Strategy Analyst Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Before your Strategy Analyst 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 Strategy Analyst interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. Walk me through how you would carry out a competitor benchmarking analysis from start to finish.

Why they ask: This is a classic analyst task, and they want to see a structured and practical approach.

2. Which Excel skills and functions do you rely on for analysis, and how do you make sure a model is accurate?

Why they ask: Technical Excel competence is expected of an analyst, and they test your care over accuracy.

3. Why do you want to be a strategy analyst, and what do you think the day-to-day work involves?

Why they ask: They want to see realistic expectations and motivation for analytical, supporting work.

4. Where would you look for reliable UK market and industry data, and how do you judge the quality of a source?

Why they ask: They check research resourcefulness and critical judgement of data.

5. How would you build a simple financial business case for a proposed investment, and how would you test whether it holds up?

Why they ask: Analysts support investment appraisals, so they want to see basic financial reasoning.

6. Your manager needs some analysis by tomorrow morning, and you find that two reliable sources give conflicting figures. What do you do?

Why they ask: They test your judgement over data conflicts and communication under time pressure.

7. Tell me about a time you analysed a complicated set of information and presented your findings to someone senior.

Why they ask: They want to see analytical ability and the confidence to communicate it.

8. Your analysis suggests a conclusion that contradicts what a senior director believes. How would you approach this?

Why they ask: They want to see tact, confidence and integrity as a junior analyst.

A sample answer to question 1

Walk me through how you would carry out a competitor benchmarking analysis from start to finish.

I'd begin by clarifying the question: who needs the analysis and what decision it will inform, because that determines which competitors and measures matter. Then I'd pick a sensible set, typically direct rivals and one or two emerging or adjacent players, and define the dimensions, such as pricing, product range, market share, customer proposition, financial performance and digital capability. For data, I'd use secondary sources first: company annual reports and Companies House filings, press releases, websites, industry reports, trade bodies and analyst notes, and then supplement with primary input, such as speaking to sales colleagues or customers. I'd put everything into a consistent template, check numbers on a like-for-like basis, for example adjusting for different year ends, and note where I'm estimating. Then I'd analyse the gaps, ask what they mean for us, and give a clear conclusion in a short summary with a few visuals. I'd flag the limitations of the data, and show sources so the work can be checked.

Common mistake to avoid: Collecting data without a question; Mixing non-comparable figures

Want the rest?

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