Paediatrics ST1 · interview guide
The Paediatrics ST1 interview: stations, scoring and how to prepare
Your shortlisting answers get you an interview, but they don’t carry over. Your Paediatrics ST1 ranking comes from the online interview alone. This guide explains the two stations, the four areas they score, and the mark you need.
- Official RCPCH guidance, quoted
- Free Paediatrics shortlisting guide
The Paediatrics interview at a glance
- Online, on Qpercom. Two stations of 20 minutes each.
- Four areas, 10 minutes each: communication, career motivation, reflective practice and clinical reasoning.
- Two clinicians score each station independently. Total out of 160.
- Appointable: at least 88 out of 160. The MSRA is not used.
Source: RCPCH ST1 applicant guidance 2027-28, read 31 October 2026.
How Paediatrics ST1 selection works
- Shortlisting uses your written answers on Oriel, scored by two assessors. It decides who is invited to interview.
- Ranking is based on the online interview alone. RCPCH says shortlisting scores do not carry over to the interview.
- The MSRA is not used for Paediatrics ST1.
The process is unchanged from last year. In 2026, 2,605 applications were made for 508 posts, a ratio of 5.13 (Medical Hub competition ratios).
The two stations
Each station lasts 20 minutes and covers two areas of 10 minutes each. Two clinicians score you independently, each out of 20 for every area, so each area is worth 40 marks and the interview 160.
- Communication: a role-play scenario after 5 minutes of reading.
- Career motivation: a discussion of your achievements and why you want a career in paediatrics.
- Reflective practice: how you learn from experience.
- Paediatric clinical reasoning: a clinical scenario pitched at F2 level.
What makes you appointable
- A score of at least 88 out of 160 (55%).
- Even above that mark, you can be vetoed for serious concerns, or for a low score of 25% or less on any station.
How to prepare
- Practise role-play communication with a colleague, including breaking difficult news to a parent.
- Prepare reflective examples where you learned something and changed your practice.
- Know why paediatrics. Have concrete examples: tasters, teaching, audits or presentations in child health.
- Brush up on common paediatric presentations at F2 level.
- You may bring notes on paper.
When it happens
Applications close in November. Interviews run from early February to late March, on dates set by each region, and first offers come out in early April. Check your region’s dates on the RCPCH ST1 page.
Get through shortlisting first
- See how the written shortlisting answers are scored in our Paediatrics shortlisting guide.
- Presenting your work gives you strong examples for career motivation. NMERC is an online national conference for doctors and medical students, and submitting an abstract is free.
- Other interview guides: IMT · CST · Radiology · Ophthalmology · Anaesthetics.
Common questions
Does my shortlisting score count at interview?
No. It decides who is interviewed. Your ranking comes from the interview alone.
What score do I need to be appointable?
At least 88 out of 160, with no serious concerns and no station scored at 25% or less.
Does Paediatrics ST1 use the MSRA?
No.
