FSA selection for Senior Associate MRGD (Garde C) role

What do you mean no number? Surely there must be some way of contacting them?!!

I had a telephone interview for one of their supervision roles but was unsuccessful. However, I was given personal contact details prior to the interview so I am not sure what went wrong with your application. I was also contacted with the rejection rather quickly as well. It certainly wasn't more than a week.

Have you checked back on your emails? I got the automated email acknowledgement first, but once I was through to the interview round, they provided me with a contact name.

In comparison to how quickly they dealt with me, I can only assume that no news is good news. Good luck anyway. I am dying to know what sort of people are getting through as it is not an easy process.

A bit offbeat to your question but I have applied for an Assocaie role and just finished my online financial test

Attempted 15 of 22. I must admit, it was a bit tough on timing.
Got the answer to the 22nd question and just as I was about to click the correct answet, the test finished.

From experiences, do you guys think its got chances of sailing through, of course considering I get atleast 14 right = 63%

Hi DesperateHousewife and sammy_d,

What were your telephone interviews like? I expect them to me more difficult than grad telephone interviews

My view is, that the interview may well have been conducted by a robot. It was very impersonal and I didn't enjoy it all. I know I didn't do well and I am not blaming the process. It was my first formal interview in this manner and I know what to expect next time. If I were to give any advice, it would be to prepare some good examples to demonstrate the competencies. Mind you, you can prepare all you like but nerves can still get the better of you like they did me.

What was the financial test like? Does one have to be a highly numerate? Do they involve lots of graphs, data and diagrams? I did the practice numerical reasoning questions on SHL Direct . I thought they were very tough but I'm not a natural numbers person.

I'm afraid I don't know whether or not you would sail through the test. I guess you gotta be patient and wait for the result.

What sort of questions were you asked?
Did you not have to give a financial appraisal test to get through to the telephonic interview stage

Thanks for the detailed reply Blackwheels. It's very helpful and has given me an indication of what to expect. I'm beginning to have second thoughts about the role now. If it is gonna involve lots of financial/numerical work then it's not for me. I am a 'words' person rather than numbers. Nevertheless, I'll certainly give it a go but perhaps will not be too disappointed should I not get through.

The questions I was asked were competency based and you were required to provide examples of how you demonstrated these. There used to be a list of competencies on the FSA website but these appeared to have disappeared. However, if you look on the other forum titled 'FSA Telephone Interviews' you may pick up some further tips there.

I am referring to an application I made a year ago in which the second stage was the telephone interview. I think the third stage was the financial one which I never got to.

I have applied once again for an associate role and it appears that they have done away with the telephone interview. That is why I have progressed onto the financial stage.

However, I think you have put me right off! Probably saved me from a miserable working life buried under a mountain of financial data and pretending to enjoy it.

Thanks!

@DesperateHousewife-
I think if FSA is something that interests you, then you can try doing the numerical tests now and choose to take up a role further on that doesn't require too much number crunching. However, I am not sure if that is how it works. Didn't intend to put you off!

@DesperateHousewife-
I think if FSA is something that interests you, then you can try doing the numerical tests now and choose to take up a role further on that doesn't require too much number crunching. However, I am not sure if that is how it works. Didn't intend to put you off!

Hey DesperateHousewife, thanks for the comments.

I would suggest-
1) Practise as much as you can. Practise, percentage changes, currency based problems as they should surely be there is every test.
2) If you feel like you can't solve an answer, don't waste time and move on. The secret here is to get as many questions right. You have to be pretty smart and quick to get all the answers. My data set 4 was toughest, questions in the end were much easier. May be the same case for others and its also a case of what you are strong at.
3) Be confident- I have a physics and engineering background. Not exactly financ and economics but I was comfortable with numbers. Practise can offset the absence of relevant background.

Hope this helps and doesn't confuse you more.

Hi Guys I have given 5 workings days from today to take my FSA financial reasoning test.

Will you kindly tell me what the test involves? Is there any practice book i can buy?

Is it same as numerical reasoning test?

I found this book 'Practice Tests for Numerical Reasoning: Advanced level' . Will it be useful for FSA Financial Reasoning test?

Hi jason_m,

I am sure books can be helpful, as long as you are practising the kind of questions that will be asked. You have 22 questions to do in 35 minutes, and yes, it will be difficult to complete. The questions take the form of a text description as opposed to graphs/charts as in efinancial careers or shl. But practising these will give you the calculations practise. There are definitely some questions based on graphs but these tend to be harder than the ones based on a general paragraph with a lot of info.
Hope this helps.
What position have you applied for?

Thanks,
blackwheels

Hi Blackwheels,

Did you hear anything from FSA after the numeracy test. I too did the test 2 weeks ago got about 16 answers right. Applied for an Associate post.

Thanks

Hi Blackwheels,

Did you hear anything from FSA after the numeracy test. I too did the test 2 weeks ago got about 16 answers right. Applied for an Associate post.

Thanks

Hi there,

Tell me about it. I gave my test about a week and a half ago but haven't heard. What assocaite role have you applied for? I calledday before yesterday FSA and they said, they haven't revcieved my score!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I called Mendas and they said my scores were sent on to FSA on 1st March. I am still waiting to hear back form FSA.
You may wanna check whats going on with your application.

Let us know how you get on.

blackwheels

Thanks. I will definitely keep you informed.

All the best!

@blackwheels and inpoint - either of you heard yet?
what roles did you apply for?

I apparently passed the reasoning test that i sat 5 weeks ago - i only know this as i contacted the FSA direct and they told me after getting no call backs from Mendas. It was for the asset mgrs and advisors associate role. Apparently I scored a 4 although no idea how this ranks??

I have just called the FSA again today as I have yet to receive official notification that I passed - indeed I currently have no idea what the next stage is or how many rounds left to go. I am currently out of work so I need to know what's going on as really want this position.

Would be good to know if you've heard anything or are aware of timescales if after the same role.

Cheers

Hi compliance boy,

I have called FSA 3 times in 2 weeks and have been told that they will get back to me, but they haven't. I am only waiting and hoping that they have a serious backlog of applications to reply to. Apparently they are hiring 450 people in the regulatory role.
That is a lot of work to do and I presume that's causing the delay.
I appeared for my test on 27th Feb.

same role as me blackwheels or different area?

Hi,

Can you please advise, how to prepare for the FSA Financial Reasoning Test? I need to take it in the next couple of days. What kind practice is required?

Many thanks,

I basically googled it and it brought up a few companies who offer practice tests you can sit free of charge.

I only sat a couple as my maths is pretty good but it got the old brain working again so to speak! The main issue for me which has been mentioned already was the time allotted wasn't enough to comfortably do all the questions and, as you lose a mark for a wrong answer, you need to be thinking fast to ensure you don't waste time on a question you'll struggle with anyway. Not sure how you practice for that.

The questions themselves are basic maths so brush up on that and have your calculator to hand and you'll be fine.

Good luck

Thank you for your advice. My maths is not good when it comes to time bound tests. How many questions did you attempt? and were there questions with lot of graphs?

I am assuming there will be 22 questions to be answered in 35 mins - is this the case?

i have tried efinancial careers 2 sample tests and did not do very well - got on the average 14 questions right out of 24. Was your test similar to these tests?

Many thanks for your help

Try these:

www.shldirect.com/example_questions.html
http://students.efinancialcareers.co.uk/numerical_test.htm
http://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/jtpsite/content/en-GB/3/chooseTrial.aspx

I think the eFinancial careers tests were tougher than the Mendas test, mainly because the latter is more generous in allowing about 1.59 minutes per question. eFinance allows only one minute per question.

I completed the test with a few seconds to spare but I passed - opted for do not know - on 6 out of the 22.

Thank you both - Inpoint and Compliance boy for your help. Inpoint, are you saying efinancial careers sample tests are similar to FSA test?

Many thanks

Not an exact match. But similar in that you have to calculate percentages, ratios, values etc., using the given data. However the Mendas test questions will have a little more data to read and to pick up relevent bits for the answer. To compensate for that more time is allocated per question. Efinance questions are a good indicator of what type of questions to expect in Mendas test.

All the best!

Nothing yet. Playing the waiting game!

Inpoint, many thanks for your help.

@ Inpoint,
Wait seems forever, I am not sure how long before we hear, if we hear at all. Considering that there are a few of us, just on wikijob, there may be a chance that they haven't replied back to people but a part of me thinks its not the case. And FSA don't even pick up the phones. The phone gets transferred to the relevant department but always goes onto voicemail.

My hopes are fading too.

I wrote the exam towards Feb-end for the Associate - Investment Banking and I'm in the same boat as you all. No further communication whatsoever. Hopes are definitely fading, considering that the average no. of applications per vacancy for govt/semi-govt jobs is around 800 now.

I think I wrote it fairly well, considering my report for the same exam I took sometime back mentioned that I performed well? Good luck people!

Hi Titanium,

Welcome to the discussion. I applied for the same role and gave my test towards end of february. Have you tried contacting FSA? All my efforts have been unsuccessful.

guys and girls,

i wouldn't give up hope just yet. I sat my test 6 weeks ago now and managed to actually speak to FSA last week after leaving a couple of messages. Feedback i received was that they are swamped as taking on 460 folk across the organisation. I was promised my CV would be passed to relevant manager again and it was in his hands to take it forward. I was reassured that i had passed the test (i had received email from them after a previous chase saying i had) and that I would be going through to the next stage.

I applied 31st Jan and sat the test a week later so you can see how these things are dragging on. To be fair to them the level of new positions being created is likely to cause a collapse of their HR dept so we should expect some lengthy delays.

I am on applying for other roles too and will allow this to "park" for a while yet before i become too concerned.

keep believing!!

Thank you! Seems like there is sufficient confusion regarding the process for this role. If someone has got an interiew call/rejection, we could have gauged from there. One of my earliest mail (before my application) was replied to from a personal FSA address - and I had regular contact with that person. I mailed the same person two weeks after the FSA exam and that time, I did not get any reply. So I have put on hold all my attempts to contact them - I think we have to give FSA sufficient time to sift through all of our applications. Don't know how much of pressure should I be exerting.

Its tough. I'm freaking out because I have had no replies from other applications too.

Whats even more choking is that they are recruiting 460 people. And FSA would be probably THAT perfect career and you don't want to pass on the chance. When their biggest recruitment drive is on, if I do not get at least an interview call, it will be devastating!

On a positive note, 460 people is about 80,000 applications minimum. So you cannot blame yourself, it would be plain bad luck if one of us doesn't get an interview call. So as they say, keep the spirits up and keep preparing for the unknown interview call!!

@ Titanium and Compliance boy,

We all are in the same boat. I can imagine very well how the anxiety and desperation of applicants is flooding their inboxes and answering machines. The HR department is surely seems to be struggling through the backlog and rightly so. Although, it is not entirely competent enough of FSA to have not geared up for the obvious.
Will keep posted on any progress.

A Flicker of Hope.

Received a call from a friendly aussie saying that I have passed the test and that my CV was with the Managers who are assessing my suitability for the next stage.
It will atleast be a week before I hear back from FSA.
I gave my test on 29th feb, so those who appeared after me should be expecting some news soon.

Congrats blackwheel! Thats definitely a flicker of hope. I took the exam on 1st March, so if I believe if I don't get a call this week, I haven't progressed. Though its very intriguing that you took the exam on 29th of Feb in a non-leap year :-D. You mean, midnight between 28th and 1st?

)

oops!!!
My bad. Yes, It was Feb 28th.

Hi

I have financial reasoning test to take for the same role. How do I practice for it? Please advice. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

I just got a mail saying that my application is being reviewed by the line managers. Which I believe means I have cleared the Financial Reasoning Test and that I need to start praying lol

Keep us posted about your progress!

I don't think there is a specific approach plan to undertake the exam. Just be calm, brush up your calculation skills and train your brain to look for the right info from a lot of data. Something that you would be expected to do in a FSA role. Good luck!

@ Titanium - well done. Hope they don't take too long to email asking to book dates for the AC :D

Any news Inpoint and Compliance Boy?

Wonder if aybody started preparing for the interview that may eventually come through. I am not planning to start until I get a confirmation.

Hi Blackwheels,

I was told by the consultant on Friday (26th) that I have passed the financial reasoning test and that my application is currently being reviewed by the line manager.

Hope you will hear something soon!

@blackwheels

Nothing at all since i chased them a couple of weeks ago and was told i had definately passed the test and that the relevant line manager would be passed my CV AGAIN.

I am not concerned at not hearing but i am concerned that i am currently not working and need an income and that these positions might not be starting till well after the summer.

As i said previously I am getting on with applying elsewhere but i do really want this position way more than anything else i am seeing. That said i am a bit concerned that i would be joining a behemoth of an organisation where bureaucracy and mediocrity are the order of the day. That's the impression they've given me so far i'm sad to say and it may cost them if people have a choice of positions.

Spoke with a friend the other day and he is in same boat as we all are - been told he's through to next round but no confirmation of anything.

Hi thr I had Financial Reasonign test on 15th Feb 2010, but still not heard anything.
Do u guys know which number should I call to FSA?

Jason,

I got the main switchboard number from yell.com and then simply asked to speak to HR. In my case it was the experienced hires team.

Don't be surprised if no one picks up the phone though or doesn't return your message. These guys are flat out at the moment as so many new people are being taken on.

I had to try several times before I got to speak to someone.

Good luck.