What do they ask at the start of a Civil Service interview?
6 opening questions · Acas EO, ref 487665Most Civil Service interviews start the same way. The panel says hello, checks you can hear them, and asks a few gentle questions: tell us about yourself, why this job, what you know about the organisation. Then the scored questions begin.
These first two minutes are usually not marked. They still matter, because they set how the panel hears everything after. A calm, specific first answer buys you goodwill. A vague one, like “I've always wanted to work for the Civil Service”, makes them work harder to like you.
This page takes you through each opening question in the order it tends to come, says what the panel is really asking, and gives you a line to fill in plus a worked answer for a real job that's open now: a Dispute Resolution Executive Officer role at Acas.
What happens in the first two minutes
You join the call (for this job it's Microsoft Teams) and the panel introduces themselves. There is always a chair, who leads, asks most of the questions and keeps time, and usually at least one other panellist who takes notes. They know you're nervous. Most panellists have sat on your side of an interview themselves.
Next come the opening questions on this page: a warm-up for you to settle and for them to hear how you talk. Then the chair usually explains the format, such as whether you can take notes, and asks if you're ready.
Then the scored part starts. The Civil Service uses a framework called Success Profiles: it decides what a job tests, such as behaviours (things like Communicating and Influencing, answered with a real example from your past), strengths (what you enjoy and do naturally) and experience. Each answer gets its own score, often out of 7, and 4 is the usual pass mark. Your candidate pack says which scale your campaign uses.
The job used for the examples
The worked answers below are for this Acas role. It's an Executive Officer job (EO, a junior management grade) in the Early Contact Team, which is mostly inbound calls from people who've asked for Early Conciliation, the free step Acas offers before a dispute goes to an employment tribunal. You don't need to apply for it to use this page: see how each answer uses the advert, then write your own.
Dispute Resolution Executive Officer
- Pay
- £30,120 – £30,995
- Where
- Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, or Newcastle with an element of working from home · hybrid
- Closes
- Sun 15 Nov, 23:55
- Ref
- 487665
What to say to each opening question
These are in the order they usually come. Panels differ, so you may get only three or four of them, or hear them worded differently. The aim isn't to learn a script. It's to know the shape of a good answer so you never start from a blank.
Can you hear us OK? How are you today?
Yes, I can hear you fine, thanks. Thanks for having me.
Yes, loud and clear, thanks. Thanks for having me, I've been looking forward to it.
Why it works: Nobody marks this. It's your chance to sound calm and friendly before anything is scored, so keep it short and smile. If the sound is bad, say so now rather than struggling through.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm currently [your role or situation]. I've spent most of my time on [one area]. I'm now looking for a role where I can [link to this job].
I'm currently working on a busy customer helpline. Most of my time is spent on calls where people are stressed and need things explained clearly. I'm now looking for a role where I can do that on something that really matters to people, like their job.
Why it works: It ends on the job, so it leads straight into the interview. It also points at the experience they test: handling a big workload of calls. Not had a job like this? Use study, caring or volunteering. Anything true counts.
People worry about this one most because it's so open. Keep it to those three sentences, about 20 seconds. It is not your life story. The panel has your application; they want to hear how you sum yourself up.
What interests you about this job?
I read that this team [one thing from the advert]. That's the part I want to work on, because [one reason].
I read that the Early Contact Team is the first person someone speaks to when they've got a problem at work. I'd like to be the one who helps them understand the process and their time limits, because that first call can change how the rest goes.
Why it works: It quotes the advert back, so the panel knows you read it. It names the actual job, calls explaining Early Conciliation and time limits, not “the Civil Service” in general. And it's about the person on the phone.
What do you know about Acas?
I know you [one thing the organisation does]. I noticed [one thing from its website or the advert], and that's part of why I applied.
I know Acas is impartial. You're not on the employer's side or the worker's side, you help both sort things out before a tribunal. That's part of why I applied: I like the idea of helping fix a problem rather than picking a side.
Why it works: “Impartial” and “not on anyone's side” are Acas's own words in the advert, so it shows you did the reading. One fact plus why it matters to you beats a list of facts.
What have you enjoyed doing recently?
I've been [one real thing, a hobby is fine]. I like it because [one reason].
I've been learning to cook new dishes from recipe videos. I like it because you have to follow the steps exactly, then adjust when something doesn't work.
Why it works: You sound like a person, not a script. The reason quietly hints at being careful and adapting, which matters in a job about accurate case notes. Don't force a work link. If it fits, good; if not, just be warm.
Do you have any questions before we start?
Just one. Will there be time at the end for me to ask about the team? Or: No, I'm ready, thanks.
No, I'm ready, thanks.
Why it works: Both are fine. Save your real questions for the end, when they'll ask again. If you want to know whether you can keep notes in front of you, this is the moment to ask.
How long to talk, and how to sound
Aim for about 20 seconds per opening answer: two or three sentences at a calm pace. Stopping early is never marked down; rambling makes the panel wait for the point.
Use the same voice the whole way. Panels notice when someone is warm in the small talk, then goes flat and formal once the scored questions start.
It's normal for your voice to shake at first. Breathe out before you speak, look at the camera rather than your own face, and slow down a little more than feels natural.
If it goes wrong
You didn't catch the question. Say “Sorry, could you repeat the question, please?” Panels expect this, especially on Teams where sound cuts out, and it gives you a few extra seconds to think.
Your mind goes blank. Say “Can I take a second to think of the best example?” A short pause is fine and panels hear it all the time. A rushed answer usually scores lower than a calm one that started a few seconds late.
The call drops or freezes. Rejoin using the same link from your invite. When you're back, say what you last heard and carry on. Panels deal with dropped calls all the time; how calmly you pick up again is what they'll remember.
What to do next
Tonight: open your advert and write your own four lines: what interests you, something you've enjoyed, about you in three sentences, and one fact about the organisation plus why it matters to you. Use the templates above and keep each one true.
Then say them out loud. Reading them in your head is not the same. Say each one until it takes about 20 seconds and sounds like you, not like something you memorised.
The week before: reread the advert and check the organisation's website for anything new. Test your Teams or video link and sound on the device you'll use.
When you want a real rehearsal, Plum runs a mock interview with a live AI panel that asks the openers for your job and tells you how each answer landed.
Common questions
Are the opening questions in a Civil Service interview scored?
Usually not. Small talk and “tell us about yourself” are normally a warm-up before the scored questions. But in interviews that test strengths, some questions can sound casual and still be scored, and you're not told which in advance. The safe approach is to answer every question as if it counts, while keeping the openers short.
How long should my answer to “tell us about yourself” be?
About 20 seconds, or three sentences: what you do now, what you've spent most of your time on, and why you want this role. End on the job you're interviewing for, so your answer leads naturally into the rest of the interview. The panel already has your application, so you don't need to go through your whole history.
Can I have notes in front of me?
Some panels allow notes and some don't, so ask. A good moment is when they ask if you have any questions before you start: “Is it OK if I keep a few notes in front of me?” If they say yes, keep them to a few words per example, not full scripts, so you still talk to the panel rather than read.
What do they mean by behaviours, strengths and Success Profiles?
Success Profiles is the framework the Civil Service uses to decide what each job tests. Behaviours, such as Communicating and Influencing, are answered with a real example from your past. Strengths are about what you enjoy and do well naturally, with quicker questions and no example needed. The advert lists which ones your interview tests.
Practise the openers out loud
A live AI panel asks the opening questions for your job and tells you how each one landed.