Skip to content
Paediatric Surgery in practice: a scene from the specialty

Paediatric Surgery ST3 · 2027 Interview

Paediatric Surgery

Four stations, from neonatal emergencies to a conversation with a parent. In 2026 the interview carried 264 of the 295 marks.

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:Career Progression now includes non-technical skills; new criteria on working with children and families

What to expect

Stations, timings and how you’re scored

Paediatric Surgery has one of the smallest intakes in surgery, and in 2026 the interview carried most of the marks. In 2025 NHS England recorded about 6.8 applications for each post.

The Career Progression Station

10 minutes

Commitment to specialty

5 minutes of reading first

You read a document first, then answer questions on elements of your career and experience to date.

Talk through real examples of your career choices, leadership, teaching and reflection, rather than listing them. For 2027 the station also includes a non-technical skills element; the details will be in the 2027 handbook.

17 career scenarios included.

The Academic Station

10 minutes

Academic knowledge

5 minutes of reading first

Your academic experience, plus a presentation on a topic sent to you a week before the interview.

You present it and defend it under questioning, alongside your research, audit and quality improvement record.

12 academic scenarios included.

The Clinical Station

10 minutes

Clinical knowledge

5 minutes of reading first

A clinical scenario, with neonatal and childhood emergencies prominent: bilious vomiting, the acute abdomen, and fluids and sepsis by weight.

Give your plan in a safe order and say when you'd escalate to a tertiary centre. In 2026 it was the first station used to break ties.

27 clinical scenarios included.

The CARE Communication Station

10 minutes

Family-centred care

5 minutes of reading first

A conversation with a patient, parent, carer, guardian or next of kin about their care, played by a simulated patient.

It was a pilot in 2026: scored, but not added to the final interview score. Whether it counts in 2027 will be in the 2027 handbook, which is not out yet.

10 communication scenarios included.

How the final rank is scored

2026 split: the interview carried 264 of 295 marks, and the CARE pilot station was scored but not counted. The 2027 split is not yet published.

  1. 89%

    Interview

  2. 11%

    Self-assessment

From the person specification

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

    Essential criterion

  • "Understanding of research, including awareness of ethical issues"

    Academic knowledge

  • "Demonstrates understanding of child and family-centred care, including the ability to communicate effectively and empathically."

    Essential criterion, new for 2027

NHS England, Paediatric Surgery ST3 person specification, 2027.

Format, minutes and weightings: NHS England, Paediatric Surgery ST3 recruitment, 2026.

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

Paediatric Surgery

Your plan

Paediatric Surgery ST3

Be ready for the Paediatric Surgery interview

Practise all four 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.