Factset Consultant Interview Guide 2026

What is a Consultant at Factset?

The role of a Consultant at Factset is pivotal in bridging the gap between technology and client needs. As a Consultant, you will leverage your expertise in financial markets to provide insights and solutions that enhance the value of Factset's products for clients. This role is essential as it directly influences user experience and satisfaction, driving the adoption of Factset's suite of tools.

You will be involved in projects that require a deep understanding of financial instruments, data analytics, and client engagement strategies. Your contributions will not only impact product development but will also help shape how users interact with Factset's offerings, making your role both challenging and rewarding. Expect to engage with clients across various sectors, providing tailored solutions that address their unique challenges and drive results.

Common Interview Questions

During your interview process for the Consultant position, you will encounter a variety of questions that reflect both your technical knowledge and interpersonal skills. The following questions are representative of what candidates have faced in previous interviews and aim to illustrate underlying patterns rather than provide a memorized list.

Behavioral / Leadership

These questions assess your past experiences and how you handle various situations in a professional context.

Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge at work. How did you handle it?
Describe a situation where you had to work under pressure. What was the outcome?
How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects?
Can you give an example of how you contributed to a team’s success?
What leadership experiences do you have, and how have they shaped your approach?

Technical / Domain Knowledge

Expect questions that test your understanding of financial concepts and tools relevant to Factset's offerings.

Explain the significance of the S&P 500 and what it tracks.
What financial instruments are you most familiar with, and how do they work?
Describe the various data analytics tools you have experience with.
How would you perform a financial analysis of a potential investment?
Discuss your familiarity with Excel and how you have used it in previous roles.

Problem-Solving / Case Studies

These questions will challenge your analytical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

How would you approach a client issue where they are not seeing the expected value from a product?
Given a dataset, how would you identify key trends and insights?
Design a strategy to improve client engagement with Factset's products.
What steps would you take to conduct a competitive analysis in our industry?
Present a hypothetical scenario where you need to convince a client to adopt a new tool.

Presentation / Communication Skills

You may be asked to demonstrate your ability to present information clearly and effectively.

Prepare a brief presentation on a financial topic of your choice.
How would you explain complex financial data to a non-expert?
Provide an example of a time you had to persuade a client or stakeholder on a decision.

Client Engagement / Relationship Management

These questions focus on your ability to manage client relationships effectively.

Describe your approach to understanding a client's needs and expectations.
How do you handle difficult conversations with clients?
What strategies do you use to build lasting relationships with clients?

See every interview question for this role

Practice questions from our question bank

Curated questions for Factset from real interviews. Click any question to practice and review the answer.

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

Discuss Data Analysis Tooling Choices

Explain how SQL fits with data analysis and visualization tools, and when to use each in an analytics workflow.

Joins

Aggregations

Data Wrangling

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

SQL in Data Analysis Workflows

Explain how SQL fits with Python, spreadsheets, and BI tools in a practical data analysis workflow.

Aggregations

Data Wrangling

Tools

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

Replace Excel VLOOKUP with SQL Joins

Explain how SQL JOINs replace Excel VLOOKUP when combining columns from two related tables.

Joins

Subqueries

Data Wrangling

Medium

Product Sense

Enhance Client Conversations Before Solution Pitch

Develop a strategy to ensure clients feel heard before presenting solutions during product discussions.

User Needs

Value Proposition

Medium

SQL & Data Manipulation

Compare Periods with LAG and LEAD

Explain how LAG and LEAD compare current rows to previous or next periods in time-series SQL analysis.

Window Functions

Lag/Lead

Date Functions

Medium

Product Sense

Articulate Vanguard's Benefits Without Jargon

Develop a clear, jargon-free communication strategy to convey Vanguard's benefits to potential users.

User Needs

Value Proposition

Easy

Strategy

Build Healthcare Trend Intelligence Strategy

Design a market-intelligence strategy for a behavioral health SaaS company and recommend which adjacent opportunity it should prioritize next.

Competitive Analysis

Go-to-Market

Growth Strategy

Medium

Strategy

Digital Lab Transformation Strategy

Define the key elements and roadmap for transforming a global pharma QC lab into a digital, compliant, scalable operation.

User Needs

Market Sizing

Growth Strategy

Easy

Strategy

Position Consulting Value to Clients

Define how a boutique consulting firm should articulate its value proposition to improve win rates, reduce discounting, and focus on the right client segments.

Value Proposition

Competitive Analysis

Go-to-Market

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

Handling Missing Values in SQL

Explain how to detect and handle NULL values in SQL using filtering, COALESCE, CASE, and business-aware imputation.

Aggregations

Case When

Data Wrangling

Medium

Strategy

Analyze Vanguard's Competitive Advantage in Asset Management

Evaluate what sets Vanguard apart from its competitors in the asset management industry and recommend strategic growth initiatives.

Value Proposition

Competitive Analysis

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

Classify Orders with CASE WHEN

Explain how CASE WHEN adds conditional logic to SQL queries for labeling, transforming, and aggregating data.

Aggregations

Case When

Data Wrangling

Easy

Product Sense

Align Personal Values to Mission

Choose between engagement growth and trust-focused improvements at a digital health app, and explain how your values shape the product decision.

User Needs

Value Proposition

Product Vision

Medium

SQL & Data Manipulation

Rank Top Clients by Product Revenue

Use a CTE, joins, and RANK() to find the top 2 clients by revenue for each product from completed 2024 orders.

Aggregations

Window Functions

Ranking

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

Solving SQL Problems with Subqueries

Explain how subqueries help solve filtering, aggregation, and comparison problems in SQL.

Joins

CTEs

Subqueries

Easy

Behavioral & Leadership

Influencing Without Formal Authority

Tests influence without authority: aligning stakeholders through data, empathy, and ownership to drive a decision and measurable outcome.

Influence Without Authority

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Easy

SQL & Data Manipulation

Validating Data Before Reporting

Explain how to validate SQL data before reporting, including null checks, duplicates, outliers, and aggregation reconciliation.

Joins

Data Wrangling

Quality

Easy

Behavioral & Leadership

Resolving a High-Stakes Technical Challenge

Tests ownership in solving a technical challenge under ambiguity, including prioritization, communication, and measurable execution.

Dealing With Ambiguity

Communication

Ownership

Easy

Behavioral & Leadership

Resolving a High-Stakes Technical Problem

Tests ownership and judgment in solving a difficult technical problem under ambiguity, including prioritization, communication, and measurable results.

Dealing With Ambiguity

Ownership

Easy

Behavioral & Leadership

Explaining Technical Issues to Executives

Tests communication and influence: can you translate technical complexity into business decisions, align stakeholders, and drive action?

Influence Without Authority

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Sign up to see all questions

Create a free account to access every interview question for this role.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

As you prepare for your interviews with Factset, it's important to focus on key evaluation criteria that will help you stand out. Interviewers will be looking to assess your fit for the role through various lenses.

Role-related knowledge – This criterion evaluates your understanding of financial concepts, tools, and industry trends. You should be ready to demonstrate not only your knowledge but also how you apply it in practical scenarios.

Problem-solving ability – You will be assessed on how you approach challenges and structure your thinking. Be prepared to walk through your problem-solving process and provide examples from your past experiences.

Leadership – Your ability to influence and mobilize others is crucial. Interviewers will look for evidence of your leadership experiences, whether through formal roles or by demonstrating initiative in team settings.

Culture fit / values – Factset values collaboration and integrity. Be ready to discuss how your personal values align with Factset's culture and how you work effectively within teams.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for the Consultant position at Factset typically involves multiple stages, designed to evaluate both your technical abilities and interpersonal skills. Expect a fairly rigorous and structured approach, which may include phone screenings, group interviews, and behavioral assessments. The process generally emphasizes collaboration and real-world problem-solving, providing candidates the opportunity to show how they would fit into the Factset environment.

Candidates often report multiple interviews that include HR screenings, technical assessments, and interviews with various team members. You may also be asked to participate in case studies or presentations to further demonstrate your skills.

This visual timeline outlines the stages you can expect during your interview process. Use it to plan your preparation and manage your energy effectively. Keep in mind that the exact steps may vary based on your location and the specific team you are interviewing with.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

In this section, we will explore the major areas of evaluation that interviewers focus on during the interview process, drawing insights from candidate experiences.

Technical Knowledge

Your understanding of financial markets and tools is critical. Interviewers will assess your familiarity with various financial instruments, data analysis techniques, and industry-specific knowledge. Strong performance in this area means you can articulate complex concepts clearly and apply them in practical scenarios.

Financial Instruments – Understand key instruments in the market and their functionalities.
Data Analysis – Be prepared to discuss tools and methods for analyzing financial data.
Market Trends – Show awareness of current trends and how they affect client operations.

Example questions:

"What are the differences between stocks and bonds in terms of risk and return?"
"Describe how you would analyze a company's financial health."

Problem-Solving Skills

Your ability to think critically and solve problems will be evaluated through scenario-based questions. Strong candidates demonstrate structured thinking and creativity in their approaches.

Analytical Thinking – Discuss how you analyze data to inform decisions.
Creativity – Be ready to showcase innovative solutions to complex problems.

Example scenarios:

"How would you approach a situation where a client's expectations are not being met?"

Client Engagement

Building and maintaining relationships with clients is crucial. Interviewers will look for evidence of your interpersonal skills, ability to understand client needs, and how you manage expectations.

Relationship Management – Highlight experiences that demonstrate your ability to engage with clients effectively.
Communication Skills – Show how you present information clearly and persuasively.

Example questions:

"Can you provide an example of how you turned around a challenging client relationship?"

Presentation Skills

Your ability to communicate effectively, especially in presentations, is vital. Be prepared to discuss your past experiences and demonstrate your presentation skills during interviews.

Clarity and Structure – Your presentations should be well-organized and easy to follow.
Engagement – Show how you engage your audience and respond to questions.

Example scenarios:

"Prepare a short presentation on a financial topic relevant to Factset."

Advanced Concepts

In addition to core skills, be aware of specialized topics that may come up during interviews.

Regulatory Environment – Understand relevant regulations affecting the financial industry.
Emerging Technologies – Be prepared to discuss how new technologies are transforming financial services.

Sign up to read the full guide

Create a free account to unlock the complete interview guide with all sections.

Interview Guides

Factset

What is a Consultant at Factset?

Common Interview Questions

Behavioral / Leadership

Technical / Domain Knowledge

Problem-Solving / Case Studies

Presentation / Communication Skills

Client Engagement / Relationship Management

See every interview question for this role

Practice questions from our question bank

Sign up to see all questions

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Interview Process Overview

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Technical Knowledge

Problem-Solving Skills

Client Engagement

Presentation Skills

Advanced Concepts

Sign up to read the full guide

Key Responsibilities

Role Requirements & Qualifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Other General Tips

Tip

Summary & Next Steps