Competency job interview questions: types, examples and how to use them

Assessing a candidate is not just about reviewing their CV or checking where they have worked before. In a truly effective recruitment process, what really makes the difference is how a person behaves when faced with real situations: how they make decisions, adapt to change, and respond to everyday challenges or unexpected issues. That is why more and more organisations are turning to job competency tests. These tools make it possible to go one step further and understand whether a profile not only has the right knowledge, but also the skills and attitudes that truly fit the role and the company culture.

What is a job competency test?

A job competency test is an assessment tool designed to measure how a person applies their knowledge, skills and attitudes in real work situations. Unlike more theoretical assessments, this type of test focuses on behaviour: what the candidate does, how they act, and how they solve problems when facing specific challenges.

These tests can take many different forms—questionnaires, situational exercises, practical tasks or competency-based interviews—but they all share the same goal: to evaluate competencies that are increasingly valued, such as communication, teamwork, decision-making, adaptability to change or leadership. As a result, they provide a much more complete and realistic picture of a candidate’s potential, going well beyond what can be seen on a CV.

Why competency tests are used in human resources

Job competency tests play a key role in making more objective and accurate hiring decisions. Their main purpose is to reduce uncertainty in the recruitment process by providing concrete evidence of how a person is likely to behave once they are in the role. These tools make it possible to:

• Identify real job fit by assessing the specific competencies required for the role.
• Predict future performance based on observable behaviours, not just past experience.
• Compare candidates fairly using the same evaluation criteria for everyone.
• Detect strengths and areas for improvement, which is useful both for recruitment and internal development plans.

In addition, job competency tests are widely used in internal promotions, performance reviews and talent development programmes. They help organisations strengthen workplace skills, develop their people and build teams that are more aligned with company values.

Types of competency tests for job interviews

There are many different types of job competency tests, and choosing the right one depends both on the competency you want to assess and on the role itself. Measuring technical knowledge is very different from evaluating how someone works with others, manages pressure or makes decisions.

Broadly speaking, these tests can be classified by the type of competency assessed and by the assessment format. In practice, the most effective approach is usually to combine several methods to achieve a balanced and reliable evaluation.

Soft skills are linked to how people think, act and interact at work. They are essential in most roles and, in many cases, decisive for long-term success.

Personality tests

These assess stable personality traits such as responsibility, results orientation, sociability, stress tolerance, communication style, decision-making approach and adaptability to rules and change. They help recruiters understand how a candidate is likely to behave at work and whether their profile fits the organisation’s culture.

Behavioural or situational tests

These present real or hypothetical workplace scenarios and analyse how the candidate would respond. They are particularly useful for predicting future behaviour because they focus on concrete decisions rather than general opinions. They allow recruiters to assess stress management, teamwork, conflict resolution, customer focus and professional ethics. They are especially common in competency job interview questions and in roles related to customer service, operations and sales.

Emotional intelligence tests

These measure the ability to recognise, understand and manage one’s own emotions and those of others, including self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, social skills and relationship management. They are crucial for roles involving high levels of interpersonal interaction, team leadership or conflict management.

Hard skills relate to technical knowledge and specific abilities required to perform a particular role. Assessing them helps confirm whether a candidate meets the required technical level.

Psychometric tests

These evaluate cognitive abilities such as logical, numerical and verbal reasoning, spatial awareness, attention and processing speed. They are useful for assessing mental agility and learning ability, especially in technical or analytical roles. They are a common type of workplace skills test.

Knowledge tests

These check theoretical knowledge of a specific subject, such as regulations, procedures, languages, digital tools or sector-specific expertise. They usually take the form of multiple-choice or open-ended questions and are often part of a job competency test focused on theory.

Specific skills tests

These assess the practical ability to carry out concrete tasks, such as programming, designing, analysing data or operating equipment. They make it possible to verify whether a candidate can actually do the job, not just talk about it.

For positions of responsibility, it is especially important to assess competencies such as decision-making, team management, planning and results orientation. This is done through tests that simulate real leadership situations and allow observers to see how a person acts under pressure or when dealing with internal conflicts.

Beyond the type of competency, job competency tests also differ in their assessment format. Each format provides different and complementary insights.

Role-playing

Candidates act out real job situations, such as a difficult conversation or a negotiation. This format allows recruiters to observe communication skills, empathy and conflict resolution in real time.

Group dynamics

These exercises assess how a person interacts within a team, including leadership, collaboration, active listening and initiative. They are common in roles where teamwork is essential.

Case studies

Candidates are given a real-world problem to analyse and solve, either orally or in writing. These tasks measure analytical ability, critical thinking and decision-making.

Virtual simulations

Digital tools recreate workplace scenarios. They are increasingly popular and allow competencies to be assessed in a standardised and scalable way.

Assessment centres

These combine multiple exercises—group activities, interviews and practical tasks—to provide a comprehensive evaluation. They are commonly used in complex or leadership-focused recruitment processes, with candidates observed by trained assessors.

Open-ended and multiple-choice questions

Classic formats that assess knowledge, reasoning and decision criteria, depending on how they are designed. They are often included in competency tests for job interviews.

Situational judgement tests

These present specific workplace situations with different response options and assess professional judgement and prioritisation.

Presentations

Candidates prepare and deliver a presentation on a given topic. This format is useful for assessing communication skills, structure of ideas and persuasion.

Work samples

Candidates perform a real task related to the role within a set time. This is one of the most reliable methods for assessing real performance and competency level.

Examples of the most evaluated job interview competencies

Across most recruitment processes, certain job interview competencies appear repeatedly, regardless of sector or role. These transversal skills have a direct impact on daily performance, collaboration and the ability to achieve results in changing environments. The most frequently assessed competencies include:

• Teamwork
• Effective communication
• Problem and conflict resolution
• Adaptability and resilience
• Results orientation
• Initiative and autonomy
• Learning ability
• Time management and organisation
• Decision-making
• Stress management
• Customer orientation
• Professional ethics and responsibility
• Leadership

How to apply a job competency test step by step

Applying a job competency test effectively is not about choosing a random assessment. It starts with clearly defining what you want to evaluate and why. Each test provides different insights, so the key is to align the tool with the evaluation objective and the role itself. Before selecting any assessment, it is essential to ask: What do I need to know about this person for them to succeed in the role? Not all competencies are measured in the same way, and using the wrong tool can lead to unreliable conclusions.

If your goal is to measure what a candidate says they would do in certain situations, the most suitable options are:

• Situational tests
• Competency questionnaires
• Structured interview questions

These assessments present common job scenarios and help evaluate judgement, reasoning and decision-making consistency. They work well as an initial filter but should be complemented with more practical methods.

If you want to measure what the candidate actually does, you need assessments that simulate the real work environment:

• Simulations
• Assessment centres
• Work samples

These tools show how a person behaves under pressure, prioritises tasks and communicates in real situations. They are especially recommended for critical roles, leadership positions or processes where the margin for error is low.

To assess learning ability or problem-solving capacity, it is useful to include:

• Aptitude tests
• Logical, verbal or numerical reasoning tests

These assessments help estimate learning potential, mental agility and the ability to tackle new problems, even when the candidate does not yet master all aspects of the role.

To understand someone’s professional style, you can use:

• Personality tests
• Values and motivation assessments

These tools are not about passing or failing, but about understanding work style, interpersonal approach, motivation and the type of environment where the person is most likely to perform well.

Common mistakes when using job competency tests

Job competency tests are powerful tools, but they only add value when used correctly. In practice, many recruitment processes fail not because of the tools themselves, but because of how they are designed and interpreted. Common mistakes to avoid include:

• Assessing too many competencies at once: Trying to measure everything in a single process often leads to diluted results. It is better to prioritise the competencies that are truly critical for the role.
• Using generic tests that are not role-specific: Not all roles require the same skills. Applying the same test to very different profiles can result in irrelevant evaluations.
• Relying on a single test for decision-making: Making a hiring decision based on just one assessment increases the risk of error. The best approach combines technical tests, behavioural assessments and structured interviews.
• Interpreting results without context: A single score does not explain behaviour on its own. Experience, career stage and environment all influence performance.
• Confusing style with performance: Especially in personality tests, it is a mistake to label profiles as “good” or “bad”. These tools measure work style, not performance.
• Failing to train evaluators: A poorly interpreted test can be as harmful as no assessment at all. Evaluators must understand what each tool measures and how to read the results.
• Using tests only as exclusion filters without feedback: Using assessments purely to eliminate candidates, without offering feedback, can harm the candidate experience. When used well, tests can also add transparency and value.

Avoiding these mistakes allows job competency tests to become a real support for decision-making rather than a mere administrative step.

Competency job interview questions

The best way to predict future behaviour is to analyse how someone has acted in real situations in the past. That is why these questions encourage candidates to describe concrete experiences, decisions and outcomes, avoiding generic or theoretical answers. Below are examples of competency job interview questions grouped by common skills:

1. Tell me about a time when you had to work with people very different from you to achieve a shared goal.
2. Describe a conflict within a team and how you helped resolve it.
3. Tell me about a project where teamwork was key to the final result.
4. Describe a situation where you had to explain complex information to someone unfamiliar with the topic.
5. Tell me about a time when poor communication caused a problem and how you fixed it.
6. Explain how you adapt your communication style depending on the person or context.
7. Describe a conflict with a colleague, customer or supplier and how you handled it.
8. Tell me about a professional mistake or failure and what you learned from it.
9. Describe how you react when a project does not go as planned.
10. Tell me about a challenging goal you set for yourself and how you worked to achieve it.
11. Describe a situation where you had to prioritise tasks to meet a tight deadline.
12. Tell me about a professional achievement you are particularly proud of and why.
13. Describe a time when you proposed an improvement or solution without being asked.

As you can see, job competency tests and competency-based interviews are tools that allow for more accurate and consistent hiring decisions that align with the realities of the role. When applied correctly, they go beyond the resume and help us understand how candidates think, act, and interact in their daily professional lives. Velora's Multilevel Evaluation feature facilitates just this kind of assessment by allowing structured measurement of candidates' competencies at various levels, from technical skills to interpersonal and leadership qualities. Adopting this approach not only improves the quality of hires but also helps build stronger teams that are more aligned with the company culture and prepared to tackle the challenges of today’s work environment.

‍