The interview for the Professional Master of Education (PME) in Primary Education is your opportunity to convey why you want to teach and why you are a good fit for our programme. When your online application has been reviewed and processed, you will be called for an interview. The closing date for applications is 25 June 2025.
When you submit your application and meet the necessary entry requirements, your interview will be scheduled. After your interview, you will find out if you have been successful in securing a place on the programme.
Read on to learn more about the PME in Primary Education interview.
PME in Primary Education Interview
All applicants who have been deemed to meet the entry requirements and have submitted a fully completed application form with supporting documentation will be invited to an interview.
The PME in Primary Education interview is a 30-minute professional interview. The interview panel consists of two people. The panellists are highly experienced educators, who are all qualified primary school teachers. The interview will be held online via Zoom.
The interview consists of a 20-minute general interview in English and approximately 10 minutes devoted to assessing your competence in Gaeilge. Applicants can choose whether they begin with the general or the Irish component. Feedback suggests that it can be a good idea to start with the area you feel most comfortable in, but be prepared for both eventualities.
General Interview Component
In the interview, applicants should demonstrate their motivation for wanting to enter the teaching profession. The panel will be interested to know:
- Why you are applying to complete the PME with Hibernia College
- What you know about the programme
- What aspects of the programme you are excited about
Things you can do to help prepare for the interview:
- Become familiar with the Hibernia College website.
- Attend a webinar.
- Speak to current students and former graduates.
- Learn more about the course content, school placement and how the curriculum is delivered and assessed.
- Do your research on Hibernia College and the blended learning style and teaching strategies.
- Find out about recent or upcoming curriculum changes.
Competency Assessment
Communication: Presentation and interview preparation
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate good communication skills, including eye contact, facial expression, posture and intonation.
Motivation: Applicants should demonstrate their enthusiasm for wanting to enter the teaching profession and provide examples of how they are motivated, resourceful, flexible and resilient.
Suitability to Teach, Subject Knowledge and Professionalism: Applicants should demonstrate skills and personal qualities necessary for the teaching profession. They should be able to reflect on the skills and attributes observed during their educational experiences, work experience and extracurricular activities. They should consider what aspects of teaching may be challenging and rewarding, as well as what they can bring to the role of a teacher. Applicants should demonstrate flexibility and resilience in the face of difficulties and challenges.
Interpersonal Skills: Applicants should demonstrate good interpersonal skills and provide examples of times they have displayed skills such as empathy, leadership, collaboration and listening.
Organisation, Planning and Ability to Evaluate: Applicants should demonstrate their ability to plan, organise, reflect and evaluate.
Applicants also need to show knowledge of the College and the PME.
Personal Statement
The panel will reference your personal statement and will expect you to demonstrate your competency or experience in areas such as communication and interpersonal skills, organisation and planning, motivation to become a teacher, preparation and professionalism as well as suitability to teach.
Your personal statement is a great opportunity to introduce topics to the panel that you would hope to discuss during your interview.
The interview panel will review your statement, and it is highly likely that they will build questions based on your statement within the general component of the interview.
The personal statement questions are:
- Why do you consider yourself suitable to enrol on this programme?
- What attracts you to teaching as a profession?
Each question has a character count of 1,995.
Motivations for the profession, classroom experience, involvement in clubs, societies, sports teams, your community and your hobbies are all common inclusions in this section.
We always recommend that candidates write a few drafts, have one or two people read over them to see what questions they would ask and use a character counter to ensure they are under or exactly at 1,995 per question. When uploading to their application, they should scroll to the bottom of the space provided to ensure the full statement has been pasted in.
If you are successful in gaining a place on the programme, you will be taught the skills and knowledge needed to become a primary teacher; the panel does not expect you to have all this knowledge for the interview, and prior experience is not mandatory before applying to the programme. However, you should be able to demonstrate your interest in education and working with children and young people, referencing some experiences that support this interest. Also, consider any informal experiences that you might have, such as coaching, caring for children and young people and supporting extracurricular activities. If you do have experience working in a classroom or school, the panel will want to hear about that experience and how you will apply it to the programme.
Finally, prepare for the interview by practising the answers to questions aloud or in front of the mirror. It is a good idea to ask a family member or friend to do a mock interview with you online.
Gaeilge Component
If you have achieved 65% or above in the TEG B1 oral exam in the last two years, you will be exempt from the Gaeilge interview component. Please upload a copy of your TEG certificate to your application.
If you have not completed the TEG B1 oral exam, you will be scheduled to sit the Gaeilge interview component. The panel will assess your conversational fluency and grammatical accuracy as Gaeilge. The interview will consist of a general conversation in relation to you, your interests, the Irish language and education. We strongly recommend not memorising anything in advance because it limits your ability to communicate effectively with the panel.
Practise changes of tense and using a wide range of verbs and vocabulary. Remember to practise speaking Irish aloud, in front of a family member or with a friend. It is beneficial to listen to Irish on the radio or TV in the days leading up to the interview and to be speaking with someone as Gaeilge at least 30 minutes a day.
Interview Tips: Gaeilge Component
When you submit your application, you should be speaking Irish for 20 minutes a day with someone. By the time you have your interview, you should be speaking for 30 minutes a day.
- It is essential not to memorise answers in Irish. This is a conversation, and fluency is a key component of the interview.
- You should be reading Irish, listening to it through radio and podcasts, watching Irish- language programmes on TV and online and speaking it with others.
- Make your home a Gaeltacht as much as possible. Try to speak Irish exclusively for periods of time as you prepare for your interview.
- Make Irish part of your social life. Meet your Irish-speaking friends for walks, have dinner and so on — all as Gaeilge.
Every hour you spend on Irish is valuable, not just for interview but also as you prepare to undertake your PME, where you will study Irish and the teaching of Irish, and use Irish during your school placements.
Sign up for Gaeilge preparation webinars with a member of our Gaeilge Department.
Interview Tips: General Component
Interview Tips: General Component
- The interview is a professional one, so please ensure that you are prepared, dressed appropriately and have your ID (current passport or driving licence only) ready.
- Make sure you can access the Zoom link well in advance of the interview time.
- Have some trial Zoom calls with family or friends.
- Make sure that the interviewers can clearly see and hear you during the interview.
- Test the audio options to see what works best with your headphones, microphone and so on.
- Have your friends and family tell you how you are appearing on their screens and adjust to ensure you are perfectly visible on screen.
- Avoid sitting in front of a strong source of light and choose a plain, still background.
- Find a quiet location for the interview.
- Remember all the usual professional interview tips and take the opportunity to demonstrate the necessary skills required of a teacher, such as listening, eliciting participation and building rapport. The panel will also consider communication skills, such as body language, eye contact and vocal presence, during your interview.
It is advisable to do at least three practice Zoom sessions with different people in advance of your interview so that you feel comfortable.
Learn More
If you have any queries about the interview or the documents required to apply, our enrolment advisors are here to help. You can schedule a call at a time most convenient for you. If primary teaching is your dream, submit your application today.
