There’s no denying how impactful a great interview can be in a contestant’s final placement. At best, a great interview performance will make judges root for you and possibly score you higher in the other competitions. At worst, a bad interview can keep you from the crown entirely. This is what makes the competition so nerve-wracking.
We have an entire guide outlining our winning strategy to interview preparation. A great way to prepare for such a daunting area of competition is by practicing interview questions. After all, practice makes progress. There are thousands of practice questions online, but how many of them have been asked in a real interview setting?
Each of these questions were asked during pageant interview for the Jr. Teen and Teen divisions in National American Miss, International Junior Miss, and USA Ambassador. Although they are great practice, you should not memorize answers to these questions. Instead, think about how you would go about answering them, then give it a couple tries. There are a few repeats that I intentionally left in to show you how often they come up in each system.
How to Prepare for a Winning Interview
By going over a wide range of interview questions and possible topics, you can get in the habit of answering questions in a confident, effective way. Start these questions, then move onto the 10 Questions Every Contestant Should Know and the 33 Most Challenging Practice Questions. Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to a Winning Pageant Interview.
Next, you can try a mock interview. Mock interviews are helpful when it comes to reducing the anxiety that comes with being in a timed interview setting. If you’re ready to take your interview preparation to the next level, consider booking the Talk the Talk Package. We’ve helped contestants develop a winning interview strategy that’s earned perfect interview scores in various systems.
Don’t forget to plan out your interview outfit, hair, and makeup. Check out our Pinterest for Interview Outfits and Pageant Hairstyles.
National American Miss
- What book are you currently reading?
- Do you keep a diary?
- Would you be proud of your biography?
- What have you done to leave a legacy?
- What is your favorite part of pageant weekend?
- How did you prepare for this pageant?
- What are your goals for this weekend?
- What makes you happy?
- What do you look for in a friend?
- If I gave you $1,000, what would you do with it?
- What is the best invention of the century?
- What community service have you done?
- Who is your favorite cartoon character?
- Who is your favorite villain?
- What do you do to make a difference?
- I have an imaginary box in front of me. What’s inside of it?
International Junior Miss
What do you want to be when you grow up?
- What school do you go to?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- What would you change about your school?
- Tell me the story of a time you embarrassed yourself.
- What is your platform?
- What volunteer work have you done?
- What are some of your goals?
- What do you like to do after school?
- How do you balance pageantry and school?
USA Ambassador Pageant
- Is there anything you want me to know about you?
- What is it like to grow up in your hometown?
- What is your favorite part of your hometown?
- What intimidates you?
- What makes you unique?
- Why should we pick you?
- What makes you different from the other contestants?
- What is your favorite animal?
- Where is your phone when you’re in class?
- Do you prefer texting or face-to-face conversations?
- What do you plan to do with the title if you win?
- What is the biggest problem facing your generation? How can you solve this?
- Tell me about your platform.