Morgan Stanley assessments: SHL/AON tests, SJT & interviews in 2026

Morgan Stanley’s online assessment is provided by either SHL or AON (cut-e), depending on the role and region, and usually pairs a numerical reasoning test with a situational judgement test. Some roles add verbal, logical or inductive reasoning, a HackerRank coding test, or an Excel test. Because the provider varies, the first job is to read your invitation email — then practise the right format. Start with our SHL hub or AON hub, or compare firms in the employer assessment guides.

Source note: forge checks this guide against Morgan Stanley careers material, SHL candidate practice pages, and Aon assessment preparation guidance. Provider use can vary by office and role.

Quick summary: Morgan Stanley assessments in 2026

• The online tests come from SHL or AON (cut-e), depending on role and region.
• The core is a numerical reasoning test plus a situational judgement test.
• Verbal, logical, inductive, HackerRank coding, or Excel tests appear for specific roles.
• AON formats are speed-first with tight timers; SHL gives slightly more time per question.
• Interviews follow — a first round (sometimes HireVue video) and final interviews.

Who is Morgan Stanley?

Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services firm, founded in 1935 and headquartered in New York, with around 80,000 employees across institutional securities, wealth management, and investment management. Its five core values — putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back — are exactly what the situational judgement test and interviews are built to measure. Align your SJT answers to these and you are answering the way Morgan Stanley scores.

What is SHL?

SHL is the world’s most widely used psychometric test publisher — its assessments screen millions of graduate and professional candidates every year. When an employer says you have an “online assessment”, it is very often an SHL test running on the SHL platform. SHL does not set a universal pass mark; each employer licenses the tests and sets its own cut-score, which is why the same SHL numerical test can screen at the 50th percentile for one company and the 80th for another. Our SHL provider hub and which SHL test am I taking? guide decode exactly what you have been sent.

The full SHL test suite (not just numerical and verbal)

When Morgan Stanley uses SHL (rather than AON), the core is a numerical reasoning test plus a situational judgement test, with verbal, logical or inductive sections added for some roles. SHL’s suite is larger than that, and the mix changes by division, region and intake — the table below is the full set so nothing catches you out. If your invitation names AON (cut-e) instead, use our AON hub, since the format and timing differ.

If your invitation email names a test you are unsure about, match the wording to the right guide with which SHL test am I taking? — the fastest way to stop preparing for the wrong format.

The Morgan Stanley numerical reasoning test

The numerical test asks you to interpret tables and charts and answer under time pressure. On SHL it is the standard Verify format; on AON it is a faster, higher-volume format. Either way the maths is GCSE-level — the difficulty is reading the right figure and pacing yourself. Our SHL Numerical guide and AON hub cover both; here is a representative trap. forge’s SHL question database shows per-unit normalisation, comparing raw totals instead of a rate, is one of the most common error types on banking numerical tests, alongside the wrong-base percentage trap.

Reading the trap won't build the speed the timer tests — do timed reps. Practise SHL numerical free on forge

The Morgan Stanley situational judgement test

The SJT presents realistic workplace scenarios and asks you to rate or rank possible responses. There is no maths — it measures judgement and values alignment. The winning approach is to answer as Morgan Stanley’s values would dictate: client interest first, integrity over short-term convenience, collaboration over going it alone. Read our situational judgement guide for the rating strategy.

Coding and Excel tests (role-specific)

Technology and quantitative roles may add a HackerRank coding assessment — data-structures and algorithm problems under a timer; see our tech & product assessments guide. Some finance and operations roles include an Excel test checking formulas, lookups and data-handling speed. Both are role-dependent — your invitation will say if one applies.

The interviews

After the online stage, Morgan Stanley runs a first-round interview — in person, by phone, or as a HireVue video round — followed by final interviews with the hiring team. Prepare competency answers with the STAR-R structure and rehearse role-specific technical questions. See our video interviews guide for the recorded round.

Related guides

• All employer assessment guides
• Goldman Sachs assessments
• JP Morgan assessments
• SHL Numerical Reasoning Test
• AON (cut-e) assessments
• Situational judgement tests

Frequently asked questions

Note on accuracy: the test providers named in this guide reflect candidate reports and publicly available information as of 2026, and are provided for preparation guidance only. Employers do not usually publish which assessment provider they use, and these relationships change over time — Morgan Stanley may switch providers, run different tests for different roles, regions or intakes, or use a provider not listed here. Nothing on this page is confirmed or endorsed by Morgan Stanley or any test publisher, and it should not be relied on as a definitive statement of Morgan Stanley’s current process. Always confirm the exact test and provider from your official invitation email before you prepare.