RCMP - Officer Candidate Developmental Process
OCDP 2003 - 2004 Sample Questions

OCDP 2003/04 Sample Questions

Sample Interview Questions

(These are just a few sample interview questions pulled from various interview books, etc. This is just to get you thinking about your examples and how you might related them to a question or multiple questions)

INDEPENDENCE
1. Describe an incident when you disagreed with a superior? How did you handle it, and how was it settled?
2. Give an example of a policy or project implemented in spite of strong opposition.
3. Situation where you went against traditions or policies to accomplish your goal?

WILLING TO MAKE DECISIONS
1. Most difficult decision you have made in the past. Why?
2. Occasion when pros and cons were weighed and decided not to take action even though under pressure to do so.
3. Are you considering any changes to your unit? Why haven’t they been implemented?
4. Have you ever delayed a decision to give you more time to think? What is the longest time?
5. Have you ever had to change your mind about a decision or on something you implemented?

SOUNDNESS OF DECISIONS
1. Decision made recently you feel was good and why?
2. When was the last time you were talked into making a change you later regretted?
3. Most important decision made in the last year? How was the decision made? Alternatives considered?
4. Ever make a decision against popular opinion and put your reputation and credibility at stake?
5. When were you last complemented on a good decision?
6. Have you ever saved your organization from embarrassment?
7. Have you ever done something controversial?
8. On what things do you take a firm stand?
9. Have you ever done something you really regretted?

LEADERSHIP
1. Tell about a new policy or idea considerably different from standard procedure recently implemented?
2. What approach did you take to get your employees to go along with the idea?
3. What recent problem occurred in which subordinates were included in arriving at a solution or approach to the problem?

DELEGATING
1. Give an example of how you delegated a project or assignment. How did you delegate it? Give examples of how you ensured that accountability, responsibility and authority were dealt with throughout the delegation process. Did you do follow up and what were the lessons learned?

ORGANIZING
1. Can you tell us about an instance when you had to develop plans for a complex project, investigation or operation? How did you go about it?
2. What are some of your recurring problems? How are they addressed.
3. Have you ever been short of manpower? How did it happen? Could it have been avoided? How did you deal with the situation?
4. What do you see as future direction(s) for your organization?
5. What major changes should be implemented?

PLANNING
1. Tell us about a major task you have recently undertaken and what your first few steps were in developing a strategy or plan of attack on it?
2. What were your unit objectives for the last year? Were they achieved?
3. What are your personal career plans for the next five years?

STABILITY, TOLERANCE FOR STRESS
1. What has been the highest pressure situation you have been under in recent years? How did you cope with it?
2. What situation or tasks do you find the most difficult in your present job?
3. What causes you the most stress in your job? How do you handle each situation?

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, RAPPORT BUILDING, DEALING WITH OTHERS
1. Tell me about a particularly difficult person you’ve had to work with and how you dealt with him/her.
2. How have you dealt with situations where what you had to say was not given due respect?
3. Tell me how you have dealt with new people coming onto your staff.
4. Have you ever had trouble “reaching” a peer or subordinate. That is, have you found some people distant or difficult to get to know? How did you deal with them?
5. Have you ever taken a stand against a supervisor or policies?
6. Experience(s) with bad supervisor(s) in the past?
7. Learning experiences, mistakes not to be repeated.
8. Give us an example of a time when you accepted blame or responsibility for your actions.
9. What constraints are there on you in doing your job (legal, ethical, financial, resources, geography etc.) How did you deal with these constraints?
10. Were you ever publicly embarrassed by another member? What did you do?
11. Have you ever written a negative assessment on a subordinate? How did you deal with that subordinate?
12. What attributes do you look for in a subordinate?
13. Describe an occasion when you disciplined a subordinate. What approach did you take? What was the outcome?
14. Assisting other members? Give examples of how you have coached, developed and mentored other members.
15. What do you consider to be your management or supervisory style?
16. Give examples of how you have had to get cooperation from others during difficult situations?

SELF DEVELOPMENT, RANGE OF INTEREST
1. What books and major important articles have you read in the past year?
2. As a leader, can you tell us about a book or article on management that has influenced you?
3. Are you presently taking any evening courses? What courses have you taken in the past 5/10 years?
4. What have you done to improve your skills and development in your present job, or to prepare yourself for the next positing you would prefer?

JOB MOTIVATION, SELF MOTIVATIONS, ENERGY
1. Tell me about the last time you were really challenged or really excited about some aspect of your work.
2. Tell me about a change you personally implemented that you saw as beneficial to your organization. How did you deal with any opposition that may have arisen out of your decision?
3. When were you the least motivated in your career and how did you deal with this?
4. When were you the most motivated in your career and why?

PROBLEM ANALYSIS
1. Tell us about a problem you came across in your work and the steps you took towards its solution.
2. Proactive versus reactive work - your experiences. Give some examples where you were proactive within an initiative and where you were reactive.
3. Give an example where you had to make decision(s) under pressure (split second)? What were the underlying principles that you based your action. Lessons learned.