1. Answering a different criterion
This is the most common mistake and the most costly. A candidate is asked about "Communicates with Influence" and tells a story about project management. The story might be excellent, but if it doesn't demonstrate communication, the panel can't score it.
Fix: Before you answer, identify the core capability being assessed. Ask yourself: "What one thing does this criterion want me to prove?" Build your example around that.
2. Staying at the team level
"We delivered the project on time and under budget." That's great, but the panel is assessing you. What did you personally contribute?
Fix: Use "I" more than "we". When you describe team work, specify your role: "I coordinated the workplan across three teams" is assessable. "We all worked together" is not.
3. Choosing safe, small examples
Candidates often pick simple, low-risk examples because they're easy to explain. But a straightforward task completed without complications doesn't demonstrate much capability.
Fix: Choose examples with genuine complexity or tension. The best STAR responses involve a challenge you had to navigate — a tight deadline, a resistant stakeholder, competing priorities, limited resources. That's where your capability shows.
4. Skipping the Result
Many candidates run out of time or energy after describing their Actions and finish with "...and it all went well." The Result is where you prove impact. Without it, the panel has to guess whether your actions actually achieved anything.
Fix: Prepare your Result statement first. Know exactly what outcome you're going to land on before you start speaking. Work backwards from there.
5. Going too long
Panel interviews are timed. If you spend seven minutes on one question, you're either cutting into other questions or the panel has stopped listening. Two to three minutes per response is the target.
Fix: Practise with a timer. Record yourself and listen back. You'll almost certainly be longer than you think. Cut the Situation to two sentences and the Task to one — spend most of your time on Action and Result.
6. Memorising a script
Practising is essential. Memorising word-for-word is counterproductive. You'll sound robotic, and if the panel asks a follow-up that takes you off-script, you'll struggle.
Fix: Memorise your structure, not your script. Know the Situation, the key Actions, and the Result. Let the exact words come naturally each time you practise.
7. Not asking for clarification
If you don't understand a question, many candidates try to answer anyway rather than look uncertain. This usually results in answering the wrong question entirely.
Fix: It's completely acceptable to say "Could you repeat that?" or "Just to clarify, are you asking about X or Y?" Panels expect this. It shows you care about giving a relevant answer.
8. Neglecting the non-verbal
Government panels try to score on evidence, not presentation. But if you're staring at the table, speaking in a monotone, or fidgeting constantly, it makes it harder for the panel to engage with your content.
Fix: Make eye contact with each panel member. Speak at a conversational pace. It's fine to look at your notes, but spend most of the time looking at the panel. Take a breath between sections of your answer.