Competency-based interview questions for graduates and first jobs (UK)

A competency-based interview asks you to describe real times when you showed a skill, such as teamwork or problem solving, and scores each answer against set criteria. You do not need a long job history to answer well: study, part-time work, volunteering, clubs and caring responsibilities all count, as long as the example is true and you explain what you personally did. Prepare five to eight examples, tell each one in STAR order, and practise saying them aloud.

This guide is written for students, graduates, school leavers and anyone applying for a first role in the UK. It explains what these interviews are, how they differ from strengths-based interviews, where to find examples when you have little paid experience, and what the main formats look like. It includes three fictional worked answers that show the shape of a good response (never copy the content).

What is a competency-based interview?

A competency-based interview is a structured interview in which each question targets one skill or behaviour the employer has chosen for the job. Prospects, the graduate careers site, describes them as also called structured, behavioural or situational interviews, scored against set criteria, on the principle that past behaviour is the best guide to future performance (Prospects). Large graduate recruiters favour them, sometimes inside an assessment centre.

The questions usually begin "Tell me about a time when...", "Give an example of..." or "Describe how...". Prospects says candidates can typically expect three to six competency questions in a 45 to 60 minute interview and suggests having five to eight examples ready that you can adapt. Interviewers often follow up with questions such as what your own contribution was and what you would do differently (targetjobs).

Some interviews also include hypothetical questions that start "What would you do if...". targetjobs advises backing these up with a real, comparable example where you can. For scenario questions that ask what you would do, see our guide to situational interview questions.

Competency-based or strengths-based?

Many graduate employers now use strengths-based questions, either instead of competency questions or alongside them. A strengths-based interview focuses on what you enjoy and what energises you, rather than only what you can do. Prospects notes that employers value it for candidates without much work experience and because the answers are harder to rehearse. The questions come quickly: Prospects says there can be as many as 30 in an hour (Prospects). targetjobs says some employers are moving mainly to strengths while others mix both approaches (targetjobs).

The Civil Service is a useful public example. Its Success Profiles framework has five elements: behaviours, strengths, ability, experience and technical, and not every element applies to every role (GOV.UK). For strengths questions it says there are no right or wrong answers and advises against rehearsing, because it wants your first response (GOV.UK). For behaviours it suggests considering the STAR structure and says examples can come from work, work experience, volunteering or a hobby (GOV.UK).

The practical advice is to read your invitation and the advert closely, then prepare for both. Have a handful of true examples for competency questions, and spend some time thinking about what you genuinely enjoy and do well, so quick-fire questions do not catch you out. For the direct question "What are your weaknesses?", see our guide to answering the weaknesses question. For the opening question "Tell me about yourself", see our guide to answering tell me about yourself.

Which competencies are employers looking for?

Employers choose the competencies that matter for the role, so the advert is your best guide. The ones that come up most often in graduate and entry-level interviews include communication, teamwork, problem solving, leadership, organisation and time management, adaptability, resilience and commercial awareness (targetjobs, Prospects). Customer-facing skills and decision making are also common. For care roles, see our guide to care assistant interview questions and answers.

If you are applying to the Civil Service, the nine Behaviours currently published on GOV.UK are: Seeing the big picture, Changing and improving, Making effective decisions, Leadership, Communicating and influencing, Working together, Developing self and others, Managing a quality service, and Delivering at pace. Recruiters choose a selection for each role, so you will not be asked about all of them (GOV.UK).

Not every question is about the past. Commercial awareness questions, for example, can ask about a business story you have read recently and how it might affect the employer, because employers expect an understanding of their business and its marketplace (targetjobs).

What if you have little or no work experience?

This is the worry most first-job applicants have, and it is less of a barrier than it feels. The National Careers Service says that if you have little work history you can use examples from outside work and from volunteering, and that hobbies can show qualities such as teamwork and communication (National Careers Service). Its own sample STAR answers include a school fundraising bake sale and a mix-up at a flower shop (National Careers Service). targetjobs advises students and graduates to draw on studies, work experience and extracurricular activities, and to use a different example for each competency.

Skills England's Employability Skills Framework, published on GOV.UK in October 2026, makes a related point. It says young people often struggle to see the value of skills gained through education, volunteering, caring responsibilities, hobbies, sport and community activities, and that employers report candidates struggling to explain how those experiences show work-relevant skills (Skills England). Your job in the interview is to make that link clear.

Here are some places where true examples often come from. These are prompts to jog your memory, not a list to copy from.

One rule matters more than any other: describe what you really did. Do not imply that unpaid or informal experience was a paid job, and do not borrow an achievement that belongs to someone else. Our guide on skills for a CV shows how to back each skill with a real example, which works in an interview too.

Eight competency questions to practise

These are typical of the kind of questions you may be asked. Treat them as practice material, since employers choose questions to match the advert.

1. Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team to get something done. (Teamwork)
2. Describe a time you had to meet a tight deadline or juggle several demands. (Organisation)
3. Give an example of when you solved a problem without being told what to do. (Problem solving, initiative)
4. Tell me about a time you had to explain something to someone who did not understand it. (Communication)
5. Describe a time you got something wrong. What happened next? (Resilience, learning)
6. Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone you were working with. (Conflict, influencing)
7. Give an example of when you helped a customer or member of the public who was unhappy. (Customer focus)
8. Describe a time you took the lead without being the person in charge. (Leadership)

Three fictional worked answers

All three answers are invented to show the shape of a good response. The people, places and events are made up. Notice that most of each answer is the Action, every step is something the person did, and the Result links back to the original problem. If you want the full method, see our guide to the STAR method.

Question: Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team (a university student)

Question: Describe a time you helped an unhappy customer (a school leaver with a Saturday job)

Question: Describe a time you managed a tight deadline (a graduate with caring responsibilities)

Formats you may meet

One-way (pre-recorded) video interviews

You read or hear set questions and record your answers, with no interviewer present. Answer times are set by the employer and are often short: LSE Careers says 30 to 90 seconds is common, and targetjobs says typically one to three minutes with an on-screen timer (LSE Careers, targetjobs). Check whether you can retake an answer, because rules vary between employers. The National Careers Service suggests using the practice questions to find out, and recording yourself beforehand to check pace and clarity (National Careers Service). targetjobs recommends writing out and timing your practice answers. Our guide to what to wear to an interview covers camera, light and sound.

Telephone screens

A first-stage call is often an HR screen, and the questions are the same as face to face, including "tell me about a time you worked in a team". Prospects says these typically last 20 to 45 minutes and suggests a quiet location, keeping notes to bullet points because reciting is audible, and asking for a question to be repeated if you need it (Prospects).

Assessment centres and group exercises

These combine several tasks, which can include aptitude tests, an in-tray exercise, a group exercise, a presentation and interviews. targetjobs says you are assessed against the employer's criteria rather than against the other candidates (targetjobs). In group exercises you are judged mainly on how you work with others, so contribute without dominating and draw in quieter members, rather than aiming for a single right answer (targetjobs).

Be honest, including about AI

Competition for graduate roles is intense. The Institute of Student Employers reports 141 applications per graduate role in its 2026 Student Recruitment Report, published on 14 October 2026. In the same report, 92% of employers said they suspected or had confirmed candidate misconduct in assessment, and unauthorised use of AI in interviews and online assessments was the most common form (Institute of Student Employers). The report also says candidates are usually not allowed to use AI in online assessments, interviews or assessment centres, so follow the instructions you are given.

The ISE's head of insights adds that employers do not expect candidates to be perfectly polished or to have every skill. A true, modest example that you can explain fully is likely to hold up better under follow-up questions than an impressive one you cannot. Prospects likewise warns against embellishing, because invented examples can be checked.

Common mistakes

• Saying "we" throughout. Acknowledge the team, but be clear what you did and decided (Prospects).
• Giving hypothetical answers. "I would usually..." does not answer a question about a real time. Describe an actual event and how it ended.
• Leaving out the result. Say what changed, and what you learned if it is relevant.
• Sounding scripted. Prepare the main points of each story, but keep the delivery conversational.
• Using one example for everything. Overusing one story can look like limited experience, so aim for a spread.
• Spending too long on the Situation. The interviewer wants your actions.

Practise out loud

Reading your examples silently hides the places where you hesitate. Say each one aloud, time it, and ask a friend or your university careers service for a mock interview. Our guide on how to prepare for an AI interview covers practising with AI tools and where the evidence for them is thin. To practise these questions with a helper or on camera, see our guide to mock interview questions.

Check your CV tells the same story

Your interview examples should match your CV: the same dates, titles and responsibilities. Run the free CV scan, or try the free CV checker to catch missing dates and thin evidence before you apply. If you are listing school results, see our guide on how to list GCSEs and A-levels. The free scan checks run in your browser. If you ask for AI help, the relevant text is sent to our AI providers to produce it. Your work is saved in this browser. During the final CV build, working material is held encrypted on our server. The finished CV is held encrypted for up to 30 minutes after completion, then deleted, or sooner once received by your browser. See the privacy page for provider handling and optional sharing.

FAQs

What is a competency-based interview?

It is an interview where each question asks for a real example of a skill, such as teamwork or problem solving, and your answer is scored against set criteria. Questions often start "Tell me about a time when...".

How many examples should I prepare?

Five to eight is a practical number. Choose examples that cover different competencies from the advert, so that you can adapt them to the questions you are asked.

Can I use examples from university, school or volunteering?

Yes. The National Careers Service says examples can come from work, home life, volunteering and hobbies, and targetjobs adds studies and extracurricular activities. Describe what you really did and do not suggest it was paid work.

Is a strengths-based interview different?

Yes. A strengths-based interview asks what you enjoy and do well, often in quick-fire questions, rather than asking for detailed past examples. Many employers use both, so read your invitation and prepare for each.

How long should my answer be?

Follow any time limit the employer gives. On a one-way video interview, follow the on-screen timer, which is often between 30 seconds and three minutes. In person, keep each answer focused on what you did and stop once you have given the result.

How Evident helps

Evident compares your CV with the job advert, asks up to five targeted questions to find the experience you may not have written down, and drafts wording only from your answers, which you approve line by line. If you are a graduate or first-job seeker, those questions are how study, volunteering and caring responsibilities become evidence on your CV, and the same evidence gives you real examples for your interview.