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English Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
Recruiters reuse the same twelve or so questions. This guide lists them, explains what each one is really testing, and gives a structure for your own answer instead of a script to memorise.
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Written and reviewed by Mourade Boulanouar — Founder & Head of Teaching, EnglifyLast reviewed
In short
Almost every English interview is built from the same questions: tell me about yourself, why this role, why leave your current job, your strengths, a weakness, a difficult situation, a conflict with a colleague, where you see yourself, salary expectations and your questions for the recruiter. Each one tests something specific, so a good answer follows a structure — short claim, concrete example, result — rather than a memorised paragraph. Practising them out loud with someone who interrupts and follows up is what makes them usable in the real interview.
Key facts
- Around twelve questions cover most English interviews
- Structure beats memorised scripts: claim, example, result
- "Tell me about yourself" should last 60 to 90 seconds
- Behavioural questions need one real situation, not a general opinion
- Follow-up questions are where unprepared answers collapse
Related questions
Why the same questions keep coming back
A recruiter has to compare candidates fairly, which means asking each of them roughly the same things. That is good news: the question list is predictable, so almost all of the uncertainty in an English interview is in your answers, not in the questions.
The mistake is preparing the words instead of the content. A memorised paragraph sounds recited, and it breaks at the first follow-up question — which always comes.
The opening questions
- Tell me about yourself — 60 to 90 seconds: what you do now, two relevant skills, why this role. Not your life story.
- Why are you interested in this position? — one specific thing about the role or company, then how it matches what you already do.
- Why are you leaving your current job? — forward-looking and neutral: what you want next, not what is wrong with your employer.
- Walk me through your CV — chronological, with one sentence per role and the reason for each move.
The questions about you
- What are your strengths? — two, each with a short example. A strength without an example sounds invented.
- What is your weakness? — one real one, plus what you are doing about it. "I am a perfectionist" is heard as an evasion.
- How do you handle pressure? — describe a real busy period and what you actually did to manage it.
- What motivates you? — link it to the work itself, not only to salary or promotion.
Behavioural questions
These start with "tell me about a time when..." and are the ones most candidates answer in general terms, which scores badly. Use one situation and stay in it: what the situation was, what you did, what the result was. Two or three sentences each is enough.
- Tell me about a difficult situation you handled
- Tell me about a mistake you made and what you learned
- Tell me about a disagreement with a colleague or manager
- Tell me about a time you had to learn something quickly
- Tell me about a time you dealt with an unhappy client
The closing questions
- Where do you see yourself in two or three years? — a direction, not a job title you may never reach.
- What are your salary expectations? — a range you have thought about, plus openness to discuss the full package.
- When could you start? — your notice period, stated plainly.
- Do you have any questions for us? — always yes. Two questions about the team, the work or how success is measured.
How to practise so the answers survive the interview
Say every answer out loud. Reading it back silently hides the hesitations, the missing words and the sentences that run out of grammar halfway through.
Then have someone interrupt you. A follow-up question — "and what happened after that?" — is the real test, and it is the part self-preparation cannot give you.
At Englify this is exactly what a private session does: the teacher plays the recruiter, follows up, corrects, and then rebuilds the weak answers with you. Private classes cost 100 MAD per hour, live on Google Meet, with Moroccan teachers based in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should an English interview answer be?
- Between 30 seconds and 90 seconds for most questions. "Tell me about yourself" sits at the top of that range; behavioural answers usually take 45 to 60 seconds. Answers under ten seconds read as disengaged, and answers over two minutes lose the recruiter.
- Should I memorise my answers word for word?
- No. Memorise the content — the example, the result, the two skills — and let the words change each time. Recited answers sound rehearsed and collapse when the recruiter asks a follow-up question.
- What if I do not understand the question?
- Ask. "Sorry, could you repeat that?" or "Do you mean X or Y?" is completely normal in a professional interview, and far better than answering a question you did not hear.
- How much do English lessons cost in Morocco?
- At Englify, small-group online English classes are the most affordable option and private one-to-one classes cost more per hour, because a private teacher works with one student only. Current group and private prices are confirmed on WhatsApp (+212 724 744 137) and on our prices page, since they depend on the format, the number of hours per week and the length of the plan. The trial class is free and no card is required.
- Are Englify classes online or in person?
- Every class is 100% online and live on Google Meet, at Morocco time. Nothing is pre-recorded: a teacher is in the room with you, correcting you as you speak. Students join from Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier, Fez, Agadir and smaller cities, and from abroad.
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Practise your interview with a teacher
Book a free trial class, tell us which interview you are preparing for, and get a plan built around it. Private one-to-one classes cost 100 MAD per hour.