Opinion questions ask what you think about a topic or dilemma, and why. There is rarely a right answer. What matters is that you can weigh both sides fairly and still land somewhere.
These questions often start or finish with phrases like:
Opinion questions are less common in ordinary job interviews, but healthcare interviews love them: honesty with patients, fairness in care, respecting someone's choices. If you are heading for one, they are well worth practising.
The trap is to blurt out the first thing you think and then defend it. The structure slows you down just enough to show that you have considered the other side.
Inside the Question Type Framework™, every answer has three parts. For opinion questions, they look like this.
Start by saying why this is hard. Name the tension between the two sides in a sentence or two: "It would be nice to have both, but sometimes they pull in different directions." This shows the interviewer you are not going to give a simple, one-sided answer.
This is the main part. Weigh each side and give a reason for every point, not just a claim. Say what is good about one view, what the risks are, and how it might play out in real life. Using a short example from a ward, a placement or everyday life helps your reasons feel real.
Land on a position and say why you got there. You can stay balanced, for example "mostly respect, though if I am lucky I will get both", but try to say where you ended up. Some interviewers are happy with a balanced answer, but most like to hear which way you lean.
Should patients always be told the full truth about their condition, even when it is bad news?
This is only one way to say it, and the details are made up. Yours does not need to sound like this. It just needs to follow the shape.
Reading about it is a good start. Saying it out loud, or typing it, is where it sticks. Practice is free, on video or typed.
Other guides: Situational questions · Reflective questions · Motivational questions