Equinor Assessment & Interview Preparation
Online Assessment, Video Interview & Virtual Recruitment Day
Guide country context: Norway · Energy
Hiring processes can vary by country, role, business unit, and year.
As Norway’s largest energy company, Equinor recruits across energy production, renewables, trading, finance, geoscience, IT and engineering. Their graduate programme features a structured multi-stage process: online assessment, video interview and a virtual recruitment day, all evaluated against their core values of Open, Collaborative, Caring and Courageous.
Hiring Process
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1Online Application officialSubmit your CV and application through the Equinor careers portal. Tailor your application to show energy-transition motivation and relevant technical or professional competence.→ Highlight safety mindset, energy-transition motivation and relevant technical or analytical skills
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2Online Assessment officialOnline assessments that may test numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, situational judgement and problem-solving in a professional energy context. The exact provider and format may vary by role.→ Practise numerical reasoning, logical reasoning and situational judgement under timed conditions
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3Video Interview officialA recorded or live video interview with motivational and values-based questions. Expect questions around safety, learning, energy transition, collaboration and your personal drivers.→ Prepare STAR stories demonstrating safety-first decisions, collaboration and energy-transition thinking
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4Virtual Recruitment Day officialA comprehensive assessment day (virtual format) that may include group exercises, case discussions, technical presentations and structured interviews with Equinor professionals.→ Demonstrate collaborative problem-solving, technical depth and alignment with Equinor’s values
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5Offer & Onboarding officialSuccessful candidates receive a formal offer and begin the Equinor onboarding programme.→ Review offer terms and prepare for onboarding
Assessments
Equinor’s online assessment may test numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, situational judgement and problem-solving. Questions are framed in a professional energy context. The exact provider is not publicly standardised, so candidates should focus on building strong underlying reasoning skills.
Measures: Numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, situational judgement, problem-solving
- Practise numerical data interpretation with energy/engineering-style scenarios
- Build speed and accuracy in logical pattern recognition
- For SJT questions, prioritise safety, collaboration and constructive challenge
- Do not assume a specific test provider — focus on core skills
Common mistakes
- Neglecting situational judgement preparation (values are assessed here)
- Not practising under timed conditions
- Choosing risk-taking or individually heroic responses in SJT questions
- Ignoring the energy/safety context of scenario-based questions
A video interview (recorded or live) with motivational and values-based questions. Equinor looks for alignment with Open, Collaborative, Caring and Courageous, plus genuine motivation for the energy transition and a safety-first mindset.
Measures: Values alignment, motivation, communication, safety mindset, energy-transition thinking
- Structure answers using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
- Connect examples to Equinor’s values: Open, Collaborative, Caring, Courageous
- Show genuine interest in the energy transition and sustainability
- Demonstrate safety-first thinking in your examples
Common mistakes
- Generic answers that don’t reference energy, safety or collaboration
- Not demonstrating all four values across your answers
- Rambling without clear structure
- Failing to show personal motivation for the energy transition
Interviews
The virtual recruitment day is Equinor’s final assessment stage for graduate candidates. It brings together multiple activities designed to evaluate how candidates collaborate, solve problems, present technical thinking and demonstrate alignment with Equinor’s values in a realistic team context.
Format: Full-day virtual assessment centre with group exercises, case discussions, technical presentations and structured interviews
What interviewers look for
- Open — transparency, willingness to share ideas and accept feedback
- Collaborative — working effectively with others, building on ideas
- Caring — safety-first thinking, concern for people and environment
- Courageous — constructive challenge, willingness to speak up
- Technical credibility — ability to explain fundamentals and think through problems
- Energy-transition motivation — genuine interest in sustainable energy
Focus areas to practise
- A time you prioritised safety or quality over speed or cost
- How you collaborated across disciplines to solve a complex problem
- A situation where you challenged constructively and it improved the outcome
- Your motivation for working in energy and contributing to the transition
- How you handled uncertainty or incomplete information in a technical context
- In group exercises, demonstrate collaborative leadership without dominating
- Show safety-first thinking in all technical and case discussions
- Connect your examples and reasoning to the energy transition
- Be ready to explain engineering/technical decisions clearly to non-specialists
For experienced roles, Equinor conducts technical and competency interviews exploring your professional expertise, risk awareness, safety mindset and values alignment. Expect to discuss past projects, engineering decisions, data interpretation and how you handle interfaces and uncertainty.
Format: Structured interview with technical managers, 45–60 minutes
What interviewers look for
- Technical depth and ability to explain complex decisions
- Safety and risk awareness in decision-making
- Collaboration across functions and disciplines
- Alignment with Open, Collaborative, Caring, Courageous values
- Motivation for Equinor’s energy-transition strategy
Focus areas to practise
- Explain a technical design decision and the trade-offs involved
- A time you identified and managed a safety or quality risk
- How you worked with other disciplines to deliver a project
- How you handle uncertainty or data gaps in technical work
- Your perspective on the energy transition in your field
- Prepare concrete examples of technical decisions with trade-offs
- Show how you manage risk, safety barriers and assumptions
- Demonstrate collaboration with other disciplines and stakeholders
- Be honest about limitations and what you learned from mistakes
How this differs by role
The process is not the same for every role. Find the closest match to the job you applied for — the assessments and interviews below are the ones reported for that role family.
Graduate Programme (Engineering / Geoscience / IT)
Assessments
- Online assessment (numerical + logical + situational judgement)
- Video interview (motivational + values-based)
Interviews
- Virtual recruitment day with group exercises and structured interviews
Technical / Engineering (Experienced)
Assessments
- Role-dependent technical assessment or case discussion
- Possible online reasoning tests
Interviews
- Technical interview with engineering managers
- Values-based competency interview
Finance / Trading / Commercial
Assessments
- Numerical and analytical reasoning
- Role-dependent commercial or market case
Interviews
- Competency interview with finance/commercial managers
- Values-based interview
IT / Digital / Cybernetics
Assessments
- Technical screening or practical exercise
- Possible logical reasoning assessment
Interviews
- Technical discussion with IT leadership
- Values-based competency interview
Values & Framework
Equinor’s culture is built on four stated values: Open, Collaborative, Caring and Courageous. These are linked directly to transparency, diversity, teamwork, trust, innovation, risk management, zero harm, sustainability and ethical conduct. All assessments evaluate alignment with these values.
- Show transparency: share information, accept feedback, admit uncertainty
- Demonstrate teamwork: build on others’ ideas, support colleagues, work across disciplines
- Prioritise safety and care: zero-harm mindset, concern for people and environment
- Be courageous: challenge constructively, innovate, speak up when something is wrong
- Connect all examples to responsible energy production and the energy transition
Recommended Practice Modules
Preparation Plans
- Memorise Equinor’s four values: Open, Collaborative, Caring, Courageous
- Complete one practice set each of numerical and logical reasoning
- Prepare 2 STAR stories demonstrating safety-first decisions and collaboration
- Research Equinor’s energy-transition strategy and recent news
- Daily practice: numerical reasoning + logical reasoning + situational judgement
- Prepare 4 STAR stories covering all four Equinor values
- Practise recording video responses with clear structure and energy-transition motivation
- Study Equinor’s operations: oil/gas, renewables, offshore wind, CCS
- Research the role you’re applying for and its connection to sustainability
- Daily cognitive practice: numerical, logical and situational judgement under timed conditions
- Build a comprehensive story bank (5+ STAR stories) mapped to all four values
- Practise multiple video interview recordings focusing on safety and collaboration
- Study group exercise and case discussion techniques for the recruitment day
- Research Equinor’s technology, digital and energy-transition strategy
- For technical roles: prepare to explain engineering decisions, risk and assumptions
- Conduct a mock values-based interview with feedback
- Achieve consistently strong performance in numerical, logical and SJT assessments
- Master STAR storytelling with clear links to Open, Collaborative, Caring, Courageous
- Complete multiple video interview practice sessions with self-review
- Practise full virtual recruitment day exercises: group work, case, presentation
- Deepen knowledge of Equinor’s strategy, ESG commitments and competitive position
- For technical roles: prepare technical presentations and design trade-off discussions
- Conduct full mock assessment centre with group exercise and interview
- Build commercial awareness of the global energy market and Norway’s energy sector
- Practise handling uncertainty and data gaps in problem-solving scenarios
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & verification status
4 sources · 4 from the employer or another primary publisher
See each source and how far it goes
- Employer site Equinor Graduate Programme Primary source, published by the employer
- Employer site Equinor Careers FAQ Primary source, published by the employer
- Employer site Equinor Culture and Values Primary source, published by the employer
- Employer site Equinor About Us Primary source, published by the employer
Confidence is calculated from each source, not assigned to the page. A source that cannot be opened, or that does not describe what we cited it for, cannot support a claim here regardless of how it was previously labelled.
How this guide was put together
Published by Job Tests Portal. It is compiled from the public sources listed above and has not been independently reviewed by a recruitment or assessment specialist. We are not affiliated with Equinor and this guide is not endorsed by them.
We label where each statement comes from, and we would rather say “we could not verify this” than state something we cannot show you the source for. Hiring processes change often and vary by role, country and year, so treat everything here as a starting point and let your invitation be the final word.