Finance and accounting · Updated
Treasury analyst interview questions
12 treasury analyst interview questions, why UK employers ask them and what a strong answer covers, from cash positioning and FX hedging to covenants.
Getting your CV ready too? Read the treasury analyst CV guide.
Treasury interviews test whether you understand cash and risk, not just accounting. Expect technical questions on cash forecasting, FX and funding, and practical questions about daily routines and controls. Be ready to explain financial instruments simply.
Cash management questions
1. Talk me through your daily cash positioning routine.
Why they ask: It's the core daily task.
A strong answer covers: gathering bank balances, known receipts and payments, funding needs by entity, moving cash between accounts, and investing or borrowing the surplus or shortfall.
2. How would you build a 13-week cash forecast?
Why they ask: Short-term forecasting is central to treasury.
A strong answer covers: a direct method using receipts and payments, inputs from credit control, payables and payroll, weekly updates, and tracking accuracy.
3. What's the difference between physical and notional cash pooling?
Why they ask: A common treasury structure.
A strong answer covers: physical pooling moving balances into a header account, notional pooling offsetting balances for interest without moving cash, and the tax and legal considerations of each.
4. How do you manage intercompany funding?
Why they ask: Groups fund subsidiaries centrally.
A strong answer covers: intercompany loan agreements, interest at arm's length, tracking balances, and the tax and currency points to consider.
Risk questions
5. Explain how an FX forward works and why a company would use one.
Why they ask: FX hedging is a key responsibility in many roles.
A strong answer covers: an agreement to exchange currency at a fixed rate on a future date, used to give certainty over the value of foreign currency receipts or payments.
6. How would you identify and report a company's FX exposure?
Why they ask: You can't hedge what you haven't measured.
A strong answer covers: transactional exposures from forecast receipts and payments, balance sheet exposures, netting across the group, and reporting against hedging policy.
7. How do you check covenant compliance, and what if headroom is tightening?
Why they ask: Covenants protect the business's funding.
A strong answer covers: calculating ratios such as leverage and interest cover from the definitions in the facility agreement, forecasting them forward, and escalating early if headroom narrows.
8. How would you manage interest rate risk on a floating rate loan?
Why they ask: Interest costs can move significantly.
A strong answer covers: measuring the exposure, policy on the fixed and floating mix, and instruments such as swaps or caps.
Controls and systems questions
9. What controls should be in place around treasury payments?
Why they ask: Treasury moves large sums.
A strong answer covers: dual authorisation, segregation of duties, limits, bank mandate controls, secure systems and verification of new beneficiary details.
10. Which treasury systems have you used?
Why they ask: TMS experience is often required.
A strong answer covers: the systems, what you used them for, and how quickly you've learned new platforms.
Competency questions
11. Tell me about a time you improved a treasury process.
Why they ask: Improvement is valued.
A strong answer covers: the problem, your change (often automation or bank account rationalisation), and the result.
12. Why treasury?
Why they ask: It's a specialist career path.
A strong answer covers: interest in markets, cash and risk, and your plans for ACT qualifications.
Questions to ask them
- How many banks, accounts and currencies does the group manage?
- What does the hedging policy cover?
- Which systems does the team use, and are changes planned?