17 HPLC Interview Questions (And How to Answer Them)

Going into an HPLC job interview? Here are 17 real questions lab managers ask, and how to answer them. After our HPLC & GC interview video, many of you asked for an HPLC-only version, so we asked the Axion community what they ask candidates in their own labs. Whether you work in pharma, environmental, food, petrochemical, academic or contract labs, these are the questions that come up. 📘 FREE HPLC Interview Prep Guide (PDF): https://zfrmz.com/Dgo8WCRsiczjoj6CJMaF All 17 questions with a short answer to memorize, the full explanation, and a one-page cheat sheet of key numbers and rules. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro [00:05] Walk me through the HPLC instrument [02:32] Normal phase vs. reversed phase [03:24] Isocratic vs. gradient elution [04:33] What determines retention time? [05:37] Resolution and how to improve it [06:37] Choosing a column for a new method [07:56] Mobile-phase pH and pKa [09:37] Approaching method development [10:41] What is system suitability? [12:35] System suitability failed: now what? [13:37] Accuracy vs. precision [15:02] LOD and LOQ [17:18] Pressure ripple [18:49] Noisy and drifting baselines [20:35] Peak tailing [22:14] Why 254 nm? [23:15] The six-port injection valve MORE FROM AXION LABS ▶ HPLC & GC Interview Questions: https://axionlabs.com/hplc-gc-interview-guide/ ▶ Want real hands-on experience? Spend a week in our lab running HPLC yourself: https://axionlabs.com/lc-gc-bootcamp/ #HPLC #Chromatography #AnalyticalChemistry #ChemistryJobs #LabCareers #Axionlabs