Role guide
Updated 31 August 2026
The evidence supports two pathway-specific examples rather than one standard GP interview journey. For GP specialty-training applicants, selection is nationally coordinated and its stages have been incrementally piloted and validated. For IIP or Return to Practice GP applicants, the Professional Dilemmas paper is a 62-item situational judgement test about practising medicine in the NHS and general practice.
The supplied process evidence covers GP specialty training and the IIP or Return to Practice pathways. It does not establish a standard process for every GP employer or salaried-GP post.
GP specialty-training selection
Nationally coordinated selection process
Not stated in the supplied evidence.
Depends on the employerFor GP specialty-training applicants, selection has stages that have been incrementally piloted and validated.
IIP or Return to Practice GP pathway
For IIP or Return to Practice GP applicants, the Professional Dilemmas paper is a 62-item situational judgement test focused on practising medicine in the NHS and general practice. This is pathway-specific, not a universal salaried-GP hiring assessment.
Begin with the exact information for your post or pathway. Review the evidence already recorded in your GP CV, then choose truthful examples that you can explain clearly without stretching your involvement.
For General Practitioner applicants, useful areas to revisit include managing clinical complexity, uncertainty and risk; taking a whole-person approach; working in or leading multidisciplinary teams; building patient partnerships based on empathy and trust; and providing evidence-informed personalised community care. Prepare the situation, your own actions, your reasoning, the result and what you learnt.
If you are applying through the IIP or Return to Practice GP pathway, confirm the current arrangements for the Professional Dilemmas paper and practise reading situational judgement items carefully. Keep this preparation separate from any employer-specific interview requirements.
For General Practitioner applicants, UK GP work involves whole-person care and calls for expertise in managing clinical complexity, uncertainty and risk.
For General Practitioner applicants, UK GPs need a whole-person generalist approach that considers health needs, life stage and background, alongside evidence-informed personalised care in the community.
For General Practitioner applicants, GP practice requires patient partnerships marked by empathy, mutual trust and freedom from bias or judgement.
For General Practitioner applicants, GPs need to work in, connect with and lead multidisciplinary teams caring for people and families.
For General Practitioner applicants, UK general practice includes first-contact assessment and management, relevant health-promotion advice and referral where appropriate; UK GPs also manage long-term conditions according to local needs and discussions with patients.
For General Practitioner applicants, GP work includes records and information governance, patient communication, education, training, practice management and medicines management; GPs also need to lead, support and embrace innovation in medicine and technology.
Use the answer plans as prompts, not scripts. Your examples should sound like you.
Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.
What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.
Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.
What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.
Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.
Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.
What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.
Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.
What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.
Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.
Use these questions to practise concise, evidence-based answers.
What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.
Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.
What they want to learn: The interviewer is looking for a clear account of your relevant experience and reasoning.
Evidence to use: Choose a truthful example from your own experience that directly answers this question.
This helps you understand what support would be available to you in the post.
The answer can help you judge whether the practice's approach suits how you want to work.
This gives you a clearer picture of the working relationships attached to the post.
This can help you assess the working environment and the support available.
This helps you find out whether the post offers opportunities that match your interests.
Giving an answer that stays at a general level.
Where the question invites an example, choose a truthful one and explain your own actions, reasoning, result and learning.
Describing a clinical situation without explaining how you handled uncertainty or risk.
Choose an example that lets you state what you knew, what remained uncertain and how you reasoned through it.
Talking about a team achievement without making your own contribution clear.
Separate the team's work from your decisions, actions and learning.
Giving a polished answer that does not directly address the question.
Pause, identify what was asked and lead with the relevant point before adding context.
Treating every GP selection route as if it used the same process.
Check the invitation and pathway information carefully, because the documented examples here are route-specific.
Send a brief, factual thank-you message if you have an appropriate contact. Refer to the role, confirm your continued interest and correct any important factual point that you misstated. Follow the stated process for further documents or next steps rather than sending material that was not requested.
From guide to application
Use cvlift to tailor your CV to the role and bring the most relevant experience forward. Then use this guide to practise the examples behind it.
