- Step 1Where you did it, how often and for whom
- Step 2Your steps in order, including how you used Intuit QuickBooks
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Interview · Controller
Controller interview questions, with what they test.
13 questions built from what the job actually involves: its core duties, the skills rated most important and the tools in use. Switch on practice mode to rehearse before you look.
Quick answer
Controller interviews test whether you can do the core work, such as monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and…, and the skills rated most important for the role: complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and management of financial resources (O*NET). Prepare one true, specific story for each, with a result.
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Q01Walk me through how you monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels, to ensure that all legal and regulatory requirements are met.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for controllers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you advise management on short-term and long-term financial objectives…?
- What went wrong the last time, and what did you change?
Answer approach
Q02Walk me through how you evaluate needs for procurement of funds and investment of surpluses and make appropriate recommendations.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for controllers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you coordinate and direct the financial planning, budgeting, procurement…?
- What went wrong the last time, and what did you change?
Answer approach
- Step 1Where you did it, how often and for whom
- Step 2Your steps in order, including how you used Microsoft Excel
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q03Walk me through how you develop and maintain relationships with banking, insurance, and external accounting personnel to facilitate financial activities.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for controllers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you prepare or direct preparation of financial statements, business…?
- What went wrong the last time, and what did you change?
Answer approach
- Step 1Where you did it, how often and for whom
- Step 2Your steps in order, including how you used Microsoft Office software
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q04Walk me through how you delegate authority for the receipt, disbursement, banking, protection, and custody of funds, securities, and financial instruments.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for controllers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you develop internal control policies, guidelines, and procedures for…?
- What went wrong the last time, and what did you change?
Answer approach
- Step 1Where you did it, how often and for whom
- Step 2Your steps in order, including how you used Microsoft PowerPoint
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q05Walk me through how you receive, record, and authorize requests for disbursements in accordance with company policies and procedures.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for controllers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you receive cash and checks and make deposits?
- What went wrong the last time, and what did you change?
Answer approach
- Step 1Where you did it, how often and for whom
- Step 2Your steps in order, including how you used SAP software
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q06Tell me about a time you had to make a budget go further.Management of Financial Resources
What they are really testing
Cost awareness and trade-offs. Management of Financial Resources is rated 4.1 of 5 for this job, +2.2 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1The budget
- Step 2The pressure
- Step 3What you changed
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow and reserve levels…
Q07Walk me through a calculation you do regularly in this work, and how you check it.Mathematics
What they are really testing
Comfort with the numbers the job depends on, and accuracy habits. Mathematics is rated 4.0 of 5 for this job, +1.4 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1The calculation and why it matters
- Step 2How you do it
- Step 3How you verify it
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to evaluate needs for procurement of funds and investment of surpluses and make…
Q08How do you measure whether a process or system is working well?Systems Evaluation
What they are really testing
Choosing indicators and acting on them. Systems Evaluation is rated 3.9 of 5 for this job, +1.2 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1What you measured
- Step 2Why those measures
- Step 3What the data showed
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to develop and maintain relationships with banking, insurance, and external…
Q09Walk me through the hardest problem you solved in this kind of work.Complex Problem Solving
What they are really testing
Structured thinking on problems with no single obvious answer. Complex Problem Solving is rated 4.2 of 5 for this job, +1.0 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1Why it was hard
- Step 2How you broke it down
- Step 3The options you weighed
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to delegate authority for the receipt, disbursement, banking, protection, and…
Q10Describe a time you worked out how a change in one part of a system would affect the rest.Systems Analysis
What they are really testing
Understanding how parts interact. Systems Analysis is rated 3.6 of 5 for this job, +0.9 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1The system
- Step 2The change
- Step 3The effects you predicted
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to receive, record, and authorize requests for disbursements in accordance with…
Q11Which of these have you used: Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software? Tell me about a recent piece of work with one of them.Tools
What they are really testing
Real, recent use of the tools controllers depend on, not a list of names.
Likely follow-ups
- How would you get up to speed on Microsoft Outlook if you haven't used it?
Answer approach
- Step 1Name the tool and the task, e.g. Intuit QuickBooks for monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow…
- Step 2What you did with it
- Step 3A problem you solved with it
- Step 4What the output was used for
Q12This job runs on deadlines. Tell me about the tightest one you have met.Working conditions
What they are really testing
Composure and quality when time is short. Workers rate this 4.1 of 5 in the job's work context (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1A specific example from your work as a Controller or similar
- Step 2What was at stake
- Step 3What you did
- Step 4The outcome
Q13Why do you want to work as a Controller?Motivation
What they are really testing
Whether you understand what the job really involves, and whether that is what you want.
Answer approach
- Step 1Name the part of the work you like: e.g. monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow…
- Step 2Evidence you have done it or something close
- Step 3Why this employer
- Step 4Where you want to grow
No questions of this type.
Data Duty, skill, tool and conditions questions are built from O*NET data for this occupation. Advice Answer approaches are our coaching advice.
Answer framework
Two structures that work
SSituationOne sentence of context.
TTaskWhat you owned.
AActionWhat you did, in your words.
RResultWhat changed, with a number if true.
CContextThe setting and stakes.
AActionYour decisions.
RResultThe outcome.
LLearningWhat you would repeat or change.
Questions to ask them
End the interview well
Advice
- What does a strong first 90 days look like for this controller role?
- Which part of the work takes the most time in a typical week?
- How is performance measured here?
- What tools and systems does the team use?
FAQ
Common questions
What are common Controller interview questions?
Expect questions about the core duties (monitor financial activities and details, such as cash flow…), about complex problem solving and judgment and decision making, and about the tools you have used. This page lists 13 with what each one tests.
How should I answer behavioral questions?
Use a short structure such as Situation, Task, Action, Result, and end with a specific, true result.
Method
How this page is built
Questions are generated from O*NET 31.0 data for the occupation: its core tasks, the skills with the highest importance ratings, the tools reported, and work-context ratings. The interviewer intent and answer approach are TryHired coaching advice.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- What a specific employer will ask.
- Technical tests or licensing exams for the role.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
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