HSBC Group Business Analyst Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Just have a good college in your CV. If you are from IIT/ IIM easy to get in

Round: Test
Experience: 10 single correct questions, 10 CAT based questions, 5 data sufficiency questions, 2 subjective questions were asked.
Tips: All the objective questions were easy so everyone would have solved. Subjective questions were important for selecting candidates .Final solution for subjective questions are not important ,the way you approach is important.
Duration: 45 minutes

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Questioned on Resume points. A case study was given and the student has to analyse it.

Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case study question and brain teaser were asked. Brainteaser was an easy question.

Skill Tips: Mock interviews with friends and ready with all resume points of how to explain them each helps. Solved many case studies. Updated myself with latest news. I also read Wiki questions like how to get 3 wolnes, 2 men to other side of river?.
Skills: Soft skills, Case study solving ability
College Name: IIT MADRAS

Round: Test
Tips: Could use C/C++/Java to solve,
Duration: 120 minutes
Total Questions: 62

Round: Other Interview
Experience: Simple puzzles, Basic data structures and algorithms based question were asked.

Round: Other Interview
Experience: Asked about my Analytics intern – Explained some Text mining, machine learning techniques like Artificial Neural Networks. Also DDP and Projects – some Regression and Time Series Concepts.

Round: HR Interview
Experience: Basic HR and background check, Also Check if you are genuinely interested and will not leave the company.

General Tips: Talk to people, read stuff, find out what interests you. Decide a few areas and prepare for those. Take part in insti clubs, get to know new stuff.There are a number of free online video courses available like coursera, edX, etc. Have a look at these, pick up one or two, learn whenever you have time. If possible, even submit the assignments and give the quizzes. A programming language cannot be learned just by reading a book or watching videos. You have to practice and do somehands-on exercises.While preparing for Puzzles and coding questions, do not directly go to the solution, always make an attempt, scribble your thoughts on a piece of paper.Participate in competitions (for both core and non-core), you ll learn a lot through such experiences than what you learn from textbooks.
Skill Tips: Speak confidently and explain your projects in simple terms. Ask if they want further explanation, and only then talk about it in depth.
College Name: IIT MADRAS

Round: Test
Experience: The quantitative part is relatively easy, it is for testing the speed and accuracy, there are two math cases given the exam but they were also comparatively easy based on probability and statistics
Tips: In the math cases it is very important to analyse the result after solving it. that is what makes the difference because almost every one solves it
Duration: 30 minutes
Total Questions: 22

Round: Interview
Experience: The guy was one of the vice presidents in the firm. He seemed pretty cool.
They will make you more comfortable and they want you answer the questions.
Tips: Do not try to babble about all the courses that you have taken just brief him your specialization, projects and internships.

Try to explain an intern or project related to the position and be sure about what you are explaining these guys are technically very sound.

Try not to ask the bland questions like what are the opportunities at Citi , what is the vertical hierarchy in the firm. This is not an hr question and this is a trap. Ask him about the plunging profits or gains or what is citi's strategy to hold its position in certain countries. This will give him the impression that you did prepare for the interview.

Round: Interview
Experience: This was a mix of stress +guesstimate+ technical interview.
This round went so much longer than the first round. Some times they may ask an irrelevant question just to see how you react to it. In this round they have asked me everything about the projects and internships. As I told you they were technically sound they will track you up to every minute detail of the project. They have also asked many situation type questions. They have asked me about my high CGPA and why not a Ph.D.
Tips: Try to be as much cool as possible in this interview do not show a blank face to the interviewers when they have asked something from your CV. In the situation type questions try to relate those situations to something on your CV and then tell them how you have solved it. And you must be a master of your CV you must be able to answer about a particular graph or result from your project even during sleep. they shoot a lot of questions at you and answer them as appropriately as you can. Be sure to know what your strengths and weakness are. do not try to disguise your weakness as a strength, they will find out that you are trying to fake, they have seen thousand of candidates like you.

Round: Interview
Experience: I had a friendly chat with the HR to begin with as he was asking about my surname and stuff. the interview went on for 15-20 mins of the phone. here you need to really explain about why you are interested in citi and why you are into analytics
Tips: Follow the same tips mentioned in the third round.

General Tips: Be thorough with your projects and internships and do not try to fake the technical details
Skill Tips: Good technical knowledge is required and taking statistics courses would really help
Skills: Speed, Accuracy, Analytical ability, Stress handling, statistical methods basics, reasoning
College Name: IIT KHARAGPUR
Motivation: Nice work life balance and growth in the firm and the firms stability