- Pick the shape before you speak. Assessors mark while you talk, so a clear structure makes your points easy to find and score.
- STARR for "tell me about a time": situation, task, action, result, reflection. Keep the start short; spend most time on action and reflection.
- Claim, example, reflection for motivation and qualities. "Both sides, then a line" for opinions, debates, hot topics and ethics.
- Role plays, such as an anxious patient, follow an arc: open, explore, empathise, explain, close. The Role Play module turns it into six steps.
- Signpost, aim for one to two minutes, then stop. The Dental Schools Council expects natural, unrehearsed answers, never a script.
Pick the shape before you speak
Assessors mark while you talk, so make your answer easy to follow. Take a breath, choose the shape, then speak. Four shapes cover almost every question:
- "Tell me about a time…": STARR (situation, task, action, result, reflection).
- "Why…?" or "What makes you suited to dentistry?": claim, example, reflection.
- "Should…?", "What do you think about…?" and ethics: both sides, then a line.
- A role play with an actor, such as a nervous patient: open, explore, empathise, explain, close.
- Signpost the shape in one breath: "There are two sides to this, and I'll finish with where I stand."
- Aim for one to two minutes, then stop and let them follow up. Birmingham's stations last five to ten minutes each.
STARR for experience questions
Use STARR whenever you are asked about something you did. Keep situation and task short. Most marks sit in action and reflection, because that is where the assessor sees you.
- Situation and task, about 15 seconds: "On work experience, the nurse asked me to keep a nervous eight-year-old calm in the waiting room."
- Action, about 45 seconds: what you did, in the first person: "I asked about her favourite animal, then got her counting the fish."
- Result, one line: what changed. "She went in for her check-up without crying."
- Reflection, about 20 seconds: what you learned and do differently now. "Distraction and a calm voice did more than telling her not to worry."
Claim, example, reflection
Use this for motivation and qualities questions. Make one claim, prove it with one specific example, then say what it shows or taught you. The Dental Schools Council asks for concrete examples, not memorised lists. Here it is for "What makes you suited to dentistry?":
- Claim: "I'm patient with fiddly, careful work."
- Example: "I've repaired phones at weekends for a year. A screen takes an hour of tiny screws, and rushing breaks things."
- Reflection: "I've learned to slow down when it matters. I imagine that's even more true inside someone's mouth."
- The example does the work. One moment told well beats three qualities listed.
Both sides, then a line
Use this for opinions, debates, hot topics and ethics. Often there is no single right answer; what scores is fair reasoning and a clear conclusion. It is fine to refine your view mid-answer, as long as you explain why.
- Frame it: "This comes down to children's teeth against personal choice and cost."
- Give the strongest case for, then the strongest case against, each with a reason. No straw men.
- Land your line: "On balance I think…, because…" Then say what would change your mind.
- In ethics, the line must also be safe: involve senior colleagues and follow the law and GDC guidance. The Ethics module adds those steps.
The role-play arc
With an actor, follow the conversation's natural shape. It mirrors the Calgary-Cambridge guide, a widely taught consultation model. The Role Play module expands it into six steps: introduce, explore, empathise, explain or act, check understanding, plan and close.
- Open: who you are and why you are here. "Hi, I'm Sam. Is it OK if we have a quick chat before your appointment?"
- Explore: one open question, then listen. "What's worrying you most about today?"
- Empathise: name the feeling, then pause. "It sounds like the last visit really hurt, so of course you're nervous."
- Explain: plain words in small chunks, checking they have understood.
- Close: agree a next step together, such as a hand signal to stop, then summarise and check nothing is missing.
How this comes up on the day
- "Tell me about a time you helped someone who was anxious." — STARR, with most of your time on what you did and learned.
- "What makes you suited to dentistry?" — claim, one specific example, then why it matters chairside.
- "Should sugary drinks be taxed more heavily?" — both sides, then a line, plus what would change your mind.
- "This patient is nervous about an injection. Talk to them." — open, explore, empathise, explain, close.
- "Can you say more about that?" — add one new idea or example; do not repeat the same point louder.
The words to use
- STARR
- Situation, task, action, result, reflection: the structure for questions about something you did. Keep the first two short; spend most time on action and reflection.
- Claim, example, reflection
- A three-step answer for motivation and qualities questions: make a point, prove it with one specific example, then say what it shows or taught you.
- Both sides, then a line
- The structure for opinions, debates, hot topics and ethics: the strongest case for, the strongest case against, then a clear conclusion with your reason.
- Role-play arc
- Open, explore, empathise, explain, close: the shape of a conversation with an actor. The Role Play module breaks it into six steps.
- Signposting
- Telling the assessor the shape of your answer before you give it, such as "There are two sides to this."
Model answer
“Should the government tax sugary drinks more heavily to protect children's teeth?”
There's a real case on both sides, so I'll give you each one and then where I land.
The case for is strong. Government figures from February 2026 say tooth decay is still the most common reason children aged five to nine are admitted to hospital in England. A tax pushes companies to cut sugar. The levy is also being extended to milk-based drinks, like milkshakes, from January 2028, which suggests the government thinks it's working.
Against that, critics say it hits poorer families hardest. It also only covers drinks, not sweets, and some people feel it isn't the state's job to tell them what to buy.
On balance, I'd support a heavier tax, but not on its own. It should sit alongside things that help children directly, like toothbrushing schemes and easier access to an NHS dentist. That matters most in the most deprived areas, where decay-related extractions are just over three times as common as in the most affluent. If it turned out the tax mostly hurt low-income families without changing what children drink, I'd want to rethink it.
Sources 7
- Applicant guidance – Online Interviews — Dental Schools Council, 2026-01
- Guidance on the core values and attributes needed to study dentistry — Dental Schools Council, 2023-12
- Dentistry interviews — University of Birmingham, 2026
- The Calgary-Cambridge Referenced Observation Guides (Kurtz and Silverman, Medical Education) — PubMed (National Library of Medicine), 1996-03
- Shared decision making (NG197), recommendations — NICE, 2021-06
- Hospital tooth extractions in 0 to 19 year olds 2025: short statistical commentary — Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2026-02-17
- Changes to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy — HM Revenue and Customs, 2026-07-13
Content reviewed 2026-10-24