# Practising for Anaesthetics — Core Training (CT1) with MedMock

Canonical page: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-core-training-ct1

## What is the Anaesthetics — Core Training CT1 interview, and how do you practise for it?

The Anaesthetics National Recruitment Office (ANRO) CT1 interview. Core anaesthetics and ACCS Anaesthetics posts share this one application and interview. There are two 15-minute stations on Qpercom, each scored by two assessors: a Clinical Judgement Station, with 5 minutes to read a clinical scenario first, and a General Interview Station. To be appointable you need at least 60 out of 100. MedMock lets you practise it out loud against an AI interview panel, with examiner-style feedback on any station you finish.

## About Anaesthetics — Core Training (CT1) recruitment (official sources, checked 2026-10-13)

- 2025 recruitment round, NHS England figures for Anaesthetics CT1: 6770 applications for 539 posts, a competition ratio of 12.56.
- Core Anaesthetics and ACCS Anaesthetics recruitment is coordinated by the Anaesthetics National Recruitment Office (ANRO), part of NHS England, working closely with the Royal College of Anaesthetists.
- The online interview has two stations, a Clinical Judgement Station and a General Interview Station, run through Qpercom. Each station lasts 15 minutes and the whole process should take 50 minutes.
- Each interview station is scored independently by 2 assessors.
- The total interview score is out of 100. To be appointable, an applicant needs at least 60 out of 100 at interview, and the scaled MSRA score is then combined with the interview score.
- The Clinical Judgement station covers Clinical Judgement and Decision Making, Reflective Practice and Working Under Pressure. The General Interview station covers Communication, Commitment to Specialty and Teamwork.
- For anaesthesia, the MSRA contributes 15% of the total selection score, split equally between the Professional Dilemmas and Clinical Problem Solving papers at 7.5% each.

Sources: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/competition-ratios/2025-competition-ratios https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/overview-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/interviews-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/interview-domains-and-scoring-guidance-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/multi-specialty-recruitment-assessment-msra-anaesthetics-ct1

## What happens in the real Anaesthetics — Core Training (CT1) (checked against the official source on 2026-09-27)

In the 2027 recruitment round (posts starting in August 2027), core anaesthetics and ACCS anaesthetics CT1 share one application and one online interview on Qpercom, coordinated nationally by the Anaesthetics National Recruitment Office (ANRO, part of NHS England), for applicants invited on their MSRA score. It has two 15-minute stations, a Clinical Judgement Station with 5 minutes' reading time beforehand and a General Interview Station, and the whole process takes about 50 minutes including ID checks. Two assessors in each station score you independently on three domains and a global rating, for a total out of 100, and you need at least 60 to be appointable.

- **Clinical Judgement Station** (15 minutes): You are given a clinical scenario before you enter the interview room and have 5 minutes to read and digest it, and may take notes. During the 15-minute interview the assessor adds information at various points for you to consider. It assesses Clinical Judgement and Decision Making, Reflective Practice and Working Under Pressure, plus a global rating.
- **General Interview Station** (15 minutes): Questions on your training to date and commitment to the specialty, your experience of working in and leading teams, and your wider knowledge of the NHS and its influence on anaesthesia. It assesses Communication, Commitment to Specialty and Teamwork, plus a global rating.

Marking: In each station two assessors score you independently. Each gives up to 15 marks across the station's three equally weighted domains and a global rating out of 10 for your overall performance in the station, so each station is worth 50 marks and the interview 100. Scores are reviewed at the end of each interview day, and unjustified discrepancies between assessors are amended. Your scaled MSRA score is then combined with your interview score; the MSRA counts for 15% of the total selection score (7.5% each for its Professional Dilemmas and Clinical Problem Solving papers).

Passing: To be appointable you need at least 60 out of 100 in the online interview. A global rating of 1 from both assessors in one station can lead to a veto, with the final decision resting with the Clinical Lead. Serious concerns (such as patient safety or probity) or a low score of 25% on any station from either assessor are discussed with the Clinical Lead before a final decision, and you can be vetoed even with a score above the cut-off.

Sources: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/interviews-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/interview-domains-and-scoring-guidance-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/multi-specialty-recruitment-assessment-msra-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/recruitment-timelines-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/selection-process-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/overview-anaesthetics-ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/anaesthesia/anaesthetics-ct1/overview-of-anaesthetic-ct1/offers-anaesthetics-ct1 https://anro.wm.hee.nhs.uk/ct1 https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/person-specifications/person-specifications-2027/anaesthetics-and-acute-care-common-stem-accs-anaesthetics-ct1-2027
Full format page: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-core-training-ct1/format

Recruitment dates: Applications 22 October 2026 to 19 November 2026 (national Round 1); Interviews within the national Round 1 window, 11 January 2027 to 2 April 2027 (source: NHS England Medical Specialty Recruitment, checked 2026-09-24).
All Anaesthetics — Core Training (CT1) dates: https://medmock.com/exams/anaesthetics-core-training-ct1#dates

## Stations you can practise

- **Clinical Judgement Station** — Clinical Judgement & Decision Making, Reflective Practice, and Working Under Pressure (5 marks per domain per assessor). Candidate is given a 5-minute pre-read clinical scenario; the assessor adds information dynamically during the 15-minute interview.
- **General Interview Station** — Communication, Commitment to Specialty, and Teamwork (5 marks per domain per assessor). 15-minute interview probing training to date, commitment to anaesthesia, experience of working in and leading teams, and wider NHS-in-anaesthesia awareness.

## Sample Anaesthetics — Core Training (CT1) questions

- *General Interview Station:* Why anaesthetics, and why this year? Tell me what you have specifically done to confirm that anaesthesia is the right specialty for you.
- *Clinical Judgement Station:* A patient with a large obstructing oral tumour needs urgent surgery. How would you decide between awake tracheal intubation and another airway strategy?

## Example scenarios

- *Clinical Judgement Station:* You are the FY2 in the resus bay. A 27-year-old asthmatic is on back-to-back salbutamol nebs and IV hydrocortisone, sats 91% on 15 L NRB, RR 32, GCS dropping from 15 to 13. The ED registrar hands over and asks what you want to do next.

## How a practice session works

1. **Choose a station** — Choose the kind of question or scenario you want to rehearse — ethics, motivation, a role-play, and more.
2. **Have the conversation** — Speak naturally, out loud. The AI interviewer listens and asks the demanding follow-ups, just as a real interviewer would.
3. **Get instant feedback** — The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.

## Price

Start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits (30 minutes of speaking practice), not a subscription. After that, or instead, £45 per month for 300 credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Cancel at any time. Full details: https://medmock.com/pricing

## Frequently asked questions

### How does the feedback work?

When you finish a station you can have it marked, and the scorecard comes back in seconds — what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next. Scorecards, mark schemes and model answers are included at no extra credit cost.

### Can I practise specific Anaesthetics — Core Training CT1 stations?

Yes. You can pick either station to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set to simulate the real interview.

### How much does it cost?

You can start with a one-off £5 taster: 30 credits, which is 30 minutes of speaking practice, with no subscription. After that, or at any time, you can choose a monthly plan, which includes a monthly credit allowance. Current prices are on the pricing page.

## About MedMock

MedMock is a web app for practising the spoken parts of UK medical and dental exams and interviews out loud. The candidate talks; an AI patient, examiner or interview panel answers in real time by voice; and when the station ends MedMock marks the performance against that exam's assessment domains and shows the model answer.

It covers 104 spoken exams and interviews — OSCEs, vivas, structured oral exams, simulated consultations, and specialty-training and consultant interviews. It does not cover written or multiple-choice papers, and it is not a question bank.

It was founded by Mr Sam Nahas, MBBS BSc MEd FRCS (Tr & Orth), a practising consultant orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, with co-founder and CTO Arjan Jandu. It is operated by VirtualPatients Ltd (company no. 16303492).

Pricing: a one-off £5 taster of 30 credits to try it (not a subscription, one per account), and a monthly subscription from £20 to £129 depending on the exam (student exams cost least, fellowship exit exams and consultant interviews most), or £199 to £275 for the Intensive plans, which carry more credits. One credit is one minute of spoken practice, or two typed exchanges, and where the examiner or patient speaks first, that opening line is free. Examiner scorecards, mark schemes and model answers for finished sessions are included at no extra credit cost. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time.

It runs in a web browser on a laptop or phone; spoken practice needs a microphone. There is no public demo: practice needs an account with credits, usually from the taster or a monthly plan.

MedMock is for adults aged 18 or over. Sign-up asks every new account to confirm it.

MedMock is a revision tool. The patients, examiners and cases are fictional and AI-generated; it is not clinical guidance and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any Royal College, the GMC, the GDC or any examining body.

Start with the £5 taster: https://medmock.com/auth/signup