MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) interview

The MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course includes all the academic rigour of a British Psychological Society (BPS)-accredited psychology degree, including the opportunity to carry out research. In addition, as part of this course, you will be trained as a psychological wellbeing practitioner (PWP) to work in the National Health Service (NHS) with people who are presenting with common mental health problems.

Applicants for this course will be assessed for entry using an interview, in addition to the academic requirements. The interview is an opportunity for us to check that you have sufficient understanding of the course and the role of a PWP, and the personal and professional values required to train and work as a PWP within the NHS.

Once you have submitted your application via UCAS, it will be reviewed by our Admissions Team, who will consider your overall academic performance alongside your personal statement and reference. If your application meets our initial selection criteria, you will receive an email from the Admissions Team inviting you to attend an online interview on Microsoft Teams. The email will contain instructions on how to book your interview.

Approximately one week before the date of your interview, a member of staff from the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences will contact you via email with instructions on how to join your online interview using Microsoft Teams.

You should be able to join a Teams meeting without a Microsoft Teams account. If you wish to join the Teams meeting using a web browser, we recommend that you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

If you have not received an email containing instructions on how to join your online interview using Microsoft Teams at least 48 hours before the date of your interview, or if you are from a country where Microsoft Teams does not function, please email the Admissions Support Team. Please note that, occasionally, our emails could arrive in your junk/spam folders – please check your junk/spam folders carefully for the email before contacting us.

We are fully committed to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our admissions and interview processes. If you would like to request any specific requirements or adjustments around accessibility for your interview, please email the Admissions Support Team. Please rest assured that requesting reasonable adjustments or having specific requirements will not affect the outcome of the interview or our decision on whether you are offered a place on the course.

It is very important that you have an understanding of the MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course, especially the role of a PWP, so please take time to ensure you are sufficiently prepared to speak about this in your interview.

To find out more about the MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course at the University of Reading, please refer to our course information.

To learn more about the PWP role, please refer to the:

• information about the role of a PWP on the NHS website
• job profile of a PWP on the Prospects website
• blog post about the role of a PWP and career progression on the NHS website.

Your interview is expected to last for approximately 35-45 minutes, and it will usually take place with the Admissions Tutor and another member of our teaching staff.

At the start of your interview, you will be required to hold up a form of photographic ID to the camera so your identity can be verified. Examples of acceptable forms of photographic ID include a passport, driving licence photocard (full or provisional), or an ID card. Please have an acceptable form of photographic ID ready to show at the start of your interview.

During your interview, you will be asked seven assessed questions relating to the following topics:

• Your motivation to study on the MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course and the steps you have taken to ensure that this is a fully informed decision.
• The personal strengths you have which make you a good candidate for the course.
• Your interpersonal skills and your ability to engage with clients experiencing common mental health difficulties. This will be assessed via a brief 3-minute role-play where you will be asked to assess a client with low mood or anxiety (the client will be played by one of the interview panel members).
• Reflection on your own interpersonal skills, with a particular focus on what went well in the role-play and what you might do differently in the future.
• Your understanding of the role of a PWP.
• The extent to which you understand the different types of clients you will be working with in your placement year.
• How you would manage the emotional demands of working with distressed clients in service as a PWP.

During your interview, you may take notes and ask for questions to be repeated or clarified. This does not affect the mark awarded for your performance and you will not be penalised for this.

Once you have answered the last of the assessed questions, the interviewers will share further information about the PWP training year. You will then be welcome to ask any questions you may have about the course or life as a student at Reading (it can be helpful to write these down beforehand, so you don’t forget anything important).

The interviewers will provide a recommendation to the Admissions Team as to whether you have met the standard required in the interview to be eligible to receive an offer to study with us at Reading on the MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course.

If the interviewers don’t feel that you are suitable for the MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) course, an offer is usually made to study with us on the BSc Psychology course instead (subject to receiving the required qualifications).

Once the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences has made a decision on your application, the Admissions Team will contact you to let you know the outcome.

Please contact the Admissions Support Team if you have any questions about your interview.

We have developed a free online course called Stress-Free University Interviews, which is available to applicants who are invited to attend an interview for a University of Reading course. It will help you to make the most of your skills, build confidence, and practice those all-important interview techniques.