Competency interviews are everywhere in UK hiring: from civil service panels to graduate schemes and private-sector competency-based interviews. I’ve sat on both sides of the table—screening CVs, shortlisting candidates and running interviews—and the best performers all share one thing: they answer with clarity, structure and evidence. That’s what the STAR method gives you. In this article I’ll walk you through preparing STAR answers that actually score, with examples, common pitfalls and a simple scoring rubric you can use to self-assess before the interview.
What is STAR and why it wins interviews
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It converts vague stories into evidence-based answers that hiring panels can assess against competencies. Interviewers ask competency questions because they want to know not what you say you can do, but what you have done—and how you behave under pressure or in real scenarios.
STAR works because it mirrors how interviewers score: they look for context (S/T), what you actually did (A), and the measurable impact (R). Answers that skip the Result or bundle multiple situations into one will confuse the panel and score lower.
How to prepare STAR answers that score
Preparation is about choice and rehearsal. Start by mapping the common competencies for the role—teamwork, problem-solving, communication, leadership, resilience and customer service are frequent. For each competency, pick two or three stories from your experience that fit. Diversity matters: use examples from jobs, volunteering, coursework, placements or extracurriculars.
When choosing stories, ask:
- Is the situation recent? Prefer the last 2–3 years where possible.
- Is the role and context relevant to the job I’m applying for?
- Can I show my individual contribution (not just the team’s)?
- Is there a measurable result or clear outcome?
Write each story as a STAR paragraph, then practice saying it aloud in 60–90 seconds. Shorter is better; hiring panels often have many competencies to cover.
What to include in each STAR element
Situation: One clear sentence that sets the scene—where you were, what the project or problem was, and any constraints (deadline, budget, stakeholders). Keep it relevant and brief.
Task: State your responsibility or objective. What was expected of you? This differentiates the team’s role from yours.
Action: This is the meat of the answer. Focus on what you did, why you chose that approach and the skills you used. Use active verbs: organised, negotiated, analysed, prioritised. If you used tools (Excel, Salesforce, Trello) or frameworks (RACI, SWOT), name them—details signal competence.
Result: Quantify where you can: percentages, time saved, improved satisfaction scores, successful project delivery. If you don’t have numbers, describe impact (reduced complaints, improved efficiency). Close with a reflection or what you learned if that strengthens the answer.
Practical example: a teamwork competency
Here’s a worked example you can adapt.
Situation: In my final year I led a group assignment where two members were behind on their sections and the deadline was two weeks away.
Task: My task was to ensure the project met the academic standard and was submitted on time while keeping the group motivated.
Action: I reorganised the work into smaller milestones, set up two shorter daily check-ins instead of one long meeting, and redistributed tasks based on strengths. I also held a short one-to-one with the two members to understand blockers and removed an unnecessary section to reduce scope.
Result: We submitted on time and received a 2:1 mark—10% above the module average. Two team members later thanked me for the clearer responsibilities. The experience taught me to layer communication and adjust scope when time is limited.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Too much background: Don’t turn the Situation into a long story. Keep it short and move to Action quickly.
- Vague results: “We did well” is weak. Aim for numbers or a specific outcome.
- Team-speak: Panels want to hear what you did. Use “I” for actions and make your contribution explicit.
- Rambling: Practise to keep answers within 60–90 seconds.
- One trick pony: Don’t use the same example for every competency. Have a variety of contexts ready.
How interviewers typically score STAR answers (use this rubric to self-assess)
| Score | What the answer shows |
|---|---|
| 0–1 | Irrelevant or no example; vague and lacks any personal action. |
| 2–3 | Describes a situation and task, but actions and results are unclear or minimal personal contribution. |
| 4–5 | Clear S/T/A/R, shows personal action; result is present but not quantified or impactful. |
| 6–7 | Strong personal action, good context and measurable result; demonstrates relevant skills. |
| 8–10 | Excellent: concise context, strong personal actions, quantifiable impressive result, reflection and clear relevance to the competency. |
Practise exercises you can do in a week
- Day 1: List ten competencies common to your sector and pick one story for each.
- Day 2–3: Write STAR scripts for five priority competencies; keep each answer under 90 seconds.
- Day 4: Record yourself on your phone answering three questions. Playback and score yourself using the rubric.
- Day 5: Do a mock interview with a friend or coach—ask for specific feedback on clarity and evidence.
- Day 6–7: Refine answers and practise opening lines to your stories so you sound natural, not rehearsed.
Quick phrases that help you structure answers live
- "At the time..." — quick situation setup.
- "My responsibility was..." — clarifies your task.
- "Specifically, I did..." — signals the actions section.
- "As a result, we..." or "This led to..." — introduces the result clearly.
Finally, remember this: interviewers want to predict future behaviour from past examples. Your job is to make that prediction easy by giving clear, concise, evidence-rich STAR answers that highlight your role and impact. Practise deliberately, vary your examples, and use the rubric to push your answers from “acceptable” to “memorable.” If you’d like, I can review a STAR answer you’ve drafted and suggest improvements—paste one here and I’ll critique it the way I would in a mock interview.
