Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI)
The Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) is one of the most common competency-based interview formats used by Canadian police services, including Calgary Police and Edmonton Police. Interviewers assess how you handled real situations in the past because past behaviour is considered the strongest predictor of future performance.
This guide explains how the BDI works, what competencies are evaluated, how to answer questions using the STAR method, and how to avoid the mistakes that cause many applicants to fail.
Over the years, I have received numerous calls from applicants preparing for Behavioural Descriptive Interviews, particularly with police services like Calgary Police and Edmonton police services that use this assessment format as part of their recruitment process.
Many applicants are unsure what a BDI is, how it differs from a traditional interview, and what recruiters are really looking for in their answers.
This guide is designed to provide some much-needed insight into the Behavioural Descriptive Interview process, explain how police services assess applicants, and help you prepare more effectively for this important stage of the hiring process.
These interviews are designed to evaluate how applicants handled real situations in the past, based on the belief that past behaviour is one of the best predictors of future performance.
Police services such as the Calgary Police Service and Edmonton Police Service commonly use behavioural and competency-based interview formats to assess applicants during the selection process.
This guide explains:
- What a Behavioural Descriptive Interview is
- how BDI questions work
- the STAR method
- common police interview competencies
- examples of behavioural interview questions
- mistakes applicants should avoid
What Is a Behavioural Descriptive Interview?
A Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) is a structured interview format where applicants are asked to describe real-life examples from their past experiences.
Instead of asking hypothetical questions such as:
“What would you do if…”
Interviewers ask:
“Tell me about a time when…”
The purpose is to evaluate how candidates have demonstrated competencies such as:
- communication
- leadership
- teamwork
- integrity
- problem solving
- judgment
- adaptability
- conflict resolution
- community awareness
Police recruiters want specific examples that demonstrate how applicants think, communicate, and behave under pressure.
Why Police Services Use BDIs
Modern policing requires officers to make decisions under pressure, communicate effectively with diverse communities, and demonstrate professionalism in difficult situations.
Behavioural interviews help police services evaluate:
- decision-making ability
- emotional maturity
- integrity
- interpersonal communication
- accountability
- professionalism
- critical thinking
- leadership potential
As a result, behavioural interviews are now widely used across Canadian municipal police services.
How the Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) Is Scored
Unlike a traditional job interview, a Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) follows a structured scoring process. Interviewers are trained to evaluate your response against specific competencies using standardized scoring criteria. Every applicant is assessed using the same process to ensure fairness and consistency.
A strong answer isn’t about telling the most impressive story—it’s about clearly demonstrating the competency being assessed.
Need Help Preparing for Your Behavioural Descriptive Interview?
Understanding how the Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) works is only the first step. Success comes from choosing the right competency examples, structuring your answers effectively, and demonstrating the behaviours police recruiters are looking for.
At anEDGE, our interview coaches include former police recruiters, hiring managers, and experienced police officers who have assessed thousands of applicants across Canada. We help you identify your strongest examples, refine your STAR responses, and prepare for Behavioural Descriptive Interviews with realistic mock interviews and professional feedback.
Whether you’re applying to a municipal police service, the RCMP, or another Canadian law enforcement agency, we’ll help you approach your interview with confidence.
Ready to take the next step? Book a Police Interview Coaching session to receive one-on-one guidance from former police recruiters who understand exactly what interview panels look for.
Interviewers are looking for:
Did you answer the question?
Your example should directly address the competency being assessed. If you’re asked about integrity, your answer should clearly demonstrate ethical decision-making rather than teamwork or leadership.
Was the example based on a real experience?
Behavioural interviews are built on the principle that past behaviour predicts future performance. Interviewers want genuine examples from your work, education, volunteer activities, or personal life—not hypothetical situations.
Did you explain your own actions?
Many applicants spend too much time describing what the team did. High-scoring responses clearly explain your individual role, the decisions you made, and the actions you personally took.
Did you demonstrate the required competency?
In your example, interviewers are looking for evidence of competencies such as integrity, communication, problem-solving, leadership, accountability, respect for others, and sound judgement.
What was the outcome?
Strong candidates explain the result of their actions. Interviewers want to know what happened, how the situation was resolved, and whether your actions achieved a positive outcome.
What did you learn?
The best responses finish with a brief reflection on what you learned and how the experience has influenced your approach in future situations. This demonstrates self-awareness, maturity, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Common Reasons Applicants Receive Low Scores
Many candidates lose marks not because of poor experience, but because they fail to present their examples effectively.
Common mistakes include:
- Choosing an example that does not answer the question.
- Speaking generally instead of describing a specific situation.
- Focusing on what the team did instead of their own actions.
- Failing to explain the outcome of the situation.
- Omitting what they learned from the experience.
- Providing examples that are too brief or lack enough detail for the interviewer to assess the competency.
Tip from Our Police Interview Coaches
At anEDGE, our former police recruiters and interviewers teach applicants to structure every Behavioural Descriptive Interview response using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action and Result) while keeping the focus on the competency being assessed. This approach helps candidates stay organized, answer the question directly, and provide the evidence interviewers need to award higher scores.
The STAR Method
Most Behavioural Descriptive Interviews are answered using the STAR format.
S — Situation
Describe the situation or background.
T — Task
Explain your responsibility or challenge.
A — Action
Describe exactly what you did.
R — Result
Explain the outcome and what you learned.
The strongest answers spend most of the time explaining the “Action” section.
Common Behavioural Descriptive Interview Questions
Examples of common police behavioural interview questions include:
- Tell us about a time you dealt with conflict.
- Describe a difficult decision you had to make.
- Tell us about a time you demonstrated leadership.
- Describe a stressful situation and how you handled it.
- Tell us about a mistake you made and what you learned.
- Describe a time you worked with someone difficult.
- Tell us about a situation where integrity was important.
- Describe a time you had to adapt quickly to change.
Interviewers are usually evaluating both the example itself and how clearly you communicate it.
Many applicants improve significantly after completing structured mock interviews and interview coaching
Competencies Commonly Evaluated in Police Interviews
Most police services evaluate a combination of competencies, including:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Integrity and ethics
- Problem solving
- Judgment
- Adaptability
- Community awareness
- Accountability
- Stress tolerance
Applicants should prepare several strong real-life examples that can be adapted to different competency questions.
Common Mistakes Applicants Make
Many applicants struggle in Behavioural Descriptive Interviews because they:
- speak too generally
- give hypothetical answers
- ramble excessively
- fail to explain their specific role
- provide weak examples
- blame others
- over-rehearse answers
- fail to explain what they learned
Strong answers are structured, specific, honest, and reflective.
Can I Use Personal Examples in a BDI?
Yes. Police interview panels generally accept examples from many areas of your life, provided they clearly demonstrate the competency being assessed.
Suitable examples may come from:
- Employment
- Volunteer work
- University or college
- Competitive sports
- Military service
- Coaching
- Community involvement
- Personal experiences where you accepted responsibility or overcame challenges
The strongest examples are genuine, detailed, and focus on your own actions rather than those of your team.
Behavioural Descriptive Interview Checklist
Before your interview, make sure you can:
✔ Prepare multiple examples for each competency.
✔ Structure every answer using the STAR method.
✔ Explain your own actions rather than your team’s.
✔ Clearly describe the outcome.
✔ Identify what you learned.
✔ Practise speaking naturally without memorizing answers.
✔ Keep your answers focused and relevant to the question being asked.
Police Services That Use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews
Many Canadian law enforcement agencies use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews or similar competency-based interview formats during recruitment.
Examples include:
- Calgary Police Service
- Edmonton Police Service
- Municipal police services across Canada
- Some provincial agencies
- Other organizations that assess applicants using competency-based interviews
While interview formats vary, the principles remain the same: candidates are asked to describe real situations that demonstrate the competencies required for policing.
How to Prepare for a Police Behavioural Interview
The best way to prepare is to:
- identify common competencies
- prepare multiple real-life examples
- organize answers using STAR
- practice speaking clearly and concisely
- complete mock interviews
Many applicants underestimate how difficult behavioural interviews can be until they attempt a structured mock interview under pressure.
Police Interview Preparation Support
At anEDGE, we help Canadian law enforcement applicants prepare for competency-based and behavioural interviews through structured coaching and mock interview sessions.
Our coaches work with applicants preparing for municipal police services, federal agencies, and other public safety careers by helping candidates develop stronger STAR-format responses, improve communication skills, and prepare for high-pressure interview scenarios.
Many applicants underestimate how challenging Behavioural Descriptive Interviews can be until they experience a structured mock interview environment.
Applicants can learn more through our police interview coaching resources and interview preparation guides.
Final Thoughts
Behavioural Descriptive Interviews are now a major part of the hiring process for many Canadian police services.
Applicants who understand competency-based interviewing and prepare strong STAR-format examples are often significantly more successful during the interview stage.
Preparation, structure, and self-awareness are critical to performing well in a police behavioural interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI)?
A Behavioural Descriptive Interview (BDI) is a structured interview in which applicants describe real situations from their past to demonstrate the competencies required for the role. Police services use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews because past behaviour is considered one of the best predictors of future performance.
Why do police services use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews?
Many Canadian police services use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews to assess competencies such as integrity, communication, problem-solving, decision-making, leadership, accountability, teamwork, and respect for others. Every applicant is evaluated against the same competency framework using standardized scoring criteria.
What is the STAR method?
The STAR method is a framework for answering behavioural interview questions by explaining the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It helps applicants provide structured, complete answers while ensuring the focus remains on their own actions and the competency being assessed.
Can I use personal examples in a Behavioural Descriptive Interview?
Yes. Police interview panels generally accept examples from employment, volunteer work, education, sports, community involvement, or personal experiences, provided they clearly demonstrate the competency being assessed. The strongest examples are genuine, specific, and focus on your own actions rather than those of your team.
How long should a Behavioural Descriptive Interview answer be?
Most strong BDI responses take between 2 and 4 minutes to deliver. Your answer should include enough detail to explain the situation, your actions, the outcome, and what you learned, while avoiding unnecessary information that distracts from the competency being assessed.
Can I reuse the same example for different interview questions?
Yes, provided the example genuinely demonstrates the competency being assessed. However, applicants should avoid relying on a single story throughout the interview. Having several well-prepared examples allows you to demonstrate a broader range of competencies and experiences.
What is the difference between a Behavioural Descriptive Interview and a situational interview?
A Behavioural Descriptive Interview focuses on real situations you have experienced in the past because past behaviour is considered the best predictor of future performance. A situational interview asks how you would respond to a hypothetical scenario. Many Canadian police services prefer behavioural interviews because they provide stronger evidence of an applicant’s abilities.
Which Canadian police services use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews?
Many Canadian municipal police services use Behavioural Descriptive Interviews or similar competency-based interview formats during recruitment. While interview structures vary between agencies, applicants are generally expected to demonstrate their competencies using real-life examples that show how they have handled challenging situations.
How is a Behavioural Descriptive Interview scored?
Interviewers evaluate each response against specific competencies using standardized scoring criteria. Strong answers clearly demonstrate the competency being assessed, explain your individual actions, describe the outcome, and include what you learned from the experience. Applicants who remain focused on the question and provide genuine examples generally achieve higher scores.
Can I practise for a Behavioural Descriptive Interview?
Absolutely. The best preparation involves identifying strong examples of your competencies, structuring your responses using the STAR method, and practising with realistic interview questions. Working with former police recruiters or experienced interview coaches can help you refine your answers, improve your delivery, and build confidence before your interview.
Conclusion
Prepare for Your Behavioural Descriptive Interview with Confidence
A Behavioural Descriptive Interview is designed to assess how you have demonstrated the competencies required to become a successful police officer. By preparing strong examples, using the STAR method, and understanding how interview panels evaluate responses, you can approach your interview with greater confidence.
At anEDGE, our interview coaches include former police recruiters, hiring managers, and experienced police officers who have assessed thousands of applicants across Canada. Through one-on-one coaching and realistic mock interviews, we’ll help you identify your strongest examples, strengthen your responses, and prepare for success.
Book your Police Interview Coaching session today and take the next step toward your policing career.