At The College Board, a Business Analyst plays a critical role in driving the strategic and operational decisions that shape college readiness and success for millions of students worldwide. Operating at the intersection of data analysis, program management, and educational advocacy, this position is responsible for evaluating and optimizing key programs such as the SAT Suite of Assessments, Advanced Placement (AP), and student search services like BigFuture.

You will be tasked with transforming complex datasets into actionable business strategies. The impact of your work is highly visible, directly influencing how The College Board scales its digital testing infrastructure, improves member services, and expands access to higher education. This requires not only a strong quantitative foundation but also the ability to understand the broader socio-economic and institutional challenges facing modern education.

This role is highly collaborative, requiring you to partner with cross-functional teams including psychometricians, product managers, software developers, and external educational leadership. To succeed, you must possess a unique blend of analytical rigor, exceptional written communication skills, and a deep-seated commitment to the organization’s mission of clearing a path for all students to own their future.

The questions you will encounter during the hiring process are designed to evaluate your structured problem-solving capabilities, technical proficiency, and alignment with the organization's core mission. While these questions represent common patterns observed in actual interviews for the Business Analyst role, they are not exhaustive. Expect interviewers to probe deeply into the specific details of your past projects and resume.

Behavioral & Fit Questions

• Walk me through your resume and explain why The College Board is the logical next step in your career trajectory.
• Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict within a project team. What did you learn from it, and how did it change your approach?
• Why do you want to work for us, and what specifically attracts you to working with educational data?

Preparing for the interview process at The College Board requires a balanced focus on technical execution, structured case-solving, and mission alignment. Interviewers look for candidates who can think on their feet while maintaining a rigorous, evidence-based approach to problem-solving.

Analytical Rigor – You must demonstrate the ability to manipulate data, identify trends, and draw sound conclusions. This is evaluated through timed technical assessments and direct questioning about your analytical methodologies. Show that you do not just run models, but deeply understand the underlying data structures.

Structured Problem Solving – Case studies are a core component of the evaluation process. Interviewers assess how you break down ambiguous business problems into manageable components. You should practice structuring your thoughts out loud, asking clarifying questions, and delivering recommendations supported by logical frameworks.

Written Synthesis – The College Board places a premium on clear, professional communication. You will be evaluated on your ability to write cohesive, persuasive, and highly structured documents under time constraints. Your writing must be concise, highlighting key takeaways and actionable recommendations first.

Mission Alignment – As a mission-driven organization, cultural fit is highly valued. You should be prepared to discuss your interest in the education sector, your commitment to equity in education, and how your personal values align with the organization's goal of expanding access to college opportunity.

The interview process for the Business Analyst role is structured and thorough, designed to evaluate both your technical capabilities and your behavioral fit over several distinct stages. The process typically spans four to six weeks, though the timeline can vary depending on candidate schedules and team availability.

The journey begins with an initial screening call with a recruiter, focusing on your background, career goals, and salary expectations. From there, the process moves into a rigorous evaluation phase that includes timed skills assessments, case interviews, and writing exercises. The final stage is an intensive series of interviews, which may be conducted virtually or at an office location, where you will meet with senior managers and potential team members.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from your initial application to the final decision. Candidates should use this roadmap to pace their preparation, ensuring they master the technical assessments in the early stages before shifting focus to intensive case-solving and behavioral preparation for the final rounds.

To excel in the Business Analyst interview process, you must understand the specific competencies evaluated at each stage of the journey.

Case Studies & Business Problem Solving

The case interviews at The College Board are highly practical and closely mirror the actual strategic challenges the organization faces. You will be presented with scenarios involving program expansion, operational efficiency, or market competition. Strong performance is defined by your ability to structure an ambiguous problem, perform mental math quickly, and translate your analysis into a concrete recommendation.

Be ready to go over:

• Framework Development – How to segment a problem using structured frameworks (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, market entry, or stakeholder impact).
• Quantitative Interpretation – Analyzing charts, graphs, and basic financial metrics to draw logical conclusions.
• Strategic Recommendation – Delivering a clear, actionable summary of your findings, complete with risks and next steps.

Example scenarios:

• "Analyze the operational and financial impact of transitioning a paper-based exam to a completely digital format across thousands of global testing centers."
• "Develop a strategy to increase AP exam participation among underrepresented student populations in a specific region."

Technical & Excel Competency

You will be required to complete a timed Excel assessment, typically lasting 45 minutes, prior to your second-round interviews. This test evaluates your ability to manipulate data files, build logical models, and extract insights under time pressure.

Be ready to go over:

• Data Manipulation – Advanced lookup functions, nested logical statements, and text-to-columns operations.
• Data Modeling & Aggregation – Utilizing pivot tables, sumifs, and countifs to summarize large datasets.
• Data Structure Theory – Understanding how relational databases operate and how different data tables connect.

Advanced concepts (less common):

• Basic SQL queries for data extraction.
• Understanding database normalization and data schema design.

Written Assessment & Synthesis

A distinctive element of the process is a timed writing assignment (typically 90 minutes). You will be given a prompt—often a mini-case study with accompanying data—and asked to write a professional memo or report outlining your analysis and recommendations.

Be ready to go over:

• Executive Summaries – Writing clear, bottom-line-front summaries that busy executives can quickly digest.
• Structured Argumentation – Using bullet points, bold headers, and logical transitions to make your writing highly scannable.
• Data Integration – Seamlessly weaving quantitative data points into your narrative to support your recommendations.