Macquarie Interview Questions: What They Look For and How to Ace Them

Answering Macquarie interview questions is your first real test—not just of your technical skills, but of your fit within their famously entrepreneurial culture. This guide breaks down verified questions from the global financial group's recent interviews, giving you a direct look at what to expect. We'll cover what they're looking for and how Cook'd AI helps you master your delivery for every single question.

Verified Macquarie interview questions

The following questions, sourced directly from recent candidate interviews and categorized by division, group, and question type, are a snapshot of what Macquarie is asking right now.

1. How many refrigerators are there in the United States?
2. If the annual return rate is 8%, what is the present value of receiving a $100,000 check from a bank every year?
3. Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it.
4. Tell me about a time you were in a leadership position.
   

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15+ other common Macquarie interview questions

Accounting & valuation questions

1. Walk me through the three main financial statements and how they connect.
2. What are the primary valuation methods, and what are the pros and cons of each?
3. If Macquarie was looking to acquire a private infrastructure asset, what valuation approach would you take?
4. Let's say Macquarie is advising a client on a potential sale. Walk me through a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis from start to finish.
5. How does a $10 increase in depreciation flow through the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet?
6. Looking at Macquarie's public filings, what key metrics would you analyze to evaluate its financial health?

Markets & macro questions

1. How would a sustained period of high inflation affect Macquarie's business model, particularly its infrastructure and real assets divisions?
2. Pitch me a stock you're following. What's the investment thesis?
3. What are two or three major macroeconomic trends you're watching right now, and how do they create opportunities or risks for investors?
4. Where do you see the price of oil in the next 6-12 months, and what are the key factors driving your view?
5. If Macquarie gave you $100 million to invest in a new fund today, what would your asset allocation look like and why?

Deal, client, & behavioral questions

1. Why Macquarie, and what do you know about our business model, particularly our focus on infrastructure and real assets?
2. Walk me through a deal on your resume.
3. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member or a manager. How did you handle the situation and what was the result?
4. Macquarie's culture is highly entrepreneurial. Give me an example of a time you took ownership of a project or showed an entrepreneurial spirit.
5. Describe a time you made a significant mistake on a project. What did you learn from it?
6. Imagine a client is hesitant about a proposed transaction. How would you address their concerns and build their confidence?

Role-specific questions

1. Macquarie is a world leader in infrastructure investment. If we were evaluating a potential investment in a toll road, what are the key operational and financial metrics you would focus on?
2. Give me a trading idea based on the current volatility in the commodities market. What is the thesis, what are the risks, and how would you structure the trade?
3. Pick an industry that Macquarie's research division covers. What is your outlook on that industry for the next 12-18 months, and which company within it is most mispriced by the market?
4. A high-net-worth client is concerned about rising interest rates and wants to de-risk their portfolio. How would you advise them, and what specific products or strategies within Macquarie's Asset Management platform might be suitable?
5. A corporate client in the renewable energy sector is seeking a credit facility to fund a new solar farm project. Walk me through your credit analysis process. What key risks would you be most focused on?
6. How would you go about building a model to predict the probability of default for a portfolio of corporate loans? What data would you need, and what are the potential pitfalls of your chosen approach?

How to answer interview questions at Macquarie

Answering Macquarie's questions is about demonstrating structured thinking under pressure. For technicals, like the "refrigerators in the US" brain teaser, your logic matters more than the final number. Walk them through your assumptions clearly. For behavioral questions, there is no flexibility: you must use the STAR interview method. This framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is how you turn stories into evidence of your competence.

• Situation: Set the scene in two sentences. "During my internship, our team was on a tight deadline for a deal."
• Task: State your specific role in one sentence. "I was responsible for the valuation model."
• Action: This is where you win. Detail the steps you took that show ownership and judgment, reflecting Macquarie's entrepreneurial spirit. Don't just say you did the work; explain how you did it better.
• Result: Quantify the outcome. "We delivered the model two days early, and the deal closed successfully."

This structured approach is a core part of how to prepare for a job interview at this level. The gap between knowing your story and telling it well under stress is where most candidates lose ground.

What Macquarie looks for in candidates

Macquarie prizes candidates who demonstrate resilience, commercial awareness, and strong analytical skills. They look for self-starters with a track record of making an impact, a high degree of self-awareness, and excellent soft skills. While technical ability is a given, your ability to handle pressure, learn from setbacks, and work within a team is what truly sets you apart.

If you're from a target university

Your challenge isn't access; it's differentiation. Everyone has a strong GPA and a brand-name internship. You must prove what makes you unique.

• Go beyond the resume. Develop a spike in a specific area—a deep research project, a successful side hustle, or a leadership role with quantifiable impact. This shows the entrepreneurial spirit Macquarie values.
• Nail your "Why Macquarie" story. They know you have other top-tier options. Your reason for choosing them must be specific, referencing their unique business model, recent deals, or cultural pillars.

If you're from a non-target university

Your primary hurdle is getting noticed. Your application and interview performance must be flawless to overcome institutional bias. The bar is simply higher.

• Network for a referral. A warm introduction from a current employee is the most effective way to get your resume past the initial screen and into the hands of a human.
• Over-prepare on everything. You need to be sharper on technicals and more insightful on market trends than your target-school peers. This is how you prove you belong. Cook'd AI can help you learn the unspoken polish and jargon that bridges the gap.

Macquarie interview tips

Before your Macquarie interview

• Know their business cold. Go beyond the headlines to understand their unique focus on infrastructure and real assets, and be ready to discuss specific deals or fund performance.
• Prepare smarter questions. Your questions for the interviewer must show you've done the work, probing on divisional strategy or recent market events, not asking about culture.
• Drill technicals under pressure. Don't just review concepts; use Cook'd AI to practice explaining them out loud against a clock, which is the only way to build real composure.

During the interview with Macquarie

• Tie your answers back to Macquarie's business. Connecting your thinking to their focus on infrastructure and real assets shows you understand what makes them different.
• Articulate your thought process on every technical question. Your logic and composure under pressure matter more than getting the perfect answer.
• Frame every behavioral answer around ownership and commercial judgment to signal that entrepreneurial mindset they prize.
• Stay engaged through every interaction, especially in later rounds. Your ability to stay sharp signals stamina and genuine interest.

After the interview with Macquarie

• Send a sharp follow-up email within 24 hours. Reference a specific detail from the conversation to show you were engaged, and connect it back to your interest in Macquarie's unique platform.
• Conduct a post-interview debrief. Immediately write down every question you were asked and honestly assess your answers, then use that intel to refine your preparation for the next round.

Get the Cook’d AI advantage for your Macquarie interview

Your Macquarie interview doesn't have to feel like a high-wire act. With the right preparation, it can feel like a conversation where you get to demonstrate everything you've worked for.

Cook'd AI functions as your personal career mentor, anticipating exactly what you'll face in Macquarie's rigorous interview process — from behavioral questions to technical deep dives — and managing every detail of your preparation so you can focus on what matters: showing up confident, prepared, and ready to impress.

Through personalized coaching, behavioral simulations, and real-time feedback, you'll build the kind of clarity and consistency that makes interviewers remember you for the right reasons.

Make your next interview your best interview with Cook'd AI.