Hi all, how much Excel/financial modeling do banks actually expect from summer analyst candidates? Do they test modeling skills in interviews, or is it more about verbal technicals?
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Hey!
For summer analyst interviews, banks generally do not expect you to have advanced financial modeling skills. The focus is more on whether you understand the concepts behind valuation, accounting, and corporate finance rather than being able to build a full model on the spot. Most technical questions are verbal and designed to test your grasp of how the three statements connect, how to think about valuation methods, or how different assumptions affect a deal.
Having basic Excel fluency and familiarity with simple models is still useful, especially if you want to stand out. Being able to talk through how a DCF or merger model works, even at a high level, shows that you are proactive and genuinely interested. Once you’re on the job, the bank will give you the training you need, so the interview is more about testing whether you have the foundation and mindset to pick it up quickly.
