How Many Interview Examples to Prepare?

Most candidates go into a publicjobs competency interview with one or two stories rattling around in their head and hope for the best. That is rarely enough, and the moment you hear a question you did not rehearse, the blank hits fast. This post sets out how many examples you actually need, how to organise them, and how to reuse them without repeating yourself.

How many examples does publicjobs say you need?

Publicjobs.ie advises candidates to prepare approximately ten examples drawn from different areas of their life before the interview. That figure comes from the official interview advice page, so it is as close to a direct steer as you will get.

Ten sounds like a lot until you break it down. A competency interview for the Executive Officer grade (using the older Competency Model) typically covers six competencies: Delivery of Results, Interpersonal Skills, Analysis and Decision Making, Leadership and Change Management, Specialist Knowledge, and Commitment to Public Service Values. If your competition is running under the 2024 Capability Framework instead, there are four capabilities, each with two subdimensions, giving you eight question areas, plus broader sections on Skills and Values.

Either way, ten well-chosen examples is the realistic minimum. Twelve to fifteen gives you genuine headroom.

Can I reuse the same example for multiple competencies?

Yes, but carefully. A single situation can demonstrate different things depending on where you place the emphasis. An example about managing a tight deadline under pressure could speak to Delivery of Results in one answer and Analysis and Decision Making in another, provided you draw out different aspects of your actions each time.

The Capability Framework makes reuse more explicit. Because each capability has two subdimensions, and candidates answer a question per subdimension, coaching sources indicate that the same core example can be used across subdimensions within a capability where it genuinely fits. Whether this applies universally across all competitions is worth confirming once you receive your call-up letter, which sets out the format for your specific board.

A practical rule: if the board can hear that you are running the exact same story twice in one sitting, it is too much overlap. If you are genuinely highlighting a different skill or decision within the same situation, it is fine.

Does the framework matter for how many examples I prepare?

It matters a great deal for how you organise them, even if the raw number is similar.

Old Competency Model competitions ask one question per competency. At EO level that is typically six questions, so six solid examples at minimum, plus reserves in case the board probes deeper or your first example does not land the way you expected.

Capability Framework competitions (which cover all large volume campaigns since February 2024) have a slightly different shape. The four core capabilities are: Building Future Readiness, Evidence Informed Delivery, Leading and Empowering, and Communicating and Collaborating. Each has two subdimensions, so the structured competency section alone has eight question areas. On top of that, the interview includes questions on Skills, Strengths, and Knowledge, plus questions on Values, Motivation, and Interests.

You will find out which framework your competition uses in your call-up letter, before the interview. If you are not sure yet, build examples that work under both, because the underlying skills overlap significantly.

For a deeper look at how the two frameworks compare and what the Capability Framework means for your preparation, the guide to competency interviews on publicjobs covers the structural differences in full.

Once you know which framework applies, mapping your examples to specific Capability Framework competencies before the interview helps you spot gaps in your bank and avoid scrambling on the day.

What makes a good bank of examples?

Volume matters less than variety. Ten examples from the same job and the same two-year window will leave you stuck the moment a question asks for something outside that slice of life.

A strong bank covers:

Different settings. Work examples, yes, but also volunteering, community roles, study, or anything that required real effort and real decisions. Panels are fine with non-work examples; what matters is that you took a clear, individual action.
Different scales. Some examples should involve other people or teams. Some should be things you did largely on your own. Panels at EO level are listening for your capacity to lead and to deliver, and those are not the same thing.
Different time periods. Examples from the past three to five years carry more weight. If you have only old material, acknowledge the gap honestly and focus on the quality of what you learned.
Different outcomes. Not everything has to be a triumph. A situation where something went wrong and you adapted or course-corrected can be a stronger answer than a clean win, if you are honest about your role and what you took from it.

One thing that trips up a lot of candidates, myself included when I was going through this: saying “we” instead of “I”. The panel is assessing you, not your team. You can acknowledge that you worked with others, but the action part of every answer needs to be about what you specifically did, decided, or drove. The board will probe exactly this point if your answer stays at the collective level.

How do I structure each example?

Most candidates know the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and most use it correctly at the surface level, then undo their preparation by spending most of their time on the setup. The STAR method guide for Irish public service interviews covers the balance in detail, including how to time each section.

The Situation and Task sections exist to give the panel just enough context. A sentence or two each is usually sufficient. The Action section is where your marks live. It should take up roughly the majority of your speaking time, and it should be specific: what you did, what choices you made, what obstacles you worked around, how you kept things on track. The Result closes the loop but does not need to be elaborate.

Each full answer should run to around two to three minutes. The board works to a schedule, and interviewers will move you along if you run long. Practising to time is not optional.

FAQ

Can I use the same example twice in a publicjobs interview?

Within reason, yes. If you are emphasising genuinely different aspects of the situation to demonstrate different competencies or subdimensions, it is acceptable. If the board has already heard the full story in essentially the same form, you are better off using a different example. Your bank of examples should be large enough that you have options.

Does publicjobs tell me which competencies or capabilities they are assessing in advance?

Yes. Your call-up letter will tell you the format of the interview, who is on the board, and the areas to be assessed. You will not be walking in blind on the structure. The questions themselves will not be shared in advance, but knowing the capabilities gives you time to match your examples to each area.

What if I go blank mid-answer?

It happens. A brief pause to collect your thoughts is better than rushing into a scattered answer. If you have prepared and practised your examples rather than memorised a script word-for-word, you are less likely to lose the thread entirely. Panels expect some nerves; what they are watching for is whether you can recover and stay structured.

Is feedback available after a publicjobs interview?

Yes. Feedback is available on request for up to six months after the interview stage closes. Many candidates do not know to ask for it. If you are not placed, or placed lower than you hoped, request that feedback. It is specific enough to be useful for the next competition.

Getting your examples ready

Ten solid examples, spread across different settings and time periods, organised so you know which competency or capability each one addresses. That is the starting point. Fifteen gives you genuine flexibility when the board probes.

The hardest part is not counting examples, it is building the habit of answering in a structured way under pressure. That takes practice, not just planning.

If you want to test yourself before the real thing, the free taster at PublicServicePathway gives you a feel for the format with no card required. When you are ready to build a full practice bank, the full question library is available at /pricing/.

How Many Examples Should You Prepare for a Competency Interview?