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Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Financial regulation / public sector finance · researched 2026-10-02. Processes change every year, so confirm on the employer's own page.

At a glance

Dates
Opens: 2026 entry: applications opened February 2026.
Pay
£25,700 in London; £23,500 in Leeds and Edinburgh (2026 entry).
Length
18 to 36 months
Degree
Not stated, or no degree awarded (check the programme).
Entry
5 GCSEs (A-C) and 2 A levels.
Stages
2: Online application, Assessment centre

Pay: Official source source

Practise a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) interview

What you'd actually do

  • Apprentices join teams across the regulator, for example supervising firms, handling consumer issues, data or technology.

Our plain-English summary from the firm's adverts, not the firm's own words.

Programmes and entry

  • Apprenticeship pathways (six, including degree apprenticeships) (18 to 36 months; some pathways are degree apprenticeships (which ones was not confirmed)) · London, Leeds, Edinburgh

5 GCSEs (A-C) and 2 A levels. source

Opens 2026 entry: applications opened February 2026. · Assessment centres ran April to May 2026, with a 7 September 2026 start. Salary: £25,700 in London and £23,500 in Leeds and Edinburgh. Benefits include a non-contributory pension, 25+ days' holiday, a season ticket loan and private healthcare. source

Process, stage by stage

1. Online application

Online application from February.

  • Pick the pathway that matches your interests and check whether it is degree level.

Official source source

2. Assessment centre

Assessment centres in April and May; format not described in the summaries we saw.

  • Be ready to talk about why fair treatment of customers matters.

Official source source

Values they assess against

Values wording not found; the FCA's role is to make financial markets work well for consumers and firms

Advice for this firm

  • Know what the FCA does: it regulates how financial firms treat customers (for example through the Consumer Duty) and works to keep markets fair and honest.
  • Only some of the six pathways are degree apprenticeships. Check the level of the one you apply for.
  • Entry requirements (5 GCSEs and 2 A levels) are lower than at most investment banks.
  • Look out for FCA 'how to apply' events, such as one run with Pathway CTM.

Not verified

  • Which of the six pathways are Level 6.
  • Test and interview format.
  • 2027-entry dates.
  • Facts were read through search summaries of the pages, not the full pages.