Bank Of America Merrill Lynch Data Analyst Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Bank of America Merrill Lynch, commonly known as BofA, is a global leader in financial services, offering a comprehensive range of banking, investing, asset management, and other financial products and services. Guided by its commitment to Responsible Growth, the company aims to improve financial lives through the power of connections, ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace along with competitive benefits.

The Data Analyst position at BofA is key to supporting the GIS Enterprise Remediation team. Responsibilities include data analytics, designing metrics, reporting, and translating data into actionable business insights. The role requires strong technical skills in data management, SQL, BI tools, and a keen understanding of data systems and Big Data technologies.

Use this Interview Query guide to navigate the interview process, understand the required skills, and prepare for the potential Bank of America Merrill Lynch Data Analyst interview questions. Let’s get started!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority; however, you can expect the following on a Bank of America Merrill Lynch data analyst interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Bank of America Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the Bank of America data analyst hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the Bank of America data analyst role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around data management, SQL, and business intelligence (BI) tools.

In the case of data analyst roles, take-home assignments regarding metrics validation, data analytics, and data visualization might be incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency in hypothesis testing, probability distributions, and big data technologies such as Hadoop may also be assessed during the round.

Depending on the seniority of the position, case studies and similar real-scenario problems may also be assigned.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the Bank of America office. Your technical prowess, including programming and data analysis capabilities, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview for the data analyst role at Bank of America.

Typically, interviews at Bank of America vary by role and team, but common data analyst interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. Write a function to merge two sorted lists into one sorted list.

Given two sorted lists, write a function to merge them into one sorted list.

2. Write a function to find the maximum number in a list of integers.

Given a list of integers, write a function that returns the maximum number in the list. If the list is empty, return None.

3. Write a query to get the top 3 highest employee salaries by department.

Given the employees and departments table, write a query to get the top 3 highest employee salaries by department. The output should include the employee’s full name in one column, the department name, and the salary. The output should be sorted by department name in ascending order and salary in descending order.

4. Write a function to combine sorted integer lists into one sorted list.

Given a list of sorted integer lists, write a function sort_lists to create a combined list while maintaining sorted order without importing any libraries or using the sort or sorted functions in Python.

5. Write a function to swap nodes in a singly linked list.

Given the head of a singly linked list represented as a ListNode, and two zero-indexed positions x and y, write a function swap_node which swaps the positions of nodes x and y and returns the new head. Note that you cannot simply swap the values of these nodes; you must swap these two using pointer manipulation.

6. How would you build a strategy to find the best businesses to reach out to?

You are a credit card company looking to partner with more merchants. You have 100K small businesses to choose from but can only reach out to 1,000. How would you develop a strategy to identify the best businesses to contact?

7. How would you investigate a decrease in credit card payment amounts per transaction?

You work for a financial company and notice a decrease in the credit card payment amount per transaction. How would you investigate the cause of this change?

8. What features would you include in a model to predict a no-show for pizza orders?

Imagine you run a pizza franchise and face a problem with many no-shows after customers place their orders. What features would you include in a predictive model to address this issue?

9. How does random forest generate the forest, and why use it over logistic regression?

Explain the process by which random forest generates its forest. Additionally, discuss why one might choose random forest over other algorithms such as logistic regression.

10. How would you build a fraud detection model with a text messaging service for a bank?

You work at a bank that wants to build a model to detect fraud on its platform. The bank also wants to implement a text messaging service that will text customers when the model detects a fraudulent transaction, allowing them to approve or deny the transaction via text response. How would you build this model?

11. What is the relationship between PCA and K-means clustering?

Describe the relationship between Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering.

Here are some tips on how you can go about the Bank of America Merill Lynch data analyst interview process:

1. Understand the Technical Stack: Familiarize yourself with tools and technologies mentioned in the job description, like SQL, Alteryx, Tableau, Informatica, Hadoop, and others. Highlight your hands-on experience and knowledge during discussions.

2. Showcase Data-Driven Decisions: Emphasize your ability to translate data into meaningful business insights. Be prepared to present case studies from your past jobs where you have successfully influenced business decisions through data analysis.

3. Exhibit Soft Skills: Excellent communication and strong organizational skills are highlighted in the job description. Demonstrating your interpersonal skills along with your technical expertise can set you apart during the interview process.

What is the average salary for a Data Analyst at Bank Of America Merrill Lynch?

How does Bank of America Merrill Lynch support employee well-being and growth?

At Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the focus is on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The company invests heavily in employees and their families by offering competitive benefits to support physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Responsible Growth is a core value, promoting a positive work environment for a great place to work worldwide.

How can I prepare for an interview at Bank of America Merrill Lynch?

To prepare for an interview at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, research the company’s culture and recent projects. Practice common interview questions related to data analytics and business intelligence tools. Interview Query is an excellent resource for practicing technical questions and improving interview skills specific to data analyst roles.

If you’re looking for a dynamic opportunity to shape your career in data analytics while making a meaningful impact, Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Data Analyst position offers an exciting and rewarding path.

Interested in further preparing for your interview? Check out our main Bank of America Interview Guide on Interview Query, where we cover various interview questions, provide insights into different roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, and offer strategic guidance tailored to Bank of America’s interview process.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every interview question and challenge you may face.

Good luck with your interview!