Interviews

Preparing for your interview.

Interview booking and interview process

You will need to book an interview slot using your Oriel account. Slots are offered on a first come first served basis and will need to be booked by the deadline stated in the invitation to interview. Further information on how to book an interview slot can be found in Oriel Applicant User Guide.

All interviews will be undertaken online using Qpercom video platform between Monday 24 February to Friday 7 March 2025. The time indicated to you via Oriel is the time you attend the document checking process, please do not try to access the link earlier. You may need to wait in a virtual lobby until the administrator admits you.

At the time of application submission, you will have agreed to complying with the 2024 applicant declaration. The declaration also contains a list of vital steps you must undertake before the day of interview.

Interviews will be undertaken through Qpercom video platform using in-built interview stations with integrated scoring, a new system being piloted the recruitment team to provide a positive interview experience for you. You will need to register on the system when prompted by the recruitment team. You can register by clicking on the initial login/forgotten password. As soon as the interview has been made available by the recruiter, you should see Core Surgical Training Interviews appear on the main page and click the green button.

You will be taken to a diagnostics tool to ensure you meet the connectivity and other requirements. You should ensure you test this from the device you plan to use for your interviews as you may need to source an alternative device to ensure connectivity.

If you are unable to connect, you should contact the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity. Once you have passed the diagnostics tool, it will take you back into the waiting area, where you will be met by a member of the admin team on the day of interviews.  

On the day of the interview, you should login and click ‘choose’ 10 minutes prior to your allocated time. You will be waiting in a virtual lobby during this process. You will be kept in the waiting area where a member of the recruitment team will meet you to perform identity (ID) checks. Once this is completed, you will be advised of your interview stations. 

You should ensure that your camera and microphone are turned on and working correctly prior to joining the call.  Interviews will be terminated where the panel cannot see you.

Before the interview commences, you will be briefed on the interview process and will be required to confirm your identity with the interview administrator. It is therefore important that you have a suitable photographic ID available (passport or UK photo driving licence). In addition, you will be required to move your camera to show the entire room where you are undertaking the interview, to confirm that nobody else is present.  

Once identity has been confirmed, the administrator will advise the interview panel that the interview process can commence.  

The interview must not be recorded by either the applicant, the administrator or the panel members.

On completion of the interview, you should terminate your connection to the call and the interview process is complete. Please do not return to the interview room.

Interview format

The interview will consist of 3 stations lasting 10 minutes each. You will rotate between each station in any order.

Management station - 10 minutes

• 1 pre-prepared 3-minute presentation

• 2 minutes of questioning on presentation  

• 1 management scenario question. The is question is provided during the interview and encourages you to think on your feet

• 5 minutes allowed to answer question

Clinical station - 10 minutes

• 2 clinical scenario questions lasting 5 minutes each. These questions are provided during the interview to encourage you to think on your feet

Portfolio station - 10 minutes

• 2 portfolio questions lasting 5 minutes each on two the domains. These questions are selected by the assessor

Interview scoring criteria

The different sections of the interview will be scored according to the following points system.

• 0 - No Evidence
• 1 - Very Poor
• 2 - Weak
• 3 - Satisfactory
• 4 - Good
• 5 - Excellent
• 6 - Outstanding

Presentation

• Content
• Presentation skills
• Questioning

Management Question

• Probity and Professional integrity and awareness of safety and ethics
• Judgement under pressure and prioritisation
• Communication

Clinical Scenarios (each clinical question is scored separately according to the same points framework):

• Clinical skills and knowledge
• Judgement under pressure and prioritisation
• Communication

Portfolio station (each portfolio question is scored separately according to the same points framework):

• Skills and knowledge

Benchmarking Candidates

If you have been invited to interview for the purposes of Clinical Benchmarking only such as academic only candidates who do not wish to take up a non-academic training post or Defence Deanery, you will not be made an offer. At the time of offers you will have a score uploaded to Oriel, but will not receive a rank, and your interview status will change to interview unsuccessful. Your lead deanery will be notified about your score and whether you were found appointable for benchmarking purposes.

Preferencing

Preferencing of posts will be available prior to offers being made. You will be able to preference posts by (to be confirmed). After the first iteration of offers are made by 5pm Tuesday 25 March 2025, preferencing will reopen between offer iterations. 

For guidance on how to submit your preferences please refer to the Oriel Applicant User Guide.

For full guidance on enhanced preferencing, please refer to the guidance on the Medical Specialty Recruitment pages.