Barclays HireVue: 7 Questions, Values, Prep Plan
Barclays HireVue questions run 5 to 7 prompts with 90 seconds prep and commercial-awareness themes. Learn the format, RISES values lens, and rehearsal plan.
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Barclays HireVue questions come in one of the longest digital interviews in banking: 5 to 7 prompts with about 90 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to answer each. Candidates report two attempts per question, and the themes lean hard into commercial awareness and Barclays' RISES values. This guide covers the reported format, the question mix, and how to rehearse for a screen that rewards opinions, not just stories.
TL;DR
- Expect 5 to 7 questions, roughly 90 seconds of prep and 2 minutes to answer each, per 2027 programme reporting.
- Candidates report two attempts per question. Use the second take as a fix, not a fifth performance.
- Themes split between motivation, teamwork behaviorals, and commercial-awareness prompts like the biggest challenges facing finance.
- Barclays assesses Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship throughout. Name the value your story proves.
- The HireVue sits after online assessments and before the assessment centre, so passing it earns a live round, not an offer.
What is the Barclays HireVue format?
Barclays runs a HireVue digital interview as stage three of graduate and intern recruiting, after the online assessments and before the assessment centre. You record alone and reviewers watch later.
| Element | Reported detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Question count | 5 to 7 | Programme reporting via getsmartresume |
| Prep time per question | About 90 seconds | Programme reporting |
| Answer time per question | About 2 minutes | Programme reporting, candidate reports |
| Attempts per question | Two | Candidate reports via Glassdoor |
| Question style | Motivation, behavioral, industry insight | Candidate reports |
| Position in process | After assessments, before assessment centre | Programme reporting |
Seven questions at 2 minutes each is up to 14 minutes of recorded talking, nearly double some peer banks. Stamina matters here. Rehearse full sittings, not single answers, because answer five at full energy is a different skill from answer one.
For a timed rehearsal on Barclays style prompts, practise the Barclays round with four timed questions, one take each, then a score and a fix for every answer.
HireVue Practice is an independent preparation tool for timed mock interviews. It is separate from Barclays' recruitment platform and does not determine an employer result.
Which questions does Barclays actually ask?
Candidate reports describe three families. Expect wording close to these, collected from Glassdoor candidate reports:
- Why do you want to work at Barclays, and in this division?
- Tell me about a time you worked in a team under a tight deadline.
- What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the finance industry in the next five years?
- Describe a situation where you acted with integrity.
- Why investment banking, and what have you done to explore it?
The industry question is the filter. "What are the biggest challenges facing finance" has no story to hide behind. It tests whether you read about the industry you want to join. Prepare two challenges with a Barclays angle each: one regulatory or structural, one about technology or markets, and for each say in one sentence why it matters to a universal bank with a markets arm.
How do the RISES values shape answers?
Barclays states its assessments are built around five values: Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship. Reviewers listen for them whether or not a question names one. The practical move is small: end each behavioral answer with one line tying the story to a value. A teamwork story proves Service. An error you owned proves Integrity. Do not recite the acronym. Show one value per answer and move on. Use the firm-fit guide to check your motivation survives a bank-name swap.
How should you use two attempts?
Record take one as if it were final. Review once for two faults only: a factual stumble or an unfinished ending. Fix exactly one of them in take two and submit. Candidates who treat two attempts as unlimited rehearsal submit tense, flattened answers. The assessment rewards natural delivery of a prepared view, and take one usually has it.
The banking HireVue format guide covers the shared one-way mechanics, and the banking HireVue question families teach the five shapes behind most prompts. For the values-led contrast, see the Wells Fargo HireVue guide and the Deutsche Bank recorded-interview guide. For the continental-European strengths screen, see the BNP Paribas HireVue guide.
How do you answer Barclays behaviorals with STAR?
At two minutes per answer you can afford the full STAR plus a values closer. Structure every answer as situation in one line, action in three, result with a number, then one RISES line. The closer is what separates Barclays answers from generic banking answers: "that is what Service looks like to me" said once, sincerely, after proof. Prepare seven stories because the sitting runs long, and rehearse answers five through seven most, since fatigue hits there.
Example prep for the three highest-probability prompts:
| Prompt | What they score | How to prep it |
|---|---|---|
| Biggest challenges facing finance | Commercial range | Two challenges with a Barclays angle each, one sentence of implication |
| Why Barclays and this division | Research depth | One platform fact plus one personal proof point |
| Teamwork under a tight deadline | Delivery under pressure | Timeline first, your unblock second, outcome with a number |
What is the 7-day Barclays prep plan?
| Day | Task | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the invitation, confirm count and attempts | 20 |
| 2 | Write seven STARs with one RISES closer each | 60 |
| 3 | Build two commercial-awareness takes with Barclays angles | 45 |
| 4 | Record all answers, keep the energetic versions | 45 |
| 5 | Full sitting of all questions back to back for stamina | 35 |
| 6 | Review answers five to seven first, they degrade fastest | 30 |
| 7 | One timed mock on the practice pack, then rest | 30 |
Run day 7 on the Barclays practice round for a scored sitting under real rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are in the Barclays HireVue?
Programme reporting points to 5 to 7 questions. Candidate reports cluster around 5. Confirm on your invitation screen.
How much time do I get per question?
About 90 seconds to prepare and 2 minutes to answer, per programme reporting. Rehearse full sittings for stamina.
How many attempts do I get?
Candidates report two attempts per question. Plan to submit take two at the latest.
What are the RISES values?
Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship. Barclays assesses them across its process, so let one value show per behavioral answer.
Does Barclays ask technical questions in the HireVue?
The reported mix is motivation, behavioral, and commercial awareness rather than technical grilling. Technical depth arrives at later live rounds.
Where does the HireVue sit in the process?
After the online assessments and before the assessment centre. It is a gateway to live interviews.
The video screen is one stage. The Barclays interview process guide covers every round after it, what the firm tests hardest, and real questions from its bank.
Sources (checked September 2026)
- getsmartresume, Barclays Graduate Program 2027 guide: https://www.getsmartresume.com/article/barclays-graduate-programme-guide
- GraduatesFirst, Barclays recruitment process: https://www.graduatesfirst.com/barclays-aptitude-tests
- Glassdoor, Barclays Summer Analyst interviews: https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/Barclays-Summer-Analyst-Interview-Questions-EI_IE3456.0,8_KO9,23.htm