As a student, you normally prepare yourself thoroughly before an interview, considering all aspects and making necessary adjustments. Like researching about the company you’ve applied to, polishing your resume for an updated version, and even practicing self-introduction. However, when the first question is asked, you still get stuck. Why is that? Because you focus on background research, you miss out on something important, which is preparing an interview template.

Most students skip this technique, and as a result, they don’t get what they deserve.

Well, in this guide, you’ll learn what an interview template is, why it works, and how to create one that will help you answer any question with confidence.

What Is an Interview Template?

An interview template is a plan that helps you organise your answers before the interview. It is not something prewritten script to memorise, instead it is a format that allows you to explain your points in a way that the interviewers or the listener understands your message. 

The better the template you follow, the higher the possibility that you will cover every important detail in your responses. And will not leave a gap

Without a structure, there is a higher chance of moving from one point to another without a clear link. This can make your answer less effective. A planned format helps you stay on topic and present your experience or ideas in a way that supports your goals.

Common formats include:

• STAR – Situation Task Action Result.
• CAR – Challenge Action Result.
• PAR – Problem Action Result.
• SOAR – Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result.
• PREP – Point Reason Example Point.

The Interview Templates, Each with an Example

• STAR – Situation Task Action Result
  You explain your situation, like where you were, what you had as a task, what action you performed, and what the result was.
  
  Example:
  For example, you were a part of a group assignment in college ( situation). Your task was to prepare the final presentation, which is a task(task). You gathered the data, and created slides that’s the (action) at the end, you got the highest grade in the class, which is a (result).
• CAR – Challenge Action Result
  You share the challenge, what you did about it, and the outcome.

  Example:
  Our project files got deleted by mistake (challenge). I restored them from backups (action). We finished the project on time (result).

• PAR – Problem Action Result
  It’s almost the same as the CAR but a bit shorter.

  Example:
  The printer stopped working, I found another nearby printer. The report was printed on time

  What’s the problem? => The printer stopped working
  What was the action? => finding nearby printer
  Solution => on time print 

• SOAR – Situation Obstacle Action Result
  Good for explaining a problem that stood in your way.

  Example:
  During an event setup, one of the speakers canceled at the last minute. I contacted a replacement and adjusted the schedule. The event ran smoothly.

  Situation: even setup, maybe a seminar
  Obstacle: The Speaker malfunctioned
  Action: replacement of speaker
  Result: smooth running of the event 

   

• PREP – Point Reason Example Point
  You make your point, give a reason, share an example and repeat your point.

  Example:
  I prefer working in a team (point). It allows ideas to develop faster (reason). In a class project, we combined skills to make a better result (example). That’s why I like teamwork (point).

Why an Interview Template Is Important

Most people walk into an interview thinking they will just answer whatever comes their way. The problem is, once the first question is asked, the mind starts jumping around. You remember one thing, then another, and before you know it, the answer doesn’t have much order.

When you’ve already worked out your template, you don’t need to think about the order while you’re talking. You can just answer. The flow comes more easily, and you’re less likely to stall halfway or miss the main point.

It also makes you look ready. Interviewers pick up on that. They don’t need to mention it on the spot. But they notice when an answer lands well from your first word to the last. This is what they think can set you out from the next person in line with you. 

How to Prepare for an Interview with Practice Sessions

1. Understand Why Practice Helps
   Reading about an interview template is fine, but it is not enough. You only find out how well your interview structure works when you try it while answering questions. That is when you notice the weak spots, the points you forget, the details you skip, or the parts that feel too long.
2. Have a Structure Ready
   Before you start practising, decide which interview format you’ll follow. It could be STAR, CAR, PAR, SOAR, or PREP — the ones we went through earlier. Keep the steps in your head so you’re not pausing mid-answer trying to remember what to say next.
3. Set Up the Right Conditions
   Try to make the practice session feel close to the meeting you expect. If you think it will be a panel, practise with more than one person asking questions. If you think it will be short and direct, set a timer for your answers. This will help you manage time and stress.
4. Listen to Feedback
   After you finish, pay attention to what others say about your answers. Maybe you explained the situation well but missed the result. Or maybe you jumped to the result too fast and skipped the action. Use this to adjust your interview template before you try again.
5. Try Different Formats
   Not every question needs the same structure. STAR might work better for one, while PREP can make another answer stronger. Switching between them during practice helps you find what fits best.
6. Build Your Confidence   
   Practice takes the edge off. You stop overthinking, and the answers come out more naturally. By the time you’re in front of the interviewer, you’ll already know how your interview template fits into each question. If you’re unsure where to start, take an AI mock interview session where you can just try it out and see what needs work.

How You Can Choose the Right Interview Template 

It’s one thing to know these formats. It’s another to pick the right one while you’re actually in the hot seat. The choice depends on many factors, like the type of question you are asked, how much time you have for it, and even the way they ask the question can influence your choice. 

You don’t always have to give the whole story. Sometimes, just answer the exact thing they ask. Like, if they bring up your biggest challenge, go straight to what it was and what you did about it. If it’s an opinion question, say what you think, give your reason, toss in a quick example, and then just round it off.

You’ll only get comfortable making those choices by practising. Switching between formats becomes easier once you’ve tried them in different scenarios. One way to do that is through an AI Mock interview where you can test yourself with various question types and adjust your answers on the spot.

Test Your Interview Skills Before You Appear in an Interview

Try an AI Mock Interview to practise different question types, explore formats, and see where you can improve.
Try Viva AI Tool  

Which Interview Format Works for Which Role

Different jobs make some formats easier to use. For example, software roles often need STAR for system design questions and PAR for quick fixes. Data jobs use STAR for big analysis tasks but PREP when you need to explain why you chose a method.

Marketing answers often sound better in STAR when talking about a campaign. In sales you might use CAR for handling a client issue. In support work SOAR helps show how you solved a customer problem.

Fresh graduates can use STAR for college projects. PREP works well for “why should we hire you” type questions.

The purpose is not to force yourself to use any particular template. But it is just to understand the role you will be interviewing for and keep your preparation accordingly, based on which interview structure fits you. 

How to apply a Template to an interview question?

Only knowing about common interview question formats is not enough; the more important thing is understanding which format works in which situation or question. 

Here are some common ones

1. Tell me about yourself
   This is a question almost all interviews start with. If you have ever had an interview, you might be familiar with it. Although there is no strict interview template to follow to answer this. But you can still lightly use the STAR one. So, if you’ve been asked “ tell me about yourself,” simply tell your background, your current role, and some other points that can connect. 
2. Can you describe A challenge you faced and how you overcame it
   This is where SOAR fits well. Describe the situation without hesitation or pauses in a line or two, name the obstacle, then go straight into what you did and how it ended. Keep the weight on your actions and the results instead of spending too much time on the problem itself.
3. Give an example of working in a team.
   STAR works well here because you can clearly show the situation, your role in the group, what you did, and the outcome.
4. Why should we hire you?
   PREP is a strong choice for this. State your point, explain why, share an example, and then repeat your main point.

By linking each question to a format in practice, you will not have to think on the spot. You’ll already know how to start and where to end. You can also go through this interview checklist for additional information.

Common Mistakes Students Make with Interview Templates

Even when students learn different interview formats, a few habits can reduce the impact of their answers. These usually show up under pressure and can stop you from delivering your best response.

• Spending extra time explaining the background 
• Forgetting to clearly describe personal actions
• Sharing results without showing how they came
• Mixing two formats in the same answer
• Skipping practice sessions before the actual interview
• Leaving out soft skills in technical replies

While there is no guarantee of perfection, if you avoid these mistakes but it will still add more to what matters the most in the interview session. With enough practice and awareness, your interview structure will sound clear and natural. 

Conclusion

As a summary, let’s recall what is interview template or interview structure. Is it something that always has fixed formulas? Of course not. The templates are simply tools that help individuals to organise their thought patterns for the upcoming interview based on the priorities of questions commonly asked in interviews. By keeping the real interview questions, environment, and role, one can align any of the templates we discussed to respond accordingly. 

You won’t always use every template. After practising for a while, the right way to answer just comes to you without much thought.

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Do I need to follow one interview template all the time?
   

   No. Learn a few, and then use what fits the question. One structure may not always fit your situation. You may need to mix parts of two even without realising it, and that’s not a problem as long as it makes sense. 

2. Which format is easiest for someone new to interviews?
   

   Most people start with STAR because it’s simple. Once you’ve used it a few times, you can try shorter ones like CAR or PAR.

3. How much should I practise before the real interview?

   
   Not everyone needs the same amount. A couple of sessions spread out over a week are better than cramming in one night.

4. Do these methods work for online interviews?
   

   Yes, 100%. The mode of the interview doesn’t make any difference, whether it is in person or on a video call, the same structure helps you keep answers clear. 

5. How can I practise without being too heavy?

   
   Ask a friend to throw random questions at you, or record yourself answering. You can also try MeetingWithTeacher  to see where you get stuck.