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Role guide

Prepare for your PhD interview

Updated 11 September 2026

At the University of York's English department, applicants who pass the initial checks may be invited to a formal interview if the department has capacity to supervise their project. Two members of staff conduct the interview, which helps the department assess the supervisory match. LSE describes its research-degree interview as a two-way conversation: selectors ask about motivation, commitment and potential for doctoral study, while applicants can learn about the department and its support. These are two specific examples, so check your invitation rather than assuming every programme works this way.

01

Interview process examples

These examples come from LSE and the University of York's English department. Other departments and programmes may run interviews differently.

  1. Shortlisting before interview

    Shortlisting followed by an interview

    Depends on the employer

    At LSE, the academic department interviews prospective research-degree applicants after shortlisting and before making an offer.

    How to prepare

    • Read your application again and mark anything you may need to explain or update.
    • Prepare a short, honest explanation of why you applied.
    • If the invitation is unclear, ask the named contact about the arrangements.

  2. Two-way interview discussion

    Interview discussion

    Depends on the employer

    At LSE, selectors explore the applicant's motivation, commitment and potential for doctoral study. The applicant can also learn about the department and the support it offers.

    What they assess

    • Motivation
    • Commitment
    • Potential for doctoral study

    How to prepare

    • Choose honest examples and note what you did, why you did it, the result and what you learnt.
    • Write down questions about the department and its support.
    • Answer the question first, then add relevant detail.

  3. Formal English-department interview

    Formal interview

    About 30 to 40 minutes

    Depends on the employer

    In the University of York's English PhD admissions process, applicants who pass the earlier checks may be invited to a formal interview if the department has capacity to supervise the project. The interview is used to ensure a good supervisory match. It is likely to be online, although applicants can request an alternative.

    How to prepare

    • Check the invitation for the time, platform and any material you need to bring or prepare.
    • Be ready to explain your proposed research and the decisions behind your application.
    • For an online interview, test your camera, microphone and connection beforehand.

Applicants to the University of York's English PhD who need a different arrangement

The interview is likely to be online, but an alternative can be requested.

02

Your preparation plan

A week before

Start with the documents the interviewers have already seen. Read your application closely and note the choices, assumptions or gaps you may need to explain. Review your PhD CV at the same time so that you can spot and resolve any inconsistency before the interview.

PhD researchers commonly review and synthesise literature, conduct fieldwork to acquire data where relevant, and draft reports or a thesis. Use those activities only as prompts for reviewing your own experience; do not claim work you have not done. For postgraduate research students, a skills self-assessment can identify existing skills, baseline skills and development needs.

Prepare brief notes instead of a script. For each example, write down the context, what you personally did, your reasoning, the result and what you learnt. Practise aloud and cut any detail that hides your main point.

The day before

Re-read the invitation and confirm the time, location or joining instructions. If your interview is remote, test the platform, camera, microphone and internet connection. Keep any permitted notes short enough to scan without losing track of the conversation.

Choose questions whose answers will help you assess the programme. At one UK institution, the interview is a two-way exchange in which the applicant can learn about the department and its support, so questions on those subjects suit that particular setting.

On the day

Give yourself enough time to settle before the interview. Listen to the whole question, pause if you need to think and ask for clarification if the wording is unclear. Answer the point asked, keep your examples truthful and distinguish your contribution from work done by other people.

The week before

  • Read your application and note any claim, choice or gap that may need explanation.
  • Check your PhD CV against the rest of the application for consistent dates and project details.
  • Choose truthful examples and note your actions, reasoning, result and learning for each one.
  • Use a skills self-assessment to identify your existing skills, baseline skills and development needs.
  • Practise concise answers aloud without memorising a script.

The day before

  • Confirm the time, location or joining instructions in the invitation.
  • If your interview is remote, test the platform, camera, microphone and connection.
  • Prepare brief permitted notes and questions about the department and available support.

On the day

  • Allow enough time to arrive or join and settle before the interview.
  • Listen to each question fully and ask for clarification when the wording is unclear.
  • Answer directly, using honest examples and making your own contribution clear.
03

What interviewers look for

Literature review and synthesis

PhD researchers commonly review and synthesise literature during doctoral research.

Evidence to prepare

  • Choose a truthful example in which you brought several sources into a coherent account.
  • Note how you decided what was relevant and how the literature affected your thinking.
  • Identify an unresolved point or limitation you found.

Fieldwork and data collection where relevant

PhD researchers may conduct fieldwork to acquire data when it is relevant to their research.

Evidence to prepare

  • Choose a project in which you gathered information or data yourself.
  • Recall the decisions you made and separate your contribution from anyone else's.
  • Note what you learnt and what you would change next time.

Research writing

PhD researchers commonly write reports or a thesis.

Evidence to prepare

  • Choose a substantial piece of research writing that is genuinely yours.
  • Recall how you organised the material and decided what to include.
  • Identify one part that was difficult to explain and how you made it clearer.

Skills self-assessment

For postgraduate research students, skills self-assessment can identify existing skills, baseline skills and development needs.

Evidence to prepare

  • List skills you can support with specific, truthful examples.
  • Choose one development need you can discuss plainly.
  • Note how you identified that need and what action you are taking.
04

Questions you should be ready for

Use the answer plans as prompts, not scripts. Your examples should sound like you.

Research motivation

Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.

In the cited UK English-department admissions example, UK PhD applicants may be asked: what inspired your proposed research topic or project?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a specific, credible reason for your interest in this position and how it fits you.

Answer plan

  • State the specific, truthful reason this position interests you.
  • Connect that interest to what you understand about the role and its work.
  • Explain how your relevant strengths or goals fit the position.
  • Close with the contribution or development you genuinely hope to make.

Evidence to use: Use your truthful motivation and only role or employer details you have verified.

Avoid

  • Giving generic praise that could apply to any position.
  • Forcing the answer into an unrelated past-experience story.
In the cited UK English-department admissions example, UK PhD applicants may be asked: which part of your proposed project do you most look forward to, and why?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a specific, credible reason for your interest in this position and how it fits you.

Answer plan

  • State the specific, truthful reason this position interests you.
  • Connect that interest to what you understand about the role and its work.
  • Explain how your relevant strengths or goals fit the position.
  • Close with the contribution or development you genuinely hope to make.

Evidence to use: Use your truthful motivation and only role or employer details you have verified.

Avoid

  • Giving generic praise that could apply to any position.
  • Forcing the answer into an unrelated past-experience story.
How has your proposed research changed while you have been developing it?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a specific, credible reason for your interest in this position and how it fits you.

Answer plan

  • State the specific, truthful reason this position interests you.
  • Connect that interest to what you understand about the role and its work.
  • Explain how your relevant strengths or goals fit the position.
  • Close with the contribution or development you genuinely hope to make.

Evidence to use: Use your truthful motivation and only role or employer details you have verified.

Avoid

  • Giving generic praise that could apply to any position.
  • Forcing the answer into an unrelated past-experience story.

Preparation for postgraduate research

Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.

In the cited UK English-department admissions example, UK PhD applicants may be asked: which previous study or life experiences prepared you for postgraduate research?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly before adding context.
  • Choose one truthful example from your own experience.
  • Describe your personal actions and reasoning.
  • Finish with the result and what you learned.

Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.

Avoid

  • Giving a generic answer without a specific example.
  • Describing the team's work without making your contribution clear.
Tell us about a substantial piece of independent work you completed.

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly before adding context.
  • Choose one truthful example from your own experience.
  • Describe your personal actions and reasoning.
  • Finish with the result and what you learned.

Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.

Avoid

  • Giving a generic answer without a specific example.
  • Describing the team's work without making your contribution clear.
Describe a time when you improved a piece of work after receiving feedback.

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly before adding context.
  • Choose one truthful example from your own experience.
  • Describe your personal actions and reasoning.
  • Finish with the result and what you learned.

Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.

Avoid

  • Giving a generic answer without a specific example.
  • Describing the team's work without making your contribution clear.

Research practice

Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.

How have you approached reviewing and synthesising literature for a previous project?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear explanation of the concept or process and sound reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly with a concise definition or explanation.
  • Break the concept or process into its relevant parts or steps.
  • Explain how those parts connect or when the approach applies.
  • Add a truthful example only when it helps clarify the explanation.

Evidence to use: Use a clear explanation grounded in what you know; add an example only if it is truthful and helpful.

Avoid

  • Substituting an unrelated personal example for the requested explanation.
  • Using jargon without explaining the underlying concept or process.
Tell us about a time when evidence led you to revise your initial view.

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly before adding context.
  • Choose one truthful example from your own experience.
  • Describe your personal actions and reasoning.
  • Finish with the result and what you learned.

Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.

Avoid

  • Giving a generic answer without a specific example.
  • Describing the team's work without making your contribution clear.
Tell us about a substantial report or research paper you wrote.

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly before adding context.
  • Choose one truthful example from your own experience.
  • Describe your personal actions and reasoning.
  • Finish with the result and what you learned.

Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.

Avoid

  • Giving a generic answer without a specific example.
  • Describing the team's work without making your contribution clear.

Department choice and development

Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.

In the cited UK English-department admissions example, UK PhD applicants may be asked: why do you want to undertake postgraduate research in this specific department?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a specific, credible reason for your interest in this position and how it fits you.

Answer plan

  • State the specific, truthful reason this position interests you.
  • Connect that interest to what you understand about the role and its work.
  • Explain how your relevant strengths or goals fit the position.
  • Close with the contribution or development you genuinely hope to make.

Evidence to use: Use your truthful motivation and only role or employer details you have verified.

Avoid

  • Giving generic praise that could apply to any position.
  • Forcing the answer into an unrelated past-experience story.
Which skill would you most need to develop during postgraduate research?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear explanation of the concept or process and sound reasoning.

Answer plan

  • Answer the question directly with a concise definition or explanation.
  • Break the concept or process into its relevant parts or steps.
  • Explain how those parts connect or when the approach applies.
  • Add a truthful example only when it helps clarify the explanation.

Evidence to use: Use a clear explanation grounded in what you know; add an example only if it is truthful and helpful.

Avoid

  • Substituting an unrelated personal example for the requested explanation.
  • Using jargon without explaining the underlying concept or process.
In the cited UK English-department admissions example, UK PhD applicants might have an opportunity to ask the panel questions about postgraduate study in the department. What would you ask?

What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear, proportionate approach and the reasoning behind it.

Answer plan

  • State the action you would take in the situation.
  • Explain the factors you would consider and your reasoning.
  • Describe how you would communicate your decision.
  • Finish by explaining how you would check the outcome.

Evidence to use: Explain the reasoning you would use without claiming an experience that did not happen.

Avoid

  • Inventing an experience instead of answering the hypothetical question.
  • Giving a conclusion without explaining the reasoning behind it.
05

Questions to ask them

“How would supervision work in practice for this project?”

The answer can help you decide whether the proposed working arrangements suit you.

“How often would I meet my supervisor or supervisory team?”

This gives you a concrete detail to consider when assessing the programme.

“What support could I seek if the research changed direction or encountered difficulties?”

The response can clarify whom you could approach and what help may be available.

“How can research students take part in the department's academic community?”

This helps you judge whether the available opportunities suit the research environment you want.

“What development opportunities would be available during the PhD?”

You can compare the answer with the skills you want to develop.

“What would you expect a new research student to focus on during the opening months?”

This clarifies the interviewers' early expectations without asking them to predict the whole project.

“Is there anything in my proposal that you would want me to reconsider before starting?”

This invites specific feedback on points that may need more thought.

06

On the day

In person

  • Check the location, journey and arrival instructions before leaving. Allow time for an unexpected delay.
  • Bring the interview invitation and any notes or documents the organiser has permitted.
  • Read your proposal once more before the interview, using brief prompts instead of trying to memorise a script.
  • Listen to the full question. Pause if you need to think, and ask for clarification if the wording is unclear.
  • Leave enough time to ask the questions that matter most to your decision about the programme.

Remote

  • If your interview is remote, test the meeting link, camera, microphone and internet connection in advance.
  • If your interview is remote, join from a quiet place with your proposal and any permitted notes within reach.
  • If your interview is remote, close unnecessary applications and silence notifications before the call.
  • If your interview is remote, keep the organiser's contact details nearby in case the connection fails.
  • If your interview is remote, look towards the camera while speaking, but check your notes naturally when you need a detail.
07

Preparation pitfalls

As a UK PhD applicant, arriving without researching the department or considering how its work relates to your proposed PhD.

Read the department's information and write down the genuine links between its work and your proposed research.

As a UK PhD applicant, being unable to explain why your proposed research is needed or how you intend to carry it out.

Practise explaining both points in plain language, without adding anything that is not in your proposal.

As a UK PhD applicant, having no thoughtful questions ready about doctoral study and the research community.

Prepare several questions, then put first those whose answers could change your view of the programme.

As a UK PhD applicant, treating the interview only as an assessment and missing the chance to evaluate the department, supervision and research community.

Ask about those areas so you can judge whether the programme suits you.

Giving a polished but vague response that never answers the question.

Make your main point first, support it with truthful detail and stop once you have answered.

Trying to hide uncertainty by bluffing or inventing detail.

Separate what you know from what remains uncertain, then explain how you would investigate the gap.

08

After the interview

Send a brief thank-you message if appropriate. Thank the interviewers for their time, mention one specific point from the conversation and attach only material they requested.

Write down the questions you were asked while you still remember them. Note which explanations worked and which need revision. If a stated decision date passes without an update, send the named contact a short, polite enquiry.

09

Frequently asked questions

From guide to application

Make your CV and your answers tell the same story.

Use cvlift to tailor your CV to the role and bring the most relevant experience forward. Then use this guide to practise the examples behind it.

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