Nomura Group Exercise 2027: Format & How to Contribute
The Nomura group exercise for the 2027 intake puts 5–8 candidates around a table (or a video call) with a business problem to solve together in 30–45 minutes, while assessors watch and score. There is no right answer — there is only how you behave while the group hunts for one.
What the Nomura Group Exercise Format Looks Like
You'll get a brief — a business scenario, an investment decision, a ranking task — with 10–15 minutes to read individually, then the group discusses and must reach a recommendation. Sometimes each candidate gets slightly different information, forcing real information-sharing. Assessors score against a matrix: contribution quality, listening, leadership, teamwork, and commercial thinking. They are not scoring who talks most. They are scoring who moves the group forward.
How to Contribute in the Nomura Group Exercise
The winning playbook: open by proposing structure ("let's agree criteria first, then evaluate options"), build on others' points explicitly ("adding to what [name] said…"), invite quieter candidates in, summarise at checkpoints, and volunteer for the final presentation if it fits naturally. What fails: dominating airtime, dismissing others, going silent, or pushing your view after the group has decided. One sharp, well-timed contribution beats ten minutes of talking.
Nomura Group Exercise: How to Rehearse
You can't rehearse the exercise itself, but you can rehearse the behaviours: run mock discussions with friends on business scenarios, practise summarising others' points in one sentence, and get comfortable disagreeing politely ("I see it differently because…"). Learn enough commercial vocabulary that you can follow a finance-flavoured brief without getting lost. And since the group exercise sits inside the assessment centre alongside 1-to-1 interviews, lock down those motivation questions with our 2027 Nomura Online Assessment and Video Interview Exact Questions — the exact Round-1 and Round-2 questions and answers.
The group exercise is the one stage you can't cram for alone — but you can absolutely prepare for it. Candidates who walk in with a contribution playbook look like natural team players. Candidates who don't look like exactly what they are: unprepared.
FAQ
Do I need to be the leader in the group exercise? No — effective contributors who structure, listen, and summarise score as well as or better than self-appointed leaders.
What if someone dominates the discussion? Don't fight them for airtime. Build on good points, redirect politely, and make your contributions count.
Is the group exercise virtual or in person? It varies by office and intake — prepare for both, as the behaviours assessed are identical.
Can a bad group sink my individual score? Assessors score individuals, not groups. A dysfunctional group is actually your chance to stand out by steadying it.
Preparing for Nomura's assessment centre? Our 2027 Nomura Online Assessment and Video Interview Exact Questions has the exact questions and answers — $79 one-time, instant download.
