Sport and Exercise Psychologist Interview Questions & Answers


Sport and exercise psychologists are concerned with the behaviours, mental processes and wellbeing of individuals, teams and organisations involved in sport and exercise. It is fairly rare for practitioners to work across both fields and they tend to specialise in either sport or exercise.

Sport psychologists work with athletes and teams involved in sport from amateur to elite professional level, with the aim of helping them deal psychologically with the demands of the sport and to improve their personal development and performance. Exercise psychologists work with the general public to increase motivation and participation in exercise, encouraging a healthy lifestyle and advising on the psychosocial benefits that exercise can offer.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Sport and Exercise Psychologist or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Sport and Exercise Psychologist position, these Sport and Exercise Psychologist interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Sport and Exercise Psychologist Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Sport and Exercise Psychologist interview questions.

  1. What process do you follow in assessing a rehabilitating athlete?
  2. How have your listening skills enhanced an athlete’s self-efficacy?
  3. Could you give me an example of when you overcame a difficult challenge in preparing an athlete for competition?
  4. How would you counsel an athlete with a recurring mental health condition?
  5. When working with an athlete one-on-one, what is your process for keeping notes?
  6. Are you certified as a sports or exercise psychologist?
  7. How would you build a rapport with an athlete you’ve just met?
  8. Why should I start an exercise programme? What are the psychological benefits?
  9. What is your process for assessing an athlete’s mental state?
  10. How well do you know the rules of the specific sports you work with?
  11. Which mental health treatment approaches do you have the most experience with?
  12. Provide an example of how you might help an athlete who is struggling with confidence issues.
  13. We want to encourage our athletes to be open about their mental health. How would you approach the subject during team meetings?
  14. As an Exercise psychologists, how would you work with the general public to increase motivation and participation in exercise
  15. As an Exercise psychologist, how would you convince a corporate worker of the psychosocial benefits that exercise can offer?
  16. Describe your experience working with teams rather than individual athletes.
  17. How often should athletes see a sports psychologist?
  18. If an athlete on your roster was exhibiting signs of depression, how would you approach the situation?
  19. What would you do if you noticed that most of the athletes on your team were seeing a mental health professional?

Sport and Exercise Psychologist Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Sport and Exercise Psychologist interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

  1. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
  2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
  3. Tell Me About Yourself
  4. Why Do You Want This Job?
  5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
  6. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
  7. What is Your Salary Expectation?
  8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
  9. Why Should We Hire You?
  10. What is Your Greatest Weakness?