Careers at Amazon
For those interested in a career at Amazon opportunities are vast, both in terms of job function and location.
The company is made up of several business areas, further divided into teams. You may choose to work in artificial intelligence or data services as part of Amazon Alexa, machine learning or UX design for the Marketplace team, or fulfilment and robotics within the Amazon operations technology department, to name just a few.
There’s also plenty of opportunity across specialisms including legal, finance, HR, marketing, logistics, IT, software development and customer service. Amazon also operates a number of subsidiaries in which job openings exist, including Audible, Amazon Fresh and IMDb.
Every team under the Amazon umbrella shares a commitment to excellence and a customer-centric approach. These values underpin the company’s culture and are a primary focus of the Amazon recruitment process.
Amazon’s unique company culture is based on a set of 16 ‘Leadership Principles’. These principles form the basis of every decision and every project undertaken.
They also make up the characteristics of the ideal Amazon employee. As such, you’ll be assessed against them throughout the Amazon recruitment process.
Amazon’s Leadership Principles are:
1) Customer Obsession
2) Ownership
3) Invent and Simplify
4) Are Right, A Lot
5) Learn and Be Curious
6) Hire and Develop the Best
7) Insist on the Highest Standards
8) Think Big
9) Bias for Action
10) Frugality
11) Earn Trust
12) Dive Deep
13) Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
14) Deliver Results
15) Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer
16) Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility
While some of these principles are self explanatory, others are a little more complex in their nature. For example, bias for action, in Amazon terms, means it’s better to take calculated risks than be overly cautious with your decision making.
You’ll need to show these principles in action throughout your application, be it through past behaviour or as part of your Amazon assessment tests, so be sure you fully grasp the meaning of each before you start the recruitment process.

To apply for an open position, you’ll need to set up an amazon.jobs account, create a profile with some basic information, upload your CV and, depending on the role, answer some relevant screening questions.
If you’re applying for a creative role and have existing work examples or an online portfolio, Amazon recommends you include links to these within your CV.
If your application is successful you may be required to take one or more Amazon online assessment.
Amazon Aptitude Tests
Amazon numerical reasoning tests
As part of the screening process, it’s likely you’ll be asked to complete a series of online assessments. These may be sent to you as part of your initial application, or at a later date.
The numerical reasoning test is designed to measure your confidence and ability concerning statistical information, and is useful preparation where your invitation includes business-data questions, such as Working with Metrics in the Field Manager Assessment. It is not a universal requirement for Amazon roles.
You’ll be presented with a series of tables, charts and graphs, and will need to evaluate the data present to draw logical conclusions. All questions will have multiple-choice answers and will require only basic calculations, like working with percentages or conversions.
Though the processes aren’t overly complex, these tests are timed, so you’ll need to put in plenty of practice to develop both speed and accuracy. Try our free practice tests to get prepared for the numerical reasoning test.
Amazon verbal reasoning test
You may also be invited to sit a verbal reasoning test as part of your Amazon application. These measure your critical thinking skills, and your ability to interpret written information.
You’ll need to determine if a set of statements can be classified as true or false, based on a passage of supporting evidence. In some cases, there may be insufficient information within the text, in which case your answer would be ‘cannot say’.
Again, these tests are timed and require you to work quickly with precision, so practice is vital. Why not try a verbal reasoning test with our free practice tests?
Amazon Work Style Assessment
The Amazon Work Style Assessment is a type of personality test, which evaluates your professional preferences to determine how they fit with Amazon’s corporate culture. Amazon’s customer service guide gives a typical duration of 10–25 minutes; other roles use different versions. It presents sets of statements that represent different working styles.
For example, “I enjoy working as an individual in a solitary environment” or “I prefer to work collaboratively in a team setting”. For each set, you’ll need to state your preferred working style.
Read the Leadership Principles before you apply, but answer Work Style questions honestly. Amazon’s customer service guide asks candidates to describe their authentic preferences rather than overthink each answer.
Amazon Work Sample Simulation
For the Amazon Work Sample Simulation, you’ll be given a virtual task to complete that is relevant to your future role. This could be anything from handling a customer query to evaluating financial information, or developing a solution to a hypothetical problem.
These tests measure skills required in the given job function, such as interpersonal skills, multi-tasking, prioritisation and effective problem solving. Whatever your personal task involves, keep the Leadership Principles in mind and use them to guide your actions.
For customer service applicants, Amazon calls this the Customer Service Job Simulation and gives a typical duration of 20–60 minutes. Other roles have different assessments; use the name and timing on your invitation.
Amazon software development engineer online assessment
This assessment is a combination of coding and behavioural tests and is used for software development engineer positions.
The components vary by seniority and location. For SDE II, Amazon currently specifies two technical questions in 90 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of Systems Design scenarios and an 8-minute Work Style Survey. Do not apply those timings to internships or graduate roles; follow your invitation and the relevant Amazon preparation guide.
Amazon maintenance technician test
The Amazon maintenance technician test is an adaptation of the Ramsay Mechanical Test and is administered to applicants for maintenance jobs. This is used to assess an applicant’s aptitude for mechanical maintenance and is similar to a mechanical reasoning test.
The test is based on topics from the Ramsay Mechanical Test such as:
- Pulleys
- Levers
- Tool Knowledge
- Voltage
- Currents
Field Manager Assessment
Amazon’s current Field Manager Assessment guide lists Working with the Team, Working with Metrics, Coworker Conversations, Previous Experiences and Work Styles. Working with Metrics covers arithmetic, percentages, rates, ratios and business-data interpretation. Coworker Conversations is included for people manager roles requiring English proficiency.
The official guide gives differing timings for the full assessment and individual sections. Follow your invitation for the time you need to set aside; the format can differ from older Area Manager Job Tryout assessments.
Financial analyst excel test
An Amazon Excel assessment test is required for candidates applying for a financial analyst post. This is used to measure an applicant’s proficiency using Microsoft Excel.
Topics that typically appear on the test include:
- Macro creation
- Advanced properties
- Formatting
- Advanced formula creation.
Amazon MBA assessment
The Amazon MBA assessment is administered to MBA and master's level applicants for full-time and internship positions.
The assessment is split up into three parts:
- Work sample simulation: you will be given a virtual task that will be relevant to your future role
- Work style assessment: evaluates your professional preferences to determine your fit with Amazon's culture
- Career experience survey: a questionnaire where you will provide your preferences for current MBA roles
Amazon Versant Test
The Amazon Versant test evaluates your ability to grasp and communicate in the English language. The test assesses several facets of language ability and is split up into five sections:
Typing: You will be given a passage of text and will need to type as many words as possible in 60 seconds. This section assesses both your speed and accuracy when typing.
Complete the sentence: You will have 25 seconds to read a sentence and identify the word that makes the sentence make sense and grammatically correct.
Dictation: A series of sentences will be played, and you will have 25 seconds to type out what you have just heard. Again, speed and accuracy are important here.
Reconstruct the paragraph: You will be given 30 seconds to read a paragraph. After that, the paragraph will be deleted, and you will have 90 seconds to type it back in.
Email writing: Within just 100 words, you will need to construct an email that covers all key points outlined to you.
Telephone interview
Telephone interviews at Amazon consist of behavioural questions, with their basis rooted in its Leadership Principles. You’ll be asked about challenges you’ve faced in the past, and the approach you took to overcome them.
Questions in the phone interview typically focus on areas like team motivation, collaboration, problem-solving and risk. A key thing the hiring team looks for at this stage is data-based evidence, so be sure to include supporting information in your answers.
Face-to-face interview
If you’re successful in your Amazon online assessments, you may be invited to interviews. The format, number and duration depend on the role; for example, Amazon’s SDE II guide specifies four 55-minute interviews.
Depending on the position, you can expect to meet anywhere between two and seven interview personnel, including representatives of your prospective team, managers, and what Amazon refers to as ‘Bar Raisers’. These are individuals from an unrelated department there to give an objective opinion on your suitability.
As with your telephone interview, in this interview stage questions will be behavioural, so prepare several possible examples in advance.
Assessment centre
Every Amazon business team operates its specific recruitment process, and some may require you to attend an in-person assessment day.
The activities you’ll undertake here vary greatly depending on the job function, but role play exercises and group activities are common. You may also be required to take a written assessment or a job-specific test, such as a coding exercise. You’ll be informed in advance of the nature of your assessment day.
Amazon’s SDE II guide gives an interview outcome target of five business days. For other roles, check the timescale provided by your recruiter.
Amazon test tips
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Understand the Amazon Mindset
Getting a job at Amazon means aligning with their leadership principles. If you’re preparing for their assessments, understanding the decision-making, innovation, and customer-oriented culture of Amazon is crucial. Reflect on how each question might relate to these principles and showcase your critical thinking in a way that aligns with Amazon’s values.