The Pre-departure Course interview: what they ask and how to answer
Facts checked against the official sources on 21 October 2026. Independent guide, not affiliated with the Government of Malta.
The short answer
After the two online modules, every candidate does a live online interview of about 20 minutes with an assessor from the Institute of Tourism Studies in Malta or an authorised Global Assessment Centre abroad, many of them at VFS Global offices. The interview checks two things: that you can hold a simple conversation in English, and that you understood the course content. It is a conversation, not a written test. Candidates may revisit the course materials before the interview.
What the assessor is listening for
Clear, short English sentences. Facts from the modules used correctly: who issues your permit, what your contract must contain, how many hours you can work, what a payslip must show, where you complain if you are not paid, how you rent a flat, where you go when you are sick. You do not need perfect grammar. You need to show that you will arrive in Malta knowing your rights and your obligations.
The questions to expect
Tell me about yourself and the job you are coming for. What is a Single Permit and who issues it? How many hours a week can you be asked to work, and how is overtime paid? What would you do if your employer did not pay you? What should you check before you rent a room? Where do you go if you are sick, and what number do you call in an emergency? What leave are you entitled to? If you want to leave your job, what must you do? The exact questions vary; the topics do not.
How to answer
Thirty seconds per answer. Name the institution (Identità, Jobsplus, DIER, the Housing Authority), give the number (40 hours, 48 average, 192 hours of leave, 14 public holidays, €229.44 minimum wage in 2026), and say what you would do. Practise out loud until the answers come without thinking. Record yourself on your phone once; you will hear what to fix.
Practise for it
Għaddi Pre-departure has the eight interview questions with model answers you can hear read out, the terms the course uses on flip cards, six lessons on contracts, hours, pay, leave, ending a job and living in Malta, and mock assessments. Free to start, no account, works on any phone in any country. It is independent and not affiliated with Identità, ITS, the Skills Pass Portal or the Government of Malta. Register for the course only at skillspass.org.mt.
Practise for it, free
The first mock assessment is free. No account, no app store.
Try a free mock assessment