Engineering graduate assessments: pass levels, programme-specific tests and invigilation
Engineering employers tend to test by programme and to state more than most about thresholds and rules. This page lines up six of them: who states a pass mark, who tests by field, who watches you on camera and who bans AI.
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The employers in this guide
Each row comes from that employer's own page on this site. 6 employers, checked October 2026. Stated means the employer says it. Candidates report means we found it only in candidate accounts.
| Employer | Who the page is for |
|---|---|
| BAE Systems | Graduate verbal and numerical tests marked automatically against a pass mark. |
| Rolls-Royce | Ten days to finish 30 to 35 minutes of tests, once per 12-month cycle. |
| Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) | No CV, programme-specific psychometrics, then a 30-minute presentation and a 45-minute interview. |
| Mott MacDonald | A strengths-based assessment with a required score and consent to automated decisions. |
| Arup | Three short assessments on personality, numerical and logical reasoning, then an online centre. |
| Network Rail | Short activities tied to your scheme, remotely invigilated, with Aon named as the testing partner. |
Thresholds are stated more often here
BAE Systems says graduates must meet a pass mark on verbal and numerical tests, marked automatically. Mott MacDonald says that if you do not meet or exceed the required assessment score, you cannot progress. Neither publishes the level.
A threshold is a different problem from a ranking. You do not need to beat other applicants that week. You need to clear a line, so steady accuracy is worth more than risky speed.
Tests vary by programme, and sometimes by field
Rolls-Royce says business roles take verbal reasoning and engineering roles take numerical reasoning, alongside a situational judgement exercise. JLR says its psychometric tests vary by programme and lists situational judgement, verbal, numerical, diagrammatic and error-checking tests. Network Rail says its tests relate to your scheme.
The consequence is that general advice goes only so far. Find the programme page you applied through and prepare the test it names.
Being watched and being timed
Network Rail says its tests are remotely invigilated and that a failed identity check ends the application. Rolls-Royce says you have ten days from the invitation, one attempt in a 12-month cycle, and may be asked to repeat a module to validate scores. Arup asks for a quiet space for its three short assessments.
Set up the room, device, webcam and microphone in advance. These are the avoidable risks.
AI rules and automated decisions
Network Rail tells candidates to use no AI on the online testing. Mott MacDonald asks you not to use AI tools to complete assessments or answer interview questions, and asks you to consent to automated decision-making before the assessment. BAE Systems describes its screening as automated decision-making.
Our guide to AI and automation in assessments collects every statement in one table.
Centres and technical exercises
Arup's UK and Ireland centre is online with an interview, a technical exercise and a case study. JLR's virtual centre is a 30-minute presentation exercise and a 45-minute scenario interview. Rolls-Royce's centre is a half-day session, virtual or in person by programme, and Network Rail's is an interview, a presentation and at least one work-related exercise.
For the technical exercise, revise fundamentals rather than advanced topics. For the presentation, practise aloud against a timer.
Practise with a free Reasoning test
50 original questions, 45 minutes, scored the moment you finish. Free, no sign-up. Our reasoning test covers the numerical and verbal tests that several of these employers name for engineering and business programmes.
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Employer pages in this guide
- BAE Systems assessmentGraduate verbal and numerical tests marked automatically against a pass mark.
- Rolls-Royce assessmentTen days to finish 30 to 35 minutes of tests, once per 12-month cycle.
- Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) assessmentNo CV, programme-specific psychometrics, then a 30-minute presentation and a 45-minute interview.
- Mott MacDonald assessmentA strengths-based assessment with a required score and consent to automated decisions.
- Arup assessmentThree short assessments on personality, numerical and logical reasoning, then an online centre.
- Network Rail assessmentShort activities tied to your scheme, remotely invigilated, with Aon named as the testing partner.
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LifeScore is not affiliated with any employer or test publisher named on this page. Names belong to their owners and appear only to describe published hiring processes. Pass marks and questions are not published by employers, and we do not claim to know them. Reviewed October 2026 by the LifeScore Editorial Team.