Presentations and Written Exercises

Later interview rounds or assessment centres may include an individual presentation or written exercise. The employer may set a topic in advance, or give you material on the day and ask you to prepare a presentation or report under time pressure. These exercises resemble actual work more closely than question-and-answer interviews, so they need a different kind of preparation. See no. 8 in this batch for group interviews and in-tray exercises, and no. 5 for breaking down a case for a non-consulting role.

1. Common formats

Prospects’ guide to interview tests and exercises describes formats that include:

1. Prepared presentation: usually 10–20 minutes, prepared in presentation software in advance.
2. On-the-day presentation: an assessment centre may ask you to present an exercise you have just completed. Preparation may take about 30 minutes, testing how you work under pressure.
3. Written test: a short piece, email, letter or report, sometimes proofreading, reviewing or summarising a document. These may last 40–60 minutes and test general awareness, comprehension and writing.
4. Case report: a set of materials to analyse, followed by a written or spoken recommendation.

CUHK’s Career Planning and Development Centre also notes that case analysis often asks candidates to handle a business project or workplace problem and present the result individually or in a group.

2. A presentation assigned in advance

1. Confirm the rules: length, audience, whether there is a question period, whether you may use presentation software or notes, and whether you must submit the file in advance. Prospects advises candidates to understand how they will be assessed.
2. Choose one central message: what is the one sentence you want the assessors to remember?
3. Structure: introduce the topic and conclusion; develop two or three points, each supported by evidence; then restate the conclusion and give the next step or recommendation. Prospects also recommends an introduction, main section and conclusion.
4. Slides: one message per slide. Use a headline that states the point, such as “Online acquisition costs less than in-person acquisition”, instead of a vague title such as “Channel analysis”. Prioritise figures and key points over full paragraphs.
5. Timing: prepare to use about 80–90% of the allotted time, leaving room for pauses and questions. Prospects advises finishing within the time limit and leaving time for questions.
6. Rehearse the full presentation at least three times, including once with someone who can ask questions.
7. Keep two copies of the file, one locally and one in the cloud. Bring a USB drive for an in-person presentation and test screen sharing for an online one.

3. A presentation with limited preparation time

1. When you receive the material, spend the first five minutes reading; do not start making slides.
2. On one sheet of paper, write the problem, key data, your conclusion, three reasons and one risk.
3. If you are given a whiteboard or paper, focus on a clear structure rather than appearance.
4. Use the last five minutes to rehearse silently and check the timing.
5. Start with the conclusion. If time is short, leave out one supporting reason rather than failing to state the conclusion and recommendation.

4. The question period

1. Listen to the question, confirm your understanding and then answer.
2. If you do not know, say so and explain how you would find the answer.
3. If someone points out an error, accept it and correct it. Explain whether the correction changes your conclusion.
4. Keep each answer short — around 30 seconds to one minute — leaving room for follow-up questions.
5. Before the exercise, list the three questions you are most worried about and prepare a response to each.

5. Written exercises

1. Read the instructions carefully: who the reader is, the required format, length and whether reference materials are allowed.
2. Prospects advises writing for a reader who does not share your background knowledge. Use headings and bullet points where helpful, spell out an abbreviation the first time, and check spelling and grammar.
3. A basic report structure:
   1. Summary: state the conclusion and recommendation in one paragraph.
   2. Background: explain the issue briefly.
   3. Analysis: develop each point with data or material.
   4. Recommendations and next steps: put them in priority order.
   5. Risks or issues that need further confirmation.
4. As a rough allocation, use one quarter of the time to read and outline, half to write, and the rest to review.
5. Check that figures match the materials, the recommendations follow from the conclusions, and there are no typing errors.

6. Email-writing exercises

Some roles ask you to write to a customer, colleague or manager, for example to explain a delay, respond to a complaint or report progress.

1. Make the subject line specific.
2. State the conclusion or request directly in the first paragraph.
3. Explain the facts and the reason in the middle. Do not shift responsibility unfairly, or accept responsibility for something that was not yours.
4. End with the next step, timing and anything the reader needs to do.
5. Use a professional, polite and concise tone. Do not use internal jargon in a customer email.
6. In a financial or regulated-industry scenario, do not promise anything beyond your authority.

7. Language choice

1. Written exercises for Hong Kong employers are generally in English and those for mainland employers generally in Chinese, but follow the instructions.
2. In English, avoid long sentences and translated-from-Chinese phrasing.
3. If you may choose the language, use the one in which you can write most accurately, not the one you assume the assessor prefers.

8. How to practise

1. Find prompts in the employer’s public materials. For example, write a one-page summary of a results announcement.
2. Practise timed writing once a week: spend 40 minutes on a one-page report or an email, then check it against the list above.
3. Take turns presenting with classmates. Give each person ten minutes, and ask the listener to prepare three questions.
4. Career-centre workshops and mock interviews can help you practise presentations; see no. 18 in this batch.

9. Common ways to lose marks

1. Running over time and failing to finish the conclusion.
2. Putting too much text on slides and reading them aloud.
3. Writing a report without a clear recommendation.
4. Using figures that do not match the material.
5. Missing a constraint in the prompt, such as a budget cap or specified audience.

Sources

• Prospects, “Interview tests and exercises”, checked 20 October 2026.
• CUHK Career Planning and Development Centre, “Assessment Centre and Interviews”, checked 20 October 2026.
• The remaining material is a general method note and does not contain official data.