Citi Business Analyst Interview Questions + Guide 2024

Citi, a global banking leader with operations in more than 160 countries, serves approximately 200 million customer accounts. It provides a broad range of financial services, including consumer banking, credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Business Analysts at Citi are crucial in bridging the gap between business users and technologists, facilitating clear and concise communication, and driving continuous exploration and investigation of business performance to support strategic decision-making.

If you’re aiming to join Citi’s team and leverage your analytical skills to drive business insights and performance, this guide will navigate you through the interview process, commonly asked Citi business analyst interview questions, and valuable tips. Let’s get started!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority, however, you can expect the following on a Citi business analyst interview:

Resume Screening

After you submit your application, the Human Resources (HR) team will review your resume and qualifications. If your profile matches the requirements of the position, they will contact you to proceed to the next stage.

Initial Screening Interview

Depending on the position, you may go through an initial phone or video screening interview conducted by a recruiter or HR representative. This screening interview primarily assesses your basic qualifications, interest in the company, and availability. It usually lasts about 30 minutes.

Aptitude Test (if applicable)

For certain roles, especially entry-level or technical positions, an aptitude test is required. This test may include logical reasoning, quantitative skills, and domain-specific questions to assess your competence.

Technical Virtual Interview

If you clear the initial stages, you will be invited for a technical interview. This round typically involves discussions around your domain knowledge, previous work experiences, and various technical questions related to the specific job you are applying for. This interview may last for around 1 hour and could be conducted via video conference.

Final Interview Rounds

Following the technical interview, if you perform well, you will be invited for the final interview rounds. These rounds usually involve multiple stages and may include interviews with team members, direct managers, and senior management. Some final stages are done via panel interviews or assessment days, especially for senior roles. During these rounds, you may also encounter behavioral questions to assess your soft skills and cultural fit.

1. How would you design a function to detect anomalies in univariate and bivariate datasets?

If given a univariate dataset, how would you design a function to detect anomalies? What if the data is bivariate?

2. What are the drawbacks of the given student test score data layouts?

Assume you have data on student test scores in two layouts (dataset 1 and dataset 2). What are the drawbacks of these layouts? What formatting changes would you make for better analysis? Describe common problems in “messy” datasets.

3. What is the expected churn rate in March for customers who bought subscriptions since January 1st?

You noticed that 10% of customers who bought subscriptions in January 2020 canceled before February 1st. Assuming uniform new customer acquisition and a 20% month-over-month decrease in churn, what is the expected churn rate in March for all customers who bought the product since January 1st?

4. How would you explain a p-value to a non-technical person?

How would you explain what a p-value is to someone who is not technical?

5. What are Z and t-tests, and when should you use each?

What are the Z and t-tests? What are they used for? What is the difference between them? When should you use one over the other?

6. Select the top 3 departments with at least ten employees and rank them by the percentage of employees making over 100K.

Given employees and departments tables, select the top 3 departments with at least ten employees and rank them according to the percentage of their employees making over 100K in salary.

7. Write a query to get the current salary for each employee.

Due to an ETL error, the employees table has multiple salary entries for each employee. Write a query to get the current salary for each employee, assuming no duplicate combination of first and last names.

8. Write a function replace_words to stem words in a sentence using a dictionary of roots.

Given a dictionary of roots and a sentence, write a function replace_words to stem all the words in the sentence with the root forming it. If a word has many roots that can form it, replace it with the shortest root.

9. Write a query to show the number of users, transactions, and total order amount per month in 2020.

Write a query to show the number of users, number of transactions placed, and total order amount per month in the year 2020. Assume that we are only interested in the monthly reports for a single year (January-December).

10. Write a function is_contained to check if a circle is between two concentric circles.

Given two concentric circles a and b with radii r_a and r_b, and a third circle c with radius r_c and center center_c, write a function is_contained to check if circle c occupies the space between circles a and b. Return True if it does, otherwise return False.

11. How would you verify the frequency of incorrect pickup locations on the Uber map?

Uber riders are complaining about the map showing wrong pickup spots. You have user location data but no external data sources. How would you determine how often this issue occurs?

12. How would you analyze focus group data to decide which TV series to feature on Netflix?

Netflix ran a focus group with 1000 participants rating 100 new TV series pilots on a 1-10 scale. Each participant rated 10 random pilots. How would you analyze this data to decide which series should be featured?

13. What kind of model did the co-worker develop?

Your co-worker developed a model that takes customer inputs and determines if a personal loan should be given or not. What type of model is this?

14. How would you measure the difference between two credit risk models within a timeframe?

Another co-worker has developed a model to predict loan defaults. Given that personal loans are paid in monthly installments, how would you compare the performance of the two credit risk models over time?

15. What metrics would you track to measure the success of the new model?

Identify the key metrics you would monitor to evaluate the effectiveness of the new credit risk model.

Q: What is the average salary for a Business Analyst at Citi?

Q: What skills are necessary for success in the Business Analyst role at Citi?

Key skills include strong data analysis abilities, proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks under pressure. Experience with project management and familiarity with financial services are also highly valued.

Q: Can you describe the company culture at Citi?

Citi emphasizes a collaborative and dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion. They promote innovation, encourage growth and learning, and prioritize ethical practices. Employees often cite a positive experience with supportive HR practices and strong communication from management.

Q: What are the career growth opportunities for a Business Analyst at Citi?

Citi offers ample opportunities for career growth through exposure to various aspects of the business, continuous learning programs, and chances to work on global projects. As you gain experience, you can advance to senior analyst roles or transition into project management and other leadership positions within the company.

As you embark on your journey with Citi, anticipate a series of well-structured, multi-step recruitment processes designed to bring out the best in you. The interview stages at Citi will involve thorough resume reviews, initial screenings, and several interview rounds that blend technical, behavioral, and situational questions.

Eager to deep dive further? check out our main Citi Interview Guide and gain insights that could give you a competitive edge. Additionally, explore our interview guides for other roles such as data engineer and data analyst to learn more about Citi’s interview process for different positions.

Good luck with your interview!