Treasury Assistant Interview Questions UK: 8 Real Questions and What Interviewers Want

Most Treasury Assistant interviews in the UK follow a pattern, and knowing it beats guessing. Below are eight questions from our bank of 12, each with a note on what the interviewer is really after.

Eight Treasury Assistant interview questions, and what the interviewer is thinking

1. How would you put together the daily cash position, and why is it important?

Why they ask: The daily cash position is the core routine task of a treasury assistant.

2. What are the main UK payment methods, such as Faster Payments, BACS and CHAPS, and when would you use each?

Why they ask: Choosing the right payment method is a daily judgement in treasury operations.

3. A supplier payment is waiting for release, and the email says the supplier has changed bank details. What do you do?

Why they ask: Payment fraud is a major risk and they want to see your instincts.

4. What is the difference between a spot and forward foreign exchange contract, and when might a business use each?

Why they ask: They check basic FX knowledge that underpins daily treasury activity.

5. Tell me about a time you noticed a discrepancy in figures and what you did about it.

Why they ask: They want to see accuracy and follow-through in a numbers-driven role.

6. What inputs would you collect for a short-term cash flow forecast, and how would you check its accuracy?

Why they ask: Forecasting support is a key assistant task and drives funding decisions.

7. It's 2pm and you discover that the current account will be overdrawn by £300,000 at close because a large receipt hasn't arrived. What do you do?

Why they ask: They test urgency, prioritisation and escalation in a real cash problem.

8. Why are you interested in treasury, and what does a treasury assistant do day to day?

Why they ask: They want to confirm genuine interest and realistic expectations.

A sample answer to question 1

How would you put together the daily cash position, and why is it important?

Each morning I'd download the previous day's closing balances and intraday statements from our banks, usually through the online banking portals or the treasury system via SWIFT MT940 or similar files. I'd load them into the cash position report, then adjust for known items that have not yet cleared, such as scheduled payments, expected receipts from the sales ledger and payroll, to estimate the closing position across accounts and currencies. I'd compare it against yesterday's forecast, explain variances, and check balances against our minimum and target levels. Any shortfall means arranging transfers from another account or drawing on a facility, and surplus is invested or moved into deposits or money market funds under policy. It matters because poor visibility of cash leads to overdraft charges, missed payments or idle cash earning nothing, and the treasurer relies on this report for funding and investment decisions every day.

Common mistake to avoid: Ignoring unpresented items; not investigating large variances

Want the rest?

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