# SOAR method

The SOAR method is a four-part structure for interview answers: Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result. It's a close relative of the STAR method, with one change: it names the specific obstacle a candidate had to work around, rather than folding that detail into a general task description.

The difference is small but changes what an answer emphasizes.

**SOAR method** — SOAR stands for Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result. Situation sets the scene, Obstacle names the specific thing standing in the way, whether a deadline, a resource shortfall, or conflicting priorities, Action covers what the candidate did about it, and Result is the outcome. It's most useful for stories where the difficulty was one identifiable problem rather than a general responsibility.

STAR is the far more common framework, and most interviewers grading behavioral answers are listening for STAR's four parts rather than SOAR's. SOAR tends to get recommended when a candidate's story is really about overcoming one specific blocker, since naming the Obstacle directly can make that part of the story sharper than folding it into a vaguer Task description. In practice, a strong SOAR answer and a strong STAR answer usually contain the same information, just organized with a different label.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does SOAR stand for?

Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result. It's structured almost identically to STAR, with Obstacle standing in for Task and putting more weight on what specifically got in the way.

### Is SOAR better than STAR?

Neither is objectively better. STAR is more widely recognized by interviewers, so it's the safer default. SOAR can produce a sharper story when the core of the experience really is one specific obstacle rather than a general assignment.

### Can a candidate mix elements of both frameworks?

Yes, and most strong answers already do. The framework is a planning tool for the candidate, not something an interviewer is checking off by name. What matters is that the story includes a real difficulty, a specific action, and a concrete result.

## Related pages

- [STAR method](/glossary/star-method)
- [Browse open roles](/jobs)

## Try structuring a real answer

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