publicjobs Interview Questions by Competency

A lot of candidates arrive at a publicjobs interview without a clear picture of what the board will actually ask, which competency or capability each question is targeting, or how to structure their answer. This post maps out the questions that come up most often at EO and similar grade competitions, organised by what they are testing.

One thing to check first: publicjobs competitions use one of two frameworks. Competitions before February 2024 typically use the older Civil Service Competency Model. Large volume campaigns from 2024 onward use the new Capability Framework. Your call-up letter will confirm which applies. The questions below cover both.

What framework applies to my interview?

If your competition started in 2024 or later and is a large volume campaign, it is almost certainly the Capability Framework, introduced by the Public Appointments Service in February 2024. The framework has four core capabilities:

Building Future Readiness - covering digital focus, openness to change, innovation, and upskilling
Evidence Informed Delivery - covering analysis and use of evidence in decision-making
Leading and Empowering - covering how you influence and develop others
Communicating and Collaborating - covering how you work with and through people

Each capability has two subdimensions, and you will typically be asked one competency-style question per subdimension. publicjobs has detailed breakdowns of each subdimension on their capability pages.

If your competition uses the older Competency Model, the assessed areas at EO level typically include: Delivery of Results, Interpersonal Skills, Analysis and Decision Making, Leadership and Change Management, Specialist Knowledge, and Commitment to Public Service Values.

Whichever applies, the format is the same - structured examples from your own experience. What varies is how the interviewers categorise what they are looking for.

What questions do boards actually ask at an EO interview?

Every candidate at a given grade level receives the same questions in the same order. The board is not improvising. Knowing that should settle some nerves - there is no curveball designed specifically for you.

Here are the types of question that appear most commonly, organised by the competency or capability they are testing.

Delivery of Results / Evidence Informed Delivery

Tell me about a time you had to manage a demanding workload or tight deadline. What did you do and what was the outcome?
Describe a situation where you had to prioritise competing tasks. How did you decide what to focus on?
Give me an example of a project or piece of work where you had to plan carefully to achieve a result.

These questions are looking for individual contribution, concrete actions, and measurable results. Say “I” not “we.” If the whole team delivered something, explain specifically what you did to make it happen.

Analysis and Decision Making / Evidence Informed Delivery

Tell me about a time you had to analyse a complex problem or a large amount of information before reaching a conclusion.
Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult decision with limited information.
Give an example of when your analysis led to a change in approach or a better outcome.

Boards want to see how you gather information, weigh it up, and commit to a course of action. The mistake most candidates make here is spending too long describing the problem and not enough explaining what they did with the information.

Interpersonal Skills / Communicating and Collaborating

Tell me about a time you had to work with someone who was difficult to deal with.
Describe a situation where you had to explain something complex to someone with less knowledge of the topic.
Give me an example of when you had to build a working relationship quickly in a challenging situation.

These questions often feel softer, but they carry real weight. Be specific about what made the relationship or communication difficult, what you did, and what changed.

Leadership and Change Management / Leading and Empowering

Tell me about a time you led a team or project, formally or informally.
Describe a situation where you had to manage a change in your workplace. How did you handle resistance or uncertainty?
Give an example of a time you motivated or supported a colleague through a difficult period.

You do not need to be a manager to answer leadership questions well. Informal leadership, stepping up during a team absence, or guiding a new colleague all count. Focus on what you specifically did.

Specialist Knowledge / Building Future Readiness

What draws you to this role and what do you bring to it?
How do you keep up to date with developments relevant to this area of work?
Describe a time you applied a newly acquired skill to improve your work or solve a problem.

Under the Capability Framework these sit in the “skills, strengths, knowledge” section. Prepare them separately from your STAR examples - they are more about who you are now than about a specific past event.

Commitment to Public Service Values / Values, Motivation and Interests

Why do you want to work in the civil service?
Tell me about a time you had to act with integrity when it would have been easier not to.
Describe a situation where you had to balance competing priorities or interests fairly.

These require genuine thought. Vague answers about wanting to give back, without a specific example behind them, tend not to score well.

How should I structure my answers?

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) works. The common mistake is front-loading the Situation when the Action carries most of the marks. A rough guide: about a minute on context, about two minutes on what you specifically did and what resulted. Aim for two to three minutes per answer.

Speak your examples out loud before the interview, not just write them. The first time I sat a competency interview I had everything written in notes but had not said it. The difference in how it lands when spoken is significant. The STAR method guide for Irish public service interviews breaks down the timing and structure in detail.

Publicjobs advises preparing around ten examples from different areas of your life before the interview - that gives you flexibility to avoid repeating the same story across competencies.

Can I use non-work examples?

Yes. publicjobs allows examples from voluntary work, education, community involvement, and personal life - as long as they are relevant and ideally from the past three to five years. If you are a graduate with limited work history, lean into project work, society roles, placement, or volunteering.

For more on how scoring works and what to expect at each stage, see the Irish civil service interview guide on this site.

FAQ

Will the interview board tell me which competency they are testing with each question?

Typically no, though the question wording usually makes it clear. “Tell me about a time you delivered a challenging piece of work” is a Delivery of Results question. Preparing your examples under each competency heading in advance means you will recognise what they are after even without a label.

Can I reuse the same example for more than one competency?

Under the Capability Framework, the same example can sometimes be used across subdimensions within a capability. Whether it can be reused across capabilities depends on the competition. The safest approach is to have distinct examples for each main area. That way you are not caught if an interviewer probes further and you have already used the story.

What if I go blank mid-answer?

Ask for a moment to gather your thoughts. Saying “can I take a second?” is far better than rambling or trailing off. Boards have heard it before. The panel will note your recovery, not just the stumble.

What does being placed on a panel actually mean?

It means you have passed and been ranked by order of merit. It is not a job offer. Panels are typically active for around 18 to 24 months, and you are called forward in batches as vacancies arise. You cannot choose your department, and declining an assignment means withdrawal from the competition.

Is feedback available after the interview?

Yes. publicjobs offers feedback on request for up to six months after the interview stage closes. Many candidates do not know this. If you do not get the result you hoped for, request feedback - it is one of the most useful things you can do before your next attempt. Check publicjobs.ie for the current process as it may vary by competition.

Before your next interview

The best preparation is practice out loud with real questions under time pressure. Generic UK-format mock questions will not help with the Irish capability model.

The free taster at psp-taster.pages.dev lets you start tonight. The full practice bank is at /pricing/ from €39 a month, no long-term commitment.

Maebh Collins has been through the publicjobs process first-hand, sitting assessments and making more applications than she would like to count. PublicServicePathway is independent and not affiliated with publicjobs.ie or the Public Appointments Service.

The Most Common publicjobs Interview Questions by Competency