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02 / Hiring process
Four stages, and one of them decides it
4 stages from application to offer. Modelling test or case study is reported to be the one that decides it.
4stages
01
Recruiter or HR screen resume and basic fit
An initial screening conversation reported to confirm background and basic fit ahead of the first round interviews.
02
First round interviews live, behavioural and early technical
Reported to run as live interviews covering motivation, fit and early technical questions, ahead of the modelling test.
03
Modelling test or case study 3 to 4 hours, built from a blank sheet
Reported to run three to four hours from a blank spreadsheet, requiring a circular LBO model with a toggle between debt tranches such as senior and mezzanine, a full debt schedule with covenants, and a downside or recovery case. Credit roles are reported to instead receive an ad hoc credit or company case with limited notice, sometimes with overnight preparation before presenting the next morning.
04
Superday 4 to 6 rounds, often 2 on 1, then a decision
Reported to run four to six sessions, often structured with two interviewers against one candidate, with assumptions challenged aggressively rather than simply checked against a prepared answer.
Ask before the interview: what will this round cover, who will I meet, and is there anything I should prepare?The question almost nobody asks
03 / Question library
Interview question practice library
The modelling test, the Superday format and the six values apply broadly across functions, so the core set below covers that ground. Each function then adds the technical depth specific to it.
60questions
Asked in every interviewAsked in every Apollo Global Management interview
01 Why Apollo, and why this function specifically? Why Apollo Open guide
Find your angle. Checks whether a candidate picked the specific function for a real reason rather than the firm's overall reputation for aggressive, technical hiring.
Build your answer
- Name the actual function. Not just Apollo generally.
- Tie it to something concrete you've done. A project, internship or class pointing at this function.
- State what you want to be doing there in two years. Concrete, not a vague career goal.
Bring the evidence
One specific fact about the function you applied to that most Apollo applicants wouldn't know.
What weakens it
Apollo is known for being one of the most rigorous and technical firms on the street.
Likely follow upWhich other firms are you interviewing with, and how does this compare?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.02 How would you summarize your background for someone who has ten minutes and a stack of other resumes to get through? Recruiter screen Open guide
Find your angle. The recruiter screen is reported to run early and briefly, testing whether a candidate can compress their story for someone with limited time and attention.
Build your answer
- Give the actual ten minute version. Concrete, not the full life story.
- Explain what you'd prioritize cutting. What you'd leave out on purpose.
- State why that prioritization makes sense here. Tied to the specific function.
Bring the evidence
A specific instance of cutting your background down to fit a conversation with genuinely limited time and attention.
What weakens it
I'd walk them through my resume from the top.
Likely follow upWhat would you cut if you only had five minutes instead of ten?
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.03 Walk me through how you'd approach a multi-hour modelling exercise if you weren't sure you'd finish everything asked. The modelling test Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.04 Tell me about a time someone challenged an assumption you'd made, hard, and you had to hold your ground or concede. Pushback Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.05 Describe a time you had to manage a conversation with two people who had different styles or were coming at you from different angles. Interview dynamics Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.06 Tell me about a time you found an error in your own work while presenting it and had to handle it in real time. Composure Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.07 Tell me about a time you solved a problem by starting from scratch instead of adapting the existing approach. Fresh thinking Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.08 Describe a time you crossed a real organizational boundary to get something done, rather than staying in your own lane. No Walls Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.09 Tell me about a time you chose the harder, correct path over the easier, more comfortable one. Integrity Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.10 Describe a time you treated a decision as if you personally owned the outcome, not just the task. Principal Mindset Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.11 Tell me about a time you treated something as more than just a task to complete, but as work you genuinely cared about doing well. Life's Work Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.12 What's something about how you work that would show up in your first month here, not in this interview? Weakness Locked
Pro
Build this answer out of your own experience
The guide for this question: what the stage is scoring, three steps to structure the response, the evidence worth bringing, what weakens it, and the follow up. Then Pro drafts your version of it against your CV, so you walk in with your own answer rather than someone else's script.
Subscribe to Pro Unlimited preparation, every question, every company.Credit6 to practise
6 questions
The questions this role actually gets asked
The core set above is asked whatever you applied for. These 6 are specific to Credit, and they are usually what the decision turns on.
Create a free accountWhat you get
Less than the cost of one lunch, for a great deal more confidence.- Unlimited tailored interview preparation
- A massive database of actual questions and answer guides
Role specific
Pick your role and the list narrows to what that role tends to get asked.
A guide for every answer
What the question is testing, three steps to build your answer, and the evidence to bring.
Prepared, not guessing
You walk in knowing the shape of the round and which of your own stories fits it.
04 / In the news
Worth mentioning in the room
The strongest answer to why this company is something that happened last month.
4stories
Free account
What happened at this employer this month
Stories screened from everything published about this employer, chosen because they can be used in the room rather than because they are recent.
- Each one carries a line on how to use it in the answer
- Crime, recalls, litigation and share price moves are excluded outright
- Refreshed daily, so it is different the week of your interview
05 / The six values
What is actually being scored
Apollo publishes six values in this exact language on its own site. Bring one real story for each rather than a general answer about wanting to work at a top alternative asset manager.
6stories
Clean Sheet Thinking
A time you solved a problem by starting from scratch instead of adapting the existing approach.
No Walls
A time you crossed a real organizational boundary to get something done, rather than staying in your own lane.
Flat and Informal
A time you raised something directly with someone more senior rather than going through a formal process.
Principal Mindset
A time you treated a decision as if you personally owned the outcome, not just the task.
Right Over Easy
A time you chose the harder, correct path over the easier, more comfortable one.
Life's Work
A time you treated something as more than just a task to complete, but as work you genuinely cared about doing well.
06 / Before you apply
Where candidates lose it
Pro
Where candidates lose this before anyone meets them
The part of the process that eliminates most people is not the interview. It is what happens around it, and almost none of it is written down anywhere.
- The assessment answers that read as dishonest rather than confident
- What the availability question is really deciding
- The application detail that cannot be edited once submitted
Interview in 48 Hours
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