Competency-based interview in English: what to expect and how to prepare
Short answer
A competency-based interview asks for real examples of things you have done, usually starting with "Tell me about a time when…". Prepare short stories for the skills in the job advert and tell each one with the STAR shape: situation, task, action, result.
What to expect in a competency-based interview
- The question style: "Tell me about a time when…", "Give me an example of…", "Describe a situation where…"
- The skills: Usually listed in the job description: teamwork, communication, problem solving, customer focus, leadership, working under pressure.
- Follow-up questions: The interviewer may ask "What did you do exactly?" or "What was the result?" to get more detail.
- Scoring: Answers are often scored against a list of behaviours for each skill, so the details you give matter.
How to prepare
- List the skills: Underline each skill in the job advert and person specification.
- Find one story per skill: Choose a real moment from work, study or volunteering for each skill. One story can sometimes cover two skills.
- Write each story in STAR notes: Write four short lines: situation, task, action, result. Most of the detail belongs in the action.
- Practise in the past tense: Say each story out loud in the simple past: "I spoke", "I checked", "I decided".
- Prepare a result for each: Say what changed. If you do not have a number, describe the change in words.
English phrases for a competency-based interview
Learn two or three of these so they come easily when you are nervous.
- Starting the story: "A good example is from my last job, when…"
- Making your part clear: "My role in this was to…"
- Ordering your actions: "First, I… Then I… After that, I…"
- Giving the result: "As a result, … and what I learned was…"
- If you need a moment to choose: "Can I take a moment to think of the best example?"
Common mistakes for non-native speakers
- Answering with what you usually do ("I always help customers") instead of one real time it happened.
- Saying "we" through the whole story, so the interviewer cannot see what you did.
- Spending most of the time on the situation and very little on your actions.
- Switching between present and past tense in the same story, which can make the order of events unclear.
- Inventing a story. Follow-up questions often show the gaps.
Questions people ask
Is a competency-based interview the same as a behavioural interview?
They are very similar. Both ask for past examples, and both are usually answered with the STAR shape.
Can I use the same example twice?
It is better to have a different story for each question. If you must reuse one, focus on a different part of it.
What if I do not have an example?
Say so honestly and give the closest example you have, from study, volunteering or daily life, or explain what you would do.
Related guides
Practise a competency-based interview
Answer real questions in a practice competency-based interview, out loud or in writing, and see what an interviewer may notice and what to fix first. Free to start, no card needed.