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What Is the Atkins Immersive Assessment?
The Atkins Immersive Assessment (or Online Immersive Assessment) is a psychometric test used by Atkins to screen candidates for early-career roles. The name ‘immersive’ reflects the test’s integration of numerical, verbal, Virtual interview questions, and SJT questions to simulate a day-in-the-life of an Atkins employee.
Regardless of whether you are applying for an Atkins Graduate Scheme, apprenticeship, or placement programme - the Atkins Immersive Assessment is always at the second stage of the Atkins application process, following the online application stage and sometimes preceding the Atkins Interview (both of which we will talk more about below).
💡 Let's go over each one, with practice questions to demonstrate:
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Atkins Situational Judgment Test
A situational Judgment Test (SJT) evaluates your workstyle and level of suitability for the organisational culture at Atkins. You will be shown a scenario where you must make a difficult work decision. After reading the scenario, you will have to choose the best response.
Here is an example:
You have recently joined a big firm as a graduate trainee. You have been assigned several tasks, including vendor invoices, paying bills, and creating invoices for numerous clients. You are therefore committed to several deadlines. An experienced partner in your team, with whom you usually have lunch, approaches you. He asks you to join him at a conference next week as a representative of the company, presenting detailed information regarding the exclusive services your firm has to offer. This would be a great learning opportunity for you, but it will keep you out of the office for two whole days.
Do You:
A
Skip the opportunity, as you must meet your deadlines and feel that, as a trainee, you are not yet qualified to represent the company in such a situation. Make a note to yourself to be more prepared for such an opportunity in the future.
B
Thank your partner and agree immediately to go, as this is a great opportunity. Try to move some of your deadlines and ask your fellow trainees to help you prepare for the conference.
C
Agree to go. Work extra hard during the weekend to meet all your deadlines and put in a few extra hours to prepare yourself adequately for the conference.
D
Thank your partner for his offer and try to find out more about your expected role in the conference. Then, figure out if you can meet your deadlines before the conference, and if you can, notify the partner you will join him.
E
Thank your partner and agree to go. Delegate your tasks equally among your fellow team members so you won't overload one individual person with all your tasks and ensure these will be completed in time.
Let's consider each response individually:
Best - Response #4: In this response, you show an ability to re-evaluate your obligations and prioritize your tasks. Only after doing so do you make an educated decision based on the information you have collected. This is a positive response choice that displays excellent decision-making skills and conscientiousness. You not only prioritize, but you do so well, by taking responsibility for your previous commitments.
Worst - Response #5: You agree to go, and you delegate your responsibilities to your colleagues. By doing so, you not only display an unwillingness or inability to prioritize your tasks but also a lack of consideration toward your co-workers, who are now expected to complete your workload. You don’t ask your colleagues for help; rather you delegate your tasks and expect them to complete them according to your deadlines without consideration for their responsibilities. This shows incomprehension of your position in the organizational hierarchy as you are not in a higher position than your colleagues and should not be taking it upon yourself to delegate your tasks to them. You prefer your own personal development over company deadlines and over team effort. This is a very negative response choice.
Tip: The best answer on an SJT question is often the one that best balances between two or more corporate values, while the wrong answers are often the ones that highlight one value but neglect another.
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Atkins Numerical Reasoning Test
Numerical reasoning tests act as an assessment of your ability to understand and interpret visual representations of data, conduct basic calculations, and use logic to figure out a path to a solution. This test shows Atkins that you are capable of thinking lucidly and quickly.
You will be shown a graph, table, or chart and asked a series of questions about it. Often, the questions will focus on one element of the visual, making it necessary to sift through the data quickly and efficiently.
Here is what it looks like:
Look at the following charts concerning Smoking rates in the UK, then answer the question
What was the smoking prevalence in the UK in the fourth biggest age group in 2002?
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Atkins Verbal Reasoning Test
This part of the Atkins Immersive Assessment evaluates your ability to understand, interpret, and extrapolate from verbal information. Like other Verbal Reasoning Assessments, the Atkins version will ask you to read a paragraph and answer questions about it.
Practise using this example:
From: Jane
Subject: RE: Support with Market Analysis
Hi,
I hope this email finds you well. I am currently working on a market analysis project and would like to seek your help with a question I have. I have gathered some data on consumer behaviour, spending patterns, and preferences, and I'm not sure what to do with it now.
Here is a summary of the data I collected:
• The average consumer spends about $50 a month on non-essential items.
• Most consumers prefer to shop online, but some still prefer brick-and-mortar shopping.
• About 60% of consumers are willing to pay extra for eco-friendly products.
• The most popular non-essential items are clothing and beauty products.
• Consumers are more likely to make impulse purchases on weekends.
Based on this information, I was wondering what our next steps should be for this project.
Looking forward to your response.
Best regards,
Jane
Please select one of the following options to reply:
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Atkins Pre-recorded Interview questions
More and more companies are using pre-recorded interview questions to test candidates. These questions require you to record your answer on a webcam, as though you were participating in an interview. You are usually given about 30 seconds to prepare your answers and 3 minutes to record them. Once you start recording there is no going back to change your answer, just like in the real world.
This is what it looks like:
Tip: Treat this like a real interview in terms of your composure, appearance, and dress. Show that you are motivated and eager to work with Atkins. Typical Atkins interview questions include why you want to work for Atkins and why you believe you are the most suited for this position.
More on the Atkins Application Process
Atkins Application Form
The recruitment process for all Atkins early-career programmes begins with an online application.
The important thing to know here is that Atkins don't take CVs, so this will be your only chance before the interview to convince your recruiters that you are the best person for the job.
To succeed at this stage, don't rush it.
Review your entire life and try to draw back on as many things as you can. Extracurricular activities, volunteer work, youth groups, and hobbies are all relevant. Take the time to reflect on the skills you've gained through all these and how they relate to the role in question.
You will also be asked questions about your work preferences and style. Make sure they match the Atkins values, including data-driven design and sustainability.
Lastly, make sure to do your research about the company and the role. You can learn more about Atkins by reading their blogs, reviewing their social media, attending an Atkins career event, visiting their talent community platform, or finding them on Connectr. You can better understand the role and the work culture of the team you will be working with by carefully going over the job description.
Atkins Virtual Interview
After completing the application form and the Atkins Immersive Assessment, your Atkins application will go into review. This can take anywhere between a couple of weeks to a few months. If you're concerned and want to know where you stand, you can always contact Atkins.
If you have passed the Atkins Immersive Assessment, you will be contacted with an invitation to a virtual interview. Here are some tips to get you through this stage:
Your recruiters at Atkins want to know that you are making a full-hearted decision, not an impulsive one. Show them this by taking an active interest in what it's like to work for Atkins. Ask about the Atkins work environment, advancement options after your programme is up, and anything else you are interested in knowing.
Recruiters expect you to be familiar with and utilize the STAR method of answering interview questions, and Atkins is no exception. Simply put, this technique involves bringing up a tough spot you were in, identifying the task you had to complete to solve it, describing how you went about completing that task, and describing the result, what you learned from the experience, and why this demonstrates your skills and suitability for the Atkins Graduate Scheme.
Your recruiters will want to know about you and your motivation for working at Atkins, but aside from personal questions, technical ones are also prominently featured. Many candidates get flustered by these questions because of their high difficulty level. In fact, these questions are hard on purpose. Your recruiters are more interested in seeing your perseverance and problem-solving method than in whether or not you know the answer. So just stay calm and work through the problem, sharing your thoughts out loud as you go.
Atkins Assessment Centre
With the Atkins Immersive Assessment and virtual interview behind you, some Atkins graduate schemes will require you to take one more step before receiving an offer: The Atkins Assessment Centre.
The Atkins Assessment Day requires you to travel to an Atkins office near you to meet other candidates and show your worth to the recruiters. At its end, you will receive an offer or a rejection verbally.
Atkins Assessment Centres typically include job simulation exercises like a written assignments such as an essay or a case study, as well as a group exercise. Remember, the key is to be assertive and make your voice heard, without being aggressive or trumping others. Many assume recruiters are expecting you to slip into a leadership position but that just isn’t true. Be respectful to others and let them know when you think they have had a clever idea.
FAQs
Harder than you might think. The questions seem simple enough at first glance, but since Atkins receive a substantial number of applications each year, small errors are what makes the difference.
Proper preparation for the Atkins Immersive Assessment is recommended.
There is no single answer as this will depend on the role you are applying for. Regardless, don't be overly concerned if several weeks have gone by, as they have been known to take their time filtering through the many applications.
If you are worried about the status of your candidacy, you can contact your recruiters at Atkins via email.
As a company, Atkins is known to put a lot of focus on the personal development of their employees. As such, they are among the top graduate employers in the United Kingdom – through their Atkins Graduate Development Programme (GDP) or graduate scheme programme.
If you have completed a degree in civil, structural, or any engineering, it is likely that you have considered Atkins.
In fact, Atkins offer great early career options for graduates of various degrees, including consultancy and project management, environment and geography, finance and business, biology, chemistry, maths, surveying, software and digital, and transport planning.
All these are advertised on Atkins' careers platform. We advise taking a close look at all the different options before deciding which one is right for you, as you can only make one application per recruitment cycle. The Atkins Graduate Scheme application process consists of an application form, the Atkins Online Immersive Assessment, a virtual interview, and sometimes an assessment centre.
Overall, the Atkins Graduate Scheme application process is long and sometimes arduous, but the benefits should you get into the programme are significant.
Atkins apprenticeships are a terrific way to gain credits for secondary and tertiary education whilst receiving some of the best hands-on work experience available.
Apprenticeships typically start in late August to early September, and the application is opened several months ahead. We recommend getting started on your application as soon as you can, because n fact, Atkins offer great early career options for graduates of various degrees, including consultancy and project management, environment and geography, finance and business, biology, chemistry, maths, surveying, software and digital, and transport planning..
Don't be too quick about it though! Take a few days to familiarize yourself with the Atkins Immersive Assessment first, so it doesn’t catch you off guard.
Generally speaking, Atkins apprenticeships come in one of five levels, ranging from 3 to 7.
Level 3, or the Advanced Apprenticeship, is for secondary school students who have achieved at least 5 GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) passes, or an equivalent. The apprenticeship is equivalent to two A-level passes.
If you’ve completed your A-levels, you are eligible for level 5, 6, or 7 apprenticeships at Atkins. The Level 4 Atkins apprenticeship is equivalent to a CertHE (roughly, the first year of an undergraduate degree). The Level 5 apprenticeship is equivalent to a Foundation Degree (roughly, the second year of an undergraduate degree). The Degree Level 6 Apprenticeship is equivalent to a full bachelor’s degree.
If you are a graduate, the Atkins apprenticeship you need to start your career is Degree Level 7 which, at its end, is equivalent to a master's degree.
The duration of your Atkins apprenticeship will depend on the field and level. Typically, levels 3-5 last 2-3 years while levels 6-7 last 4-5 years.
You need to have lived in the UK for three years before submitting your application.
Additionally, you will need to have completed the previous level of education. For level 3, this means at least 5 GCSE passes. For levels 4 through 6, you need to have passed your a-levels. For level 7, you need to have a bachelor's degree.
Atkins Placements are your opportunity to spend a limited amount of time working for Atkins and gain valuable experience. If you are lucky, you may graduate from your placement directly into an Atkins graduate scheme without having to apply a second time.
There are two types of Atkins placements. Atkins summer placements last about 12 weeks (about 3 months), whereas Atkins industrial placements last anywhere between a full school year and a full 12-month year. Both are available to students of any year.
The Atkins Placements application process depends on the type of placement you are choosing. Both will go through the online application form and the Atkins Immersive Assessment. However, only Atkins Industrial Placement candidates will also have to pass the Atkins virtual interview.
There is no assessment centre for Atkins placements.
