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Personal support worker interview questions, with a scoring guide

Supports clients with daily living with dignity, safety and good communication. Here are 18 questions for a personal support worker interview. Each comes with a follow-up and a 1 to 5 scoring guide so you can compare candidates fairly.

Use these as a free interview guide

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On this page
  1. Questions specific to the role
  2. Behavioural questions by skill
  3. Prescreen questions
  4. Record checks after a conditional offer
  5. How to score the answers
  6. Questions to avoid

Questions specific to the personal support worker role

Role-specific
A client refuses care you're scheduled to give. What do you do?
1 WeakForces it or leaves without reporting.
3 SolidLeaves it and notes it.
5 StrongRespects the choice, tries to understand why, offers options, and reports it properly.
Role-specific
How do you protect a client's dignity during personal care?
1 WeakUnsure.
3 SolidIs polite.
5 StrongExplains each step, gets consent, keeps them covered, and follows their preferences.
Role-specific
You notice a change in a client's condition. What do you do?
1 WeakNothing.
3 SolidMentions it.
5 StrongDocuments it clearly and reports it promptly through the right channel.

Behavioural questions by skill

Behavioural questions ask about something the person actually did. Past behaviour is a better guide than "what would you do" answers alone.

Safety and care

Works safely and looks out for others.

Tell me about a time you noticed something unsafe at work. What did you do?
Follow-up: What happened after you reported it?
1 WeakIgnored it, or has never noticed anything.
3 SolidMentioned it to someone.
5 StrongMade it safe if they could, reported it, and followed up.
Describe a time you were asked to cut a corner on safety to save time.
Follow-up: What did you say?
1 WeakWent along with it.
3 SolidHesitated, then did it.
5 StrongSaid no respectfully and suggested a safe way to keep things moving.
What safety habits do you follow every shift without thinking about them?
Follow-up: Where did you pick those up?
1 WeakNone come to mind.
3 SolidA generic answer such as 'wear PPE'.
5 StrongSpecific habits that fit the kind of work.

Communication

Explains clearly and keeps people in the loop.

Tell me about a time you had to explain something complicated to someone who was new to it.
Follow-up: How did you know they understood?
1 WeakCan't explain clearly, even in the interview.
3 SolidExplained it but didn't check understanding.
5 StrongUsed plain words or examples and checked they got it.
Describe a time you had to give bad news to a customer, coworker or manager.
Follow-up: What did you say first?
1 WeakAvoided it or left it to someone else.
3 SolidDelivered it, but bluntly or late.
5 StrongDelivered it early and clearly, with a next step.
Tell me about a time a misunderstanding caused a problem at work. What did you learn?
Follow-up: What do you do differently now?
1 WeakBlames the other person entirely.
3 SolidFixed the issue with little reflection.
5 StrongFixed it and changed how they communicate, such as confirming in writing.

Honesty and integrity

Does the right thing, including when nobody's looking.

Tell me about a time you were asked to do something at work that you felt wasn't right.
Follow-up: What happened afterwards?
1 WeakDid it without question.
3 SolidDid it but felt uneasy.
5 StrongRaised it respectfully and did the right thing.
Describe a time you handled cash, stock or private information. How did you keep it secure?
Follow-up: Did anything ever go missing?
1 WeakVague answer.
3 SolidFollowed the basics.
5 StrongSpecific precautions and an example.
Tell me about a time you admitted you didn't know something.
Follow-up: What did you do next?
1 WeakNever has.
3 SolidAdmitted it when pressed.
5 StrongAdmitted it early and found the answer.

Working under pressure

Stays steady when it gets busy.

Tell me about your busiest shift or tightest deadline. How did you handle it?
Follow-up: What did you do first?
1 WeakFell apart or can't describe one.
3 SolidGot through it.
5 StrongPrioritized, stayed calm, and kept quality up.
Describe a time you had too much to do and not enough time. What did you drop or delay?
Follow-up: Who did you tell?
1 WeakTried to do everything and missed things.
3 SolidDropped things without telling anyone.
5 StrongPrioritized and told the right people what would slip.
Tell me about a time you stayed calm when people around you didn't.
Follow-up: What did you do to help?
1 WeakNo example.
3 SolidStayed calm themselves.
5 StrongStayed calm and helped settle others.

Adaptability

Handles change without losing their footing.

Tell me about a time your plans or duties changed at the last minute.
Follow-up: How did you feel about it at the time?
1 WeakComplained or resisted.
3 SolidAdjusted, but grudgingly.
5 StrongAdjusted quickly and helped others adjust too.
Describe the biggest change you've dealt with at work, such as a new system, manager or process.
Follow-up: What helped you get used to it?
1 WeakStill negative about it.
3 SolidGot used to it eventually.
5 StrongLearned it early and found what was useful about it.
Tell me about a time you had to do a task you'd never done before.
Follow-up: What did you do to get up to speed?
1 WeakRefused or avoided it.
3 SolidDid it with a lot of help.
5 StrongAsked the right questions, got going, and learned fast.

Prescreen questions for personal support worker candidates

Ask these on a five-minute phone call or send them as a form before you book interviews.

  1. Are you legally entitled to work in Canada? (Yes / No)
  2. Which days and times are you available to work?
  3. When could you start?
  4. What pay are you looking for?
  5. What interests you about this job?
  6. Do you have a PSW or CCA certificate? (Yes / No / In progress)
  7. Do you have current first aid and CPR? (Yes / No)

After a conditional offer: record checks

Record checks (criminal record, vulnerable sector, driver's abstract) are not prescreen questions. Ask for them only after you make a conditional offer, and only when the check is tied to the real duties of the job, such as driving, handling cash or working with children or vulnerable adults. Asking earlier can screen people out for reasons the job doesn't need. In British Columbia and Quebec, human rights law protects people from discrimination for a conviction that isn't related to the job. Say in the offer letter that the offer depends on the check, and tell the candidate which results would matter for this job.

  • Vulnerable sector check. This offer is conditional on a vulnerable sector check. Are you willing to provide it?

Use our conditional offer letter template. Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador guidance says to wait until a conditional offer, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission says a driver's licence number or copy may be requested only after one. See questions to avoid.

How to score the answers

  1. Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order. That's what makes scores comparable.
  2. Write down what they did, not your impression. "Closed alone on a Saturday and restocked for the morning" beats "seems reliable".
  3. Score each answer from 1 to 5 against the guide under the question. A 3 is a solid, acceptable answer.
  4. Average the scores and read the notes behind any big gap between interviewers.
  5. Check references on the areas where you're least sure.

Questions to avoid

Hiring questions should be about the job. Human rights law in every province and territory protects people from being treated differently because of things like age, family status, disability, religion, race, place of origin, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The list of protected grounds differs a little by province, so check yours.

Stay away from questions like these:

  • "How old are you?" or "When did you finish high school?"
  • "Do you have kids?" or "Are you planning a family?" The Ontario Human Rights Commission says an employer cannot ask whether an applicant is pregnant or plans to have a family.
  • "Where are you from originally?" You can ask: "Are you legally entitled to work in Canada?"
  • "Do you have any health problems?" You can ask: "This job involves [a real duty]. Can you do that, with or without accommodation?"
  • "What do you make now?" Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island do not allow employers to ask about pay history. Asking what pay the person expects is fine.
  • Questions about the hours a person can work that mention family or religious commitments. Ask only whether they can work the hours the job needs, and state those hours.

Criminal record and driving record: wait until you have made a conditional offer, and ask only for what the job needs. Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador guidance says to wait until a conditional offer. Quebec's rights commission says a conviction counts only if it is connected to the job. Ontario's commission says you may ask only about convictions that have not been pardoned, and that a driver's licence number or copy may be requested only after a conditional offer and only if relevant.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by province. Human rights bodies: see the official sources.

Rules that differ by province. Ontario (25 or more employees), British Columbia and Prince Edward Island require the pay or a range in public job postings. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island do not allow pay-history questions. Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must tell each interviewed applicant within 45 days whether a hiring decision was made. Unpaid trial shifts that involve real work are not allowed in Ontario, British Columbia or Alberta. See hiring rules by province, checked 7 October 2026.

Questions

What should I ask in a personal support worker interview?

Ask about the parts of the job that matter most: safety and care, communication, honesty and integrity, working under pressure, plus role-specific questions such as "A client refuses care you're scheduled to give. What do you do?" Ask every candidate the same questions so you can compare them fairly.

How do I score a personal support worker interview?

Score each answer from 1 to 5 against a short guide that describes a weak, solid and strong answer. Score what the person actually did in their example, not how confident they sounded. Then average the scores and read the notes behind any big differences.

What should I ask before interviewing a personal support worker?

Use a short prescreen: work eligibility, availability, start date, pay expectations and the must-haves for the role, such as "Do you have a PSW or CCA certificate?" Ask what pay the person expects, not what they earn now: Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island do not allow pay-history questions.

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