Tesco Aptitude Tests & Interview Process Preparation – 2024

What Is Tesco?

Tesco is the UK’s biggest that has been operating for 100 years with many store locations. Since its first store opened in London, Tesco has become a multinational company and has expanded across central Europe, Asia, and beyond. They employ 354,744 employees and each week serve millions of customers both in store and online. They welcome all people to apply and have a wide range of available career sectors. Their career divisions, which each have a myriad of subdivisions, include:

• Stores and Distribution
• Office
• Bank
• Apprenticeships and Graduates

The options for graduate positions in Tesco are expansive and offer opportunities for people with varying skills and career goals.

What Is Tesco’s Hiring Process?

Tesco hires on a rolling basis, which means that they fill jobs quickly. Thus, Tesco encourages job seekers to begin the pre-employment process as soon as they can and begin their application promptly. The competition will be intense for positions, and often only twenty-four applicants will make it through the first stage. Thus, targeted preparation for the various stages in the hiring process can be critical.

The steps of Tesco’s recruitment process are:

• Online Application
• Games Based Assessment
• Video Interview
• Assessment Center

Online Application

The online application should be filled with as much detail as possible, and you should make sure that your contact information is correct. Additionally, if you are applying to apprenticeship, graduate, or intern programs, you should remember that you can only apply to one position per year. Additionally, candidates will have to prove early on their eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.

The application is brief and includes basic questions. It will ask for potential employees’ educations and work experiences. It may include some quick essay questions that will inquire about candidates’ interests and goals. Much of this stage is to learn about your personality and character as an applicant.

Additionally, it can help to reflect values such as:

• A good work ethic
• Ability to cooperate with others
• Customer service skills
• Decision-making skills
• Task management
• Veracity

Tesco Games Based Assessment

Tesco gives four “games” to those who pass the application screening. These four tests take fifteen minutes in their entirety, the candidate will get feedback as soon as they finish the test. Tesco’s test is short, but important.

Aptitude Tests

In addtion to the games based assessment, Tesco typically uses SHL tests on their applicants, but this can vary based on location, so it is wise to inquire about what test publisher will be used before your test so that you can be as prepared as possible.

During this, they may also use four psychometric exams in their online assessment process. The complexity of these tests varies based on what position and area of expertise you are applying for. The psychometric exams Tesco uses are:

Numerical Reasoning Tests
Numerical reasoning exams are timed tests that examine a person’s ability to interpret and analyze numerical information as seen through graphs, charts, tables, and other numeric equations. It will include basic mathematical calculations, which will be made harder by the pressure of looming time constraint. Thus, preparation beforehand can be invaluable because the true test is seeing how candidates handle stress and high stakes environments. Participants will have just under a minute to read, analyze, and answer questions in this test.

• Verbal Reasoning Tests
  Verbal reasoning exams provide test takers with new passages and then give them a series of questions based on that passage. For Tesco, these tests examine at what level you comprehend verbal information.  The questions often ask whether, based on the passage, information is true, false, or undeterminable based on the passage provided.  There are also questions where you must choose the best option. This test often includes sneaky verbal tricks meant to trip test takers up. Test takers will have approximately forty-five seconds to answer these questions.
• Logical/Inductive Reasoning Test
  Logical and Inductive reasoning tests do not include verbal passages or numbers. They are considered IQ tests and they provide images— shapes and illustrations— to test a person on their ability to identify patterns and determine what shape should go next in that pattern. These tests, due to their speediness, can feel rushed, so some practice can help you feel more at ease going into this test. This type of test is challenging because the patterns can get increasingly abstract and they can make a myriad of changes to the shapes, which can be hard to detect properly. In many instances, five diagrams with different shapes will be included in the patterns that must be analyzed. Again, participants will only have forty-five seconds to complete each question.
• Situational Judgement Tests (SJT)
  SJTs judge how candidates may react to certain situations. A series of hypothetical questions are used to show if candidates are able to work with a team full of differently minded people. Tesco’s SJT uses situations that would take place in a typical Tesco work environment. The goal is to share your own opinions and judgements while remaining open to those of others. This test takes about thirty minutes.

It is important to be prepared for this stage because sixty percent of applicants are turned away during this step in the recruitment process.

Video Interview

The video interview is competency-based with some questions asking participants’ motivations for applying. Thus, the STAR method can be beneficial to brush up on when going into this interview.

To prepare for the video interview use the following tips:

• Use a slow, steady voice
• Find a quiet, well-lit area
• Keep notes in front of you
• Be succinct with answers
• Look at the camera lens
• Smart casual dress

Discovery Centre

The discovery centre is an event for candidates to show off their skills and personality to recruiters. They will be guided by Tesco business leaders. Before the occasion begins candidates will be given some reading and an overview of events to prepare them for the experience. They will then be guided through three exercises, which requires contribution and allows potential employs to show their work ethic and ability to work with others. These series of exercises test applicants’ aptitudes for solving problems, making decisions, and executing tasks.

The tasks given vary based on what position the person applied to, but the first day often includes ice breakers and introductions to orient the group to the participants and the accessors.

Here are some examples of the exercises that may be given to you:

• Presentation
  One exercise at the centre may be a ten-minute presentation using information given beforehand. Candidates will have time to prepare (around 40 minutes) and then given a round of questions after they present. The topics given can range based on the day and the type of job an applicant has in mind. Tasks can include being given a simulated project and then being asked how it should be executed.
• In-Tray Exercise
  This exercise shows a person’s time management skills and tests on how they will handle their workload. Candidates are forced to determine what should be prioritized and to handle various responsibilities all at once.
• Role-play
  Sometimes, prospective employees will be put into a simulated scenario in which they are working at Tesco. This tests how people will adapt and operate in challenging situations.
• Written Exercises
  In some instances, written exercises will be used. These tasks often require job seekers to make decisions and judgements based on limited information.
• Group Exercise
  The group exercise also allows preparation time, alone and then within a group (about 30 minutes individually then 30 minutes with the group). A packet of information is given and then the group chooses tasks to present on. The group is told to make decisions based on Tesco’s set of values. Applicants must show their ability to corporate with teammates while still adding unique and insightful suggestions. Sometimes, groups may be told to compete against other groups.
• Interview
  The interview begins with what is called a 3DCV. Applicants are expected to fundamentally give an oral presentation of their CV by explaining their past experiences, professional and educational victories, interests, and describing their communication style. This presentation is ten minutes long. Then, the rest of the interview includes traditional interview questions about why people chose Tesco as well as competency questions. This interview can be person to person or can be done in front of a panel, depending on the position.

Examples of Tesco’s Interview Questions

• How do you think your past experience has prepared you for work at Tesco?
• What appealed to you about working for Tesco?
• Tesco has room for upward mobility. Where would you like to see yourself in your career with Tesco in 5 years?
• Which unique skills do you bring to Tesco that you feel make you the ideal candidate?
• Working at Tesco requires being able to multitask. Have you ever had to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment? What did you learn from that experience?

How to Prepare for Tesco’s Assessments?

Practice tests for psychometric assessments can be beneficial when applying to Tesco because these online tests are a crucial step in Tesco’s recruitment process. By practising, you can better know what to expect for Tesco’s assessments and feel more confident as you begin the application process. Further, taking practice assessments can give you an idea of your own strengths and weakness so that you can target areas you struggle most with as you prepare to apply to Tesco. If you’re nervous for the online assessments, know that with practice, you won’t have to go into the assessments blind.

Conclusion

Tesco is a first-rate supermarket chain based in the United Kingdom. They value having a diverse, hardworking, team-focused workforce. They want all types of people to feel welcome to apply because they believe that having so many different talents and ideas can help them reflect local communities and build a stronger business. Tesco is an expansive company with plenty of career paths. If you’re looking for a welcoming, people-oriented company that embraces uniqueness, Tesco may be right for you.