CPS Legal Trainee Interview Questions: What to Expect at Every Stage

The CPS legal trainee scheme has three assessment stages after the online tests. Most guides cover Stage 1 in detail and leave Stages 2 and 3 vague. This article fills that gap: covering what the video interview actually assesses, how the assessment centre written exercise works, and what to expect in the panel interview, including the four behaviours the CPS scores you against throughout.

One thing worth knowing upfront: unlike many training contract processes, the CPS sends candidates the interview questions in advance. That changes how you should prepare.

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The full process at a glance

Before the video interview, candidates must pass two online tests.

Stage 1a: Casework Skills Test (CST). A casework judgment exercise. Think civil service values: the bigger picture, collaboration, and prioritisation. Do not overthink it. Gut instinct aligned to civil service principles is usually right.

Stage 1b: Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test (VRT). 24 minutes, timed. True/false/cannot say format. The answer is either present in the passage or it is not. Read slowly and literally.

Candidates who pass both are invited to upload their CV and submit the full application. The CV is not scored; it gives the panel context on your background.

From there, the process is:

• Stage 2: Pre-recorded video interview (approximately 20 minutes)
• Stage 3: Assessment centre with a written exercise and panel interview (half day)

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Stage 2: The video interview

Format

The video interview is pre-recorded and text-based. Questions appear on screen and you record your answers directly into the platform. There is no interviewer present. The full interview takes approximately 20 minutes.

For each question you are given a short preparation window (typically around 1 to 2 minutes to read) and then a recording window (typically 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes to answer). You cannot re-record. Practise on camera before you sit this: the time pressure is real and unfamiliarity with the format costs marks.

What it assesses

The video interview assesses two things:

1. Motivation. Why you want to work for the CPS and why you want to be a prosecutor specifically. These are treated as two distinct questions and you should prepare distinct answers for each.

2. Communication ability. Your ability to express yourself clearly and concisely to camera under time pressure.

One of the four scored behaviours (see below) is also assessed here: Communicating and Influencing.

Question types

Based on the published candidate guidance and applicant accounts, the video interview typically contains three questions.

Question 1: A motivation question. Why the CPS, why prosecution, or why criminal law. These sometimes appear as one question, sometimes as separate prompts.

Question 2: A behaviour question. Most commonly testing Communicating and Influencing or Working Together. Expect a STAR-format question: "Tell me about a time when you had to communicate a difficult message" or "Describe a situation where you had to work with someone you found challenging."

Question 3: A second behaviour or strength question. Past applicants describe this as the most unexpected element. It may be a scenario question ("How would you respond if...") or a strengths question not flagged in the candidate pack. Prepare for both formats.

Preparation tips

Prepare three distinct examples for each of the four behaviours (see below). Use different examples for each question: the panel wants breadth, not repetition.

Prepare separate answers for "Why CPS" and "Why prosecution." These are not the same question. Why CPS is about the organisation: independence, public interest, the Code for Crown Prosecutors, specialist criminal focus. Why prosecution is about the role: advocacy, decision-making, public protection.

Practise to camera, timed. Not just in your head. The recording window is shorter than it feels.

The interview pack sent with your invitation confirms which behaviours are being assessed at this stage. Read it carefully before preparing.

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Stage 3: The assessment centre

The assessment centre is a half-day, currently run online via video call. It has two components: a written exercise and a panel interview.

The written exercise

The written exercise is sat independently before the panel interview. Based on applicant accounts and official guidance, it involves a legally-based problem: you are given a scenario and relevant legal information and asked to analyse it and write a response (typically addressed to a senior colleague).

The legal topic changes each cycle. Past topics have included questions touching on human rights considerations in prosecution decisions and issues around the public interest test. The CPS publishes the specific legal topic or area in the candidate materials ahead of the assessment centre; research it thoroughly using the CPS website, the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and relevant case law or policy.

Key points on the written exercise:

• It tests legal intellect and Communicating and Influencing in written form
• It is not a test of criminal law knowledge from memory: the relevant legal information is provided
• Structure your answer clearly: identify the issue, apply the relevant test or principle, reach a reasoned conclusion
• Write to the senior colleague framing: not an essay, but a clear professional analysis

The panel interview

The panel interview typically lasts around an hour and is conducted by two or three senior CPS lawyers. The format is structured and scored.

The CPS sends questions to candidates in advance. This is unusual. Use it. Prepare structured STAR answers for each behaviour question, practise them out loud, and have a clear, specific example ready for each.

The panel will also set scenario questions: "How would you respond to a heavy workload?" or "How would you handle a sensitive situation with a victim?" These test your instincts and values, not just past experience.

Motivation is assessed again at this stage. Your answer needs to be consistent with the video interview but more developed. This is the stage where the panel wants to understand the depth of your commitment to criminal prosecution specifically, not just public service generally.

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The four behaviours: what the CPS wants to see

The Civil Service Success Profiles framework sets out what each behaviour looks like at EO (Executive Officer) grade, which is the level at which legal trainees are employed.

Making Effective Decisions

You gather relevant information, consider different options, and reach a clear, reasoned decision. In a prosecution context: you can evaluate the evidence, apply the Full Code Test, and reach a defensible conclusion even when the position is not clear-cut. Example topics: deciding whether a case meets the evidential stage; weighing competing priorities with incomplete information.

Communicating and Influencing

You communicate clearly and adapt your style to your audience: whether that is a victim, a police officer, a defence lawyer, or a senior colleague. In writing and in person. Example topics: explaining a difficult charging decision to a police officer; communicating sensitively with a witness in a RASSO case.

Managing a Quality Service

You take ownership of your work, deliver it accurately and on time, and flag issues before they escalate. In a trainee context: managing a caseload under supervision, meeting court deadlines, maintaining accurate records. Example topics: managing competing deadlines; identifying an error in a case file before it reaches court.

Working Together

You work constructively with colleagues and partners across the criminal justice system: police, defence, courts, victims. Example topics: collaborating with a police officer on a charging decision; managing a disagreement with a colleague professionally.

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What "legal intellect" means in practice

Legal intellect is assessed at the written exercise and panel interview. The CPS is not looking for encyclopaedic criminal law knowledge; trainees are not expected to arrive as finished lawyers. It is looking for:

• The ability to read a legal scenario and identify the core issue
• Application of the relevant test or principle (the Full Code Test: evidential sufficiency and public interest)
• A structured, reasoned conclusion
• Awareness of complexity: when a case is not straightforward and why

Read the Code for Crown Prosecutors in full before your assessment centre. Understand the Full Code Test and the evidential and public interest stages. This document underpins every prosecution decision the CPS makes and will be directly relevant to any legal scenario they set.

For more background on how the scheme is structured, the full CPS legal trainee guide covers salary, entry requirements, and what trainees actually do day-to-day. If you are weighing the CPS against the GLP, the CPS vs GLP comparison covers the key differences.

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Example questions to practise

Motivation (video interview and panel)

• Why do you want to work for the Crown Prosecution Service?
• Why do you want to be a prosecutor rather than a criminal defence lawyer?
• What do you understand about the CPS's role in the criminal justice system?
• What does prosecuting in the public interest mean to you?

Making Effective Decisions

• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with limited information. What did you do?
• Describe a situation where you had to weigh competing priorities and decide which to address first.
• How would you approach a situation where the evidence is ambiguous and a charging decision is not clear-cut?

Communicating and Influencing

• Tell me about a time you had to communicate a difficult or complex message. How did you approach it?
• Describe a situation where you had to adapt your communication style for a particular audience.
• Give an example of when you persuaded someone to change their position.

Managing a Quality Service

• Describe a time when you had to manage multiple tasks under time pressure. How did you ensure everything was completed to the required standard?
• Tell me about a time you identified a problem before it became serious. What did you do?

Working Together

• Tell me about a time you had to work with someone you found difficult. How did you handle it?
• Describe a situation where you had to work as part of a team to deliver something. What was your role?
• Give an example of when you supported a colleague through a challenging situation.

Scenario questions (panel)

• How would you respond if you were given more work than you could complete in time?
• How would you handle a situation where a victim was distressed and not engaging with the process?
• What would you do if you disagreed with a decision made by a more senior colleague?

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Frequently asked questions

Does the CPS send questions in advance?

Yes, for the panel interview. The video interview questions are not sent in advance, but the behaviours being assessed at that stage are confirmed in your invitation pack.

Do I need criminal law knowledge to pass the assessment centre?

Not in-depth technical knowledge. You need to understand the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the Full Code Test (evidential stage and public interest stage), and the CPS's role and values. The legal scenario in the written exercise provides the law you need: you are being tested on analysis and reasoning, not memory.

What legal area will the written exercise cover?

The CPS confirms the relevant legal area or topic in the candidate materials before the assessment centre. Research it using the CPS website and any published guidance. Past examples have involved human rights considerations in prosecution and public interest factors.

Is the panel interview online or in person?

As of the 2026 recruitment cycle, the assessment centre runs online. Check your candidate materials as this may vary between cycles.

How is the scoring structured?

The panel scores each behaviour and competency element separately. You are not assessed holistically: each question has its own mark. This means a strong answer on one behaviour cannot compensate for a weak one on another. Prepare equally across all four.

What feedback is available if I am unsuccessful?

The CPS only provides feedback to candidates who attend the final interview and assessment. Candidates who do not progress beyond the video interview do not receive feedback.

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Sources: CPS National Legal Trainee Scheme candidate pack (2026 cycle); GOV.UK Civil Service Success Profiles Behaviours Framework; Legal 500 Future Lawyers, Crown Prosecution Service profile; Jobs Go Public, CPS Legal Trainee Scheme January 2026 advert; The Student Room applicant threads (2024 to 2026 cycles).

The full process at a glance

Before the video interview, candidates must pass two online tests.

Stage 1a: Casework Skills Test (CST). A casework judgment exercise. Think civil service values: the bigger picture, collaboration, and prioritisation. Do not overthink it. Gut instinct aligned to civil service principles is usually right.

Stage 1b: Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test (VRT). 24 minutes, timed. True/false/cannot say format. The answer is either present in the passage or it is not. Read slowly and literally.

Candidates who pass both are invited to upload their CV and submit the full application. The CV is not scored; it gives the panel context on your background.

From there, the process is:

• Stage 2: Pre-recorded video interview (approximately 20 minutes)
• Stage 3: Assessment centre with a written exercise and panel interview (half day)

---

Stage 2: The video interview

Format

The video interview is pre-recorded and text-based. Questions appear on screen and you record your answers directly into the platform. There is no interviewer present. The full interview takes approximately 20 minutes.

For each question you are given a short preparation window (typically around 1 to 2 minutes to read) and then a recording window (typically 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes to answer). You cannot re-record. Practise on camera before you sit this: the time pressure is real and unfamiliarity with the format costs marks.

What it assesses

The video interview assesses two things:

1. Motivation. Why you want to work for the CPS and why you want to be a prosecutor specifically. These are treated as two distinct questions and you should prepare distinct answers for each.

2. Communication ability. Your ability to express yourself clearly and concisely to camera under time pressure.

One of the four scored behaviours (see below) is also assessed here: Communicating and Influencing.

Question types

Based on the published candidate guidance and applicant accounts, the video interview typically contains three questions.

Question 1: A motivation question. Why the CPS, why prosecution, or why criminal law. These sometimes appear as one question, sometimes as separate prompts.

Question 2: A behaviour question. Most commonly testing Communicating and Influencing or Working Together. Expect a STAR-format question: "Tell me about a time when you had to communicate a difficult message" or "Describe a situation where you had to work with someone you found challenging."

Question 3: A second behaviour or strength question. Past applicants describe this as the most unexpected element. It may be a scenario question ("How would you respond if...") or a strengths question not flagged in the candidate pack. Prepare for both formats.

Preparation tips

Prepare three distinct examples for each of the four behaviours (see below). Use different examples for each question: the panel wants breadth, not repetition.

Prepare separate answers for "Why CPS" and "Why prosecution." These are not the same question. Why CPS is about the organisation: independence, public interest, the Code for Crown Prosecutors, specialist criminal focus. Why prosecution is about the role: advocacy, decision-making, public protection.

Practise to camera, timed. Not just in your head. The recording window is shorter than it feels.

The interview pack sent with your invitation confirms which behaviours are being assessed at this stage. Read it carefully before preparing.

---

Stage 3: The assessment centre

The assessment centre is a half-day, currently run online via video call. It has two components: a written exercise and a panel interview.

The written exercise

The written exercise is sat independently before the panel interview. Based on applicant accounts and official guidance, it involves a legally-based problem: you are given a scenario and relevant legal information and asked to analyse it and write a response (typically addressed to a senior colleague).

The legal topic changes each cycle. Past topics have included questions touching on human rights considerations in prosecution decisions and issues around the public interest test. The CPS publishes the specific legal topic or area in the candidate materials ahead of the assessment centre; research it thoroughly using the CPS website, the Code for Crown Prosecutors, and relevant case law or policy.

Key points on the written exercise:

• It tests legal intellect and Communicating and Influencing in written form
• It is not a test of criminal law knowledge from memory: the relevant legal information is provided
• Structure your answer clearly: identify the issue, apply the relevant test or principle, reach a reasoned conclusion
• Write to the senior colleague framing: not an essay, but a clear professional analysis

The panel interview

The panel interview typically lasts around an hour and is conducted by two or three senior CPS lawyers. The format is structured and scored.

The CPS sends questions to candidates in advance. This is unusual. Use it. Prepare structured STAR answers for each behaviour question, practise them out loud, and have a clear, specific example ready for each.

The panel will also set scenario questions: "How would you respond to a heavy workload?" or "How would you handle a sensitive situation with a victim?" These test your instincts and values, not just past experience.

Motivation is assessed again at this stage. Your answer needs to be consistent with the video interview but more developed. This is the stage where the panel wants to understand the depth of your commitment to criminal prosecution specifically, not just public service generally.

---

The four behaviours: what the CPS wants to see

The Civil Service Success Profiles framework sets out what each behaviour looks like at EO (Executive Officer) grade, which is the level at which legal trainees are employed.

Making Effective Decisions

You gather relevant information, consider different options, and reach a clear, reasoned decision. In a prosecution context: you can evaluate the evidence, apply the Full Code Test, and reach a defensible conclusion even when the position is not clear-cut. Example topics: deciding whether a case meets the evidential stage; weighing competing priorities with incomplete information.

Communicating and Influencing

You communicate clearly and adapt your style to your audience: whether that is a victim, a police officer, a defence lawyer, or a senior colleague. In writing and in person. Example topics: explaining a difficult charging decision to a police officer; communicating sensitively with a witness in a RASSO case.

Managing a Quality Service

You take ownership of your work, deliver it accurately and on time, and flag issues before they escalate. In a trainee context: managing a caseload under supervision, meeting court deadlines, maintaining accurate records. Example topics: managing competing deadlines; identifying an error in a case file before it reaches court.

Working Together

You work constructively with colleagues and partners across the criminal justice system: police, defence, courts, victims. Example topics: collaborating with a police officer on a charging decision; managing a disagreement with a colleague professionally.

---

What "legal intellect" means in practice

Legal intellect is assessed at the written exercise and panel interview. The CPS is not looking for encyclopaedic criminal law knowledge; trainees are not expected to arrive as finished lawyers. It is looking for:

• The ability to read a legal scenario and identify the core issue
• Application of the relevant test or principle (the Full Code Test: evidential sufficiency and public interest)
• A structured, reasoned conclusion
• Awareness of complexity: when a case is not straightforward and why

Read the Code for Crown Prosecutors in full before your assessment centre. Understand the Full Code Test and the evidential and public interest stages. This document underpins every prosecution decision the CPS makes and will be directly relevant to any legal scenario they set.

For more background on how the scheme is structured, the full CPS legal trainee guide covers salary, entry requirements, and what trainees actually do day-to-day. If you are weighing the CPS against the GLP, the CPS vs GLP comparison covers the key differences.

---

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Example questions to practise

Motivation (video interview and panel)

• Why do you want to work for the Crown Prosecution Service?
• Why do you want to be a prosecutor rather than a criminal defence lawyer?
• What do you understand about the CPS's role in the criminal justice system?
• What does prosecuting in the public interest mean to you?

Making Effective Decisions

• Tell me about a time you had to make a decision with limited information. What did you do?
• Describe a situation where you had to weigh competing priorities and decide which to address first.
• How would you approach a situation where the evidence is ambiguous and a charging decision is not clear-cut?

Communicating and Influencing

• Tell me about a time you had to communicate a difficult or complex message. How did you approach it?
• Describe a situation where you had to adapt your communication style for a particular audience.
• Give an example of when you persuaded someone to change their position.

Managing a Quality Service

• Describe a time when you had to manage multiple tasks under time pressure. How did you ensure everything was completed to the required standard?
• Tell me about a time you identified a problem before it became serious. What did you do?

Working Together

• Tell me about a time you had to work with someone you found difficult. How did you handle it?
• Describe a situation where you had to work as part of a team to deliver something. What was your role?
• Give an example of when you supported a colleague through a challenging situation.

Scenario questions (panel)

• How would you respond if you were given more work than you could complete in time?
• How would you handle a situation where a victim was distressed and not engaging with the process?
• What would you do if you disagreed with a decision made by a more senior colleague?

---

Frequently asked questions

Does the CPS send questions in advance?

Yes, for the panel interview. The video interview questions are not sent in advance, but the behaviours being assessed at that stage are confirmed in your invitation pack.

Do I need criminal law knowledge to pass the assessment centre?

Not in-depth technical knowledge. You need to understand the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the Full Code Test (evidential stage and public interest stage), and the CPS's role and values. The legal scenario in the written exercise provides the law you need: you are being tested on analysis and reasoning, not memory.

What legal area will the written exercise cover?

The CPS confirms the relevant legal area or topic in the candidate materials before the assessment centre. Research it using the CPS website and any published guidance. Past examples have involved human rights considerations in prosecution and public interest factors.

Is the panel interview online or in person?

As of the 2026 recruitment cycle, the assessment centre runs online. Check your candidate materials as this may vary between cycles.

How is the scoring structured?

The panel scores each behaviour and competency element separately. You are not assessed holistically: each question has its own mark. This means a strong answer on one behaviour cannot compensate for a weak one on another. Prepare equally across all four.

What feedback is available if I am unsuccessful?

The CPS only provides feedback to candidates who attend the final interview and assessment. Candidates who do not progress beyond the video interview do not receive feedback.

---

Sources: CPS National Legal Trainee Scheme candidate pack (2026 cycle); GOV.UK Civil Service Success Profiles Behaviours Framework; Legal 500 Future Lawyers, Crown Prosecution Service profile; Jobs Go Public, CPS Legal Trainee Scheme January 2026 advert; The Student Room applicant threads (2024 to 2026 cycles).