Should we send interview questions in advance?

Yes. Sending interview questions in advance is a recognised reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act 2010, recommended by the 2024 Buckland Review for autistic candidates. Always ask each candidate what they need. It is not a favour and it is not bending the rules. For a candidate who would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage by a cold, unseen-question format, it is a change you are legally expected to consider.

It does not give an unfair advantage

This is the worry most employers actually have, so deal with it first. Sharing the questions (or the topics and competencies you will assess) does not change what you are testing. You are still measuring whether the person can do the job. What you remove is the unrelated barrier of having to process a question, plan an answer and perform it out loud under social pressure in real time. For an autistic, ADHD, anxious or dyslexic candidate, that processing-on-the-spot demand can sink a strong applicant who would thrive in the role. Removing it levels the field rather than tilting it. The Buckland Review of Autism Employment (DWP, February 2024) found that adjustments such as sending interview questions in advance can be vital in reducing anxiety, and that of applicants who had disclosed their needs, only 11% were offered any reasonable adjustment at all.

Ask the candidate first, do not assume

The duty to make reasonable adjustments is individual and anticipatory (Equality Act 2010, s.20). That means the right adjustment is the one this candidate needs, not the one you guess at. Some people want the questions a few days to a week ahead; some want a printed copy to refer to in the room; some want extra time, the panel format described in advance, or a one-to-one instead of a panel. So ask every candidate what would help. You are allowed to do this: although s.60 of the Act restricts health questions before a job offer, it does not stop you asking whether someone needs an adjustment to the recruitment process. Good practice, per the Equality and Human Rights Commission, is to agree the adjustment with the person before you make it.

The legal risk runs toward not offering it

The duty applies to job applicants, not only to existing staff (Equality Act 2010, s.39 and Schedule 8). Failing to make an adjustment you knew, or could reasonably be expected to have known, was needed is itself unlawful discrimination. So the safer position is to offer the adjustment, not to withhold it for fear of being unfair. If you want a single defensible default, offer questions in advance to every shortlisted candidate as standard. That removes any argument about unequal treatment and quietly helps people who never disclose. For the wider duty, see are we legally required to make reasonable adjustments.

In practice, a good interview-adjustment offer covers:

• The questions or assessed topics, sent a few days to a week ahead.
• A printed copy of the questions to keep in the room.
• The format and who will be on the panel, described in advance.
• Extra time, or breaks, where the candidate asks for them.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.