Different Types of Interview Questions – How to Prepare

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(Newswire.net — October 3, 2019) — Do you have an interview scheduled for the near future? This post outlines the different types of interview questions you may face during the interview. It highlights the eight different types of interview questions, and it helps to understand them.

Different Types of Interview Questions

Interviewing is neither an art nor a science. It is part art, part science and part ethereal. It’s very abstract. In simple terms, an interview is an imperfect form of human communication that’s designed to predict the validity of potential employer-employee relations

Credential Verification Questions

This type of questions aim at verifying the credentials you’ve presented in your background. They’re also referred to as resume questions. Examples include “How long were you at _____?” and “What is your GPA?”.

Experience Verification Questions

During a job interview, they are likely to ask about the experience you’ve presented on your resume. These questions are designed to evaluate the experiences in your background. Typical questions include “What were your duties and responsibilities in that position?” and “What did you learn in that class?”.

Opinion Questions

These types of questions include “What are your strengths and weaknesses” and “how would you approach challenges in this situation?”. The purpose is to deduce how you would respond in different scenarios.

Behavioral Questions

These interview questions aim to objectively measure your past behaviors to try and predict future results. Examples of behavioral questions include “what was your approach in delivering that result?” and “Can you give us specific examples of how you did that?”. 

Competency Questions

Competency questions are designed to match your skills with specific competencies that are required for the position. Such questions include “Explain how you found a solution to a recent problem you were required to solve?” or “Can you give us specific examples of your leadership skills?”.

Brain Teaser Questions

The purpose of brain teaser questions is to evaluate not only your ability to create mathematical formula for estimating or providing an answer, but also your mental math calculation skills. This type of questions range from “What is 2000 divided by 84?” to “How many tennis balls could fit in a Volkswagen?” to complex algorithms.

Case Questions

Case questions aim to evaluate your ability to analyze and work your way around potential case issues, as well as your problem-solving abilities. This type of question includes problem-solving questions such as “What’s your estimate for the global online retail market for computers?” or “How many car manufacturers are there in the U.S.?”

Nonsense Questions

These questions include “What color best describes you?” and “What kind of animal would you like to be?” Nonsense questions are designed to determine whether you can come up with an original thought. They aim to test your ability to think on your feet so there’s really no right or wrong answer.

To Summarize

Interviewers will typically use a mix of different types of interview questions. Experienced interviewers prefer to focus on behavioral and competency interviewing, because past performance is the most reliable indicator of future results. You can prevent interview mistakes by preparing for your interview in advance, and having questions for your interviewer as well.