2Interview
Interview practice
Answer a prompt aloud and compare your answer with what a strong one covers.
Practise prompts from
Prompt 1 of 12 · Motivation and fit
Why clinical psychology?
Suggested: about 3 minutes.
Your notes stay on this page. Copy anything you want to keep before you leave.
No course publishes its interview questions, so these are our own.
How to use them
- You judge your own answer. The points come from the sources, not a marking scheme: no course publishes one.
- Practise the role-play and group briefs with a partner.
- The prompts follow no course’s format. Check each course’s own page; the interview page summarises what each one publishes.
For a research task, use the research critique practice. For the judgement that filmed scenarios and values-based questions test, use the SJT practice.
Sources
- BPS, Standards for the accreditation of doctoral programmes in clinical psychology. Checked 10 October 2026.
- HCPC, Standards of proficiency: practitioner psychologists. Checked 10 October 2026.
- HCPC, Standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Checked 10 October 2026.
- BPS, Code of Ethics and Conduct. Checked 10 October 2026.
- HCPC, What is reflection?. Checked 10 October 2026.
- HCPC, Reflective practice case studies and template. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Gibbs (1988), reflective cycle, as summarised by Health Education England. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS Constitution for England. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS Scotland, Principles and values. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, Values and Standards of Behaviour Framework. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Health Education England, How to design and deliver structured interviews for values based recruitment. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Health Education England, Selection centres for values based recruitment. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Health Education England, Values based recruitment literature review summary. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Health Research Authority, Defining research table. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Thrower et al. (2024), the key components of a clinical psychology formulation. Checked 10 October 2026.
- 10 Year Health Plan for England. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, 24/7 neighbourhood mental health centres. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, Mental health personalised care framework. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, Community mental health services. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Mental Health Act 2025. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005, section 1. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, Patient and carer race equality framework. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, Psychological professions roles. Checked 10 October 2026.
- NHS England, NHS funding for psychological professions training programmes. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Welsh Government, Mental health and wellbeing strategy 2025 to 2035. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Scottish Government, Mental health and wellbeing strategy. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Lancaster University, DClinPsy selection events. Checked 10 October 2026.
- University of Surrey, Clinical psychology doctorate applicant FAQs. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Bangor University, North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme. Checked 10 October 2026.
- BPS, Alternative Handbook 2026–2027. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Clearing House, Applicants with disabilities. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Maurer et al. (2001), interview coaching, preparation and performance. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Tross and Maurer (2008), coaching for a structured experience-based interview. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Maurer et al. (2008), coaching and the validity of a structured interview. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Klehe et al. (2008), transparency in structured interviews. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Taylor and Small (2002), situational and past-behaviour questions. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Barrick et al. (2009), self-presentation and interview ratings. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Powell et al. (2018), interview anxiety and performance. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Dunlosky et al. (2013), learning techniques. Checked 10 October 2026.
- Macneil et al. (2012), using case formulation in clinical practice. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Owen (2023), what is formulation in psychiatry?. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Eubanks, Muran and Safran (2018), alliance rupture repair. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Flückiger et al. (2018), the alliance in adult psychotherapy. Checked 16 October 2026.
How to rehearse
- Say it aloud, and time it. A first answer of two to three minutes leaves a panel room to ask more.
- For “tell us about a time”, give the situation in a sentence or two, then what you did, why, and what you learned.
- For “what would you do”, say what you would put first, how you would keep people safe and hear their wishes, who you would involve, and what you would not do as a trainee.
- Do not learn a script. A structured interview follows a lead question with probes, and a script breaks at the first “why?”.
- Spread practice over weeks, answer from a prompt rather than rereading notes, and rehearse with another person where you can.
- Bring in any feedback from earlier interviews.
Lead questions, probes and “tell us about a time”: Health Education England, How to design and deliver structured interviews for values based recruitment, checked 10 October 2026. Spreading practice, answering from a prompt and rehearsing with someone come from the research below. The rest is our own advice; the two to three minutes comes from published interview lengths of 30 to 45 minutes.
What the research on preparing says
- Among police and fire promotion candidates, coaching and preparation went with better structured-interview scores, and prepared candidates organised their answers better. Role-playing as preparation helped beyond coaching. Maurer et al. (2001), interview coaching, preparation and performance, checked 10 October 2026.
- In an experiment, knowing what was assessed and practising both went with higher ratings. Tross and Maurer (2008), coaching for a structured experience-based interview, checked 10 October 2026.
- Coaching on interview content did not spoil the interview: it was as valid, or more so, for coached candidates. Maurer et al. (2008), coaching and the validity of a structured interview, checked 10 October 2026.
- Telling candidates the qualities being assessed improved their performance. Klehe et al. (2008), transparency in structured interviews, checked 10 October 2026.
- “What would you do” and “what did you do” questions were both valid. Taylor and Small (2002), situational and past-behaviour questions, checked 10 October 2026.
- Appearance and impression management affect ratings most in unstructured interviews. In structured ones, substance carries more weight. Barrick et al. (2009), self-presentation and interview ratings, checked 10 October 2026.
- Across studies, interview anxiety had a modest negative correlation with performance (−.19). Powell et al. (2018), interview anxiety and performance, checked 10 October 2026.
- Practice testing and spreading practice out rated highly as ways to learn. Rereading and highlighting did not. Dunlosky et al. (2013), learning techniques, checked 10 October 2026.
None of these studies is of clinical psychology selection: they come from employment, police and fire promotion, and education. We read their abstracts, not the full papers.
What each course’s interview involves
Bangor University A panel interview and a written task.
Two components: a combined 45-minute interview covering academic, research, clinical and reflective competencies, and a 60-minute written task in which candidates synthesise and critically appraise research. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Reflection and self-awareness
Cardiff University A written task, a role-play with an actor or panel member and a panel interview.
All candidates invited to interview sit a written task. …
Themes in its interview note: Role-play, group tasks and communicationThemes in its short-listing criteria: Values · Reflection and self-awareness · Lived experience and co-production · The profession and the wider system
Coventry and Warwick Its record does not describe the interview yet.
King's College London A panel interview.
One face-to-face interview of approximately 30 to 40 minutes with a panel of three from the Programme Selection Sub-Committee, each panel including an Expert by Experience. …
Themes in its interview note: Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)
Lancaster University A group task, a written task, a role-play with an actor or panel member, a filmed scenario, a written clinical vignette and a panel interview.
Two rounds, both in person at Lancaster; the course states selection “cannot be undertaken online under any circumstances”. …
Themes in its interview note: Ethics, safeguarding and dilemmas · Role-play, group tasks and communication
Newcastle University A panel interview and a pre-recorded video response.
A 45-minute face-to-face panel interview on campus with programme staff and NHS clinicians; for 2027 entry the course states there is no option to interview remotely. …
Themes in its interview note: Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)
Oxford A filmed scenario, a written task and a panel interview.
A Clinical Task developed with Experts by Experience, requiring timed written answers to a filmed clinical scenario, completed online in advance of the interview day. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)Themes in its short-listing criteria: The profession and the wider system
Royal Holloway A panel interview.
Two interviews: one on clinical, research and academic topics with a course team member and a regional clinical psychologist; one with a regional clinical psychologist and a service user or carer. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)
Salomons A panel interview and values-based questions.
Described as multi-faceted, assessing academic, clinical, professional and personal learning and aptitude alongside NHS values. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Values
Trent A panel interview.
Panel interviews across a half-day, assessing clinical, academic and personal suitability. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Readiness for training
University College London A panel interview, a written clinical vignette and a group task.
Two parts: an individual panel interview, with questions based on a clinical vignette presented shortly before the interview, other clinical and professional scenarios, a research vignette, and other research and academic questions; then a group discussion task with other interviewees. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Role-play, group tasks and communication
University of Bath A panel interview.
One in-person interview of up to approximately 40 minutes, assessing clinical, research and academic skills and aptitude. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)Themes in its short-listing criteria: Reflection and self-awareness · Difference, power and inclusion · Motivation and fit
University of Birmingham A panel interview and a presentation.
Face-to-face interviews with small panels of programme team members, Experts by Experience and local clinical psychologists. …
Themes in its interview note: Research and critical appraisal · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)
University of East Anglia A panel interview, a role-play with an actor or panel member and a research critique.
A single combined admissions interview of 75 minutes covering clinical and academic or research areas, using a standard set of questions and scenarios. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Role-play, group tasks and communicationThemes in its short-listing criteria: Values · Reflection and self-awareness · Difference, power and inclusion
University of East London A panel interview.
An Admissions Day of several tasks assessed against the Trainee Person Specification, involving programme staff, regional clinical supervisors and the People's Committee, a group of service users and carers with lived experience of mental health difficulties in the borough. …
Themes in its interview note: Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)Themes in its short-listing criteria: The profession and the wider system · Readiness for training
University of Edinburgh A panel interview and a role-play with an actor or panel member.
Usually one interview of about 40 minutes covering academic, applied research, clinical and professional competences. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Role-play, group tasks and communication
University of Essex A panel interview.
Held at the Colchester campus, with roughly three interviews offered per place. …
University of Exeter A panel interview.
Several stages, each with a different panel, covering research knowledge and ability, clinical knowledge and ability, and readiness for training. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Readiness for training
University of Glasgow A role-play with an actor or panel member and a panel interview.
A structured role-play scenario depicting a work-based situation involving an interaction with a colleague, conducted remotely on MSTeams in the weeks before interview, with actors experienced in working with students at the University's College of Medicine. …
Themes in its interview note: Reflection and self-awareness · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task) · Role-play, group tasks and communicationThemes in its short-listing criteria: Values · Ethics, safeguarding and dilemmas · Readiness for training
University of Hertfordshire A panel interview and a group task.
Two parts: an individual panel interview and a group task, addressing academic, research and clinical competencies, professional and personal suitability, and interpersonal skills. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Readiness for training · Role-play, group tasks and communication
University of Leeds A panel interview and a presentation.
Two panels, with one question a week in advance for the panel of psychologists and a topic supplied a week in advance for a brief spoken presentation to people with experience of services. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)
University of Leicester A panel interview and a written task.
An in-person Assessment Centre between Monday 19 April and Wednesday 28 April 2027, weekdays only. …
University of Liverpool A panel interview and a filmed scenario.
Face to face only. The course states remote interviews are not available because face-to-face interaction is a core skill it selects for. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal
University of Manchester A panel interview.
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. …
Themes in its interview note: Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)
University of Plymouth A panel interview, a group task and values-based questions.
A panel interview "designed to explore candidates' strengths", and a group task that "assesses candidates values and approach to communication in a group setting." …
Themes in its interview note: Values · Role-play, group tasks and communication
University of Sheffield A group task, a panel interview, a presentation and a role-play with an actor or panel member.
An interview day with a group task observed by the selection panel, an individual panel interview focused on research and relevant clinical knowledge, a prepared answer to a task sent a week in advance, and a short clinically-oriented role-play. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Role-play, group tasks and communication
University of Southampton A panel interview.
Interviews have been held remotely on an online platform since COVID, and the course intends this to continue, though it says this may change. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Lived experience and co-production (on the panel or behind a task)Themes in its short-listing criteria: Reflection and self-awareness · Readiness for training
University of Staffordshire A panel interview, a role-play with an actor or panel member and values-based questions.
Typically a single panel interview incorporating a values-based role-play element, broadly assessing applied academic, research and clinical knowledge alongside personal and professional values and suitability for training. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Academic knowledge and critical thinking · Values · Readiness for training · Role-play, group tasks and communicationThemes in its short-listing criteria: Reflection and self-awareness · Difference, power and inclusion · Lived experience and co-production
University of Surrey A panel interview.
An in-person interview session on campus, with interviews and activities designed to evaluate clinical, reflective and research skills, including how these fit with NHS values.
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · Values · Reflection and self-awareness
University of Teesside A panel interview, a presentation and values-based questions.
One 50-minute interview covering research and clinical questions, opening with a 10-minute presentation of a piece of research, audit, service evaluation or systematic review the candidate has completed. …
Themes in its interview note: Clinical knowledge and reasoning · Research and critical appraisal · ValuesThemes in its short-listing criteria: Reflection and self-awareness · Difference, power and inclusion · The profession and the wider system · Motivation and fit
Read from each course’s record, checked between 24 September and 23 October 2026. For your courses, the themes come from its interview note and its short-listing criteria, checked 10 October 2026; a course that names no theme may still ask about it. Each record has the rest, with its sources and dates.
The 12 themes the prompts are grouped by
- Clinical knowledge and reasoning
- Research and critical appraisal
- Academic knowledge and critical thinking
- Values
- Reflection and self-awareness
- Difference, power and inclusion
- Lived experience and co-production
- The profession and the wider system
- Ethics, safeguarding and dilemmas
- Readiness for training
- Motivation and fit
- Role-play, group tasks and communication