Predict
Highlight the person specification’s behaviours, duties and outcomes. Rewrite each one as “Tell me about a time…” and “How would you…” questions.
UK interview question bank
21 common job interview questions—with a plan for answering each one.
A useful question list should tell you what the interviewer is trying to learn, how to shape relevant evidence and what weakens an answer. Use these plans to prepare; do not memorise them as scripts.
The short answer
Start with the job description: every essential requirement can become a question. Prepare four to six real examples, then use the list below to practise motivation, competency, development and closing questions. Say what you personally did and never invent a number or result.
Researched and reviewed 13 September 2026. Links and services can change; verify the vacancy or process on the destination website.
How to use this list
Prepare evidence first, wording second.
Select
Choose four to six examples that cover multiple behaviours. One project can show planning, communication and problem solving when each claim is true.
Practise
Say answers aloud, vary the question wording and ask a friend to probe: “What did you do?”, “Why?” and “What happened?”
21 questions
What they are testing, a useful structure and the trap to avoid.
1. Tell me about yourself
They are testing: Can you summarise the relevant thread in your experience?
Build the answer: Present role or recent experience → two relevant strengths with evidence → why this role is the logical next step.
Avoid: Do not retell your life story or read your CV line by line.
2. Why do you want this role?
They are testing: Do you understand the work, and is your motivation credible?
Build the answer: Name two real responsibilities that attract you and connect each to experience, ability or a considered development goal.
Avoid: Avoid answers based only on pay, convenience or generic enthusiasm.
3. Why do you want to work here?
They are testing: Have you researched this employer rather than any employer?
Build the answer: Use one relevant fact about the organisation, one about the role or team and one reason that matters to your work.
Avoid: Do not flatter the brand or recite the About page.
4. What are your strengths?
They are testing: Which useful qualities can you prove?
Build the answer: Choose two strengths from the person specification and give a short example or result for each.
Avoid: Do not give a list of adjectives with no evidence.
5. What is a weakness you are working on?
They are testing: Are you self-aware and able to improve?
Build the answer: Choose a genuine, non-critical development area; explain its effect, the action you take and the progress you have observed.
Avoid: Avoid fake weaknesses such as perfectionism or a weakness that makes the core job unsafe.
6. Why are you leaving your current job?
They are testing: Is the move thoughtful and professionally explained?
Build the answer: Keep it forward-looking: the scope, development or environment you seek, plus why this vacancy fits.
Avoid: Do not criticise individuals or disclose confidential disputes.
7. Why is there a gap in your CV?
They are testing: Can you explain the timeline clearly?
Build the answer: State the reason briefly, mention relevant activity if any, and move to your readiness and fit now.
Avoid: Do not apologise repeatedly or invent courses and responsibilities.
8. Tell me about a difficult problem you solved
They are testing: How do you investigate, decide and act?
Build the answer: Use STAR. Make your diagnosis and personal actions clearer than the background.
Avoid: Do not choose a story where the problem disappears by luck.
9. Tell me about a time you worked under pressure
They are testing: Can you prioritise without losing standards?
Build the answer: Explain competing demands, how you assessed urgency, who you informed and what you protected.
Avoid: Avoid presenting constant crisis as a sign of good planning.
10. Give an example of teamwork
They are testing: How do you contribute with other people?
Build the answer: Describe the shared goal, your distinct contribution, how you communicated and the team result.
Avoid: Do not say only ‘we’; make your contribution visible without taking all the credit.
11. Tell me about a disagreement at work
They are testing: Can you handle conflict constructively?
Build the answer: Focus on the work issue, how you listened, the evidence or compromise used and the outcome.
Avoid: Do not make the other person the villain.
12. Tell me about a mistake or failure
They are testing: Do you take responsibility and learn?
Build the answer: Choose a real, recoverable example; own your part, explain the correction and show what changed afterwards.
Avoid: Do not claim you never fail or choose a disguised success.
13. Describe a time you improved something
They are testing: Can you notice and deliver useful change?
Build the answer: Explain the original problem, how you involved affected people, what you changed and how you assessed it.
Avoid: Do not claim a team-wide improvement without explaining your role.
14. How do you prioritise your workload?
They are testing: Is your method reliable when demands compete?
Build the answer: Explain your criteria—risk, deadline, dependency and impact—then give a short example and communication step.
Avoid: Avoid ‘I just work harder’ as the whole method.
15. How would you deal with a difficult customer or stakeholder?
They are testing: Can you remain calm, understand the issue and act within policy?
Build the answer: Use a real example if possible: listen, clarify, acknowledge, resolve or escalate, document and follow up.
Avoid: Do not promise the customer anything outside your authority.
16. How do you ensure accuracy or quality?
They are testing: Do you have a repeatable method?
Build the answer: Describe checks, standards, tools or peer review and one time the method prevented or caught an issue.
Avoid: Do not simply say you pay attention to detail.
17. What would you do in your first 30–90 days?
They are testing: Can you learn before changing things?
Build the answer: Structure around learn → relationships → early delivery. Adapt to the seniority and information available.
Avoid: Do not promise sweeping change before understanding the organisation.
18. What achievement are you most proud of?
They are testing: What do you value, and can you explain your impact?
Build the answer: Choose an achievement relevant to the role; explain difficulty, contribution, result and why it mattered.
Avoid: Do not choose prestige over relevance.
19. Where do you see yourself in a few years?
They are testing: Does the role fit a plausible direction?
Build the answer: Discuss skills, responsibility or contribution you want to develop and how this role provides a credible next step.
Avoid: Avoid promising a title on a fixed date or implying this role is temporary.
20. What are your salary expectations?
They are testing: Are expectations aligned with the role and market?
Build the answer: Use the advertised range where available. Otherwise give a researched range, explain flexibility around the total package and ask about budget.
Avoid: Do not invent a current salary or give an unresearched number.
21. Do you have any questions for us?
They are testing: Have you thought seriously about the work and decision?
Build the answer: Ask about success, priorities, team, support and next steps—questions that help you judge the role.
Avoid: Do not say no, and do not ask only questions answered in the advert.
Worked STAR example
A clear answer shows the decision, not just the happy ending.
Question
“Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities.”
What this tests: judgement, planning, communication and delivery under pressure.
Answer plan
Situation: Two client reports were due when an urgent data correction affected one deadline.
Task: Deliver accurate work without leaving either client uninformed.
Action: I checked the impact, separated work that could continue, agreed priority with my manager, told both contacts what to expect and added a second check before release.
Result: Both reports were delivered to the agreed revised times, and the added check became part of the next reporting cycle.
Only use this structure with your own facts. If your result was qualitative, say so rather than adding a fabricated percentage.
Your six-story bank
Fill these evidence slots before practising.
- Problem solved: the issue, your diagnosis, action and result.
- Pressure or priorities: what competed, how you decided and who you informed.
- Teamwork: the shared goal, your contribution and how you worked with others.
- Communication: the audience, difficulty, choice of approach and response.
- Improvement: the original weakness, your proposal, implementation and evidence of change.
- Setback or feedback: your responsibility, correction, learning and changed behaviour.
Answer quality check
Before you call an answer ready, test these six things.
- It answers the question asked, not merely the example you wanted to use.
- The context is brief enough that your decisions remain the focus.
- It distinguishes your contribution from the team’s contribution.
- It connects to a requirement in this vacancy.
- Every number, date, tool, responsibility and outcome is accurate.
- It ends with a result, learning or clear reflection instead of trailing off.
Research reference: Prospects’ interview questions guide, alongside the role-specific method in the National Careers Service interview advice.
Your interview answers should be supported by the CV they received.
Use the vacancy and your evidence to build a focused UK CV. Preview the document free, then pay once only if you choose to download the PDF.
FAQ
Questions job seekers ask.
What are the most common interview questions in the UK?+
Expect questions about your experience, motivation, strengths, development areas and reasons for applying, plus competency questions tied to the person specification. The advert is a better predictor than any universal list.
Should I memorise answers?+
Memorise the facts, examples and structure—not complete sentences. Listening and adapting to the exact wording is more important than delivering a polished answer to a different question.
How long should an interview answer be?+
Use enough detail to answer clearly, then stop. A motivation answer may take under a minute; a substantial competency example may need two or three. Watch the interviewer and invite a follow-up rather than filling silence.
What if I have no work example?+
Use a truthful example from study, volunteering, caring responsibilities, projects or community activity if the behaviour transfers. Be clear about the context and never present it as employment when it was not.