A spoken answer in the anaesthetics CT1 interview needs a structure two assessors can score in real time against three domains and a global rating, in a 15-minute station.
For the clinical judgement station use recognise, resuscitate A to E, reassess, refer and reflect. For the general station use point, example, outcome and reflection, in about 90 seconds. Rehearse both aloud and get them marked.
Reviewed and updated 10 September 2026. Every interview mark below is taken from ANRO's August 2026 applicant guidance and is the 2026 position; ANRO publishes the 2027 guidance before applications open on 22 October 2026. The 2027 Round 1 dates are confirmed by NHS England.
Key takeaways
- Each anaesthetics CT1 station is marked out of 50 by two assessors: 5 per domain across three domains plus a global rating of 10 each, according to ANRO's August 2026 guidance.
- Assessors score as you speak, so signposting each domain out loud is worth marks in itself.
- Clinical station structure: recognise the problem, resuscitate A to E, reassess, refer with a named trigger and person, reflect.
- General station structure: a one-sentence point, a specific example, a measurable outcome and a reflection, then stop.
- Ninety seconds is the right length for a first answer; the marks are decided in the follow-up questions.
- Speaking aloud and being marked is the practice that transfers. Reading model answers does not.
Why does structure matter in a 15-minute station?
Structure matters because two assessors are scoring six things at once, three domains and a global impression each, and a shaped answer lets them find each mark while you are still talking.
ANRO's guidance gives each assessor 5 marks per domain and a global rating out of 10, for 25 each and 50 per station. The interview's 100 marks are 85% of your selection score.
A signposted answer is one that names what it is doing as it goes: "my first priority is", "the point I would escalate is", "what I learned was". Signposting turns your reasoning into something markable.
What structure works for the clinical judgement station?
The structure that works for the clinical judgement station is five Rs: recognise, resuscitate, reassess, refer and reflect, because it maps onto the three domains ANRO names.
- Recognise: say what the scenario is in one sentence. "This is a post-operative patient in shock until proven otherwise."
- Resuscitate: assess and treat A to E, in Resuscitation Council UK's order, saying each letter and what you find and do.
- Reassess: after every intervention, say that you would reassess and what would change your plan.
- Refer: name the trigger and the person. "If there is no response to the first bolus, I call the anaesthetic registrar and the surgical team now."
- Reflect: when asked, give a real example and the change it produced.
Recognise and resuscitate carry the clinical judgement marks; refer and the way you handle added problems carry working under pressure; reflect carries reflective practice. anaestheticinterview's clinical station guide has a full worked scenario.
What structure works for the general interview station?
The structure that works for the general interview station is point, example, outcome and reflection, because it answers the question first and then proves it.
- Point: answer the question in one sentence.
- Example: a specific situation with where, when and who.
- Outcome: what happened, with a number where one exists.
- Reflection: what you would do differently, or what you now do routinely.
Commitment to specialty, communication and teamwork are each marked out of 5 by each assessor. The point and example carry commitment or teamwork; the delivery carries communication; the reflection lifts the global rating.
How long should a spoken answer be?
A first answer should be about 90 seconds in the general station and two to three minutes for the initial A to E in the clinical station, then stop and let the assessors lead.
Fifteen minutes with two assessors means several questions and follow-ups. A four-minute monologue steals time from the probes where you show depth, and it reads as poor communication.
In practice, candidates who time themselves discover their "short" answers run to three minutes. Rehearse with a clock visible, and record yourself; anaestheticinterview's AI marking scores the spoken answer you actually gave, not the one you meant to give.
How do you signpost so two assessors can mark you?
Signpost by naming the stage you are at and the domain you are addressing, in plain words, so each assessor can place the mark without guessing.
- "My immediate priority is", then the A to E.
- "The point at which I would escalate is", then the trigger and the person.
- "An example of that from my own practice is", then the example.
- "What that changed in how I work is", then the reflection.
- "To summarise", then one sentence, then silence.
However, signposting is not padding. Each phrase should be followed by content, or it reads as a script.
How do you handle the follow-up question?
Handle the follow-up by pausing, answering the new question directly in one sentence, and then re-entering your structure at the stage the question moved you to.
If the assessor says the patient has not responded to the bolus, you are at reassess and refer. If they ask what you would do differently, you are at reflect. The structure is a map you can return to.
That said, if you do not know, say so and say what you would do to find out. Bluffing a dose risks a probity concern, which is a veto in its own right under ANRO's rules.
What does a weak answer sound like, and how do you fix it?
A weak answer sounds like a list of everything you know about the condition, in no order, with no escalation point and no example, and the fix is to impose the structure and cut the rest.
| Weak habit | What the assessors hear | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis before assessment | Anchoring; nothing to fall back on | Recognise, then A to E, then differentials |
| "I would escalate appropriately" | No judgement shown | Name the trigger and the person |
| Generic teamwork claim | No evidence | One team, your role, one moment, the outcome |
| Talking for four minutes | Poor communication | Ninety seconds, summary line, stop |
| "I learned a lot from it" | No reflection | Name the change and how you know it worked |
Worked example: "Tell us about a time you worked under pressure"
A worked general station answer to the pressure question, in the point, example, outcome, reflection shape, runs about 90 seconds.
Point: "The time I was most stretched was a night shift as an FY2 covering two surgical wards with a colleague off sick."
Example: "Within an hour I had a post-operative patient with a falling blood pressure, a confused patient trying to leave, and a bleep about a missing drug chart. I assessed the hypotensive patient first because he was the sickest, asked the nurse in charge to sit with the confused patient, and told the ward the chart could wait."
Outcome: "The hypotensive patient responded to a fluid bolus and I called the registrar early; he went to theatre for a bleed. The confused patient settled with a familiar nurse and I reviewed him after."
Reflection: "I now write a one-line priority list the moment two problems arrive, and I call for help while I am still assessing, not after. It has made my nights calmer and safer."
That answer signposts prioritisation, delegation, escalation and a change in practice, which is what the working under pressure and teamwork domains reward.
How do you practise aloud and get marked?
Practise aloud by answering unseen questions against a clock, recording yourself, and having each answer marked against the ANRO domains rather than judged as "good" or "bad".
A colleague with the domain list can do this. anaestheticinterview does it automatically: its 340 questions across 37 scenarios are answered by speaking, and the AI marks each answer on the domains with feedback, for £97. The free sample questions on the site let you test the method before paying.
In practice, reading model answers builds recognition, not recall. The skill the interview tests is producing a structured answer under time, and only speaking builds it.
How do you rehearse in the last two weeks?
Rehearse in the last two weeks by running one full 15-minute mock of each station every other day, alternating clinical and general, and reviewing the marks against the domains after each.
- Days one to four: one clinical scenario a day, A to E aloud, escalation sentence said every time.
- Days five to eight: one general question a day with a follow-up from a colleague.
- Days nine to twelve: full mocks under time, both stations, with marking.
- Days thirteen and fourteen: light review of your examples and ANRO's guidance, then rest.
The interview is 85% of the score and the two stations carry 50 marks each. The format guide has the full mark scheme and the confirmed 2027 dates.