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Sample scenario interview questions

Scenario questions ask what you would do in a situation, such as an upset customer or two urgent tasks at once. They test how you think. A strong answer says how you'd understand the problem, what you'd do first and why, who you'd involve, and how you'd check it worked. Here are 12 to practise.

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How to answer a scenario question

There's rarely one right answer. The panel wants to hear how you think. Walk them through it in this order:

  1. Check you understand. Say the problem back in a few words. In a live interview, it's fine to ask a question if something matters and isn't clear.
  2. Say what matters most, and why: safety, the customer, the deadline, the rules.
  3. Say what you'd do first, then next, in order.
  4. Say who you'd involve, and when you'd ask for help or tell your manager.
  5. Say how you'd check it worked, and how you'd stop it happening again.

Then, if you can, add a real example: "Something similar happened when I…". Tell it briefly, in STAR order. It shows you've done it, not just thought about it.

12 scenario questions to practise

Each one says what the panel is testing, and what a strong answer covers. Say your answer out loud first, then compare. Use the practice timer to keep each one to about 90 seconds.

01Your manager and another senior colleague each give you an urgent task, both due today. You can't do both. What do you do?

It tests: Prioritising, and telling people early.

A strong answer covers:

  • Find out the real deadline and what happens if each task is late.
  • Tell both people now, rather than letting one task slip in silence.
  • Agree the order with your manager, and offer a plan for the other task: part of it today, a later time, or someone else to help.

02A customer is angry about a mistake your team made, and is raising their voice. What do you do?

It tests: Customer service, and staying calm under pressure.

A strong answer covers:

  • Listen without interrupting, and show you understand why they're upset.
  • Say sorry for what happened, fix what you can straight away, and say what happens next.
  • Follow up when you said you would, and pass on the cause so it doesn't happen again.

03A teammate keeps missing their part of a shared task, and the deadline is at risk. What do you do?

It tests: Teamwork, and handling a hard conversation.

A strong answer covers:

  • Talk to them privately first, and ask what's getting in the way.
  • Offer help, or agree a new split of the work together.
  • If nothing changes, tell your manager, with facts rather than blame, and keep the deadline safe meanwhile.

04You find a mistake in work you've already sent to your manager or a client. Nobody else has noticed. What do you do?

It tests: Honesty, and owning your work.

A strong answer covers:

  • Tell the right person quickly, before it causes harm.
  • Explain what it affects, and bring a fix with you.
  • Change how you check your work, so it doesn't happen again.

05Your manager asks you to skip a step in a company policy to save time. What do you do?

It tests: Integrity and judgement.

A strong answer covers:

  • Check you've understood: there may be a reason you don't know about.
  • Explain your concern politely, and suggest a quicker way that keeps to the policy.
  • If you're still asked to break it, check the policy or ask the right person, rather than doing it quietly.

06A task is due on Friday, but you don't have the information you need, and the person who has it is away. What do you do?

It tests: Using your initiative, and solving problems.

A strong answer covers:

  • Look for the information elsewhere: shared files, a colleague, a past project.
  • Tell your manager early, and do the parts you can.
  • Offer a choice: a new date, or a version on time with your assumptions clearly marked.

07Your team is moving to a new system, and some colleagues are openly unhappy about it. How would you help?

It tests: Adapting to change, and bringing people with you.

A strong answer covers:

  • Listen to their worries, and take the real problems seriously.
  • Explain why the change is happening, and help people learn it, for example by sharing tips.
  • Pass real problems on to whoever runs the change, and set an example yourself.

08You notice a hazard at work that nobody has reported, or a colleague doing something unsafe. What do you do?

It tests: Safety, and speaking up.

A strong answer covers:

  • Make the situation safe straight away, if you can do so safely.
  • Speak to the person kindly and directly.
  • Report it the proper way, even if it seems small, and check it gets fixed.

09A friend asks you for details about a client or a person that you can see at work. What do you do?

It tests: Privacy and professional conduct.

A strong answer covers:

  • Say no politely, and don't share even small details.
  • Explain that it isn't yours to share.
  • If the request worries you, know who to tell at work.

10You're new in the job, and you've been given more work than you can finish well. What do you do?

It tests: Managing your workload, and being honest about it.

A strong answer covers:

  • List the tasks with a rough time for each.
  • Talk to your manager early, and ask which tasks matter most.
  • Agree what moves or waits, rather than quietly doing everything badly.

11Your manager makes a decision you think is wrong. What do you do?

It tests: Judgement, and disagreeing with respect.

A strong answer covers:

  • Ask about the reasons first: you may not have the full picture.
  • Share your view privately, with facts.
  • Once it's decided, support it, unless it's unsafe, unlawful or unethical.

12Two groups you work with want opposite things from your project. How do you handle it?

It tests: Working with stakeholders, and negotiating.

A strong answer covers:

  • Find out what each group needs, and why.
  • Look for common ground or a fair trade-off, and back it with facts.
  • If you can't agree, take it to the person who can decide, and keep both groups informed.

Scenario or behavioural?

A behavioural question asks about the past: "Tell me about a time when…". Answer it with a true story, using the STAR method.

A scenario question asks about something that might happen: "What would you do if…". Answer it with your approach, step by step, then back it up with a real example if you have one.

Our guide to panel and behavioural interviews has a full answer to a behavioural question.

Questions

What is a scenario interview question?

A question about a situation you could face in the job, such as "What would you do if a customer complained?". It tests how you think and what you'd put first. It's also called a situational question.

Is there a right answer to a scenario question?

Rarely just one. The panel listens for sound reasoning: what you'd do first, who you'd involve, and how you'd keep people and the work safe. Explain your thinking out loud.

Should I use the STAR method for scenario questions?

STAR is for things that happened. For a scenario, walk through what you would do, then back it up with a short real example, told in STAR order, if you have one.

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