By Dr Melody Smith, Clinical Psychologist
If you are preparing a DClinPsy application, selection tests can feel confusing and, at times, unsettling. Some NHS-funded programmes use them as part of short-listing, while others rely entirely on your written application and interviews. This blog brings together what courses currently state on their Leeds Clearing House and university webpages, to offer a clear, grounded overview of where tests are used, what they look like, and how they sit alongside the rest of the process.
All information below relates to NHS-funded DClinPsy courses. Because procedures can change, this should always be read alongside the most up-to-date Clearing House pages.
Why do some courses use selection tests?
Selection tests are usually introduced to help courses manage very high application numbers. They allow programmes to sample particular capacities early on, such as reasoning, judgement, research understanding, self-reflection and values-based decision-making. Importantly, these tests are not designed to replace your application, and they are rarely used in isolation. In most cases, they are considered alongside your Clearing House form and, later, interviews [1].
Courses that currently use selection tests
University of East London & Salomons (Canterbury Christ Church)
University of East London and Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology run joint selection tests.
Applicants who meet basic eligibility criteria are invited to an assessment stage, usually in February. This involves two multiple-choice tests: a research-focused MCQ and a Clinical Psychology Situational Judgement Test (CP SJT). Test scores are then combined with application ratings to decide who progresses to interview [1]. The tests form the first stage of short-listing, rather than a stand-alone hurdle.
University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh sends all eligible applicants additional online questions and an online Situational Judgement Task. The SJT focuses on how applicants reason through complex, ambiguous situations similar to those encountered in training. These responses are considered together with the application form during short-listing [2].
Lancaster University
Lancaster University invites all eligible applicants to complete an online ability test during a set testing window, typically in February. Lancaster states that this approach is intended to focus on potential and competencies rather than educational history, and that application forms are not rated when deciding who is invited to interview. The highest-scoring candidates progress to a two-stage in-person selection process [3,4].
University of Exeter
University of Exeter does not use a timed reasoning test. Instead, eligible applicants complete a battery of assessment questionnaires at home within an assessment window. These questionnaires explore areas such as self-reflection, receptivity to feedback, compassion and team working. They are not intelligence tests, and they are not timed. Scores are used alongside the application during short-listing [5].
Trent (Universities of Lincoln & Nottingham)
The Trent programme, delivered by the University of Lincoln and the University of Nottingham, invites eligible applicants to a written screening exercise, usually held in February. This task assesses general academic competence and critical thinking. Only applicants who pass this stage are invited to interview [6].
University of Manchester
University of Manchester requires eligible applicants to complete a General Mental Ability (GMA) test. Completion of this test is mandatory to be considered. Scores are used during short-listing, with successful candidates invited to interview with a panel including programme staff, NHS clinical psychologists and community representatives [7].
University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield invites eligible applicants to complete an online deductive reasoning test. The test focuses on reasoning and problem-solving skills, and scores determine who is invited to interview. A small number of interview places are ring-fenced for applicants applying under the Disability Confident scheme who narrowly miss the top scores [8].
Courses that currently do not use short-listing tests
Some programmes explicitly state that they do not use additional screening tests and rely on application scoring and interviews only. Examples include:
- University of Leeds, which states that selection is based on the application and two interviews, with no plans to introduce screening tests [9].
- University of Surrey, which short-lists via application scoring followed by interview and assessed activities [10].
- Staffordshire University, which has stated it will not use an online academic screening task for the 2026 intake [11].
- University College London, which does not list separate ability or MCQ tests and bases selection on application review and interviews [12].
Because procedures can and do change, it is always important to check each course’s current Selection Procedure page on Leeds Clearing House and any further correspondence from specific courses.
What this means for you
If you are applying to multiple courses, you may be navigating very different selection systems at the same time. Where tests are used, they tend to assess reasoning, judgement, research understanding, self-reflection and values, and they sit alongside, rather than instead of, your application, references and interviews [1].
Preparing well therefore means understanding what each individual course is assessing.
Lastly, its important to hold in mind that selection tests are one part of a broader picture, not a judgement on your worth or suitability as a future clinical psychologist.
References
- Leeds Clearing House. University of East London – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-east-london/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University of Edinburgh – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-edinburgh/selection-procedure
- Lancaster University. DClinPsy shortlisting procedure. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-and-medicine/dhr/dclinpsy/applicants/shortlisting/
- Leeds Clearing House. Lancaster University – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/lancaster-university/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University of Exeter – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-exeter/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. Trent (Lincoln & Nottingham) – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/trent-lincoln-nottingham/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University of Manchester – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-manchester/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University of Sheffield – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-sheffield/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University of Leeds – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-leeds/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University of Surrey – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-surrey/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. Staffordshire University – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/staffordshire-university/selection-procedure
- Leeds Clearing House. University College London – Selection procedure. https://www.clearing-house.org.uk/courses/courses-z/university-college-london/selection-procedure
Note: All statements above are directly drawn from the cited pages. I cannot confirm future changes to selection processes beyond what is currently published by each course.
