How Wise Interviews in 2026: Process, Sample Questions & What They Score

Apply online. A CV in English is required and a cover letter is optional on the apply page, although the process overview page mentions uploading both. You explain why you want to join and why you fit the role and answer a few screening questions, and a Recruiter reviews the application against the role requirements. Wise says it will do its best to get back to you within a week, and high-volume roles can take longer. Wise's AI page says fully AI-generated CVs, cover letters or answers are not acceptable.

A phone or Zoom call about your experience, your motivations and what you know about Wise. The recruiter also explains the role and next steps. Wise's engineering page states no duration. The 30 minute figure comes from the PM guide and from one Tallinn engineering candidate. Candidates report being asked why they want to join Wise. For backend roles, ask here to interview in a language other than Java. Wise says it records and transcribes interviews with an AI note-taker called Metaview from the first recruiter call onward, and you can opt out.

Some candidates report a low-difficulty HackerRank test, then a pre-recorded video interview and knowledge questionnaires. A Tallinn graduate candidate reported a HackerRank test with three questions (SQL, coding, API) followed by a Maki cognitive test with questions about the company mission, then behavioural questions. One London graduate candidate reported a virtual assessment of about 30 minutes: 10 problem-solving questions in 10 minutes, 11 software engineering questions in 7 minutes, and 3 video questions. A UK graduate account from November 2024 describes an online coding assessment, then a technical interview on algorithms and data structures, then system design and behavioural interviews, with no video stage mentioned. A 2023 intern blog on wise.jobs describes a HackerRank test before the pair programming interview. Wise's generic pages say only that some roles get a case study, take-home challenge or technical test, and no official page describes the video or questionnaire stage. Whether this stage appears varies by role level, team and location.

Video and questionnaire stage not described on official Wise pages; reported by candidates for some roles only

The first technical round, run on HackerRank CodePair for backend roles. The 60 minutes include a short introduction and 5 minutes at the end for your questions. Wise's page refers to your interviewer in the singular and does not say how many take part; candidate reports describe two (two engineers in a 2023 intern account, an engineering manager and a developer, two engineering leads, or two interviewers in an August 2025 London senior report). It is scored on technical competency (clear, maintainable, efficient code), problem solving and critical thinking, and communication and collaboration. It does not cover system design, puzzles or deep dives into past experience. Backend work is mainly Java, but Wise says it will try to let you use the language you prefer, and you should raise it in the recruiter call. One Tallinn candidate reported Java as the only language allowed in their HackerRank component design round. The front end version is about 40 minutes of JavaScript coding inside a 60 minute slot. Wise's AI page says pair programming is assessed without AI tools. Candidates describe practical problems, some close to production work such as calling APIs and some basic exercises, rather than pure algorithm puzzles.

Two engineers give you a product task or problem area. You propose a high-level architecture, and they may then ask for lower-level detail such as data structures or specific logic. Wise says your reasoning and trade-offs matter more than a perfect solution. Backend topics include microservices, distributed transactions, idempotency, eventual consistency, scalability, error handling, monitoring and databases. The front end version covers architecture, component and API design, and performance, with about 45 minutes of design inside a 60 minute slot. It runs on a collaborative whiteboard such as HackerRank, or draw.io for front end.

The third round of the technical process, after pair programming and system design. It is a conversation with one or two cross-team stakeholders, usually Product Managers, sometimes joined by Designers or Analysts. It assesses customer focus, impact and data, ways of working, cross-functional collaboration, and communication. There is no coding or system design. Wise recommends STAR-structured project stories. One senior London candidate reported a four-round loop with two product sense or soft skills rounds, and said Wise rejected them after round 4 citing their round 3 performance; the report does not say which round was which.

You meet team members and your Lead and answer open-ended and scenario-based questions, and Wise says the teams also assess values fit. Some candidates report a separate hiring manager interview or an HR and salary discussion after the technical rounds. Whether this is a separate round, and where it falls, varies by team, level and location.

Wise's step-2 page and engineering page list Meet the team and the technical test in opposite orders, so its position is not officially fixed

Teams review all the feedback, and the recruiter follows up. Wise says it aims to touch base within a few days, but high-volume roles or crowded pipelines can take longer. Wise does not give specific written feedback as a matter of policy. One accepted candidate reported about two months end to end, and a 2023 intern reported an offer a few days after the pair programming interview.