By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Investment Banking Summer Analyst · London · 2027 programme
Team ads open, no deadlineTeam ads open, check each deadlineThis year’s team ads have closedNot these teams? Your options
Short answer: Apply now. Citi’s London FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads were all open on 15 October 2026. Each says “There is no deadline for applications”, and Citi recruits on a rolling basis.Apply now. Citi’s London FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads now give a deadline, so check yours. Citi recruits on a rolling basis.This year’s London FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads have closed. Citi says summer applications “typically open in September the year prior”. Citi’s main investment banking summer ad had been taken down when we checked on 15 October 2026.Citi’s main investment banking summer ad may be live again, so check jobs.citi.com. After you apply, Citi sets a skills discovery survey, then a one-on-one interview, then a final stage of interviews, an assessment or a case study.
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with Citi.
Citi runs a 10-week Summer Analyst programme in London. It starts in June 2027 with a week of training.This year’s started in June 2027 with a week of training. On 15 October 2026, three London banking summer ads were open: FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing.This year’s FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads have closed. Below is the route, step by step.
This playbook covers London, including for international students. For nearly 10 years, we’ve helped more than 5,000 professionals get hired. Want to know if your CV will pass screening in the UK? Check your CV for free: a score in 30 seconds, then a fix for each problem.
01/10
Your route to an offer
Pick your stage and tick each step when done. Stages are from Citi’s own pages. Prep times are our suggestions.
1. Apply: team ads open now1. Apply next season
Apply now to the FIG, Real Estate or Financing ad. Prep 1 to 2 days.This year’s team ads have closed. Prep 1 to 2 days for next season.
3. First interview: one-on-one
One interviewer, on your background and goals. Prep about 1 week.
4. Final stage, then an offer
Several interviews, an assessment or a case study. Prep 2 to 3 weeks.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The internship at a glance
Three team ads, one survey, then two interview rounds. If Citi has not published something, we say so.
3 open3 closed
London summer team ads, 15 Oct 2026London summer team ads, this year
NoneIn the adRolling
Deadline on the open summer adsDeadline, so check your adCiti’s review, so apply early
10 wks
From Jun 2027, with 1 week of training
~25 min
Skills discovery survey, no timer
2:1
Expected degree, any subject
Not published
Pay and number of places
Where these facts come from
- The team ads. Citi posted FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads. All three were live on 15 October 2026. Each says “There is no deadline for applications”.All three now give a deadline, so check yours.All three have closed.
- Who can apply. Students in their “penultimate/final year of university”, expecting a 2:1 in any subject. FIG and Real Estate call a second language “desirable but not essential”.
- Pay. The FIG and Real Estate ads say “we will discuss the remuneration later on during the application process”. The Financing ad says “Successful candidates will be offered a competitive salary.” No figure is published (ads read 15 October 2026).
The London teams with summer ads
Financial Institutions Group (FIG)
After the training week you join the “UK, Europe & MEA FIG team”, focused on “financial analysis and business development”. The work includes valuations, discounted cash flow analysis and “business development presentations”.
Real Estate
You join Citi’s UK, Europe and MEA Real Estate investment banking team. The work matches FIG. Real estate interest or experience “would be a plus but not required”.
Banking Financing
Citi’s Financing business has “over 20 different groups”. It adds “a heavy focus on the ever-changing markets, similar to Sales & Trading”.
ECM Placement Analyst
Six months in Equity Capital Markets from January 2027, for penultimate-year students only. The ad was open when we checked on 17 October 2026. It recruits on a “rolling basis”.now gives a deadline, so check it.has closed.
03/10
What Citi looks for
Citi’s FIG and Real Estate ads name the qualities it wants. Show each with proof.
Curiosity and new ideas
Show it by: one deal you followed, and the question it left you with.
Communication and planning
Show it by: a project you planned to a deadline, and what you cut.
Grasp of the industry
Show it by: why FIG or real estate, in two sentences, with a live example.
Integrity
Show it by: a time you flagged a mistake, even your own.
Growth and teamwork
Show it by: feedback you acted on, and a team result you shaped.
Interest in business
Show it by: a role or pitch that taught you how a business makes money.
What Citi says, in its own words
- Qualities. “Intellectual curiosity and proactive approach to searching for new and creative ideas.” “Strong communication, planning, and organizational skills.” “Desire to develop a deep understanding of the financial industry.” “Unquestioned commitment to integrity ethical decision-making.” (FIG ad)
- Growth. “Commitment to personal growth and career development, a strong desire to learn, and success in team environments.”
- Your application. Citi’s apply step says: “Please highlight your skills and relevant experience” (Early Career page).
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
Checked 15 October 2026Checked 17 October 2026
Apply now. On 15 October 2026, three London summer team ads were open. FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing each say “There is no deadline for applications”.Apply now. On 15 October 2026, three London summer team ads were open. They now give a deadline, so check yours.This year’s three London summer team ads have closed. They were FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing.
Citi recruits on a rolling basis. The ads say “we encourage you to apply as soon as possible”. An ad can come down without notice.
The main investment banking summer ad had been taken down. We checked on 15 October 2026. The Full-Time Analyst ad was also gone on 15 October 2026.The main investment banking summer ad may be back. Check jobs.citi.com for it and the Full-Time Analyst ad.
You apply on Citi’s Workday site, with a new Citi account. Citi publishes no limit on how many of its ads you can apply to.
1
Find the ad
jobs.citi.com
2
Apply online
CV and the form
3
Survey
About 25 minutes
4
First interview
One-on-one
More on the account, the form and choosing a team
- New account. Citi’s FAQ: “Accounts created for other companies cannot be used for applications with Citi.”
- The form. Its questions sit behind the login. We did not check them.
- Adjustments. Need one for a disability? See Accessibility at Citi, linked from each ad.
- AI tools. Citi publishes no rule on AI tools for applicants. Write in your own words.
Your CV: do and don’t
“Valued a listed insurer for a society pitch, with a DCF and comparables, presented to 40 members”
Do
A result with numbers. Our own example.
Don’t
“Passionate about financial institutions”
A claim with no proof.
Our CV achievement examples show how to write those lines. Getting ready to apply for jobs in the UK? Check your CV for free: see it the way a recruiter does, then fix each problem.
Save Citi and over 2,000 other UK schemes to one free calendar. See what closes next and what you have applied to.
Track my schemes freeFree account, no card.
Not these teams? Your options now
- Another team. If one ad comes down, check the other two.
- ECM Placement Analyst. Six months from January 2027, for penultimate-year students.This year’s placement started in January 2027, so watch for next year’s ad. “Successful Placement Analysts will be considered for a full-time position after graduation.”
- Spring Insight, London. Four days in March or around Easter, with applications “open in October/November”. For first years on a three-year course, or second years on a four-year course. No ad was listed when we checked on 17 October 2026.The London ad is open now, so apply soon.Citi has given dates for this year, so check them.This year’s London ad has closed. See Citi’s insight page.
- Social Mobility Network insight. Five weeks, hybrid, from late July or early August. Applications open in March. Citi says “Successful candidates have the opportunity to interview for the London summer analyst programs.”
- Black Heritage Network insight. Three days in London in April. Applications open in November or December.
- Next cycle. Citi says summer analyst applications “typically open in September the year prior” (internships page). So the next cycle is likely to open in September 2027, for summer 2028.So the next cycle is likely to open in about September 2027. Check Citi’s job site to see if it is open.
05/10Stage 2 · Survey
The Citi skills discovery survey (Plum)
Citi sets a “skills discovery survey” for EMEA programmes. Citi’s own 2025 profile named Plum, and its 2026 page uses Plum’s product name. The survey has five sections and no timer.
About 25 min
No timer, and you can pause
5 sections
Three about how you work, two puzzles
Once a year
The earliest you can retake it
Citi: “Take a skills discovery survey for EMEA and global Services programs” (Early Career page). Citi’s 2025 gradireland profile said applicants get “an email inviting you to complete a Plum assessment”. The section facts are from Plum’s FAQ.
Step through the Plum survey
Survey: Sections 1, 3 and 5
The start page
Your invite link opens a start page with your employer’s name, and you click Start Survey when you have about 25 quiet minutes.
Section 1: statements
For each set of three statements, you tick the one least like you and the one most like you, then click Next.
Section 3: words
From a list of ten words, you tick three least like you and three most like you, never the same word twice.
Section 5: work situations
You read a short work situation and tick the least effective and the most effective of four responses.
Your Plum Profile
When you finish, you see your Plum Profile, which shows your top three of the ten Plum Talents.
Your moves
- Make every pick a question needs. Next stays grey until you do.
- Answer as you are. There is no right profile to copy.
- In Section 3, click a word again to unselect it before you move it.
Puzzles: Sections 2 and 4
Instructions and example
Sections 2 and 4 open with instructions and an example puzzle with a short video, which you watch but do not answer.
Pick the missing piece
You click or tap the one piece out of five that comes next in the sequence, then click Next.
Your moves
- Watch the example. You do not answer it.
- Look for what changes from one step to the next.
- Click or tap a piece. The puzzles are not drag and drop.
Our own simplified drawings of Plum’s screens, not screenshots. They show the layout, not the real colours. The review screen at the end is not drawn, as we found no image of it.
The rules: what is allowed and what Citi does not say
Allowed by Plum
- Breaks: exit and come back, answers saved
- A full review at the end, from question 1
- A computer or tablet with Chrome
Not stated by Citi
- AI tools while you answer
- Help from anyone else
- Notes on paper
Citi publishes no rule on AI tools or help for this survey. Answer on your own. No calculator is needed and no question uses sound.
On the day: invite, breaks, review and results
- The invite. Plum’s email subject reads “(Company Name) is moving you to the next stage in their hiring process”. Check spam if it is missing. Plum says “Some employers may set a deadline”. Citi publishes none.
- Breaks. “You can exit the Discovery Survey at any time and come back later. Your previous answers will be saved.”
- Going back. Use the survey’s own Back button, not the browser’s.
- Review. After the last question, review takes you “back to the very beginning”. You go through to the end to submit.
- Your result. You see your Plum Profile, led by your top three Talents. Citi’s 2025 profile promised “feedback on your top talents”.
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 15 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From Citi
- Early Career: how Citi hiresCiti careers · no account neededCiti’s five steps, and the skills discovery survey it sets for EMEA programmes.Free
From Plum, the test maker
- Plum Discovery Survey FAQsPlum help centre · no account neededPlum’s own answers on length, timing, breaks and how review works.Free
- What does the Discovery Survey measure?Plum help centre · no account neededThe five sections in order, and what you pick in each.Free
- Can I re-do the assessment?Plum help centre · no account neededOne sitting a year, reused for other employers. Give it your full attention.Free
- The Plum ProfilePlum on YouTube · 11 Aug 2025 · 3 minWhat you see when you finish: your top three talents.Free
Skip Plum “practice tests”, answer keys and AI helpers. Plum publishes no practice test, so these guess.
Next: sharpen your pattern spotting for the puzzle sections with our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
06/10Stage 3 · Interviews
Citi interviews
Citi’s first interview is one-on-one. Citi says it “will delve deeper into your background and how your aspirations align with Citi’s” (Early Career page).
Last cycle, Citi’s 2025 gradireland profile described “a virtual first round interview for most business areas”, held “1-2-1” with “a member of the business team focusing on soft skills”. Citi names no video interview for this route.
FitYour stories and motivation
Why banking · Why Citi · Setbacks
TechnicalCoaches say
Accounting · Valuation · DCF · Deals
Coaches say: expect your story, fit, deals and markets, and technical questions. Brain teasers are rare.
How to answer: four steps for any story
Citi publishes no answer frame. These four steps and the follow-ups are ours.
Situation
What was happening, and why it mattered.
Your part
What you did, not the team.
Judgement
How you checked the work or flagged a risk.
Lesson
What you learned and what you changed.
Follow-ups to rehearse
What exactly did you do?What would you change?Why Citi, and why this team?
See our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
Practise: one question at a time
Fit questions
Common fit questions, as coaches list them. The notes and answers are ours.
Your story
Walk me through your CV.
What they’re testing: a short story that ends at banking.
Show a strong answer
- Two minutes, in time order. Two or three moments that led you here, then why now.
Motivation
Why investment banking?
What they’re testing: that you know the analyst job.
Show a strong answer
- Name the work: models, client presentations, live deals. Link it to something you enjoyed doing.
Motivation
Why Citi, and why this team?
What they’re testing: research, not praise.
Show a strong answer
- Name the team’s work from its ad, then one deal or person that drew you to it.
Setback
Tell me about a time you failed.
What they’re testing: honesty and resilience.
Show a strong answer
- A real failure that was your fault. Spend most of the time on what you changed.
Markets
Tell me about a recent deal you followed.
What they’re testing: real interest in the work.
Show a strong answer
- Who bought what, for roughly how much, why, and one risk.
Technical questions
Coaches say learn these first, in this order (Mergers & Inquisitions). Citi publishes no syllabus. The answers are our short versions.
Accounting
Walk me through the three financial statements.
What they’re testing: how they link.
Show a strong answer
- The income statement ends in net income. The cash flow statement starts there, adjusts for non-cash items and working capital, and ends with the change in cash. The balance sheet holds cash and equity, so it balances.
Accounting
Depreciation rises by £10, with a 25% tax rate. What changes?
What they’re testing: the links, under pressure.
Show a strong answer
- Net income falls £7.50. Add back £10, so cash rises £2.50. Assets fall £7.50 (fixed assets down £10, cash up £2.50). Equity falls £7.50, so it balances.
Value
Enterprise value or equity value: what is the difference?
What they’re testing: who each value belongs to.
Show a strong answer
- Equity value belongs to shareholders. Enterprise value is the core business, for all investors. Roughly, enterprise value is equity value plus debt, minus cash.
Valuation
How would you value a company?
What they’re testing: the three main methods.
Show a strong answer
- Comparable companies and precedent deals value it against others. A DCF values its own cash flows. Precedents often come out higher, because buyers pay for control.
DCF
Walk me through a DCF.
What they’re testing: the steps, in order.
Show a strong answer
- Project unlevered free cash flow: EBIT after tax, plus depreciation, minus capital spending and the rise in working capital. Add a terminal value. Discount both at the cost of capital to get enterprise value.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two stories for each quality Citi names. Learn them as stories, not notes to read.
| Quality | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Curiosity and new ideas | ||
| Communication and planning | ||
| Grasp of the industry | ||
| Integrity | ||
| Growth and teamwork |
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 15 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
Practise
- Citi Investment Banking job simulationForage · 5 to 6 hours · free account neededCiti-branded tasks: a company profile, a basic model and trading comps. Citi’s own pages do not link it.Free
Read
- Investment Banking Interview Questions and AnswersMergers & Inquisitions · updated 1 Mar 2026A long free guide to fit and technical questions, with model answers.Free
From another bank
- Interview preparationMorgan Stanley careers · no account neededMorgan Stanley’s own tips, not Citi’s: the interview types, practising out loud, and one or two industry areas to discuss.Free
Skip “real Citi question” packs and live AI answer tools. Citi does not publish its questions.
07/10Stage 4 · Final
Final stage and offers
Citi’s final stage depends on the programme and location. It “will consist of either multiple interviews, an assessment or a case study exercise” (Early Career page).
Last cycle: three interviews
Citi’s 2025 profile described three interviews over three hours.
The offer
Citi says: “Your recruiter will inform you about the details.”
Summer to full-time
Summer analysts who do well “will be considered for a full-time position after graduation”.
More on the final stage and the analyst years
- Last cycle. Citi’s 2025 profile described “an assessment centre which includes three interviews conducted over a three hour period with business representatives. All include competency based and case study interviews.” It may not match London in 2027.
- Timings. Citi does not publish how long each step takes.
- Analyst years. eFinancialCareers reported on 5 October 2026, citing Bloomberg, that Citi is moving to a two-year analyst programme. The banker quoted leads North America investment banking. Citi declined to comment. Whether it applies in London is not known.
Key dates: London, 2027 programme
Sep 2026
Summer ads usually open, per Citi
15 Oct 2026
FIG, Real Estate and Financing ads were open, with no deadline
15 Oct 2026
FIG, Real Estate and Financing ads were open, with no deadline
Jan 2027
The six-month ECM Placement startsThe six-month ECM Placement started
Jun 2027
The 10-week internship starts, with a week of trainingThe 10-week internship started, with a week of training
Sep 2027
The next summer cycle is likely to openOur estimate for the next summer cycle. Check Citi’s job site
08/10
Visa sponsorship
Our reading: Citi’s ads do not mention visa sponsorship. Do not assume this role is sponsored.
If you need a visa, ask Citi’s recruiters before you apply.
The Graduate visa
- Graduate visa. It lasts “2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026” and “18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027” (GOV.UK). It needs no sponsor.
Need sponsorship? See our guides to UK companies that sponsor visas and staying in the UK after studying. Weighing other banks too? See our J.P. Morgan investment banking playbook. This is general information, so check GOV.UK.
09/10
Key takeaways
Before you apply
- Apply now: the FIG, Real Estate and Financing ads say there is no deadline for applications.Apply now: the FIG, Real Estate and Financing ads now give a deadline, so check yours.This year’s FIG, Real Estate and Financing ads have closed. Citi says summer applications “typically open in September the year prior”.
- Citi recruits on a rolling basis, so an ad can come down without notice.
- Citi’s main investment banking summer ad had been taken down when we checked on 15 October 2026.Citi’s main investment banking summer ad may be live again, so check jobs.citi.com.
- You need a new Citi Workday account to apply.
- The skills discovery survey takes about 25 minutes, with no timer.
- The first interview is one-on-one. The final stage is interviews, an assessment or a case study.
- Citi’s ads say nothing on visas, so ask Citi before you apply.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save Citi once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
Is the Citi investment banking summer internship open for 2027?
Yes, through team ads. Citi’s London FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads were open on 15 October 2026, with no deadline.Yes, through team ads. Citi’s London FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads are open and now give a deadline, so check yours.This year’s London FIG, Real Estate and Banking Financing summer ads have closed. Citi says summer applications “typically open in September the year prior”. Citi’s main investment banking summer ad had been taken down when we checked on 15 October 2026.Citi’s main investment banking summer ad may be live again, so check jobs.citi.com.
When is the Citi Summer Analyst deadline for 2027?
The open ads give none. Each says there is no deadline for applications. Citi recruits on a rolling basis, so apply as soon as you can.The open ads now give a deadline, so check yours. Citi recruits on a rolling basis, so apply as soon as you can.This year’s London team ads have closed. Citi recruits on a rolling basis, so apply early next season.
Is there an online test for Citi investment banking?
Yes. Citi sets a skills discovery survey for EMEA programmes, and its 2025 profile named Plum. Plum says the survey takes around 25 minutes, with no timer.
What is the Citi first-round interview like?
Citi says it is a one-on-one interview about your background and how your goals align with Citi’s. Citi names no video interview.
What happens at the Citi final stage?
Citi says it is either multiple interviews, an assessment or a case study exercise, depending on the programme and location. Last cycle, Citi described three interviews over three hours.
What grades do I need for Citi investment banking?
The ads ask for a 2:1 or equivalent, achieved or expected, in any degree subject. You must be in your penultimate or final year of university.
Does Citi sponsor visas for summer analysts?
Our reading: Citi’s ads do not mention visa sponsorship. Do not assume this role is sponsored, so ask Citi before you apply.
