A situational interview question puts you in a hypothetical problem at work and asks what you would do: "Your manager is away and a customer wants a refund you aren't authorised to give. What do you do?" It tests your judgement, your priorities and how you reason, which makes it common for graduates, career changers and anyone who hasn't done the exact job before.
Below: how situational questions differ from behavioural ones, 15 examples grouped by the skill they test with an outline of a strong answer, 18 more by role, and a structure for answering any "What would you do?" question.
What is the difference between situational and behavioural interview questions?
A situational question asks what you would do in a hypothetical situation; a behavioural question asks what you did in a real one. Situational questions test judgement. Behavioural questions test evidence.
| Situational | Behavioural | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | The future, or a hypothetical | The past |
| Typical opening | "What would you do if…?", "How would you handle…?", "Imagine that…" | "Tell me about a time when…", "Describe a situation when…", "Give an example of…" |
| What it tests | Judgement, priorities, how you reason | What you have actually done |
| How to answer | Goal, first step and why, who you'd involve, how you'd check | One real example, usually with the STAR method |
| Best for | Candidates new to the role or the industry | Candidates with relevant experience |
Watch the wording. "Describe a situation when you…" is a behavioural question despite the word "situation": it wants a real example, best structured with the STAR method. For those, see our list of behavioural interview questions. Everything on this page is about the hypothetical kind.
Interviewers often ask both about the same skill: "What would you do if a colleague kept missing deadlines?", then "Has that happened to you?" So for each hard situation in the job, prepare an approach as well as an example.
In a structured interview, such as the ones the US Office of Personnel Management describes, every candidate gets the same questions and every answer is judged against the same rating scale. So the steps you mention count for more than how confidently you say them. If the scenarios arrive as a written multiple-choice test instead, that's a situational judgement test, which works differently.
What do interviewers listen for in a situational answer?
They are judging your reasoning, so they listen for the same five things in almost every scenario:
- Priorities. What you'd do first, and why that first.
- Ownership. You deal with the problem instead of passing it on.
- Judgement about authority. You act within your role and escalate what you shouldn't decide alone.
- Communication. Who you'd tell, and when: usually early.
- Follow-through. How you'd check it worked and stop it happening again.
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15 situational interview questions by skill
Each question below has what the interviewer is listening for and an outline of a strong answer. Use the outline, not the wording; the answer has to sound like you.
Competing priorities
- "You have three urgent requests from three people, and time to finish two by the end of the day. What do you do?" Listening for: whether you make the conflict visible instead of quietly choosing. Strong answer: check each real deadline and what happens if it slips; if the requests still clash, ask your manager which matters most; tell the third person now, with a time you can meet.
- "Halfway through a project, you realise you'll miss the deadline. What do you do?" Listening for: early warning. Strong answer: work out how late and why; tell the person relying on you straight away, not on the day; bring options such as less scope, extra help or a new date; agree one and keep them updated.
- "Your manager is unreachable and something urgent needs a decision above your level." Listening for: judgement about authority. Strong answer: try their deputy or another manager; if no one is available, take the smallest step that protects the customer or the business and can be undone; record what you did and brief your manager as soon as you can.
Difficult customers and clients
- "A customer is angry about a mistake that wasn't your fault." Listening for: ownership of the fix, not the blame. Strong answer: listen without interrupting; apologise for their experience without blaming a colleague; fix what you can now; say what happens next and when; follow up; report the cause internally so it doesn't recur.
- "A client wants something by a date you know is impossible." Listening for: honesty with an alternative. Strong answer: find out what they need it for; say early and plainly what can't be done; offer what can, such as part of it by their date and the rest later; confirm the agreement in writing.
- "A customer asks for a refund or an exception outside the policy." Listening for: fairness and consistency. Strong answer: explain the policy and the reason for it; check whether you have discretion; if the case is genuinely exceptional, take it to someone who can decide, with your recommendation; don't promise an outcome you can't deliver.
Problems with colleagues
- "A colleague keeps missing deadlines, and it's holding up your work." Listening for: direct, fair handling before escalation. Strong answer: talk to them privately and ask what's going on; agree a practical fix, such as earlier handovers; involve your manager only if it continues, with specific examples.
- "You disagree with how your manager wants a task done." Listening for: that you raise it, then commit. Strong answer: raise it privately, with your reasons and any evidence; listen to theirs; if the decision stands and isn't unsafe or unethical, do it properly; review the results together afterwards.
- "Two people in your team have fallen out, and it's affecting the work." Listening for: a focus on behaviour and the work, not personalities. Strong answer: speak to each separately; bring them together to agree how they'll work; set clear expectations and follow up; go to HR if it involves bullying or harassment.
Ethics and mistakes
- "You notice a colleague breaking a rule, such as sharing customer data or claiming expenses they shouldn't." Listening for: integrity, in proportion. Strong answer: for anything serious, such as safety, data or fraud, report it through the proper channel instead of investigating it yourself; for a minor slip, a quiet word may be enough; either way, don't ignore it.
- "You find a mistake in work you've already handed in, and nobody has noticed." Listening for: honesty. Strong answer: tell the person affected quickly; explain the impact; give them a corrected version; say how you'll prevent it next time.
- "You're asked to do something you believe is unsafe." Listening for: that you won't cut corners under pressure. Strong answer: don't do it; explain why, calmly, to the person asking; suggest a safe way to reach the same goal; escalate if they insist.
Change, learning and unclear instructions
- "In your first week, you're asked to use a system you've never seen." Listening for: resourcefulness. Strong answer: say honestly that it's new to you; find the documentation or training; ask an experienced colleague for a quick walkthrough; practise on something low-risk; check your first pieces of work.
- "You think a process your team uses wastes time." Listening for: respect for why things are done before changing them. Strong answer: find out why it works that way; gather evidence of what it costs; propose a small trial to your manager; involve the people who do the work.
- "You're given a task with vague instructions, and the person who set it is away." Listening for: how you create clarity. Strong answer: write down what you think the goal is; state your assumptions; start on the part that's clearly needed; share an early draft instead of a finished piece built on a guess.
18 situational interview questions by role
The skills above come up in every job. These are the scenarios specific roles tend to ask, with what a good answer shows.
Customer service and retail
- "A queue is building, a customer on the phone needs ten minutes, and you're the only one on the till. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you protect both customers, ask for help early, and offer the caller a call-back at a time you'll keep.
- "A customer insists an item was cheaper yesterday, and the system shows today's price. How would you handle it?" A good answer shows: you check the facts calmly, know your price-match or discretion rules, and involve a supervisor if the decision is above you.
- "You see a colleague giving friends a discount they aren't entitled to. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you don't ignore it, and you raise it with a manager instead of confronting it in front of customers.
Sales
- "A prospect says a competitor is cheaper and asks you to match the price. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you find out what they're comparing, sell on the value that matters to them, and know where your discount authority ends.
- "You're about to miss your quarterly target and a deal could close if you promise a feature that isn't built. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you won't over-promise, and you look for an honest way to close or accept the miss.
- "A long-standing client goes quiet a month before renewal. How would you approach it?" A good answer shows: you reach out early, find out what changed, and bring in the people who can fix it.
Team leaders and managers
- "A strong performer on your team starts missing deadlines and seems withdrawn. What would you do?" A good answer shows: a private conversation that starts with care, a practical plan, and knowing when to point to support such as HR or an employee assistance programme.
- "Your team is asked to take on a big project with no extra people. How would you handle it?" A good answer shows: you work out the real capacity, say plainly what will slip, and agree priorities with your own manager before committing.
- "Two team members both want the same week off at your busiest time. What would you do?" A good answer shows: a fair, consistent rule, applied openly, and a conversation before a decision.
Nursing, care and healthcare roles
- "Two patients call for help at the same moment. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you assess who is at greater risk first, call for support, and keep the other person informed.
- "A patient's relative is angry about a delay in care and raising their voice. How would you respond?" A good answer shows: you stay calm, listen, explain what you can, and involve the person in charge if it escalates.
- "You notice a colleague hasn't followed a safety or infection-control procedure. What would you do?" A good answer shows: patient safety comes first; you raise it promptly and follow your organisation's reporting process.
Software engineering and IT support
- "A bug reaches production on a Friday afternoon and the person who wrote the code is on holiday. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you assess the impact, roll back or contain it, tell the people affected, and fix the cause properly afterwards.
- "A stakeholder asks for a feature that would take a shortcut you think creates security risk. How would you handle it?" A good answer shows: you explain the risk in business terms, offer a safer option, and escalate the decision if they still want the shortcut.
- "Several users report the same problem and your manager wants a quick fix. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you restore service first, then find the root cause so it doesn't recur.
Project and office roles
- "A key supplier tells you a delivery will be two weeks late. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you check the impact on the plan, look for alternatives, and tell stakeholders early with options.
- "Your executive has double-booked two important meetings and is unreachable. How would you handle it?" A good answer shows: you know which matters more to them, rearrange the other politely, and confirm with them as soon as you can.
- "Halfway through a project, the sponsor asks for something outside the agreed scope. What would you do?" A good answer shows: you assess the effect on time and cost before agreeing, and record any change formally.
For interview questions of every kind for one job, see our interview questions by role, such as project manager, software engineer or sales manager.
How do you answer a situational interview question?
Give a short plan in four steps: what matters, what you'd do first, who you'd involve, and how you'd check. This works for most scenarios:
- Say what matters most. One sentence on the goal or the risk: "The priority is that the customer gets the right order without me promising something I can't deliver."
- Say what you'd do first, and why.
- Say what you'd do next, and who you'd involve, including who you'd tell, and when.
- Say how you'd check it worked and stop it happening again.
It's fine to ask one clarifying question, or to state an assumption: "I'm assuming the refund is above my authority limit." Keep the whole answer to one or two minutes.
Here is that structure applied to question 1. The answer is invented, to show the shape:
"What matters is that the most important work gets done and nobody is surprised. First I'd check the real deadlines, because 'urgent' sometimes means 'today' when tomorrow morning would do. If two still had to be done today, I'd ask my manager which mattered more to the business, instead of choosing between two senior colleagues myself. Then I'd tell the third person straight away, with a time I could actually meet. Afterwards I'd suggest we agree how requests reach me, so it doesn't keep happening."
If you have handled something similar, one sentence at the end ("I did this at month-end in my last job") adds evidence. Keep it to a sentence: they asked what you would do. If they then ask for the full story, that's a behavioural question, and the STAR method is the way to answer it.
What are the common mistakes in hypothetical answers?
Most weak answers either stay abstract or dodge the scenario:
- Principles instead of actions. "Communication is key" isn't an answer. Say who you'd speak to, and what you'd say.
- No order. Listing everything you'd do, in no particular order, hides the judgement they're testing.
- Escalating everything, or nothing. Passing every problem upwards suggests you can't cope; deciding everything yourself suggests you'd overstep.
- Fighting the scenario. "That wouldn't happen at a well-run company" avoids the question.
- Adding convenient facts. Inventing a detail that makes the problem disappear changes the question you're answering.
- Saying what sounds good. Interviewers follow up ("What if your manager says no?"), and an answer you don't believe falls apart.
How do you prepare for situational interview questions?
Predict the situations, then rehearse your reasoning out loud:
- List the hard situations in the job. Read the job description and write down the six or seven situations the role is most likely to throw at you, then check the role section above.
- Read the organisation's values. They often tell you which trade-offs it cares about, such as safety over speed, or the customer over internal convenience.
- Practise out loud, with follow-ups. Ask someone to push back: "What if that doesn't work?" Our guide to running a mock interview explains how to set one up.
Some employers go a step further and ask you to handle the situation instead of describing it: reply to the customer, sort the urgent requests, or talk a client through the problem. Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, runs practice job simulations like these for your role, with a scored report on where you lost marks.
If you're the interviewer
Situational questions work best in a structured interview: the same questions for every candidate, a short list of what a good answer covers, and a score for each answer before the panel discusses it. The outlines above can serve as that list. Our interview questions by role include what to listen for, and Cohesyve can put the same kind of scenario in front of every applicant as a role-specific assessment before anyone is interviewed.