NHS interview questions to practise out loud
Sixteen questions NHS England and NHS trusts publish for values-based and competency interviews, why each is asked and what to include. Then rehearse your own answers out loud with Bossed.
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Values in everyday work, clear communication and teamwork around patients and services.
16 questions to practise out loud
Understand what each question explores, then build an answer from your own experience.
- 01
Describe a time you dealt with a difficult patient or relative.
Describe a time you dealt with a difficult patient or relative.
What this explores · Explores person-centred communication when someone is upset.
What to includeWhat the person needed, how you listened and stayed calm, and what you did next.
- 02
Why do you want to work for the NHS and for this organisation?
Why do you want to work for the NHS and for this organisation?
What this explores · Explores motivation tied to this employer, not the NHS in general.
What to includeSomething specific about the trust or service, linked to your experience and the person specification.
- 03
What do you know about the NHS Constitution and its values?
What do you know about the NHS Constitution and its values?
What this explores · Checks you know the values you will be assessed against.
What to includeName the values, then give one example of acting on one of them at work.
- 04
How would you handle a clinical error or mistake?
How would you handle a clinical error or mistake?
What this explores · Explores honesty, patient safety and learning.
What to includeMaking the person safe, telling the right person, recording it and what you would change.
- 05
What would you do if you saw a senior colleague make a mistake?
What would you do if you saw a senior colleague make a mistake?
What this explores · Explores speaking up across a hierarchy.
What to includePatient safety first, raising it directly or escalating it, and following up.
- 06
What does safeguarding mean to you in your role?
What does safeguarding mean to you in your role?
What this explores · Checks you understand your duty to protect people at risk.
What to includeWhat you would notice, who you would tell and how you would record it.
- 07
How do you handle conflict with colleagues?
How do you handle conflict with colleagues?
What this explores · Explores teamwork when views differ.
What to includeA real example, how you understood their view and what you agreed.
- 08
How do you organise and prioritise your caseload?
How do you organise and prioritise your caseload?
What this explores · Explores time management on busy shifts or clinics.
What to includeHow you judge urgency, when you ask for help and how you keep others informed.
- 09
Describe a time when you have put the needs of others before your own and how you did this.
Describe a time when you have put the needs of others before your own and how you did this.
What this explores · A values question on caring for everyone.
What to includeThe person, what they needed, what you gave up or changed and what difference it made.
- 10
Please give an example of a situation where you’ve spoken up because you had concerns. What was the outcome? How did this make you feel?
Please give an example of a situation where you’ve spoken up because you had concerns. What was the outcome? How did this make you feel?
What this explores · Explores raising concerns, and your reflection afterwards.
What to includeThe concern, who you told, what happened and what you learned about speaking up.
- 11
How have you handled, or how would you handle, a situation in which one of your colleagues made a discriminatory remark?
How have you handled, or how would you handle, a situation in which one of your colleagues made a discriminatory remark?
What this explores · A values question on respect for all.
What to includeChallenging it calmly at the time or soon after, supporting anyone affected and reporting it if needed.
- 12
Tell me about a time when you have made an improvement in your work area, role or service and what you did to achieve this.
Tell me about a time when you have made an improvement in your work area, role or service and what you did to achieve this.
What this explores · Explores commitment to improving services.
What to includeThe problem, the small change you made, who you involved and how you knew it worked.
- 13
Can you give me an example of when you have had to make a tough decision?
Can you give me an example of when you have had to make a tough decision?
What this explores · A competency question on decision making.
What to includeThe options, why you chose as you did and what you would weigh differently now.
- 14
Can you provide an example of when you have failed?
Can you provide an example of when you have failed?
What this explores · A competency question on resilience.
What to includeAn honest failure, what you did next and what you have done differently since.
- 15
Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile for someone.
Tell me about a time when you went the extra mile for someone.
What this explores · A value-based interview question.
What to includeWhat was expected, what you did beyond it and why it mattered to the person.
- 16
Can you describe a time when things did not go according to plan and how you dealt with it?
Can you describe a time when things did not go according to plan and how you dealt with it?
What this explores · Explores adapting under pressure.
What to includeWhat changed, how you reprioritised, who you told and what you learned.
See how an answer can take shape
See how specific feedback sharpens an interview answer. Then put your own experience to the test.
Describe a time you dealt with a difficult patient or relative.
Someone contacting our service was frustrated because they kept being passed between teams. I listened to the full problem, checked which team could help and arranged a clear handover with their agreement. I also raised the repeated transfers in our team meeting so we could improve the information we gave.
Skill scores
What to strengthen
The person’s experience stays central. Add what happened after the handover and which local value the example demonstrates.
Values shown through everyday actions
NHS Health Careers advises applicants to understand NHS or employer values and explain how they apply them at work. The person specification and local organisation’s values should guide your own examples.
- Connect each value to something you actually did.
- Prepare examples relevant to your own clinical or non-clinical role.
- Keep patient and service-user details anonymous.
NHS Health Careers: interview preparation · Checked 5 September 2026. Bossed is an independent practice tool.
How Bossed helps you prepare
Find your strongest example
Read the person specification and your employing organisation’s values. Choose anonymised examples that show those values through actions, whether the role is clinical or non-clinical.
Say it out loud
Explain the situation, your decision and the result in one short story. Say it without reading, then practise a follow-up about why you chose that approach.
Make the next answer clearer
Rehearse in a Bossed spoken session and use the feedback to improve one thing: your opening, your explanation or the evidence behind your result.
See what to work on next
See where your answers need work across four skills and focus your next session. Build stronger examples, clearer explanations and more convincing answers.
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Before you start
How to prepare your examples and get the most from your practice.
Where do these NHS interview questions come from?
What are the six NHS values?
How should I answer NHS competency questions?
How should I prepare for this interview?
Can I use examples from study or volunteering?
Should I memorise the example answer?
How does spoken practice help?
How do I get started?
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