Interview guide · Updated 15 October 2026
The STAR method, with example interview answers
Most UK competency interviews ask you to describe a time you did something. The STAR method keeps your answer clear: the Situation, the Task, the Action you took and the Result. Interviewers mostly score the action and the result, so that's where your time should go.
How to structure a STAR answer
| Part | What to say | Rough share of the answer |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | Where you were and what was happening, in a sentence or two. | Small |
| Task | What you had to achieve, or the problem you owned. | Small |
| Action | What you did, step by step. Say 'I', not 'we'. | Most of it |
| Result | What happened, with a figure if you have a real one, and what you learned. | A good chunk |
Tip: Aim for about two minutes per answer. If you're still describing the situation after 30 seconds, move on to what you did.
Example: working under pressure (retail)
Situation: On a Saturday before Christmas, two colleagues called in sick and the queue reached the back of the store. Task: As the most experienced person on the tills, I needed to keep the queue moving without mistakes. Action: I asked my manager to open a third till with a stockroom colleague, showed them the gift-card process in two minutes, and took the returns myself because they took longest. I kept an eye on the queue and called a colleague forward from the floor when it built up again. Result: The queue was back to a few people within about twenty minutes, and my manager used the same set-up the next weekend.
Example: teamwork (office)
Situation: Our team was moving client files to a new system with a fixed deadline. Task: I was responsible for checking that records had transferred correctly. Action: I wrote a short checklist, split the files with a colleague by surname so we didn't duplicate work, and flagged errors in a shared tracker the IT contractor could see each morning. Result: We finished two days early, and the checklist was reused for the next migration.
Example: solving a problem (warehouse)
Situation: Picks for one customer were often short at dispatch. Task: My team leader asked me to find out why. Action: I compared a week of short picks and noticed they came from one aisle where two similar products sat side by side. I suggested moving one and adding clearer labels, and helped re-slot the aisle on a quiet shift. Result: Short picks from that aisle stopped over the next month.
These answers are illustrative. Use your own true examples. The interview question tool turns a job advert into likely questions and has a STAR planner.
How to prepare your own STAR stories
- List the essential criteria from the job advert.
- Find one real example for each, from work, study, volunteering or home life.
- Write notes under the four STAR headings, not a script.
- Practise out loud and time yourself.
- Have a spare example for the most important criteria.
FAQs
Can I use examples from outside work?
Yes, especially early in your career. Volunteering, study, sport and caring responsibilities can all show the skill. Say clearly where the example comes from.
What if my result wasn't good?
Be honest and focus on what you learned and what you'd do differently. Interviewers often respect that more than a perfect story.
Sources
Links checked 15 October 2026.