How to prepare for your Midwifery interview

1. Allow plenty of time for travel and aim to arrive early. This will give you time to find where you need to be, have a drink, use the facilities, and settle yourself in anticipation of your interview.
2. Research the subject area you are applying for: why did you choose the course? What has inspired you?
3. Prepare answers to common questions – research Values Based Recruitment (see below).
4. Think of examples where you can really demonstrate your values.
5. Research your potential employer/organisation.
6. Stay informed about current issues within midwifery and women’s health more broadly. You will find it helpful to visit websites such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).
7. Dress in a way that ensures you feel comfortable while presenting yourself professionally. Remember, you are aspiring to join the midwifery profession, so keep this in mind when choosing your outfit and considering your overall appearance.
8. Be appropriate – the interviewer does not need to know your life story or hear inappropriate language. Consider tone of voice and eye contact. How you conduct yourself will have an impact on the impression you give.
9. Interviews are a two-way process – have some questions prepared for the interviewer to show that you are keen.
10. Are you prepared for the practical elements of a career in healthcare? Remember, these include shift work, being on your feet all day, working with people with complex problems, long term conditions and even death.

Your interview will begin with an introduction from our Midwifery course team, including a briefing on what to expect throughout the day. You will also be given the chance to read an excerpt from a Midwifery blog, which will play a part in the interview stations that follow.

You will take part in four short, focused interview stations, each lasting approximately 10 to 15 minutes. These are designed to assess a specific competency or value and is based on NHS Values Based Recruitment, so do consider this when doing any research. Interview stations will be led by either a member of the course team, an experienced service user, or a practitioner currently working in the field.

At your first interview station, your interviewer will be looking to check your ID to verify your identity. Please ensure that you bring photo ID with you on the day – this does not have to be a passport or driver's license, it can simply be a school or college ID for example. 

If you do not bring a photo ID, we will not be able to interview that day and we will arrange another interview date.

Either before you begin your interview stations or after, one of our student ambassadors will take you and any guests you bring on a tour of our Canterbury Campus so you can familiarise yourself and see everything we have on offer here.

The day will end with a debrief involving a group Q&A session and some discussion on the next steps.

We expect your interview day, including welcome, debrief, and the campus tour, will take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes in total.

Please ensure you arrive to Canterbury with plenty of time before your interview.

Upon arrival, please go into the Old Sessions House building, which is our main reception on campus. Here, you will be met by one of our CCCU student ambassadors who will be on hand to take you to your interview and answer any questions you may have about CCCU.

Details on how to get to Canterbury Campus can be found on our website.

All our courses use Values Based Recruitment (VBR) in the recruitment process, and we will ask you questions in relation to this in your interview. This approach allows us to ensure that we recruit students with values and behaviours which align with the values of the NHS Constitution.

Find out more about VBR and the NHS Values.

When booking your interview via MyRecord, you will have the opportunity to inform us of any access and/or learning support requirements.

The Recruitment Team will contact you to determine what additional support is required and make any reasonable adjustments ahead of your interview.

It is highly recommended that you explore the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) website, where you will find the Code of Practice and the standards for proficiency and education for midwifery. Having a basic understanding of these areas will help you stand out.  It will also support your development and learning journey towards becoming a registered midwife.

Practice learning experiences offer you the chance to experience the reality of your chosen profession and develop the skills, knowledge, and expertise to become a part of the future health and social care workforce.

The location of your placements can be up to 90 minutes from your term-time address, and you will need to be available to work irregular shift patterns, which will include weekends and nights.

For further exciting information regarding placements please visit our webpage about what to expect on placement.

If you have an enquiry regarding your application or the admissions process, please contact the undergraduate admissions team:

Undergraduate Admissions – ugadmissions@canterbury.ac.uk or 01227 925555

Offers of a place can only be made after a successful interview.

All offers are subject to a satisfactory reference, Occupational Health (OH) clearance, and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. OH will include vaccinations for NHS placements, and evidence of vaccination status may be required by placement providers or the University.

After your interview, you will be contacted with the outcome of the interview and further steps.