Investment Banking Intern Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Most Investment Banking Intern interviews in the UK follow a pattern, and knowing it beats guessing. Below are eight questions from our bank of 25, each with a note on what the interviewer is really after.

Eight Investment Banking Intern interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Why do you want to do an internship in investment banking?

Why they ask: The opening question in almost every spring week and summer analyst interview, testing genuine, informed motivation.

2. What is the difference between investment banking, sales and trading, and asset management?

Why they ask: Interviewers check that you understand the main divisions and have chosen the right one for you.

3. What do you know about our bank, and why do you want to intern with us rather than a competitor?

Why they ask: They want evidence of genuine research and a reason you fit their culture and business.

4. Tell me about a deal or financial news story you have followed recently.

Why they ask: Commercial awareness is tested in nearly every IB intern interview.

5. Pitch me a stock.

Why they ask: A very common test of whether you can form and justify an investment view concisely.

6. What do you think an M&A team in an investment bank actually does?

Why they ask: They want to see that you understand the work you'd be doing as an intern.

7. Tell me about something you have done that shows your interest in finance outside your degree.

Why they ask: Interviewers want evidence that your interest is genuine and sustained, not just a CV line.

8. An analyst gives you a task during your internship, but you don't fully understand the instructions. What do you do?

Why they ask: Tests whether you will ask for clarity rather than waste time or produce the wrong output.

A sample answer to question 1

Why do you want to do an internship in investment banking?

It really started in my first year, when I joined the university investment society and helped research a pitch on a UK retailer that was being targeted by a private equity buyer. I was fascinated by how a bank could take a company's numbers, its market and the buyer's strategy and turn them into a price that both sides would accept. Since then, I've read around the subject, followed deals in the Financial Times and spoken to a few analysts, and the work they describe, combining analysis, deadlines and real client impact, sounds exactly like the environment I'd thrive in. An internship is the best way to test that properly. I want to see what the day-to-day work is like on a deal team, build my technical skills in Excel and valuation, and learn from people who are very good at what they do. I'm also realistic that it's demanding, and I'm ready for that.

Common mistake to avoid: Talking about salary or prestige; A generic answer that could fit any job

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 25 questions are on the Investment Banking Intern interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.