Rothschild & Co says its online assessment is untimed, but candidates remember a 20-minute numerical test

Candidate reviews over several years describe a numerical test at Rothschild & Co, with some saying answers are typed in rather than picked from options. Our reasoning test gives you timed practice reading tables and working out figures, which is the core of that kind of test.

Rothschild & Co does not describe the content of its online assessment on the pages we found, and one summer review describes situational judgement questions instead. Our questions are multiple choice, so they do not rehearse typing an exact figure. The interviews, group exercise and case study need separate preparation.

The firm's FAQ says the online assessment is not timed. Several candidate reviews, some years old, describe a numerical test of about 20 minutes, and a prep guide puts it at 20 to 25 minutes. Both can be true. The overall assessment may have no deadline within the session while an individual section carries its own clock, or the format may simply have changed.

The safe approach is to prepare as if a section might be timed and to sit it as if it were not. Practise numerical questions at pace so a clock would not shake you, then on the day read each instruction screen and work steadily. If no timer appears, use the extra time to check your figures.

One prep provider notes that some questions ask you to calculate and type the exact answer rather than choose from options. That removes the usual escape route of estimating and picking the nearest option. Precision matters: watch units, percentages versus percentage points, and how many decimal places the question wants.

Practise by covering the answer options on any numerical question and working out the figure in full before you look. Our numerical reasoning test guide has the core methods, and the free reasoning test below gives you a quick timed baseline. Keep a calculator and scrap paper ready unless your invitation says otherwise.

Rothschild & Co says using AI tools during online assessments or interviews is prohibited unless explicitly allowed, and that misuse may lead to your application being withdrawn. That covers more than the test: it includes interviews, where a prompt on a second screen would breach the rule.

It is fine to use AI to practise beforehand, for example to generate mock questions. What matters is that the answers you give on the day are your own work. Our guide to AI in assessments compares the rules at other employers.

The firm says its assessment centre combines a further interview with senior colleagues, a collaborative group exercise and a case study, testing analytical thinking, communication and teamwork. In an advisory firm, the case study is likely to involve reading company information and reaching a view, so practise turning a page of facts into a short recommendation.

In the group exercise, being useful matters more than being loud. Summarise where the group has got to, bring in a quieter colleague, and keep an eye on time. Our assessment centres guide describes common group formats and how assessors tend to observe them.

The 2027 UK Global Advisory Spring Insight Programme is a four-day London programme for first-year students, or second-year students on a four-year course, with a minimum 2:1 or equivalent. Applications opened on 29 September 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis. The firm says strong performers are offered a fast-track assessment for the following summer internship.

A prep guide reports that the firm was not recruiting for its 2027 UK graduate programme as of October 2026 and hires many graduates from its internships. If that holds, the spring and summer programmes are the main way in, and applying early in the rolling window is the most useful single step.

These come from anonymous reviews, university careers pages and prep guides. They often disagree, and Rothschild & Co has not confirmed them. Read them as leads, not rules.

• Candidate reviews describe a numerical test after the CV and cover letter, with one recalling a 20-minute limit.
• An older candidate review describes an SHL test taken at the London office on interview day alongside other candidates.
• A prep guide says the numerical test lasts about 20 to 25 minutes, and a résumé site describes a three-part SHL battery with situational judgement and behavioural sections.
• A summer programme review describes the online assessment as situational judgement questions rather than verbal or non-verbal reasoning.
• One prep provider notes open-response questions where applicants calculate and type the exact answer.
• A prep guide reports that the firm was not recruiting for its 2027 UK graduate programme as of October 2026.