By Andre Atallah, CEO of EP Advisory
Banking Summer Internship · London · 2027 programme
Open, no closing dateOpen, check your ad’s closing dateThis year’s London ads have closedMissed it? Your options
Short answer: Apply now. On 15 October 2026, all four Barclays London investment banking ads were open, with no closing date. Barclays fills places first come, first served.Apply now. Barclays’ four London investment banking ads now give a closing date, so check yours. Barclays fills places first come, first served.This year’s four Barclays London investment banking ads have closed. The London ads went live in late August in both 2025 and 2026. You get one student application a year, worldwide, so pick one role. Two short online assessments follow, then an assessment centre of two or three stages. The summer internship is for penultimate or final-year students in any subject.
Applying now?Applying next year?
Pick one of the four London ads and apply early. There is no closing date.Pick one of the four London ads and apply early. Check its closing date.This year’s London ads have closed. Plan your one application for next season. How to apply
Missed it?
Already used your one application, or two years from graduating? See the other routes. Your options
Where are you now?
Independent guide. EP Advisory is not affiliated with Barclays.
Barclays’ 2027 ad describes a 10-week Banking Summer Internship in London, at 1 Churchill Place in Canary Wharf. Its two-year Banking Graduate Programme is the other route. Each has a Capital Markets version. This guide puts the internship first, because Barclays invites its top interns back as full-time analysts.
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 Barclays’ own pages. Prep times are our suggestions.
1. Apply: open, no closing date1. Apply: open, check the closing date1. Apply (this year’s ads have closed)
Apply online now, from the ad on Barclays’ careers site.This year’s London ads have closed. Next season, you apply online from the ad on Barclays’ careers site. Prep 1 to 2 days.
2. Assessments: two short tests
Two short interactive assessments, on any device. Prep 2 to 3 days.
3. Assessment centre: two or three stages
Two or three stages, in person or virtual. Prep 2 to 3 weeks.
4. Offer: timing not published
Barclays does not publish when you hear back. Your recruiter discusses the package at offer.
Your ticks save on this device.
02/10
The programmes at a glance
One application a year, two short assessments, then an assessment centre. If Barclays has not published something, we say so.
OpenClosed
All four London ads on 15 Oct 2026This year’s four London ads
NoneSee ad
Closing date: rolling, first comeClosing date: check your adClosing date: none was given
1
Student application a year, worldwide
10 weeks
Summer internship, says the ad
2 or 3
Assessment centre stages
Not published
Pay and number of places
Where these facts come from
- The four London ads. They are the Banking and Capital Markets summer internships, and the Banking and Capital Markets graduate programmes. On 15 October 2026, all four were open. None gives a closing date.All four now give a closing date, so check yours.This year’s four ads have closed.
- Who can apply. Interns “must be in your penultimate or final year of your degree, in any discipline”. Graduates need “a degree or expected degree, in any area”.
- Length. The 2027 ads call the internship “this 10 week journey”. Barclays’ early careers FAQ says internships last 6 to 9 weeks. The two differ, so check with your recruiter.
- Pay. Not published. The FAQ says your recruiter discusses the package “at the point of offer”, and it is “non-negotiable”.
Banking or Capital Markets
Banking
Banking interns work “with our Coverage and Mergers and Acquisition teams”. Barclays lists more than 20 teams, such as Healthcare, Industrials and Real Estate. Graduates start with “several weeks of intensive training”, then join “one of our industry, product or geographic groups”.
Capital Markets
Capital Markets interns join teams such as Debt Capital Markets, Equity Capital Markets and Leveraged Finance. These teams help clients raise money. The rules, tests and assessment centre are the same as for Banking.
03/10
What Barclays looks for
Barclays names five qualities for your application. Show each with a clear example, not a claim.
Good judgement
Show it by: a choice you made with the facts you had, and the result.
Innovation
Show it by: a better way you found to do something, and what it changed.
Teamwork
Show it by: a team result and your part in it.
Commitment
Show it by: something hard you kept going with for months.
Leadership
Show it by: a time you got others moving, with or without a title.
Interest in business and finance
Show it by: a deal or market story you can explain in two minutes.
What Barclays says, in its own words
- Your answers. “Illustrate your answers with clear examples of how you’ve shown good judgment, innovation, teamwork, commitment and leadership. Avoid clichés or claims you can’t prove” (hints and tips).
- Interns. “Ideally, you’ll have a keen interest in business and finance and a curiosity to learn.” Barclays values “resourcefulness, teamwork, enthusiasm and an entrepreneurial spirit”.
- Values. Every ad names the Values “Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship” and the Mindset “to Empower, Challenge and Drive” (Purpose and Values).
- Any degree. Barclays says “we’re more interested in who you are than what you’ve studied.”
04/10Stage 1 · Apply
How to apply
Checked 17 October 2026
On 15 October 2026, all four London ads were open. None gives a closing date.Barclays’ four London ads now give a closing date. Check yours.This year’s four London ads have closed. Barclays says “we recruit on a rolling basis and fill on a first come first served basis, so we recommend applying early”.
Last year the same internship closed by 8 November 2025. It was still open on 16 October 2025. Bright Network listed it as closed on 8 November. So apply now.
You get one student application a year, worldwide. Barclays: “If you submit multiple applications, only your first application will be considered.”
1
Choose one role
One of four London ads
2
Apply online
The form on the careers site
3
Two assessments
Short, on any device
4
Assessment centre
2 or 3 stages
More on the one-application rule, the form and adjustments
- One a year. “You can only apply to one full-time graduate or internship role globally each year” (FAQ). Barclays does not say whether its Discovery programme counts. Ask Barclays before you plan around both.
- Final-year students fit both routes. The internship takes penultimate or final-year students. The graduate programme takes “a degree or expected degree”. Choose one.
- The form. Its questions sit behind the login. We did not check them. Barclays warns: “You have limited space on your application.”
- Adjustments. Ask “as part of your application”. Barclays gives “extra time for assessments, offline assessments” as examples (application process).
- Right to work. Barclays asks about your work status during the process.
- Reapplying. Turned down this season? You can reapply “once the next recruitment season begins”. You must then list your earlier applications.
Your CV: do and don’t
“Built a valuation model for a society stock pitch, presented to 40 members”
Do
A result with numbers. Our own example.
Don’t
“Passionate about finance and a strong team player”
A cliché with no proof.
Barclays’ own tips: “Study the job description and pull-out key words”, then use them in your CV. “Don’t be tempted to copy and paste directly from our website”.
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 Barclays 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.
Missed it? Your options now
Every Barclays route below still uses your one application a year.
- The other London route. Not applied yet this season? Final-year students can pick the internship or the graduate programme. Or pick the Capital Markets version of either. Choose one only.This year’s four London ads have all closed. Next season, final-year students can again pick either route.
- Other London divisions. Global Transaction Banking, International and UK Corporate Banking, and Sales, Trading and Structuring hire students too. They had 2027 London ads on 15 October 2026.Their 2027 London ads had closed when we checked on 17 October 2026.Check Barclays’ careers site for their London ads.
- Banking graduate roles abroad. Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, Singapore and Tokyo had ads on 15 October 2026. For Banking outside the UK, Barclays says “native fluency in the local language is very important”.
- Discovery, two years from graduating. This two-day programme can assess you for a summer internship. The 2026 programme’s ad went live on 1 December 2025. No Discovery ad was live when we checked on 15 October 2026. The next one is likely to open in December 2026.Check whether the next one is open. The Discovery page has a form to hear when it opens.
- No London off-cycle.London off-cycle. No London off-cycle ad was listed when we checked on 15 October 2026. On 15 October 2026, the Banking off-cycle ads were for six other cities.When we checked on 15 October 2026, no London off-cycle ad was open.Barclays listed a London off-cycle ad when we checked on 15 October 2026. Check it is still open.
- Next season. The London ads went live in late August in both 2025 and 2026. So the next ones are likely to open in August 2027.So the next ones are likely to open in about August 2027. Check Barclays’ careers site to see if they are open.
05/10Stage 2 · Assessments
Barclays’ online assessments
Barclays sets “two short interactive assessments”. They “will tell us how you might perform in the workplace, and your typical or preferred ways of working”.
2
Short interactive assessments
Any device
Phone, tablet or computer
Not named
The test provider
Barclays does not name the company that runs its tests. It does not publish their length or question types either, so your invite is the final word.
Most tests sit on Barclays’ “digital experience platform”, reached from your invite. It holds “some practice tests” and pages on Barclays’ Purpose, Values and ways of working.
Allowed and not allowed, in Barclays’ words
Allowed
- Any device, including a phone or tablet
- The practice tests on Barclays’ platform
- Extra time or offline tests, if you ask in your application
Not allowed
- Third-party AI tools
- Transcription bots and meeting assistants
- Apps that record, transcribe or analyse the conversation
Barclays bans third-party AI tools in its interviews and assessments. It says any use “will result in your interview being stopped and your application withdrawn”. It may also affect future applications.
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 Barclays
- How the Barclays application process worksBarclays careers · no account neededBarclays’ own outline of the two short assessments, the assessment centre and its AI ban.Free
- Barclays hints and tipsBarclays careers · no account neededBarclays says do every practice question, answer honestly, and keep going after a weak exercise.Free
- Barclays’ Purpose and ValuesBarclays · no account neededThe five Values Barclays names in every ad. Its test platform covers them too.Free
Skip anyone selling packs that claim to show Barclays’ real tests. Barclays does not name its test provider, so nobody can know them. Skip AI helpers too. Barclays bans them.
Next: short work-style tests reward calm, honest answers. Our guide to psychometric and logic tests shows how to prepare for each type.
06/10Stage 3 · Assessment centre
The Barclays assessment centre
The assessment centre is Barclays’ last stage. Barclays says it “will involve two or three stages, including a motivational interview with a member of the leadership team”.
It runs “either in person or virtually”. Studying abroad? Barclays will “arrange for telephone or virtual interviews”. It publishes nothing more on the format.
MotivationBarclays names this
Why banking · Why Barclays · Your stories
TechnicalCoaches say
Accounting · Valuation · DCF · Deals
Coaches say: banks ask about your story, fit, deals and markets, and technical topics. Brain teasers are rare. Barclays does not say how technical its stages are.
Barclays’ own interview tips
- Research. Look into Barclays, “the business area” and “the specific role or programme”. Read the job description.
- Practise. “organising mock interviews with family or friends will help to build your confidence in answering unexpected questions.”
- Virtual stages. “Find a quiet, private space”. Dress as you would in person.
- Eye contact. “look into the camera or directly at your interviewer when you’re speaking”.
- Travel. Barclays repays travel costs “in many cases”, under its travel policy.
How to answer: an example, then the proof
Barclays asks for “clear examples” and no “claims you can’t prove”. Build each story in four parts:
Example
One real moment, not a habit.
Your choice
What you decided, and why.
Proof
The result, with a number.
Link
Tie it to a Barclays Value.
Follow-ups to rehearse
What exactly did you do?What would you change?Why Barclays, not another bank?
The four parts and the follow-ups are ours.
See our guides on how to pass a job interview and the toughest interview questions.
Practise: one question at a time
Motivation questions
Common fit questions, as coaches list them, plus one on Barclays’ Values. 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 Barclays?
What they’re testing: research, not praise.
Show a strong answer
- Name one team from Barclays’ internships page that fits you. Add one Value and a moment that shows it.
Values
Tell me about a time you did the right thing when it was hard.
What they’re testing: Integrity, one of Barclays’ five Values.
Show a strong answer
- A real moment, the pressure you felt, what you did and what it cost you. Name the Value only at the end.
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). Barclays 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 Barclays names. Learn them as stories, not notes to read.
| Quality | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Good judgement | ||
| Innovation | ||
| Teamwork | ||
| Commitment | ||
| Leadership |
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 Barclays
- Barclays hints and tips: interviewsBarclays careers · no account neededBarclays’ own tips for interviews: research the team, rehearse with friends, and look at the camera.Free
- Barclays investment banking internshipsBarclays careers · no account neededBarclays describes every banking team in its own words. Use it for your answer on why this team.Free
Read
- Investment Banking Interview Questions and AnswersMergers & Inquisitions · updated 1 Mar 2026 · no account neededA long free guide to fit and technical questions, with model answers.Free
07/10Stage 4 · Offer
Decision and offers
The assessment centre is the final round. Barclays does not publish when you hear back.
Package at offer
Your recruiter discusses it at offer. Barclays says it is non-negotiable.
Summer to full-time
“We invite top-performing interns to join us as full-time analysts after graduation.”
Start dates
Interns work from June 2027 to August 2027.This year’s internship runs from June 2027 to August 2027.This year’s internship ran from June 2027 to August 2027. One graduate intake starts in February 2027.One graduate intake started in February 2027. The other starts in July 2027.The other started in July 2027.
Intakes, deferrals and if you are not selected
- Graduate intake. The ads give February 2027 or July 2027, depending on your intake date. Barclays does not say how the intake is set.
- The graduate programme. Barclays calls it a “two-year Investment Banking Expert Programme”. It starts with several weeks of training.
- Deferral. “Only in exceptional circumstances do we defer offers.”
- Not selected. Reapply next season, and list this application when you do.
Key dates: London, 2027 programmes
21 Aug 2026
Both summer internship ads went live
29 Aug 2026
Both graduate programme ads went live
15 Oct 2026
All four London ads were open, with no closing date
15 Oct 2026
All four London ads were open, with no closing date
Not published
Assessment, interview and offer dates
Not published
Assessment, interview and offer dates
Feb 2027 or Jul 2027
Graduate programme startsGraduate programme started
Jun 2027 to Aug 2027
The summer internship
08/10
Visa sponsorship
The 2027 London ads offer a skilled worker visa to successful applicants who qualify. This promise is new this cycle.
All four ads, checked 15 October 2026: “Barclays will accept applications from candidates who require visa sponsorship to work in the UK and will provide a skilled worker visa for successful applicants if they meet the Home Office’s eligibility criteria for a skilled worker visa.”
Offered
Skilled worker visa, if you qualify
18 months
Graduate visa from 1 Jan 2027, no sponsor
No
Sponsorship just to attend Discovery
More on visas and your right to work
- New this cycle. Last year’s ad said only that Barclays would accept applications from people who need sponsorship.
- If you do not qualify. You then need your own right to work: June 2027 to August 2027 for interns, and from February 2027 or July 2027 to July 2029 for graduates.
- One caveat. The FAQ says Barclays “may take your work authorisation status into consideration depending on the availability of candidates with the right to work in the UK”.
- 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.
- Discovery. “Barclays does not provide sponsorship to attend the 2-day insight programme.”
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
- On 15 October 2026, all four London ads were open, with no closing date. So apply now.All four London ads now give a closing date. Check yours and apply now.This year’s four London ads have closed. Plan your one application for next season.
- Barclays considers only your first student application each year, worldwide.
- The summer internship takes penultimate or final-year students, in any subject.
- Two short online assessments come next, with practice tests on Barclays’ platform.
- The assessment centre has two or three stages, including a motivational interview.
- Barclays bans third-party AI tools in its interviews and assessments.
- The 2027 ads offer a skilled worker visa to successful applicants who qualify.
When a scheme gives a close date, we email you a few days before it closes. Save Barclays once and the reminder is set.
Set my reminders freeFree account, no card.
10/10
Frequently asked questions
When does the Barclays investment banking summer internship close?
Barclays gives no closing date. It recruits on a rolling basis and fills places first come, first served. On 15 October 2026, all four London ads were open, so apply now.Barclays’ London ads now give a closing date, so check yours. Barclays recruits on a rolling basis and fills places first come, first served. So apply now.This year’s four London ads have closed. Barclays recruits on a rolling basis and fills places first come, first served. So apply early next season.
Can I apply to both Banking and Capital Markets at Barclays?
No. Barclays says you can apply to only one graduate or internship role worldwide each year. If you apply more than once, only your first application is considered.
Who can apply for the Barclays investment banking summer internship?
Students in the penultimate or final year of a degree, in any subject. Barclays does not offer summer internships to first-year students.
What are the Barclays online assessments?
Two short interactive assessments on how you might perform at work and your preferred ways of working. You can take them on any device. Barclays does not name the test provider.
What happens at the Barclays assessment centre?
Barclays says it has two or three stages, in person or virtual, including a motivational interview with a member of the leadership team. It publishes no more detail.
Can I use AI tools in Barclays interviews and assessments?
No. Barclays bans third-party AI tools, including transcription bots and meeting assistants. Using one stops your interview and withdraws your application.
Does Barclays sponsor visas for investment banking interns?
Yes, if you meet the Home Office criteria. The 2027 London ads say Barclays will provide a skilled worker visa to successful applicants who are eligible. This wording is new this cycle.
