The short answer: long enough to demonstrate your capability, short enough to manage the interview time

One of the most common questions candidates ask before an APS interview is:

“How long should my answers be?”

Candidates often look for a specific number: two minutes, five minutes, or a particular STAR format. The reality is that the ideal length depends on the structure of the interview, the seniority of the role and the amount of time available.

A strong answer demonstrates your judgement, the context of the situation, the actions you took, and the impact you achieved. A strong answer also leaves enough time for the panel to explore your example and for you to respond to the remaining questions.

Managing your time is part of demonstrating your capability.

Consider the total interview time first

Before deciding how long an individual answer should be, understand the overall structure of the interview.

For example, a 30-minute APS interview may look something like this:

Activity	Approximate time
Welcome, introductions and explanation of process	5 minutes
Candidate questions at the end	5 minutes
Interview questions	20 minutes

If the panel asks five questions, that gives you approximately four minutes per answer.

That does not mean every answer should automatically be four minutes. Some questions may require more context, while others may be answered effectively in two or three minutes.

The important consideration is that one long answer should not consume the time needed to demonstrate your capability across the full range of questions.

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Typical answer lengths by interview duration

25-minute interview

A shorter interview usually means you need to be more disciplined.

You may have:

• 5 minutes for introductions and closing questions
• 20 minutes for four or five questions

A good target is often:

2 to 3 minutes per answer

Focus on selecting your strongest example, explaining the key decisions you made, and highlighting measurable outcomes.

30-minute interview

This is a common length for many APS recruitment processes.

You may have:

• 5 minutes introduction
• 20 minutes answering questions
• 5 minutes for your questions

A good target is often:

3 to 4 minutes per answer

This gives enough space to explain complexity while allowing the panel to ask follow-up questions.

45-minute interview

More senior roles often provide additional time because the panel is assessing broader leadership capability, strategic thinking and judgement.

You may have:

• 5 minutes introduction
• 35 minutes questions
• 5 minutes candidate questions

A good target is often:

4 to 6 minutes per answer

For EL1, EL2 and SES roles, panels are often looking beyond what you personally did. They want to understand your thinking, how you influenced others, how you navigated ambiguity and the broader impact of your decisions.

Senior APS roles often require you to manage your own time

For more senior positions, candidates are sometimes expected to demonstrate the ability to manage the interview conversation.

A panel may ask:

“Can you provide an example of your leadership approach?”

The question gives you an opportunity to demonstrate judgement about what information matters.

A strong EL2 or SES answer may include:

• the strategic context
• competing priorities or complexity
• stakeholders involved
• your leadership approach
• the outcome and broader impact

A candidate who spends ten minutes explaining every detail of a single project may demonstrate expertise, but they may also leave insufficient time to demonstrate other capabilities.

Time management during an interview is itself a leadership behaviour.

Use STAR as a guide, not a stopwatch

Many candidates learn the STAR method and then try to make every answer fit a rigid structure.

The purpose of STAR is to ensure your answer includes the information the panel needs:

Situation
What was happening and why did it matter?

Task
What responsibility did you hold?

Action
What did you personally do? What decisions did you make?

Result
What changed because of your actions?

For APS roles, particularly at APS6 and above, strengthen the Action and Result sections.

The panel is usually more interested in:

• your judgement
• your approach
• how you influenced others
• how you managed complexity
• the impact you created

A practical technique: practise your answers with a timer

During preparation, practise your examples out loud and time yourself.

Many candidates discover:

• their example is only one minute and lacks sufficient detail
• their answer is eight minutes and contains unnecessary background
• they spend too much time describing the situation and not enough time explaining their actions

A useful exercise is to practise each example in three versions:

90 seconds: the short version
3 minutes: the standard interview version
5 minutes: the detailed senior leadership version

This helps you adapt based on the interview context.

The goal is not the longest answer

The goal is the answer that gives the panel confidence in your capability.

A concise answer with clear examples of judgement, impact and leadership is usually more effective than a long answer containing every detail of a project.

Strong candidates manage the balance between providing enough evidence and respecting the interview structure.