Arcadis Arctic Shores Assessment

TL;DR: For its UK graduate (GROW), apprenticeship, placement and internship roles, Arcadis asks for an online application with a CV. If you meet the role's requirements, you're invited to an online behavioural assessment from Arctic Shores, and Arcadis links a free demo task you can try first. Graduates and apprentices then go to a virtual assessment centre (networking plus a group activity). Placement and internship applicants skip it. The last stage is a two-part interview at an Arcadis office: one part on your behaviours and suitability, one on your technical knowledge. Several 2026/27 graduate and internship roles close on 6 November 2026, with others on 20 November and 4 December, and Arcadis may close roles sooner.

The stages and dates come from Arcadis's own UK early-careers FAQ and programme pages. Trust your invitation over any general guide, this one included.

The stages, in order

1. Online application and CV. You apply for one role online and upload an up-to-date CV. You also answer preference questions, such as office location and when you could start (Arcadis FAQ). Arcadis asks you to apply for only one opening: if you apply for more, only the first is taken forward. You can discuss other options with a recruiter once you're past screening. Arcadis says it reviews applications manually and that hiring decisions are always made by people. It aims to reply within 5 working days, though popular programmes can take longer. If you've heard nothing after 10 weeks, Arcadis asks you to email the team.

2. Online behavioural assessment (Arctic Shores). "If you meet the requirements for your chosen role, you will be invited to complete the online assessment" (Arcadis FAQ). Arcadis calls it a "behaviour based virtual assessment" and says it uses it to identify talent "in an objective way, where no-one is at a disadvantage". Its programme pages say you'll "complete a series of tasks across various levels in an interactive assessment that will capture how you respond to challenges, approach problems, deal with ambiguity, and manage uncertainty" (graduates). Arcadis links a demo of the Arctic Shores assessment. The assessment has a deadline: the FAQ tells you to contact the Early Careers team as soon as possible if you miss it, and says extensions are considered case by case. Arcadis doesn't publish how many days you get, so check your invitation.

3. Virtual assessment centre (graduates and apprentices). The FAQ describes "a networking opportunity and a group activity", lasting just over 2 hours (Arcadis FAQ). The programme pages call it "a half-day assessment activity" where you network with current graduates or apprentices and take part in a group activity (apprenticeships). It runs on Microsoft Teams or Zoom, and Arcadis suggests testing your connection, microphone and camera beforehand. Work placement and internship applicants skip this stage and go straight to the interview.

4. Face-to-face interview. It's held in person at an Arcadis office and has two parts. The first assesses "your skills, behaviours, and suitability for your chosen position". The second focuses on "your technical knowledge and skills suitable for the role" (Arcadis FAQ).

5. Offer. If you're successful, a member of the team calls you to discuss the offer. Your contract is then issued through the application portal.

Arcadis doesn't list a video interview stage anywhere on its UK early-careers pages.

Dates for the 2026/27 cycle

The Arcadis FAQ says roles "typically open in the autumn of the year prior to the starting intake". Graduate, intern and placement roles generally close around mid-November, and apprenticeships typically in January or February. Its programme pages add:

• Graduates (GROW): applications open in September, with start dates in April and September (graduates). The current adverts ask for at least a 2:2 and graduation in 2025, 2026 or 2027.
• Work placements: one main intake, opening in September, for July or August starts. Summer internships: opening in September, for June or July starts (placements and internships).
• Apprenticeships: one main intake, opening in November, for September starts, plus occasional ad hoc roles (apprenticeships).

When we checked again on 4 November 2026, the graduates page listed four roles closing on 6 November 2026: Graduate Design and Construction Safety Consultant, Graduate Ground Investigation Consultant, Graduate Acoustics Consultant and Graduate Soils Specialist. The early-careers page also listed a Summer Intern (Soil Specialist) closing on 6 November, a Graduate Digital Delivery Engineer in Bristol closing on 20 November 2026, an Apprentice Pursuits Coordinator closing on 4 December 2026, and a Graduate Facilities Management Consultant with no closing date shown. The FAQ's general rule still holds: Arcadis says it "tend[s] to close Graduate, Intern and Placement opportunities around mid-November", and apprenticeships "typically January / February". Listings add: "we reserve the right to close roles sooner, so Early Application is encouraged". An earlier version of this page said Arcadis reviews applications first come, first served; we could not find that wording on its current pages, so we have removed it. If you're unsuccessful, you can reapply after 6 months (Arcadis FAQ).

Adjustments

When you start the Arctic Shores assessment, "you will be prompted to self-declare any reasonable adjustments you may require for the activity". Arcadis recommends reviewing the options and choosing any that would help. If the adjustment you need isn't listed, contact the Early Careers team (Arcadis FAQ). For the assessment centre, support depends on the activity, so discuss it with the team in advance.

What the Arctic Shores assessment involves

Arcadis doesn't name the individual tasks. Its 2026 UK early-careers brochure says its selection is "underpinned by four key skill enablers". It looks for:

• "The ability to observe, identify and distinguish between emotions."
• "The willingness to apply continuous effort towards achieving a goal despite obstacles."
• "The ability to shift focus and adapt to changing demands."
• "The ability to identify patterns and apply knowledge in new situations."

Arctic Shores tasks are short interactive games, and the platform records how you play them, not just whether you're right. Our Arctic Shores guide covers every task candidates have reported. The four enablers line up with some of them, though this is our reading and not Arcadis's statement:

• Emotions: the Expressions task, where you label the emotion on a face. We don't simulate it. Read the tutorial carefully.
• Continuous effort despite obstacles: the Security (lock) task, where one miss sends you back to the start.
• Shifting focus: the Ticket task, where the rule changes with the box.
• Patterns: the Order task, where you build the next frame from changing rules.

Arcadis's "deal with ambiguity, and manage uncertainty" fits tasks like Predict and Energy, where no choice is certain. Your set may also include Balance, Direction, Balloon or Team Sales.

What you can practise

Start with the official Arctic Shores demo task that Arcadis links. It shows you the platform itself. Arctic Shores reads behaviour as well as right answers, so practice mainly removes surprise: you'll know the controls and pace when the real tasks start. It won't guarantee a higher score, and you shouldn't try to rehearse a "profile". Familiarity helps most on the tasks with time pressure or right answers:

• Security lock game: timing taps and recovering after a miss.
• Ticket switching game: switching between two rules at speed.
• Order sequence game: working out how shapes change.
• Predict (day/night) game: deciding in 3 seconds with uncertain feedback.
• Balance scales game: working out hidden weights.
• Energy generator game: choosing between risky and steady options.

The Direction, Balloon and Team Sales games cover other tasks you might meet. Play the behavioural ones once to learn the rules, then take the real assessment the way you'd naturally play.

What first attempts look like. Among players' first attempts on GamePrep (October to November 2026), the median raw score was a 118 ms timing error on the Security lock (71 players, lower is better), 70 points on Ticket (51 players), 19.5 level points on Order (48 players), 56% better bets on Predict (163 players) and 9 level points on Balance (78 players). On the behavioural Energy game the median first run ended on 3,575 energy (39 players), which describes play styles, not a target. These are people practising, not Arcadis candidates, and Arctic Shores scores you against its own norm groups, not ours. The full spread for each game is on our score benchmarks page.

Is there a personality questionnaire? Not on Arcadis's UK early-careers pages. They describe the Arctic Shores tasks, the assessment centre and the interview, and we found no separate questionnaire (Arcadis FAQ). The Arctic Shores tasks already read behaviour, so there is no extra questionnaire to prepare for unless your invitation includes one.

How to prepare

Apply early. Several graduate and intern roles close on 6 November 2026, and Arcadis may close a role before its listed date. Pick one role and check its degree requirements, since many Arcadis roles need a specific degree background. Once you're invited, try the demo, then do the assessment in one quiet sitting before the deadline in your invitation. Choose any adjustments you need when it prompts you. For the interview, revise the technical basics of your discipline, because the second part is technical. Arcadis also suggests researching the company and its projects on arcadis.com. It says AI tools are fine to support your application, but your answers should reflect your own experiences, skills and motivations (Arcadis FAQ).

FAQ

Does Arcadis use Arctic Shores? Yes. Arcadis's UK early-careers FAQ names the "initial skills assessment with Arctic Shores", calls it an "Arctic Shores behavioural test", and links an Arctic Shores demo task.

Is there a video interview at Arcadis? Not according to Arcadis's UK early-careers pages. The stages are the application, the Arctic Shores assessment, a virtual assessment centre (graduates and apprentices only) and a face-to-face interview.

How long do I have to complete the Arcadis Arctic Shores test? Arcadis doesn't publish the window. The deadline is in your invitation. If you miss it, contact the Early Careers team quickly. Arcadis may consider an extension case by case, but repeated missed deadlines can lead to your application being withdrawn.

When do Arcadis applications close for 2026/27? As of 4 November 2026, several graduate and intern roles close on 6 November 2026, a Bristol graduate role on 20 November and an apprentice role on 4 December (early careers). Apprenticeships typically close in January or February. Arcadis may close any role sooner, so apply early.

Can I apply to more than one Arcadis role? Arcadis asks you to apply for only one. If you apply for more, only your first application goes forward.

GamePrep is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with Arcadis or Arctic Shores. We provide practice only — no leaked questions or answers. Hiring processes change — verify against your invitation.