Know what you're scored against
| Career | Framework |
|---|---|
| Civil Service, including HMRC, DWP, Border Force, HMPPS and the Fast Stream | Success Profiles: the 9 Civil Service behaviours, strengths, and sometimes experience or technical questions; the Civil Service Code values (integrity, honesty, objectivity, impartiality) |
| Police officers and staff | The CVF: values courage, respect and empathy, public service; six competencies such as we take ownership and we analyse critically |
| Fire and rescue | The service's own values and, in England, the Core Code of Ethics for fire and rescue services |
| Prison and probation | Civil Service behaviours and HMPPS values; prison officer selection also uses a values-based situational judgement test |
| Armed forces | Each service's values and standards, plus motivation and knowledge of the role |
| Intelligence agencies | Each agency's own competencies, integrity and discretion |
Answer behaviour questions with STAR
Behaviour and competency questions ask for a real example: "Tell me about a time you…". Use **STAR**: Situation and Task briefly (about 20% between them), most of your time on the **Action** you personally took (about 60%), then the **Result** and what you learned (about 20%). Say "I", not "we".
Panels often probe with follow-up questions: "What exactly did you say?", "What would you do differently?". Choose examples you remember in detail, and avoid ones where someone else made the key decision.
Common questions by framework
- **Civil Service, Making Effective Decisions:** "Tell me about a time you made a decision using evidence when the answer wasn't obvious." Show the information you gathered, the options you weighed, who you consulted and why you chose.
- **Civil Service, Delivering at Pace:** "Describe a time you had several priorities and a tight deadline." Show how you planned, what you dropped or delegated, and the result.
- **Police, respect and empathy:** "Tell me about a time you supported someone who was upset or vulnerable." Show listening, patience and treating the person with dignity.
- **Police, courage:** "Describe a time you challenged behaviour you thought was wrong." Show what you did, how you stayed professional and the outcome, even if it was uncomfortable.
- **Prison officer:** "How would you deal with someone who is being verbally aggressive towards you?" Show calm communication, de-escalation, safety and when you'd seek support.
- **Firefighter:** "Tell me about a time you worked in a team under pressure." Show your role, how you communicated and how you kept others safe.
- **Probation:** "Tell me about a time you had to manage risk or make a judgement about someone's behaviour." Show structured thinking and recording your reasons.
- **Intelligence agencies:** expect questions on why you want the role, how you handle confidential information and how you work with uncertain information.
See where you stand in 10 minutes
Take the free Prison Officer practice test. 15 questions, every answer explained.
Strength and motivation questions
Civil Service interviews often add **strength questions**, such as "What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?" or "How do you feel when plans change at the last minute?". They aren't about a past example and you can't fully prepare them: answer honestly, briefly and with real energy.
Every service asks **why you want this job**. A strong answer links your values and experience to what the role actually involves, shows you understand the hard parts (shifts, conflict, confidentiality) and avoids generic lines like "I want to help people" with nothing behind them.
Build your example bank
- List the behaviours, values or competencies in the job advert or framework.
- Find one strong example for each, from work, study, volunteering, sport or family life.
- Write each in STAR form in about 250 words, then practise saying it in 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mark which examples also fit other behaviours, so you have a backup if one is used up.
- Record yourself, listen back and cut anything that isn't about your action or result.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a STAR answer be?
Usually 2 to 3 minutes spoken, or the word limit in the advert for written statements (Civil Service behaviour statements are often limited to 250 words). Spend most of it on your actions.
Can I use the same example twice?
In one interview, try not to. Across different applications, yes: a strong example can cover several behaviours if you tell it from a different angle.
Can I use examples from outside work?
Yes. Most frameworks accept examples from study, volunteering, sport, caring responsibilities or family life, as long as they show the behaviour clearly and the action was yours.
Are your example questions real interview questions?
No. They are written by us in the style the published frameworks describe. Real interview questions are set by each organisation and kept confidential.
Official sources
- GOV.UK: Success Profiles
- College of Policing: competency and values framework
- HMPPS: prison officer how to apply
- Civil Service Careers
Practice tests for these certifications
Prison Officer (HM Prison Service, England and Wales)
Prison officers keep prisons safe, secure and decent while supporting prisoners to change.
Firefighter (UK Fire and Rescue Services)
Firefighters respond to fires, road traffic collisions, floods and rescues, and spend much of their time on prevention work such as home fire safety visits.
Probation Officer (Trainee Probation Officer, PQiP, England and Wales)
Probation officers assess risk, write reports for courts and parole hearings, and supervise people on community sentences and licence to protect the public and reduce reoffending.
Intelligence Officer (MI5, SIS/MI6 and GCHQ)
Intelligence officers investigate threats to UK national security: MI5's officers run desk-based investigations into terrorism and state threats inside the UK, MI6 works overseas, and GCHQ works with signals and cyber intelligence.
This guide is general information, checked November 2026, not legal advice. The recruiting organisation rules change; confirm with the recruiting organisation before you apply.
