Behavioural interview questions in Australia ask you to describe a real situation from your past — usually starting "Tell us about a time when…" or "Describe a situation where…" — because employers treat past behaviour as a guide to how you will act in the job. Answer each one with a specific example in the STAR format (situation, task, action, result), keep it to about two minutes, and finish with a measurable result. Below are 20 practice questions we wrote, two example answers, and the follow-up questions to expect.
Behavioural questions are standard in Australian public-sector interviews and common in private-sector ones. For the rest of the Australian process, see our job interview tips for Australia.
What is a behavioural interview question?
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) defines behavioural questions as ones that usually begin "Tell us about a time when…" or "Describe a situation where…". They are based on the principle that past behaviour is a good indicator of future behaviour, and they show what you did, thought and said in a work situation.
They differ from hypothetical scenario questions, which the APSC describes as fictional work problems where you explain how you would respond. Many Australian panels use both. With a hypothetical, give the steps you would take, then back them with a real example if you have one.
State governments use the same approach. The NSW Public Service's Recruitment and Selection Guide recommends structured behavioural interviews, in which every candidate is asked the same questions and rated against the same standards on a common rating scale, with probing questions to clarify answers. For more background, read our explainer on what a behavioural interview is.
20 behavioural interview questions for Australian jobs
These are practice questions we wrote, grouped by the skill they test. They are not questions from any specific employer. Match them to the selection criteria or capabilities in your job ad, and prepare the ones that fit best.
| # | Question | Skill tested | What a strong example shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Tell us about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer or member of the public." | Customer service | Empathy, a fix within the rules, and follow-up |
| 2 | "Describe a situation where you went beyond what was expected to help a customer." | Customer service | Judgement about when extra effort is worth it |
| 3 | "Tell us about a time you disagreed with a colleague. How did you resolve it?" | Teamwork | Listening, finding common ground, keeping the relationship |
| 4 | "Give an example of when you helped a team member who was struggling." | Teamwork | Noticing early and offering practical help |
| 5 | "Describe a time you worked with people from a different background or culture to your own." | Diversity and inclusion | Respect, adapting your approach, what you learned |
| 6 | "Tell us about a time you explained something complex to a non-specialist." | Communication | Knowing your audience and checking understanding |
| 7 | "Describe a time you had to give someone feedback they did not want to hear." | Communication | Preparation, specifics and a constructive tone |
| 8 | "Give an example of when you persuaded someone to change their mind." | Influence and negotiation | Evidence, understanding their concerns, the outcome |
| 9 | "Tell us about a time you managed several deadlines at once." | Planning and prioritising | A clear method and the trade-offs you made |
| 10 | "Describe a time your priorities changed suddenly. What did you do?" | Adaptability | Re-planning calmly and telling the right people |
| 11 | "Tell us about a problem you solved where the answer was not obvious." | Problem solving | Gathering information, options and a reasoned choice |
| 12 | "Give an example of a decision you made without all the information you wanted." | Judgement | Weighing risk and consulting where needed |
| 13 | "Tell us about a time you made a mistake at work." | Accountability | Owning it, fixing it, preventing a repeat |
| 14 | "Describe a time you noticed something was not being done properly. What did you do?" | Integrity | Raising concerns through the right channels |
| 15 | "Tell us about a time you improved a process or way of working." | Continuous improvement | The before and after, ideally with a number |
| 16 | "Describe a project you delivered from start to finish." | Delivering results | Scope, risks, stakeholders and the result |
| 17 | "Tell us about a time you had to learn something new quickly." | Learning | How you learned and how fast you applied it |
| 18 | "Describe the most stressful situation you have faced at work and how you handled it." | Resilience | Staying effective and looking after yourself and others |
| 19 | "Give an example of when you led a group without formal authority." | Leadership | Setting direction and bringing people with you |
| 20 | "Tell us about a time you used data or feedback to make a change." | Evidence-based work | The data, the insight and the measured change |
How do you answer behavioural questions with STAR?
- Situation (about 15 seconds). Where you were, your role and the problem. Skip background the panel does not need.
- Task (about 10 seconds). What you were responsible for.
- Action (about 60 seconds). The steps you took, in order, with "I" not "we". This is what gets scored.
- Result (about 20 seconds). What changed, with a number if possible, and what you learned or now do differently.
The APSC recommends the STAR model for written applications too, so the same stories can serve your application and your interview. Our STAR method guide has more detail, and the free STAR story builder helps you draft each story.
Example answers to Australian behavioural questions
Examples we wrote for illustration.
Question 3: "Tell us about a time you disagreed with a colleague. How did you resolve it?"
"At a Perth logistics company, a colleague in planning and I disagreed about whether to delay a client delivery to consolidate two loads (situation). I was the account coordinator, so it was my job to agree the plan with him and tell the client (task). I asked to talk it through in person rather than by email, listened to his cost figures, and shared the client's contract penalty for late delivery, which he hadn't seen. We agreed to send one truck on time and consolidate the rest the following week (action). The delivery arrived on time, we saved about half the extra freight cost he had been worried about, and we now share client delivery terms with planning at the start of every contract (result)."
Question 13: "Tell us about a time you made a mistake at work."
"In my first year as an accounts officer at a Melbourne health service, I processed a supplier payment twice because I missed a duplicate invoice number (situation). Once I noticed, it was my responsibility to recover the money and tell my manager (task). I told my manager the same morning, contacted the supplier, arranged a credit against their next invoice, and suggested we switch on the duplicate-invoice warning in our finance system, which had been turned off (action). The funds were recovered within two weeks, the warning has since flagged several duplicates before payment, and I now check invoice numbers against the supplier history before every batch (result)."
Both answers name a specific place and role, focus on the candidate's own actions, and end with a result and a lasting change. For more examples across skills, see our STAR method examples and teamwork interview questions.
What follow-up questions do Australian panels ask?
Structured interviews often include probing questions after your first answer. Prepare for these:
- "What did you personally do, as opposed to the team?"
- "What would you do differently next time?"
- "How did the other person react?"
- "How did you know it had worked?"
- "Can you give us another example?"
The last one is why you need two stories per skill. If you cannot think of an example, the APSC says it is okay to take time to think or ask the panel to rephrase the question.
How to build a behavioural story bank
- List the selection criteria or capabilities from the job ad and role description. Our selection criteria interview guide shows how criteria become questions.
- Write eight to ten STAR stories from the last few years, each covering two or three skills.
- Map each story to the questions in the table above.
- Match the scope of your stories to the level of the role. Government roles state the level; see our guides to the APS interview and the NSW Government capability framework interview.
- Say every story out loud at least twice and time it.
To practise under realistic conditions, CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds behavioural questions from your CV and the job description, reads them aloud, and scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what worked, what to fix and a model answer, followed by a report card. Start in your browser with our AI mock interview, or see behavioural interview help. The free plan includes 15 minutes a day with no account.
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What are behavioural interview questions?
They ask you to describe a real past situation, usually starting "Tell us about a time when…" or "Describe a situation where…". The Australian Public Service Commission explains they rest on the idea that past behaviour is a good indicator of future behaviour.
How do I answer behavioural interview questions in Australia?
Use STAR: briefly set the situation and your task, spend most of your answer on the actions you took, and finish with a measurable result. Aim for about two minutes and say "I" rather than "we".
What is the difference between behavioural and hypothetical questions?
Behavioural questions ask what you did in a real situation. Hypothetical scenario questions describe a fictional work problem and ask what you would do. Australian panels often use both.
How many behavioural examples should I prepare?
Prepare eight to ten STAR stories that together cover every selection criterion or capability in the job ad, with at least two stories per key skill in case the panel asks for another example.
Can I use examples from outside work?
Yes. If you have limited work experience, examples from study, volunteering, sport or casual jobs are fine, as long as they show the behaviour clearly and end with a result.
Where can I practise behavioural interview questions for free?
CoPilot Interview's free plan includes 15 minutes a day of Mock Interview practice with no account. It reads questions aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer.