Competency-based interview questions

What is a competency-based interview?

In a competency-based interview, the questions focus on what you have done rather than what you would do. Each one targets a skill or behaviour the employer has decided the job needs, such as working with others, making decisions or handling pressure. You may also hear it called a behavioural interview.

A general claim like “I’m a good communicator” gives the panel very little to go on. A specific example gives them something to write down and compare with other candidates’ answers.

How to prepare

1. List the competencies.

   Go through the job description and person specification, and mark each skill or behaviour they ask for. Employers often list them directly.

2. Find one or two examples for each.

   Use recent examples where you can, from work, study or volunteering. One experience can sometimes cover two competencies, but don’t rely on one story for everything.

3. Outline each one with STAR.

   Use the STAR technique: note the situation, your task, what you did and the result. Keep the setup short and put most of your notes under the action.

4. Say them out loud.

   Rehearse from your notes rather than a script, and try each example with a differently worded question so you get used to adapting it.

Read the full STAR method guide, with a template to copy.

Common competency-based questions

These are common examples for each competency, not questions from any particular employer. The wording will vary, so prepare the example rather than the exact answer.

See more than 40 questions to practise, grouped by competency.

Two example answers

These are original illustrations, not real applicants’ answers. Use the structure with your own experience.

Situation I was a fundraising assistant at a small charity when we found out, three weeks before the deadline, that we could still apply for a grant we had thought was closed.

Task I was asked to bring the application together, including the budget and letters of support, on top of my usual work.

Action I split the application into sections and worked backwards from the deadline, leaving three days for checks. I agreed dates with our finance officer and two partners, and sent each of them a short reminder a few days before. When one letter looked likely to be late, I called the partner and offered to draft it for them to edit.

Result We submitted two days early and we won the grant. I now use the same plan for all our larger applications.

The speaker shows planning at each stage, and spots a risk before it becomes a problem. The answer to “Give an example of how you met a tight deadline” is in the actions, not in saying they’re organised.

Same question. Your story.Free, no account neededUp to two minutesRecord my answer

Situation I was a duty assistant at a leisure centre when I noticed that some children’s swimming sessions were running with one fewer qualified person than our written procedure required.

Task Setting the rota wasn’t my job, but I couldn’t leave it, and I wanted to raise it in a way that would get it fixed.

Action I checked the procedure and the last few rotas, so that I had my facts right. Then I spoke to the duty manager privately and showed them what I had found, without assuming why it had happened. A rota template had been copied with an old number on it. I offered to check the next month’s rota with them.

Result The template was corrected that week, and the sessions were properly staffed from then on. The manager thanked me for raising it and added a rota check to the monthly routine.

The speaker checks the facts, raises the problem with the right person and doesn’t assign blame. That is what a panel wants to hear on a question about integrity.

Same question. Your story.Free, no account neededUp to two minutesRecord my answer

What panels listen for

• One specific occasion. “I always make sure…” tells them less than “Last spring, I…”.
• Your own contribution. Say “I” for what you did and “we” for what the group did.
• The reasoning behind your actions. Why you chose to do it that way often shows the skill better than the action itself.
• A clear outcome. Say what changed, and what you learned if that’s relevant.
• The right level. An example for a management role should show more responsibility than one for an entry-level job.

Competency, strengths and values questions

An interview can mix different types of question, so it helps to recognise each one.

• Competency questions ask what you have done. Use one specific example, and STAR works well.
• Strengths questions ask what you enjoy and do well. They tend to be shorter and more natural, so a full STAR story often isn’t needed.
• Values questions ask whether the way you work matches what the organisation cares about. You will often meet these in NHS recruitment, where a real example helps show your values.

Read how to answer “What are your strengths?”.

See values-based questions in the nursing interview guide.

See how Civil Service interviews assess behaviours and strengths.

Common mistakes

• Answering with what you would do. The question asks what you did, so bring it back to a real example.
• Telling the same story for every competency. A panel can notice, and it suggests you have a narrow range of experience.
• Ignoring the person specification. It often tells you which competencies you will be asked about.
• Spending most of the answer on the background. Panels score your evidence, and your evidence is mostly in the action.
• Choosing a recent example that shows the wrong skill. An older, relevant example is better, as long as you can remember it clearly.

Practise your examples

A written outline can feel finished long before it sounds right. Record each example out loud, then listen for whether your own actions are clear and whether the result arrives before you run out of time. DontBlank gives you feedback on structure and relevance alongside your pace, pauses and filler words. It is practice feedback, not a prediction of how a panel would score you.

Generate practice questions from your CV and the job description.