Technical questions
Explain it as if to a colleague: the concept, then a real example. If you don’t know, say how you’d find out; interviewers value honest troubleshooting over guesses.
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IT Interview Questions
56 questions IT interviewers really ask, for help desk, sysadmin, network, SOC, cloud and project manager roles, each with what they’re listening for and what a strong answer covers.
Last updated
Certifications that help: CompTIA A+, Network+
1A user says they can’t get online. Walk me through how you’d troubleshoot it.Scenario
What they’re looking for: A calm, structured method, not guesses.
A strong answer covers
- Ask questions first: one user or many, what changed, any error message
- Check the physical layer and Wi-Fi, then ipconfig for an IP address (169.254 means DHCP failed)
- Ping the gateway, then an external IP, then a name, to separate local, internet and DNS problems
- Fix, confirm with the user, and document the ticket
2What’s the difference between a hub, a switch and a router?Technical
What they’re looking for: Clear basics you can explain to a non-technical user.
A strong answer covers
- A hub repeats traffic to every port (Layer 1)
- A switch forwards frames by MAC address within a network (Layer 2)
- A router forwards packets between networks by IP address (Layer 3)
3How would you handle a frustrated user who needs their problem fixed right now?Behavioral
What they’re looking for: Empathy, ownership and clear expectations.
A strong answer covers
- Listen without interrupting and acknowledge the impact
- Restate the problem to confirm you understand it
- Give a realistic time frame and a workaround if one exists
- Follow up when it’s fixed
4A user forgot their password and is locked out. What do you do?Scenario
What they’re looking for: Security awareness: verify identity before helping.
A strong answer covers
- Verify identity following policy before any reset
- Unlock or reset using the approved tool, with a temporary password that must change at sign-in
- Check whether repeated lockouts point to a stale device or an attack
- Point them to self-service reset for next time
5What is DHCP, and what happens if it fails?Technical
What they’re looking for: Understanding of how devices get on the network.
A strong answer covers
- DHCP hands out IP address, subnet mask, gateway and DNS automatically
- Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge (DORA)
- If it fails, Windows assigns an APIPA address (169.254.x.x) and the device can’t reach other networks
6A computer is running very slowly. Where do you start?Scenario
What they’re looking for: Methodical checks from most likely to least.
A strong answer covers
- Ask when it started and what changed
- Task Manager: CPU, memory and disk usage, and what’s using them
- Check startup programs, free disk space, updates and malware scans
- Consider hardware: failing drive (SMART), RAM, overheating
7How do you prioritize tickets when several come in at once?Behavioral
What they’re looking for: Judgment on impact and urgency, not first come, first served.
A strong answer covers
- Impact (how many people, how critical) and urgency together
- Follow the SLA and escalation rules
- Communicate with everyone waiting so nobody is left guessing
8Why do you want to work in IT support?Behavioral
What they’re looking for: Genuine motivation and a sense of service.
A strong answer covers
- What you enjoy about solving problems for people
- Something you’ve built, fixed or learned on your own (home lab, A+ study)
- Where you want to grow from support
Take it further in OpenpassAI
Rehearse with a voice interviewer
OpenpassAI’s AI Interviewer asks these questions out loud for your target role, follows up like a real panel and scores your answers.
Guide
How to prepare for an IT interview
Scenario questions
Show your method out loud: gather information, isolate the problem, fix, verify and document. The process matters more than the final answer.
Behavioral questions
Use STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep it to about two minutes and end with a result, a number if you have one.
Practice out loud
Reading answers isn’t practice. Say them out loud with a timer, or rehearse with OpenpassAI’s AI Interviewer, which asks follow-ups like a real panel.
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FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
How many questions should I prepare?
Prepare two or three stories you can adapt to most behavioral questions, and be ready to explain the fundamentals in the job description. The questions here cover the most common ones for each role.
Do certifications help in IT interviews?
They get you the interview and give you shared vocabulary in it. Each role here lists the certifications that help most.
How do I answer a technical question I don’t know?
Say so, then explain how you’d work it out: what you’d check, where you’d look, who you’d ask. It shows the troubleshooting mindset interviewers are looking for.
