Stage map
| Stage | Typical timing | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Online application | Spring, rolling | Eligibility, CV, division choice |
| Online assessments | Within 1-2 weeks | Numerical, logical and situational judgement |
| Recorded video interview | 1-3 weeks after tests | Motivation, competency, communication |
| First round interviews | Autumn | Technical and behavioural depth |
| Superday / assessment centre | Late autumn | Panel interviews, case, fit |
| Offer | Weeks after superday | Calibrated panel decision |
Applying: the choices that quietly matter
- Division choice is usually binding for the cycle. Research the desk, not the division brand.
- Apply in the first two weeks. Rolling review means late strong applications compete for fewer slots.
- The motivation boxes are read. Write them as tight paragraphs, not bullet fragments.
- Any modelling, programming or data skill should appear with evidence, not as a keyword.
The online assessments
Expect a numerical and logical reasoning battery plus a situational judgement component. The numerical section rewards fast percentage, ratio and index work on data tables rather than advanced maths. The situational section rewards answers that combine escalation with personal ownership: raise the risk, and then do the work.
The recorded interview
The video stage focuses heavily on motivation and behaviour. Prepare a 90-second CV walkthrough, a clear answer on why this division, and four competency stories with quantified outcomes. Deliver them to the lens, at conversational pace, in a quiet room with light in front of you.
Superday
| Component | Preparation focus |
|---|---|
| Behavioural interviews | Values-mapped stories, consistent across interviewers |
| Technical interviews | Three statements, DCF, comps, one market view |
| Case or exercise | Structure first, then numbers, then a recommendation |
| Senior conversation | Judgement, long-term motivation, curiosity |
What the process is really filtering for
Every stage of a large graduate process exists to remove a specific risk. The online application removes candidates who cannot follow instructions or meet basic eligibility. The assessments remove candidates whose reasoning under time pressure is materially below the cohort. The recorded interview removes candidates who cannot communicate clearly. The final stage removes candidates who would be difficult to work with. Reading the process this way is more useful than memorising its stage names, because it tells you what to prepare for at each point.
It also explains why the process feels impersonal early and personal late. Nobody is reading your motivations in week one. They are checking that you clear thresholds. The moment a human is genuinely reading, usually at interview stage, everything you say about why this firm and this division starts to carry weight.
Timing is a strategy, not an administrative detail
Applications are typically reviewed on a rolling basis, which means the same application submitted in September and in November does not face the same competition or the same number of remaining seats. Candidates routinely underestimate this. If your CV is ninety per cent ready in early autumn, submitting it then is almost always better than submitting a perfect version six weeks later. The marginal improvement from more polishing is small; the marginal cost of a shrinking pool of places is not.
Writing motivations that survive a second reading
Motivational answers fail when they could be pasted into an application to any other firm with the name swapped. The test is simple: read your paragraph and ask whether a rival bank's name would fit. If it would, you have described the industry, not the firm. Specificity comes from things that are actually distinctive, such as a division's structure, a recent transaction you can explain in two sentences, or a conversation you had with someone who works there and what it changed in your thinking.
- Name one transaction or theme and explain why it interested you, not just that it happened.
- Connect a real experience of yours to the work the team does day to day.
- Avoid superlatives about prestige; every applicant has already used them.
- Keep it to a tight paragraph, because length is not read as enthusiasm.
Key takeaways
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Apply early | Rolling review compresses the real deadline |
| Choose the division deliberately | Switching later in the cycle is rarely possible |
| Simulate the tests | Interface familiarity is worth several raw marks |
| Bring a market view | One well-argued theme beats five headlines |
Frequently asked questions
When do Goldman Sachs applications open?
Summer analyst applications typically open in the spring of the preceding year and are reviewed on a rolling basis, so applying in the first fortnight is materially better than applying near the deadline.
Does Goldman Sachs use a video interview?
Yes. A recorded, asynchronous interview is a standard step for most graduate and internship programmes before live interviews.
