Start a career with significant impact
Apply for our graduate schemes, apprenticeships and internships, and launch a career that doesn’t follow a conventional path.
Choose your route into regulation
Whether you’re leaving school, finishing university or looking for hands-on experience, our early career routes give you real responsibility, structured development and the opportunity to contribute to work that protects millions.
Apprenticeships
Our apprenticeships offer you an 18-to-36-month opportunity to take part in key aspects of our day-to-day work, develop new skills and gain an industry-leading qualification while you earn. We look for passion and integrity as well as ambition and aptitude in our apprentices.
With a variety of programmes to choose from, there’s no telling where your talent can take you.
Minimum entry requirements
You don't need to have previous work experience, but you will need:
- 5 GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and Maths or if you studied in Scotland, 5 National 5 qualifications, including Maths & English (A-C) or equivalent.
- 2 A-Levels or 2 Scottish Highers (A – B) or equivalent.
Some apprenticeships might require a particular subject of study at A-Level. Where this is the case, it will be listed on the job posting.
Salary
Apprentices start on:
- £25,700 in London.
- £23,500 in Leeds and Edinburgh.
Plan your application
- February 2026 - Applications open.
- April to May 2026 - Assessment centres run.
- 7 September 2026 - Successful apprentices join the FCA.
Graduate schemes
Our graduate schemes give you the opportunity to develop specialist expertise while contributing to work that protects consumers and strengthens financial markets.
Across structured rotations, you’ll gain practical experience, build professional knowledge and work alongside experts shaping financial regulation in the public interest.
You’ll be supported by dedicated learning, mentoring and professional development to help you grow your confidence and capability from the start.
With a range of programmes available, you can explore different areas of the organisation while building the foundations of a meaningful career.
Minimum entry requirements
To apply for our graduate schemes you will need:
- A 2:1 degree (or equivalent) in any discipline.
- Strong analytical and communication skills.
- Curiosity, integrity and the confidence to challenge constructively.
Some schemes may require specific degree subjects. Where this applies, details will be included in the job posting.
Salary
Graduates start on:
- £37,000 in London.
- £33,600 in Leeds and Edinburgh.
(Salaries may vary depending on the programme.)
Plan your application
Early October
Applications open.
November to March
Online assessments and interviews.
September
Successful candidates join the FCA.
Summer internships
Our summer internships offer a short but meaningful introduction to life at the FCA. Over several weeks, you’ll gain insight into how financial regulation works and contribute to real projects alongside experienced colleagues.
You’ll work with teams across the organisation, developing practical skills while building a deeper understanding of how we protect consumers and strengthen financial markets.
It’s an opportunity to explore your interests, learn from experts and see how your ideas can make a difference.
Many interns go on to apply for our graduate programmes.
Minimum entry requirements
To apply for our summer internship you will need:
- To be studying for an undergraduate degree.
- Strong analytical and communication skills.
- Curiosity, integrity and an interest in financial services.
Specific requirements may vary depending on the internship programme. Full details will be included in the job posting.
Salary
Interns start on:
- £25,700 in London.
- £23,500 in Leeds and Edinburgh.
Plan your application
Early October
Applications open.
November to March
Online assessments and interviews.
June
Successful candidates join the internship programme.
Bring your best
The work we do matters. Supporting the people behind it matters just as much. That's why we offer flexibility and wellbeing support that helps you focus on what matters most.
Take a look at our benefits and see what working here could mean for you.
Competitive salary
Our early careers programmes offer competitive starting salaries, giving you financial stability as you begin your professional journey.
Flexible and hybrid working
We support flexible working, with hybrid arrangements that help you balance time in the office with time working from home.
Learning and development
You’ll benefit from structured development, professional qualifications and ongoing learning opportunities to help you build expertise and confidence.
Wellbeing and support
From wellbeing resources to inclusive policies and employee networks, we provide support that helps you perform at your best.
Skills for candidates
At the FCA, success isn’t defined by your degree specialism or A-level subjects. What matters is your potential, your skills and your drive to make a difference.
Our core skills are:
- judgement
- engagement
- delivery
- self-management
Read more about our core skills (PDF).
We are a data-led regulator, and in the workplace we use a range of tools to support data work, from calculators and online tools to Excel and Microsoft Copilot. Depending on your role, you may also collaborate with data teams to help gather and interpret the information you need.
Many of our roles involve working with numbers to some extent, so we will assess your data literacy skills as part of our recruitment process.
You’ll find practice questions in our Candidate Preparation Zone to help you prepare and feel confident.
Practice tests
Find out more about our assessment process and practice some tests.
Prepare in our Candidate Zone.
Using AI to help you apply
Your application and any work you submit throughout the recruitment process must be all your own.
You should not allow another person to complete any parts of the assessment nor submit responses provided or generated by an AI assistant or other similar software.
Visa sponsorship
We welcome applications from all candidates.
However, you do need permission to work in the UK for the whole time of your programme.
You need to:
- Get permission to work in the UK independently.
- Maintain this permission for the length of the programme.
- Tell us at once if your right-to-work status changes.
Failure to do so may impact any offer and your ability to continue on the programme.
As required by law, we cannot offer sponsorship where the role does not meet the Home Office eligibility requirements.
How to apply
When you apply to one of our programmes, you'll go through the combination of tests and interviews below. This process applies for all our early careers programmes: graduate, summer intern and apprenticeships.
Submit application form
During this initial stage, we’ll confirm whether you meet the minimum requirements for our programme.
We’ll ask you to give details of your education and any previous work experience you may have had.
Online tests: stage 1
If your initial application meets our requirements, we’ll ask you to complete an online strengths-based assessment.
We strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the test format, practise and read the instructions carefully when it comes to the real thing.
Our Candidate Zone has more information about the online assessment and practice questions.
Online test: job insight assessment
If successful in the first-stage test, you’ll be invited to complete an immersive online assessment, which includes video-based questions. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the FCA and its role as a regulator.
We strongly encourage you to familiarise yourself with the test format, practise and read the instructions carefully when it comes to the real thing.
Assessment centre
This is the final stage of the process. Our assessment centres last half a day and consist of 3 exercises.
You’ll take part in:
- a group exercise
- an analysis exercise
- a strengths-based interview
Assessment centres take place:
- January to March for graduates and interns.
- April to May for apprentices.
When to apply
We process and review applications as we receive them, so we recommend you apply as soon as possible when the application window opens. We may pause recruitment once we get a significant number of applications.
Applications open for our:
- Graduate opportunities and internships in early October.
- Apprenticeships in February.
Tip: show our values in your examples
We look for our values in all candidates. You should bear these in mind, especially during the job insight online test and at the assessment centre.
When you're asked for examples, try to give ones which relate to you and how you demonstrate them.
Our values represent the culture we aspire to every day, guiding us, building trust and helping us achieve our objectives.
