If you are applying for Public Health Specialty Training, you know how important each stage of the recruitment process is. The more you understand the structure and assessments, the better you can prepare.
This guide walks you through the key steps for the current recruitment rounds.
Recruitment to Public Health ST1 posts across the UK is run nationally by the Public Health National Recruitment Office (PHNRO) via NHS England. The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) remains the standard-setting body for specialists in the field.
There are several eligibility requirements you must meet before you can start the process and you will need to submit a strong application at every stage.
There are Public Health training programmes across the UK and two main entry routes:
- A medical route for doctors
- A non-medical route for applicants from other relevant professional backgrounds
Once appointed, both routes follow the same five-year training programme.
The Public Health Registrar (ST1) hiring process still consists of three main stages:
- Public Health online application
- Public Health assessment centre (computer-based tests)
- Public Health selection centre (virtual interview)
Online Application Form
Applications normally open in late October for posts starting the following August. You apply through the Oriel online system and submit one national application that covers all UK programmes. Applications usually close in late November.
The application form asks about your qualifications, experience and evidence that you meet the criteria in the national person specification. You are expected to show familiarity with Public Health concepts, current issues and the wider policy environment.
Typical questions may include:
- How do your skills and attributes demonstrate that you are a suitable candidate for a career in this field?
- What have you done recently to further your knowledge of Public Health and what did you learn from it?
- Give an example of a time you found it challenging to understand the concerns of a patient, service user or stakeholder. What impact did this have and what feedback did you receive?
- Describe a time when you needed to communicate with people who had very different levels of understanding about a situation. How did you adapt your approach and how did you know if it worked?
- Describe a recent experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team in a challenging situation. What approach did you take and how did your behaviour help the team manage it?
Public Health Assessment Centre (computer-based tests)
If your application meets the eligibility criteria, you will be invited by PHNRO to attend the Public Health Assessment Centre, delivered at Pearson VUE test centres.
The assessment centre:
- Usually takes place in early January
- Is delivered as a single sitting lasting 190 minutes in total
- Is sat at Pearson VUE centres across the UK and some overseas locations
You will sit three psychometric tests that assess numerical reasoning, critical thinking and situational judgement:
- Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal
- RANRA – Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning Appraisal
- Public Health-specific Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
You must pass all three exams and rank highly enough overall to be considered for an invitation to the selection centre (interview).
Watson–Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal
The Watson–Glaser assesses your ability to interpret information, evaluate arguments and draw justified conclusions. It is widely used to measure critical thinking in a structured way.
Current format for Public Health ST1:
- 30 minutes
- 40 questions
It measures five key abilities:
- Drawing inferences from facts
- Recognising assumptions
- Deductive reasoning
- Logical interpretation
- Evaluating arguments
Watson–Glaser questions can feel very different from typical academic exams. Regular practice helps you recognise the patterns in question types, sharpen your reasoning and get used to working under tight time pressure.
Prepare for the Watson–Glaser test here
Public Health RANRA – Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning Appraisal
RANRA is not a standard maths test. It assesses how you reason with numerical information, interpret data and make decisions when you are working quickly with limited time.
Current format:
- 40 minutes
- 32 questions
There are two parts:
- Comparison of quantities
- You are given two quantities, a statement and several possible answers.
- Sufficiency of information
- You are given two statements and a question, then asked whether the information provided is sufficient to answer the question.
Questions require you to identify the most important numerical information and use simple but efficient shortcuts rather than long calculations.
Prepare for the RANRA test here
Public Health Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
The Public Health SJT assesses non-academic, professional and personal attributes such as integrity, communication, coping with pressure and team working.
Current format:
- 100 minutes
- 53 questions
The SJT presents realistic professional scenarios and asks you to judge how a first-year Public Health Specialty Registrar should respond.
There are two main item formats:
- Ranking questions
- You see a scenario plus a set of response options.
- You rank the options from most appropriate to least appropriate.
- Multiple-response questions
- You see a scenario and a longer list of possible actions.
- You choose the three options that together form the most appropriate response.
There is no negative marking, so you should attempt every question.
You can prepare by:
- Reviewing the latest Public Health ST1 person specification so you understand the behaviours being assessed
- Practising SJT style questions and reflecting on why certain responses are considered stronger than others
Prepare for the SJT here
Public Health Selection Centre (virtual interview)
Candidates who pass the assessment centre and rank highly enough are invited to the selection centre, which now takes the form of a virtual digital interview.
Key points about the current format:
- Held online using a video platform
- Your appointment slot includes time for ID checks and briefing and typically lasts up to 60 minutes
- The interview itself consists of six questions, each lasting six minutes
- You are moved on to the next question as soon as the six minutes are up
Each question is mapped to specific essential criteria in the person specification. Interviewers can prompt you back to those criteria if you drift off topic. All stations are scored by trained assessors and there is a minimum total score you must achieve to be considered appointable.
The NHS and many prep providers advise reflecting in advance on:
- Your top six skills
- Your work values
- The type of work you prefer
- The sort of environment you want to work in
- Your career plan now and over the next five years
The Public Health Interview
The interview is structured to give a balanced view of your abilities rather than a single long conversation.
In practice:
- You will answer six structured questions, often split across two stations with multiple assessors
- Questions may be situational, experience-based or test your insight into current Public Health issues
- Only the parts of your answer that relate to the mapped criteria are scored
Example question themes include:
- What would you do in a given scenario involving a service user, stakeholder or team?
- How have you used data or evidence to inform a decision?
- How have you demonstrated leadership or managed conflict in a multi-disciplinary team?
- What are the main challenges facing Public Health in the UK and how should they be addressed?
It is worth preparing several examples in advance and structuring your answers using the STAR approach (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Prepare for Success
Recruitment remains highly competitive. There is typically one national round each year, with around 60 to 90 ST1 posts across the UK and several hundred eligible applicants.
To maximise your chances:
- Take time over your Oriel application, especially the evidence boxes
- Learn the format and timing of each assessment centre test and practise under timed conditions
- Use sample questions from reputable sources to get used to the style
- Prepare carefully for the virtual interview, including mock interviews and practising speaking clearly to time
High quality practice materials and support can make a real difference to your confidence and performance on the day, especially for Watson–Glaser, RANRA and the SJT.
Practising tests and preparing for the assessment centre will help you improve your performance on tests day. The excellent customer support team at JobTestPrep and high-quality practice materials can help you reach your goals.