Lazard Assessment Centre Guide 2027
2-5 back-to-back interviews with pairs of Lazard professionals across a single day. 2-5 rounds. Everything you need to know to prepare.
Prepare for LazardFree for 3 days · No card charged until trial ends · Cancel anytime
Format
What the Lazard assessment centre looks like
Arrival & Briefing
15-20 minutesHR / Campus recruiting
Check in at reception, given schedule for the day. Coffee and light networking with current analysts.
First Interview
30-40 minutes1-2 interviewers (Associate/VP level)
Mix of behavioural and "fit" questions. Why Lazard, why this division, walk me through your CV. Tests motivation and basic commercial awareness.
Second Interview
30-40 minutes1-2 interviewers (VP/Director level)
More technical than the first. Valuation questions, discussion of recent deals, market views. Division-specific knowledge tested.
Senior Interview
30-40 minutes1-2 interviewers (Director/MD level)
Culture fit and deeper technical questions. Current events and commercial awareness tested rigorously. The "airport test" — would they want to work with you?
Debrief
10-15 minutesHR / Campus recruiting
Opportunity to ask final questions. Decision typically communicated within 1-2 weeks.
Prep plan
48-hour preparation plan
148 hours before
Read Lazard's latest earnings or press releases — know their revenue mix and recent activity.
Research 2-3 recent Lazard deals in your target division. Be able to discuss rationale, structure, and your view.
Prepare 5 STAR-format examples covering leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, resilience, and commercial initiative.
Prepare your "Why Lazard?" answer with specific references to people, events, or programme features.
Review fundamental technicals: DCF steps, enterprise value vs equity value, WACC components, basic LBO mechanics.
224 hours before
Check the Financial Times and Bloomberg for any breaking news relevant to Lazard or your target division.
Prepare 3-4 intelligent questions for interviewers — about their career path, deal experience, or team culture.
Do one final practice run with your anchor stories — time yourself to 2-3 minutes each.
Plan your outfit, route, and arrival time. Aim to arrive 15 minutes early.
Get 8 hours of sleep. Assessment centres are a marathon — mental fatigue is the hidden challenge.
3Morning of
Review your prepared questions and anchor stories one final time.
Scan morning headlines — if something major happened overnight, interviewers may ask.
Arrive 15 minutes early. Use waiting time to observe the office, not cram.
Treat every interaction as part of the assessment — from reception to analysts in the lift.
Questions
Lazard assessment centre questions by round
Different interviewers ask different types of questions. Know what to expect at each level.
- 1Walk me through an LBO.
- 2How do you value a distressed company?
- 3What happens in a Chapter 11 / UK administration process?
- 4Tell me about a Lazard deal.
- 5Pitch me a restructuring situation.
Technicals
Lazard technical questions
- 1Walk me through a merger model.
- 2A company has £500m of debt and declining EBITDA. What are the options?
- 3How does a debt-for-equity swap work?
- 4What makes a good restructuring advisor?
- 5Tell me about a time you managed multiple complex tasks.
- 6Brain teaser: How many tennis balls fit in this room?
- 7Walk me through a recent Lazard deal — what was the rationale and how would you have valued it?
- 8Why Lazard over Rothschild? Be specific.
Evaluation
What Lazard interviewers evaluate
Intellectual horsepower
Lazard deals are the most complex in banking. They need people who can handle ambiguity and multi-layered problems.
Technical depth
Most technically demanding interviews in banking. DCF, LBO, merger models, and restructuring mechanics tested in detail.
Genuine advisory interest
Pure advisory firm. They want people who care about advising clients, not processing transactions.
Work ethic
Elite boutique hours are intense. 75-85 hours/week. Lean teams, high expectations.
Communication
Advising boards of directors requires exceptional communication. Clear, concise, persuasive.
Intellectual curiosity
Restructuring involves understanding distressed situations, legal frameworks, and creative solutions.
Avoid
Common mistakes at Lazard assessment centres
Dropping energy between rounds. Interviewers compare notes — being sharp in round 1 but flat in round 3 is noticed.
Giving identical answers to different interviewers. They debrief as a group. Prepare enough anchor stories to vary your examples.
Not knowing Lazard's recent deals. This is the most common technical failure. Discuss at least 2 recent transactions in your target division.
Being unable to handle follow-up questions on technicals. Don't just recite a DCF walkthrough — be prepared for "what if?" probes.
Asking no questions or asking weak questions. "What's the culture like?" is too vague. Reference a specific deal or team.
Treating the day as purely transactional. Informal moments — lunch, coffee, walking between rooms — are part of the evaluation.
Practise Lazard assessment centre questions
Intervyo's assessment centre practice simulates real Lazard interviews. Record your answers on camera and get AI-scored feedback across behavioural, technical, and commercial awareness questions — the same types you'll face on the day.
Try assessment centre practiceFree for 3 days · No card charged until trial ends · Cancel anytime
FAQ
Lazard assessment centre FAQs
Be ready for every round
AI-scored practice with Lazard questions. Behavioural, technical, and commercial awareness — all scored with detailed feedback. Free for 3 days.
Prepare for LazardFree for 3 days · No card charged until trial ends · Cancel anytime