KKR runs different funnels for different doors. Campus and Scholars candidates hit an automated front end first (a Predictive-Index or IQ-style assessment plus a short, no-retake HireVue) before any human round, then Zoom interviews and a superday of five or six back-to-back sessions that lean heavily on fit. Experienced hires almost always arrive through a buy-side headhunter and face a rolling series of 30-minute one-on-ones with associates, principals, MDs and partners, punctuated by a timed modelling test (commonly 90 minutes to 3 hours, and in one London credit loop a full three-statement plus LBO build) and a case study drawn from real materials such as a 10-K, a CIM and term sheet, or a broker-note pack. Across seats the recurring message from candidates is that raw modelling speed matters less than investor mindset and cultural fit on small teams.
These 57 writeups cover private equity, credit, investor relations and other roles. All of them were posted under a forum handle, so we could not verify the authors’ identities.
1Online cognitive/behavioural assessmentOnline assessmentA Pymetrics-style game assessment arrived a few days after the application, so the resume appeared to be screened by a human first.Covered: Aptitude
2First-round interviewPhone screenA first live conversation with the team following the assessment.Covered: Behavioral, Resume deep-dive
3Second-round interviewTechnicalA further interview round before the final day.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
4SuperdayFinalThe final back-to-back day that closes the summer-analyst funnel.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1One-on-one technical interviewsTechnicalA set of one-on-one conversations that leaned on investing technicals.Covered: Financial modeling, Domain knowledge, Resume deep-dive
2Modelling testTake-homeA build-a-model exercise as part of the London process.Covered: Financial modeling, Excel modeling
3Commercial caseCase studyAn hour-long commercial case in which the candidate was handed a thick pack on the target company (broker notes, financials, news) and had to form a view.Covered: Case study, Domain knowledge
1One-on-one interviewsBehavioralA conversational loop with no technical questioning at all, built around situational prompts and fit.Covered: Behavioral, Customer scenarios
1Recruiter outreach and first roundPhone screenA recruiter reached out and moved the candidate into a first round quickly.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Behavioral
2Investment-team interviewsPanelTwo 45-minute one-on-ones with principals plus two more 45-minute meetings with senior members of the investment team.Covered: Domain knowledge, Financial modeling, Resume deep-dive
3Portfolio-management track interviewsPanelOn the portfolio-management side the loop ran as an onsite with two associates, then a senior member, and finally senior members plus HR.Covered: Domain knowledge, Behavioral
4Onsite model testTechnicalAn in-office modelling exercise sat inside the portfolio-management loop.Covered: Financial modeling, Excel modeling
1HireVue recorded interviewOnline assessmentAfter an online application the candidate got a recorded HireVue with a three-day deadline, mixing a resume walkthrough with credit fundamentals such as how credit differs from equity.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge, Resume deep-dive
1Associate interview via alumni referralPhone screenAn alum passed the resume along and the candidate spoke with an associate, and was also invited to a networking event afterwards.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Behavioral
1Phone screen with a Managing DirectorPhone screenA recruiter sourced the candidate on LinkedIn and set up an initial call with an MD.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Domain knowledge
2Onsite superdayPanelAn in-office day in Houston across roughly five people, including associates and the head of global real estate portfolio and asset management. Very few technicals: mostly prior deal and asset-management experience, underwriting metrics and submarket views.Covered: Domain knowledge, Behavioral, Excel modeling
1One-on-one interviewsPanelFive separate one-on-one meetings, mostly fit-driven with a few conceptual investing questions mixed in.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge, Resume deep-dive
2Case studyCase studyA case built from a 10-K, some research reports and a model template the candidate had to fill in.Covered: Financial modeling, Case study, Excel modeling
1Zoom interview with a directorPhone screenRoughly two weeks after an online application, a Zoom call with a director covering background, why the candidate was leaving their firm, interest in the team, and two in-depth deal walkthroughs.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Past projects, Behavioral
1Associate chatPhone screenA 30-minute conversation with an associate about resume experience, run inside the on-cycle window.Covered: Resume deep-dive
2Principal interviewTechnicalA 30-minute discussion with a principal on the candidate's investing framework and on KKR portfolio companies.Covered: Domain knowledge, Behavioral
3LBO case studyCase studyA three-hour LBO case exercise.Covered: Financial modeling, Case study, Excel modeling
4MD interviewHiring managerA 30-minute session with an MD covering behaviourals and fairly deep debates on personal philosophy. The candidate withdrew before the case debrief after taking a competing offer.Covered: Behavioral, Conflict handling
1Recruiter interviewPhone screenAn introductory call covering the firm and role plus soft motivational questions, followed by an invitation to a networking event if the team liked the CV.Covered: Behavioral
2Principal interviewsTechnicalTwo principals tested a mix of technicals, motivations and commercial mindset, with investor-mindset questions tied to the candidate's own deal experience.Covered: Domain knowledge, Financial modeling, Resume deep-dive
3Timed LBO modelling testTechnicalA two-hour in-office exercise building a full three-statement model and LBO, which the candidate found genuinely hard.Covered: Financial modeling, Excel modeling
4MD interviewsPanelAn in-person round with two MDs on credit-specific technicals, commercial knowledge and deep dives into prior experience.Covered: Domain knowledge, Resume deep-dive
5Case studyCase studyA closing case study round.Covered: Case study, Domain knowledge
1In-person interviewsPanelIntroduced by a well-known buy-side headhunter, the candidate met four or five people in 25-35 minute in-person sessions mixing deal experience, technicals tied to that experience and industry, and behavioural questions.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Domain knowledge, Behavioral
1Two 30-minute one-on-onesTechnicalFit and behavioural questions to open, then deep digging into a specific deal, scattered technicals, and broad investing questions about a randomly chosen industry and company.Covered: Behavioral, Resume deep-dive, Domain knowledge
2Rolling further meetingsPanelCandidates who do well in the first round are kept in the building to meet more people rather than following a fixed schedule.Covered: Domain knowledge, Behavioral
1One-on-one interviewsTechnicalInterviews centred on mezzanine notes, with short case-style questions asking which of two investments is better given particular financial metrics.Covered: Domain knowledge, Case study
2Skills and aptitude testingOnline assessmentThe loop also included a skills test and a personality test, with general reasoning ability explicitly probed.Covered: Aptitude, Puzzles
1First-round interviewTechnicalA one-hour conversation on CV, deal experience and which workstreams the candidate personally led in banking.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Past projects
1Headhunter-introduced phone interviewPhone screenA standard screening conversation for a client/investor-relations seat supporting a credit-focused IR and business-development professional: resume walkthrough, why move, why the firm.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Behavioral
1VP phone interviewTechnicalA 30-minute call that was entirely quantitative, working through cap-rate, NOI-growth and exit-pricing mechanics to reach a required IRR and hold period.Covered: Domain knowledge, Aptitude
3Behavioral fit interviewBehavioralA dedicated fit interview before the final day.Covered: Behavioral, STAR stories
4Superday group interviewGroup exerciseThe superday opened with a group interview format.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
5In-person case study and presentationPresentationA four-hour onsite case: candidates got a CIM and a term sheet and had to build a model and present it back to the same group. Decisions came within 24 hours.Covered: Case study, Financial modeling, Excel modeling
1Zoom interviewTechnicalA first-round video interview that drilled into every detail of the deals on the resume. The candidate did not advance.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Domain knowledge
1Two-on-one video interviewTechnicalA 30-minute video interview with two interviewers: resume walkthrough, then technicals that were largely mental-math and brainteaser style, closing with a deal walkthrough.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Aptitude, Puzzles, Domain knowledge
1VP interviewTechnicalA headhunter set up a next-day meeting with a VP covering background, interest in the asset-management arm, straightforward technicals, simple brainteasers and a small case asking the candidate to value a company they liked.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Aptitude, Case study
2Two-on-one video interview with the San Francisco officeTechnicalEasy technicals, deal-experience questions and why the candidate wanted the San Francisco office.Covered: Domain knowledge, Resume deep-dive
1Written finance test plus interviewTechnicalOn-campus: the interviewer opened by handing over a short essay-style finance test of roughly six to eight questions on capital-markets fundamentals and LBO basics, then walked back through the answers before moving to behaviourals and the resume.Covered: Domain knowledge, Financial modeling, Behavioral, Resume deep-dive
1Two phone interviewsPhone screenSelected through on-campus recruiting, the candidate spoke by phone with members of the New York client and partners team even though the role was in San Francisco.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
2In-person interviewBehavioralAn office interview with an associate, mainly behavioural and about past experience.Covered: Behavioral, Past projects
Client & Partner Group Intern (Investor Relations)
1Phone interview with two associatesPhone screenRoughly half an hour with each of two associates, mostly behavioural but with real questions about the firm itself, its recent funds and how it raises capital.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1Teams interviewTechnicalA company recruiter suggested the candidate apply. The first interview was a video meeting with the head of CLO structuring and an investing associate. The overall process stretched across several months.Covered: Domain knowledge, Resume deep-dive
130-minute screenPhone screenA resume walkthrough followed by a handful of finance-flavoured brainteasers and then some pure brainteasers.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Puzzles, Aptitude
2Two 30-minute interviewsTechnicalMore detail on work experience plus an open investing question about where the candidate would put their own money today.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Domain knowledge
3Onsite case study and presentationPresentationThe candidate flew to New York, was given a case with two hours to prepare, and then presented.Covered: Case study, Financial modeling
1Two 30-minute first-round interviewsPhone screenMostly a resume walkthrough plus why the firm, and a question on the best and worst company in its portfolio.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Behavioral, Domain knowledge
2Cognitive assessmentOnline assessmentAn intelligence-style test formed part of the process.Covered: Aptitude
1One-on-one interviewBehavioralA single straightforward 30-40 minute conversation, mostly behavioural and fit with basic technicals, sourced through campus recruiting in Dublin.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1HireVue plus cognitive testOnline assessmentA recorded video interview paired with an intelligence-style test gated entry to the live rounds.Covered: Behavioral, Aptitude
2First-round interviewBehavioralA one-hour interview that was primarily behavioural with some basic accounting technicals.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1HireVueOnline assessmentA single recorded video interview to open.Covered: Behavioral
2SuperdayFinalFive interviews on the final day, mostly non-technical, with one technical interview built around a case study.Covered: Behavioral, Case study
1Three back-to-back interviewsPanelAfter applying through the campus career site, the candidate sat three consecutive one-hour interviews with the department's senior members, all behavioural given the internal-audit remit.Covered: Behavioral, Resume deep-dive
1Three phone interviewsPhone screenCalls with two team members and an HR representative spread over a couple of weeks, with heavily behavioural questions about background, motivation and career goals.Covered: Behavioral
2In-person interviewsPanelAn office round with several team members that stayed casual and behavioural apart from one simple brainteaser, with real interest in the activities listed on the resume.Covered: Behavioral, Puzzles
1HireVueOnline assessmentA recorded video interview opened the process.Covered: Behavioral
2Associate interviewTechnicalA one-on-one covering behaviourals plus technicals on the different investor and client types the IR team serves.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1Early-round interviewsPhone screenThe candidate applied on the day applications opened in early January. The process ran to three rounds in total.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
2SuperdayFinalThe final day was two one-on-one interviews, mostly behavioural with market questions, testing genuine interest in the firm and its offering.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1Two back-to-back one-on-onesPanelA headhunter flagged the opening with no other contact beforehand. The interview was two consecutive 30-minute meetings at the New York office, the first of which started 15 minutes late and cut into the candidate's story.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Domain knowledge
1HireVueOnline assessmentA recorded interview of three behavioural questions: tell me about yourself, why the firm, and a tell-me-about-a-time prompt.Covered: Behavioral, STAR stories
1HireVueOnline assessmentA short recorded interview of tell-me-about-yourself style questions, including one on overcoming difficulty. The candidate's read was that the programme does not expect deep technical acumen, only that you interview well.Covered: Behavioral, STAR stories
1HireVueOnline assessmentA single recorded interview with two questions: tell me about yourself, and a time you struggled.Covered: Behavioral, STAR stories
1One-on-one interviewBehavioralAn interview request landed less than a week after applying online. The conversation was mostly behavioural, on why private credit and how the candidate handles conflict and works within a team.Covered: Behavioral, Conflict handling, Domain knowledge
1Partner phone callPhone screenA college career office referred the candidate to a PE partner, who took a short call and then circulated the resume internally.Covered: Behavioral, Resume deep-dive
2Associate interviewTechnicalA Zoom interview with the hiring associate: why PE, why the firm, tell me about yourself, then standard banking-guide technicals. The candidate stumbled on two of five technicals and was told on the spot that the team was going another way.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge, Financial modeling
1Headhunter screenPhone screenA staffing agency screened for suitability before forwarding the resume to the firm.Covered: Resume deep-dive
2One-on-one interviewTechnicalA single in-person meeting at a Calgary hotel focused on past experience and knowledge of the energy industry. No second round followed.Covered: Domain knowledge, Past projects
1Interviews with the teamPanelRounds with essentially everyone on the team.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge, Financial modeling
2Take-home case studyTake-homeA case study completed away from the office.Covered: Case study, Financial modeling
3SuperdayFinalA final day. The candidate's advice was to know LBO mechanics and standard banking technicals cold. The process ran two to three months and also included skills, cognitive and personality testing.Covered: Financial modeling, Domain knowledge, Behavioral
1One-on-one interviewTechnicalA campus-sourced conversation about the mathematics on the candidate's resume, with a patient interviewer.Covered: Resume deep-dive, Aptitude
1Onsite interviewsPanelA recruiter passed the resume across and the candidate met a principal and her associate in the San Francisco office for a fairly standard conversation. Despite follow-ups, there was no direct response for weeks. The recruiter eventually relayed that a more experienced candidate was chosen.Covered: Behavioral, Resume deep-dive, Sales roleplay
1One-on-one interviewTechnicalA markets-heavy technical conversation on how to value a company, with a lot of questions on economic indicators.Covered: Domain knowledge, Financial modeling
1Analyst interviewBehavioralAn employee referral led to a purely behavioural one-on-one with a second-year analyst.Covered: Behavioral
2Mixed technical and behavioural interviewTechnicalA calmer second conversation blending technicals and fit. The candidate was not invited to the assessment stage, though the process reportedly ran to nine or ten rounds for others.Covered: Domain knowledge, Behavioral
1Predictive Index assessmentOnline assessmentA timed PI-style assessment testing reasoning under time pressure.Covered: Aptitude
2HireVueOnline assessmentA recorded interview of seven questions with two minutes each and no retakes, treated as the actual first round.Covered: Behavioral
1Personality and cognitive testsOnline assessmentAfter applying via a school recruiting site the candidate took a personality test and an IQ-style test of maths and pattern questions.Covered: Aptitude, Puzzles
2Two 20-minute phone interviewsPhone screenOne interviewer asked almost nothing but maths and brainteasers. The other mostly invited questions. The candidate found the scheduling disorganised, with interviewers running late.Covered: Aptitude, Puzzles
1Predictive Index and cognitive assessmentOnline assessmentA resume drop then a personality plus cognitive test battery.Covered: Aptitude
2HireVueOnline assessmentA recorded video interview.Covered: Behavioral
3Zoom interviews with associates and principalsTechnicalSeveral video interviews. The candidate's read was that with small teams the firm weights fit heavily.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1Skills assessmentOnline assessmentAn IQ-style assessment opened the process. The candidate heard back about two weeks later.Covered: Aptitude
2First-round Zoom interviewBehavioralA mostly behavioural video call with a member of the team.Covered: Behavioral
3Second-round Zoom interviewTechnicalA more technical team interview. The candidate's advice was to be strong on paper LBOs and standard technicals.Covered: Financial modeling, Domain knowledge
1Interview with two interviewersBehavioralA mostly behavioural conversation pressing on why private credit and why this firm in particular.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
1HireVueOnline assessmentA seven-question recorded video interview.Covered: Behavioral
2Two Zoom interview roundsBehavioralTwo rounds of video interviews before the final day.Covered: Behavioral, Resume deep-dive
3SuperdayFinalA six-interview final day focused primarily on fit with few technicals, weighting thought process over the answer itself.Covered: Behavioral, Domain knowledge
What KKR is hiring for now
136 open roles in our index. Advertised pay floors run $95k to $175k (median $140k, from 79 postings that state pay).
Most-posted roles
Sales Consultant3
Executive Assistant - Global Client Solutions2
Associate, Insurance Risk2
Principal / Director, Product Origination & Distribution Strategy, Insurance2
VP, Service Leader of Agency and New Business Operations1
Operations - Portfolio Monitoring Unit (Private Markets)- Analyst1
KKR runs different funnels for different doors. Campus and Scholars candidates hit an automated front end first (a Predictive-Index or IQ-style assessment plus a short, no-retake HireVue) before any human round, then Zoom interviews and a superday of five or six back-to-back sessions that lean heavily on fit. Experienced hires almost always arrive through a buy-side headhunter and face a rolling series of 30-minute one-on-ones with associates, principals, MDs and partners, punctuated by a timed modelling test (commonly 90 minutes to 3 hours, and in one London credit loop a full three-statement plus LBO build) and a case study drawn from real materials such as a 10-K, a CIM and term sheet, or a broker-note pack. Across seats the recurring message from candidates is that raw modelling speed matters less than investor mindset and cultural fit on small teams.
What topics does KKR test in interviews?
Commonly reported topics include Behavioral, STAR stories, Resume deep-dive, Financial modeling, Excel modeling, Case study.
These guides summarize public, first-hand interview experiences shared by candidates. They describe the shape of each loop and the topics that came up, not a leaked question bank, and every experience links back to its original source. Processes change often. Treat this as directional prep, not a script.
TheJobsMap