Common Business Analyst Interview Questions

If you apply for a business analyst position, you might wonder about potential interview questions. Interviews for this role usually focus on situational questions meant to reveal your experience within the industry and with specific software. 

Since the primary goal of a business analyst is to review data and processes to make improvements for a company, expect business analyst interview questions to lean into project examples and their measurable outcomes.

To prepare, review these commonly asked interview questions and practice your responses. 

How would you describe the role of a business analyst?

This question is a typical opener. The role of a business analyst will vary by company, but this is the time to define the position at this particular company. 

How to answer

Before you go to the interview, review the job description. Look at the roles they need a business analyst for and pull a few keywords from the job description to weave into your response. 

Start with your broad skills, like communication, coordination, and problem-solving, and then get more technical by discussing the specific expertise you’ll bring to the role. 

Tell me how you approach projects.

A hiring manager asks about your approach to review your workflow, make sure you’re a team player, and ensure deliverables meet deadlines. While projects and companies differ, the employer wants to know how you take an assignment from concept to completion. 

How to answer

Explain how you approach a project in easy-to-understand steps. You likely start by talking with stakeholders to understand the project’s goals and set objectives. You’ll create a plan with actionable steps to achieve your goal and deadlines for each phase. Coordination with IT, implementation plans, and project assessments should also be part of your process. 

How do you handle difficult stakeholders?

As an analyst, your job is to improve processes, but you must understand the company’s operations first. During this learning stage, you’ll work with many people in the company, and some may hesitate to change. This question assesses your ability to manage personalities and resolve issues while doing your job. 

How to answer 

To answer, you need to highlight a specific example of how you dealt with challenging personalities or opposing views and explain how you resolved the issue. Perhaps an operational manager wasn’t keen on making your suggested changes, so you had to support your suggestions and explain how to implement them.

What tools do you use, and how much experience do you have with them?

With this question, the employer assesses your technical skills and reviews the tools necessary to succeed. You should prepare a list of tools or platforms you use to analyse data. 

How to answer

Analysts often use standard workplace software like Microsoft or Google products, which provides access to documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows. You’ll probably use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You may also use their Google counterparts, Microsoft Access, SQL, or visually appealing data-crunching software like Tableau, Qlik Sense, or PowerBI.   

Can you please describe your familiarity with SQL?

Structured Query Language, or SQL, is a programming language that allows analysts to work with relational database systems. Analysts typically need a basic understanding of this language, though some job descriptions may require advanced knowledge. The question enquires about your technical skills, so you must demonstrate your proficiency. 

How to answer 

You need to showcase your skills without getting overly technical. To start, define SQL to show that you know your stuff and then offer a time when you used SQL to improve a facility. Maybe SQL helped you analyse customer habits, for example, enabling a company to purchase inventory strategically. 

If you’d like to add a credential to your CV and help bolster your skills, consider a class like Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business Specialisation offered by Duke University. Developing your interview or technical skills can be a productive way to prepare for a new career.

What do you think is the most important part of analytical reporting?

Assessing and quantifying problems often uses analytical data. The results are data-based, making decision-making easier for crucial business players. As a business analyst, you should know what situations analytical reporting applies to, why it’s helpful, and what drawbacks it has. 

How to answer

Briefly explain your experience with analytical reporting and offer an instance where you used it. Talk about its application, what the data showed, and how the information was helpful to business leaders. 

How do you stay updated on general business knowledge and trends?

An employer wants to know you’re on top of your ever-evolving field of work. This question explores your motivation and ability to keep your skills fresh and updated. 

How to answer

Mention a handful of publications or online resources you subscribe to and read regularly. You can also mention previous or upcoming training sessions, conferences, or webinars that will keep your skills sharp.

How do you manage your time and ensure you meet deadlines?

A prospective employer wants to know if you will meet or exceed deadlines. 

Deadlines may be self-set or set by stakeholders, but the overarching point of this question is to ensure you’re detail-oriented and stay on task. 

How to answer

Tell interviewers about your time management skills and the tools you use to keep projects on track. You can also talk about when you needed to multi-task several projects and explain how you completed them on time.  

What do you do when you are missing milestones?

Your projects are often time-intensive and have milestones set to measure their completion. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you miss a milestone. Managers know this. They want to see how you’ll handle it, though. 

How to answer

Use an example to explain when you missed a deadline but worked to resolve it. Perhaps a project was more complicated than expected, or you needed more data. Explain why you missed the milestone, but be careful not to blame others. Focus on how you communicated with supervisors and hit the milestone as soon as possible. You can also talk about a new workflow or tool that you use to keep the issue from happening again.

What do you think are your key strengths as a business analyst?

Consider the critical responsibilities of a business analyst. An employer asks this question to ensure your strengths align with the daily rigours of the job. 

How to answer

To answer, you should talk about both technical skills and workplace skills. For instance, mention your aptitude for numbers, specific software applications like Tableau, and communication and problem-solving skills. 

Why do you want to join this company or project?

An employer wants to know why you want to work for this company. They’re also testing to see how much you know about the business. This question allows your pre-interview research to come into play. 

How to answer 

Your response should explain how your skills are compatible with the company’s mission and culture. Take some time to review the company online. Look at the company website, review news stories, and read through its social channels. Using this intel, you can showcase your knowledge of the company while highlighting your complementary skills. 

Business analyst interview: General tips

Walking into an interview can be nerve-racking, but proper preparation can make you feel calm and confident. Aside from studying the common business analyst interview questions, these tips can help you stand out from the competition:

• Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for the interview.

• Study the job description and your CV.

• Create and practice short, informative descriptions of your previous experience. 

• Reach out to a current employee through social media to get background on the company.

• Research the company online so you can tailor your answers during the interview. 

• Do a practice interview with a friend or family member. 

• Give examples to offer memorable tidbits that stick with interviewers after you leave. 

• Show your confidence and excitement for the role of a business analyst.  

• If you don’t get the job, ask for feedback to improve your interview approach.

Next steps

Interviews require you to prepare beforehand, ensuring you have some great examples to mind, have researched, and know what interviewers might ask of you. To prepare for your interview, you could take an online class like Advanced Interviewing Techniques offered by the University of Maryland or Preparation for Job Interviews on Coursera to sharpen your skills.