Common PhD Questions and Answers: Tips and Guidance for the Next Step!

To obtain a PhD job, you need to pass a PhD interview. This is because it provides an opportunity for the prospective manager to learn more about you, as well as your suitability for the project. It also provides an opportunity for you to learn more about the project and the facilities offered by the organization. It can be stressful to be invited to come for an interview by the admissions committee, but it's really a positive sign. It means that the academic faculty believes that you possess the potential to become a successful PhD candidate for the position as per your application and academic record.

Some standard questions will nearly certainly be posed in your PhD interview, although most of the questions will be based on your proposed research proposal. We recommend you prepare your answers to these typical interview questions beforehand to maximize your potential.

Below are some standard PhD interview questions and guidance on how to answer them immediately.

1. Introduce Yourself

That this well-known icebreaker question is first on our list is no coincidence. You'll most likely be asked this question to ease you into relaxing and feeling at ease during the interview. As this is a warm-up question, attempt to give the interviewer a general overview of who you are instead of an in-depth analysis. Break your answer down into three components to achieve this:

Academic History: Start with a description of your educational history, including where you studied and what you took. What were your grades?

Research Topic: Continue by explaining why you want to study the topic you have selected and what about it interests you. If you intend to work in a related field after you complete your degree, tell us what it is and why.

Why a PhD: Briefly state your reason for seeking a PhD. Do you want to advance science? Are you keen on an academic career?

2. What Makes You Want to Get a PhD?

The interviewer is especially keen to know your reasons for getting a PhD, although this may seem obvious. A stock reply will not make you special from the other candidates, and the interviewer will already know the benefits of a PhD.

Attempt to include a personal or academic experience that has ignited your passion for learning in responding to this question and leaving a lasting impression. In addition, outline your career aspirations and how the proposed PhD will enable you to achieve them. The key to selling oneself in this case is to express to the interviewer your passion for the project without stating it.

3. What drew you to this project?

Describe the project initially. Do you have an interest in that area? If so, mention it. This will show your interest in the topic and your knowledge of its basics.

Then describe the university. There may be several institutions offering similar projects. Finally, you can indicate whether the potential supervisor's experience had an impact on your decision to apply to their university. The supervisor may have contributed to making some significant findings because they will possess vast knowledge of the research area you are applying in.

4. What Makes You the Best Option?

Put more simply, your PhD supervisor will likely want to validate that you are the right person for the job. This is particularly apt since they will be supporting you for the next few years.

Explain how you meet each of the soft skills that are important for a doctorate. Communication skills, excellent time management, problem-solving ability, flexibility, and the highest work ethic are but a few examples.

5. How Was This Project Initiated?

You can expect to be required to justify your research concept during the interview. You need to be thoroughly cognizant of existing gaps in information that relate to your research problem and how they would limit the conclusions of the study.

The interviewer will most likely look at the details of your proposal because they are wondering whether you have taken into account all aspects of the project. So, before you suggest your current methodology, be ready to outline the work you have read and discuss how you evaluated other methodologies. They will not expect your plan to be perfectly accurate, however, given the flexibility of research projects.

6. What Challenges Do You Think This Project Will Pose?

They will feel reassured that you can not only identify any challenges that may arise during your research but also deal with them maturely. Try to follow every potential problem with what you would do about it in your answer. You could mention attending internal development opportunities, external training courses, or even enrolling in specific master's programs relevant to your research.

7. What are your strengths and weaknesses? 

Choose strengths that correspond with your PhD program.

For example, taking into consideration the amount of data analysis involved in an engineering or physics PhD program, it would be very useful to state that you possess good attention to detail. Try to discuss a weakness that will not harm your research as well. "I have a habit of leaving the difficult work until last until I know I should be working on it to avoid missing any deadlines" is something you would do best to steer clear of.

8. Can you provide an example of a situation when you faced an issue or a problem and how you resolved it?

A vital research attribute is an individual's ability to resolve issues independently. When your project manager notices or is, in her words, awestruck by a little matter in your hands, it can become a possible countervailing factor in the entire research project. 

The utmost thing to keep in mind is that a supervisor is there to supervise, not to sort out all your problems. They will simply not have enough time to do so, and it will violate the ethical rule that says your work belongs to you and no one else.

9. What Do You Want Out of Your Career?

Those who interview you will want to see that you have thought about your post-doctoral plans. This will inform them of your motivation and why you would seek a PhD program. Even if they only have two well-researched possibilities, it is clear that anyone who has spent time pondering his or her decision would consider long-term plans. 

Whatever your long-term ambitions are, look into them and make a firm decision on the kind of life you want after your doctorate. It will be worth your while to be clear about where you want to go from here and how you are going to do it, so this will help you express your seriousness about the project.

10. Do You Want to Ask Us Any Questions?

The reason for this interview is so that you can evaluate the supervisors, the PhD project, and the university, and vice versa. Although you will have conducted thorough research on the position in advance, be certain to ask questions when you are afforded the opportunity. You can show that you are interested and that you have the ability to make well-informed choices by asking questions. The wrong impression will be made if you fail to ask questions or fail to ask thoughtful ones.

Prepare a clear summary of your previous research and how it influenced your research interests for your PhD program. You can also be asked about how you carried out your research. You will need to be ready to explain why you decided to investigate your hypothesis in the way that you did. When responding to questions in a PhD interview, being accurate and articulate is paramount. Your responses have to be in line with your academic objectives, experiences, and areas of research interest. Steer clear of excessively technical jargon that could make your responses difficult to understand.