Investment Banking · ~4-5% acceptance rate

Nomura Interview Preparation

Japan's largest investment bank — unique Asian perspective with strong London IBD presence

~30,000+

Applications

~4-5%

Offer rate

£52,000 base

Graduate salary

Practise Nomura HireVue free

Free for 3 days · Cancel anytime

HireVue Practice

Nomura — HireVue Practice

Your question

""

30s preparation 2 min recording Camera + mic

Application process

How to get into Nomura — step by step

1

Online Application

August-September. Rolling.

Nomura is Japan's #1 bank. Show awareness of Asian markets and Japanese business culture.

2

Online Assessment

1-2 weeks

Numerical and verbal reasoning. Standard format.

3

Video Interview

2-3 weeks

Competency-based. Reference Nomura's Asian strengths.

4

Assessment Centre

October-January

Case study, group exercise, individual interviews. Less intense than US banks.

5

Offer

1-2 weeks

Nomura offers solid packages with good WLB.

Interview questions

Nomura interview questions by round

Questions change at every stage. Know what to expect.

  • 1Why Nomura?
  • 2What interests you about Asian markets?
  • 3Describe a time you worked under pressure.
  • 4Walk me through your CV.
  • 5Why banking?

What they value

What Nomura looks for in candidates

Asian market interest

Nomura's differentiator is Japan and Asia-Pacific. Show genuine interest in Asian markets.

Cross-cultural skills

Japanese headquarters, global offices. Cultural sensitivity matters.

Technical ability

Standard banking technical expectations. Prepare valuation and accounting.

Teamwork

Japanese business culture values harmony and collaboration.

Commercial awareness

Know what's happening in Asian and Japanese markets.

Analytical rigour

Strong quantitative skills expected.

Compensation

Nomura salary & benefits

Graduate

~£52,000 base (~£75K total comp)

Intern

~£45,000 pro-rata

Perks & benefits

Health insurancePensionGym membership25 days holidayTraining programmesGlobal mobility

Culture & work style

What it's actually like to work at Nomura

Japan's #1 investment bank
60-70 hours/week — more balanced than US banks
Respectful Japanese business culture
Strong Asia-Pacific franchise
Growing London IBD presence
1 Angel Lane office (near St Paul's)
Good training programme
Less cutthroat than US bank culture

Insider tips

How to stand out at Nomura

1

Nomura's Asian market expertise is their differentiator. Show genuine interest in Japan/Asia.

2

Less competition than US banks — strong candidates get more attention.

3

Japanese business culture values respect and collaboration. Reflect this in interviews.

4

Know a Japan-related deal or Asian market trend.

5

Nomura is growing its London IB practice. Position yourself as part of that growth.

Compare

Nomura vs competitors

FirmSalaryHoursCultureExit opps
Nomura~£52,000 base (~£75K total comp)60-70/weekJapan's #1 investment bank...
HSBC~£48K / ~£65K total55-65/weekAlso Asia-focusedSimilar
Barclays~£50K / ~£75K total60-70/weekUK-focusedSimilar
Deutsche Bank~£55K / ~£80K total60-70/weekEuropean focusModerate-strong
Citi~£60K / ~£95K total65-75/weekMost globalStrong

FAQ

Nomura FAQs

~30,000+ people are applying.
Be the one who prepared.

Free HireVue practice with Nomura questions. Scored report with competency breakdown. No signup required.

Practise for Nomura free

Free for 3 days · Cancel anytime