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The Global Insight

What is a criteria based interview?

Author

Sarah Garza

Updated on April 05, 2026

A Criteria Based Interview is a structured interview designed around the key competencies of the job, or group of jobs, you are being considered against. All candidates being interviewed for a particular position are asked the same structured questions.

How are competency-based questions marked?

Marks are attributed based on the extent that a candidate’s answer matches the indicators – ranging from 0 (no evidence) to 4 (Good to excellent) depending on the number of positive or negative indicators.

What should be asked in a values based interview?

Values-based interview questions are very similar to behavioral and situational-type interview questions, and they should be answered with specific responses if the candidate is to achieve the highest scores possible. Learning and Development.

How are selection criteria handled in an interview?

Usually, one selection panel member will handle one selection criteria, and then hand over to the next selection panel member for the next selection criteria. This is where your notes will come in handy. If you have something important to say that relates to your claims against that selection criteria, make sure you get it out!

What to expect in a competency based interview?

Interviewers using behaviour-based interviewing techniques such as competency questions are likely to probe for additional details during your responses. Always make sure you provide concise, highly specific answers that are well explained, thought-out and detailed. Questions can relate to past failures as well as to past achievements.

What is the premise of a behavioral interview?

The Premise of Behavioral Interviewing. Behavioral interviewing points to past performance as the best predictor of future performance. In essence, if you ask behavioral questions, you’re no longer asking questions that are hypothetical, but are asking questions that must be answered based upon fact.