Guide

Investment banking HireVue interviews

Updated November 1, 2026

A HireVue is a recorded video interview: each question appears on screen and you record your answer, with no interviewer on the call. Banks use it to screen applicants before the final round. Goldman Sachs says applicants it selects complete a video interview of about 30 minutes, and those who pass are invited to its final-round interviews. HireVue's own FAQ says most video-based assessments include five to eight questions, with several minutes to answer each.

How does a HireVue work?

You get a link, record your answers to questions that appear on screen, and the recordings are reviewed before the bank decides who moves on.

1. The invitation. You get a link and a deadline. If your connection drops, HireVue says you can pick up where you left off with the same link (HireVue FAQ).
2. A practice question. HireVue's tips page says you'll have the opportunity to do a practice question (HireVue interview tips). Use it to check your camera, light and sound.
3. The questions. Each one appears on screen, then you record. Read each screen: it shows how long you have to prepare and to answer. HireVue says most on-demand interviews ask for answers of "just a few minutes" (HireVue).
4. The review. HireVue describes its tools as a first step, "before hiring decisions are made by people" (HireVue FAQ).

Can you see HireVue questions beforehand?

No. In a standard HireVue you see each question only when it appears on screen, written or as a short video, and then you get a set time to answer (HireVue FAQ). HireVue's FAQ mentions getting the questions in advance only as an accommodation you can ask the employer for.

Some formats give you a short prep window after the question appears and one or two takes, Extern says (Extern). The bank sets those limits, so read each screen before you start.

What you can predict is the type of question. HireVue's CEO told candidates to anticipate the questions, saying they "aren't top secret" (HireVue, September 2021). HireVue's FAQ lists the usual types: situational judgment, scenario simulations and past-behavior questions (HireVue FAQ). In banking, add "Why us?" and the markets; see the questions candidates reported below.

Be wary of anyone selling "the real questions". HireVue says there is no single assessment that all companies use, and many are built for one company's role (HireVue FAQ).

How do banks use the HireVue?

As a first-round screen before the final round. Goldman Sachs, for one, uses a video interview of about 30 minutes before its superday.

• Goldman Sachs puts the video interview first: about 30 minutes, then final-round interviews for those selected (Goldman Sachs). Questions reported in Goldman Sachs interviews →
• Across banks, Yale's career office tells sophomores recruiting for summer 2028 to be ready for "a combination of live and pre-recorded interviews from companies like Hirevue" (Yale OCS).
• In Superday Room's bank, candidates tagged a handful of reported questions as HireVue rounds at J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, most of them about the markets. They're listed below. Firm pages: J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Citi.

What is the UBS HireVue like?

UBS lists pre-recorded interviews as the third stage of its internship process, after you submit your materials and complete online assessments, and before "making a match" (UBS). UBS adds that stages may differ slightly by program and region.

• UBS's own tips: its careers blog asks you to treat the video like a standard interview, look into the camera rather than at the screen, test sound, video and lighting first, and be ready to say "why you, why us" (UBS, 2017).
• Third-party description: Extern's UBS guide, updated November 2026, describes the HireVue as six questions plus one open-ended response, mostly behavioral and motivational, such as "Why UBS?". It says the online assessments come first and must be done within 7 days (Extern). That's Extern's account, not UBS's.

Questions reported in interviews at UBS →

What is the Wells Fargo HireVue like?

Mostly behavioral, by the most detailed public account we found. Extern's Wells Fargo guide, updated November 2026, describes an online assessment shortly after you apply, then a HireVue of three to seven pre-recorded behavioral questions, then a final round of three to five interviews (Extern).

• Typical topics: why Wells Fargo, why the division you applied to, and teamwork under pressure, in Extern's account.
• Tailor your "why" answers. Extern counts 14 internship tracks at Wells Fargo, each interviewing against its own job description, so a generic "Why banking?" stands out.
• Check your invitation. We found no Wells Fargo page that describes its video interview, so treat these details as a third-party description.

Questions reported in interviews at Wells Fargo →

Which HireVue questions have candidates reported?

These are the 5 questions candidates tagged as HireVue questions at a named bank, from recruiting for the summer analyst class of 2027. Of the 5, 4 are about the markets, so have a view on the markets and a recent deal ready before you start. They're candidates' reports; the banks haven't confirmed them.

What should you prepare for a HireVue?

A first-round video interview leans on the questions every bank asks, so prepare a crisp version of each:

• “Walk me through your resume” and “Why investment banking?” (guide)
• “Why our bank?” and a time you worked on a team, led, failed or handled a conflict (behavioral questions)
• What's happening in the markets and a deal you've followed (market questions)
• Basic technicals, in case they come up (technical questions by topic)

How do you practice for a HireVue?

Record yourself answering real questions with a timer and one take, the way the format runs, and cut the filler you hear on playback.

1. Record yourself with a timer and one take. The format punishes long starts and restarts, so practice the way it runs.
2. Answer first. Put your answer in the first sentence, then support it. Most answers should land between 45 seconds and 2 minutes: see answer length targets.
3. Use notes as bullets, not a script. HireVue's tips say you can keep notes next to you as a reminder (HireVue). Reading a script shows on camera.
4. Light from the front, strong Wi-Fi. Both are on HireVue's own tips list (HireVue). Look at the lens, not your own face.
5. Cut the filler. On a recording, "um" and "I think" stand out. See the filler words to cut →

How do you do a HireVue practice interview?

Run a full mock on questions you haven't seen: one take each, a timer, then watch the playback. Since you can't see the real questions beforehand, practicing on unseen questions is the closest match to the format.

1. Use HireVue's practice question. HireVue says you'll get one before the real questions, and suggests recording yourself on a phone, tablet or computer beforehand to get used to the camera (HireVue).
2. Pick five to eight questions, the range HireVue gives for most video assessments (HireVue FAQ). Mix "Why investment banking?", "Why this bank?", one behavioral story, one markets question and one basic technical. Have a friend choose them, or shuffle them, so you don't know the order.
3. Answer each one once. Read the question, take a short pause to plan, then record a single take with a timer. Aim for 45 seconds to 2 minutes (answer length targets).
4. Watch the playback. Check three things: is the answer in your first sentence, how many filler words you used, and whether you looked at the lens.
5. Repeat on new questions a day later, fixing one thing each round.

Superday Room gives you a question, you answer it out loud, and the answer is graded. Try a question →

Frequently asked questions

How long is a HireVue for investment banking?

It varies by bank. Goldman Sachs says its video interview takes about 30 minutes.

How many questions are in a HireVue?

HireVue's FAQ says most video-based assessments include between five and eight questions, with several minutes to answer each. Each bank sets its own interview.

Is a HireVue reviewed by a person?

HireVue describes its tools as a first step, before hiring decisions are made by people.

Can I use notes during a HireVue?

HireVue's interview tips say you can keep notes next to you as a reminder. Keep them to short bullets so you aren't reading on camera.

What comes after the HireVue?

At Goldman Sachs, candidates selected after the HireVue are invited to a series of final-round interviews, the superday.

Can you see HireVue questions before the interview?

No. Each question appears on screen only during the interview. HireVue's FAQ mentions getting questions in advance only as an accommodation you can request from the employer. You can still predict the types: behavioral, situational and, in banking, Why us? and the markets.

Sources

• Goldman Sachs, “Prepare (Students)”, checked October 29, 2026.
• HireVue, “Interview Tips”, checked October 29, 2026.
• HireVue, “Frequently Asked Questions for Candidates”, checked October 29, 2026.
• HireVue, “Candidate questions answered: Live YouTube Q&A with Hirevue CEO Kevin Parker and Andrew LaCivita”, September 2, 2021; read November 1, 2026.
• Extern, “Investment Banking Internships 2028: Which Banks Are Hiring and When to Apply”, updated October 9, 2026.
• UBS, “Summer Internship Program”, checked October 30, 2026.
• UBS Careers, “10 tips for video interview success”, 2017; read November 1, 2026.
• Extern, “UBS Internship 2027–2028: Deadlines & How to Apply”, updated November 2026; read November 1, 2026.
• Extern, “Wells Fargo Internship 2027–2028: Pay, Deadlines & How to Apply”, updated November 2026; read November 1, 2026.
• Yale Office of Career Strategy, “Investment Banking: 2028 Summer Internship Overview (For Sophomores)”, September 28, 2026.
• Superday Room, “Superday Room question bank: questions tagged by the firm and interview round candidates reported”, counted October 29, 2026.