Writing good interview questions

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which interview question is better for finding out how a student really uses their phone to study?

A Do you use your phone to study?

B How do you use your phone when you study for a test?

2. Which question is open?

A What is the hardest part of booking a canteen lunch?

B Is booking a canteen lunch hard?

3. Which question is a leading question?

A Don't you think the school app is too slow?

B How would you describe the speed of the school app?

4. A user says, 'I never use the timetable page.' What is the best follow-up?

A So you think it's a bad page, right?

B Why don't you use it?

5. True or false: A good interview question focuses on the user's real task, such as what they actually do.

A True

B False

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1How do you currently book your study sessions?		ALeading: Don't you think the app is slow? Neutral: How would you describe the app's speed?
2Why is that a problem for you?		BClosed: Do you use the school app? Open: What do you use the school app for?
3An open question lets the user explain in their own words, so it gets more detail than a closed question		CThis is a closed question, so it only gets a yes or no and little detail. Rewrite it as an open question, such as 'How do you find the timetable?'
4A neutral question does not lead the user towards the answer the interviewer wants to hear		DThis is a leading question because it suggests the answer the interviewer wants. Make it neutral, such as 'How do you get help with homework now?'
5Do you find the timetable confusing?		EAn open question that asks about the user's real task and draws out a detailed answer
6Wouldn't a chatbot make homework easier for you?		FA follow-up question that digs deeper into the reason behind an earlier answer

Definitions

good interview question

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Do you like the app? is a ______ question

How do you book a court? is an ____ question

User: I never use the school app. Follow-up: ___ is that?

"Don't you agree it is slow?" is _______

A good question is open, neutral and about the user's real ____

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Q1: How do you order lunch?

B Q2: What is hardest about it?

C Q3: Why is that hard for you?

D Q4: Wouldn't an app be better?

Question 2

A Q1: How do you find books?

B Q2: Do you find books easily?

C Q3: Why do you do it that way?

Question 3

A Q1: How do you book a class?

B Q2: Why do you book it then?

C Q3: Did you book it online?

D Q4: What would help you most?

Question 4

A Q1: How do you check buses?

B Q2: Walk me through today.

C Q3: Late buses are bad, right?

D Q4: Why does that matter?

Question 5

A Q1: How do you plan homework?

B Q2: What phone do you own?

C Q3: What happens when stuck?

D Q4: What would make it easier?

Answer Key

Writing good interview questions

Section A: Quick Questions

B — How do you use your phone when you study for a test?

A — What is the hardest part of booking a canteen lunch?

A — Don't you think the school app is too slow?

B — Why don't you use it?

A — True

Section B: Match the Pairs

How do you currently book your study sessions? → An open question that asks about the user's real task and draws out a detailed answer

Why is that a problem for you? → A follow-up question that digs deeper into the reason behind an earlier answer

An open question lets the user explain in their own words, so it gets more detail than a closed question → Closed: Do you use the school app? Open: What do you use the school app for?

A neutral question does not lead the user towards the answer the interviewer wants to hear → Leading: Don't you think the app is slow? Neutral: How would you describe the app's speed?

Do you find the timetable confusing? → This is a closed question, so it only gets a yes or no and little detail. Rewrite it as an open question, such as 'How do you find the timetable?'

Wouldn't a chatbot make homework easier for you? → This is a leading question because it suggests the answer the interviewer wants. Make it neutral, such as 'How do you get help with homework now?'

Section C: Definitions

good interview question — A question that is open, neutral and about the user's real task, so it draws out detail instead of a yes or no. Ask 'How do you...?' then follow up with 'Why?' Don't lead them to an answer.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Do you like the app? is a closed question

How do you book a court? is an open question

User: I never use the school app.
Follow-up: Why is that?

"Don't you agree it is slow?" is leading

A good question is open, neutral and
about the user's real task

Section E: Spot the Error

D — This is a leading question. It pushes the user toward agreeing with an app. A neutral open question such as 'Q4: What would you change?' lets the user share their own ideas.

B — This is a closed question, so the user can answer with just yes or no. It should be open, such as 'Q2: What happens after that?', to draw out detail about the real task.

C — This is a closed question that gets a yes or no answer. An open prompt such as 'Q3: Tell me about last time.' encourages the user to describe what really happened.

C — This is a leading question because it assumes the user's answer. It should be neutral and open, such as 'Q3: What goes wrong for you?'

B — This question is not about the user's real task of planning homework. It should follow up on the task, such as 'Q2: Why do you do it that way?'