Apax Partners Interview Questions

10 total interview insight submissions
Interview Experience (92%)

The Interview Experience is a score from 1 star (very negative) to 5 stars (very positive) generated based on the Interview Insights at this company.

The number you see in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the simple average of these scores. If you hover over the various sections of the donut, you will see the % breakdown of each score given.

The percentile score in the title is calculated across the entire Company Database and uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates (to account for companies that have few interview insights). Simply put, as a company gets more reviews, the confidence of a "true score" increases so it is pulled closer to its simple average and away from the average of the entire dataset.

4
  • Very Negative
  • Negative
  • Neutral
  • Positive
  • Very Positive
Interview Difficulty (97%)

The Interview Difficulty is a score ranging from very difficult (red) to very easy (green) generated based on the Interview Insights at this company.

The number you see in the middle of the doughnut pie chart is the simple average of these scores. The higher the number, the more difficult the interviews on average. If you hover over the various sections of the doughnut, you will see the % breakdown of each score given.

The percentile score in the title is calculated across the entire Company Database and uses an adjusted score based on Bayesian Estimates (to account for companies that have few interview insights). Simply put, as a company gets more insights, the confidence of a "true score" increases so it is pulled closer to its simple average and away from the average of the entire data set.

3.2
  • Very Easy
  • Easy
  • Average
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult

Interviews at Apax Partners

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Year
Job Title
Group/Division
Location
Experience
Difficulty
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2023
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Generalist
Location New York
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2023
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Private Equity
Location New York
Experience
Neutral
Difficulty
Difficult
1st Year Associate
Year 2019
Job Title 1st Year Associate
Group/Division Generalist
Location New York
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2021
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Generalist
Location London
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2022
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Generalist
Location New York
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
1st Year Associate
Year 2018
Job Title 1st Year Associate
Group/Division Generalist
Location New York
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
1st Year Associate
Year 2014
Job Title 1st Year Associate
Group/Division Generalist
Location Los Angeles
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
3rd+ Year Associate
Year 2010
Job Title 3rd+ Year Associate
Group/Division Generalist
Location Mumbai
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Difficult
2nd Year Associate
Year 2008
Job Title 2nd Year Associate
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location New York
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
1st Year Associate
Year 2012
Job Title 1st Year Associate
Group/Division Private Equity
Location New York
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average

Interview Questions & Answers - Apax Partners Examples

Summer Analyst Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: January 2023
Date Submitted: Mar 23, 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Skills Test
Interview
After I submitted my application, later I was invited to do a modelling skills test. After choosing a timeslot, I was emailed an excel sheet and instructions. Got a few hours to do it before I had to email it back. Later that night got invited to a first round interview on zoom.
Interview Questions
A paper LBO
Sample Answer

PE intern Interview - Private Equity

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: January 2023
Date Submitted: Feb 17, 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Presentation
Interview
first round was a timed-model exam, 3 hours and need to complete excel exercise and make a 3-5 page deck to analyze the data in the excel. Nothing crazy but need to be familiar with excel formulas. Once past the excel exam it's a 1-1 first round, purely technical screening and consist of paper lbo, accounting, etc., nothing too much out of box
Interview Questions
Paper LBO
Sample Answer

Associate Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: September 2019
Date Submitted: Oct 29, 2022
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Recruiter
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Was an on-cycle process consisting of 2 in-person interviews and then model test which was template 30 minute LBO model and case study
Interview Questions
The questions were pretty standard first round interviews. Why did you do IB, why PE, etc.
Sample Answer

Summer Intern Interview - Generalist

Anonymous employee in London
Interviewed: December 2021
Date Submitted: Aug 29, 2022
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Typical internship interview.
Consisted of my background
Why investing
Why PE
What do I think through industry does, describing value creation levers
Ended with a paper LBO
This was a non-convertible internship. Although 8 weeks long and paid
Interview Questions
How can a company become more valuable
Sample Answer

Intern Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: January 2022
Date Submitted: Feb 20, 2022
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Well-organized and received contact through an Associate. Got to interview with another Associate and Vice President of the team, everyone was quite friendly and the questions were very fair. The first round was a mix of LBO technicals and behavioural, whereas the second round had less common technicals, and more behavioural questions if you were able to answer the technical easily.
Interview Questions
Walking from equity value to enterprise value with NOLs and pensions.
Sample Answer

Associate Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: March 2018
Date Submitted: Mar 15, 2018
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Recruiter
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Went through a recruiter; based in SF but had video conferences with NYC office. Associates interview generally and then get placed into industry coverage groups after getting the offer.
Interview Questions
When interviewing for the technology group, I was given a case study involving an insurance brokerage company, which threw me off guard. The case study was given as a business description, and a final question of "Would this be a good LBO target?" it's meant to be interactive. The case gave you multiples for the industry and the company multiple, and you had to explore different growth strategies (M&A was one that the case explicitly pointed out), financing options, and operating efficiencies you could implement.
Sample Answer

Associate at Yucaipa Companies Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Los Angeles
Interviewed: 2014
Date Submitted: Oct 25, 2016
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Recruiter
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
Phone Interview
1 on 1 Interview
Skills Test
Interview
The process was straightforward. Recruiter sent in resumes, heard back 1 week later and then had first round phone interview. I live in NY so also had a second round phone interview. Then flew to LA for final round.
Interview Questions
Behavioral:
1. Tell me about yourself?
2 why do you want to work in PE?
3 how did you end up at current bank?
4 why are you interested in Los Angeles?
5 What do you do in your free time?

Technical
6 How would you value a company
7 Walk me though a DCF
8. How would you go about getting up to speed on a company
9. tell me the excel shortcut for various items (nothing challenging)
10. Case study regarding price changes at a baseball stadium
11. From scratch LBO case study
Sample Answer

Associate Interview - Generalist

Anonymous interview candidate in Mumbai
Interviewed: 2010
Date Submitted: Nov 19, 2014
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Employee Referral
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Skills Test
Interview
A friend of mine from college (current employee of the interviewing firm) referred me and I got to interview stage. I was flown in by the firm a few times for different rounds of interview.
First round: 1-1 interviews with each of the Senior Associates (VP equivalent)
Subsequent rounds: 1-1 interviews with each Partner
Modelling Test: Essentially 3 a/c statements and valuation for a deal they had recently considered (3 hours)
Last round: Again 1-1 with the senior most guy who asked a few questions
Interview Questions
The modelling test was quite complex because the target company was
(a) very large and complex
(b) a financial services firm (non-bank) (so obviously if you have not practiced FIG specific modeling, it can get tricky)
I think there was a stress on figuring out:
(a) that you are able to arrive at "key" or "most sensitive" variables for any business quickly
(b) there was a lot of stress on culture fit. They cared that everybody on the team approves of you and feels excited to work with you.

Smart and great people. Somewhat down to earth and never made me uncomfortable.
Sample Answer

Sr. Associate Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: April 2008
Date Submitted: May 08, 2014
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Recruiter
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Group Interview
IQ / Intelligence Test
Personality Test
Interview
Case study and LBO questions, including calculation of free cash flow and tax implications. Read the technical interview guide from WSO. It covers all the basic finance questions. All, know all the details in your resume. Be prepared to talk about the deal in detail, including the strategy and investment thesis (not just numbers). Tell about a situation where you showed your leadership qualities. What are you weaknesses.
Interview Questions
Very detailed questions on the resume. Know your resume 100%.
Case study was a hypothetical LBO
Basic finance questions on different valuation methodologies, walk me through DCF, how do you calculate Free Cash Flow, what's the difference between levered vs. un-levered cash flow.
Sample Answer

Associate Interview - Private Equity

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: January 2012
Date Submitted: Apr 24, 2013
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Recruiter
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Other
Interview
multiple round interviews. first round was a building a templated LBO model followed by a 30 min technical interview with a pre-MBA Associate
2nd round consisted of 2 1-1 interviews with post-MBA Associates who were half technical and half experience interviews
Interview Questions
Asked me to recreate a paper LBO based on the financials of a deal I had worked on. It included remember deal values, giving reasonable debt terms and size and then calculating estimated return
Sample Answer