eFinancialCareers

Financial institutions are renowned for throwing difficult, mathematically complex or simply slightly crazy interview questions at potential graduate recruits. Below is a list of real brain-teasers faced by applicants during last year's analyst hiring process, and the answers they gave.

Whilst this list is substantive, and offers a valuable insight into how to succeed and where you could slip-up, we'd like to add examples from those attempting to secure a place this year.

If you'd like to share your experiences, and enter into a draw to win an iPod, please click here for further details.

ABN Amro, Shanghai: Financial management (internship)

Barclays Capital: Finance interview, industrial placement

Barclays Capital: Investment banking/debt capital markets (graduate)

Barclays Capital: Operations (internship)

Barclays Capital: Sales and trading (internship)

Barclays Capital: Equity research (graduate)

Barclays Wealth (internship)

Barclays Wealth (graduate)

Citigroup: Global markets - sales and trading (internship)

Citigroup: Investment banking division (internship)

Credit Suisse, Singapore: Product control (industrial placement)

Credit Suisse: Investment banking division (internship)

Deutsche Bank: Private wealth management (graduate)

Deloitte: Audit (internship)

Fortis Bank: Merchant banking interview (graduate)

Goldman Sachs: Investment Banking (internships)

Goldman Sachs: Investment research interview (internship)

Goldman Sachs, Hong Kong: Private wealth management (off-cycle internship)

Goldman Sachs: Operations (long-term internship)

HSBC CIB, Paris: Key accounts, front office team (long-term internship)

ICAP: Voice trading and electronic trading (graduate)

JPMorgan: Investment banking (IBD) interview (graduate)

JPMorgan: Capital markets interview (graduate, trading)

JPMorgan: Operations interview (graduate)

JPMorgan, Paris: Private wealth management (long-term internship)

KPMG: Audit (school leaver programme)

Lehman Brothers (when it still existed): Investment banking division (internship)

Macquarie Group: Oil and gas team (MBA, full time)

Merrill Lynch: Global markets (internship)

Merrill Lynch: Technology (internship)

Merrill Lynch: Private wealth management (internship)

Merrill Lynch: Private wealth management (internship)

Morgan Stanley: Investment banking division (internship)

Morgan Stanley: Investment banking division (internship)

Morgan Stanley: Investment banking division (internship)

Nomura: Equities interview (graduate)

PricewaterhouseCoopers: Assurance (internship)

Rothschild: Investment banking division (graduate)

Royal Bank of Scotland: Corporate banking interview (graduate)

Royal Bank of Scotland: Operations (internship)

Standard Chartered Bank: Transaction banking interview (graduate)

Thomson Reuters: Business graduate programme

UBS: Finance and accounting interview (graduate)

UBS: Equity research interview (graduate)

UBS: Equity research interview (internship)

UBS: Investment banking (IBD) interview (graduate)

UBS, Asia: Sales and trading (internship)

UBS: Investment banking technology (internship)

Investment banking (IBD): Sample questions from various banks

Investment banking: Summer associate positions for MBAs (various banks)

Sales and trading: Sample questions from various banks