Applying, step by step · 5 min read
How do I answer screening questions on a job application?
Answer yes/no questions truthfully, write short evidence for open ones, and match the salary question to research. These answers are often read first.
The short answer
Treat screening questions as part of the application, because they are often read or filtered before the CV. Answer yes/no and eligibility questions truthfully; they're usually about right to work, licences or location. For open questions, give a short answer with one specific example from your CV. For salary, give a range based on what similar roles pay in that area. Keep answers consistent with your CV, since the same person may read both.
On this page 4 sections
Three kinds of question
| Type | Example | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Do you have the right to work in the UK? | Truthfully. These are often filters. |
| Experience | Describe a time you managed a budget. | One example: situation, action, result. |
| Practical | When could you start? Expected salary? | Specific and consistent with your CV. |
A pattern for open questions
- Answer the question in the first sentence.
- Give one example: what the situation was, what you did.
- Say what happened, with a number if you have one.
- Stop. Don't add a second example unless asked.
Keep a bank of answers
Many questions repeat across employers: why this role, a time you solved a problem, a time you worked under pressure. Keep your best answers in one document and adapt them, rather than starting from zero each time.
OffLadder CV, our free Chrome extension, writes a cover letter, screening answers and a follow-up note from your CV and the post you have open. It only uses what your CV says, so you're never asked to defend a line you didn't write.
Questions people ask
- Can screening questions reject me automatically?
- On some systems, yes. Employers can set 'knockout' questions, often about right to work, licences or minimum experience, that move an application aside. That's why honest answers to yes/no questions matter more than the rest.
- What if a question asks for years of experience I don't quite have?
- Answer truthfully. If there's a free-text box, add a line on related experience. Rounding up is the kind of thing that comes out in an interview.
- How long should open answers be?
- Follow any word limit. Without one, 50 to 150 words: one example, what you did, what happened.
- What should I put for expected salary?
- A range based on what similar roles pay in that location, with the bottom being a number you'd accept. If a field allows text, 'Open to discussion within the advertised range' is fine when a range is listed.
- Should I copy answers from my cover letter?
- You can reuse examples, but answer the exact question asked. A pasted paragraph that doesn't answer it reads as careless.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
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