A 4-sections test that creates a candidate profile (cognitive, personality, behavior, and experience) in 30 minutes or less.
The Capital One Virtual Job Tryout is an assessment taken by all Capital One applicants as the very first stage of the hiring process.
While it is a rather short test, it poses significant challenges to those unfamiliar with it by using techniques like “forced choice” in the personality section and data integration in the cognitive section.
The Capital One Virtual Job Tryout (VJT) is a pre-employment selection tool that assesses candidates’ expected behavior and approach to work. The test comprises 4 sections, each measuring a different aspect of the candidate, to create a full profile to predict potential job success. These sections are also mentioned in your Test Invitation.
In the section below we overview these 4 sections.
Test Structure and Question Format
The 4 sections of the Capital One Virtual Job Tryout are:
Section #2 – Manage Your Business Case (Cognitive)
Section #3 – Tell Us Your Story (Background and Preferences)
Section #4 – Describe Your Approach (Personality Traits)
Let’s dive into each section.
Section #1 – Manage Relationships
The “Manage Relationships” section includes 7 questions, and the estimated solving time is 8 minutes.
Each question presents you with a brief scenario and 4 optional responses. Of these responses, you need to choose the most appropriate and least appropriate responses.
Pro Tip
As the name suggests, the main focus of the Manage Relationships section is your ability to effectively cooperate and communicate with others in a variety of job-related scenarios.
Section #2 – Manage Your Business Case
This is the only section in the assessment designed to measure your cognitive abilities. It is also the shortest of the sections and contains only 5 multiple-choice questions.
Throughout this section, you will be provided with several data resources about a fictitious business. Your task is to analyze and interpret this data and make reasonable conclusions based upon it.
Pro Tip
There are only 5 questions in the Manage Your Business Case section, but they are not simple. You will be required to integrate several resources, evaluate alternatives, and pass judgment. You can see some examples in the Free Practice section.
Section #3 – Tell Us Your Story
The third section is designed to learn a bit about your experience, self-esteem, and approach to work. The section contains 17 questions and should be answered rather quickly – around 2 minutes.
Pro Tip
The Tell Us Your Story section includes 2 main types of questions:
Job Performance and Behavior – e.g., “How will your most recent manager rate your work quality?”
Self-Esteem and Approach – e.g., “I have leadership abilities.”
Section #4 – Describe Your Approach
This section goes much deeper into your approach and preferred working style. Each of the 21 questions includes 2 conflicting statements, and you are required to choose which statement better describes you.
Note that one of the main challenges here is that there are no “in-between” answers, and you MUST choose one statement over the other. That is a well-known method in personality tests referred to as “forced choice”.
This section is also expected to be solved quickly – around 2 minutes.
Pro Tip
The specific traits that will be measured in this section will greatly depend on your job. Here are some examples:
Adaptability
Drive
Empathy
Forward Thinking
Optimism
Rule Following
Relaxed
Sociability
What Does the Capital One Virtual Job Tryout Measure?
The Capital One Virtual Job Tryout is designed to assess how you are likely to handle situations that may arise during work. That is determined by combining:
Your expected behavior in a work environment (Section 1)
Your cognitive abilities (Section 2)
Your personality traits and approach to work (Sections 3 and 4)
Ready to try some questions adapted from the actual assessment? Check out the Free Practice section!
Test Invitation
The invitation to take the Virtual Job Tryout as part of your hiring process with Capital One will be sent to you via email, shortly after you have completed your application. You will be allowed 14 days to take the assessment.
The link in your invitation will bring you back to your user profile on Capital One’s careers website. There, you will receive a PDF document with the actual link to the assessment.
Test Interface
Here are some inside tips on how the Capital One Virtual Job Tryout test works:
Each of the 4 sections is regarded as a separate test, with its own instructions and recommended time limit.
The test is officially untimed, and therefore no clock appears during the test.
However, the test instructions provide a recommended solving time for each section, which you should aim to comply with, if possible.
In sections 1 and 2, you cannot go back once you submit a response.
In sections 3 and 4 you may go back only one question.
Free Sample Practice Test
This free practice is designed to get you familiar with the measured traits, level of difficulty, and format of the Capital One Virtual Job Tryout test.
The sample test contains 8 questions (2 of each section) and is untimed.
Good luck!
Section 1 – Manage Relationships
Question 1
Recommended Answers
Most: C
Least: B
This question aims to measure your communication skills and your diligence. Let’s look at each response though these two traits:
Answer A – Send the original report to the marketing team via email and encourage them to ask one of your team members if anything is unclear.
This response demonstrates some communication skills and diligence. However, you do not make any real attempt to accommodate the report’s content to your peers. As such, it is neither the best nor the worst response.
Answer B – Send the original report to the marketing team. If they wish to understand its contents, it is up to them to fill in the gaps in knowledge.
This response demonstrates the lowest levels of diligence and communication skills – you make no effort to assist your peers and take a passive and rather arrogant approach to the issue. Therefore, this is the least recommended response.
Answer C – Rewrite a short version of the report in the form of a presentation, in a language that non-professionals can understand. Then, set up a meeting with the marketing team to present the new report.
This response shows high levels of diligence, as you actively go out of your way to accommodate the content so that your peers can understand it. It also shows effective communication by setting up a face-to-face meeting with them. Therefore, this is the most recommended response.
Answer D – Summarize the report to one page with only the findings that do not require any financial expertise. Leave out the more professional information.
This response shows a lack of effective communication, but does demonstrate a certain degree of diligence, as you edit the report so it can be understood by others who lack your expertise. However, merely removing the professional parts is the “easy way out”, which might leave out important details. As such, similar to response A, this response is neither most nor least recommended.
Question 2
Recommended Answers
Most: B
Least: A
This question aims to measure your teamwork and your accountability. Let’s look at each response though these two traits:
Answer A – Email your operations plan to the stakeholders and ask them to make the adjustments they believe will improve it.
This response demonstrates low levels of teamwork and accountability. By delegating the task to the stakeholders, you show that you do not hold yourself accountable for the completion of the task. In addition, by allowing the stakeholders to make any adjustment they see fit, you give up your personal input for the plan, and prioritize others’ needs over your own – which also accounts for poor cooperation. Therefore, this response is least recommended.
Answer B – Explain the tight schedule to the stakeholders and try to focus on a list of adjustments that is acceptable and realistic for all parties involved.
This response demonstrates effective teamwork and willingness to come to a solution together. It also demonstrates a high level of accountability, by taking the initiative and maintaining your responsibility for the successful result of this cooperation. Therefore, it is the most recommended response.
Answer C – Make some adjustments, but move forward with your original plan, as you have put in much time and effort, and you are confident in its success.
This response shows a high level of accountability, but a low level of teamwork. By sticking with your original plan and only making a small effort to address the stakeholders’ concerns, you demonstrate ownership of the project, but at the same time, fail to cooperate with them and gain valuable feedback for the project. As such, while it is not the least recommended response, it is also not recommended.
Answer D – Meet all stakeholders again and listen carefully to their comments. Ask your manager to postpone the meeting so that the most crucial requirements are met.
This response shows care for teamwork but lacks accountability. While you make an effort to effectively cooperate with the stakeholders and gain their feedback, by postponing the meeting, you do not exert your responsibility and ownership of your project to the full extent. Therefore, and similar to response C, this is not the worst response, but it is not recommended.
Section 2 – Manage Your Business Case
Data Sources
Use the following data sources for questions 3-4:
Data Source 1
Data Source 2
Data Source 3
Data Source 4
Question 3
Which of the following statements is true?
Every month, more than $2,000 are spent on marketing in France.
Cutting down the cost of a YouTube ad by 25% will save the company more than $500 per month.
Overall, more of the company’s followers are on Facebook than on Instagram or YouTube.
The company has more than 800 German followers under the age of 25.
Answer and Explanation
The correct answer is D.
Let’s review each answer option:
Answer A – Every month, more than $2,000 are spent on marketing in France.
To calculate the total marketing expense in France, we need to first calculate the social media advertising expenses first. Then, according to Chart 3:
0.36 x Total Marketing Budget = Social Media Advertising
As we have previously seen, the calculation is done as follows (combining data from Charts 1 and 2):
Social Media Advertising in France = (750 x $0.11) + (900 x $0.13) + (800 x $0.55) = $639.50
So, the overall marketing budget in France is:
639.5 / 0.36 = $1,776.4
Answer A is false.
Answer B – Cutting down the cost of a YouTube ad by 25% will save the company more than $500 per month.
Let’s calculate the total cost of YouTube advertising only. According to Charts 1 and 2:
YouTube Advertising = (650 x $0.72) + (800 x $0.55) + (520 x $0.81) + (480 x $0.66) = $1,646
Cutting down this cost by 25% will save the company $1,646 x 0.25 = $411.5
Answer B is false.
Answer C – Overall, Facebook has the largest number of followers.
Answer D – The company has more than 800 German followers under the age of 25.
The total number of followers in Germany (from Chart 1):
1,250 + 880 + 550 = 2,780
From Chart 3, 30% of the company’s followers in Germany are under 25, so:
2,780 x 0.3 = 834
Answer D is true.
Question 4
The company has started working with a marketing agency and is interested in launching a targeted social media campaign to gain more followers. Assuming a fixed price per campaign, which of the following campaigns would you recommend?
Note: If several age/geographical groups are targeted, assume that the new audience distributes evenly between them.
20% more Spanish YouTube users, ages 36 or older.
10% more Instagram users in all 4 countries combined, ages 25 or younger.
30% more German Instagram users, ages 26-35.
15% more French Facebook users, ages 46 or older.
Answer and Explanation
The correct answer is C.
To decide which campaign is the best, we will calculate the additional monthly income generated by the new audience. The required data is:
Number of followers on the relevant social media platform (Chart 1).
Proportion of relevant age group/s (Chart 4).
Average monthly revenue per follower (Chart 4).
Answer A – 20% more Spanish YouTube users, ages 36 or older.
0.2 x 0.51 x 520 x $2.80 = $148.5
Answer B – 10% more Instagram users in all 4 countries combined, ages 25 or younger.
This group includes four geographical groups (Germany, France, Spain, Italy), so we assume that the new audience is distributed evenly between all four:
0.1 x [(0.3 x 1,250) + (0.25 x 750) + (0.31 x 680) + (0.29 x 400)] x $1.7 = 0.05 x 889 x $1.7 $151.1
Answer C – 30% more German Instagram users, ages 26-35.
0.3 x 0.22 x 1,250 x $2.25 = $185.6
Answer D – 15% more French Facebook users, ages 46 or older.
This group includes two age groups (46-55, 56+), so we assume that the new audience is distributed evenly between them both:
0.15 x 900 x [(0.17 x $3.15) + (0.17 x $3.75)] = $158.3
Section 3 – Tell Us Your Story
The Tell Us Your Story section isn’t really something you can prepare for, as its questions are very factual and depend on your past experiences.
However, here are two sample questions to explain what this section assesses.
Question 5
What Does This Question Measure?
As any employer, Capital One is interested in employees who are likely to keep working in the company for long periods of time. As such, if you can show a history of a substantial period of time with a previous employer, that will be in your favor.
However, that does not mean that only such employees will be selected.
Question 6
What Does This Question Measure?
This question aims to assess your level of rule following – one of the traits measured in the test (more emphasis on personality traits is given in section 4 – Describe Your Approach).
A person who continuously tries to improve the work procedures shows an open mindset flexible approach to well-established rules. That trait is usually desirable in jobs that require creativity, management, or decision-making. However, in jobs that are very process-oriented and well-regulated (e.g., legal, QA, or jobs that are technical in nature), such a trait will be a disadvantage.
Section 4 – Describe Your Approach
Question 7
Recommended Answer
This question assesses your forward-thinking.
Usually, workers who tend to plan their work are considered more industrious and productive, so they are a better fit for the demanding jobs in the financial sector. However, there are some jobs that require a very agile, adaptable mindset, and for these jobs, a forward-thinking mindset and planning may hinder your performance.
Pro Tip
Take some time to consider the traits your specific job requires. If you’re not sure, looking at the job ad is often a very good place to start.
Question 8
Recommended Answer
This question assesses your drive.
While it is generally better to be a team player rather than a lone wolf, some jobs will put more emphasis on personal performance and ambition. Common examples are senior management and sales.
