Consultant interview practice

How to prepare for the Consultant interview

There is no national format for an NHS consultant interview: each trust sets its own process. In England an NHS trust must appoint through an Advisory Appointments Committee, but the committee decides its own procedure, and the regulations do not cover foundation trusts. Find out your trust's process early, then prepare against the job description and person specification, which shortlisting and selection are judged against, and for each panel member's point of view.

An example Consultant interview station, with example feedback Consultant interview recruitment dates

Step by step

  1. 1

    Find out exactly how your trust will run it

    Each Advisory Appointments Committee determines its own procedures, the chair decides the order of questioning, and employers can use selection techniques in addition to the interview. The guidance says candidates should be fully aware of the process, so ask medical staffing for the format, length, panel and any exercises in writing.

  2. 2

    Check you are eligible to be interviewed

    For an NHS trust you must be on the GMC Specialist Register before you take up a consultant post, but trainees can apply and be interviewed if their expected CCT date is no more than six months after the interview. Foundation trusts are not legally bound by this, although NHS Employers calls appointing registered doctors best practice.

  3. 3

    Map your evidence to the person specification

    Shortlisting and the final choice are both made against the person specification, and applicants should be given the job description, person specification, information on the trust and details of staffing and services. Prepare a specific example for each essential and desirable criterion, including any subspecialty named in the advert or person specification.

  4. 4

    Use the preliminary visit to learn the service

    The guidance says applicants should be able to visit and meet prospective colleagues before shortlisting and interview, with contacts such as the medical director and chief executive provided. These visits form no part of the selection, so use them to understand the department's pressures and plans rather than to sell yourself.

  5. 5

    Prepare for each member of the panel

    In England the core panel is a lay member (normally the trust chair or another non-executive director), a college assessor, the chief executive or a deputy, the medical director or a deputy and a consultant from the trust, plus a university member for posts with teaching or research. The college assessor is there to check you are suitably trained for the post, so expect detailed questions on your training.

  6. 6

    Ground governance and leadership answers in GMC guidance

    Use Good medical practice, the GMC's leadership and management guidance and its joint guidance with the NMC on the duty of candour. Prepare real examples of handling an incident, a complaint, a concern about a colleague and a service improvement, and explain what you would do as the consultant responsible.

  7. 7

    Plan what you would bring to the post

    Read the job description and job plan closely and prepare a realistic view of your first year: the service you would run, the teaching, audit or research the post includes, and how you would work with the existing team. If the trust sets a presentation, rehearse it to time.

  8. 8

    Rehearse out loud, then ask for feedback

    Practise with consultants, ideally someone who has sat on consultant panels, taking questions from each panel member's point of view. If feedback is not given on the day, the trust should write to unsuccessful candidates and offer it, so take it up whatever the outcome.

Official resources

Common mistakes examiners report

  • Canvassing for support: the good practice guidance says neither trusts, applicants nor anyone else should canvass support for an application. source
  • Relying on the pre-interview visit to impress: the guidance says such visits form no part of the selection process. source
  • Applying too early: for NHS trusts, trainees can be interviewed only if their expected CCT date is no more than six months after the interview. source

Practise with MedMock

MedMock practises the consultant interview as panel conversations set in your target hospital and specialty. A full panel run of about 40 minutes (real lengths vary by trust) has the lay chair, college assessor, medical director, chief executive and a consultant colleague take turns, or you can practise single themes such as clinical scenarios, management and governance, a difficult colleague, or vision and service development. It does not simulate a presentation. There is a worked example of the management and governance theme.

Practise your Consultant interview Free trial, no card needed.

Questions candidates ask

Is there a standard consultant interview format?

No. Each Advisory Appointments Committee determines its own procedures within the regulations, and the chair sets the order of questioning. Ask the trust for its format and do not assume it matches another trust's.

Do foundation trusts follow the same rules?

Not necessarily. The regulations do not cover NHS foundation trusts, which may choose to follow them, and under the concordat each foundation trust chooses how far to involve the royal colleges. Specialist registration is not a legal requirement there, though NHS Employers calls it best practice.

What about Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Wales has its own good practice guidance, revised in 2022, and colleges such as the RCP provide AAC representatives in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland differs: the Scottish Academy provides an external adviser for each consultant appointment panel at the recruiting health board's request.

Can the interview be held by video?

It depends on the employer. The 2005 guidance for England allowed video interviews only exceptionally, Wales's 2022 guidance lets the committee choose in person or by technology, and the RCP says its representatives can join by video or in person.

How long should I prepare?

No official body sets a preparation time. It helps to start when the post is advertised, so you can visit, read the trust's documents and rehearse before the interview.

Sources

Checked on 27 September 2026.

Exams and their regulations change. MedMock is not affiliated with any examining body; always check the current guidance on the official site before you apply.