Competency-Based and Behavioural Interview Questions: 25 Common Questions and How to Answer

The competency-based interview questions UK employers ask most, grouped by skill, with what each one is really testing, how they are scored and a simple way to prepare.

By Tony Musso on Sat Oct 17 2026

Competency-based interview questions ask you to prove a skill with a real example from your past. Instead of "are you good at teamwork?", the interviewer asks "tell me about a time you worked as part of a team to solve a problem". Your answer is then scored against what a good example looks like.

They are used across UK employers: the NHS, local councils, the Civil Service, retailers, banks, graduate schemes and many private companies. They can feel daunting, but they are also the most predictable kind of interview, because the competencies are usually listed in the job description. This guide gives you the common questions by skill, explains what interviewers want, and shows how to prepare.

How competency interviews work

Before the interview, the employer decides which competencies matter for the role, often four to six of them. Each interviewer has a list of questions and a scoring guide that describes weak, acceptable and strong answers. They take notes while you speak and score each answer afterwards, sometimes with follow-up questions to probe the detail.

That means:

• The job description is your best clue. Phrases like "excellent communication skills" or "able to prioritise a busy workload" point to the competencies you will be asked about.
• Structure matters. Interviewers are listening for specific evidence, so a clear story is easier to score.
• Your actions are what count. A great team result scores little if you cannot say what you personally did.

The standard way to structure answers is the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Our STAR method guide has five worked examples.

25 common competency-based questions

Teamwork

1. Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team to achieve a goal.
2. Describe a situation where you had to work with someone you found difficult.
3. Give an example of when you helped a colleague who was struggling.

What they want: that you cooperate, share information, deal with disagreement calmly and put the team's goal ahead of your own preferences.

Communication

1. Tell me about a time you had to explain something complicated to someone.
2. Describe a situation where you had to persuade someone to see things your way.
3. Give an example of when you had to deliver bad news.

What they want: that you adapt your message to your audience, listen as well as talk, and get the outcome you needed.

Problem solving and decision making

1. Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.
2. Describe a decision you made without all the information you wanted.
3. Give an example of when you spotted a problem before it became serious.

What they want: a logical approach. You gathered information, weighed options and acted, then checked the result.

Organisation and working under pressure

1. Tell me about a time you had several deadlines at once.
2. Describe a situation where you were under a lot of pressure.
3. Give an example of how you plan and prioritise your work.

What they want: that you stay calm, plan, communicate early when something will slip and still deliver.

Customer focus

1. Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for a customer.
2. Describe a situation where you dealt with an angry or upset customer.
3. Give an example of when you improved a customer's experience.

What they want: empathy, patience and a practical resolution, without breaking policy or promising what you cannot deliver.

Leadership and initiative

1. Tell me about a time you took the lead on something.
2. Describe a time you motivated others.
3. Give an example of when you used your initiative.

What they want: that you take responsibility without being asked. You do not have to be a manager to answer these.

Adaptability and change

1. Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a big change at work.
2. Describe a situation where your plans changed at the last minute.
3. Give an example of when you learned something new quickly.

What they want: a positive attitude to change and evidence you can get up to speed.

Integrity and resilience

1. Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
2. Describe a situation where you had to stand up for what was right.
3. Give an example of when you received critical feedback.
4. Tell me about a setback and how you recovered.

What they want: honesty, ownership and learning. Pick a real mistake with a sensible fix, not a disguised boast.

Behavioural interview questions

Behavioural interview questions are the same idea under another name: the interviewer asks how you behaved in a real situation, because past behaviour is the best guide to how you will act in the job. The Civil Service calls them behaviour questions, many private employers say behavioural, and the NHS and councils often say competency-based. You answer all of them the same way, with one specific example structured with STAR.

You can usually spot one from how it starts:

• "Tell me about a time when you..."
• "Describe a situation where you..."
• "Give me an example of..."
• "What did you do when..."
• "Walk me through how you handled..."

Some common behavioural questions, and the competency each one is really testing:

If a question is phrased as a hypothetical ("what would you do if..."), that is a situational question rather than a behavioural one. It is still fine to say what you would do and then back it up with a time you did something similar, which makes the answer more convincing.

How answers are scored

Most employers use a simple scale, often 1 to 4 or 1 to 5, or the Civil Service's 1 to 7 scale. A typical scoring guide looks for:

Negative indicators matter too. Blaming others, losing your temper in the story or breaking rules to get a result can all cost marks.

How to prepare in one evening

1. List the competencies. Pull them from the job description and person specification.
2. Find two examples for each. Work, volunteering, education, sport, caring and part-time jobs all count.
3. Write each in STAR note form. Bullet points, not a script.
4. Add numbers. How many customers, how much money saved, how many days early.
5. Practise out loud. Aim for about two minutes per answer.
6. Prepare for follow-ups. "What would you do differently?" and "How did the other person react?" are common.

If you are applying for the Civil Service, the questions follow the published behaviours. Our guide to Civil Service behaviours explains each one and how it is scored.

If you have little work experience

Use what you have. A group project shows teamwork, a part-time job shows customer focus, organising a club event shows leadership, and juggling exams with a job shows organisation. Interviewers for entry-level roles expect examples from outside work and score them the same way.

Know what you are good at Career Strengths identifies your natural strengths, which makes it much easier to pick the right examples for each competency.

Take Career Strengths

For the rest of the interview, see our guides to general interview questions and answers and questions to ask at the end of an interview. If you are applying through an assessment centre, expect competency questions there too.

Not sure which direction fits? A career test can narrow the field, if you pick one that shows its reasoning.