Citi Plum Assessment: What It Is and How to Prepare
Luca from Candidate Falcon
Editorial Team
You applied to Citi and an email arrived asking you to complete a "Plum assessment". This guide explains where that step sits in Citi's process, what the Plum Discovery Survey asks you to do, what Citi candidates say about results, and how to prepare.
Citi does not describe the Plum step on its own careers pages, so we label every source: what Plum says, what graduate sites say, and what candidates report.
The short answer
- It is the Plum Discovery Survey. A roughly 25-minute online survey with preference questions, visual puzzles and workplace scenarios.
- Candidates report it as Citi's first online step, after the application and before HR or interview rounds.
- There are no genuine "Citi Plum assessment answers". Two of the five sections have no right answers, and the role profile Citi compares you with is not public.
Where Plum fits in Citi's hiring process
Candidates on Glassdoor describe the same order: an online application, then a Plum assessment, then HR and interview rounds. One applicant in Argentina applied with a CV and cover letter, completed the Plum assessment and was then invited to interview.
Two things Citi candidates notice:
- Not every application gets one. In January 2023, a candidate on r/citibank saw some applications marked "assessment pending" with a Plum invitation, and others only "application received". Others asked the same question in 2023 and 2024.
- It can be new to repeat applicants. In February 2026, a candidate who had applied to Citi before said this was the first time they received a Plum email.
The invitation does not by itself mean you have passed a screen. A graduate recruitment site's Citi profile said the Plum results are not used as screening criteria for its graduate programmes, with Citi's own checks coming afterwards. That may differ by country and role, so treat any invitation as one step, not a verdict.
What is in the Plum assessment
The Plum Discovery Survey has five sections in a fixed order, according to prep sites. Plum's help center describes how you answer each one.
| Section | What you do | Right answers? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Statements | Choose the statement most like you and the one least like you from each set | No |
| 2. Problem solving | Select the missing piece in a sequence of grids, from several options | Yes |
| 3. Adjectives | Choose the three words most like you and the three least like you | No |
| 4. Problem solving | A second set of grid puzzles | Yes |
| 5. Scenarios | Choose the most and least effective response to a workplace situation | In part |
Plum's FAQ says the statement and adjective sections are a personality test with no right or wrong answers. The puzzles are the only part with one correct option per question. For the full breakdown, read our Plum assessment guide.
Does Citi look at your Plum results?
Plum turns your answers into a Plum Profile built on 10 Talents, such as Communication, Conflict Resolution and Teamwork. Prep sites report that the employer chooses the Talents that matter for a role and sees a match score for each candidate. Candidates see their profile, not the score.
In July 2026, a candidate on r/citibank shared their top Talents (Communication, Conflict Resolution and Embracing Differences) and asked whether HR really looks at them. Nobody from Citi answered, and Citi publishes no cut-off. What is clear from Plum's own description is that the employer compares your profile with the role, so the same answers can fit one Citi role well and another less well.
Are there Citi Plum assessment answers?
Not genuine ones. Search for "Citi Plum assessment answers" and you will find PDFs and documents on Scribd and Studocu, but:
- The statement and adjective sections have no answer key. Plum says so itself, and the forced choice is designed so that you cannot pick every "good-sounding" option.
- The match depends on Citi's role profile, which is not public and can differ between roles.
- Statements come back. Plum's help center explains that similar statements reappear against different ones, so answering for effect tends to produce contradictions.
- You usually take it once. Plum says you can link the same profile to other applications, and a retake is possible a year after your last attempt.
How to prepare for the Citi Plum assessment
- Check the deadline in your invitation. Plum says the survey is not timed and you can pause, but take it rested, on a laptop, well before the deadline.
- Practise grid-sequence puzzles. They are the only sections with a single right answer. Check one feature at a time: how many squares are shaded, where they are and which way they move.
- Read every scenario response before choosing. Picture a capable first-year employee at a bank: the best responses solve the problem, respect the client or colleague and follow the rules.
- Answer the statements and adjectives honestly and consistently. Forced choice will feel uncomfortable sometimes; choose what you really prioritise at work.
- Remember your Plum Profile carries over. If you apply to several Citi roles, or to other employers that use Plum, the same profile may be reused.
Practise the Plum formats
Candidate Falcon has independent Plum-style practice for every section: problem-solving puzzles with every rule explained, social intelligence scenarios, the statement and adjective sections and a full Discovery Survey run. Every puzzle, scenario and statement is our own, not Plum's or Citi's, and practice results are not Plum scores. Playing them needs a plan that includes Plum; see pricing. If a recorded video interview follows, our HireVue video interview guide can help.
FAQs
Does Citi use Plum?
Candidates on Glassdoor and Reddit report a Plum assessment as the first online step after applying to Citi, from 2023 to 2026. Citi's careers pages do not name the provider.
How long is the Citi Plum assessment?
Plum says the Discovery Survey takes about 25 minutes and is not timed: it does not record how long you take. The deadline is in your invitation.
Is the Citi Plum assessment a good sign?
It means your application has reached the assessment step, but it is not an offer to interview. Candidates report that not every application gets one, and the results are compared with the role.
Can I retake the Plum assessment for Citi?
Usually not straight away. Plum says you normally complete the survey once and can reuse the profile; a retake is possible a year after your last attempt.
Sources
- Glassdoor Citi interview reviews: Plum as the first online step and application, then Plum, then interview (read October 2026).
- Reddit (individual reports, read October 2026): "assessment pending" and a Plum invitation, January 2023, first Plum email after applying, February 2026 and top Talents and whether HR looks at them, July 2026.
- Plum help center: Discovery Survey FAQs, the Plum Talents, retakes and how your profile is used.
- Prep site: JobTestPrep, Plum assessment (section order and counts).
Candidate Falcon is independent and not affiliated with Citi, Plum, Phenom or any other company named here.
