NHS Consultant interview
Consultant interviews are not nationally standardised, so this pathway is personalised from the material you provide: your CV, the job description, person specification and information about the Trust and department. The virtual panel probes the claims you have actually made.
Format based on published 2026 recruitment guidance. Last checked: January 2026. This is general information, not advice about your application — always confirm details with the official source for your round.
Structure
The stations, reproduced with real timings.
The simulator keeps to these durations and moves you on when the clock runs out.
Career history and motivation
Your route to this point, why this post, why this Trust, and what you bring on day one.
Vision and service development
Where you would take the service, how you would build a business case and work with managers.
Governance, safety and quality
Incidents, escalation, audit and quality improvement, and how you assure standards.
Teaching, research, EDI and situational questions
Supervision, research output, inclusive leadership and difficult colleague scenarios.
Weighting
Where the marks sit.
Practice is weighted the same way, so your time goes where it counts.
What candidates work on here
- Turning CV claims into evidenced, quantified answers
- Speaking at consultant level rather than registrar level
- Trust-specific vision and departmental awareness
Example questions
Original scenarios, written with clinicians.
Each question is mapped to the domains it assesses, so the summary you receive is specific rather than generic.
Leadership
“Your CV states that you established a new one-stop clinic. What barriers did you meet, what did you personally contribute, and how do you know it worked?”
A panel would listen for
Patient safety first, a clear structure and the right escalation route
Governance
“A never event occurs in your department three weeks after you start. Describe how you would respond in the first 48 hours.”
A panel would listen for
Patient safety first, a clear structure and the right escalation route
Strategy
“Waiting times in this department are above the regional average. Outline how you would approach that with the clinical director.”
A panel would listen for
A systematic approach, safe prioritisation and knowing when to escalate
Practise this interview until it feels routine.
One free mock interview, no card required. Scores describe your practice performance only.
Start a free mock interview