HSBC Interview Questions

387 total interview insight submissions
Interview Experience (94%)

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.

3.7
  • Very Negative
  • Negative
  • Neutral
  • Positive
  • Very Positive
Interview Difficulty (95%)

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.

2.9
  • Very Easy
  • Easy
  • Average
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult
% Interns - FT Offers (91%)

The % of Interns Getting a Full Time Offer chart is meant to provide a realistic estimate of the hiring practices of the company based on the reviews 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 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 reviews). Simply put, as a company gets more reviews, the confidence of a "true score" increases so it is pulled closer to the simple company average and away from the average of the entire data set.

56%
  • 0%
  • 10%
  • 20%
  • 30%
  • 40%
  • 50%
  • 60%
  • 70%
  • 80%
  • 90%
  • 100%

Interviews at HSBC

Filter by:
Year
Job Title
Group/Division
Location
Experience
Difficulty
Intern
Year 2024
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location London
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Easy
1st Year Analyst
Year 2023
Job Title 1st Year Analyst
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location London
Experience
Neutral
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2023
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Corporate Finance
Location New York
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Easy
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2024
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Investment Banking
Location New York
Experience
Negative
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2023
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Corporate Banking
Location London
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2023
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Corporate Banking
Location London
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2023
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division N/A
Location London
Experience
Neutral
Difficulty
Average
Student / Prospective Monkey
Year 2023
Job Title Student / Prospective Monkey
Group/Division Global Markets
Location Philadelphia
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Average
Intern
Year 2023
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Generalist
Location London
Experience
Positive
Difficulty
Difficult
Intern
Year 2023
Job Title Intern
Group/Division Commercial Banking
Location Boston
Experience
Very Positive
Difficulty
Average

Interview Questions & Answers - HSBC Examples

Investment Banking Summer Analyst Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous employee in London
Interviewed: January 2024
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
3-4 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
First, you apply online. You receive one initial online test, both behavioral and with some interpretation of the graph questions.

If you are selected, you receive a second test. This is a job simulation with recorded video internviews. You will be asked to organize your calendar for a week, based on the instruction they provide you. You are asked to read an article and write a report answering questions they ask.
If you successfully complete that. You will be called for AC.

You enter a Zoom room with HRs and Assessors. HRs introduce the format of the day and let the assessors introduce themselves. Then candidates must briefly introduce themselves, by also adding something interesting about themselves. Candidates are then moved to another zoom room where another HRs gives more details on the organization of the day. Half of the candidates are assessed in the morning and half in the afternoon. If you are assessed in the afternoon you’ll be asked to disconnect and join later.

Interviews

The AC comprises 3 interviews, all of them have the same following format:

1. Initial warm-up question. Not evaluated in theory, but use it as a way to differentiate yourself and be an exceptional candidate (Tell me about your hobby, tell me of your greatest achievement)

2. Technical questions and Brainteasers

3. Strengths Based Questions

4. General Questions: I think that this is the only part where the interviewers have a little bit more room for discretion. I was asked what I knew about what the specific team I was interviewing with does.

Conclusion

You are moved in a room with HRs and all the assessors for final greetings
Interview Questions
Impact of Russia-Ukraine war on the M&A market

Analyst Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous interview candidate in London
Interviewed: May 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
The assessment centre was 4 interviews back to back. 1 motivational, 1 behavioural, then 2 technical. Very structured interview and less of a conversation because they have a list of questions to ask you. HR are very nice people and will support you through the process.
Interview Questions
Nothing out of the ordinary. Some questions include:

What’s the relationship between WACC and leverage
How did Covid affect M&A
Difference between debt and equity
They also gave me 4 numbers and asked how I’d make 24 from them

Financial Crimes Manager Interview - Corporate Finance

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: September 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
Group Interview
Personality Test
Interview
The interview was very engaging; I had been shifting towards a career path in finance. Hence, most of the interview was understanding the transferability of my experience and problem solving skills into global finance. The recruiter and team were very good too me and were responsive to my communications. The only issue that I could think of was that scheduling the interview took much (~1 month) longer than I anticipated, but things do happen within that process. Multiple parties are involved in the hiring process. Overall, 10/10 interview; would interview again.
Interview Questions
I did not have any.

Investment Banking Summer Analyst Interview - Investment Banking

Anonymous interview candidate in New York
Interviewed: October 2024
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
In-person
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Skills Test
Personality Test
Interview
I interviewed for their HK position in NYC where they sent 7 MDs in banking to interview us in a rented office building. It consisted of basic behavioral questions like tell me about yourself, why HSBC, why banking, greatest strength/weakness, and stock pitch. The technical was also pretty straight forward - EV to equity bridge, unlevered and levered FCF and which discount rate to use for which. On top of that, I was given two brainteasers where I was close to solving but did not get.
Interview Questions
How to calculate levered FCF and what discount rate to use

Off cycle corporate banking analyst Interview - Corporate Banking

Anonymous employee in London
Interviewed: November 2023
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
After the online test, I got an invitation to the job simulation. A few weeks after I got shorted for AC. It took place online weeks later, consisting of three back to back 1 on 1 interviews with senior members. This included a mix of technical, motivational and strength questions, each ending with a short activity. Big focus on commercial awareness and knowledge of the banks recent moves and key focuses + knowledge of those areas (e.g innovation).
Interview Questions
Name a ESG initiative at a firm other than HSBC

Summer Analyst- Corporate Banking Interview

Anonymous interview candidate in London
Interviewed: December 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
3-4 months
Application
Presentation
Interview
Assessment centre (London) was 3 separate interviews, each with the following: motivational, technical, competency questions and then finishing with presenting your response to a slides of info + data given regarding a decision on how to best approach a situation (all hypothetical stuff, first was implementing an eco solution, technology initiative, finally which role in a project you would take- given a list of tasks and a timetable for this).
Interview Questions
You have 3 boxes each labelled incorrectly, one mixed apples and oranges, one oranges, one apples. You can pick one fruit out from a box, how do you know how to correctly label all the boxes?

Global Markets Analyst - Geneva Interview - Global Markets

Anonymous interview candidate in Philadelphia
Interviewed: November 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
College / University / On Campus Recruiting
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Phone Interview
Skills Test
Background Check
Interview
I submitted an application online and was contacted for an online skills test, followed by a virtual interview and superday. Most of the content was behavioral, with some more technical questions at superday which were fairly straightforward (DCF model, asset classes, you know the drill).
Interview Questions
If there was an earthquake in Singapore next year, how would it affect Singaporean GDP growth?

Summer Internship Interview - Generalist

Anonymous employee in London
Interviewed: November 2023
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
Less than 1 month
Application
1 on 1 Interview
Interview
Started with online assessment. then invited to a job simulation which had some market analysis questions some video responses and some SJT. then a few months later invited to AC which consisted with 3 back to back interviews on zoom with seniors each lasting 40 minutes.
Interview Questions
They asked some brainteasers in the 3rd interview of the AC which caught me off guard. these were quick maths/problem solving not market sizing. I had not prepared for these. The hardest was You have 100 balls (50 black balls and 50 white balls) and 2 buckets. How do you divide the balls into two buckets so as to maximize the probability of selecting a black ball if 1 ball is chosen from 1 of the buckets at random?

Commercial Banking Intern Interview - Commercial Banking

Anonymous employee in Boston
Interviewed: October 2023
Outcome
Accepted Offer
Interview Source
Applied Online
Length of Process
1-2 months
Application
Skills Test
Other
Interview
Started with a run of the mill online situational assessment/personality test. Then got contacted about 2 weeks later for a online assessment that was more specific to HSBC skillsets with video responses. Then about a week later I got invited to a virtual super day where I had 2 interviews, one strengths based and one “technical”. All the questions were industry related and pretty open ended. Seemed like they were more so looking for smart and well thought answers vs correct answers.
Interview Questions
Tell me about an industry you’re interested and some current trends affecting it.

Intern Interview - Equity Capital Markets

Anonymous interview candidate in Frankfurt
Interviewed: January 2023
Outcome
No Offer
Interview Source
In-person
Length of Process
2-3 months
Application
Phone Interview
Interview
Application obline with CV & Cover Letter back in 2022. HR called me 6 months after it if I am still interested. First round interview with two Directors and one VP. Spoke with everyone individually. Mainly personal based interview and two-three (quite basic) technical questions. After the phone interview (~2.5 hours) I had to prepare a case study / two slides within 1.5 hours.
Interview Questions
How does an investor act if he cannot participate in a capital increase and cannot sell his subscription rights?