CRNA School Interview Questions: 80+ Questions to Practice, and How to Answer Them

Asked in nearly every interview

• Tell me about yourself. Asked in nearly every interview
• Why do you want to be a CRNA? Asked in nearly every interview

Commonly asked (programs usually pick 1 or 2)

• Why did you choose to apply to our program specifically?
• Why are you pursuing CRNA school at this stage in your career?
• What strengths do you believe you will bring to a CRNA program?
• What do you consider your greatest weakness, and how are you working on it?
• What has been the most influential experience in your nursing career so far?
• Why should a CRNA program choose you over other qualified applicants?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• What motivates you on the hardest days in critical care?
• What unique perspective would you bring to our cohort?
• Describe a personal accomplishment you're most proud of.
• What do you think will be your greatest weakness in CRNA school?
• What do you do when you feel stressed?
• How have you prepared for this journey?
• What would make you a successful CRNA?
• How do you define success?
• What leadership experience do you have?
• Tell us about volunteer work or community service you have done.
• What are your roles and responsibilities on your unit?
• Who has been the greatest influence in your life?
• How do others see you?
• What are your two most important achievements as a nurse?
• You seem confident. Are you prepared to be a novice again?

Your support system and finances

These can pull you into oversharing. Decide ahead of time what the panel needs to know, and leave out personal details that could invite bias.

• What is your support system like?
• Is your spouse or partner fully supportive of this decision?
• How do you feel about giving up a paying job for three years?
• What financial preparations have you made so money doesn't become a problem during school?
• What preparations have you made for the time demands of CRNA school?
• Do you foresee any barriers to your education, such as finances or time commitments?

Career goals

• What motivates you to pursue an advanced practice role?
• What are your short- and long-term career goals?
• Describe the personal, professional and educational attributes that make you suited to this career.
• How will your background influence your clinical work and areas of interest?
• What changes in your personal or professional life do you expect as a graduate student?
• What is your strongest personality trait, and how will it help you in CRNA school?
• As a member of a small profession, what obligations will you have toward it?
• Tell me about your CRNA shadowing experience. How did it influence you?
• What have you done to grow or change in the last few years?
• Why did you go from being a ____ to a nurse to applying to CRNA school?

Off-the-wall questions

There is no right answer. The panel wants to see you stay composed and think on your feet, so answer briefly, give a reason, and move on.

• If you could be any animal, what would it be, and why?
• What is your favorite color, and why?
• If you were a number, what would it be?
• What do you want your tombstone to say?
• What would your critics say about you?
• If you could have a meal with any three people, who would they be?

1. Describe a time you had to advocate for a patient.
2. Tell me about a time you failed. How did you handle it, and what did you learn?
3. Tell me about a time you disagreed with the plan of care.
4. Tell me about a time you were wrong despite believing you were right.
5. How do you handle stress and prioritize tasks in a high-pressure environment?
6. What is the biggest ethical dilemma you've faced in your nursing career?
7. Describe a time you had a conflict with a coworker. How was it resolved?
8. Tell me about a time you received difficult feedback. How did you respond?
9. Describe a situation where you had to make a decision with limited information.
10. Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. What did you learn?
11. How do you handle working with someone whose personality clashes with yours?
12. Describe a time you went above and beyond for a patient or team.
13. Tell me about a time you had to speak up even though it was uncomfortable.
14. How do you handle criticism from leadership or peers?
15. Describe a time you were overwhelmed. What strategies did you use?
16. Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities.
17. Describe a situation where your professionalism was challenged and how you handled it.

1. Walk me through a complex patient you managed.
2. What is the most challenging hemodynamic instability you've managed, and what was your intervention?
3. How do you handle conflict with a surgeon or anesthesiologist?
4. How do you approach managing an unstable or crashing patient?
5. Describe a patient with septic shock you've cared for, your nursing priorities and your initial concerns.
6. How do you interpret an arterial blood gas, and how does it guide your interventions?
7. Tell me about a time you had to rapidly escalate care.
8. Describe your experience with vasoactive drips and titration. How would you choose a vasopressor, and how does it work?
9. Explain the physiology of a V/Q mismatch.
10. Interpret this EKG strip. (Know VT, pulseless VT, SVT, afib/flutter, paced rhythms and PEA. If there's no pulse, say you'd start CPR.)
11. How do you assess and manage pain and sedation in the ICU?
12. Describe a patient situation that required strong prioritization skills.
13. What ICU skill or experience do you feel most prepared to bring into anesthesia training?
14. One patient's SpO₂ drops to 78%, another's MAP is 48 and a third starts seizing. Who do you see first, and why?
15. You have two patients who need urgent intubation at the same time. How do you prioritize and escalate?
16. Trace a drop of blood through the heart and circulation, naming every valve.

• That concludes our questions. Do you have any questions for us? Asked in nearly every interview

Have 2 or 3 real questions ready, and skip anything already answered on the program's website. A few that work at most programs:

• How are clinical sites assigned, and how far do students usually travel?
• What do your most successful students have in common?
• How does faculty support students who start to struggle?
• How much regional anesthesia and simulation time do students get?
• What do graduates say they wish they had known in the first year?
• How does the program prepare students for the NCE?