By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Graduate Programme · Air, Naval Ships, Submarines, Defence Solutions, Digital Intelligence · UK, 2027 intake
No closing date given · 94 ads listed 18 Oct 2026Check your ad’s closing dateThis cycle’s UK graduate ads have closedMissed it? Your options
Short answer: Apply early. No UK ad gives a closing date, and roles can close once full. On 18 October 2026, 94 graduate ads were open across five businesses. Every ad pays £34,000 plus a £2,000 welcome bonus.Apply soon. BAE’s UK graduate ads now give closing dates, so check yours. Every ad pays £34,000 plus a £2,000 welcome bonus.This cycle’s UK graduate ads have closed. BAE gave no closing date, so apply early next cycle. This cycle’s ads paid £34,000 plus a £2,000 welcome bonus. BAE’s recruiters describe a short form, a 30-minute online assessment of games and recorded questions, a screening call and a 75-minute interview. Read each ad’s security rules first, and choose one role with care.
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with BAE Systems.
BAE Systems calls it the graduate programme. Some older guides use a different name, but BAE’s 2026 ads do not. Every role is a permanent job from day one.
This playbook covers the 94 UK graduate roles for the 2027 intake, business by business. 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. The stages are from BAE’s recruiters in May 2025. The ads were read on 18 October 2026. Prep times are ours.
1. Apply: no closing date givencheck the closing dateclosed this cycle
One short form for one role, on BAE’s application site. Prep 1 to 2 days.
2. Online assessment: about 30 minutes, 7 days to finish
Short games and recorded interview questions, in one sitting. Prep 2 to 3 days.
3. Call and interview: 10 to 15 minutes, then about 75
A screening call with a recruiter, then one interview. Prep about 1 week.
4. Offer: most roles start 6 Sep 2027most roles started 6 Sep 2027
No assessment centre. The offer follows the interview. Then security checks.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The programme at a glance
A permanent job on a set salary, in one of five businesses. Where BAE is silent, we say so.
94 openClosed
UK graduate ads, 18 Oct 2026This cycle’s UK graduate ads
No closeIn the adNo date
No closing date given; apply earlyClosing dates now given; check yoursBAE gave no closing date
£34,000
Salary, in every UK ad
£2,000
Welcome bonus, in every UK ad
6 Sep 2027
Start for most; four Air roles 5 Jul
2:2
Minimum degree, subjects per ad
Every UK ad prints “£34,000 Per Annum + £2,000 Welcome Bonus”, in every business and site. Read on 18 October 2026.
Where these facts come from
- Ads and pay. BAE’s job board, all 94 UK graduate ads read on 18 October 2026. Each says “Permanent contract”. Compare salaries in the UK.
- Start dates. From the ads: 6 September 2027 on 89 ads, 5 July 2027 on four Air ads, and 9 September 2027 on one Digital Intelligence ad.
- Length. BAE’s UK graduates page says “Our non-rotational graduate programme varies in duration and structure.” It adds: “On many of the graduate development programmes, we’ll also fully fund professional qualifications.”
- Days on site. Every ad gives them. They range from 2 to 5 days a week.
- Hires. Not published for graduates.
03/10
What BAE Systems looks for
Three behaviours, which BAE looks for “throughout your BAE Systems application experience”. Its recruiters call them “massive”.
Trusted
“Being committed, giving our best every day”; “Doing what we say we will”; “Doing the right thing”. Show it by: a promise you kept when it got hard.
Innovative
“Being curious, seeking out new ways to make things better”; “Learning constantly, from successes and failures”; “Turning ideas into actions”. Show it by: an idea you made real, and a failure you learned from.
Bold
“Being courageous, speaking up, stepping forward”; “Seizing opportunities”; “Realising big ambitions”. Show it by: a time you spoke up or stepped forward first.
From BAE’s Join us page. Its FAQ adds: “We value curiosity, a willingness to learn, strong teamwork skills and a commitment to making a difference”. Each ad’s role description lists the tasks. Use it for your why this role answer.
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
No closing date given; apply early.The ads now give closing dates, so check yours.This cycle’s UK graduate ads have closed. BAE’s recruiters said in May 2025: “we can close the roles when we do get enough applicants”.
1
Pick one role
Check the subjects and site
2
Apply nowApply next cycle
Register on BAE’s application site
3
Fill the form
“no longer than 30 minutes”
4
Online assessment
7 days to finish it
Entry rules: degree, graduation year and support
- Degree. “As a minimum requirement you must have a 2:2 Bachelor’s degree or a pass at Master’s level”, in the subjects each ad names. The Naval Ships Systems Engineer ad asks for “any STEM related subject”. The Project Manager ad at Broad Oak takes “any subject”.
- Wrong subject. BAE’s recruiters said: “You would be kind of automatically rejected if your degree didn’t fit the role.”
- Graduation year. The recruiters said “there’s no limit on that”. You must have “your certificate in hand” before you start.
- Career changers. The graduates page is for “Finalists, postgraduates and career changers”.
- Adjustments. BAE’s FAQ says: “Please let us know at any stage of the process.”
Who can apply: the security rules
Every UK ad carries the same security paragraph. It can rule you out of a role, so read it before you apply.
“Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.”
From all 94 UK graduate ads, read on 18 October 2026. No ad names the vetting level for its role. GOV.UK explains the clearance levels. BAE’s FAQ says such requirements “will be detailed in the job listing”. If you are unsure, ask BAE about your role before you apply.
One role or more? Two BAE answers
BAE recruiters, May 2025 webinar
“you can only apply for one role per recruitment cycle”, which “runs September to September”. Your second and third choices are used only if your first is oversubscribed.
BAE’s careers FAQ
“in some cases, you may be able to apply to more than one role”. It depends on factors such as “reapplication wait times and the timing of our recruitment cycles”.
Our advice: choose one role with care. Treat it as your one application this cycle. Sources: the webinar at 28:38 and BAE’s FAQ.
The five businesses: where the 94 ads are
Sites by business, 18 October 2026
- Air (6). Warton/Samlesbury in Lancashire, and Brough near Hull. Aerospace integration, systems and through life support engineers.
- Naval Ships (19). Scotstoun and Govan in Glasgow, Broad Oak, Frimley, Filton, New Malden and Portsdown Technology Park.
- Submarines (25). Barrow in Cumbria (17), Frimley (4), Broad Oak, Weymouth, Coventry and Filton.
- Defence Solutions (22). Portsmouth Naval Base, Cowes on the Isle of Wight, Broad Oak and Great Baddow.
- Digital Intelligence (22). Frimley, London, Manchester, Gloucester, Great Baddow, Guildford, Alton, Broad Oak, Christchurch/Yeovil and UK flexible roles.
From BAE’s job board. Ads were posted from 14 September to 15 October 2026. A role missing later is not listed, which does not mean closed.
Your form and CV: do and don’t
Do
“My final-year project on radar signal filtering matches the Radar and Sensors role at Cowes”
Tie your degree to the ad’s role description. The subject must fit the role.
Don’t
“I have always been passionate about engineering”
It fits any employer. It says nothing about this role or business.
BAE does not publish its form questions, word limits or CV rules. Its recruiters say the form takes “no longer than 30 minutes”. Our CV achievement examples show how to give each role a result. 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 BAE Systems 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.
Role gone, or not selected? Your options
- Another role. Only if you have not applied this cycle. BAE’s recruiters said one role per September to September cycle.
- Next cycle. The recruiters said that if you applied before, “you will be eligible to apply in September”. They also said graduate roles “are open all year round”, with “January, April, July, August, and September” intakes.
- Still a student? On 18 October 2026, 44 UK undergraduate placement ads were listed. They last 12 months from 21 June 2027, most at “£25,900” as the ads print it.This cycle’s 12-month undergraduate placements began on 21 June 2027. Check BAE’s job board for the next round. BAE says “Successful placements can often lead to graduate opportunities.”
- Internships and insight events. BAE runs 12-week summer internships. None was listed on 18 October 2026. Check BAE’s insight page for new event dates.
- Talent Community. BAE’s FAQ calls it “a great way to stay informed about new opportunities, events and updates”.
05/10Stage 2 · Online assessment
The online assessment
One online assessment: short games and recorded interview questions. BAE names no test supplier, so we describe it in words.
About 30 min
Games and recorded questions
7 days
The window to finish it
A report
Emailed to you afterwards
BAE recruiters, May 2025 webinar: it “will consist of interview questions and gaming assessment” and takes “no longer than 30 minutes”. “You will receive instant feedback and that will be a report emailed to you” (from 06:20). BAE’s insight page describes “gamified assessment challenges and video questions”. No official practice version is public.
How to prepare: BAE’s own tips
Build in the behaviours
“link in the company behaviors to your answers when you’re recording”.
Do it soon
“make sure you complete your online assessment as soon as you can”.
Set up first
Our tip: a quiet room, a tested camera and microphone, and time to finish in one go.
Ask for adjustments
Some ads say to “speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments”.
The first two tips are from BAE’s recruiters at 28:03 to 28:23 in the webinar. BAE publishes no rules on notes or AI tools for the assessment.
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 18 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From the employer
- BAE’s recruiters on every stage, from 06:20targetjobs on YouTube · May 2025 · 51 min · about the 2026 intakesBAE’s own recruiters explain the 30-minute games and recorded questions, the 7-day window and the emailed report.Free
- BAE’s three behavioursBAE Systems careers site · no account neededBAE’s recruiters say to build these into your recorded answers. Have one example ready for each.Free
Free advice
- Video interview tipsNational Careers Service · no account neededHow to prepare for pre-recorded questions: set-up, practice and answer structure.Free
- Recording answers to on-screen questionsProspects · updated Mar 2026 · no account neededWhat a recorded interview feels like, with time limits, and how to practise for it.Free
Skip leaked full test videos and paid BAE test packs. BAE names no test supplier, so sellers guess. Spend the time on your examples for the recorded questions.
Next: see how other employers use game-based and reasoning tests in our guide to psychometric and logic tests.
06/10Stage 3 · Call and interview
The screening call and interview
A short call with a recruiter, then one interview of about 75 minutes. BAE recruiters, May 2025 webinar.
The screening call
“a 10 to 15 minute screening call … to discuss your application”. Know your form answers well.
The interview
“around an hour and 15 minutes”. “Some business units now are conducting interviews face to face”, and your recruiter tells you which.
Pre-interview sessions
Not mandatory, “but people have said that they have found them really helpful”. Go to one.
Technical questions
A BAE graduate: “it’s okay to not know all of the answers to the technical questions”. Work through it calmly from what you know.
From the webinar, 06:56 to 07:20 and 30:10 to 34:05. BAE publishes no interview questions. Its recruiters say “listen to what we say”, as they know the format.
How to answer: STAR with BAE’s behaviours
BAE’s recruiters say: “Understand the STAR method … and prepare answers … incorporating the company behaviors.”
S
Situation
Where and when, in one line
T
Task
What you had to do
A
Action
What you did, and the behaviour it shows
R
Result
What changed, with a number if you can
Be ready to talk about
Your business unit’s projectsModules that fit the jobWhy BAEA behaviour in every story
A BAE graduate who sat on interview panels adds: read the job description and prepare “technical knowledge” against it. See also our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
Practise: questions built on BAE’s behaviours
The behaviours
BAE publishes no interview questions. These are our own, built from the words of BAE’s three behaviours.
Trusted
Tell us about a time you kept a promise when it became hard to keep.
What they’re testing: “Doing what we say we will”.
Show a strong answer
- Name the promise and who relied on it.
- Say what made it hard, then what you did about it.
- End with the result and what it meant for them.
Trusted
Describe a time you did the right thing when an easier option was there.
What they’re testing: “Doing the right thing”.
Show a strong answer
- A small, real case works: owning an error, or flagging a safety point.
- Explain your reasoning, not just the outcome.
- Say what happened next.
Innovative
Tell us about an idea of yours that you turned into something real.
What they’re testing: “Turning ideas into actions”.
Show a strong answer
- The problem first, then your idea.
- The steps you took to test it or build it.
- What it changed, with a number if you have one.
Innovative
Tell us about something that went wrong, and what you learned.
What they’re testing: “Learning constantly, from successes and failures”.
Show a strong answer
- Pick a real failure, not a disguised success.
- Own your part in it.
- Show what you now do differently, with a later example.
Bold
Tell us about a time you spoke up when others stayed quiet.
What they’re testing: “Being courageous, speaking up, stepping forward”.
Show a strong answer
- Set out what was at stake if no one spoke.
- Show how you raised it, and how you kept it respectful.
- Give the result, even if it was mixed.
Bold
Describe an opportunity you took that others let pass.
What they’re testing: “Seizing opportunities”.
Show a strong answer
- Say how you spotted it.
- Show the risk you took and how you managed it.
- Close with what it led to.
Your role and BAE
Our own questions, built from the prep advice of BAE’s recruiters and graduates in the May 2025 webinar.
Why BAE
Why do you want to join BAE Systems?
What they’re testing: that “you’ve looked at what we do and you care”, as a BAE interviewer put it.
Show a strong answer
- Name one product or project you found on BAE’s site.
- Say why it matters to you, in one honest line.
- Link it to the role you applied for.
Your business
Why this role, in this business?
What they’re testing: research on “the business unit you’ve applied for”.
Show a strong answer
- Use the ad’s role description list.
- Pick one task you want to do and say why.
- Mention one of the business’s current projects.
Your modules
Which of your university modules fits this role best, and how?
What they’re testing: technical knowledge that links “into your job specification”.
Show a strong answer
- Pick one module and one task from the ad.
- Show a piece of work where you used it.
- Say what you would still need to learn.
Technical
Talk us through a product you have not seen before.
What they’re testing: calm, logical thinking from your own engineering knowledge.
Show a strong answer
- Say what you see and what you assume.
- Reason from principles you know, out loud.
- Ask a question when you are stuck. The interviewers help.
Your story bank: a worksheet to print or copy
Two STAR stories for each line. One story can serve two behaviours.
| Theme | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Trusted | ||
| Innovative | ||
| Bold | ||
| Why BAE and this role | ||
| A module that fits the job |
Go further: the best outside help
Our own picks, checked on 18 October 2026. We are not linked to any of these sites and earn nothing from them.
From the employer
- BAE’s recruiters on interview prep, from 30:10targetjobs on YouTube · May 2025 · 51 min · about the 2026 intakesResearch your business unit, use STAR with the behaviours, recap your modules, and arrive early.Free
- BAE’s three behavioursBAE Systems careers site · no account neededTrusted, Innovative and Bold. Map your best stories to these.Free
- BAE’s own answers on applyingBAE Systems careers site · no account neededAdjustments, travel costs, sponsorship and offers, in BAE’s words.Free
Free advice
- The STAR methodNational Careers Service · no account neededBAE’s recruiters tell you to answer in STAR. This is the plain guide.Free
- Competency-based interviews, with example answersProspects · updated Sep 2026 · no account neededExample answers in the competency style, to practise your stories out loud.Free
07/10Stage 4 · Offer
Your offer, vetting and start date
There is no assessment centre: the interview is the last stage. BAE’s recruiters said you then get an offer or “verbal feedback either way”.
Your degree
Offers “are usually conditional based on achieving the minimum academic requirements”. Have your certificate before you start.
Security checks
Baseline Personnel Security Standard for everyone. Many roles also need National Security Vetting.
Your start date
6 September 2027 for most roles.Most roles started on 6 September 2027. Four Air roles start 5 July 2027.Four Air roles started on 5 July 2027.
Moving
“Some programmes may involve moving between sites or relocating.” Relocation support “may be available depending on the role and location”.
From BAE’s FAQ, the ads and the webinar. How long you wait for an answer is not published. BAE reimburses “reasonable travel costs” during selection, and says “We never ask candidates for money”.
Key dates: the 2027 intake
14 Sep 2026
Air graduate ads posted
7 Oct 2026
Naval Ships, Submarines and Defence Solutions ads posted
18 Oct 2026
94 UK ads were open, with no closing date given
18 Oct 2026
94 UK ads were open, with no closing date given
5 Jul 2027
Four Air roles startFour Air roles started
6 Sep 2027
Most roles startMost roles started
08/10
Visa sponsorship
Our reading: BAE’s UK graduate ads say nothing on visas. Its FAQ says sponsorship “may be available for some roles”.
“Visa sponsorship may be available for some roles; this would vary depending on the country you’re applying to and is subject to eligibility and immigration guidelines” (BAE’s FAQ). Ask BAE about your role before you apply. Check the security rules too. They can rule you out of a role even with a visa.
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).
Need sponsorship? See our guides to UK companies that sponsor visas and staying in the UK after studying. This is general information, so check GOV.UK.
09/10
Key takeaways
Before you apply
- No UK ad gives a closing date, and roles can close once full, so apply early. 94 were open on 18 October 2026.BAE’s UK graduate ads now give closing dates, so check yours and apply soon.This cycle’s UK graduate ads have closed. BAE gave no closing date, so apply early next cycle.
- Every UK ad pays “£34,000 Per Annum + £2,000 Welcome Bonus”.
- Read each ad’s security paragraph first: nationality, place of birth and UK residency can limit roles.
- Choose one role with care. BAE’s recruiters said one role per cycle.
- The online assessment is about 30 minutes of games and recorded questions, with 7 days to finish.
- The interview lasts about 75 minutes. Answer in STAR, with BAE’s three behaviours built in.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save BAE Systems once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
When does the BAE Systems graduate programme close?
No UK ad gives a closing date, so apply early. BAE’s recruiters said in May 2025 that roles can close when they get enough applicants. On 18 October 2026, 94 UK graduate ads were open for the 2027 intake.BAE’s UK graduate ads now give closing dates, so check yours and apply soon. BAE’s recruiters said in May 2025 that roles can close when they get enough applicants.This cycle’s UK graduate ads have closed. BAE gave no closing date. Its recruiters said in May 2025 that roles can close when they get enough applicants, so apply early next cycle.
How much does the BAE Systems graduate programme pay?
Every UK graduate ad says £34,000 Per Annum + £2,000 Welcome Bonus. The pay is the same in every business and site. Checked 18 October 2026.
What degree do I need for the BAE Systems graduate programme?
At least a 2:2 Bachelor’s degree or a pass at Master’s level, in the subjects each ad names. Most engineering roles ask for engineering, physics, maths or STEM subjects. The Naval Ships Project Manager role at Broad Oak accepts any subject. You need your degree before you start.
What is the BAE Systems online assessment?
BAE’s recruiters described one online assessment of short games and recorded interview questions, taking no longer than 30 minutes. You get a 7-day window to finish it and a report by email. BAE names no test supplier.
How long is the BAE Systems graduate interview?
BAE’s recruiters said about an hour and 15 minutes. It is online or on site, depending on the business unit, and a 10 to 15 minute screening call comes first. Answer in STAR and build in BAE’s three behaviours.
Can I apply for more than one BAE Systems graduate role?
BAE’s recruiters said in May 2025 that you can apply for one role per cycle, running September to September. BAE’s FAQ says more than one role is possible in some cases. Choose one role with care.
Can I apply to BAE Systems if I am not British?
Some roles, yes. Every ad says your nationality, past nationalities and place of birth can restrict the roles you can do, and many roles need 5 to 10 years of UK residency. BAE’s FAQ says visa sponsorship may be available for some roles.
