Admiral insurance assesment day....eek!

ally351

so i applied for the claims consultant job and i passed the telephone interview. but now i have to tackle the assesment day which i am dreading!! anyone have any idea what happens during this day?! im quite shy around new people and i know there are group activities so will have to speak up....very nervous. i really want this job and need it!

InsideInsurance

Cant say for Admiral but many moons ago I started off working in claims for another insurer their assessment day involved:

1) a personal interview including a fair few questions about dealing with irate or upset customers and having to give "bad news"

2) a maths test

3) a comprehension - read a paragraph of text it then had a list of statements after it and for each one you had to say if it was true, false or there was insufficient data to say

4) Group "what would you take" type exercise

Have had to similar group exercises before but it is generally something like "you are on a boat thats sinking, there is only a small life raft on which you can all fit but only take 5 small items from the list of........ Which items do you take and why?"

There is no correct answer, what they are looking for is the ability to work as a team, how you come to conclusions, strength of character without being a bully etc.

They'll typically try and throw a spanner in the works afterwards by pointing out that someone wanted something different etc and why it was decided not to take that etc.

For an entry level role it generally isnt that taxing but have seen some for graduate roles etc where they start changing the rules half way through (shortening the allotted time, taking people out or adding people, changing the rules eg you can only take 3 items now etc).

Going off topic slightly, there are many "stories" they use and the idea is that there is no right answer. I did however do one previously which was about a remote island with tribesmen on it, the only problem was that one of the candidates had basically done their masters thesis on exactly the same topic and so did actually have "right answers"

westv

InsideInsurance wrote: »

2) a maths test

Am I the only one that has worked with figures all his working life but who would probably fluff a maths test if it required mental arithmetic? :D

ally351

ha! dreading the maths test! the assessment day only lasts like 4 hours so im hoping it wont be that bad! haha

InsideInsurance

The maths test wasnt difficult, in my option, it was the sort of thing where you were given a list of items and prices and then told what someone bought, to apply a 15% discount and add on VAT (and gave you the rate for VAT).

They did provide basic calculators for it too so it wasnt mental arithmetic test but a test of how to do maths and work with percentages etc.

dacouch

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The maths test wasnt difficult, in my option, it was the sort of thing where you were given a list of items and prices and then told what someone bought, to apply a 15% discount and add on VAT (and gave you the rate for VAT).

They did provide basic calculators for it too so it wasnt mental arithmetic test but a test of how to do maths and work with percentages etc.

Mental arithmetic and especially percentages I find very easy, benefit of being a broker

InsideInsurance

Normally I'd agree but adding 17.5% to a number it was easier to use a calculator

dacouch

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Normally I'd agree but adding 17.5% to a number it was easier to use a calculator

I dunno, 17.5% is an easy percentage to work out in your head.

westv

If I had to do it I'd take 10%, halve the result, halve it again and then add the three figures together. Probably not the way the egg heads would do it I'm sure but it'd work for me if I really had to do it in my head.

arthurdick

ha, WESTV, thats the way i have always done it, easy enough in the head.. a few people where i work , couldn't even work out 20% in their heads..

shreddy

I'm an underwriter now, but worked as a claims handler prior to that. I work at a large insurance co and the claims handler interview consisted of:
1. group exercise as described by a previous poster
2. maths, spelling and grammar test
3. telephone role play - the scenario was logging a claim reported by a customer. We were marked on telephone manner and the quality and of the details we recorded
4. 2-2-1 interview with some technical questions and the usual interview questions.

Good luck!