Applicants
Health course interviews
If your application to study one of our health courses is accepted we will invite you for an interview. An offer to study with us will only be made after a successful interview.
/prod01/yorksjacuk/media/content-assets/safe-images/1600-x-1000/Physiotherapy-hero.jpg)
Occupational Therapy
Go to: What to expect on the day | What to bring | Tips and tricks
What to expect at the interview
Interviews will include topics such as:
- The value of promoting health and wellbeing.
- Your understanding of Occupational Therapy as a profession.
- A chance to share your motives for wanting to study Occupational Therapy and identify personal qualities that you can bring to the profession.
- Personal resilience to study Occupational Therapy.
What you need to bring
- Certificates: All GCSEs, Level 3s (A levels, BTECs), degree certificates. If your grades are pending, you do not need to bring confirmation of what you are studying.
- ID: You will need 3 items of ID to allow us to start your DBS and Medical Check. A passport, birth certificate or full driving licence will be sufficient for the first 2 documents. A bank statement, credit card statement or a P45/P60 will suffice for the third.
Top tips
Our 3rd year Occupational Therapy student Lizzie describes her interview and gives you her top tips.
To be accepted onto the course I had to complete a 2 part interview which included a 1 to 1 interview and a group interview working on a given scenario. I was quite nervous for my interview as I really wanted to go to York St John. The group scenarios can be hard but it's nice to meet other people wanting to study Occupational Therapy. In the interview scenario everyone wants to help each other succeed.
My group was given a picture of a very messy bathroom to look at and we had to suggest how you could make the environment safer. We did this as a discussion, which felt less formal than the 1 to 1 interview. My individual interview included questions about why I wanted to study Occupational Therapy, what skills I thought were needed for the job, why I wanted to study at York St John and what I thought I could bring to the course. I found the interviewer friendly and reassuring if I couldn't answer the question.
Lizzie's top tips for interviews:
- Remember that the interviewers and staff want you to succeed. They won't try and trip you up.
- Preparation is very helpful! Looking at example questions online and preparing for general questions such as why you want to study the topic and key skills needed means you'll feel calmer when they get asked.
- Be smiley and make eye contact. Your body language also helps to present you well.
- Get to know the other candidates. It can be helpful to learn about other interview experiences.
- Leave plenty of time to get there so you don't have any extra stress about being late.
- Ask questions about the course or anything that comes up in the interview. This shows enthusiasm and that you really want to study that course!
Congratulations! Your application has passed academic review and we are now delighted to invite you to an interview.
Details of your interview are included on your invitation, however, you can explore the information below for more guidance.
Jump to a section:
Interview day schedule
We are an open campus so you are free to leave the University once your interview is completed or if you have time between talks and your interviews. Please remember that as you are applying to commence a professionally registered programme of study, you will be required to communicate and behave in a professional manner at all times.
Please arrive at the room at least 15 minutes ahead of your interview.
For the full interview schedule for Nursing and Medical Science (NMS) and Allied Health courses, please visit the drop-down menu below.
NMS courses: Morning slot (Nursing and Operating Department Practice)
Please note that Operating Department Practice (ODP) will be interviewing in the morning only.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8.30am to 8.45am |
Please arrive on campus and visit our main reception in the De Grey building. You will be greeted by a Student Ambassador. |
| 8.45am to 9.15am | Registration. You will also be allocated an individual interview slot and provided with a welcome letter during this time. |
| 9.15am onwards |
Introductory talk by a member of the Admissions team, this will then be followed with DBS, ID and Certificate checks. This process will be carried out by one of the Admissions team. Depending on the time of your interview, you will either be instructed to do this before or after your interview. |
| 10.00am onwards |
Individual interviews with a member of the academic team. |
NMS courses: Afternoon slot (Nursing only)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12.30pm to 12.45pm |
Please arrive on campus and visit our main reception in the De Grey building. You will be greeted by a Student Ambassador. |
| 12.45pm to 1.00pm | Registration. You will also be allocated an individual interview slot and provided with a welcome letter during this time. |
| 1.00pm onwards |
Introductory talk by a member of the Admissions team, this will then be followed with DBS, ID and Certificate checks. This process will be carried out by one of the Admissions team. Depending on the time of your interview, you will either be instructed to do this before or after your interview. |
| 1.30pm onwards | Individual interviews with a member of the academic team. You will also have the oppurtunity to have a campus and facilities tour from a Student Ambassador during this time. |
Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Paramedic Science and Speech and Language Therapy: Afternoon only
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 12.15pm to 1:00pm | Registration: You will also be allocated an interview slot and provided with a welcome letter. Please arrive at the De Grey Reception where a Student Ambassador will take you to the Admissions team. |
| 1:00pm to 4:30pm | Introductory talk conducted by a member of the Admissions team. |
- DBS/Certificate checks: This will be carried out by the Admissions team. Depending on the time of your interview, you will either be instructed to do this before or after your interview.
- Individual interview with a member of the academic team: You will have your interview slot allocated upon arrival.
- You will have the option to have a campus tour conducted by one of our Student Ambassadors.
What to bring
Certificates
Bring certificates for all of your GCSEs, Level 3s (A levels, BTECs), degree certificates, and so on. If your grades are pending, you do not need to bring confirmation of what you are studying. These can be sent to our Admissions team by email (admissions@yorksj.ac.uk) ahead of your interview if preferred.
ID
You will need 3 items of ID to allow us to start your DBS and Medical Check. A passport, birth certificate or full driving licence will be sufficient for the first 2 documents. A bank statement, credit card statement or a P45/P60 will suffice for the third.
We don't start the DBS process at your interview, but we gather information at this stage so we start the process more easily. The DBS process will begin in the summer for students who firmly accept their offer from York St John.
Guidance
Discover health interview guidance from our admissions officers. You can also find course-specific guidance in the course information section below.
Course information
Your course may have some specific interview preparations or recommended reading. Use the drop-down below to explore information for your chosen course.
You may want to prepare by reading the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code (PDF, 0.5MB).
You may want to prepare by reading the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code (PDF, 0.5MB), as our course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
To learn more about our Nursing courses and watch videos about studying with us, visit our Nursing course pages.
You can also discover specific guidance for our Nursing health interviews by reading the Mental Health Nursing interview guide (PDF, 0.5 MB) and the Nursing (Adult) BSc (Hons) interview guide (PDF, 0.5 MB).
You may want to prepare by reading the Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice, Conduct and Ethics, as our course is accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).
To learn more about our Occupational Therapy course and watch video testimonials from some of our students, visit our Occupational Therapy course page.
You can also discover specific guidance for our Occupational Therapy health interviews by reading the Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons) interview guide (PDF, 0.5 MB).
You may want to prepare by reading the Operating Department Practitioner's Standards of Proficiency (PDF, 0.1MB).
You can also discover specific guidance for our Operating Department Practice health interviews by reading the Operating Department Practice MSc interview guide (PDF, 0.5 MB).
You may want to prepare by reading the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics (PDF, 0.3MB), as our course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
To learn more about our Paramedic Science course, and watch a video about our Simulation Day, visit our Paramedic Science course page.
You can also discover specific guidance for our Paramedic Science health interviews by reading the Paramedic Science BSc interview guide (PDF, 0.5 MB) and the Paramedic Science MSc interview guide (PDF, 0.4 MB).
You may want to prepare by reading the Code of Members' Professional Values and Behaviours (PDF, 0.5MB), as our course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).
To learn more about our Physiotherapy course and watch a video introduction, visit our Physiotherapy course page.
You can also discover specific guidance for our Physiotherapy health interviews by reading the Physiotherapy BSc interview guide (PDF, 0.4 MB) and the Physiotherapy MSc interview guide (PDF, 0.7 MB).
You may want to prepare by reading the Radiography Standards of Proficiency (PDF, 0.5MB).
The first part of your interview will be a group activity. For the activity, you will be asked to discuss the following:
Select a tourist attraction in York. Suggest how Speech and Language Therapists could support the tourist attraction in creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for a range of communication needs and abilities. You may wish to prepare some thoughts in advance of your interview.
You may want to prepare by reading the Speech and Language Therapists Standards of Proficiency (PDF, 0.1MB), as our course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
To learn more about our Speech and Language Therapy course, and watch a video introduction, visit our Speech and Language Therapy course page.
Tips from our students
Here's some advice from Occupational Therapy student Lizzie on preparing for your health course interview:
- Remember that the interviewers and staff want you to succeed. They won't try and trip you up.
- Preparation is very helpful! Looking at example questions online and preparing for general questions such as why you want to study the topic and key skills needed means you'll feel calmer when they get asked.
- Be smiley and make eye contact. Your body language also helps to present you well.
- Get to know the other candidates. It can be helpful to learn about other interview experiences.
- Leave plenty of time to get there so you don't have any extra stress about being late.
- Ask questions about the course or anything that comes up in the interview. This shows enthusiasm and that you really want to study that course!
