1Course record · Scotland
University of Edinburgh
Does Edinburgh test before interview? Yes, for 2027 entry: a questionnaire, usually sent in late January with a two-week deadline, according to the course's own page.
The record
Before you apply
What you must meet to apply, in the course’s own words.
Right to work and fee status
Applicants need to have the right to work without restrictions in the UK.
We do not accept applications from candidates who only have a student visa.
We do not accept applications for self-funded places.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Applicants to the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology must have the right to work in the UK without restriction, at the point of application.
Source: Edinburgh course page at study.ed.ac.uk, checked .
GBC when you apply:
GBC confirmed at the time of application
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
DegreeOur summary: A lower second (2:2): Asks for a mean mark of at least 61 over the final two years, and checks international degrees against a UK 2:1. Says nothing about a 2:2.
a GBC-accredited honours degree with a mean percentage mark of at least 61 in the final 2 academic years fte
OR
a GBC-accredited MSc conversion degree in psychology with a mean percentage mark of at least 61
OR
a GBC-accredited higher diploma conversion in psychology with 240 credit equivalent (120 ECTS), where the overall number of research credits is at least 80 (40 ECTS) and with a mean percentage mark of at least 61.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.
Applicants should hold either:
a GBC-accrediting honours degree with a mean percentage mark of at least 61 in the final two academic years FTE.
a GBC-accrediting MSc conversion degree in psychology at 2.1 equivalent or above with a mean percentage mark of at least 61.
a GBC-accrediting higher diploma conversion in psychology, at 2.1 equivalent level or above, with 240 credit equivalent (120 ECTS), where the overall number of research credits is at least 80 (40 ECTS) and with a mean percentage mark of at least 61.
Source: Edinburgh course page at study.ed.ac.uk, checked .
ExperienceOur summary: No amount stated.
candidates are advised of the following:
Relevant experience that allows the applicant to apply psychological principles in practice with populations in need is essential
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Research:
candidates are advised of the following:
An understanding of how to do psychological research is essential
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
English language
All candidates, regardless of nationality or first language, must provide suitable evidence of a fluent command of the English language. Our requirements differ from the Clearing House default requirements (see the entry requirements section of our website for details).
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:
an English language test (restrictions apply)
a degree that was taught and assessed in English (restrictions apply)
certain professional qualifications
We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:
IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) before 21 January 2026: total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition) from 21 January 2026: total 5.0 with at least 4.5 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 7 in each component. We do not accept Oxford ELLT Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 145 in each component.
Source: Edinburgh course page at study.ed.ac.uk, checked .
Earlier NHS-funded training
Where a candidate has previously received, or is currently in receipt of funding for any of the above programmes, that candidate will normally not be eligible to receive funding for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology until a minimum of 18 months after the award for the previous training is recommended by a qualifying examination board or by chair’s action after the qualifying exam board (or achieved by other recognised route).
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Other study
Intending applicants should be aware that the University of Edinburgh does not permit concurrent registration for any other degree while an individual is registered with the University of Edinburgh.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Suitability statements
In addition to the guidance regarding Suitability Statements on the Clearing House website, the Experience Suitability Statement should be written by the candidate's current or most recent employer, otherwise candidates should explain their choice of nominee in the Background Information section of their application.
Suitability Statements should not be written by a peer or colleague.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Not mentioned on these pages: driving licence, getting to placements and other conditions.
Pages read: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; Clearing House selection procedure, updated ; Edinburgh course page at study.ed.ac.uk; all checked . Could not be read: Edinburgh course page at health.ed.ac.uk (it asks for a sign-in), tried .
Before interview
Questionnaire
WhenUsually sent in late January with a two-week deadline, according to the course's own page
The course's own application page states that “all applicants will be sent some additional questions to respond to online and will be asked to complete an online Situational Judgment Task which is designed to assess capacity to make sound judgements in complex situations.”
More about the test
Its Clearing House page, and its programme page for 2027 entry, describe the additional questions and short-listing on “anonymised application forms and answers to the additional questions”, and do not mention the Situational Judgment Task. None of the three pages publishes the questions or the task. The Clearing House page says about 110 candidates are usually invited to interview; the programme page says about 140.
Sources: Clearing House, checked ; the course’s own page, checked ; Edinburgh’s programme page, checked ; Clearing House test list, checked .
At interview
A panel interview and a role-play with an actor or panel member.
When“Monday 10 to Friday 14 May”
Source: Clearing House list of 2027 interview dates for NHS places, updated ; checked .
Usually one interview of about 40 minutes covering academic, applied research, clinical and professional competences. The course says it will “usually ask all candidates to take part in an interpersonal role play task with an actor”. Interviews will be online in 2027.
Sources: Clearing House, checked ; the course’s own page, checked .
What your form is rated on
This course does not publish what it rates the form on.
Source: Clearing House, checked .
A note on this record
The course's own application page names an online Situational Judgment Task. Its Clearing House page, updated 12 October 2026, does not. The course's own page carries no date and names no cycle. This site reads it as describing 2027 entry because it was the page the course showed when last read. An earlier version of this record, based on the Clearing House page alone, said Edinburgh names no situational judgement test. The course's own page does. Neither source describes the task's format or content. On 10 and 16 October 2026 the course's own page redirected to a University sign-in and could not be read. It was last read on 24 September 2026, and the quotation in this record is from that reading. The Clearing House entry was re-read on 16 and 23 October 2026: it carries a new date, but the selection text this record quotes is unchanged. On 23 October 2026 the application page still sent readers to a sign-in, and the course's programme page for 2027 entry was read instead. It describes the additional questions, sent “usually in late January, with a two-week deadline”, names no situational judgement task, and says about 140 candidates are usually invited to interview, where the Clearing House page says about 110.
Dates for 2027 entry
- Applications close
- 18 November 2026, 1:00 pm
- Questionnaire
- Usually sent in late January with a two-week deadline, according to the course's own page
- Interviews
- “Monday 10 to Friday 14 May”
Sources: Clearing House, checked ; Clearing House and the course’s own page, checked ; Edinburgh’s programme page and Clearing House test list, checked ; Clearing House 2027 list, NHS places, checked .
Prepare for this course
- Practise situational judgementNamed a situational judgement test on an undated page, last read on 24 September 2026.
The scenarios here were written for this site.
- Practise interview questionsUses a panel interview and a role-play with an actor or panel member. On clinical knowledge and reasoning, its record mentions “academic, applied research, clinical and professional competences”.
Our own questions, on the themes courses name.
Checked Report an errorCorrections
Reported online by applicants, not confirmed by the course
What trainees and applicants have said in public about selection here, paraphrased. The process may have changed since.
Posted 2014 to 2019: 5 reports about earlier years or from single accounts
Several, older: 4 accounts
Applicants report additional written questions with tight word limits (about 250 words) at shortlisting, due within about a week, with the number of questions varying by year. One 2019 applicant answered a question on theory and one on research.
Sources: ClinPsy forum, 15 Feb 2016, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 18 Feb 2016, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 16 Feb 2016, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 21 Feb 2019, checked .
Several, older: 3 accounts
Applicants report an online, timed situational judgement task at shortlisting, sent by link with a short deadline, in which they rated or ranked responses that often seemed equally appropriate, with little time to review.
Sources: ClinPsy forum, 18 Feb 2019, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 21 Feb 2019, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 18 Feb 2016, checked .
Several, older: 2 accounts
Applicants in 2014 reported a written task on the interview day alongside the panels and role-play.
Sources: ClinPsy forum, 20 May 2014, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 20 May 2014, post 2, checked .
Several, older: 2 accounts
Older reports (2014) describe separate clinical and academic/research panels plus a role-play, and applicants found the academic panel hardest.
Sources: ClinPsy forum, 20 May 2014, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 20 May 2014, post 2, checked .
One account
One reserve candidate in 2019 reports being invited to a shorter, less formal second interview of about 30 minutes for a remaining place.
Source: ClinPsy forum, 9 Jun 2019, checked .
If you have applied here
What Edinburgh says about feedback
Candidates who are not offered an interview place will be provided feedback about which element(s) of the shortlisting process led to their application being unsuccessful.
Feedback after interviews is available to unsuccessful applicants on request.
Source: Clearing House, selection procedure, updated ; checked .
Applying again: feedback from each course
The practice here fits this course.
About the practice here
- The course does not say what its written questions ask.
This site is not affiliated with University of Edinburgh.
Sources
- clearing-house.org.uk: selection procedureUpdated 12 October 2026; checked 24 September 2026.
- health.ed.ac.uk: the course’s own pageChecked 24 September 2026.
- clearing-house.org.uk: which courses use a short-listing testUpdated 7 September 2026; checked 16 October 2026.
- clearing-house.org.uk: interview dates for 2027 by course, for NHS placesUpdated 5 October 2026; checked 22 October 2026.