How are NHS interviews scored?
Most NHS interviews are run by a panel of two to four people. For a doctor's post that might be a consultant, a clinical lead and an HR representative. For nursing, AHP and pharmacy posts it might be the ward or service manager, a senior clinician and a professional lead. Some interviews add a presentation, a written task or a clinical skills station.
Panels usually prepare questions in advance from the person specification and score each answer, often on a simple scale, before agreeing a final mark. So every answer counts, and answers that clearly show the criterion being tested are rewarded.
| Question type | What it tests | Example question |
|---|---|---|
| Opening or motivation | Why this role and organisation | Tell us about yourself. Why have you applied for this post? |
| Values | Fit with NHS and trust values | Which of our values matters most to you, and why? |
| Competency | Past behaviour as evidence of future behaviour | Tell us about a time you dealt with conflict in a team. |
| Clinical scenario | Safe reasoning and escalation | You are called to a drowsy patient. What do you do? |
| Prioritisation | Organisation under pressure | You have five tasks at the start of a shift. How do you prioritise? |
| Ethical or professional | Judgement and professional standards | You suspect a colleague has been drinking before a shift. |
| Governance | Audit, QI, incidents, complaints | Tell us about an audit you have been involved in. |
| Closing | Interest and insight | Do you have any questions for us? |
How do I answer 'Tell us about yourself' and 'Why this post?'
Prepare a one-minute answer: your current role, two or three strengths that match the person specification, and why this specific post and organisation appeal to you. Do not read out your CV or tell your life story.
I have always wanted to work in the NHS because it is famous and there are good opportunities for career development.
I am a physiotherapist with four years' experience in acute respiratory and orthopaedic care, and I am HCPC registered. This rotation would let me build on my respiratory work in your critical care unit while developing in musculoskeletal outpatients. I was also drawn by your support for staff doing postgraduate study, as I am working towards a specialist respiratory role.
For 'Why this trust?', read the organisation's website, values and recent service developments. Link one or two specific things, such as a new ambulatory unit or a teaching programme, to your own experience and goals.
How do I answer NHS values questions?
In England, the NHS Constitution sets out six values: working together for patients; respect and dignity; commitment to quality of care; compassion; improving lives; and everyone counts. Many trusts have their own versions. Learn the values of the organisation you are applying to and prepare one real example of behaviour for each.
Compassion is very important to me. I always treat patients with kindness.
Compassion matters most to me because it shapes small decisions. Last month a patient with dementia was distressed before a scan. I stayed with her, asked her daughter what usually calmed her, and arranged for the daughter to come in. The scan was completed calmly, and I added the approach to her care plan for other staff.
How do I use the STAR method for competency questions?
- Situation: One or two sentences: where you were, your role and the context.
- Task: One sentence: what needed to happen and what was your responsibility.
- Action: What you did, step by step, using 'I' rather than 'we'. Spend most of your time here.
- Result: What happened, especially for the patient or service.
- Reflection: What you learned and how it has changed your practice since.
Aim for about two minutes per answer, with roughly two thirds on action and result. Do not memorise scripts. Panels can tell, and recited answers break down when a question is phrased differently. Instead, build an example bank with two real examples for each likely competency, such as team working, communication, patient safety, leadership, teaching, pressure and learning from mistakes.
Conflict happens a lot in hospitals. I always stay calm and listen to everyone, and we usually solve it by talking. I am a good team player.
A staff nurse and a foundation doctor disagreed loudly about whether a patient was fit for discharge. As the senior clinician present, I asked them both into the office and listened. The nurse was worried about the patient's mobility at home, which had not been documented. I asked the physiotherapist to assess that morning and agreed discharge would depend on it. A walking frame was arranged and the patient went home safely the next day. I learned that conflict is often about missing information, so I now ask early what each person is worried about.
How do I answer clinical scenario and prioritisation questions?
Clinical questions test whether you are safe, not whether you know rare facts. For acute scenarios, an ABCDE assessment with early escalation is almost always the right framework. Say what you would assess, what you would do immediately, who you would call, and how you would communicate and document.
I would check the patient and give treatment, and call my senior if necessary.
I would go promptly, ask for the latest observations and NEWS2, and assess using ABCDE: airway, breathing and oxygen per local guidance, circulation, then disability including consciousness level, blood glucose and the drug chart for opioids or sedatives, then exposure. I would consider causes such as hypoglycaemia, sepsis or opioid toxicity and treat what I find. I would escalate early to my senior or outreach using SBAR if unstable, call the arrest team if needed, and document my assessment and plan.
Prioritisation
Explain your reasoning aloud. Patients at risk of immediate harm come first. Delegate safely, tell people who are waiting when you will get to them, and escalate if the workload is unsafe. Panels look for reasoning, not one perfect order.
| Task | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Patient with NEWS2 of 7 | Immediate review: risk of serious deterioration |
| Medication due in four hours needs rewriting | Plan before the dose to avoid an omission |
| Discharge letter for today | After urgent tasks, or delegate if appropriate |
| Relative wants an update | Ask a colleague to say when you will come |
| Routine bloods for tomorrow | Later in the shift |
How do I answer ethical and professional questions?
A reliable framework is: make patients safe first, gather information, act in line with your professional standards and local policy, escalate or seek advice, support the people involved, and document. Refer to your regulator's guidance naturally rather than reciting it.
I would report them to the regulator straight away because drinking at work is not allowed.
Patient safety comes first, so I would not ignore it. I would speak to my colleague privately and ask if they are all right. If I still felt they were not safe to work, I would explain that I needed to involve the person in charge, and escalate so they could be removed from patient care while it was looked into. I would remember they may be unwell and need support through occupational health. I would follow trust policy and document what I observed factually. The organisation would decide whether a regulator needed to be informed.
Other common ethical topics include confidentiality requests from relatives, a patient refusing treatment, consent and capacity, raising concerns about a senior, social media, and being honest when things go wrong under the duty of candour.
How do I answer audit and quality improvement questions?
Prepare one clear project: the standard, your role, simple numbers for each cycle, the change made and what you learned. If results did not improve, say so honestly; panels value insight more than a perfect outcome.
Audit is very important for patient safety. I have done audits and know the audit cycle.
I led an audit of sepsis screening documentation for adults with a raised early warning score in our emergency department, against our local sepsis pathway. In 40 records, screening was documented in 55%. I presented this at the departmental meeting, we added a prompt to triage documentation and ran short teaching. The re-audit of 40 records two months later showed 83%. I learned that building a change into existing workflow works better than reminders alone.
These numbers are illustrative. Always use your own real data and never claim a role you did not have.
A worked example: turning 'too general' into strong answers
Blessing has had three NHS interviews, each with feedback that her answers were too general. Asked about patient safety, she spoke about why safety matters. Before her next interview she builds an example bank and practises aloud with a colleague. Asked the same question, she describes noticing an ambiguous insulin prescription, querying it with the prescriber and pharmacist before giving it, completing an incident report, and the ward then adding insulin prescribing to junior doctor induction. The panel scores her highly on that criterion.
Good questions to ask at the end
- What does induction and supervision look like for new starters in this team?
- What teaching or development opportunities are available in the first year?
- What are the team's current improvement priorities?
- If all your questions have been answered, it is fine to say so and thank the panel.
Where to go next
Our course NHS Interview Skills covers how panels score, building an example bank, STAR answers, clinical and ethical scenarios and a two-week preparation plan. If you are still at the application stage, NHS Job Applications and Supporting Statements helps you get shortlisted, and Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement helps you build a strong governance example. Preparation improves performance, but no course can guarantee an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common NHS interview questions?
Common questions include: tell us about yourself; why do you want this post and to work here; which of our values matters to you; describe a time you worked in a team or handled conflict; a clinical scenario such as a deteriorating patient; how you would prioritise several tasks; an ethical scenario; tell us about an audit or improvement project; and do you have any questions for us.
What are the six NHS values?
The NHS Constitution for England sets out six values: working together for patients; respect and dignity; commitment to quality of care; compassion; improving lives; and everyone counts. Many trusts and health boards have their own values that reflect these. Check the organisation's website and prepare a real example of behaviour for each of its values.
How long should my answers be in an NHS interview?
For most competency questions, about two minutes is a good target. That is long enough to give a specific example with your actions, the result and what you learned, and short enough to keep the panel engaged. Clinical scenario answers may be a little longer. If the panel wants more detail, they will usually ask a follow-up question.
What is the STAR method for NHS interviews?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It structures an example so the panel understands the context, your responsibility, what you did and what happened. Many people add a final reflection on what they learned. Spend most of your answer on the action and result, and use 'I' to make your own contribution clear.
What should I say if I do not know the answer to a clinical question?
Stay calm and go back to safe principles. For an acute scenario, describe an ABCDE assessment, immediate safety measures and early escalation to a senior. It is acceptable to say you would check local guidance or ask for help. Panels are reassured by candidates who know their limits and are concerned by those who guess or imply they would act alone.
What questions should I ask at the end of an NHS interview?
Ask one or two genuine questions about induction, supervision, teaching, development or the team's current priorities. Avoid questions already answered in the advert or during the interview. If everything has been covered, it is perfectly acceptable to say so and thank the panel for their time.
Do NHS interviews ask about the NHS in general?
Sometimes. You may be asked about current pressures, such as demand on urgent care or waiting lists, or about the organisation's values and priorities. You do not need to quote policy documents. Show that you understand the practical challenges and link them to how you would contribute in this role.
Related courses
NHS Interview Skills
This course prepares you for NHS interviews by explaining how panels assess candidates and how to give structured, evidence-based answers. It covers…
NHS Job Applications and Supporting Statements
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Sources and further reading
- The NHS Constitution for England. Department of Health and Social Care.
- Good Medical Practice (2024). General Medical Council.
- The Code: professional standards of practice and behaviour. Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- Standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Health and Care Professions Council.
- National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2. Royal College of Physicians.
- Openness and honesty when things go wrong: the professional duty of candour. General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Practitioner Insight is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the GMC, MPTS, NMC, HCPC, GPhC or any NHS organisation, and this information is not legal advice. If you have been referred to a regulator, speak to your defence organisation, trade union or legal representative.
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