Progressive Insurance Interview 2026: 50-Min Test & 14 Questions

Last updated: October 2026

TL;DR

The Progressive Insurance interview process runs online application, then an employment assessment for many roles (Progressive says to allow at least 50 minutes), then a self-recorded video interview that a recruiter reviews, then a recruiter phone screen for some roles, then one or more behavioral interviews with hiring managers built on DDI’s Targeted Selection model, then a background check before the offer. Progressive says most applicants hear back within one to four weeks, and Glassdoor’s candidate-reported average is about 25 days from application to offer. Rehearse the recorded video and the Targeted Selection rounds in OphyAI Interview Practice, and use OphyAI Interview Copilot on live calls only where Progressive allows AI help.

Quick Answer: Progressive Interview Process

Stage	What to prepare
Online application	A resume matched to the posting’s “must have” qualifications: claims, customer service, sales, IT, data and analytics, or a corporate role
Employment assessment	At least 50 minutes of problem solving, reasoning and situational items; Progressive says no subject study is needed
Recorded video interview	Six to eight behavioral questions answered on camera in STAR format (candidate-reported counts)
Recruiter phone screen	Why Progressive, schedule, licensing plans for sales roles, pay expectations
Hiring manager interviews	Targeted Selection questions: “tell me about a time…” with specific past examples; a technical round for IT and analytics
Background check and offer	Accurate education, work and criminal history details; Gainshare and start date questions

Action Plan: Prepare for Progressive by Round

Round	What Progressive tests	What to do before the interview
Employment assessment	Problem solving, applying knowledge to new situations, communication and reasoning	Block an uninterrupted hour, use a laptop, and take one timed practice reasoning test to warm up
Recorded video interview	Structured stories with a clear beginning, middle and end	Record yourself answering three STAR questions and watch the playback
Recruiter screen	Motivation, schedule fit, license willingness, salary range	Write a 60-second “why Progressive” answer tied to the role and one part of the business (Snapshot, the claims model, or the IT work)
Targeted Selection interviews	Specific past behavior, not hypotheticals	Prepare 10-12 STAR stories, each with a number in the result
Technical or case round (IT, analytics)	Practical design, stack knowledge, SQL and business reasoning	Review the posting’s stack, SOLID principles and two SQL problems on joins and aggregation

If you have one week, spend four days building and rehearsing STAR stories, because every Progressive track uses Targeted Selection questions, two days on the format you will face (assessment and video, or the technical round), and one day on Progressive’s business: auto-first, direct and agency channels, and the 96 combined ratio goal. The most common reported failure is a vague, general answer to a “tell me about a time” question.

What Makes Progressive Different

Progressive is a US property and casualty insurer headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio, with about 70,000 employees at the end of 2025, according to its 10-K. It ranked second in US private passenger auto market share based on 2024 premiums, and its own employees handle nearly all of its vehicle claims. That drives hiring volume: Fortune reported in May 2025 that Progressive planned to hire more than 12,000 people that year, that claims makes up about half its workforce, and that it receives about 800,000 applications a year.

Several traits shape what interviewers look for:

Behavior-based interviewing. Progressive’s interviewing page says its questions follow DDI’s Targeted Selection model and recommends STAR. Interviewers want a real past example, not what you would do.
Core Values. The 10-K names Integrity, Golden Rule, Excellence, Objectives and Profit. Stories about honesty under pressure and treating customers fairly map onto them.
Profit before growth. The goal is to grow as fast as possible at or below a companywide 96 combined ratio, and the 10-K says underwriting profitability takes precedence over growth.
Gainshare. Nearly all employees share in Gainshare, an annual cash incentive tied to the growth and profitability of the insurance businesses.
Promotion from within. In 2025 Progressive filled over 81% of open positions above entry level internally, including just over 2,200 managerial roles (10-K).
AI-assisted, human-decided recruiting. Fortune reported that Progressive uses AI to help source and screen candidates and uses asynchronous video interviews, while recruiters make the final decisions.

Progressive has not published a candidate AI policy that this guide could verify. Before you use any AI tool on a live Progressive call, ask the recruiter, and check the tracker of employers and their AI rules. Where a live tool is allowed, OphyAI Interview Copilot gives real-time answer suggestions on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet; treat the recorded video and the assessment as unassisted.

Interview Process Overview

Progressive publishes a “How we hire” section covering next steps, the employment assessment and interviewing. The stages below combine those pages (read through search summaries, because the careers site blocked direct access from the publishing environment), Glassdoor candidate reports and third-party guides. Order varies by role, and some roles skip the assessment.

Stage	Format	Duration	Timeline
Online application	Progressive careers site	15-30 minutes (typical)	Day 1
Employment assessment (many roles)	Online, unproctored	At least 50 minutes (Progressive); 40-50 minutes (candidate-reported)	Days 1-3; results usually within 2 business days
Recorded video interview	One-way video (HireVue named by candidates)	About 6-8 questions (candidate-reported)	Week 1-2
Recruiter phone screen	Phone or video	15-30 minutes (typical for the industry)	Week 1-3
Hiring manager interviews	Video or in person, often two interviewers	About 1 hour each (candidate-reported)	Week 2-4
Technical round (IT, analytics)	Video, conversational design or SQL	About 1 hour (candidate-reported)	Week 2-4
Background check and offer	Third-party check, then call or email	Varies	About 25 days average (Glassdoor, candidate-reported)

Online application. Progressive’s FAQ says applications are screened against the posting’s required qualifications and that you can expect an email or call within one to four weeks. Mirror the posting’s must-have phrases in OphyAI Resume Builder.

Employment assessment. Covered in the next section. Progressive says it does not test subject knowledge, so rest matters more than study; use the waiting days for one behavioral session in OphyAI Interview Practice in case the video invite arrives fast.

Recorded video interview. You answer pre-set questions on camera, and Progressive says a recruiter reviews every completed video. Rehearse one question and one take at a time in OphyAI Interview Practice voice mode, then read the transcript to cut filler.

Recruiter phone screen. Expect a resume walk-through, “why Progressive”, schedule and remote or hybrid fit, and for sales roles your licensing plan. Draft your 60-second pitch and salary range with OphyAI Application Assistant.

Hiring manager interviews. Candidates describe one to three interviews, often with two interviewers, made almost entirely of “tell me about a time” questions. Run a six-question behavioral mock loop with follow-ups in OphyAI Interview Practice.

Technical round. Engineers report a conversational round on backend, frontend and object-oriented design; analysts report SQL and case questions. Work one design prompt and one SQL problem in OphyAI Coding Interview, then explain it again unassisted.

Background check and offer. Progressive says it asks you to agree to a background check covering education, work and criminal history after deciding to extend an offer. Meanwhile, send a thank-you note drafted in OphyAI Application Assistant and log every stage in OphyAI Application Tracker.

The Employment Assessment and the Targeted Selection Video

For many roles, both stages come before you speak to anyone live.

The employment assessment. Progressive’s assessment page says to plan for at least 50 minutes and that results usually arrive by email within two business days. A prep site’s summary of Progressive’s FAQ says it measures problem solving, applying knowledge to new situations, communication and reasoning, not subject knowledge. Claims candidates on Glassdoor describe vocabulary, math and a call center simulation; others describe logic, personality and situational items. Third-party guides report that a qualifying result stays valid for two years and that non-qualifying candidates wait six months to retake; confirm with the recruiter. What they test: reasoning, reading accuracy, and situational choices that fit a customer-first, procedure-following service model. Red flags: rushing situational items, answering personality items to impress rather than consistently, and taking it on a phone with notifications on. How to prepare: take one timed reasoning test, read each situational item twice, and pick the answer that is honest, follows procedure and still helps the customer.

The recorded video interview. Progressive’s interviewing page recommends STAR, suggests answering like a short story with a beginning, middle and end, and advises pausing before you answer instead of rambling. Its sample prompts include a time you made a bad decision and a time you went above and beyond. Candidates report six to eight questions; one recalled two attempts per question. A prep site suggests about 30 seconds on the situation, two minutes on your actions and 30 seconds on the outcome. What they test: specific past behavior, ownership and a clear result. Red flags: “we” instead of “I”, hypothetical answers, and running out of time before the outcome. How to prepare: write ten timed STAR stories and record yourself at eye level. Our HireVue interview preparation guide covers framing and timing for one-way video.

Role-Specific Breakdowns

Claims Adjuster and Claims Representative

What they test. Empathy after an accident, gathering facts from several sources, negotiation, organization across open files and learning speed. Trainee postings (read through job aggregators) ask for three years of work experience, a bachelor’s degree, or two years plus an associate degree, pay trainees hourly until they finish training and pass required tests, and exclude several visa statuses (including F-1 OPT and H-1B). Reported questions cover a difficult customer, gathering information from multiple sources, learning something new and a stressful situation. Red flags. Promising a claimant an outcome before the facts are in, no example of juggling deadlines, and no reason for choosing claims. How to prepare. Build a STAR story for each reported question plus a negotiation and an error you caught, then run a claims-flavored mock in OphyAI Interview Practice that pushes back on your first answer.

Customer Service and Sales Representative

What they test. De-escalation, needs-based selling, accuracy on a busy screen and reliability through a training class. A January 2022 hire describes an assessment the day after applying, then a HireVue video; a January 2026 candidate counted about eight STAR questions in that video. Others describe a recruiter call, then an interview with a supervisor and hiring manager; one Providence, Rhode Island hire reported about two weeks end to end. One inbound sales posting offers paid training toward a Property and Casualty license and inbound calls only. Red flags. Vague availability, treating selling as pushy, and no plan for the licensing exam. How to prepare. Learn liability, collision and comprehensive coverage, skim your state’s licensing outline, and rehearse a de-escalation story and a cross-sell story in OphyAI Interview Practice. See also our customer service representative interview questions.

Software Engineer and IT

What they test. Practical engineering in the posting’s stack, object-oriented design and team fit. Interview Query describes about four rounds (recruiter screen, two behavioral, one technical) over two to four weeks, focused on designing and scaling a feature rather than LeetCode drills. A 2026 Glassdoor candidate reported a one-way video, a recruiter interview, then three interviews on different days (one technical, two with managers) with two interviewers each, covering backend, frontend and object-oriented design, including SOLID. Red flags. Naming patterns you cannot apply, no individual contribution in behavioral answers, and no reason for choosing an insurer’s IT team. How to prepare. Review SOLID, one REST API design and how you would test it, and a five-minute project walkthrough. Use our system design interview guide and rehearse a design in OphyAI Coding Interview before explaining it unassisted.

Data, Analytics and Actuarial

What they test. SQL, reasoning about pricing and profitability, and the same behavioral bar. Interview Query describes the data analyst process as an assessment, a prerecorded video, a phone screen and a live video interview with heavy STAR screening; an older Glassdoor report describes case studies. Progressive’s internships page lists pricing and actuarial analyst interns, and a third-party guide says the Data and Analytics internship leads to a two-year Analyst Development Program. Red flags. A case answer that never mentions loss ratio or the 96 combined ratio goal, unchecked SQL output, and no recommendation. How to prepare. Practice joins, window functions and grouped aggregates with our SQL interview questions, then run a case-format mock in OphyAI Interview Practice and end every answer on a decision.

Internships, Rotational Programs and Corporate Roles

What they test. Learning speed, leadership potential and STAR stories from school, work or volunteering. A third-party guide lists accounting, data and analytics, technology, MBA product management and MBA investment research internship tracks, with applications typically opening in the fall. Progressive’s internships page describes a two-year Accounting Rotational Program with four six-month rotations. A senior commercial territory sales posting requires a license within 90 days. Red flags. Missing the fall window, class projects you cannot explain, and results with no numbers. How to prepare. Apply early, prepare stories for leadership, failure, teamwork and going above and beyond, and rehearse “tell me about a project” with follow-ups in OphyAI Interview Practice.

Common Questions with Frameworks

These come from Progressive’s interviewing page, Glassdoor candidate reports and third-party guides, not an official Progressive list. Answer behavioral questions with the STAR method: brief situation and task, most of the time on your actions, and a result with a number.

1. “Tell me about a time you made a bad decision.” (Targeted Selection, from Progressive’s page)

Pick a real, moderate mistake, not a disguised strength. State the decision, why it was wrong, how you fixed it, and the rule you follow now. Say “I decided” and “I fixed”, never “the team”. This maps to Integrity.

2. “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.” (Targeted Selection, from Progressive’s page)

Show effort beyond your job description that helped a customer or teammate, with a result someone noticed: a thank-you, a retained account, a fixed process. Working late alone is not “above and beyond”.

3. “Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult customer.” (Customer service, claims)

One sentence of situation, then what you heard, how you acknowledged the frustration, what you offered within the rules, and the outcome. Never blame the customer. This is the most reported Progressive question across roles.

4. “Describe a time you de-escalated an upset person.” (Customer service)

Name the technique: lowering your voice, restating the problem, giving a clear next step and a time. End with what the person said.

5. “Tell me about a time you offered a customer a product that fit their needs.” (Sales)

Show discovery first: what you asked, what you learned, why the product fit, and whether they bought. Listening beats pressure.

6. “Tell me about a time you gathered information from several sources to solve a problem.” (Claims)

Name the sources (people, documents, systems), the conflict between them, how you resolved it and the decision you made. Adjusters reconcile statements, photos and estimates daily.

7. “Describe a stressful situation at work. Would you handle it differently now?” (Claims, customer service)

Show how you prioritized, the result, and one honest change. “Nothing” sounds defensive.

8. “Tell me about a time you had to learn something new quickly.” (All tracks)

Trainees learn policy, procedure and often a licensing syllabus in weeks. Name what you learned, how, how fast, and what you delivered with it.

9. “Why do you want to work for Progressive?” (Motivation)

Give one reason tied to the role: in-house claims handling, paid licensing for sales, the IT work, or promotion from within (81% of above-entry roles filled internally in 2025). Close with what you will contribute.

10. “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a coworker or manager.” (Collaboration)

Show you raised it directly, used facts, and committed to the final decision. Progressive’s 10-K lists “Celebrate Disagreement” among its ethics themes, so calm, fact-based disagreement fits.

11. “Explain the SOLID principles and give an example from your code.” (Software engineer)

Define each briefly, then spend most of the time on one or two you applied, such as single responsibility when you split a service.

12. “How would you design a feature that lets customers file a claim from the mobile app?” (Software engineer, design)

Clarify requirements (photos, location, policy lookup), sketch the API and data model, then cover validation, failures and scaling during a storm surge. State trade-offs aloud.

13. “Loss ratio in one state rose sharply this quarter. How would you investigate?” (Data, analytics, pricing)

Split frequency from severity, then new versus renewal business, coverage, channel and catastrophes. Say which data you would pull first and which decision each finding drives, tied to the 96 combined ratio goal.

14. “Write a query to find each agent’s top-selling product last month.” (Data analyst, SQL)

Filter by date, aggregate by agent and product, rank with a window function and keep rank one. Mention ties and how you would check the output. See our data analyst interview questions.

Practice the full set aloud in OphyAI Interview Practice, which asks follow-ups and gives per-answer feedback. For more, see behavioral interview questions and answers and situational interview questions.

Culture Fit: Core Values and Customer-First Ownership

Progressive’s culture is built on its five Core Values and a shared Gainshare incentive, so interviewers look for people who do the right thing for customers and own their results.

Integrity. Tell the truth in your stories, including the mistakes. Golden Rule. Treat customers and coworkers the way you would want to be treated, especially after an accident or a denied claim. Excellence. Show you improved something, not just completed it. Objectives. Use numbers: calls handled, files closed, time saved. Profit. For corporate and analytics roles, connect your work to growth at or below the 96 combined ratio.

What interviewers screen for: specific past examples instead of hypotheticals, the word “I” in action steps, calm empathy with upset customers, coachability, and a believable reason for building a career at an insurer that promotes from within.

Compensation Overview (2026 Estimates, USD)

Pay depends on role, state and experience. Figures below are posting ranges read through job aggregators or candidate-reported data from searches in October 2026, not Progressive pay bands.

Role	Base Salary	Total Compensation (Base + Bonus + Equity)
Claims adjuster trainee	$54,000-$57,500 (Minnesota, Nebraska postings); $56,500-$60,000 (Hudson, Wisconsin); $59,500-$63,000 (Honolulu)	Gainshare up to 16% of eligible earnings (postings)
Inbound sales representative	$17.25-$19.25 per hour (one posting)	$500 sign-on if already licensed; Gainshare up to 16% (posting)
Customer service representative	About $20.32 per hour (Indeed, June 2026); about $22 per hour (Glassdoor, inbound CSR), candidate-reported	Gainshare; no equity
Senior territory sales representative, commercial	$95,000-$113,000 (posting)	Gainshare up to 30% of eligible earnings (posting)
Software engineer (US)	Median about $127K total (Levels.fyi, candidate-reported, July 2026)	Reported from about $91.6K (Associate Application Developer) to about $166K (Lead Application Developer)
Data analyst	About $93K average total (Interview Query, candidate-reported)	Breakdown not published
Intern (technology)	About $24.50 per hour (Levels.fyi, 2024, Cleveland); $26-$28 per hour (Glassdoor), candidate-reported	-

The 10-K says Progressive publishes base pay ranges and Gainshare targets internally for virtually all positions and that executives and senior leaders also receive equity awards, so most individual contributors should expect base plus Gainshare rather than stock. Ask the recruiter for the Gainshare target for your role. For negotiation tactics, see our salary negotiation guide.

Preparation Timeline: 4-6 Weeks

Front-line hiring can move in two weeks, so compress weeks 1-3 if your assessment invite has already arrived.

Week	Focus	Activities
1	Track and story bank	Pick your track, read the posting, write ten STAR stories mapped to the reported questions
2	Assessment and video	One timed reasoning test; record five video answers and review timing (about 30 seconds situation, 2 minutes action, 30 seconds outcome)
3	Role depth	Claims: negotiation and investigation stories. Sales and service: coverage basics and licensing outline. IT: SOLID and one design. Analytics: SQL and a loss ratio case
4	Targeted Selection loop	Two full behavioral mock interviews with follow-ups in OphyAI Interview Practice
5-6	Final polish and logistics	Questions for the manager, references, background check details, salary range and Gainshare questions

Common Mistakes

Answering hypothetically. Targeted Selection asks what you did, not what you would do. “I would stay calm” scores far lower than a real story.

Saying “we”. Interviewers need to hear your own actions. Use “I” in the action part of every answer.

Running out of time on the video. Candidates who spend a minute on background never reach the result. Rehearse to a timer.

Treating the assessment as a formality. It is the first cut for many roles, and third-party guides report a six-month wait before a retake.

A generic “why Progressive”. “It’s a big, stable company” is what weak candidates say. Name the claims model, the licensing path, the IT work or promotion from within.

Prepare for Progressive with OphyAI

Progressive’s process rewards candidates who have rehearsed specific stories until they fit the clock: a timed recorded video, then manager interviews built entirely on past behavior. Run voice mock interviews with follow-up questions, a transcript and per-answer feedback in OphyAI Interview Practice, drill design and SQL prompts in OphyAI Coding Interview, and tailor your resume to each posting in OphyAI Resume Builder. Start practicing →

Start Your Progressive Application

Ready to apply? OphyAI can help at every stage:

Search for open roles at Progressive and similar employers with AI-powered job matching
Generate a tailored cover letter that highlights your fit for the role, plus follow-up emails and thank-you notes for after your interviews
Track your application status alongside every other role you’re pursuing

Pair these with OphyAI Interview Practice for timed rehearsals before the real thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many interviews does Progressive have?

Most candidates report an employment assessment, a recorded video interview and one to three live interviews, with a recruiter call for some roles. One 2026 software engineer described three separate interviews, each with two interviewers, after the video and recruiter stages. Progressive has not published a fixed number for each role, so ask your recruiter what remains.

How long does the Progressive hiring process take?

Progressive’s careers FAQ says you can generally expect an email or call within one to four weeks of applying, depending on the role and applicant volume. Glassdoor’s candidate-reported average is about 25 days from application to offer, while some customer service hires report about two weeks and some technical candidates report two to four weeks.

What is on the Progressive employment assessment?

Progressive says to allow at least 50 minutes and that results usually arrive within two business days. A prep site’s summary of its FAQ says the test measures problem solving, applying knowledge, communication and reasoning, with no subject knowledge required. Claims candidates describe vocabulary, math and a call center simulation, plus situational and personality items.

What questions does Progressive ask in the video interview?

Candidates report six to eight behavioral questions in a one-way video, answered in STAR form. Progressive’s interviewing page lists examples such as a time you made a bad decision and a time you went above and beyond. Customer service candidates also report questions on de-escalating a customer and matching a product to a customer’s needs.

What is Targeted Selection at Progressive?

Targeted Selection is a behavior-based interviewing model developed by DDI. Progressive’s interviewing page says its questions are built on it and recommends the STAR method. In practice, every question asks for a specific past example, so prepare ten to twelve real stories with clear actions and measurable results rather than general statements about how you work.

Do I need an insurance license to work at Progressive?

It depends on the role. Some inbound sales postings offer paid training toward a Property and Casualty license and a sign-on bonus if you already hold one, while other agent postings require a license up front. A senior commercial territory sales posting requires the license within 90 days of starting. Check the specific posting.

Does Progressive allow AI tools in interviews?

Progressive has not published a candidate AI policy that this guide could verify. Fortune reported that Progressive itself uses AI to help screen applicants, with recruiters making final decisions. Ask the recruiter before using any AI tool in a live interview, and do the assessment and recorded video on your own. See the AI-in-interviews tracker.

Sources and verification notes

Sources checked October 2026. Progressive’s careers site returned HTTP 403 to every fetch from the publishing environment, so first-party process details come from search-engine summaries of those pages; spot-check them on the live site. The 10-K was opened directly on SEC EDGAR. Glassdoor reviews are anonymous and self-reported.

Progressive, How we hire FAQ: first-party; one to four week response, recruiter review of video interviews, background check scope. Via search summary.
Progressive, Employment assessment: first-party; at least 50 minutes, results within two business days. Via search summary.
Progressive, Interviewing at Progressive: first-party; Targeted Selection by DDI, STAR, sample prompts. Via search summary.
Progressive, Internships: first-party; Accounting Rotational Program, analyst intern roles. Via search summary.
Progressive 2025 Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR): opened directly; headcount, internal fill rate, Core Values, Gainshare, 96 combined ratio, market share, in-house claims, headquarters.
Fortune, May 25, 2025: opened directly; hiring volume, applications, claims workforce share, asynchronous video, AI use.
CleverPrep, Progressive: third-party, opened directly; assessment content, STAR timing, retake and validity terms (not confirmed by Progressive).
Glassdoor, Progressive interviews, customer service review, claims review: candidate-reported; 25-day average, assessment and video details, questions. Via search summary.
Interview Query, software engineer and data analyst: third-party; rounds, timeline, analyst pay. Via search summary.
Extern, Progressive internship guide: third-party, opened directly; tracks, Analyst Development Program, timing, intern pay.
Claims trainee postings on CareerBuilder and iHireInsurance; sales postings for inbound sales (Riverview) and senior territory sales: employer-written postings on aggregators; pay ranges, Gainshare percentages, training, licensing and visa terms. Via search summary; posting dates unclear.
Levels.fyi, Progressive software engineer and Indeed, customer service pay: candidate-reported; Levels.fyi figures differ across page versions. Via search summary.

Progressive does not publish round counts, video question counts or offer timelines by role. Numbers for those come from candidates, postings or third-party guides, not the company.