Technical screening questions
Ask for one example per question and listen for specifics.
- How do you build a realistic schedule? A good answer: Work breakdown, dependencies, estimates with buffers.
- Describe a project that went off track and what you did. A good answer: Early detection, re-planning and stakeholder communication.
- How do you manage a risk register? A good answer: Probability, impact, owners and mitigation.
- How do you work with a team that estimates poorly? A good answer: Reference past data and break work down further.
- Waterfall or Agile: how do you decide? A good answer: Requirement stability, risk and delivery constraints.
Quick screening questions
Use these when you have only a few minutes.
- Largest budget and team you managed?
- Describe a project that went off track and how you recovered.
- Agile, Waterfall or hybrid, and why?
What separates the levels
Match the level to the requirement before you submit.
- Junior: coordinates tasks within a project.
- Mid: runs a project end to end.
- Senior: runs a program and manages executives.
Red flags
Any of these is a reason to probe further.
- Cannot state project size or budget.
- Only administrative coordination.
- No delivery on technical programmes.
Tools you should hear mentioned
An IT project manager with real experience usually names several of these without prompting.
- MS Project or Smartsheet
- JIRA
- Confluence
- Excel
- Power BI or dashboards
- PMP or similar
Run the call well
Ask for the last project first, then dig into the second or third question. Take notes on versions, team size and outcomes, and record them with the submission so the vendor’s later technical interview does not surprise you.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an IT project manager screening call take?
Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough to cover the project, three technical questions and availability, rate and work authorization.
Do recruiters need to know the technology?
Working vocabulary is enough. Use the sourcing guide for the role and listen for specifics instead of judging technical depth yourself.