Associate Scientist applicants have rated the interview process at Merck with 3.2 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 74% positive. To compare, the company-average is 68.3% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Associate Scientist roles take an average of 52 days to get hired, when considering 23 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Merck overall takes an average of 36 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Merck as a Associate Scientist according to 23 Glassdoor interviews include:
Phone interview: 24%
One on one interview: 22%
Group panel interview: 18%
Presentation: 8%
IQ intelligence test: 6%
Background check: 6%
Other: 4%
Skills test: 4%
Drug test: 4%
Personality test: 2%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at Merck in Dec 2021
Interview
I received a call from an HR rep about a week after applying. She asked me general questions (why I applied to this group, salary expectations, etc.) for about 5 minutes. A week later I scheduled a screening interview with a senior member of the group. It was basic introductions and 2 or 3 behavioral questions. I was then asked to block out a full day for 5 back-to-back 45 minute interviews. There was an even mix of behavioral, technical, and previous experience questions. I received the offer letter a week and a half after that.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Discuss a time you needed to be creative in order to solve a problem.
Phone screen: background, skill scoring.
Hiring manager interview: presentation showing your research, your career plan, etc
Overall good experience, everything step was arranged quickly, less than a week between interviews
I applied online. I interviewed at Merck (Rahway, NJ) in Feb 2026
Interview
the interview consisted of three rounds of interviews, last interview was a panel interview that consisted of the whole day. Spoke with many different members of the team but similar questions were repeated through out the day.
The interviewing process was pretty straightforward, kind of long. First, was the recruiter screening and if you make it past that, then the panel interview with the team, managers, and director. Also, there was a technical assessment.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How do you handle conflict?
A time you've had to troubleshoot?
Working well with others?