Competency-based Interview 2026. Practice Interviews. Full Guide. 

1. Introduction

Not sure if you should practice to prepare for your CBI test? More than half of all candidates are rejected at the first interview stage (Fennell, 2022).

Let’s dive in!

What are Competency Based Interviews?

What is a competency based interview?

Competency based interviews or CBI tests are used to evaluate the key skills or competencies a candidate is required for a particular position. This type of interview involves a set of 4 to 8 predetermined questions relating to specific skills needed for the job.

CBI Interviews are often used based on the idea that the best predictor of future performance is past and present performance. Due to this, CBI assessments are structured to ask questions about how you have applied particular skills when handling tasks and challenges in your past experiences.

Your answers to these competency questions are then compared to pre-set standards to assess your suitability for the position.

CBI assessments are sometimes referred to as structured, behavioural or situational interviews. However, there are some key differences in how these are assessed. One key difference is how your competencies are assessed.

In our short video below, we explain what competencies are and how you can showcase your abilities and experiences during a competency-based interview:

Next, let’s cover how these competency-based interviews are assessed.  

2. How are Competency Based Interviews Assessed?

Competency-based interview questions assess real-life examples demonstrating how you’ve applied key skills relevant to the role. The interviewer will take notes of your responses and review them after the interviews to assess which candidate showcased these skills the best.

Now, let’s see the basic competencies that are mainly assessed in competency-based interviews. 

Top 9 Competencies Assessed in Competency Based Interviews

Many employers and industries look for the same key skills for all roles. Below are the 9 most common competencies interviewers often focus on:

There are various industries which have competency-based interviews as a part of the recruitment process. Let’s see which industries these are. 

3. What Industries Use Competency Based Interviews?

CBI interviews are one of the most commonly used interview types by employers across various industries. Some of the key industries and roles that make use  of CBIs include:

Industry	Role	Competencies Assessed
Finance	. Financial Analyst  . Bank Manager  . Auditor  . Tax Advisor	. Communication  . Problem-solving  . Decision Making . Commercial Awareness
Healthcare	. Nurses  . Administration/ Management . Emergency Care Assistant  . Pharmacist	. Communication  . Teamworking  . Planning and Organising  . People Management
Government	. Government Administration  . Civil Servants  . Policy Adviser  . Police	. Communication  . Leadership  . Decision Making  . Teamworking
Consulting	. Management Consultants  . Data Analysts  . Project Managers  . Risk Analyst	. Communication  . People Management  . Problem Solving  . Commercial Awareness
Law	. Paralegals  . Legal Executives  . Solicitors  . Mediators	. Communication . Planning and Organising   . Decision Making   . Teamworking

Many global employers among the above industries use competency-based interviews. Let’s see which are the most common employers that use CBI interviews. 

Companies That Use Competency Based Interviews

Which companies use competency-based interviews? 

Competency based assessments are used by several companies, including:

Accenture	Amazon	Deloitte
JP Morgan	PwC	P&G
Google	Apple	Microsoft
Barclays	Unilever	Goldman Sachs

Several companies are now opting for competency interviews because it is very beneficial by making it simple and easy to hire the right candidate for a position. 

But what are these benefits? Keep reading to find out!

Key Benefits of Competency Based Interviews for Employers and Candidates

What are the key benefits of competency-based interviews for employers and candidates alike? 

Below are the 5 key benefits of competency interviews for employers and for candidates like you:

For Employers:

1. A more accurate evaluation of candidate skills using past experiences.
2. Gives the interviewing process consistency and order as the same questions are used across all candidates.
3. Helps in promoting diversity and minimising hiring prejudice as the questions are predetermined.
4. The answers given to these questions can uncover the key strengths and development areas of each candidate.
5. Improves many aspects of the candidate interview experience, resulting in a favourable employer brand.

For You:

1. These interviews are a good opportunity for you to display your specific skills and experiences to your interviewer.
2. Competency interviews can help provide you with a clearer understanding of the skills you’ll need for the job.
3. By giving an interview structure, it helps in lowering stress and anxiety.
4. Competency interview questions are easier to prepare for ahead of time.
5. Provides insightful feedback on your key strengths and development areas.

Because of these key reasons, employers around the world are utilising competency-based interviews to evaluate the skills and suitability of job applicants for management or administrative roles.

Therefore, you need to prepare for competency interviews and understand the key questions that we might be asked. So, how do we prepare? Keep reading to find out!

4. How to Prepare for a Competency Based Interview? 

Below, we highlight 7 key tips that can help and guide you in your preparation for your upcoming CBI interview.

Top 7 Tips to Prepare Competency-based Interviews

1. Research: Research the position and company you are applying for to determine if competency-based questions are likely to be asked during the interview. Consider the values of the company and the skills they often seek.
2. Identify the competencies required for the role: A good place to start is by checking the job description to understand the key responsibilities and skills required for the job.
3. Familiarise yourself with competency-based questions: Understand questions that are commonly used by the employer. You may find examples of these online or using an online interview practice platform.
4. Practice: Practice structuring your answers to common competency-based questions to better prepare for the interview or assessment. A popular structure to use for your answers is the STAR method.
5. Use your experience: Ensure to use scenarios from your experience that show these competencies in your answers. Use your own experiences from your past jobs or studies. Consider multiple examples for each question.
6. Recite answers: After constructing good answers for each of the potential capability questions that could be asked during the interview, you should practice your answers until they come naturally to you and you feel confident with them.

CBI Interview Question Example

Keep reading as we highlight some common competency based interview questions that you can use in your preparation for your interview.

5. Most Common Competency Based Interview Questions

Competency questions asked during interviews are designed to assess whether you have the necessary competencies required to succeed in the role. Many competency questions could be used across different roles and industries.

What are the most common competency based interview questions?

Here are some of the most common competency questions that you may be asked in an interview:

• Describe a situation where you have had to work as part of a team.
• Tell us about a time when your communication skills improved a situation.
• What big decision did you make recently, and how did you go about it?
• Describe a time when you were required to lead a team project.
• Tell us about a situation where you had to use effective time management and achieved success.
• Give an example of a challenge you faced at work and how you overcame it.
• Discuss a situation where you were asked to do something you had never previously attempted.
• What was the biggest change that you have had to deal with? How did you cope with it?
• Describe a big project you’ve planned and executed yourself.
• How do you manage your time and prioritise tasks?

Now that we’ve covered some of the most common competency questions, let’s cover how to answer CBI questions to impress.

How to Answer Competency Based Questions?

There are different techniques to answer competency questions effectively. Here are the most common methods to answer competency-based questions: 

1. STAR+R
2. CAR
3. PARADE
4. PAR 
5. GICF

The most common of these being the STAR+R method, each of the different CBI techniques below has a different approach to offer. Without further ado, let’s get into these methods. 

STAR+R Method

STAR+R is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result, and Reflect. The STAR+R method is a useful strategy to help structure your answers to communicate important points effectively and concisely. For every answer you give using the STAR+R competency method, it would be structured like this:

• Situation: Describe the situation you were confronted with.
• Task: Explain the task or project you had to execute in the situation.
• Action: Explain what you did, how you did it, and your reasons for the steps you took.
• Result: Conclude your answer by detailing the outcome of your action.
• Reflect: Look back on the experience to see what you have learnt and how you believe you can do better next time.

Check out our video below, which explains how you can answer competency-based interview questions using the STAR+R Method:

Next, let’s check out the CAR method.

CAR Method

CAR stands for Context/Challenge, Action, and Result. The CAR method is essentially similar to the STAR method of answering CBI questions, with the only difference being that it combines the situation and task into one, which is the ‘context or challenge’.

• Context/Challenge: Describe the situation and the task you faced.
• Action: Explain the steps you took to approach and solve the challenges.
• Result: Highlight the results you achieved and what you learned from the experience.

Next up is the PARADE method.

PARADE Method

PARADE stands for Problem, Anticipated consequence, Role, Action, Decision-making rationale, and End result. This is especially helpful for case study questions that may demand a more in-depth assessment of the way you think.

• Problem: The challenge you experienced.
• Anticipated Consequence: The implications of the problem, if it were left unchecked.
• Role: Explain the role you played in resolving the problem.
• Action: The steps you initiated to solve the problem. Be specific.
• Decision-making Rationale: Explain why you decided to take the actions that you did.
• End Result: Finish with your findings and the outcome of your actions.

Now, let’s move on to another effective method of answering CBI questions, i.e., the PAR method:

PAR Method

PAR stands for Problem, Action, and Result. This is another variation of the STAR method. It is a more condensed variant of STAR+R that emphasises getting to the point more quickly rather than providing context. This is useful when the interviewer already has an idea or context of the situation.

1. Problem: The issue you encountered and had to deal with.
2. Action: How you approached the problem and the steps you took to solve it.
3. Result: The result of your actions.

Next, let’s know more about the GICF method:

GICF Method

GICF is an acronym for Goal, Impact, Challenges, and Findings. This method is especially useful in interviews that are for data science positions. Using this method makes it easy to structure your answers for questions that require you to talk about a previous data science or research-based project.

• Goal: Summarise the goal of the project you participated in.
• Impact: Highlight the project’s potential by mentioning the benefits of the project’s outcome and its final results.
• Challenges: Discuss the problems the project encountered, how it was solved, and the role you played in solving them. It is advisable to always aim to mention two or three technical and non-technical problems the project faced.
• Findings: Share an interesting observation that came up during the execution of the project.

Using any of these models to structure your answers to questions during a CBI interview ensures that you are telling the interviewer what they want to hear and you are highlighting your competencies in the best fashion possible.

Now, let’s try to answer one of the above CBI interview questions using the STAR+R method.

Competency Based Interview Question and Answer

Continue reading below for an example of what an answer to a competency based question would look like using the STAR+R competency method.

Question: Tell us about a situation where you had to use effective time management and achieved success.

Answer:

Our video below also gives an example answer to another commonly asked competency based question using the STAR+R Method.

Continue reading as we cover our top tips below to help you ace your upcoming competency interview.

6. Quickfire Tips to Ace Your Competency-Based Interview

Now that we’ve prepared and are aware of what questions we can expect, it’s time to ace the interview. To ensure your success during a competency-based assessment, here are some more quickfire tips to keep in mind.

Top 7 Tips to Ace Competency-based Interviews

1. Practice beforehand: Always practice your answers before your competency assessment test. Rehearse your answers in front of a mirror or with friends to get feedback on your delivery.
2. Keep it simple: Try to keep your answers as simple and straightforward as possible. Using the STAR+R or any other technique will help you keep your answers simple.
3. Use your experiences: Ensure to use one or some scenarios and situations from your experience that demonstrate your key competencies.
4. Be honest: Avoid making up an example in your answers, as it could come across as unbelievable and dishonest. Ensure to only use the experiences you have had so far.
5. Relate to the job: When answering questions, always try to consider how your answers relate to the role you are interviewing for. Do they demonstrate the key skills required in the role? How can you use these skills for the job?
6. Be positive: Always aim to demonstrate how your skills were shown and developed from these experiences. Consider turning a negative into a positive by showing how you are improving after a situation.
7. Maintain good body language: Ensure to keep relaxed eye contact and demonstrate active listening by nodding along and using subtle hand gestures while answering competency based questions. Consider how your tone and posture demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role

Practice common competency questions for your upcoming competency interview with GF. 

And with that, we’ve covered all you’ll need to know for your next competency interview. 

But wait!

Before you ace your next CBI interview, check out our FAQ section below to find even more answers to frequently asked questions concerning CBI interviews.

7. Competency-Based Interview FAQs