21 Pageant Interview Questions That Will Make You a More Eloquent Woman

Ask any seasoned pageant girl and they’ll tell you — the hardest part of any competition is the pageant interview question and answer segment. 

Be it the on-stage question and answer or the private one-on-one interview with the judges, this is oftentimes where the highly-coveted crown is lost or won.

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The pageant interview or question and answer segment, on stage and off, is where you get to charm the judges and show your personality. The pageant interview also gives you a platform to speak your mind and advocate for a cause you hold dear and showcase what you’re about. 

If you’ve never competed in a beauty pageant, know nothing about beauty pageants, or think pageants are overrated or dumb… what I’m about to say may sound a little crazy… but hear me out. 

Training for a beauty pageant is one of the best experiences a young woman can have to improve herself.

Every woman who has prepared for a beauty pageant (or any type of pageant competition for that matter) can also tell you — training for a beauty pageant is really like training for life (more on that in an upcoming article). 

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Practicing for a beauty pageant interview specifically will help you reflect seriously on some insightful questions, develop a point of view, and practice portraying your thoughts articulately.

Being quick on your feet to answer eloquently is a life skill you can use in work life (like job interviews, or presentations) and even ordinary everyday conversation too.

Who knows — maybe you’re on your way to being the next Oprah Winfrey or Halle Berry (both former pageant girls). 

Whether you’re training for an upcoming pageant or training for life in general (our motto here), knowing how to answer interview questions like a beauty pageant boss will certainly make you a more eloquent, articulate, and poised woman. 

(A Quick Interjection) What to Wear for Pageant Interview

Before we jump into the pageant interview questions… if you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance that you are perhaps training for an upcoming beauty pageant competition — how exciting!

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I remember when I was preparing to compete for Miss Universe Jamaica and Miss Grand International how nervous I was (especially so over what I was going to wear for the pageant interview with the judges). I’ll soon be doing a post on what to wear for your pageant interview, but for now, I wanted to recommend to you my absolute favorite resource throughout my pageant experience for wardrobe and outfits.

Rent the Runway allows you to have access to high-end designer dresses and outfits at a minimal cost. Choose your outfit and select a delivery date 1-2 days before your event. When your 4 or 8-day rental period is up, place your items back in the garment bag they came in and ship it right back. Get 40% OFF your first month with Rent The Runway when you use THIS LINK to sign up. 

I also recently discovered Fashion Pass, a similar clothing rental subscription service that may be worth checking out as well. Take $15 OFF when you use the Fashion Pass promo code BOMBSHELL to sign up.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 😊.

How do you prepare for pageant interview questions?

The key to nailing pageant interview questions is understanding that one particular question is often asked in many different variations. Once you’ve honed in on a certain viewpoint, listen closely because one answer really fits with the many different variations of the same questions. 

For example — one of the most common pageant interview questions is:

• What makes you different from the other girls competing today?

That same question may be phrased is the following variations.

• Why are you the best candidate to win Miss X?
• What makes you different from the other contestants?
• What makes you unique?

If you listen closely and understand what is really being asked, you’ll realize that the answer to one question is the same answer for all the questions. 

How do you win at the pageant interview questions?

You win at answering the pageant interview question and answer segment by portraying your point of view in an eloquent and diplomatic way. 

Here are some of the most common sample beauty pageant interview questions (on stage and off-stage) to practice (even if you’re not in a pageant). 

• Tell me about yourself. 
• What makes you unique?
• What do you like most about yourself?
• If you could meet (have lunch with) any famous person in history who would it be, and why?
• What has been a challenge you’ve experienced in life, and how did you overcome it?

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• If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your younger self?
• How do you define success?
• For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

Common Pageant Interview Questions

• Why do you deserve to win this title?
• Why did you decide to compete in this pageant? Why do you want to win this pageant?
• Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
• What do you think is the biggest problem facing young people today?
• Do you think that pageantry objectifies women?
• Why is your platform important to you?
• Is social media bringing people together or causing separation?
• What is your biggest fear?

Famous On Stage Pageant Questions

• Which have it easier in life — men or women? | Dayana Mendoza, Venezuela —Miss Universe 2008
• What is The Essense of Being A Woman? | Sushmita Sen, India – Miss Universe 1994
• To a woman who has been asleep for 20 years, what would you say she has missed? | Wendy Fitzgerald, Trinidad and Tobago – Miss Universe 1998

Controversial Pageant Interview Questions

• What are your thoughts on LGBT and anti-LGBT legislation? 
• Do you think men and women have/are given the same opportunities in life?
• What are your thought on abortion and a woman’s right to choose? 
• How do you think the government should handle immigration and illegal immigration? 
• What are your thoughts on the separation of church and state?
• What are your thoughts on the legalization of Marijuana?
• Should the government be responsible for providing citizens with access to healthcare?
• What are your thoughts on the growing number of corporations that are based in X but outsource work to other countries?
• If you became president what would be the first thing you would do in office?
• What are your thoughts on homelessness in X and what would be your solution for fixing this? 
• What problems do you see in your current city or state? How would you solve them?
• Where do you see areas of improvement in our country as a whole?
• Do you think the government should do more to help slow down climate change?
• If you could teach a new class in school, what would it be?

Other Pageant Interview Questions

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Are you training for an upcoming pageant? Did we leave out any really good pageant interview questions? Drop down in the comments and share!