Credit Suisse Online Assessment [2024]: Get Accurate Practice & Secure an Internship or a Full-Time Offer

For ANY undergraduate or graduate program you apply to, you will be asked to take the Credit Suisse online assessment, administered by Cut-e (AON).

For you to even be considered by HR, you first have to hit the benchmark score in the assessment.

The assessment includes:

• Numerical reasoning test
• Verbal reasoning test

If you are applying for an analyst position, you will be asked to take an additional test:

• Credit Suisse chatAssess Analysts

Note: These tests will be sent to you immediately after applying for every position in EMEA and APAC locations.

Although you are not given a specific deadline to complete the assessments, you probably should do so as soon after receiving the email as possible.

In Switzerland, your application will be first reviewed, and ONLY if you are invited for an interview you will be asked to take the tests beforehand.

The numerical reasoning test is designed to test your ability to extract and evaluate data presented in tables and diagrams.

During the test you will be given six sheets of data, that you can return to and examine at any point.

You will be asked to review 18 statements, each relates to only one of the sheets, and determine whether they are true, false or that you cannot say.

Let’s try a numerical reasoning sample question (We've made this one easier by only focusing on one tab):

 Note that on the real test, not only will you have to decide if the statement is true based on such sheets, but you will also need to decide which of the six tabs is the one with the information you need.

• Pressing time limit – 18 questions in 6 minutes, which means about 20 seconds per question.
• A lot of data – each sheet is FILLED with many different details you need to find your way around. With only 20 seconds per question, this is not an easy thing to do.
• For every question, you first have to determine which sheet is relevant. Again, not so simple with the clock ticking away in the corner of the screen.
• The “cannot say” statements are especially hard, as you need to exclude the “true” and “false” answers to be sure.
• Points are deducted for wrong answers – which means guessing is not the best approach here.

It seems like a difficult task, but you are more than capable of overcoming these obstacles. Yes, even answering a question in under 20 seconds.

All you need to do is practice, so you’ll know the test inside-out and will be able to solve it in your sleep.

The verbal reasoning test is designed to test your ability to evaluate data from written information.

You will be given six sheets of verbal data, offering information about a company, such as structure, products & services, locations etc.

Your task is to review 18 statements, and for each determine if it is true, false or you cannot say. Note that every statement relates to only one sheet of data.

Test yourself with this verbal reasoning sample question:

• Tip: Sometimes the test will be misleading on purpose.
• In the sample question, you might have a sheet of data titled “Executive team”. As the statement talks about the executive team, you might be lured to choose this sheet.
• But in reality, the sheet you are looking for is titled “Objectives”. This phrase is synonymous with the phrase “corporate principals” which only comes in the end of the statement.
• This confusing nature is to be avoided by reading the statement carefully, and NOT jumping to early conclusions.

• You have only 6 minutes to review 18 statements. That is about 20 seconds per statement.
• Ambiguous statements – Unlike the numerical data, the verbal data tends to be ambiguous with a lot of grey areas. Candidates specifically find it hard to distinguish between the “false” and “cannot say” answers.
• You can’t skim through written information like you would in a numerical chart. You have to read every word, and that takes time. A lot of time.

To master the verbal test, you have to develop a solving strategy, and an efficient system to analyse a large amount of data.

This can be achieved with proper practice.

The chatAssess is actually a form of situational judgment test, built on a chat-like interactive platform.

During the test, you will receive messages from virtual Credit Suisse colleagues, represented by avatars.

Every avatar you click on will give you more information, a sort of an ID that will help you determine how to respond properly.

For each message, you will have to choose one response out of three to four options.

Like a real chat, your chosen response will trigger a new message from the colleague, for which you will have to choose a new response. You will go back and forth with several avatars until you finish responding to all messages.

The idea here is to simulate a real Credit Suisse work environment for you. Your responses are supposed to paint HR a picture of your suitability to the firm values.

Try it out with a sample question:

• Tip: In addition to the answer you choose, every action that you take is part of the assessment.
• This may include the order of the messages you respond to and the time it took you to respond to each of your colleagues.
• However, remember that once you choose your answer, you cannot change it, so dedicate enough time to every question.
• This information and much more is available in the full study guide, included in our preparation pack.

• Every action counts – ALL messages are exposed to you right from the get-go, and every move you make is monitored. This is intimidating.
• Are there right and wrong answers? – Even though it doesn’t seem so, there IS a right way to respond. Distinguishing between right and wrong is confusing and frustrating.
• The test is not timed, which is supposed to be good news. The truth is it only makes it harder, as Credit Suisse will know how long you spent on every question.

To properly deal with this confusing test, you need to know what stands behind each and every situation presented to you. Once you got that figured out, it will be much easier to choose the right response.

A 5-day insight programme for 1st-year students in a 3-year course, or 2nd-year students in a 4-year course.

This is actually a short internship that is designed to give you a glimpse of a real investment bank experience and work environment. During the internship you will be work-shadowing analysts and participate in workshops and networking events.

But more than that, spring week is actually an important first step towards a career in finance. Look at it as a 5-day job interview, as Credit Suisse will fast track the top spring interns to a summer internship. And a summer internship leads to a full-time role.

A Credit Suisse internship is THE best way to get a full-time job. Credit Suisse doesn’t disguise this fact at all.

Take a look at this statement from their official website:

This is the way it goes in most banks, and the trend will be stronger every year.

Note: Although summer internships are the most common, they are not the only possible internships.

You can try a Credit Suisse off-cycle internship, which might have a timeline more suited for you, and still enjoy all the benefits of a summer internship. It could last anywhere between 3 to 6 months.

Another option is a Credit Suisse industrial placement, which is a longer internship usually taken as a break from school, or as a part of a university programme that requires it.

The Credit Suisse summer internship is offered to students in their penultimate year ONLY, and it lasts around 3 months.

Notice that the recruitment is on a rolling basis, done in several waves. This means that if they have filled up all their spots by the second wave, there will not be a third.

So, apply as early as possible!

The internship is in a specific business area you need to apply to in advance.

Note: Credit Suisse allows you to apply to up to 2 programmes, so choose your application wisely.

To be eligible for this position you need to be in your last year of studies, or that you just recently graduated.

As a full-time analyst, you will work in a specific team in the bank.
By now you probably know your way around the bank and what team you are best suited for.

Note: Not all programmes are open for outside hire. You should check the Credit Suisse website for further information about positions open for candidates who have not been a Credit Suisse interns.