1Course record · North West
University of Manchester
Does Manchester test before interview? Yes, for 2027 entry: a reasoning test, February or March 2027 on the Clearing House list; Lancaster's own page gives 8 to 22 February 2027 for its own applicants.
The record
Before you apply
What you must meet to apply, in the course’s own words.
Driving licence
It is necessary that all applicants must possess a valid full UK driving licence and have regular access to their own transport to enable them to fulfil the requirements of placements (unless not driving constitutes a necessary and reasonable adjustment for someone with a disability or long term health condition). If offered an interview, candidates will be required to provide evidence of their photocard licence when confirming acceptance of interview offer; failure to show a valid full driving licence at interview will result in the offer of interview being withdrawn.
Source: Clearing House selection procedure, updated ; checked .
Right to work and fee status
We are unable to consider:
Applicants with overseas fees status
The majority of our places are currently funded by NHS England, for which we are only able to consider UK nationals or international applicants with Indefinite Leave to Remain (or "settled" status under immigration rules) with three years' residency in the UK.
We now offer places for a limited number of students from international countries with overseas fees status, who are seeking the ClinPsyD qualification.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Our note: Manchester’s entry tab lists “Applicants with overseas fees status” among those it is unable to consider, and further down says “We now offer places for a limited number of students from international countries with overseas fees status”, places it says are self-funded. Both passages are quoted as the page prints them.
GBC when you apply
Candidates must be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the British Psychological Society; candidates must be able to demonstrate this eligibility when applying to the Programme.
The degree must have already been awarded at the time of submitting an application; candidates who are currently undergraduates will not be short-listed for interview.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
DegreeOur summary: A lower second (2:2): Asks for a 2:1 minimum. Says nothing further about a 2:2.
A minimum of a 2.1 degree in single honours psychology or joint honours where psychology constitutes at least 50% of the course is required.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
ExperienceOur summary: 12 months minimum. Must be paid.
A minimum of twelve months paid clinically relevant experience, accumulated prior to submitting an application, is an essential requirement for entry.
You need to demonstrate that your experience meets our criterion of paid clinically relevant.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Research
The Programme has a substantial research component and, prior to short-listing, candidates will be required to demonstrate competence in, and commitment to, research (e.g., through their undergraduate dissertation and research methods unit marks).
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
English language
All students whose first language is not English, i.e. not from a majority English speaking country as defined by the UK Home Office, require a minimum of IELTS 8 (with no less than 7 in the writing element), although this may be waived if the student has completed an undergraduate degree in a majority English speaking country as defined by the UK Home Office.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Earlier NHS-funded training:
We are unable to consider:
Applicants who have completed another NHS funded programme less than two years ago
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Suitability statements
Applicants should also be aware that, due to the nature of our selection procedure, we are unable to accept applications that do not have references submitted in the Clearing House format.
Source: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; checked .
Not mentioned on these pages: getting to placements, other study and other conditions.
Pages read: Clearing House entry requirements, updated ; Clearing House selection procedure, updated ; Manchester course page; all checked .
Before interview
Reasoning test
WhenFebruary or March 2027 on the Clearing House list; Lancaster's own page gives 8 to 22 February 2027 for its own applicants
A General Mental Ability (GMA) test.
More about the test
The course states that applicants meeting all the minimum entry requirements “will be invited to sit a GMA (General Mental Ability) test, which must be completed in order for them to be considered”. The course's own page says Manchester and Lancaster “both use the same GMA test results”, points to Lancaster's short-listing page for details of the test, and says the results are used to deselect a proportion of applicants before the rest are short-listed in the usual way. Lancaster's page names the test as SHL's Verify Interactive deductive test; Manchester's own pages do not name SHL.
Sources: Clearing House, checked ; the course’s own page, checked ; Clearing House test list, checked ; Lancaster’s short-listing page, checked .
At interview
A panel interview.
When“Monday 19 to Friday 23 April”
Source: Clearing House list of 2027 interview dates for NHS places, updated ; checked .
A single panel interview of around 30 minutes, held over four or five days in the spring, with programme staff, NHS clinical psychologists and representatives of the Community Liaison Group. The course says additions to the format are possible.
Sources: Clearing House, checked ; the course’s own page, checked .
What your form is rated on
Points are scored at shortlisting for work supervised by a qualified psychological practitioner that involves assessment, formulation, intervention and/or service development. Experience of working in a variety of clinical settings and supervised clinical work involving psychological research also score additional points.
The rest of the passage
We find it particularly helpful when applicants organise their application form so it is clear how much experience they have had of assessment, formulation, intervention, service development and research. We also find forms much easier to assess where there is clear spacing between paragraphs and separate sub-headings for different types of experience.
Source: University of Manchester, checked .
Dates for 2027 entry
- Applications close
- 18 November 2026, 1:00 pm
- Reasoning test
- February or March 2027 on the Clearing House list; Lancaster's own page gives 8 to 22 February 2027 for its own applicants
- Interviews
- “Monday 19 to Friday 23 April”
Sources: Clearing House, checked ; Clearing House, the course’s own page, Clearing House test list and Lancaster’s short-listing page, checked ; Clearing House 2027 list, NHS places, checked .
Prepare for this course
- Practise deductive reasoningSets a reasoning test before interview, February or March 2027 on the Clearing House list; Lancaster's own page gives 8 to 22 February 2027 for its own applicants.
The real test adapts to your answers. This practice uses a fixed set of items.
- Practise interview questionsUses a panel interview. On lived experience and co-production, its record mentions “representatives of the Community Liaison Group”.
Our own questions, on the themes courses name.
- Practise situational judgementThis course has not named filmed scenarios or values-based questions at interview, which the SJT practice rehearses.
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 in 2021: 2 reports about earlier years
Several, older: 2 accounts
Applicants found the ability test hard; one guessed to finish and a trainee did not complete the deductive section.
Sources: ClinPsy forum, 14 Mar 2021, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 27 Mar 2021, checked .
Several, older: 2 accounts
Interview invitations warned that shortlisted applicants would retake the ability test and a poor retest could withdraw an offer; in 2020 the retest was done remotely with a signed declaration.
Sources: ClinPsy forum, 14 Mar 2021, checked ; ClinPsy forum, 27 Mar 2021, checked .
If you have applied here
What Manchester says about feedback
It is the policy of the Manchester Programme that we do not provide feedback to candidates who are unsuccessful in being shortlisted for an interview.
Written feedback is only given to candidates who are unsuccessful at the interview stage of the selection process. We do not offer feedback to people who have been placed on the reserve list, as being placed on this list reflects adequate performance at interview and indicates our willingness to offer a place should one become available.
Source: Clearing House, selection procedure, updated ; checked .
Applying again: feedback from each course
- Take the test publisher’s own free practice test too. The publisher says its practice tests may not reflect the difficulty of the real one.
SHL’s free practice tests: the Deductive Reasoning Test (Mobile-Enabled, Interactive).SHL’s page carries no date; checked 24 September 2026.
This site is not affiliated with University of Manchester.
Sources
- clearing-house.org.uk: selection procedureUpdated 21 September 2026; checked 23 October 2026.
- manchester.ac.uk: the course’s own pageChecked 23 October 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.