- Step 1Where you did it, how often and for whom
- Step 2Your steps in order, including how you used Microsoft Active Directory
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Interview · Penetration Tester
Penetration Tester 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
Penetration Tester interviews test whether you can do the core work, such as document penetration test findings, and the skills rated most important for the role: critical thinking, reading comprehension and writing (O*NET). Prepare one true, specific story for each, with a result.
Had it 0Practise 0Practice mode
Q01Walk me through how you document penetration test findings.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for penetration testers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you keep up with new penetration testing tools and methods?
- What went wrong the last time, and what did you change?
Answer approach
Q02Walk me through how you identify security system weaknesses, using penetration tests.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for penetration testers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you identify new threat tactics, techniques, or procedures used by cyber…?
- 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 Splunk Enterprise
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q03Walk me through how you write audit reports to communicate technical and procedural findings and recommend solutions.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for penetration testers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you conduct network and security system audits, using established criteria?
- 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 Firewall software
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q04Walk me through how you gather cyber intelligence to identify vulnerabilities.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for penetration testers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you develop security penetration testing processes, such as wireless…?
- 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 Kali Linux
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q05Walk me through how you maintain up-to-date knowledge of hacking trends.Core duty
What they are really testing
Hands-on experience with one of the duties workers rate most important for penetration testers, and the judgment calls inside it.
Likely follow-ups
- How does this connect to how you test the security of systems by attempting to gain access to…?
- 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 MITRE ATT&CK software
- Step 3One judgment call you made, and why
- Step 4The result, with a number you can defend
Q06Tell me about a piece of code you are proud of and why.Programming
What they are really testing
Code quality, reasoning and ownership. Programming is rated 3.9 of 5 for this job, +2.3 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1What it did
- Step 2A key decision
- Step 3How you tested it
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to document penetration test findings
Q07How 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 3.6 of 5 for this job, +1.0 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 identify security system weaknesses, using penetration tests
Q08Tell me about a time the obvious answer turned out to be wrong.Critical Thinking
What they are really testing
Whether you test assumptions and weigh evidence before acting. Critical Thinking is rated 4.4 of 5 for this job, +0.9 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1The situation and the obvious answer
- Step 2What made you doubt it
- Step 3How you checked
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to write audit reports to communicate technical and procedural findings and…
Q09Tell me about something you wrote at work that changed a decision.Writing
What they are really testing
Clarity and purpose in writing, and awareness of the reader. Writing is rated 4.0 of 5 for this job, +0.8 against the average occupation (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1Who it was for
- Step 2The decision at stake
- Step 3How you structured it
- Step 4Pick the example from the core work, for instance when you had to gather cyber intelligence to identify vulnerabilities
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 3.5 of 5 for this job, +0.8 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 maintain up-to-date knowledge of hacking trends
Q11Which of these have you used: Microsoft Active Directory, Splunk Enterprise, Firewall 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 penetration testers depend on, not a list of names.
Likely follow-ups
- How would you get up to speed on Portswigger BurP Suite if you haven't used it?
Answer approach
- Step 1Name the tool and the task, e.g. Microsoft Active Directory for document penetration test findings
- 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 4.2 of 5 in the job's work context (O*NET).
Answer approach
- Step 1A specific example from your work as a Penetration Tester or similar
- Step 2What was at stake
- Step 3What you did
- Step 4The outcome
Q13Why do you want to work as a Penetration Tester?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. document penetration test findings
- 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 penetration tester 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 Penetration Tester interview questions?
Expect questions about the core duties (document penetration test findings), about critical thinking and reading comprehension, 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.
How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.
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