American Express Assessment Centre, Aptitude Tests & Interview Process Preparation – 2024

What Is American Express?

The American Express Company (Amex), with headquarters in New York City, was founded in 1850 as a freight company.  It has since evolved into issuing traveler’s checks, to having cards, and now offers digital products and services.  American Express recently partnered with Nova Credit to help extend credit to expats and recent immigrants and to the United States.  American Express is rated #23 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list, and they are #16 on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies list.

What Is American Express’s Hiring Process?

Most applicants say the hiring process takes from 2 weeks to 2 months.  The company is looking for employees who fit well with their teams and culture, so the interview process can sometimes by long.

Application Process

You will begin the application process by filling out the online application.  Make sure to leave plenty of time so you can give thorough responses.  If need be, you can save the application and return to it at another time.

American Express Assessments

Depending on the position for which you are applying, you may be asked to take one or more assessments.  Common assessments are in numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, situational judgement, or a personality inventory.  For technical positions, a coding assessment might be required.

Video Interview

You may be asked to make a 25-minute video in which you answer interview questions that have been given to you by AMEX recruiters.

In-Person Interview

You will go to an assessment centre where you will have one or more interviews with mangers and prospective colleagues.  You may be asked to participate in group discussions, and to make a presentation.  American Express likes to use behavioral interviews as a way to get to know their candidates in order to place them in a team where they will be successful for the long term.  You can expect a lot of questions about prior work experiences.  Be specific and refer to actual scenarios when answering the questions.

Sample Interview Questions

Below is a sampling of questions you might expect as you interview for a variety of positions at American Express.

Company Related:

• What do you know about American Express?
• Why have you chosen to apply to American Express?

Work Related:

• Give an example of a plan you developed to solve a problem, and how the plan was implemented
• Describe a time you worked with a difficult auditee and what you learned from the experience.

Career Path Related:

• How long do you expect to be in this position?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Interpersonal:

• What do you think you can contribute to this team?
• Describe how you work in a group environment.

Personal:

• Describe yourself in one word.
• If you don’t get this job, what will you do next?

American Express Interview Tips

• Keep your resume current.  Keeping your resume current keeps your work-related experiences in the forefront of your mind so you are able to draw on them quickly when answering interview questions.
• Review the job description.   Having a thorough knowledge of the job description helps keep you focused on answering questions as they pertain to the position you desire.  Giving clear, concise answers as they relate to the position will show you are serious about your job performance.
• Know your strengths.  You may be asked about your weaknesses, but whenever possible, turn the conversation around so that you can showcase your strengths.  Being able to illustrate how you will be an asset to the team in your new position will allow the interviewer to picture you in that position.
• Know your skills.  Being able to highlight your skills during an interview will also work to your advantage.  You may have skills the team needs.  Be prepared to give examples of how you have used your skills in the past.
• Research American Express.  Knowing something about the company shows that you are interested in being part of a team, not just getting a job.  Come to the interview prepared with questions to ask about recent news articles pertaining to American Express.
• Ask questions.  The interview is also a time for you to ask questions about the work environment, benefits, salary, and start date.  Just as the company wants to know you will fit in with their environment, you also want to work in an environment that is comfortable for you.

How to Prepare for the American Express Assessment?

American Express usually uses CEB/Gartner (SHL) assessments, but this could change based on where you are taking your assessment.  You can ask about the assessment publisher when you begin the application process.  There will more than likely be several sections to the assessment you take when applying to American Express.

• Numeric Reasoning: You will be asked to analyze data from graphs and tables.  You can also expect questions on percentages, ratios, and computation.  The test is in a multiple-choice format, and is measuring your ability to work with numbers.
• Verbal Reasoning: You will be asked to read a passage, then to answer questions that will require you to show comprehension, an ability to analyze text, and an ability to draw appropriate conclusions from written text.  This test measures your ability to work with written text.
• Logical Reasoning: You will be asked questions relating to sequences of shapes and patterns.  You will be asked to identify the missing step from multiple-choice responses.  This assessment measures your logical reasoning, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Situation Judgement: You will be presented with a series of scenarios that you might come up against in the workplace.  You will be asked to choose from a list of possible responses to the situation as to which you think is the best response and how you would react. Learn more about SJT tests.

All of these tests will be timed, so taking practice tests will give you an advantage as you will be familiar with the test format and you will know what types of questions to expect.  Always read the questions and responses carefully to ensure you are answering the question that is actually being asked.

You might also be asked to take a personality assessment to determine your character traits and give insight into your thought process.

The time it takes to prepare for assessments and interviews will be time well spent when you are offered a position at American Express.