Morgan Stanley Online Test [2024]: Get Accurate Preparation, Ace it & Get Hired

All You Need to Know About the Morgan Stanley Online Test

Every Morgan Stanley application starts with the Morgan Stanley online test.

Because it is such a HUGE and popular financial firm, thousands of applicants apply for each position. Sadly, MS can’t interview all of them. So, they use the online tests to screen out a significant portion of applicants, and move forward only with the top candidates.

How big is that dinged portion?

The acceptance rate for a Morgan Stanley internship is less than 2%.

Based on reviews from our costumers, we know that 60% of those who prepared with our practice material passed the tests and moved on to the next stage. The difference between a 2% chance and a 60% chance is huge, and it is all thanks to accurate practising.

Our experience shows that the more accurate the preparation, the better your chances are in passing the test.

Note: Shortly after sending your application, you will get an email invitation for the online tests. Once received, you will have 48 hours to complete the tests.

Preparing yourself for the tests in 48 hours might be stressful, so you are advised to start your preparation prior to sending the initial application.

However, if you already got the email, no worries. Try clearing your schedule and dive into the preparation material.

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In 2019 Morgan Stanley started working with a test provider called Cut-e (AON).
They administer 6 online tests for Morgan Stanley:

• Numerical Reasoning test
• Switch Challenge
• Situational Judgment test
• Inductive Logical Thinking (ix) test
• Deductive Logical Thinking (ist) test
• Verbal Reasoning Test

Note: Several candidates may be required to undergo a gamified Pymetrics assessment.

At first glance these tests might look like a walk in the park. They are not.
The best way to beat the Morgan Stanley Online Test is to practise more and more until you can ace it in your sleep.

Start practising with accurate questions that simulate the actual Morgan Stanley online tests.

Morgan Stanley Numerical Reasoning Test

The numerical reasoning test assesses your ability to retrieve information and draw logical conclusions from numerical data presented in tables and charts. On this test, you will get 6 different documents with data, on which you will be asked 18 questions.

You will get only Six minutes to complete the segment.

Let’s see an example.

Arclight's dividend per share in fiscal year 2 was 25% higher than in fiscal year 1.

• True
• False
• Cannot say

Explanation

The graph reveals the different dividends per share for three companies across a five-year period.

Look at Arclight's area (blue). Dividend per share was 2 Euros in FY 1, and 2.5 in FY 2. Indeed, 2.5 is 25% higher than 2:

(2.5/2)-1=0.25

Therefore, the statement is true.

Note: If you wish to avoid decimals, you can multiply the figures by multiples of 10 (simply by moving the decimal point to the right) until they are integers. In this case you need to multiply the figures by 10 (move the decimal point one place):

2.5*10=25
2*10=20

These numbers are easier to work with. The difference is 25-20=5, and we know that 5 is a quarter of 20 (20/5=4), and that a quarter is equivalent to 25%.

Why Practising for the Morgan Stanley Numerical Reasoning Test Is So Important?

• You will have 6 different documents with data. For each question, you will have to figure out which document is the relevant one and then retrieve the right data.
• You will have only six minutes for 18 questions. It might not seem like a problem right now, but on the test, you will have A LOT of information to sort through to answer each question. You need to learn how to do so very fast.
• The cut-off score for this test is probably around 13 right answers. To stand out you need to score higher than that.

Tip: Before you even read the first question, look at the tab titles (each tab contains one document filled with data) and very quickly scan through their contents.

Note the axis titles of the charts and the column titles of the tables. Do not spend too long doing this; it is only meant to provide you with a very basic knowledge of the information you have to sift through during the test.

Start practising accurately for ALL Morgan Stanley tests and improve your chances of passing to the next stage!

Morgan Stanley Switch Challenge

The Switch Challenge is actually a specific and unique Logical Reasoning Test.
This is where most candidates fail, as the questions are both objectively hard, and nothing like you have ever seen before – which makes it that much harder.

In each question, there are 4 symbols that change position according to a specific rule. You need to choose the correct operator (out of three alternatives) to change the order of the symbols according to that rule.

Each operator consists of four digits. Each digit represents the previous position of each symbol before it was changed by the operator. The new order of the symbols’ position matches the position of the digits.

For example:

Let’s see how a question might look like:

Which operator is the right one for this input and output?

 

Check out this video explanation to see if you got it right.

Video preview image

Why Practising for the Morgan Stanley Switch Challenge Is So Important?

• On the real test, you will only have six minutes to answer as many questions as possible.
• The higher the level, the harder the questions get.
• You can get as many as 3 layers of operators in the same question.
• If you make a mistake, you will be dropped to a lower difficulty level, which is probably worth fewer points.
• This is not a typical test, and the question type is like nothing you have seen before.

Tip: When you are presented with a 3-layer question, your best strategy is to first work top-bottom to find the first operator and then work bottom-top to find the 3rd operator.

Once you have both, you can find out which is the 2nd operator (the one in the middle), which is usually the answer you are looking for.

Start practicing accurately for ALL Morgan Stanley tests and improve your chances of passing to the next stage!

Morgan Stanley Situational Judgment Test

This test is designed to see how you will handle yourself in a real Morgan Stanley work environment. You will have 30 minutes, during which you will be presented with messages from different authorities in the firm.

The test is built on a chat-like interactive platform called chatAssess. Each virtual employee will be presented by an avatar, and each avatar you click on will give you more information to understand better how to react:

For each message you will have to respond by choosing from a list of options. Like a real chat, every response will trigger a new message from the avatar, for which you will have to choose a new response.

You will have to figure out what to do in various situations like an error you have made in a report, a client complaining or your boss asking you to do something that you don’t have time to do.

It might sound easy enough, but the responses presented are really similar and the answer is not obvious.

Here is an example:

During your lunch break, Mark, your colleague, tells you that he was watching you work and knows a better way for you to file and organize documents.
How would you respond?

Explanation

Primary competency: Communication skills

Secondary competencies: Adaptability; Social intelligence; Working under authority

Best response: C

This is an ideal response. On the one hand, you don’t dismiss Mark’s comments, whilst on the other, you are not going to initiate any change prior to consulting with your superiors.

The ability to respond appropriately and sensitively to your colleague demonstrates effective communication and social intelligence. This response also demonstrates your adaptability by showing that you are open to change.

Why other answers are worst:

A. In this scenario, you are dealing with a form of criticism from a work colleague. The way you respond to criticism indicates something about your social and communication skills.

Choosing this response shows a lack of these skills, as you are being dismissive of Mark's criticism. You are also showing a low level of adaptability by not being open to potential change.

B. You are responding to Mark’s criticism in a very defensive and suspicious way. Not being able to accept criticism in a positive and constructive manner demonstrates a lack of social and communication skills.

This response also indicates poor social intelligence as the comment made has the potential to create antagonism. Additionally, the content of the comment shows that you are neither adaptable nor open to potential changes.

D. It is difficult not to choose this response as it provides a rational argument for why not to accept Mark’s criticism.

However, the fact that you are dismissive of his opinion may damage your ability to build rapport with him, thus showing poor social intelligence.

In addition, you are not open to change in your work environment, thus indicating a lack of adaptability.

Why Practising for the Morgan Stanley Situational Judgment Test Is So Important?

• The responses are all in the grey area. It is hard to choose the right one.
• It seems that there are no wrong or right answers, but there are. You need to know what stands behind each response, and what personality trait it emphasizes in you.

Start practising accurately for ALL Morgan Stanley tests and improve your chances of passing to the next stage!

Morgan Stanley Inductive Logical Thinking (ix) test

Each question in the test consists of a row of nine objects. All objects but one conform to the same rule, and your task is to select the object that does not fit this rule.

There are numerous sets of rules that might be applied, and you have to identify the rule quickly, as you will have only 5 minutes for 20 questions. That is 15 seconds per question.

See if you can handle the time limit in the following example.

Which object doesn't fit the rule?

Explanation

The correct answer is object #6.

The objects form a numerical series: When moving from one object to the next, the number of shapes decreases by one and then, from the fifth object onwards, increases by one.

The only object that does not fit this rule is object #6, which contains three shapes instead of two.

Note: The varying types of shapes serve as a distraction; the only thing that matters is the number of shapes in each object.

Why Practising for the Morgan Stanley Inductive Logical Thinking Test Is So Important?

• You have only about 15 seconds per question.
• Every question consists of 9 objects, that is a lot of information you must decipher in very little time – it could be very confusing.
• Points will be deducted from your score for every wrong answer.
• Rules are changed from question to question, and in some cases, questions seem very similar but are actually governed by different rules. If you know the main rules in advance, you will be able to quickly identify the correct rule without confusion.

Tip: If the rule is hard to discern, examine the objects carefully, focusing on one characteristic at a time. For instance, you can start by counting the number of shapes in each object while ignoring their colour.

If you do not find a rule concerning the number of shapes, you can examine their colour.

Start practising accurately for ALL Morgan Stanley tests and improve your chances of passing to the next stage!

Morgan Stanley Deductive Logical Thinking (ist) Test

In each question, you will be presented with a 4X4 or 5X5 table, where each cell is filled with one shape. Only one cell will be marked with a question mark, and your job is to figure out which shape belongs in that cell.

How do you know which shape fits? The only rule you have to follow is that each shape must appear exactly once in each row and in each column. If this sounds familiar to you, you must be a Sudoku fan – it’s exactly the same, only with shapes instead of numbers.

Sounds pretty easy, no?
Well, as you know already, it is usually a bit more complicated than that.

Depending on the question’s difficulty level, some shapes are missing, which will make your way to the solution much longer. The less shapes you are presented with, the more difficult the question is.

Bear in mind that you will have six minutes to answer as many questions as you possibly can. To answer correctly is not enough, you have to do it with lightning speed. No time to waste!

Try a sample question to see how fast you can solve it:

 

Select the one shape that belongs where the ? is.

Explanation

The correct answer is .

Since there is already a square in the top row of the first column, the square in the fourth row must be in the second column.

 

Having added the square, the shape missing from the second column is the circle.

There is already an X in the top row of the middle column.

Having added the circle, the X in the second row must be in the last column.

Having added the X, the shape missing from the second row is the square.

Therefore, the correct answer is .

Why Practising for the Morgan Stanley Deductive Logical Thinking Test Is So Important?

• You have to work fast – Remember that your goal is to answer as many questions as you can in only Six minutes.
• In many questions, there are a lot of missing shapes. This means that you will have to take more steps to get to the answer. The more steps you have to take, the longer you waste on each question.
• The 5X5 tables are much more challenging to decipher quickly.
• You will get a negative marking for every wrong answer, so guessing is not really an option.

Tip: Before you start answering, you might want to decide on a path you want to take and arrange the steps in advance.

If you go in the wrong path you will take more unnecessary steps, which will cost you valuable time.

Start practising accurately for ALL Morgan Stanley tests and improve your chances of passing to the next stage!

Morgan Stanley Verbal Reasoning Test

This test is designed to assess how well you can extract information from written data and come to the right conclusions.

You will have six sheets of written data to analyse, each is filled with a LOT of information to quickly absorb and understand.

Your task is to figure out for each of the 18 statements you are presented, if it is true, false or you cannot say. Each statement is regarding only one sheet of data, which adds another trickiness – you have to figure out which sheet is the right one.

Test yourself with this sample question.
In the real test, you will have about 20 seconds per question. See if you can solve it fast enough:

Statement: The long-term investments in IT and web development to enhance conversion from cash to electronic payments has largely failed to increase processed transactions volume.

1. True
2. False
3. Cannot say

Explanation

According to the text, "Multi-Credit has been making long-term investments in IT and web development to enhance the conversion from cash to electronic payments, thereby increasing processed transactions volume."

As processed transactions volume increased, we conclude that these investments are not failing as suggested in the statement.

The statement is, therefore, FALSE.

Why Practising for the Morgan Stanley Verbal Reasoning Test Is So Important?

• Six minutes for 18 statements. As I’ve said already, this means 20 seconds per question.
• Six sheets filled with data. This is a lot of information to go through to find your desired piece of data. Giving the little time you have, this is very hard to achieve.
• You don’t know in advance which sheet of data is the one you need. Finding the right one takes time.
• Vague statements. Unlike numerical data, texts could be ambiguous and misleading.
• It is difficult to determine you cannot say anything about a statement. This means you have to know for sure that a statement is neither true nor false.

The verbal reasoning test is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Practising is the best way to make sure the wolf will not eat you alive.

Start practising accurately for ALL Morgan Stanley tests and improve your chances of passing to the next stage!

Which Tests Will You Exactly Have to Take?

Before you run off to prepare for all test, it is important to know that not all applicants have to go through all tests.

So, how do you know which tests you have to take?

It does not matter if you are a 1st-year student applying for a Morgan Stanley Spring Week, a 2nd-year applying for Morgan Stanley Summer Internship or a 3rd-year applying for a Morgan Stanley Graduate Programme.

To figure out which tests you have to prepare for, the only thing you need to know is which division you are applying for.

Find your division to figure out which tests you will be facing:

Note: If your division is not found in the following table, please contact me as soon as possible and we will figure it out.

Note: Morgan Stanley allows you to apply for up to 3 different divisions. Our prep pack includes all the different divisions, so by using it, you will be covering all bases and be prepared for whatever comes your way.

Morgan Stanley Programmes

Morgan Stanley Spring Week

This is a week-long insight programme for 1st-year students in a 3-year course, or 2nd-year students in a 4-year course.

It is designed to give you a taste of the banking world, so you can figure out which areas you like better.

But it is more than that. Spring insights are actually a long job interview. This is a great way for Morgan Stanley to size you up and to see if you are a good fit to the firm.

Top spring week interns will be fast-tracked to the last stage of the summer internship application process, which is a BIG deal considering how competitive it is.

Morgan Stanley offers spring week in 3 areas:

• Institutional Securities Group (ISG) – An initial insight into the major banking divisions like Global Capital Markets, Investment Banking and Equity Research.
• Operations – A 2-day programme in Glasgow where you will work-shadow one of the operations divisions.
• Technology – An insight into the world of investment banking technology divisions.

Morgan Stanley Summer Internship

This is a division-specific 10-week long summer internship (summer analyst) programme.

Regardless of your chosen division, you will start your internship with one week of classroom instruction. You will be introduced you to Morgan Stanley in general, the different business areas and firm culture.

The following nine weeks will focus mainly on training in your own specific division. This will include intensive training, as well as being given real full-time analyst responsibilities.

And the best part? Top interns will get a full-time offer!

Other than the summer internship, there are two other options, both equivalent to summer interns:

• Industrial Placement: A full year of placement in a specific division, eligible for students that have a mandatory placement as part of their degree.
• Off Cycle Internship: An internship that is offered in different location and on different dates. This is a good option if you missed the summer internship deadline, or that the timeline does not suited you for some reason.

Morgan Stanley Graduate Scheme

This is a full-time analyst programme in a specific desk in a specific division.

Every programme starts with a firm-wide training. This will include a wide look at the firm, to get to know its different areas.

Next will be a division-specific training, where you will meet you peers working in other desks.

The last part is a desk-specific training, which will be on the job training. You will get projects and responsibilities and will learn from senior members.

Outstanding analysts will be put on a special accelerated career path to get an associate-level position after only two years.

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