Competency-Based Assessment (Written/Structured)
What is tested
The competency-based stage - usually a structured interview or written questionnaire - asks you to describe past behaviour as evidence of competencies such as teamwork, communication, integrity, resilience, planning and organising, decision-making, and respect for diversity. Assessors score the evidence, not the enthusiasm. Vague claims ("I'm a real team player") carry little weight; specific examples do.
Traps to watch
- Hypothetical answers. "I would..." is weaker than "I did...". Use real past examples.
- "We" instead of "I". Make your own contribution clear.
- No result. A story without an outcome leaves the assessor guessing.
- Unsubstantiated claims. Saying you are calm under pressure needs an example proving it.
- One example for every question. Prepare a small bank of varied examples and adapt them.
Rule of thumb
Use STAR: Situation (brief context), Task (your responsibility), Action (what you specifically did, in steps), Result (the outcome, with evidence where possible). Keep the action longest and the result concrete.
Worked example
Question: "Tell us about a time you handled a difficult customer." Weak: "I'm good with difficult people and always stay calm." Strong: "In my retail job a customer disputed a refund (S). I was responsible for resolving it at the counter (T). I listened without interrupting, explained the policy, offered a written complaint route and rang my supervisor when the customer became abusive (A). The customer left, the complaint was logged, and my supervisor praised the handling (R)."