NHS INTERVIEW GUIDE

Competency Questions in Healthcare Interviews: How to Answer Them

What competency questions are, how panels score them, a timed STARR structure, 12 example questions, two worked answers and the mistakes to avoid.

Last updated 24 October 2026 · Created by a practising NHS doctor · Independent of the NHS

Quick answer

How to answer competency questions in healthcare interviews?

Pick one real example from your own experience and structure it with STARR: situation, task, action, result and reflection. Keep the background to a sentence or two, spend most of your two to three minutes on what you personally did and why, then state the outcome and what you learned. Prepare eight to ten adaptable examples matched to the person specification.

Key takeaways

Competency questions ask about real past behaviour, not hypotheticals.
Use STARR and spend most time on your own actions.
Aim for about two to three minutes per answer.
Build a bank of eight to ten examples tagged by competency.
Always include the result and a genuine reflection.

To answer competency questions in a healthcare interview, describe one real example from your own experience using a clear structure such as STARR: situation, task, action, result and reflection. Keep the background short, spend most of your time on what you personally did and why, and finish with what happened and what you learned.

Below you will find how competency questions differ from scenario and values questions, how panels score them, a timed structure, 12 example questions, two worked answers and tips for building an example bank. All questions are practice examples, not questions from real interviews.

In this guide

What are competency-based questions in NHS interviews?
How do panels score competency answers?
How to answer competency questions in healthcare interviews?
What are examples of healthcare competency questions?
Worked example: a clinical competency answer
Worked example: a non-clinical competency answer
How to build an example bank
Common mistakes with competency questions

What are competency-based questions in NHS interviews?

Competency-based questions, also called behavioural questions, ask you to describe a time you actually did something, because past behaviour is a good guide to future behaviour. They often start with "Tell us about a time when".

Each question usually maps to a skill in the person specification. Most NHS interviews mix question types:

Competency questions: past and real. The panel wants evidence from your own experience.
Scenario questions: hypothetical, such as "What would you do if...". The panel wants safe reasoning and knowledge of policy.
Values questions: what matters to you, often best backed by a short real example.

How do panels score competency answers?

Many NHS panels score each answer against agreed criteria, often on a simple numbered scale, with members scoring independently and then comparing. Systems vary by trust, but scorers usually listen for:

Relevance: does the example actually answer the question asked?
Personal contribution: can the panel tell what you did, not just "we"?
Values and safety: does your behaviour reflect the NHS values and professional standards?
Outcome and learning: did you say what happened and what you would keep or change?

How to answer competency questions in healthcare interviews?

Use a structure the panel can follow. STAR (situation, task, action, result) is most common, and many healthcare candidates use STARR, adding reflection because reflective practice matters in health and care. Aim for roughly two to three minutes per answer.

Situation (about 15 seconds): where you were and what was going on. One or two sentences is enough.
Task (about 10 seconds): your role and what needed to happen.
Action (about 60 to 90 seconds): the heart of the answer. What you did, step by step, and why. Use "I".
Result (about 15 to 20 seconds): what happened. Be honest, even if the outcome was mixed.
Reflection (about 20 seconds): what you learned and how you apply it now or would in this role.

What are examples of healthcare competency questions?

Here are 12 practice questions grouped by competency. Wording varies, but a prepared example for each competency covers most of them.

Communication: Tell us about a time you explained something complex to someone struggling to understand.
Communication: Describe a time you had to deliver news someone did not want to hear.
Teamwork: Give an example of working with other professionals to achieve a good outcome.
Teamwork: Tell us about a time you supported a colleague who was finding things difficult.
Patient safety: Describe a time you noticed something unsafe and what you did about it.
Patient safety: Tell us about a time you followed a procedure even though it was inconvenient.
Leadership: Give an example of when you took the lead, formally or informally.
Managing pressure: Describe a day when you had more to do than time allowed. How did you prioritise?
Problem solving: Tell us about a time you found a better way of doing something.
Learning from mistakes: Describe a mistake you made at work and what you learned from it.
Dealing with conflict: Tell us about a time you disagreed with a colleague. How did you handle it?
Dealing with conflict: Give an example of when you managed an upset or angry patient or relative.

Worked example: a clinical competency answer

Question: "Describe a time you noticed something unsafe and what you did about it." This example is from a healthcare assistant, but the same shape works for nurses, therapists and other clinical staff.

Why it works: brief setup, leaving most of the time for action.
Actions are safe and within a healthcare assistant's scope, with clear escalation.
Communication shows at escalation, handover and the huddle.
The result is concrete and modest, which sounds believable.
The reflection links back to current practice.

Example answer: patient safety (healthcare assistant)

Situation and task: on a late shift on an older people's ward, I noticed a patient's bedside sign said her bed rails should be up, but her notes had been updated that morning to say rails were no longer safe because she had tried to climb over them. I needed to keep her safe and make sure everyone worked from the same plan.

Action: I lowered the bed to its lowest height, asked a colleague to watch the bay and told the nurse in charge that the sign and notes did not match. She confirmed the notes were current and asked me to replace the sign and add a falls mat. I mentioned it at handover, and she raised it at the next safety huddle.

Result: the patient had no falls during that admission, and the ward started checking bedside signs as part of the daily safety check.

Reflection: small inconsistencies matter, and speaking up quickly is part of my job. I now check signs against the care plan for every new patient.

Worked example: a non-clinical competency answer

Question: "Tell us about a time you disagreed with a colleague. How did you handle it?" This example is from a medical secretary, but it works for any administrative or support role.

Why it works: it respects the colleague's view before giving a different one.
It links the disagreement to patients, which keeps it professional.
It escalates appropriately rather than going around the colleague.
The outcome benefits the whole team, not just the candidate.

Example answer: dealing with conflict (medical secretary)

Situation and task: a fellow secretary and I shared a typing queue. She typed letters in date order, while I thought urgent letters, such as medication changes, should go first. Some urgent letters were delayed and there was tension. I wanted to resolve it without it becoming personal.

Action: I asked for a quick chat away from the desk. I said I could see why date order felt fair, then explained my worry about patient safety with one recent example. We agreed to ask our office manager, and together suggested a simple flag for urgent letters.

Result: the flag was adopted across the team, urgent letters went out sooner and our relationship improved.

Reflection: most disagreements are a shared goal approached differently. Listening first made it easier to find a solution we both owned.

How to build an example bank

An example bank is a short list of real stories you can adapt. Eight to ten good examples usually cover almost everything.

Go through the person specification and note every skill or behaviour mentioned.
For each, note a real example from work, placements, study, caring or volunteering.
Jot each example in STARR bullet points, not full scripts, so it sounds natural.
Tag each example with the competencies it shows; one story may cover several.
Practise out loud and time yourself, ideally with a colleague, mentor, practice educator or careers service giving feedback.

Common mistakes with competency questions

For structured practice, Healthcare Interview Prep offers role-specific practice questions with written model answers for 214 NHS roles, with the first 8 free for each role. It is self-study, not coaching or mock interviews, so pair it with spoken practice.

Answering hypothetically: saying what you would do instead of what you did.
Too much "we": the panel cannot score what they cannot attribute to you.
Long backgrounds: spending half the answer setting the scene.
No result or reflection: stopping abruptly after the action.
Unsafe examples: stories where you acted outside your scope without recognising it.
Breaching confidentiality: using names or identifying details of patients or colleagues.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between competency and scenario questions in an NHS interview?

Competency questions ask about something you have actually done, for example "Tell us about a time you managed conflict". Scenario questions are hypothetical and ask what you would do in a given situation. For competency questions use a real example with a clear structure. For scenario questions, explain your reasoning, keep patients safe, work within your scope and refer to local policy and escalation.

How long should a competency answer be in a healthcare interview?

Around two to three minutes is a sensible target for most competency answers, though some panels expect shorter replies. Keep the situation brief, spend most of the time on your actions, and leave room for the result and reflection. If you are unsure, finish your main point and ask whether the panel would like more detail rather than talking on.

Can I use examples from outside healthcare?

Yes. Panels are usually happy to hear examples from retail, hospitality, caring for family, volunteering, study or other jobs, especially for entry level and support roles. Choose examples that show the same skills the job needs, such as communication, teamwork or staying calm under pressure, and briefly link what you learned to how you would apply it in healthcare.

What if I do not have an example for a competency question?

Pause and think rather than rushing. If you truly have nothing directly relevant, use the closest real example you have, from any setting, and say how it relates. As a last resort, explain honestly that you have not faced that exact situation, then describe what you would do. Preparing an example bank beforehand makes this much less likely.

Is STAR or STARR better for NHS interviews?

Both work, and panels rarely mind which you use as long as your answer is clear. STARR adds reflection, which suits healthcare because reflective practice is expected in most professions. Even if you think in STAR, ending with a sentence on what you learned and how it shapes your practice now will usually strengthen your answer.

Practise with NHS interview questions for your role

Each NHS role on this site has 40 original practice questions with full model answers. The first 8 are free to read, and the rest of a role's bank costs £2.99 with 12 months' access and no subscription.

More NHS interview guides

Healthcare Interview Prep is an independent NHS interview preparation website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the NHS. Example questions and answers are original practice material, not official or leaked interview questions.

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