How To Ask Someone to Repeat a Question in an Interview

Hiring managers ask a range of questions during job interviewers to learn more about your qualifications and personality to determine whether you're an ideal candidate for the job. This may include some questions that you don't hear properly or understand completely. Understanding how to handle these situations may help you respond to challenges and complete your interview successfully. In this article, we explain why it's important to ask for clarification, outline how to ask someone to repeat a question in an interview, offer tips for asking for clarification and provide examples of these requests. Related: 13 Tips for a Successful Interview

Why should you ask for interviewers to clarify a question?

It's important to ask interviewers to clarify questions when you're unsure about what you're asking. For example, it's possible that they misspoke or you didn't hear them. Asking them to clarify or even repeat the question helps ensure you understand what they're asking with a particular question. This supports you in providing the best response to their question, possibly helping to better demonstrate your qualifications as a candidate. Related: Everything You Need To Know About Job Interview Etiquette

How to ask someone to repeat a question in an interview

Follow these steps to ask someone to repeat a question during an interview:

1. Remain calm

Try to remain calm if you don't hear or understand a question completely. Misunderstandings may naturally happen during conversations, and it's more important to ask for clarification than continue the conversation with the wrong idea of what the interviewer hopes to learn. Aim to keep a natural facial expression and avoid letting the misunderstanding upset you.

2. Repeat the question

Repeat the question back to the interviewer. Share what you heard or understood from the question and check for clarity. This may help you better process what they're asking so you can provide an answer and confirm you understood them correctly. Here's an example of what you might say: "What's a time when things weren't great at work? Just to my understanding, would you like me to discuss a time I struggled with work and how I handled it? This is something I'm happy to discuss with you, but I want to confirm it's what you want to know."

3. Ask additional questions

Ask more questions if you're still unsure of what the interviewer is asking of you. You may also ask them outright to repeat what the question is. Be polite with your request and consider beginning your request with apologetic language. This helps demonstrate to the interviewer that you care about understanding their question and are making a genuine effort to deliver what they want from your response. Related: What Are Clarifying Questions and When Should You Ask Them?

4. Thank the interviewer

Thank the interviewer for their help. This reinforces your appreciation for their assistance and shows that you're willing to admit when you may benefit from help. This may demonstrate to the interviewer that you have good collaboration skills, are easy to work with and feel a commitment to doing whatever's required of you to get the best results.

Tips for asking for clarification

Consider these tips to help you ask a hiring manager for clarification in an interview:

Be honest

There may be times you simply don't hear what an interviewer asks you. It's acceptable to ask them to repeat the question. However, be apologetic with your request, and ensure you don't imply that you weren't listening to what they said. Similarly, avoid making unnecessary excuses for why you want them to repeat the question.

Use "I" language

"I" language refers to statements that focus on your understanding of the situation. This helps you avoid blaming the interviewer or making them feel bad about the misunderstanding. Some examples of phrases you may say include:

I apologize, can you please repeat the last question?
Can you confirm if I understood your question correctly?
Forgive me, I'm not sure if I heard you correctly.
I'm sorry, but can you say the second part of the question again?

Be mindful of your tone

It may feel difficult to say you didn't hear or understand the interviewer. However, misunderstandings may happen naturally in conversation. Maintaining a friendly, empathetic tone may help convey that you're apologetic about wanting more clarification and are appreciative of the interviewer's help.

Ask them to rephrase

An interviewer may ask questions that are challenging to understand or make little sense to you personally. Consider asking them to ask in an alternative way. Apologize for the misunderstanding and express that you want to provide them with the information that they want. Ask if they're able to rephrase the question, such as simplifying it, explaining what they want or using different words to ask it. Related: 21 Job Interview Tips: How To Make a Great Impression

Examples of asking for clarification

Review these examples of how to ask for clarification to help you understand how to approach the topic in your own interview:

Example 1

"I apologize, but I didn't hear you very well. You asked me to share what I believe my greatest strengths and weaknesses are, correct? I want to be sure I answer your question properly."

Example 2

"I'm so sorry, but can you confirm what your question was? You want me to share some ideas I have for your social media campaigns, right? I got so excited to discuss your social strategies that I missed the second half of the question."

Example 3

"Forgive me, but is it possible for you to rephrase the question? I believe you're asking me to discuss a time a learned something quickly at work, but I'm not positive. I want to be sure to answer your question the right way."

Example 4

"Could you repeat your question? I apologize, but I didn't quite hear what you said. I think I heard you ask about my experience with leading projects, but I'm not confident in what I heard."