Competency-Based Interviews in the UK: How to Prepare
Last updated · Interview
A competency-based interview asks you to prove each skill in the job description with a real example of what you did in the past, usually in the STAR format: situation, task, action, result. UK interviewers score each answer against a list of expected behaviours. To prepare, list the competencies from the job advert and prepare one or two strong, specific examples for each.
Key takeaways
- Each question targets one competency named in the job advert or person specification.
- Answers are scored against set indicators, so every candidate is judged on the same criteria.
- Specific, recent examples in which you personally acted score far higher than general statements.
- Spend most of each answer on your actions and finish with a clear, measurable result.
- Prepare at least one example per competency, plus a spare, because follow-up questions probe for detail.
What a competency-based interview is
A competency is a skill or behaviour an employer believes is needed to do the job well, such as working with others, managing a service, making decisions or communicating clearly. In a competency-based interview, the questions are built around these. Instead of asking "Are you good at handling conflict?", the interviewer asks "Tell me about a time you dealt with a disagreement in your team." The idea is simple: how you behaved in the past is a better guide to how you will behave in the job than what you say you would do.
This style is common across the UK. Many public sector bodies, local councils, universities, large employers and graduate schemes use it. The UK Civil Service uses a framework called Success Profiles, in which "Behaviours" are assessed with questions that work in the same way. Many NHS employers combine competency questions with values-based questions, which ask for examples of how you have shown values such as compassion and respect.
Where to find the competencies
You rarely need to guess. UK job adverts usually list the competencies or behaviours being assessed, either in the advert itself or in a person specification attached to it. Sometimes the application form asks for a written statement against each one, and the interview then asks about the same areas. Read these documents closely and make a list. Each item on it is a question you are likely to hear.
Common competencies include:
- Communicating and influencing
- Working together or teamwork
- Making effective decisions
- Delivering at pace or managing workload
- Leadership and developing others
- Customer or service focus
- Problem solving and analysis
- Adaptability and handling change
How answers are scored
This is what makes competency interviews different from informal conversations. Interviewers usually have a scoring sheet listing positive indicators (behaviours they want to hear) and negative indicators (behaviours that count against you) for each competency. They take notes during your answer and give each competency a score on a set scale. The candidate with the strongest total, often with a minimum score required on each competency, gets the offer.
This has practical consequences. Charm and general enthusiasm score little on their own. An answer only scores if it contains the evidence the panel is listening for. If a question is about decision making, the panel wants to hear how you gathered information, weighed options, considered risks and explained the decision to others. If you leave out a step, they cannot give you credit for it, even if you did it.
How to structure your answers with STAR
The STAR method is the standard structure in the UK, and panels expect it even when they do not mention it.
| Step | What to include | Share of the answer |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | Where you were, the context and why it mattered | Brief |
| Task | What you were responsible for or asked to achieve | Brief |
| Action | The steps you personally took, in order, and why | Most of the answer |
| Result | What happened, with numbers where possible, and what you learned | Short but specific |
Use "I" rather than "we" for the action step. Panels are assessing you, not your team. The STAR answer builder helps you turn rough notes into a clear structure.
A sample answer
Question: Tell me about a time you had to deliver a piece of work under pressure.
"I was an administrator in a busy GP surgery when our patient recall system failed a week before flu clinics were due to start. I was asked to make sure every eligible patient was invited on time. I exported the eligible list from the clinical system, split it by age group and priority, and agreed with the practice manager that we would text first and phone only those without a mobile number. I set up a shared tracker so two colleagues and I could log calls without duplicating them. We invited just over eleven hundred patients in four days, the clinics ran fully booked, and the tracker is now part of our standard recall process."
Notice how it names the situation briefly, spends most of its length on specific actions, mentions working with others, and ends with a measurable result and a lasting change.
Common competency questions
- Tell me about a time you had to explain something complex to someone without your background.
- Describe a time you disagreed with a colleague or manager. What did you do?
- Give an example of a decision you made with incomplete information.
- Tell me about a time you had several priorities competing for your time.
- Describe a time you improved a process or way of working.
- Tell me about a time you supported a colleague to develop.
- Give an example of when you dealt with a difficult customer or service user.
- Tell me about a time something did not go to plan. See our guide on tell me about a time you failed.
The interview practice tool gives you role-specific questions to practise, and our interview questions by profession pages include behavioural questions with sample answers.
How to prepare, step by step
- List the competencies. Take them from the advert and person specification.
- Collect examples. Think across your work, study, volunteering and caring roles. Recent examples, ideally from the past few years, are stronger.
- Match examples to competencies. Aim for one main and one backup example for each. One example can cover two competencies, but avoid relying on the same story for everything.
- Write bullet points in STAR order. Note the key actions and any numbers. Do not write a script.
- Check against the indicators. If the framework lists behaviours, make sure your action steps show them.
- Practise out loud. Aim for about two to three minutes per answer, and practise answering follow-ups such as "What would you do differently?"
Mistakes that cost marks
- Answering hypothetically ("I would...") when asked for a real example.
- Spending most of the answer on background and running out of time for actions.
- Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
- Ending without a result, or with a vague one such as "it went well".
- Choosing an example that is too small to show the competency at the level of the job.
Other parts of UK interviews
Competency questions are often only part of the process. You may also face strength-based questions, which ask what you enjoy and do well, a presentation, a written exercise or a technical test. Some interviews start with a short motivation question, such as why you want the role. Our guides on panel interviews and why do you want to work here help with these. If you are still writing your application, see our UK CV format guide.
For a complete preparation plan, read our interview preparation guide.