STAR interview questions
These 42 STAR practice questions are grouped by the skill they test. Pick the groups your job description cares about, then practise your answers out loud.
Try a practice answerHow to use this list
These are common behavioural questions, not any employer’s actual list. Expect the wording to change in a real interview. You don’t need an answer for all 42.
- Start with the job description.
Mark each skill it asks for, then find the matching groups below.
- Choose your examples.
Find one or two real experiences for each group. One good example can often answer several questions.
- Outline them with STAR.
Note the situation, your task, what you did and the result. Keep them as prompts, not a script.
- Answer out loud.
Use the practice link under any question to record an answer and get feedback, with no account needed.
New to STAR? Read the full STAR method guide, with a template and examples.
Teamwork questions
These check how you work with other people, and whether you can say what you added yourself.
Tell me about a time you worked in a team.
Choose a shared goal, then separate your contribution from the group’s.
Practise this questionDescribe a team project and the part you played in it.
Name your role early, and spend most of the answer on what you did in it.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you supported a colleague who was struggling.
Explain how you noticed and what you did, while keeping their private details private.
Practise this questionTell me about a time a team member wasn’t pulling their weight.
Show that you found out why before you acted. Avoid turning it into a complaint.
Practise this questionGive an example of working with someone whose approach was different from yours.
Describe the difference fairly, then say how you worked with it.
Practise this questionLeadership questions
You don’t need a management title for these. They look for how you set a direction and bring people with you.
Tell me about a time you showed leadership.
Show how you set a direction, got people on board and reached a result.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you led something without being the manager.
Explain why you stepped up, and how you got people to follow your lead.
Practise this questionGive an example of how you motivated other people.
Say what you noticed about them and what you changed. “I encouraged them” isn’t enough.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you delegated work.
Explain how you decided who did what, and how you checked in without taking over.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you took the initiative.
Pick something nobody had asked you to do, and say what made you act.
Practise this questionConflict questions
Interviewers want to see that you can disagree calmly and stay fair to the other person.
Tell me about a time you handled conflict.
Describe the disagreement fairly, then focus on how you resolved it.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you disagreed with your manager.
Show how you made your case, and what you did once the decision was made.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you worked with a difficult colleague.
Describe their behaviour rather than their personality, and keep the focus on the work.
Practise this questionGive an example of a difficult conversation you had to have.
Say how you prepared, what you said and how you handled the reaction.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you spoke up about something that wasn’t right.
Choose something you can discuss openly. Explain who you told and what happened next.
Practise this questionProblem-solving questions
Your reasoning matters as much as the outcome here, so explain how you got to your decision.
Describe a difficult problem you solved.
Explain the options you considered and why you chose the one you did.
Practise this questionTell me about a decision you made without all the information.
Say what you knew, what you didn’t and how you limited the risk.
Practise this questionDescribe a difficult decision you had to make.
Make the trade-off clear. A decision with no downside wasn’t a hard one.
Practise this questionGive an example of a process you improved.
Describe how it worked before, and what changed for the people using it.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you found a creative solution to a problem.
Explain why the obvious answer wouldn’t work and how you reached a different one.
Practise this questionCommunication questions
In these, how you tell the story is part of the evidence. Keep your answer as clear as the skill you’re describing.
Tell me about a time you persuaded someone to change their mind.
Show that you listened first, and built your case around what mattered to them.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you explained something complicated to someone unfamiliar with it.
Say how you found out what they already knew and how you checked they understood.
Practise this questionGive an example of a time communication broke down.
Own your part, explain how you put it right and say what you do differently now.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you changed how you communicated for a particular person or audience.
Say what you changed and why, with a detail that shows it worked.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you presented to a group.
Focus on how you prepared for that audience and how you handled their questions.
Practise this questionAdapting to change questions
Be honest if a change was hard. What counts is what you did next.
Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a change at work.
Say how it affected you, then show how you got on with it.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you had to learn something new quickly.
Say how you chose what to learn first and how you put it to use.
Practise this questionGive an example of a time your plans changed at the last minute.
Explain how you reprioritised, and who you told.
Practise this questionDescribe a challenge you overcame.
Spend most of the answer on what you did when it was at its hardest.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you had to work without clear instructions.
Explain how you found out what was needed and checked your assumptions.
Practise this questionPressure and priorities questions
“I worked harder” isn’t much of an answer. Show how you decided what mattered most.
Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.
Choose real pressure, and say how you stayed organised.
Practise this questionDescribe a time several deadlines competed for your attention.
Explain how you weighed urgency against impact and told people about the trade-offs.
Practise this questionGive an example of how you met a tight deadline.
Say what you cut, delegated or reordered to get it done.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you missed a deadline.
Own it, explain how you limited the damage and say what you changed.
Practise this questionCustomer focus questions
These are common in retail, hospitality and service roles. “Customer” can also mean a patient, client or internal team.
Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult customer.
Show how you listened, fixed the problem and followed up.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you went above and beyond for a customer.
Choose something beyond your usual duties, and say why it mattered to them.
Practise this questionGive an example of how you resolved a complaint.
Explain how you found the real problem and checked that it stayed fixed.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you had to say no to a customer.
Show how you explained the reason and what you offered instead.
Practise this questionRead the full guide to customer service interview questions.
Mistakes and learning questions
Choose something real. These questions test whether you take responsibility and whether anything changed afterwards.
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Own a real error, explain how you fixed it and show what you do differently.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you failed.
Choose a real setback, take your share of the responsibility and end with what changed.
Practise this questionTell me about a time you received critical feedback.
Choose feedback that stung a little, and show what you did with it.
Practise this questionDescribe a time you set out to improve a skill.
Say why it mattered, how you practised and how you know it improved.
Practise this questionCommon questions
What is a STAR interview question?
It is a question that asks you to describe something you have done, usually starting “Tell me about a time…” or “Give an example of…”. The interviewer won’t usually mention STAR. The STAR technique is simply a good way to structure your answer.
How many of these should I prepare for?
You don’t need a separate answer for each one. A handful of flexible examples covering the skills in your job description will go a long way, because one experience can often answer several questions.
Will these exact questions come up in my interview?
They might not. These are common examples, not questions from any particular employer. Practise adapting your examples, rather than preparing one fixed answer per question.
Now say it out loud.
Use your own example. Record a first take, listen back and choose one thing to make clearer.