Checked 1 November 2026. Facts here are from the scheme's 2027-entry pages. Preparation materials appear in each candidate's account at every stage; follow the instructions given for your own assessment, which may differ in a later intake.
The NHS GMTS video interview is part of Stage 2, the NHS GMTS Alignment Assessment: about 60 minutes online, with timed video questions that you get time to prepare for, a practice run of each question type first, and every video watched by a person rather than scored by AI. The best preparation is to practise answering values-based questions out loud, against a clock, with a real example for each of the six NHS values; this guide gives you 30 such questions, three full model answers and a timer drill. ProSyllabus is an independent practice site, not part of the NHS or the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, and the questions below are our own practice prompts, not GMTS assessment items.
NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, Apply page (2027 entry).
Key facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What Stage 2 is called | NHS GMTS Alignment Assessment, the second of three assessment stages | Apply page |
| When you take it | As soon as you are told you passed Stage 1, the Future Potential Assessment | Apply page |
| Length | About 60 minutes | Apply page |
| What is timed | Only the video-based questions; the scheme says you will have plenty of time to prepare before recording | Apply page |
| Practice | A practice of each question type before you start; hints and tips videos and practice tests in your account | Apply page |
| Who scores the videos | The team reviews every video response by hand; the scheme says it does not use AI for this | Apply page |
| Feedback | Every candidate gets a feedback report after Stage 2 | Apply page |
| Next stage | Half-day Virtual Assessment Centre, running January to February 2027 | Apply page |
| Values to know | The six NHS values in the NHS Constitution for England, which the scheme asks applicants to consider | About page; NHS Constitution |
| Intake | Around 250 trainees starting in September 2027, applications for 2027 now closed | About page; Apply page |
What the Stage 2 video interview looks like
The scheme describes Stage 2 in a few lines, so it helps to be exact about what is known and what is not. Known: it takes about 60 minutes, it includes video responses, only those video questions are timed, you get time to prepare before you record, and you can practise each question type before the real thing. The scheme says Stage 2 "will include" video responses and that only the video-based questions are timed, which suggests other question types may appear too, but its pages do not name them.
Not on the scheme's pages: the number of video questions, the preparation time, the length of each answer, and whether you can re-record. Read the instructions for your assessment carefully, use the official practice of each question type, and treat any fixed number you read elsewhere, including on prep sites, with caution.
Human review, not AI
If you have read that an algorithm scores your face, tone or keywords, the scheme says the opposite for GMTS: its team manually reviews all video responses and does not use artificial intelligence for this. That changes how to prepare. Keyword stuffing and a fixed stare at the camera help nobody; a clear, honest example a person can follow does. It also explains why results take time: the scheme asks candidates for patience while the review is done.
Before you record
Set-up checklist: official resources plus our practical tips
- Use the Stage 2 practice test to check your camera, microphone and internet connection; the scheme says the practice tests are there partly for this.
- Watch the hints and tips videos in your account: the scheme provides them for Stages 1 and 2.
- If you need a reasonable adjustment, ask before you start. The scheme says it only needs enough information to confirm the adjustment.
- Our own tips: a quiet room, light in front of you rather than behind, the camera at eye level, and notifications off.
- Take it early: you can start Stage 2 as soon as you hear you passed Stage 1, and the scheme notes that applying early gives more time for the assessments.
Using the NHS values to prepare
The scheme's pages do not describe how Stage 2 is marked. What they do say is that you should consider the NHS values, which "will become core to your role as a trainee and as a future leader", and it points to the NHS Constitution for England. We use those values as the framework for the practice below; they are a preparation aid, not a published marking scheme. The six values are below, in the Constitution's own order, with the behaviour each one describes.
| Value | What the Constitution says it means |
|---|---|
| Working together for patients | Patients come first; involve patients, staff, families, carers and professionals; put needs before organisational boundaries; speak up when things go wrong |
| Respect and dignity | Value every person as an individual; take what others say seriously; be honest about what you can and cannot do |
| Commitment to quality of care | Get the basics of safety, effectiveness and patient experience right every time; welcome feedback and use it to improve |
| Compassion | Respond with humanity and kindness; find time for patients, families and colleagues; do not wait to be asked |
| Improving lives | Improve health, wellbeing and experience; value excellence and professionalism in everyday things and in innovation |
| Everyone counts | Use resources for the whole community; nobody excluded or left behind; accept that difficult decisions must be made and waste costs others |
The scheme's pages add three more clues. Its home page says the recruitment process "is designed to assess your strengths", not what or where you studied, and looks for "someone with the right values and motivation to make positive change happen". Its General Management page says "We're looking for leadership potential", and a trainee quoted on its Scheme page says you need no clinical background, "just empathy, resilience, curiosity and the willingness to learn". In practice, use real situations that show one of those qualities and one value in action.
30 NHS GMTS video interview practice questions
These are our own practice prompts, grouped by NHS value, with a line on what a strong answer shows. They are written in the style of a values-based video interview: mostly "tell us about a time" questions that need a real example, plus a few "how would you" and motivation questions. They are original practice prompts, not GMTS assessment items, and we do not know which questions you will receive; the point is to have a ready example for every value, so whatever is asked, you are not inventing a story on the clock.
| # | Value | Question | What a strong answer shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Working together for patients | Tell us about a time you brought people with different views together to reach a shared goal. | Whose views differed and why; what you did to find common ground; the outcome for the people the work was for. |
| 2 | Working together for patients | Tell us about a time you dealt with a complaint from a customer, client or member of the public. | Listening before defending, putting it right for that person, and fixing the cause so it did not happen to the next one. |
| 3 | Working together for patients | Tell us about a time you represented the views of a group to someone with more authority. | How you gathered the views fairly, how you put them across (including ones you disagreed with), and what came of it. |
| 4 | Working together for patients | As a non-clinical manager, how would you lead a change that clinical colleagues are doubtful about? | Listening first, involving clinicians in the design, evidence about patients, a small trial before a full roll-out. |
| 5 | Working together for patients | Tell us about a time you had to rely on people outside your own team or organisation to get something done. | How you built the link, what each side needed, and how you kept it working when priorities clashed. |
| 6 | Respect and dignity | Tell us about a time you changed your mind after listening to someone. | What you first thought, what they said, why it persuaded you. Shows you take others seriously. |
| 7 | Respect and dignity | Describe a time you had to be honest with someone about what you could not do for them. | Clear, kind honesty; what you offered instead; how the person took it. |
| 8 | Respect and dignity | How would you respond if a colleague made a dismissive remark about a patient or a member of staff? | Act on it (in the moment or soon after), stay calm and private where right, escalate if it continues. |
| 9 | Respect and dignity | Tell us about a time you had to protect someone's privacy or keep something in confidence. | Why it mattered to them, what you did when it was awkward, and where the limits of confidence lay (for example, a safety concern). |
| 10 | Commitment to quality of care | Tell us about a time you noticed a mistake that others had missed. What did you do? | How you checked it, how you raised it without blame, and the fix that stopped it happening again. |
| 11 | Commitment to quality of care | Tell us about a time you kept to a rule or standard even though it was unpopular. | Why the rule mattered, how you explained it without preaching, and whether you raised a better way through the right route. |
| 12 | Commitment to quality of care | Tell us about a time you had to choose between doing something quickly and doing it properly. | The risk on each side, how you decided, who you told, and whether you would choose the same again. |
| 13 | Commitment to quality of care | How would you find out whether patients are having a good experience of a service you manage? | More than one source (feedback, complaints, data, talking to staff and patients) and acting on what you find. |
| 14 | Commitment to quality of care | Tell us about a standard you set for yourself that was higher than anyone asked for. | Why it mattered, what it cost you, and how it helped the people relying on your work. |
| 15 | Compassion | Tell us about a time you supported someone who was finding things hard. | What you noticed, what you did, and how you respected their privacy and choices. |
| 16 | Compassion | Describe a time you made a tense or stressful situation calmer for someone else. | What you noticed, what you said or did, and how you kept their dignity while things settled. |
| 17 | Compassion | How do you look after your own wellbeing under pressure so that you can keep supporting others? | Practical habits, knowing your limits, asking for help. The scheme calls itself intensive and challenging. |
| 18 | Compassion | Tell us about a time you made time for someone even though you were busy. | What it cost you, why you judged it mattered, and how you managed your own work afterwards. |
| 19 | Improving lives | Tell us about a time you helped someone else build a skill or grow in confidence. | What they needed, how you taught or encouraged without taking over, and what they could do afterwards. |
| 20 | Improving lives | Describe a time you used numbers or data to make the case for a change. | Where the data came from, how you checked it, how you explained it to people who are not data experts. |
| 21 | Improving lives | Tell us about something you tried that did not work. What did you learn? | Owning the result, what you would do differently, and evidence that you did do it differently next time. |
| 22 | Improving lives | What is one change to NHS services you would like to help deliver, and why? | A specific, realistic change, who benefits, and the first step a trainee could actually take. |
| 23 | Improving lives | Tell us about a time you took someone else's idea and used it to improve your own work. | Where the idea came from, how you adapted it, the result, and whether you credited them. |
| 24 | Everyone counts | Tell us about a decision you made that was fair to everyone but did not please everyone. | Your reasons, who you listened to, how you explained it, and how you handled the people who were unhappy. |
| 25 | Everyone counts | Describe a time you had to decide how to use limited time, money or people. | Your criteria, who you consulted, what you said no to, and how you explained the decision. |
| 26 | Everyone counts | How would you check that a change you lead does not leave a group of patients or staff worse off? | Asking who is affected, involving them, looking at data by group, and adjusting before and after launch. |
| 27 | Everyone counts | Tell us about a time you made information easier for others to understand or use. | Who struggled with it, what you changed (language, format, channel), and how you knew it worked. |
| 28 | Motivation and the Scheme | What does good leadership look like to you? Describe one leader you have seen at work. | A specific person and moment, what they did that worked, and how you would copy it as a trainee. |
| 29 | Motivation and the Scheme | What would you hope to have learned by the end of your first year on the Scheme? | Two or three concrete things (skills, knowledge of how services run, habits), and how you would know you had learned them. |
| 30 | Motivation and the Scheme | What do you expect to find hardest about combining work placements with study, and how will you manage it? | An honest challenge, a concrete plan, and an example of handling a similar load before. |
Your Stage 2 practice tracker
Tick a question once you have answered it out loud, on camera, within a practice time limit. For past-experience questions include a real example and its outcome; for "how would you" and motivation questions give clear reasoning backed by relevant experience. Aim for every value at least once.
0 of 30 done
Ticks are saved only in this browser on this device.
Prepare 8 to 10 stories, not 30. One good example (a group project that went wrong, a part-time job, a volunteering role, a society you ran) can answer three or four of these questions if you tell it from a different angle each time. Write each story as five lines: situation, your task, what you did, the result, what you learned. Then match each story to two values.
Try a free sample
For 2027 entry, Stage 1 is the Future Potential Assessment, which comes before Stage 2. The box below starts a free four-question sample from our Future Potential Assessment practice; our Future Potential Assessment guide explains that stage.
FreeTests: Working together for patients · Respect and dignity · Commitment to quality of care · Compassion
NHS GMTS Future Potential Assessment Practice: free sample
Answer 4 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 5 minutes · free · no sign-in.
4 questions to answer
Start nowThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
Three full model answers
Each answer below runs about 2 minutes when spoken at a calm pace (roughly 270 to 330 words). The first two show how to tell an experience: the context, what you did and why, the outcome, and what you learned. The third answers a motivation question with one example of leadership the candidate has seen. The situations are invented; use the structure, not the words.
Model answer 1 · Working together for patients
Tell us about a time you dealt with a complaint from a customer, client or member of the public.
In my final year I volunteered on the reception desk at a community advice centre. One afternoon a client came back to the desk upset. It was the second time his session with an adviser and an interpreter had ended before his problem was sorted, and he said we clearly didn't take people like him seriously.
My first instinct was to explain that the advisers were busy, but I could see that would sound like an excuse. So I asked him to sit down, listened to the whole story without interrupting, and told him he was right that it shouldn't have happened twice. I checked the diary and, with the duty adviser's agreement, booked him the first double-length slot available that week, and told him exactly when and with whom.
Then I looked at why it kept happening. With the centre manager's permission I noted the date and length of every interpreted session over a month, with no client names: seven of eleven had overrun or ended early, because they were booked into the same one-hour slots as everyone else.
I took that to the manager and suggested booking interpreted sessions as double slots and flagging them on the rota. She agreed to try it for a month, and in that month none of them ended early. The client came back for his session, it was finished properly, and he thanked the adviser on his way out.
I learned that a complaint is usually about more than one person's bad day: putting it right for that person comes first, but the real fix is often in the system behind it. In the NHS, where the values ask staff to welcome feedback and use it to improve, I'd want to handle complaints the same way.
Why it works: It puts the person first (listening, admitting the failure, a concrete remedy); then finds the cause with permission and without identifying anyone; gives a number (7 of 11); and links the habit to the NHS values on feedback.
An original ProSyllabus answer about an invented situation, about 2 minutes when spoken. Use the structure to build an honest answer from your own experience.
Model answer 2 · Improving lives
Describe a time you used numbers or data to make the case for a change.
In my part-time job at a supermarket, I worked on the online-order picking team. Customers kept complaining about substitutions, and some colleagues felt customers were just being picky. I wanted to know whether there was a real, fixable problem underneath.
I asked my supervisor if I could look at a month of substitution complaints. With her agreement, I grouped them by product category in a simple spreadsheet, using only the details I needed. I checked my totals against the original records and asked her to look over my categories, because a wrong chart would have undermined the whole idea.
About a third of the complaints were about chilled items, usually a substitute of a different size or brand. That did not prove we could remove all those complaints, but it showed where to start.
I made one chart and suggested a six-week trial: check chilled stock levels before the evening shift, and give pickers a clearer order for choosing substitutes, within the customer's own preferences and store rules. I also asked two experienced pickers what would make that hard on a busy night, and their ideas made the guidance simpler.
My supervisor got the store manager's agreement. Over the trial, substitution complaints fell from around thirty a week to about twenty-two, and we checked order numbers too, so we knew it wasn't just a quieter month. It was encouraging, though a short trial can't prove our change caused all of it.
I learned to check data, involve the people doing the work, and be honest about uncertainty. In an NHS management role, I would take the same approach: understand the problem, listen to colleagues and the people affected, test a proportionate change, and review it before recommending it more widely.
Why it works: It moves from an assumption to checked evidence; involves the people doing the work; gives a before-and-after number with an honest limit; and links the habit to NHS management.
An original ProSyllabus answer about an invented situation, about 2 minutes when spoken. Use the structure to build an honest answer from your own experience.
Model answer 3 · Motivation and the Scheme
What does good leadership look like to you? Describe one leader you have seen at work.
For me, good leadership is making it easy for other people to do their best work, and the clearest example I've seen was a shift manager in my summer job at a busy café in a train station.
The café was short-staffed most of that summer, and before she arrived the shifts felt chaotic: people argued about breaks and the queue got out of hand at rush hour. She didn't change much on her first day. Instead she spent a week working on every station alongside us and asking each of us what made the job harder than it needed to be.
Then she made three small changes. She started every shift with a two-minute huddle saying who was on which station and when breaks were. She moved the cups and lids so the person on the till could serve drinks without crossing behind the barista. And when a decision went against what someone wanted, like a holiday request, she explained why in person rather than just putting it on the rota.
Within a few weeks the rush hour felt different. The queue moved faster, people stopped arguing about breaks, and two colleagues who had talked about leaving stayed for the rest of the summer.
What I took from her is that leadership doesn't start with big announcements. It starts with listening to the people doing the work, fixing the small things that frustrate them, and explaining decisions honestly. As a trainee, I would first agree my responsibilities with my placement manager and how I could contribute. Then I could practise that approach from the start: listen to colleagues, agree one useful change, and explain it to the people affected.
Why it works: It defines leadership in one line and proves it with a specific person and actions; shows a before-and-after; and shows how the candidate would apply the lessons within their agreed responsibilities.
An original ProSyllabus answer about an invented situation, about 2 minutes when spoken. Use the structure to build an honest answer from your own experience.
How to beat the timer
The scheme says the video questions are timed but that you will have plenty of time to prepare. The scheme's pages do not give the preparation or recording time per question, so practise picking your main points and finishing a clear answer within different time limits. The drill below is ours.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Read | Read the question carefully and decide what it asks you to explain | Stops you answering a different question from the one asked |
| 2. Pick | Choose a relevant prepared experience, or outline your reasoning for a "how would you" or motivation question | A prepared story is calmer and clearer than an invented one |
| 3. Note | Jot five words: situation, task, action, result, learning | Your notes become the order you speak in |
| 4. Speak | Spend most of the time on what YOU did, and land a result before the end | Specific actions make your own contribution clear |
| 5. Close | One sentence linking the learning to the NHS or the role | Gives the answer a clear end, even if time is short |
A timer drill for this week
- Record yourself on your phone answering one question from the list at 60 seconds, then the same question at 2 minutes, then at 3 minutes.
- Play each back. Did you reach the result? Did you say "I" more than "we"? Did you stop cleanly?
- Repeat with different questions each day, practising how to cut or add detail to fit the time.
- Practise looking at the camera lens, not your own face on screen.
- Finish with the official Stage 2 practice to see the question types and test your camera, microphone and connection.
- For a timed rehearsal with a model answer, try the free timed video question in our Video and Assessment Centre pack.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it can weaken an answer | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Learning answers word for word | It can sound recited and make it harder to answer the exact question asked | Learn your stories as five bullet points, never as a script |
| Saying "we" throughout | The reviewer cannot tell what you did | Say what the team did in one line, then switch to "I" |
| No result | The story stops at the action, so the reviewer cannot judge its effect | End with a number, a change that lasted, or honest feedback |
| Generic motivation | "I want to make a difference" could be said about any job | Name the Scheme, your pathway, and a moment that made you choose it |
| Ignoring the values | The scheme asks applicants to consider the NHS values | Map every story to two values before the day |
| Skipping the practice run | Camera, sound or connection problems show up live instead | Do the official practice on the same device and network you will use |
| Patient detail you should not share | Names and other identifying details from a health, care or work setting can breach confidentiality | Share only what you are allowed to; remove names and any mix of details that could identify someone, or pick another example |
After Stage 2
Everyone gets a feedback report after Stage 2. If you pass, you are invited to a half-day Virtual Assessment Centre; for the 2027 intake, these run from January to February 2027. Our Virtual Assessment Centre guide covers how to prepare, with original practice exercises. The Assessment Centre ends in one of three outcomes: an immediate offer, a place on the reserve list, or not successful. For allocation, the scheme considers your assessment scores and preferences alongside the placement roles NHS organisations offer, and the 2027 intake starts on the first Monday of September 2027. For pay, pathways and how competitive the Scheme is, see our salary and specialisms guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NHS GMTS video interview?
It is part of Stage 2 of the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme application, called the NHS GMTS Alignment Assessment. The whole Stage 2 assessment takes about 60 minutes and includes timed video responses; the scheme does not say how long the video part takes. You can practise each question type before you start.
How long do you get to answer each video question?
The scheme's pages do not give a figure. They say only the video questions are timed and that you will have plenty of time to prepare before you record. Follow the timings in the instructions for your own assessment.
Is the NHS graduate scheme video interview scored by AI?
No. The scheme says its team manually reviews all video interview responses and does not use artificial intelligence for this process.
What questions are asked in the NHS GMTS video interview?
The scheme's pages do not list its Stage 2 questions. It asks applicants to consider the NHS values in the NHS Constitution, so prepare real examples for each of the six values and a clear answer to why you want this Scheme and your chosen pathway.
Can I re-record my answer?
The scheme's pages do not say. Check the instruction screen and the practice run before you start, and prepare as if you have one attempt.
Do I get feedback after Stage 2?
Yes. The scheme says all candidates receive a feedback report when they complete Stage 2.
When will I hear about the Virtual Assessment Centre?
Successful Stage 2 candidates are invited to a Virtual Assessment Centre. For 2027 entry these start in January 2027 and run through February. Because every video is reviewed by a person, results can take some time.
What are the six NHS values?
Working together for patients; respect and dignity; commitment to quality of care; compassion; improving lives; and everyone counts. They are set out in the NHS Constitution for England.
Can I get a reasonable adjustment for the video interview?
Yes. The scheme asks you to tell it if you need reasonable adjustments during the selection process, and says it only needs enough information to confirm the adjustment.
Sources
- official — NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme: home page ("Our recruitment process is designed to assess your strengths")
- official — NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme: Apply (recruitment process for 2027 entry: Stage 1 Future Potential Assessment, Stage 2 NHS GMTS Alignment Assessment, Stage 3 Virtual Assessment Centre, preparation materials, reasonable adjustments, FAQs)
- official — NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme: About (NHS values and the NHS Constitution, around 250 trainees for September 2027)
- official — NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme: The Scheme (five specialist pathways, seven regions, starting salary)
- official — NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme: General Management pathway ("We're looking for leadership potential")
- official — NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme: Pay and benefits
- official — Department of Health and Social Care: The NHS Constitution for England (the six NHS values), GOV.UK
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
