Last updated: 10 October 2026 · Works for scholarship, university and visa interviews
Getting an interview invitation means the panel already likes your paper application. Now they want to meet the person behind it. Many brilliant Nigerian and Ghanaian applicants lose at this stage, not because they are weak, but because they memorised long speeches, answered questions they were not asked, or simply froze.
This guide explains how the major scholarship interviews actually work, according to their official pages, the 15 questions you are most likely to face with sample answers, a simple method for answering any “tell us about a time” question, and a checklist for online interviews when light and data are not on your side.
In this guide
How the major scholarship interviews work
| Scholarship | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Chevening (UK) | A competency-based panel interview in English, with British embassy or high commission staff on the panel, held March–April 2027 for the current round. You book a slot online. Before the interview you upload photo ID, your undergraduate certificate (transcripts are not accepted for this) and two reference letters, at least seven working days before. Bring official photo ID. The FAQ says the interview is a chance to discuss information you gave in your application, including your course choices and university applications. |
| Rhodes Scholarship, West Africa | Up to 70 longlisted candidates may have virtual interviews; up to 35 shortlisted candidates are interviewed virtually and must be available within 24 hours’ notice. No more than 15 finalists attend a final interview and a social event in person in Abuja, Accra or Lagos in November 2026, with travel and accommodation provided. |
| Gates Cambridge | All candidates nominated by their departments are invited to a short interview of 25–30 minutes, in person or virtually. Panels ask about your motivation, your academic work and proposed course, your career plans, and may ask probing intellectual or ethical questions with no single right answer. |
| Knight-Hennessy (Stanford) | About 180 finalists. A recorded online interview of up to 25 minutes in mid-February, then an in-person Immersion Weekend (5–6 March 2027) with a group interview. Travel, lodging and meals on campus are covered. |
| Mastercard Foundation Scholars (Edinburgh) | Interviews mid-February to March 2027; outcomes at the end of March. |
| DAAD EPOS (example: Göttingen) | Shortlisted candidates are invited to a virtual interview of about 15 minutes. |
| Australia Awards Africa | The selection process includes an interview assessing academic competence, potential to contribute to development in Africa, and leadership. |
| Türkiye Burslari | Interviews of 15–30 minutes with academics and experts, about your documents, purpose, academic knowledge and career goals. |
What panels are really assessing
Every panel is different, but almost all are checking the same five things:
- Is your application true? They will ask you to talk about what you wrote. If you exaggerated, it shows.
- Can you explain your plan clearly? What you will study, why, and what you will do after.
- Do you match their criteria? Chevening, for example, assesses leadership and influencing, networking, your course choices and your career plan (Chevening criteria).
- Can you think on your feet? Especially at Gates and Rhodes, where questions may have no single right answer.
- Would they be proud to call you their scholar? Your manner, honesty and how you treat people matter.
The STAR method, simply explained
Many questions start with “Tell us about a time when…”. Use STAR to keep your answer clear and short (about one to two minutes):
| Letter | Meaning | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| S | Situation | Where were you and what was happening? One or two sentences. |
| T | Task | What was your responsibility or the problem to solve? |
| A | Action | What did you do? This is the longest part. Say “I”, not only “we”. |
| R | Result | What changed? Use numbers. Then one line on what you learned. |
15 common questions with sample answers
The sample answers below are for a fictional applicant, Ama, a Ghanaian environmental health officer applying for a master’s in public health. Use them to see the shape of a strong answer. Do not memorise them; build your own from your real story.
1. Tell us about yourself.
“I am an environmental health officer with the Ga East Municipal Assembly. For four years I have led sanitation inspections in markets and schools. In 2024 I started a hand-washing programme in 18 schools after a cholera scare, and absence due to diarrhoea fell by about a third in two terms. I want to study public health so I can plan programmes like this at district level, not one school at a time.”
2. Why this course?
Name two or three modules and connect each to a gap in your work. “The epidemiology and health policy modules will give me what I lack today: how to measure impact properly and how to turn results into district policy.”
3. Why this country or university?
Be specific: a research group, a practical placement, a city with relevant institutions. Avoid “it is a world-class university”.
4. Tell us about a time you led others.
Use STAR. Pick a real example with a result, even if it was not a formal title.
5. Tell us about a time you failed.
Choose a real, moderate failure, explain what you did to fix it, and what you changed afterwards. Honesty scores higher than a fake “weakness” like perfectionism.
6. How will you use your network?
Show you already build relationships: colleagues, NGOs, local leaders. Then explain who you will connect with during the scholarship and how you will use those links back home.
7. What will you do when you return?
Give a realistic first role and a project you can start within two years, then your long-term goal.
8. What if you do not get this scholarship?
Show resilience and a backup plan. “I will keep growing the programme at work, improve my application and apply again. My goal does not depend on one award.”
9. What is the biggest problem in your sector in your country?
Pick one, explain it simply with a fact you know is true, and say what you would do about it.
10. How does your course link to your career plan?
Draw a straight line: past work → gap → course → future role → impact.
11. Why should we choose you over other candidates?
Do not compare yourself with others. Summarise your evidence: experience, results, clear plan, commitment to return and contribute.
12. Tell us about a time you influenced a decision.
STAR again. Show how you persuaded people with evidence or relationships, not authority.
13. What do you do outside work or study?
Mention something real that shows character or service. Keep it short.
14. What will you miss about home, and how will you handle being abroad?
Show maturity: you have thought about adapting, and you have support.
15. Do you have any questions for us?
Have one thoughtful question ready, about the programme, alumni network or expectations. Do not ask about money first.
De Auditor’s tip
Record yourself answering five of these questions on your phone, then watch it back. You will notice the “umm”, the long stories and the points you forgot. Do it again the next day. Three rounds of this will improve you more than reading ten blogs. And when you repeat, you will see how your confidence, fluency and delivery improve with every video.
Weak vs strong answers
| Question | Weak answer | Strong answer |
|---|---|---|
| Why should we choose you? | “I am hardworking, dedicated and passionate about my country.” | “In four years I have led sanitation inspections across 40 markets and started a school hand-washing programme that cut absence by a third. This course will let me design and test programmes at district level, and I have a clear plan to do that when I return.” |
| Tell us about a time you led. | “I was the president of my department association.” | “As association president, I noticed half our members could not afford the field trip. I organised a fundraising lecture series that raised enough for 35 students to travel.” |
| What will you do after? | “I will contribute to the development of Ghana.” | “I will return to the Assembly’s health directorate and lead a pilot to track school sanitation data in 50 schools within two years.” |
Online interview checklist
- Test the link, camera and microphone the day before, on the same device.
- Have backup power: a charged laptop, power bank or generator plan, in case of a power cut.
- Have backup data: two networks if possible (for example, two different mobile networks).
- Choose a quiet room with light in front of you, not behind you.
- Keep your application, CV and a glass of water nearby, but do not read answers.
- Dress fully, as for an in-person interview.
- Join 10 minutes early.
- If the connection drops, rejoin calmly and politely ask to continue.
On the day: dress, documents, manners
- Dress smart and simple. A suit or a neat native outfit is fine; you should feel comfortable.
- Bring every document they asked for (for Chevening: official photo ID).
- Arrive early. Traffic in Lagos, Abuja or Accra is not an excuse the panel can accept.
- Listen to the full question. Pause, then answer. It is fine to ask them to repeat.
- Answer what was asked. If you do not know, say so honestly and explain how you would find out.
- Thank the panel at the end.
The US student visa interview
If your scholarship takes you to the USA, you will also face a visa interview. The US State Department says to bring a passport valid at least six months beyond your stay, the DS-160 confirmation page, the fee receipt and your Form I-20 (or DS-2019 for J-1). The officer may ask for transcripts, how you will pay all your costs, and your intent to leave the US after your studies. Under section 214(b), you must show strong ties to your home country, such as family, work or property (visa denials).
De Auditor’s note
James Christian Unya, founder of Scholarship Auditor
Interview no be exam where you go cram answer. The panel wan see the real you. If you memorise everything word for word, the moment dem ask you something small different, everything go scatter. So, know yourself better and ensure you know what you are doing very well.
Know your story well: wetin you don do, why this course, wetin you go do when you come back. Practise am out loud with friend or with your phone. And on the day, breathe, smile small, and talk like person wey sabi wetin e dey talk, be free and let it flow in confidence with the panel. Because you sabi am and you know wetin you dey do, na that one the panel want.
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Related guides: Chevening Scholarship 2027/28 · Fulbright for Nigerians and Ghanaians · Scholarship calendar 2026–2027
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in a Chevening interview?
Chevening says the interview is a chance to discuss the information in your application, including your course choices and university applications. Panels assess its criteria: leadership and influencing, networking, your choice of UK courses, and your career plan.
How long is a scholarship interview?
It varies. Gates Cambridge interviews last 25–30 minutes, Knight-Hennessy’s online interview up to 25 minutes, Türkiye Burslari 15–30 minutes, and a Göttingen DAAD EPOS interview about 15 minutes.
What is the STAR method?
A way to answer “tell us about a time” questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Spend most of your time on what you did and what changed.
What should I wear to a scholarship interview?
Smart and simple clothes you are comfortable in, such as a suit or a neat native outfit. For online interviews, dress fully as you would in person.
What if my network fails during an online interview?
Rejoin as quickly as you can and politely ask to continue. Reduce the risk by testing beforehand and having backup power and a second data network.
Sources and verification
Interview formats were checked on 10 October 2026 on official sites: Chevening interviews, Chevening criteria, Chevening FAQ, Rhodes West Africa candidate information, Gates Cambridge, Knight-Hennessy, University of Edinburgh, University of Göttingen, Australia Awards Africa, Türkiye Burslari and the US State Department. Sample answers are original teaching examples about a fictional applicant.
Prepare your documents with our guides to the statement of purpose and recommendation letters.
Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor
James, known as the De Auditor, is the founder and editor of Scholarship Auditor and the Founder and Group CEO of De Auditor Group Ltd, based in Benin City, Nigeria. He checks every scholarship against the provider’s official website before it is published, and corrects posts when providers change their rules. Contact: info@scholarshipauditor.com