MockQuestions

Project Manager Mock Interview

To help you prepare for your Project Manager interview, here are 50 interview questions and answer examples.

Project Manager was updated by on May 9th, 2023. Learn more here.

Question 1 of 50

How do you inspire customer trust, confidence, and loyalty as a project manager?

Many project managers work directly with their clients and perform customer service-related functions. Interviewers who ask this question are interested in a candidate's ability to demonstrate the soft skills necessary to provide the level of service required by the role.

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50 Project Manager Interview Questions & Answers

Below is a list of our Project Manager interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view six answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.

Project management interviews are likely to cover a wide range of topics. You may be asked about leadership, communication, budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning, tactical planning, plan execution, facilitation, conflict resolution, brainstorming, creative thinking, customer service, sales, marketing, and more. While that may feel overwhelming, it doesn't have to be. Here are three tips to help you prepare for a successful project management interview:

First, review the job description for your target role in detail and develop a list of situations you've experienced that showcase your abilities in each area. The duties of a project manager can vary widely depending on the company and the types of projects managed. Developing a list of go-to examples will help you align your experiences with the specific requirements of the role. Be sure to consider scenarios that highlight your strengths, demonstrate your ability to lead, and showcase your ability to generate value for your teams, clients, and company.

Second, research the company you're interviewing with. Review the mission, products, and cultural information that is likely available on their website. If possible, find out the specific project management methodology and tools used. Your investment in this area will help you deliver specific interview question responses that could help to set you apart from your competition.

Third, practice. Record yourself answering a few of the questions from this mock interview. Practice with a friend. Hire a coach to help you prep for your interview. Regardless of your method, your responses need to feel authentic and polished. As a project manager, the company you are interviewing with is considering you for a role that will interact with its clients, senior leaders, partners, and subject matter experts. Practicing will help you calm your nerves so you can address your interviewer with the poise necessary for success.

In summary, preparing for a successful project management interview involves developing a role-specific list of scenarios, researching the company and its preferred methodology, and practicing. We have prepared this mock interview that provides 50 questions, expert tips, and answer examples to assist with your preparation and help you convince your interviewer that you're the best candidate for the job.

Also, keep in mind that not all companies view the project manager position equally. Check out our sets dedicated to the senior project manager and/or assistant project manager roles to get the most out of your prep time.

  • Behavioral

    1. How do you inspire customer trust, confidence, and loyalty as a project manager?

  • Behavioral

    2. What is the most important skill you have developed while managing projects?

  • Behavioral

    3. Do you prefer to work on one project or multiple projects at the same time?

  • Behavioral

    4. What are some risks and issues you've dealt with in the past during projects?

  • Behavioral

    5. Tell me about your typical relationship with project sponsors.

  • Behavioral

    6. Do you prefer to handle things yourself or to delegate to others?

  • Behavioral

    7. How do you move a project forward when you are faced with limited time for discovery and analysis?

  • Behavioral

    8. What steps do you take when it becomes clear your team is behind on a project?

  • Behavioral

    9. What is your favorite aspect of project management?

  • Behavioral

    10. Tell me how you communicate with others. What kind of communicator are you?

  • Behavioral

    11. Describe a time when a project deliverable you were responsible for failed. How did you handle the situation?

  • Behavioral

    12. Give me an example of a time when you successfully handled intense pressure.

  • Behavioral

    13. Describe a time when you identified an improvement opportunity and implemented it.

  • Communication

    14. How would you rate your experience delivering presentations?

  • Communication

    15. How would you describe your communication style with members of the teams you work with?

  • Competency

    16. What project management methodologies have you followed?

  • Competency

    17. How do you go about defining the scope of a project?

  • Competency

    18. What is the most important skill that a project manager needs to be successful?

  • Competency

    19. What kind of experience do you have managing budgets?

  • Competency

    20. What is your process for learning a new line of business?

  • Competency

    21. What do you do to ensure a project doesn't go off track? If it does, how do you fix it?

  • Competency

    22. How experienced are you in using RAID analysis?

  • Competency

    23. What kinds of project management software do you use and why?

  • Competency

    24. What are the key components of a project charter?

  • Competency

    25. What do you do to prevent "scope creep"?

  • Competency

    26. Are you experienced with process development?

  • Competency

    27. What is the difference between operating and capital budgets?

  • Competency

    28. Please define the triple constraint concept.

  • Discovery

    29. What is the last project you worked on?

  • Discovery

    30. What is the biggest lesson you have learned while working as a project manager?

  • Discovery

    31. Do you have any relevant certifications?

  • Discovery

    32. How long have you been managing projects?

  • Discovery

    33. What is the biggest mistake you ever made during a project?

  • Discovery

    34. Tell me about the types of projects you've handled in the past.

  • Discovery

    35. What is the most successful project you've managed to date?

  • Discovery

    36. What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?

  • Discovery

    37. What is your least favorite aspect of project management?

  • Discovery

    38. What experience do you have in our industry?

  • Discovery

    39. Tell me about yourself.

  • Discovery

    40. What is one of your professional weaknesses?

  • Leadership

    41. What is your leadership style?

  • Leadership

    42. How do you facilitate the success of your teams?

  • Management

    43. How do you handle the escalation of an issue and when might you do this?

  • Management

    44. Tell me about any experience you have overseeing remote teams.

  • Situational

    45. How do you manage customers and stakeholders?

  • Situational

    46. How do you keep a project on track when you feel overwhelmed?

  • Situational

    47. Imagine that an individual on your team is experiencing burnout. How would you handle this situation?

  • Situational

    48. How do you handle conflict between team members?

  • Situational

    49. What would you do if a client was unhappy with the project's end result?

  • Situational

    50. How do you handle it when one of your team members makes a mistake?

  • Questions to Ask in a Project Manager Interview

    Asking engaging questions of your own during your project management interview is a helpful way to fill gaps in the conversation, demonstrate your preparedness, and develop rapport. Here are 3 examples of impactful questions you may want to ask during your upcoming interview:

    1. What is the biggest challenge the projects I would lead are currently facing?

    This question demonstrates your understanding that you can add value by addressing challenges within project teams, with stakeholders, or with clients. You can use the interviewer's response to direct your responses during the rest of your interview. Demonstrating that your experience and skills are in direct alignment with the needs of the company is a powerful way to make an impression.

    2. How would you describe the culture of the team(s) I will be working with if hired?

    Identifying candidates that are a cultural fit is one of the most important goals for most interviews. It is critical in a project management setting, and many interviewers will describe the culture of their teams at the beginning of an interview. However, you can boost your chances of making a good impression by asking this yourself if it is omitted initially.

    3. Who are the stakeholders for the projects I would be leading, and what are their most important needs?

    The ability to anticipate and effectively deliver upon the needs of project stakeholders is a highly desirable project management skill. Your interviewer will appreciate this insightful question and their response is likely to offer information that can help you guide your responses throughout the interview process.

    About the Author

    I began my professional career as an IT Business Systems Analyst. I enjoyed the role, but I knew early on that I wanted to explore project management after moving through the analyst ranks. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to partner with several talented project managers while I was working to grow my own skill set. I learned a lot from them about how to approach strategic planning, communication, conflict resolution, and how to motivate various personality types to perform their best under pressure. I learned even more from their failures.

    It was clear that project management was as much an art as a science, and I eventually got my shot at taking everything I had observed over the years and blending it into my own style for steering projects and programs successfully. While project management was not my ultimate career goal, I greatly value my time managing projects. I have utilized the skills I worked to refine in project management in every position I have held since. For example, I use the communication, strategic thinking, and tactical planning skills I regularly leaned on as a project manager each time I work with one of my coaching clients.

    Whether working as a project manager is a career goal of yours, or you fell into it through circumstance, you’re in good company. Over 16 million professionals claim the title of project manager, and project management isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the number of project managers is expected to grow by 7% over the next 8 years according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. According to the Project Management Institute, the global outlook is even more impressive boasting up to 33% growth through 2027. Regardless of the specific location, there will likely b a strong demand for project management skill sets in the years to come.

    As a coach and writer for MockQuestions, I want to help you successfully navigate your upcoming interview for a project manager position. While some project manager skills are specific to the industry, location, and types of projects involved, many skills and behavioral traits are universally applicable to project management roles. This article will help any project manager prepare for a successful interview, and I encourage you to check out all of our sets dedicated to project management listed below.

    Learn more about Karrie Day