Preparing for the Capital One assessment test is a crucial step before landing a consulting interview.
Capital One is one of the most sought-after employers in the US, and the Strategy team is one of the most elite groups within Capital One. The group works directly with the CEO on key initiatives for the organization’s future.
With such a high profile at a great company, the team has a ton of applicants every year. The Capital One online assessment is an essential recruiting tool used to identify high-potential candidates likely to succeed in interviews and on the job.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- The type of consulting work at Capital One and why it’s unique
- What the Capital One assessment test entails
- The qualities Capital One looks for in candidates
- How to pass the Capital One assessment test
- Our 3 tips on crafting a successful application to Capital One
Let’s get started!
What Makes Capital One Different Than Other Management Consulting Jobs
Capital One is unique because it is a bank with talented internal consultants. You’ll be working on internal strategy consulting work with the benefits of the tech and financial services culture.
The Strategy group within Capital One is small but very well-respected. They partner with the CEO and senior leaders to develop strategies focused on growth and innovation. This team is brought in to add consulting expertise when the challenge or the opportunity is not something the business can address on its own.
If you work at Capital One, you’ll learn many of the same skills you might as a generalist consultant, including problem-solving, communication, and analytical thinking.
The major difference between strategy at Capital One and other firms is that you will focus on the financial services industry for the products Capital One offers. Capital One is largely focused on consumer credit, but the firm also has other business and product lines.
The Strategy team often focuses on assessing the value of new opportunities for Capital One’s existing and adjacent product lines. This may mean assessing a new product not on the market or evaluating smaller changes to an existing product.
To be successful in the Capital One Strategy team, you will need to become an expert in all the financial products at Capital One.
Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.
What Does the Capital One Online Assessment Entail?
Once you’ve submitted an application to the Strategy group, you will likely be asked to take the Capital One assessment test.
Capital One has 11 programs for new recruits. In addition to the Strategy Program, a few other programs require the Capital One online assessment, including:
- Technology Development Program & Internship (there will be an additional coding section for these candidates)
- Machine Learning Development Program
- Analyst Development Program & Internship
The Capital One online assessment should take about 60 minutes and is divided into 3 sections. You should allocate about 20 to 30 minutes per section. You’ll be evaluated on 3 dimensions:
- Behavioral and situational judgment
- Numerical reasoning
- Verbal reasoning
Let’s look at each section of the Capital One online assessment.
Behavioral and Situational Judgment
Capital One’s 2 core values are:
- Excellence: Performing at the highest caliber and encouraging others to match you
- Do the Right Thing: Driving the business in a way that is focused on doing what’s right for the team at Capital One and the community of customers
During this portion of the Capital One assessment test, you may be asked how you would respond in certain professional situations. Often, you will be asked to rank multiple responses.
Don’t get caught up in the details of the situation. Think about what your guiding personal principles should be based on Capital One’s values, and rank the responses based on that.
Here’s a sample question where you need to rank the answers from best to worst. Decide on how you would answer the question before reading the solution.
The answers should be ranked B, C, D, then A.
The best answer is B. You should prioritize meeting your own deadlines but be flexible enough to support your colleagues.
You’ll want to think about how you can demonstrate these values in the Capital One assessment test.
Source: This question was adapted from one by SHL.com.
Numerical Reasoning
The Capital One assessment test will evaluate your mathematical skills. This job will be very analytical, and you’ll want to be comfortable on your feet doing quick calculations and leveraging common financial services metrics.
You won’t need to know every financial service metric for the test, but you should familiarize yourself with break-even analysis and how to calculate income based on interest rates for financial products. You will thank yourself later.
Check out our Case Interview Formulas article to brush up on math skills.
For the quantitative portion of the Capital One assessment test, you’ll be given math problems to solve, and you will also be provided with charts and data tables to interpret. The math will be more difficult than typical consulting case math. Capital One often requires break-even analysis or optimizing profits among different options.
Try to solve the example below before reading on. It’s good practice for the Capital One assessment test.
You own an ice cream shop and have an extra staff member who can make ice cream tomorrow. Which type of ice cream will generate the most profit?
Key facts:
- You charge $35 per gallon for each flavor.
- Your staff member will work 8 hours.
- The employee will make full gallons of ice cream, not partial, rounded to the nearest whole number they can make in 8 hours.
What flavor should your employee make?
The answer is Chocolate, and you will earn $109 in profit. Let’s see how the answer is calculated.
Answer: Chocolate is the most profitable flavor at $109.
The math for the Capital One assessment test is layered and tricky! So practice and take a deep breath before you dive into each problem.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning tests evaluate how well you interpret written text. After reading the text, you will be asked to assess if a statement is “True,” “False,” or “Cannot Determine.” Remember to focus on what’s written in the passage you’re given, and don’t include any of your own external knowledge or perspectives.
Let’s look at an example. How would you answer this statement?
The answer is “Cannot Determine” because we don’t know if Johnny is a well-behaved child, so we don’t know if Santa will bring him a toy.
Source: This case was adapted from one by SHL.com.
Other Capital One Assessment Tests
It’s worth noting that you may be required to take additional automated tests during the Capital One interview process, depending on the specific role or group you are applying to (for example, a knowledge of a coding language). Reach out to your recruiter with questions about the process or about specific tests.
3 Tips on Crafting a Successful Capital One Application
1. Know How to Pass the Capital One Online Assessment
If you’re applying to consulting firms, you’re likely smart. However, don’t assume that you can ace the Capital One online assessment just because you’re a good test-taker. There are specific structures and types of questions on these tests.
Take practice tests so that when you do take the online assessment, you are fully prepared and can ace the test.
Some things you can do to prepare include practicing GMAT-style questions and talking to senior students who have taken the test before.
2. Stand Out In Your Application
Capital One values excellence, so this is no time to be shy on your resume or your application.
Be sure to highlight experiences that show your dedication to your studies, volunteer organizations, and previous jobs. In your resume or application, find a way to feature the toughest courses and your best grades.
Check out MCO’s articles on Everything You Need to Know to Write a Consulting Resume, Consulting Cover Letters, and The Best Majors for Consulting.
3. Familiarize Yourself With Capital One’s Business
The Capital One application process differs from generalist consulting firms’ because Capital One is looking for candidates who will succeed in supporting their financial service businesses.
Remember to research Capital One’s product lines. You should also familiarize yourself with the kinds of cases that help leaders make portfolio decisions among different options, including ROI (return on investment), break-even, and Go / No Go decision-making.
Since most of Capital One’s products are consumer lending products with different features, it is more straightforward for Capital One to compare the return across products than other businesses with more diversified products.
Every business decision at Capital One will be compared directly against other similar opportunities. Throughout your interview process, be prepared to make clear decisions and back them up with facts.
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In this article, we’ve covered:
- What is consulting at Capital One? How is it different?
- Logistics and elements of the Capital One assessment test
- How to stand out as a candidate at Capital One
- What you need to ace the Capital One online assessment
- 3 tips for an excellent Capital One application
Still have questions?
If you have more questions about the Capital One assessment test, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s recruiters will answer them.
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Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on the Capital One assessment test. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Julien was able to get his offer from Capital One.
Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.
