NHS Clinical Scientist Recruitment

I agree, they were horrible. I got the "we'll contact you in March" email, but I don't fancy my chances too much given my performance in those tests. I thought the logical reasoning one was quite hard, but the numerical one was a bitch.

I think the point of the tests is to see how you deal with lots of information under pressure (and to cut the number of applications they have to read). The maths isn't that hard when you know what to do, but the questions are so wordy that it's hard to work it out, especially if you panic like I did! It does seem stupid to me, most biology/physics students aren't going to be familiar with stocks and such, and the practice tests give you absolutely no idea of what to expect. There must be a better way of doing it.

Original post by Philbert

Did you actually get a email saying you hadn't passed them, or did you get an email saying "we'll contact you in March"? If it's the latter, you didn't fail.

Original post by hsr22

yeah i got the 'contact you in march one', but i haven't heard anyone say they've got a fail email.. have you?...so I'm guessing everyone gets the same one?.. because I don't think it is actually possible for me to have passed seeing as i ran out of time on question 9 haa... and then guessed a few.

I have always been fine with maths but that was too little time for those long silly questions!

I have a friend who failed the maths test, it cam up after she submitted and said something along the lines of sorry you have not met the minimum requirements so we will not be continuing with your application. I assume that means if you didn't get that message then you're ok.

Sorry for the double quote, I have no idea what happened!

Reply 4241

0-Cool

does anyone have an idea, what the cut off mark is? and does a computer decide who goes to the interview stage and who doesn't?

Here is my theory, the aptitude test is like the rough filtering process in which candidate who meet the minimum required IQ levels are filtered from the rest, this is probably done by a computer. In the next stage the application forms are viewed and depending on what we wrote for our essay Qs the STP people decide who is called for the interview and who does not meet the personal specs. This is like the intermediate filtering stage. Then we have the Cherry picking stage where each candidate is individually examined and analysed by the interviewers.

What do you guys think?

Reply 4242

sairah2012

do u have to take both the logical and numerical ones at the same time? or can we do one and then have a break in between?

Reply 4243

themattmc

Original post by sairah2012

do u have to take both the logical and numerical ones at the same time? or can we do one and then have a break in between?

I had a break of about 15 mins. Didn't want to leave it any longer in case my login session got timed out. Didn't want to take any chances.

Reply 4244

rhiannon01

So when does everyone think we will hear about interviews and things? March is so far away!! Does anyone know if they email unsuccessful candidates?

Reply 4245

0-Cool

Overall how many Questions were you guys not able to answer due to time?
just curious because I skipped quite a lot and still received the contact you in march e-mail.

Reply 4246

salmon38

Original post by 0-Cool

Overall how many Questions were you guys not able to answer due to time?
just curious because I skipped quite a lot and still received the contact you in march e-mail.

I just sat the tests and I left quite a few out for each test - i think about 5 or 6 numerical and 7 or 8 logical.. I still got the email as well. Does anyone know if marks are deducted for incorrect answers (negative marking) or if they just award marks for correct answers?

Reply 4247

themattmc

Original post by salmon38

I just sat the tests and I left quite a few out for each test - i think about 5 or 6 numerical and 7 or 8 logical.. I still got the email as well. Does anyone know if marks are deducted for incorrect answers (negative marking) or if they just award marks for correct answers?

As long as you got the "We'll contact you in March" email, you passed the test. My friend who also applied has been told he failed it and his application won't be processed further.

Reply 4248

QuickNes

Congrats to those who got it through to the next round. I didnt make it :frown:

But I'm gonna try next year and just improve my numerical skills under timed pressure. All I just saw was a bunch of words and figures. Confuzzled.

Reply 4249

bigbanggeek

Original post by 0-Cool

does anyone have an idea, what the cut off mark is? and does a computer decide who goes to the interview stage and who doesn't?

Here is my theory, the aptitude test is like the rough filtering process in which candidate who meet the minimum required IQ levels are filtered from the rest, this is probably done by a computer. In the next stage the application forms are viewed and depending on what we wrote for our essay Qs the STP people decide who is called for the interview and who does not meet the personal specs. This is like the intermediate filtering stage. Then we have the Cherry picking stage where each candidate is individually examined and analysed by the interviewers.

What do you guys think?

From the open day I went to you're right about the tests it's sorted by a computer there's a minimum and if you don't meet it that's it, which is why you can't dispute it.
With the next round the 'shortlisting' each place will receive a number of applications kings said they got 100 last year I don't know if that was purely for med phy and eng or generally. They have like a list of things they need to look for and they score up each candidate, the highest scores get interview.
Finally it's interview stage where again you get scored on your answers, those with the highest scores get their preferences etc

Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 4250

Quixeh

Original post by bigbanggeek

From the open day I went to you're right
With the next round the 'shortlisting' each place will receive a number of applications kings said they got 100 last year I don't know if that was purely for med phy and eng or generally.

That's correct from what I've heard. The shortlisting is performed by the hospitals who will get trainees, and I'd assume the number of candidates each centre must score depends on how many trainees they have (kings has 4, which would make rough sense for needing to score 100 applications). Having said that, I doubt there will be any preferences taken into account at this stage - ie if you want to go to kings, there is nothing to say that kings will score your application.

Reply 4251

redbear

Original post by Quixeh

The shortlisting is performed by the hospitals who will get trainees.

No, individual hospitals get no say at all in the shortlisting. That was the 'old' system, and the first year of the new STP. All shortlisting is done centrally. Likewise for interviews and final selection. The hospital does not get any say in which trainees they get.

Reply 4252

0-Cool

When I was checking my e-mails look what I found

"Thank you for your application to the NHS Scientist Training Programme.
Unfortunately we have had to withdraw our Histopathology post in the South Central region. This specialism is now only available in the South East Coast region."

Looks like some regions withdraw or get cancelled. Damm now I have a less choices.

So this is another variable to take in account.

Reply 4253

Quixeh

Original post by redbear

No, individual hospitals get no say at all in the shortlisting. That was the 'old' system, and the first year of the new STP. All shortlisting is done centrally. Likewise for interviews and final selection. The hospital does not get any say in which trainees they get.

The old system was where you apply to the hospitals individually. And you're right that a hospital has no say in the trainees they get - I didn't mean to imply that - after all this is simply for interview not appointment.

From discussions with my heads of department, the new system takes in the applications centrally, and they are randomly distributed to the hospitals involved in the scheme, as well as uni's and other interested parties. Typically a department will ask a senior member of staff to do their hospital's shortlisting quota. Different hospitals might combine their shortlisting so that they do it together, but the point I'm getting at is that its not just NSHCS staff that do the shortlisting - after all there is only one part-time staff member per specialty, and a very limited number of admin staff.

For further information, see the NSHCS guide to 2013 recruitment. here

Page 9, it states: Invitations to join short listing panels are sent to employers, professional bodies,
trade unions, HEIs delivering the master’s programme and lay panel members. Panel members will be sent electronic copies of the applications together with the short listing scoring proforma and guidance on the approach to be taken. Panel members will score applications against the criteria provided and return the proforma to the NSHCS.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 4254

mia_k

[h="5"]Hi everyone :smile:

Does anyone know whether Mathematics is a suitable degree for entry to the NHS STP Medical Physics specialism? Because I've seen that pure & applied Physics and applied Mathematics are accepted, but I don't know about pure Mathematics. If anyone could advise me I'd be really grateful :smile:

thankss[/h]

Reply 4255

Quixeh

Original post by mia_k

[h="5"]Hi everyone :smile:

Does anyone know whether Mathematics is a suitable degree for entry to the NHS STP Medical Physics specialism? Because I've seen that pure & applied Physics and applied Mathematics are accepted, but I don't know about pure Mathematics. If anyone could advise me I'd be really grateful :smile:

thankss[/h]

My initial feeling would be no, simply because they've specified pure and applied physics, and only applied mathematics. However, its certainly worth emailing the NSHCS to ask.

Reply 4256

mia_k

Original post by Quixeh

My initial feeling would be no, simply because they've specified pure and applied physics, and only applied mathematics. However, its certainly worth emailing the NSHCS to ask.