run a quick checklist (count, symmetry, intersections, enclosure). If no rule appears within ~7 seconds, make an educated guess and move on.
Scenario-based · About 15-20 minutes total
What it tests. Professional judgement, prioritisation, conflict resolution and values alignment.
Worked example. A colleague suggests a faster file-control method set up by your VP. The optimal reply thanks them, asks for detail and offers to review it with your Associate, balancing openness with respect for structure.
Common traps. Answering on personal style or short-term efficiency, and shifting tone between prompts so the consistency check flags you.
How to handle it. Filter every option through the five core values, favouring compliance, client stability and collaboration.
Pass mark
Aon converts raw performance into a percentile against a global finance norm group of top university applicants and finance professionals, not a simple raw-score pass mark.
Methodology. Final score = correct minus (incorrect x penalty weight). Scores aggregate to an overall profile, but one very weak core section cannot be rescued by strong ones (the single-section sinkhole).
Response time. Passes are often invited to HireVue within 24 hours to 5 days.
Score visibility. Entirely confidential; candidates receive no score report, percentile or feedback.
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.
Mismanaging the tabbed layout
Spending over a minute hunting one metric across tabs leaves too few questions completed to hit the percentile.
Blind guessing in the final minute
Negative marking turns a last-minute guessing spree into a score drop and an automated rejection.
Misusing 'Cannot Say'
It is a precise logical choice when the tabs lack the facts, not a default for hard questions.
Overloading on gamified logic
Trying to visualise all four symbols at once on SwitchChallenge overloads working memory.
Bringing outside knowledge into verbal
Validating a statement with real-world facts the tab does not state is logically wrong.
Inconsistent situational responses
Shifting from aggressive to passive across chatAssess prompts lowers the consistency score.
What works
Concrete habits drilled by candidates who clear the cut-off, drawn from applicant accounts and practice patterns.
Fluent interface navigation
Identify the key search term in the statement and click the matching tab within about two seconds.
Disciplined time budgeting
Cap verbal items at ~15 seconds; if the link is not clear, choose 'Cannot Say' or move on.
Smart elimination on games
Track a single standout shape or the outer positions to eliminate operator codes quickly.
Direct alignment with firm values
Answer chatAssess as a risk-aware, collaborative professional who prioritises compliance and client stability.
Warm up before the real attempt
Run practice modules right before launch to adapt to the tabbed interface and the countdown speed.
From past applicants
Anonymised candidate accounts of how recent applicants approached the Morgan Stanley assessment. Each covers the prep, the experience, and the outcome.
Investment Banking summer analyst (passed)
Prep. Practised the Aon tabbed format specifically after finding it different from standard tests.
Experience. Numerical felt like a data search across 'Financial Structure', 'Product Portfolios' and 'Market Segments' tabs. Completed 25 questions with high confidence and refused to guess into the penalty. Used a scratch pad for stacked SwitchChallenge codes.
Outcome. Invited to HireVue the following afternoon.
Global Capital Markets (failed)
Prep. Underestimated the verbal time pressure (49 questions in 12 minutes).
Experience. Tried to read every tab fully before answering, hit question 12 with seven minutes gone, then panicked and guessed, triggering the negative-marking penalty.
Outcome. Automated rejection 48 hours later. Lesson: practise tabbed layouts under strict time first.
Practice strategy
Move away from generic psychometric practice toward format-specific Aon (Cut-e) preparation.
Aon/Cut-e simulations
Target the Scales numerical and verbal tabbed layouts and the smartPredict games to build interface speed.
Timed accuracy drills
Practise under the real time limits, analysing mistakes, since guessing carries a penalty.
Free practice on Intervyo
Run psychometric practice in the firm's real formats to calibrate before the live attempt.
Time investment. Candidates who pass typically invest 15-25 hours over the weeks before applying.
Time management
FAQ
Yes. Have a standard calculator, scratch pad and pen ready; the test measures interpretation and reasoning, not long division.
The other rounds
Psychometric Tests is one of four rounds. The Pack covers all four end to end.
Morgan Stanley Pack
Practise the exact Aon Assessment Solutions (Cut-e) format ahead of time, scored against the Morgan Stanley pass mark. One Pack covers HireVue, psychometric tests, live interviews and the assessment centre.
Get the Morgan Stanley Pack · £69Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Morgan Stanley, 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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