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ENT (Otolaryngology) in practice: a scene from the specialty

ENT ST3 · 2027 Interview

ENT (Otolaryngology)

In 2026: three 10-minute stations, 2 minutes of reading each, and an actor in the Communication station, the first station used to break ties.

Your interview toolkit

Everything you need to prepare for your interview

£150

3 month access

Model answers for every scenario, with scoring points and audio of delivery.

Try for free

2027 Update:The 2026 format for the March 2027 online interviews; the self-assessment criteria have changed

What to expect

Stations, timings and how you’re scored

In 2026 your self-assessment decided who was interviewed; three 10-minute stations then set your rank, with the self-assessment breaking ties. In 2025 NHS England recorded about 5.9 applications for each post.

The Professional Station

10 minutes

Commitment to specialty

2 minutes of reading first

Questions on professionalism and judgement, sometimes with a task first: a paper to read or a presentation to prepare. In 2026 any task was emailed within 7 days of the interview, and no email meant nothing to prepare.

Two interviewers mark you separately. In 2026 you could bring paper notes you wrote yourself; books and devices were not allowed.

15 professional scenarios included.

The Communication Station

10 minutes

Communication skills

2 minutes of reading first

You role-play a scenario with a trained actor, after 2 minutes to read the brief.

In 2026, if two candidates' overall scores tied, this station's score was the first used to split them.

20 communication scenarios included.

The Clinical Station

10 minutes

Clinical knowledge

2 minutes of reading first

A clinical scenario you read first, then general clinical problem solving.

Expect airway emergencies and the acutely unwell ENT patient. The interviewers mark you separately, so give your plan in a safe order and say when you'd call for help.

28 clinical scenarios included.

From the person specification

  • "Shows realistic insight into Otolaryngology and the personal demands of a commitment to surgery."

    Commitment to specialty

  • "Ability to communicate messages effectively to a range of audiences"

    Personal skills

  • "Capacity to apply sound clinical knowledge and judgement to problems."

    Clinical knowledge and expertise

NHS England, Otolaryngology (ENT) ST3 person specification, 2027.

Format and minutes: 2026 ENT ST3 applicant handbook (NHS England North East and Yorkshire). The 2027 handbook is not yet published.

How you’ll prepare

Interactive verbal practice, on any screen

Answer the interviewer out loud on your computer or tablet, then practise on your phone between shifts. One account works on your computer, tablet and phone.

  • Interactive learning

    Your interview is a spoken assessment, so your preparation should reflect this.

  • Real-time marking

    See your scores and where to improve.

  • Personalised feedback

    Your words, edited into a higher-scoring answer, with every change explained.

  • Timed mock interviews

    6 full mock interviews, timed like the real one, with a report at the end.

Your CV

Make everything you've done count

It's easy to forget your best examples on the day. Add your CV for personalised feedback: the audit, teaching or research you didn't mention, where it scores on the mark scheme, and anything your CV doesn't back up. We read it once and never store the file.

Questions

Common questions

Something else? Contact Us

ENT (Otolaryngology)

Your plan

ENT ST3

Be ready for the ENT interview

Practise all three stations out loud, then sit them as one timed interview.

Plans are paid once and do not renew. A plan covers one specialty, and you can try its first questions free.