Interviews

If you are shortlisted to interview for a Chevening Scholarship, you will be invited to attend an interview in your home country, in the city/town where the British embassy or high commission has a representation.

Whilst you might naturally feel nervous in advance of the interview, do remember that to have made it to the interview stage is a huge achievement and it means that you are already one of the strongest candidates. An interview is a great opportunity to really demonstrate why you should be selected for a scholarship and why you should join the Chevening community.

Please ensure you are available for an interview during the global interview period.

Booking your interview

You will receive an email with instructions on how to book your interview. Interview slots are available on a first-come-first-served basis, so we suggest that you book your slot as soon as possible. Once you have scheduled your interview, you will receive a booking confirmation email and your slot cannot be changed.

Applicants will be interviewed by the embassy or high commission from the country/territory of award. Where necessary and practical, interviews can take place online for those applying for awards. In 2021 due to COVID-19, interviews successfully took place online in many countries/territories and we are confident that we can provide applicants with a fair and smooth interview process in this way. If you are shortlisted for a Chevening interview, you will be sent further details including confirmation of whether interviews in your country/territory can be held online.

Before your interview

Prior to attending your interview, you will be asked to upload the following documents to the online application system:

  • Education documents (copies of your original certificates and/or transcripts in their original language).
  • Two reference letters.
  • A short biography that tells us more about you.

Preparing for your interview

You will need the following documents for your interview:

  • Passport/national ID.

Additional documents may be requested in some countries/territories. You will be informed about this in the email inviting you to interview.

The Chevening interview

The interview will be a competency-based panel assessment conducted in English.

The interview panel will include representatives from the British embassy or high commission, who will use the global Chevening criteria to assess your answers.

You will be asked a series of questions discussing some of the information you provided in the application form. The panel will ask questions that will enable you to explain your personal and professional aspirations, and how Chevening can facilitate your achievement of these goals. Your course choices will also be discussed and you will be asked to provide an update on your applications.

Download transcript for ‘Camila and Jaffer’s top Chevening interview tips’ video here (please note clicking here will start an automatic download of a Word Document 12.6KB)

What should you expect after your interview?

All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their interview after the global interview period, from around early to mid-June. Please do not contact your local British embassy or high commission as updates on the status of your application cannot be provided earlier.

You should not wait for the outcome of your interview to apply for your university courses, you should apply for all three courses as early as possible. Any unconditional offers received should be uploaded to the online application system as soon as possible.

Further guidance

More helpful information for your application

Guidance boxes - online application system Guidance on: References

Guidance on: References

References are an integral part of Chevening’s selection process. Who should you approach to provide a reference?

Guidance boxes - avoid common errors Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question about interviews, check our frequently asked questions to see if it has already been answered.

Apply for an award

Applications for Chevening Scholarships are now closed.