Module 1
Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking
Inference, recognition of assumptions, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation of arguments. Tests your ability to reason from evidence, a core skill in Public Health practice.
- 30 min
- Critical thinking
Who we are
Made for Public Health applicants
Built by Public Health Jobs
The go-to specialist job board for public health since 2017. We know the specialty, the training pathway and the people who recruit for it.
Updated every recruitment round
We review the question bank after each assessment centre, and again when NHS England publishes new guidance for the next round in October.
Part 1 • The three tests
What you'll be tested on
The assessment centre tests judgement, critical thinking and numerical reasoning. We cover all three, plus practice for the Selection Centre interview that follows.
Module 2
RANRA Numerical Reasoning
Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning Appraisal. Interpret data tables, charts, and statistics under time pressure, exactly the kind of analysis used in epidemiology.
- 40 min
- Numerical reasoning
Module 3
Situational Judgement Test
Realistic Public Health Registrar scenarios mapped to the latest NHS England ST1 person specification. Topics include multi-agency working, handling uncertainty, resilience and NHS values. Two formats: rank 5 responses, or select the 3 most appropriate actions.
- 100 min
- Judgement
Module 4
AI Interview Practice
Practise spoken interview answers and get structured AI feedback to improve strengths, development areas and answer quality.
- Spoken answers
- Interview skills
Try it
Try a real Public Health ST1 question
A colleague tells you that last week she sent a spreadsheet containing the names and addresses of 200 TB contacts to a local community charity, to enable the charity to do outreach follow-up. There was no data sharing agreement in place and no explicit consent from the individuals. She says 'the charity are trustworthy, no harm was done, and I just want to move on'.
Rank the following actions from most (1) to least (5) appropriate.
Tap the responses in order, most appropriate first. Tap one again to undo from that point.
Answer and explanation
Have a go first, then reveal the answer with the full reasoning behind it, as you get on every question in the course.
That's two questions. We have over 250 more.
Part 2 • The interview
Practise the Selection Centre interview out loud, with AI feedback
You answer interview questions out loud, the way you will on the day. Your spoken answer is transcribed, so you can read back exactly what you said.
Each answer then gets structured feedback in three parts: your strengths, the areas to develop, and an improved example. Questions are grouped by the person specification's domains, from professional integrity to communication.
Practice and progress
Find your baseline, then sit the real thing
Diagnostic + 2 full mocks per module
Start with a short diagnostic, then sit two full-length papers on the real time limits.
Track your weak domains
See your scores by domain after every test, so you know where to focus next.
On the day
What to expect at the assessment centre
All eligible applicants sit an online assessment at a designated test centre. Results are used to shortlist candidates for the Selection Centre interview round. In 2025, official NHS data showed 2,710 applications for just 95 Public Health ST1 posts (28:1).
- Three online tests, sat in a single sitting at a designated test centre
- 190 minutes in total, about 3 hours
- Results determine progression to the Selection Centre interview
- First
Watson-Glaser
Critical thinking
30minutes - Second
RANRA
Numerical reasoning
40minutes - Third
Situational Judgement Test
Professional judgement
100minutes
No negative marking. Answer everything. Unused time does not carry between sections.
Source: NHS England, assessment and competition data.
Get ready
How to prepare
Sit the diagnostic to find your baseline
A short sampler in each module shows where you start.
Work through each module with explanations
Every answer comes with the reasoning, so you learn the pattern rather than the question.
Sit the two timed mocks per module
Practise on the real time limits so the pacing feels familiar on the day.
Rehearse interview answers with the AI module
Speak your answers out loud and work on the feedback before the Selection Centre.
How we compare
Built for Public Health, not generic test prep
Other providers offer off-the-shelf SJT and Watson-Glaser packs. We focus entirely on the Public Health ST1 assessment.
| Feature | PH ST1 Prep | Other providers |
|---|---|---|
| SJT mapped to the NHS England ST1 person specification | Yes | No |
| Watson-Glaser practice | Yes | Yes |
| RANRA practice | Yes | Yes |
| Detailed answer explanations | Yes | Yes |
| AI interview practice | Included | +£29 extra |
| Interview questions written for the ST1 selection centre | Yes | No |
| Pricing | £49 lifetime | £49 a week or £59 a month |
| Access expires | Never | After 1 week to 3 months |
For the 2027 round (posts starting August 2027), applications open on Thursday 22 October 2026 at 10am and close on Thursday 19 November 2026 at 4pm, through Oriel. Assessment Centre bookings open by 16 December 2026, and the tests are held in person at Pearson test centres on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 January 2027. Results are expected in February 2027, the virtual Selection Centre is planned for March 2027, and initial offers are made by 6 April 2027. Dates after the Assessment Centre are provisional, so always check the NHS England (HEE) site for the latest.
Extremely competitive. Official 2025 NHS data show 2,710 applications for 95 Public Health ST1 posts, a 28.53:1 applications-per-post ratio. The eligible first-choice ratio was also severe: 2,288 eligible first-choice applications for 95 posts, or 24.08:1. Strong assessment-centre scores are essential to progress to the Selection Centre interview stage.
Our tests are built specifically for the Public Health ST1 assessment centre by people who understand the role. The SJT scenarios use realistic Public Health Registrar contexts (outbreak response, screening programmes, health protection) rather than generic 'office worker' scenarios.
You get lifetime access for a one-time payment of £49, with no subscriptions or recurring fees. Practise as much as you need until your assessment date.
All three modules are timed and follow the published format. Watson-Glaser is sat first (30 minutes), then RANRA (40 minutes), then SJT (100 minutes). The timed papers add up to 170 minutes, and NHS England quotes 190 minutes for the full session, so allow time beyond the papers themselves. SJT uses both ranking (5 options) and multiple-choice (best 3) formats. Watson-Glaser tests inference, recognition of assumptions, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation of arguments. RANRA tests numerical reasoning from tables and charts under time pressure.
No. The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Act 2026 gives priority to UK graduates in most specialty training recruitment, but NHS England states that Public Health Medicine is the only specialty excluded from prioritisation, because the specialty is open to both medical and non-medical applicants. Medical and non-medical applicants are assessed on the same process for 2027, and NHS England states there is no quota allocating posts between them.
There are two routes (per the official 2027 Person Specification). Medical route: BMBS/MBBS or equivalent, full GMC registration at application, evidence of foundation competences (FPCC, UKFPO programme, or CREST), and at least 2 years of postgraduate medical experience. Non-medical route: a 1st or 2:1 honours undergraduate/integrated Masters (or higher degree), at least 48 months work experience by the application closing date, with at least 24 months in an area relevant to population health practice at NHS Band 6 or above. For 2027, non-medical applicants no longer need to submit a 200-word relevance statement. Full criteria are on the NHS England Public Health Specialty Training pages.
The 2027 Person Specification sets out conceptual thinking and problem solving, managing others and team involvement, organisation and planning, coping with pressure, and commitment to the specialty, alongside general criteria for personal skills (including communication) and values. Our SJT scenarios cover four domains: professional integrity, coping with pressure, managing others and team involvement, and communication. They are written for Public Health Registrar situations, not generic 'office worker' competencies like many test prep providers.
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