Civil Service interview questions and how to answer them

Civil Service interviews mostly use three kinds of question. Behaviour questions ask for a real example of a time you did something, strength questions ask what you enjoy and do naturally, and technical questions test specialist knowledge for posts that need it. The advert lists the behaviours that will be assessed at interview, so you can prepare a specific example for each one. Strength questions are not shared in advance.

How the interview is run

Most interviews are with a small panel, often by video. The candidate pack or invitation says how long to allow. The chair usually explains the format at the start: how many questions there are, whether there is a presentation, and whether the panel will take notes while you talk. Each behaviour, strength and technical area is scored separately on the scale in the candidate pack, and the total decides your place in the merit list.

Panels ask a main question for each behaviour, then follow-up questions to test what you did yourself, why you chose that approach and what you learned. Silence while they write is normal. If a video interview is new to you, test the link and your sound beforehand.

Behaviour questions

The nine Civil Service behaviours each have indicators for every grade. The questions below are typical of what panels ask; the wording changes from campaign to campaign.

Behaviour	Example question
Seeing the Big Picture	Tell us about a time you made sure your work supported wider team or organisational goals.
Changing and Improving	Describe a time you spotted a way to improve a process and made it happen.
Making Effective Decisions	Give an example of a decision you made using evidence from different sources.
Leadership	Tell us about a time you set direction for others or kept a team motivated during change.
Communicating and Influencing	Describe a time you had to explain something complex to someone without your background.
Working Together	Give an example of working with people outside your team to deliver something.
Developing Self and Others	Tell us about a time you helped a colleague build a skill, or developed one of your own.
Managing a Quality Service	Describe a time you dealt with a customer or stakeholder to resolve a problem.
Delivering at Pace	Tell us about a time you had to meet a tight deadline with competing priorities.

Answering behaviour questions

Use one specific example per answer, set out in the STAR order: the situation, the task, what you did, and the result. Spend most of your time on the action. Say “I” for your own part and name what others did only to show how you worked with them.

Read the indicators for the grade you applied for and make sure your example shows several of them. An Executive Officer answer on Leadership might show you supporting colleagues through a change in a process. A Grade 7 answer would be expected to show you setting the direction and taking responsibility for the outcome. Our guide to Civil Service behaviours goes through the indicators in more detail.

Recent examples are easier to talk about convincingly. Work from outside government counts, and so do volunteering, study and caring, if the example meets the indicators.

Strength questions

Strength questions are short and often come one after another. They aim to find out what you do well and what gives you energy, so the panel listens to how you answer as much as what you say. Typical questions include:

• What kind of tasks do you enjoy most at work?
• How do you feel when plans change at the last minute?
• Do you prefer starting new things or finishing them off?
• What did you do recently that you were proud of?
• When do you find it hardest to stay focused?

There is no right answer to most of these. Answer honestly and briefly, add a sentence of example where it helps, and do not try to work out what the panel wants to hear. A rehearsed answer to a strength question is usually obvious. Strength-based interviews covers how to prepare without scripting.

Technical, experience and motivation questions

Specialist posts add technical questions. A policy role might ask how you would brief a minister on an issue in a single page, a digital role might ask you to explain a design decision, and a finance role might give you a short scenario with figures. The advert says if technical skills are assessed and often names the professional framework used.

Experience questions ask about your background directly, for example “Talk us through your CV and how it prepares you for this job”. Some panels also ask why you want to work in that department. Have a short answer that shows you know what the team does and where your skills fit.

Presentations and exercises

Some interviews start with a short presentation on a topic sent in advance, or a written exercise on the day. These are usually scored as a behaviour or a technical element and appear in the candidate pack. Preparing a presentation for an interview covers timing and structure.

If you have a disability and have opted into the Disability Confident scheme, you can still ask for adjustments at interview, such as extra time for an exercise or questions shown in writing. Ask through the contact named in the advert.

After the interview

Your scores are combined across all the elements assessed at interview and, in some campaigns, with your sift scores. Candidates who pass are ranked, and the highest are offered posts. If you pass but are not at the top, you may be placed on a reserve list and offered a similar job later.