Reinsurance Underwriter Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your Reinsurance Underwriter interview, it helps to see the questions from the interviewer's side. We have picked eight from our set of 12 and added the reason each one gets asked.

Eight Reinsurance Underwriter interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. What does a reinsurance underwriter do, and what draws you to this part of the market?

Why they ask: They want to see you understand the more analytical, portfolio-focused nature of reinsurance compared with direct insurance.

2. How do reinstatements work on an excess of loss treaty, and how would you price them?

Why they ask: Reinstatements are fundamental to the economics of non-proportional treaties, so they test technical depth.

3. How would you use experience rating on a casualty or property per-risk excess of loss treaty?

Why they ask: Experience rating is a core pricing method, and they want to see that you know how to adjust the data for reliability.

4. How does exposure rating work, and when would you use it instead of experience rating?

Why they ask: They want to see that you know the limits of each method and when to combine them.

5. How does a quota share treaty with a sliding scale commission work, and what would you check before agreeing it?

Why they ask: Proportional treaty economics are fundamental, and they want to see that you understand how commission aligns interests.

6. Which treaty wording clauses worry you most when reviewing a treaty, and why?

Why they ask: Wording is crucial in reinsurance, and clear definitions prevent disputes after a loss.

7. A cedant claims a catastrophe layer has been hit by a storm, but the losses occurred over seven days and your wording has a 72-hour clause. How do you respond?

Why they ask: They want to see wording interpretation, fairness and good faith in a real dispute.

8. Tell me about a time you used analysis to challenge a cedant's or broker's view of a risk.

Why they ask: They want to see technical credibility and the confidence to challenge appropriately.

A sample answer to question 1

What does a reinsurance underwriter do, and what draws you to this part of the market?

A reinsurance underwriter assesses and prices the risks that insurers, the cedants, want to pass on, and decides how much to write and on what terms. I would review submissions from brokers, analyse the cedant's portfolio, claims history, pricing and reserving approach, run experience and exposure models, set terms such as rate, retention, limits and reinstatements, and negotiate with brokers and cedants. I would also monitor my portfolio's exposure to catastrophe events, aggregate exposure and performance, and work closely with claims, actuarial and exposure management. A key difference is that we are underwriting the cedant's underwriting, so we rely on partnership, data quality and trust, and often have a long-term relationship across renewal seasons. What appeals to me is the mix of modelling and judgement, the global scope and the way each decision affects capital and volatility. It suits someone who enjoys numbers, understands insurance fundamentals and can build credibility with brokers and clients.

Common mistake to avoid: Treating it as just direct insurance at larger scale; ignoring data quality and trust

Want the rest?

Full model answers, key points and common mistakes for all 12 questions are on the Reinsurance Underwriter interview questions page. The first five are free, no sign-up needed.