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Chevening interview questions: the published themes and how to practise

Checked against official sources

Chevening does not publish a list of interview questions. It publishes themes, a description of the panel and advice on how to prepare. This guide sets out what Chevening says about its interview, how the themes connect to your essays, and how to practise with questions you write yourself.

What Chevening says about the interview

The interview is a competency-based panel assessment held in English. The panel is made up of representatives of the British embassy or high commission, who score you against Chevening's global criteria. Location and format are confirmed when you book your slot in the online system. Bring photo ID on the day.

Item What Chevening publishes
Stage After reading committee assessment and shortlisting
Invitations (2027/28 round) Mid-February 2027
Interviews (2027/28 round) March to April 2027
Panel Representatives of the British embassy or high commission
Format Competency-based, in English; location and format confirmed at booking
Length Not published
Documents ID, degree certificate or diploma and two reference letters, at least seven working days before the interview
Results From mid-June 2027 by email; no feedback given

The published themes

Chevening's interview page lists these topics:

  • the information in your application;
  • your personal and professional aspirations;
  • how Chevening can help you achieve your impact goals;
  • your three course choices;
  • the status of your UK university applications.

Its page on succeeding at interview adds that you should be prepared to talk about the examples you gave in your essays. That point matters most for preparation. Your essays cannot be changed after submission, and at interview only personal data can be corrected. Re-read all four essays (leadership and influence, networking, course choice, career plan) and know the full story behind every example.

You need an unconditional offer from at least one of your three courses by 8 July 2027, 17:00 BST, for the 2027/28 round. Know where each application stands and any conditions still to meet.

Tips from Chevening alumni

Chevening's "How to succeed at your Chevening interview" page shares tips from alumni, not rules of its own:

  1. Tell your own true stories, honest about achievements, challenges and lessons.
  2. Structure your examples with STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
  3. Connect your past experience and your planned master's to what you will contribute after returning home.
  4. Define long-term goals and how they align with Chevening.
  5. Make every part of your application fit together.

Practising with questions you write yourself

Since no real questions are published, turn each theme into practice questions of your own. The examples below are written from Chevening's published themes. They are practice questions written from the published criteria, not questions taken from any panel, and they do not predict what you will be asked.

Published theme Practice questions written from the criteria
Essay examples (leadership) What did you do personally, as opposed to your team? How do you know the result came from your action?
Essay examples (networking) What came out of the collaboration that would not have happened otherwise?
Course choices Why did you rank your three courses in that order? Which modules matter most to you?
University applications Where does each application stand now, and what conditions remain?
Impact goals What will you be doing one year after you return home, and how will you measure progress?

Use these as rehearsal prompts, not a script. For each one, pick a story from your essays, outline it in STAR form and say it aloud while a friend pushes with follow-ups such as "why?". If a story falls apart under two follow-ups, it needs more detail. The Interview Kit for Chevening organises this work: an Interview Question Bank of practice questions grouped by the published themes, an Interview Answer Planner for re-reading your essays as the panel will, and a STAR Evidence Bank with a coverage sheet that shows which themes are still thin.

Documents, references and the rules on help

Your passport or national ID, your undergraduate degree certificate or diploma (transcripts are not accepted) and two reference letters must be uploaded at least seven working days before your interview; the references page says missing this removes your application from consideration. The interview page says at least one week (seven days), so work to seven working days, the earlier date. Letters must be in English or come with a notarised English translation in the same file. You may replace a referee after the invitation, but you must explain the change at interview.

Chevening strictly prohibits using AI software to generate essay answers, runs detection tools and disqualifies offending applications; the essays you may be asked about at interview must be your own. Submitting someone else's work as yours breaches its plagiarism and fraud rules. Applying is free, and Chevening states that it neither endorses nor works with third parties that charge for application support or advice. Scholar Dossier is an independent publisher with no connection to Chevening; nothing we publish is needed to apply or interview.

General information: this article is general information, not admissions advice. Interview formats, rules and dates change between cycles, so always check Chevening's own pages and your invitation before you prepare.

Sources