Citigroup Logical Reasoning Test

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Ben Hopgood Updated:

About Citigroup Logical Reasoning Tests

Citigroup looks for employees with a high logical reasoning ability. Applicants may have to pass a logical reasoning test before being offered a position in the company, depending on the position and field that they are applying to.

Citigroup logo

Citigroup use the following tests in their selection process:

  • TalentQ numerical reasoning test
  • TalentQ logical reasoning test

Citigroup is a global financial services company which deals with corporate, investment, private, commercial and consumer banking. The Citigroup job application online portal lets job seekers who are interested in the investment banking sector search for employment across 94 available job categories (including Audit, Commercial Banking, Trading and Investment Management).

Logical reasoning tests are a fair and objective way for Citigroup to assess a wide range of applicants, each having different experiences and different qualifications. By analysing the results of a standardised logical reasoning test, Citigroup are able to quickly see which candidates are suitable for the role and which are not. This sort of information about candidates’ skills is difficult to glean from interviews and qualifications alone, so they use professional psychometric tests.

Often, Citigroup will ask applicants to take a logical test online, which you can take from home. When the logical test is used early on in the application process like this you will have to achieve a minimum score before you progress to the next round (typically a score in the top 50% of applicants is required however this does vary role to role). Further along in the selection process you might be asked to attend an assessment centre or interview where you will be asked to sit a logical test again. This is so Citigroup can verify the person scoring highly in the test is indeed the person applying for the job.

Citigroup Application Process Stages

Stage 1

Online Application

Before you apply for any programme, you will need to first register your details on the online job portal (personal details, work experience, and extra curricular activities) as well as attach a copy of your CV and a cover letter.

Stage 2

Online Aptitude Test

Once your online application has passed a preliminary screening, you will be invited to take an online psychometric test. If you are applying for operations, technology or HR, this will be a Logical Reasoning Test. For any other business area, it will be a Numerical Reasoning Test. These tests are provided by Talent Q.

Stage 3

Interview

Your test results and application will be considered as a whole, and if you are successful you will be invited to a first round interview. This normally consists of a 40-minute competency based interview with representatives from your area of business. Citigroup will mainly be assessing whether or not you possess the competencies that they value, including: adaptability, analysis and problem Solving , commercial awareness, communication, confidence, decision-making and judgement, influencing and persuasiveness, leadership, motivation, and relationship building & teamwork

Stage 4

Assessment Centre

The assessment centre at Citigroup is generally the same for all roles and consists of three 30-minute one-on-one interviews and a case study (a written report, presentation and group discussion). You will be questioned mostly on your motivation for joining Citigroup, your skills and your competencies; though there is a chance you will also be asked some technical questions related to your field.

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Citigroup Logical Reasoning Test Questions

Like most logical tests, the one used by Citigroup look at your ability to interpret abstract data, such as patterns created from shapes and shades, and answer questions which require identification and extrapolation of these patterns. The logical test will be assessing your speed and accuracy. The answers are multiple choice and you should try to work quickly within the time limit, but also accurately. Negative marking is unlikely to be used but do not guess answers, as this will show up in your accuracy score. Sometimes you will find that you can make a best guess estimate by deducing that some of the answer options are incorrect. This approach to logical tests will come with practice, and you will become familiar with the type of logical tests used by companies such as Citigroup.

Logical reasoning tests and who uses them

Companies are using logical reasoning test more and more in their application process that candidates must go through. Logical reasoning tests are favoured to assess a candidate's general level of abstract intelligence or reasoning ability. A person's score in a logical reasoning test is a good indicator of their ability to work well with new concepts and to spot patterns. This can be important in any sector or position.

So as a graduate or senior candidate applying for a job at Citigroup you might feel like the logical reasoning test is an unnecessary hoop to jump through. But you should bear in mind that Citigroup are asking you to complete the logical test as much for your own benefit as theirs; if you are not suitable for the role, a psychometric test will usually identify this. Research has shown that psychometric tests, such as those used by Citigroup, are a better predictor of job performance than traditional selection metrics such as level of degree achieved.

What you should know before taking your logical reasoning test

The logical operations required in standardised logical tests are of a level which most applicants can achieve. The difficult aspect comes with identifying the patterns, especially when there are multiple differences in each example of the pattern, quickly and accurately within the time limit. Here is a list of the most common operations you can expect in your logical test:

  • Changes in size of shape
  • Reflection
  • Transformation
  • Division
  • Greyscale shading or other ways of making shapes more distinct
  • Rotation

Different types of logical tests

Most questions in most logical reasoning tests follow a standard format displaying a pattern of images, the question and answer options on screen. These can be arranged differently, but each test will stick to the same layout throughout. The images may contain shapes, such as squares, triangles, and circles, or more symbols, such as arrows, currency signs, and other special characters. The question text may contain extra information which adds to what's given in the sequence of images, this might also be necessary to answer the question correctly. You might have to guess which answer option is the next in the sequence, or which options represents a missing step in the sequence. Lastly, the answer options are almost always multiple choice. Multiple choice answers can vary, however. You may have 4 options to pick from, 5, maybe 10, or more. The more answer options to pick from, the slimmer the chances are that you can obtain the correct answer by guessing.

Answered questions

Are these tests suitable for Citigroup?

Yes. Citigroup use TalentQ's reasoning tests to assess applicants in the recruitment process. The practice tests we provide have been designed to mimic TalentQ's style to create an environment similar to the real assessment. This provides you with confidence that the questions you practice with us now are an accurate reflection of the real assessment.

How difficult are your tests?

The same difficulty as real tests. Generally real employer selection tests don't differ that much in terms of difficulty which is why they compare your score against norm groups. Our practice tests are pitched roughly at graduate level, but this means they are actually suitable for preparing for all levels of job: entry; apprentice; graduate; senior; director.

Are they compatible with my Mac / Tablet / Phone?

Yes, and PC, and Linux and smartphone and Android and...everything. Our practice tests will run on all systems and they are responsive so they will work well on tablets and smartphones too!

How many times can I take the tests?

Unlimited. You can take our practice tests as many times as you like; there is no limit. But to be honest, after taking the same test a few times you start to remember the answers, so that’s why we have lots of tests.