19 questions
Scoring rubric 1–5

Situational Interview Questions to Ask Candidates

Q: Are situational questions good for junior candidates?

They are the best tools for them. A graduate cannot tell you about the last time they managed a stakeholder, but they can show you how they would think about it. Keep the scenarios realistic for an entry-level role and score the questions they ask as much as the answer.

A situational question describes a realistic scenario from the job and asks what the candidate would do. It tests judgment and reasoning, not experience, which makes it the right tool for junior hires, career changers and skills the candidate has not had the chance to use yet. Score the reasoning: what they ask, what they consider, and what they do first.

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Situational questions get a bad reputation because they are usually asked badly: a vague hypothetical, an eloquent answer, and no way to score it.

Used properly they fill the gap behavioral questions leave — you cannot ask a graduate about the last time they managed a budget. The 19 questions below are realistic scenarios grouped by what they test, and each one says what a strong answer contains and what should worry you.

19interview questions

4question sets by competency

1–5scoring rubric for every answer

Before you ask: situational vs behavioral, and when to use each

Behavioral questions («tell me about a time») are stronger evidence because they are about things that actually happened. Situational questions («what would you do if») test reasoning about things that have not. Use situational questions when the candidate cannot have the experience yet, or when you want to see how they think about the specific problems of this job. Make the scenario concrete, and always ask the follow-up: «what would you do first?»

The candidate is junior or changing careers

Use behavioral questions whenThe candidate has done this kind of work before

Either wayMake it specific to this role

You want to test judgment on this job’s real problems

Use behavioral questions whenYou want evidence of actual past behavior

Either wayAsk the same version to every candidate

The skill is rare enough that few candidates have examples

Use behavioral questions whenThe skill is central and they should have examples

Either wayFollow up: «what first?», «what would you need to know?»

Scenarios about priorities and pressure

It is Thursday afternoon. Your manager asks for a report by Friday morning, a client escalates an issue that will take most of tomorrow, and you promised a colleague a review of their work. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They rank by impact, communicate what will slip and to whom, and do not pretend all three fit.
Red flag: «I would stay late and do all three.» No prioritization, no communication.

You realize halfway through a project that the approach you chose will not deliver on time. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They raise it immediately with options (cut scope, extend, add help) rather than hoping.
Red flag: They push harder and tell people at the deadline.

You are given a task with a deadline you believe is impossible. How do you handle it?

What a strong answer shows: They check their assumption, then negotiate scope or date with a concrete proposal, early.
Red flag: They accept it silently, or refuse it flatly.

Two senior people give you conflicting instructions on the same piece of work. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They surface the conflict to both, propose a resolution, and do not choose silently.
Red flag: They pick whichever is more senior and keep quiet.

Scenarios about people and conflict

A colleague keeps missing their part of a shared deliverable, and it is starting to affect your work. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: A direct conversation with the colleague first, about the specific commitment, before any escalation.
Red flag: Straight to the manager, or they quietly do the colleague’s work.

You disagree with a decision your manager has just announced to the team. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They raise it privately, with reasons, and then commit either way.
Red flag: They argue in front of the team, or say nothing and disengage.

A customer is angry about something that was not your fault. How do you handle the conversation?

What a strong answer shows: They let the customer be heard, separate the emotion from the problem, and commit only to what they can deliver.
Red flag: They explain whose fault it was, or promise whatever makes the customer stop.

You notice a teammate is struggling but has not asked for help. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They check in privately and specifically, offer something concrete, and respect the answer.
Red flag: Not their job, or they report it to the manager without talking to the person.

Someone takes credit for your work in a meeting. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: A calm correction, usually afterwards and in private, and a change to how they make their work visible.
Red flag: A public confrontation, or they let it go and resent it.

Scenarios about judgment and integrity

You discover a mistake in work that has already gone to the client. Nobody has noticed yet. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They tell their manager and the client promptly, with a fix, before anyone finds it.
Red flag: They wait to see if it gets noticed, or fix it quietly without telling anyone.

You are asked to do something you think is against policy or ethically questionable. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They ask for clarification, state their concern plainly, and know when and how to escalate.
Red flag: They comply because they were told to, or they refuse without checking they understood.

You have information that would help your team but were told it is confidential. A colleague asks you directly. What do you say?

What a strong answer shows: They keep the confidence, say so honestly, and point the colleague to the right person.
Red flag: They share it «because it helps the team».

You are 80% sure of the right answer and the decision is needed now. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They decide, say what they are assuming, and set a point to review.
Red flag: They wait for certainty, or decide and never revisit it.

A process you have been told to follow clearly does not work for the situation in front of you. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They follow it where it matters, deviate only with a reason, and raise the problem so the process gets fixed.
Red flag: They ignore the process, or follow it into a bad outcome.

Scenarios about ambiguity and new situations

You start a new role and your manager is away for the first two weeks. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They find out what matters (from colleagues, documents, customers), pick something useful, and write down questions for the manager’s return.
Red flag: They wait.

You are asked to take on a task you have never done and there is no one to show you. How do you approach it?

What a strong answer shows: They break it down, find a reference, try a small version first, and ask for feedback early.
Red flag: They refuse it, or attempt the whole thing without checking anything.

Your team’s goal changes mid-quarter and half your work is no longer relevant. What do you do?

What a strong answer shows: They re-plan quickly, salvage what can be reused, and tell stakeholders what stops.
Red flag: They finish the irrelevant work anyway because it was almost done.

You are given a vague request from a senior stakeholder: «can you look into our churn?» What do you do first?

What a strong answer shows: They ask what decision the answer is for, define scope, and agree what «done» looks like before starting.
Red flag: They start pulling data immediately.

You inherit a project from someone who left, and the documentation is poor. What do you do in the first week?

What a strong answer shows: They talk to the people involved, map what exists, identify the riskiest gap, and communicate a realistic status.
Red flag: They spend the week complaining about the documentation.

How to score situational answers

You are scoring reasoning, so the rubric is about what they considered, not whether they picked your preferred answer. Write down the questions they asked and the first thing they said they would do — those are the comparable evidence across candidates.

1
No usable answer
«It depends», with no attempt to reason it through
2
A plausible action, no reasoning
One thing they would do, no trade-offs, no questions
3
Sound reasoning
They considered the main trade-off and named a sensible first step
4
Strong
Above, plus they asked what they would need to know and who they would tell
5
Exceptional
Above, plus they connected it to a real example of their own

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a situational interview question?

A question that describes a realistic scenario from the job and asks what the candidate would do: «what would you do if a client escalated on a Friday afternoon?». It tests judgment and reasoning rather than past experience, which is why it works for junior candidates and career changers.

What is the difference between situational and behavioral interview questions?

Behavioral questions ask about something that actually happened («tell me about a time»); situational questions ask about something hypothetical («what would you do if»). Behavioral answers are stronger evidence. Use situational questions when the candidate cannot have the experience yet, or to test how they think about this job’s specific problems.

How do you score situational interview questions?

Score the reasoning, not the answer: did they ask what they would need to know, did they name the trade-off, did they say what they would do first and who they would tell. Use the same 1-5 scale for every candidate and write down the evidence, not the impression.

How many situational questions should I ask?

Two or three, on scenarios that actually happen in the role, mixed with behavioral questions for the skills the candidate has had a chance to use. A whole interview of hypotheticals rewards eloquence over ability.

Are situational questions good for junior candidates?

They are the best tool for them. A graduate cannot tell you about the last time they managed a stakeholder, but they can show you how they would think about it. Keep the scenarios realistic for an entry-level role and score the questions they ask as much as the answer.

Keep reading

Interview questions to ask candidates: the complete guide 24 behavioral interview questions by competency Problem solving interview questions Interview scorecard template (free Excel, Word and PDF)

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