Barclays Online Assessment – Complete Overview, Sample Questions, and Practice [2023]

What Is the Barclays Online Assessment?

The Barclays online assessment is a series of tests, provided by SHL, that evaluate if you have the competencies and behavioural traits necessary for success in your position and in the organisation itself.

The Barclays assessment comprises three mini-tests:

Let’s go over them!

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Barclays Cognitive Ability Assessment

The Barclays cognitive ability assessment evaluates your comprehension in three areas:

You will be presented with a series of multiple-choice questions that can include word problems, syllogisms, argument evaluation, and next-in-series questions.

You will have 12 questions to address in 10 minutes.

You can use a calculator.

Note that you need to answer all the questions to avoid score reductions.

Let’s see how it looks –

• Barclays Cognitive Ability Assessment – Numerical Reasoning Sample Question

Tip: In numerical reasoning questions, especially when time is tight, it is crucial to avoid unnecessary calculations. Read the question carefully, make sure you understand what you are asked and search for this information.

• Barclays Cognitive Ability Assessment – Verbal Reasoning Sample Question

Tip: Verbal reasoning questions are often deliberately confusing. If you are unsure about the correct answer, try to eliminate the obviously incorrect options. This will increase your chances of getting the answer right.

• Barclays Cognitive Ability Assessment – Inductive Reasoning Sample Question

Choose the image that completes the pattern

Correct Answer

Incorrect Answer

The recommended work method for questions with more than one rule, is to choose one of them and “run with it”, trying to eliminate as many distracters as possible.

Two elements are at play in this question: the number of circles and the colours and patterns of overlapping shapes.

A quick examination of the images can easily eliminate distracter 5 as the shapes remain the same throughout the entire sequence.
Let’s take a closer look at the number of circles element. We can see that it follows a simple rule of decreasing by one every time we advance from one frame to the next. Using this information we can now dismiss distracters 1 & 3 as well.

In this case, the colours’ rule is very intuitive; as we can see it switches from frame to frame, alternately. Thus, we are looking for the distracter (either 2 or 4) that matches the colours shown in frame 2. The correct answer is 2.

The correct answer is 

Tip: Sometimes, more than one pattern appears to fit the given series. In this case, look for any clues or information that can help you identify which pattern is more likely to be correct.

Barclays Personality Assessment

 The Barclays personality assessment evaluates your traits and characteristics and how they fit the requirements of the position you have applied for.

You will be presented with sets of three statements. You will need to choose the statement that describes you best. Then, you will be presented with the two remaining statements and need to choose the one you think is more like you.

You will have 105 sets of statements to address in 20 minutes.

Let’s take a look!

• Barclays Personality Assessment Sample Question 

Tip: The test intentionally contains some statements that are repeated. If you come across such statements, just choose the best answer from the available options without being concerned about how you responded to similar statements earlier.

Barclays Mindset Assessment

The Barclays mindset assessment evaluates your  work-related tendencies, way of thinking, approach, and behaviours in a working environment  to ensure they match the Barclays Values.

Like the personality assessment, you will be presented with sets of three statements. You will need to choose the statement that describes you best.

Then, you will be presented with the two remaining statements, and need to choose the one that is more like you.

You will have 75 sets of statements to address in 20 minutes.

• Barclays Mindset Assessment Sample Question

Tip: choose your answers based on how you would behave in a work setting and not in your personal life outside of work.

Barclays Values

Barclays emphasise their core values and recruit their employees according to how they fit the organisation’s principles, environment, and culture.

Before taking the Barclays online assessment, make sure you are familiar with the Barclays values and address them while choosing your answers, mainly in the Barclays mindset assessment, but also the Barclays personality assessment.

Barclays define five core values:

• Respect – harnessing inclusion and diversity, trusting your colleagues and valuing their contribution.
• Excellence – championing innovation and using your expertise, resources, and energy to make a positive difference.
• Integrity – operating with honesty, fairness, and transparency.
• Service – acting with humility and sympathy and putting your clients at the centre of your actions.
• Stewardship – improving things and making them better.

Barclays Application Process

 The Barclays hiring process comprises 5 steps:

1. Application
2. Barclays online assessments
3. Telephone interview
4. Face-to-face interview
5. Job offer.

FAQs