PAR examples
PAR links a specific problem to an action taken and the result of that action.
These are fictional teaching examples, not accounts of real events.
Example 1
Tell me about a problem you fixed at work.
Our team’s monthly report went out late in four of the six months before I took it on. Most of the delay came from waiting for figures that three colleagues sent in different formats.
I made one shared template and agreed a deadline two days earlier with each colleague, so I had time to check the numbers before sending. I also sent each colleague a short reminder the day before the deadline.
The next five reports all went out on time, and the checking step caught two errors before they reached managers.
How the answer works
- Problem
- Define the specific difficulty or unwanted state.
- Action
- Describe the response that was actually taken.
- Result
- Report the observed outcome, rather than a hoped-for benefit.
Why it works: The problem says how often it happened, the Action says what was done and why, and the Result compares five reports with the months before.
Example 2
Describe a time you corrected a misunderstanding.
A new volunteer thought the afternoon shift began an hour earlier than it did. The welcome message still showed last season’s start time, while the current rota showed the new one. The real problem was a misleading instruction, not the volunteer’s attention.
I checked the rota with them and corrected the old welcome message. I also asked the coordinator to use the updated version for the next group, so the correction would not depend on me being there to explain it.
They arrived at the right time the following week, and later volunteers received the updated message.
How the answer works
- Problem
- Define the specific difficulty or unwanted state.
- Action
- Describe the response that was actually taken.
- Result
- Report the observed outcome, rather than a hoped-for benefit.
Why it works: The response fixes both the individual misunderstanding and its information source.
What makes the difference?
The same kind of answer can sound complete while leaving an important part unclear.
How did you solve the seating confusion?
Not quite
People could not find their reserved seats. Clear signs would help.
A proposal is given instead of an action that happened and its result. The prompt asks for an experience, so a possible solution does not complete it.
Make it clearer
People could not find their reserved seats.
I placed names on the reserved chairs and checked them against the booking list.
Guests found their seats before the event began.