Job Interview Practice Cards and Rubric SEND

Job interview practice for students aged 14 to 22 with SEND: 36 levelled question cards, answer planners, and a mock interview rubric you can print today.

Most young people have never sat through a job interview, and for a lot of our students with special educational needs the first real one is a big, scary jump. This pack breaks it into small steps. Students start with easy warm-up questions, build strong answers to the questions every employer asks, and finish with a full mock interview that you score with a simple rubric.

What’s inside (15 A4 pages):

• 36 interview question cards in 3 levels (Warm-Up, Common, Challenge). Every card has a short tip on how to answer.
• Answer Planner (2 pages) for the 8 must-know questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” and “Why should we give you this job?”
• Before the Interview checklist: the day before, what to bring, on the day, and during the interview
• Mock interview script so any adult can run the same interview, with space for interviewer notes
• 4-level mock interview rubric covering greeting, body language, voice, answers, examples, attitude, asking a question, and closing (scored out of 32)
• Reflection page and a fill-in thank-you message
• Teacher page with quick-start steps, tips, and ideas for targets and evidence

How I use it:

Start with the Level 1 cards in pairs, one or two a day as a starter. Once students are answering in full sentences, they fill in the Answer Planner so they have their own strong answers ready. Then move on to Level 2 and Level 3. When they are ready, bring in someone they don’t know well, like another member of staff or a local employer, to run the mock interview with the script. Students take a new face far more seriously. Score it with the rubric, talk about what went well, and pick one thing to work on.

Good to know:

• Written in plain language for students working at a range of levels
• No real student information. All names and workplaces are made up.
• Works for school, sixth form, college, supported internships, and work experience prep
• Fits employment and Preparing for Adulthood outcomes in a support plan (EHCP, IEP, or similar). Rubric scores give you a repeatable measure of progress.
• Country neutral: no laws, benefits, or agency names, so it works in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the US, and beyond

Who it’s for: SEND and special education teachers, careers leads, transition and post-16 staff, job coaches, and anyone helping students get ready for work after school.

Made by a working transition coordinator with 20+ years in special education. I built these for my own students and still use them every year.