Assessment centres
Employers use assessment centres to give
applicants the chance to demonstrate their skills, rather than
simply discuss their previous experience. At an assessment centre
you will generally be asked to participate in a variety of
activities observed by assessors. Assessors are looking for
behaviours, dialogue, methodology, and anything else that can be
mapped to the competencies necessary for the specialty.
Activities can vary depending on the specialty
and might include written exercises, group work, simulations with
actors and activity stations. The activities or scenarios try to
mimic real situations in which a trainee might find themselves. You
will not know the scenarios in advance: for most people, not
knowing what the activities are but reacting to them spontaneously
will give the most accurate impression of how they would behave in
a real situation.
Preparation
The best preparation is to be self-aware,
consider what the competencies mean for the specialty and what
attributes or strengths you want to ensure come across in the
assessment centre. Try to remain calm and be yourself. It may
be tempting to try to find out what the scenarios or activities are
in advance, but you should resist as this would defeat the object
of the assessments. These activities are designed to develop as you
take part and because standard scenarios can take many turns and
will end differently for every applicant, it would not be in your
interest to try and pre-empt this.
Your other preparation should be similar to
the preparation you would do for an interview. Think about what
kinds of attributes you would be looking for if you were an
assessor and consider how you could ensure that these are
demonstrated at the assessment centre. It is a good idea to arrive
slightly early, look professional and be friendly to everyone you
meet, including the other applicants.
Recruitment to training for general practice
If you are applying to get into training in
general practice, you will to complete a clinical scenarios
assessment under invigilated conditions (supervised in a way
similar to exams) as part of the shortlisting process.
The assessment consists of two 90 minute
papers: clinical problem solving and professional dilemmas.
More information about the assessment and practice questions are
available on the GP recruitment website.
A very useful resource
The South West Peninsula Deanery/AGCAS DVD is a very useful
resource if you are attending an assessment centre.