Answer timer
8:00/ 8 min suggested
Answer the question
Answer out loud against the clock, or type your key points.
Observing a Mistake
Did you ever see a doctor or nurse make a mistake during your work experience? What happened?
- 1How did the team respond?
- 2Was the patient told?
- 3What would you do if you saw the same now?
Speak it out loud and we'll type it for you (free), or type your own notes — then mark yourself below.
- Reflect, don’t report: what you saw → what it taught you → how it shapes you.
- Tell stories with STARR: Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection.
What strong answers doReveal the benchmark
Hidden so they don't bias your answer. Score yourself first, then reveal them to compare.
- Be tactful - 'mistake' can include near-misses, communication slips, or procedural lapses. You don't need a dramatic story.
- Focus on the system response: was there a debrief? Was the patient informed (duty of candour)?
- If you don't have an example, say so - making one up is worse than the empty answer.
A worked example: how a strong answer is built
A structure to adapt, not a script to memorise — examiners spot recited answers instantly.
Treat "mistake" broadly and describe it without drama. Near-misses, a mis-set drip, a mislaid form, a piece of bad news delivered in the wrong place, or a handover that lost information are all legitimate answers, and they carry the same learning as a serious event without inviting you to embellish. Describe what happened factually and do not identify anyone.
Move quickly to what the system did about it. That is what the station is really testing: whether the error was raised, whether there was a debrief or incident report, whether the patient was told. Naming the duty of candour — the professional obligation to be open with a patient when something goes wrong — is the single most useful thing you can say here.
If you have no example, say so plainly and answer the question underneath it: what you understand about error culture, why blame-based responses make systems less safe, and why you would expect to raise a concern rather than absorb it. Inventing an example is worse than the empty answer and is easily exposed by a follow-up.
Framework: Describe neutrally → system response → duty of candour
Mark yourself
Score each skill against the question's mark scheme, then add a line of evidence.
Integrity
Look for: Doesn't dramatise or fabricate
Insight
Look for: Understands error culture
NHS Knowledge
Look for: Aware of duty of candour
Communication
Look for: Handles a delicate question
Reflect & score
Note what you'd change, then give the whole answer a mark out of 10.
Your overall score / 10
Not scored yet
Your results
Mark yourself first, then reveal the model answer to compare.
Your score, charted against a model answer
- Score ring and verdict
- Skills radar, you vs the model
- Strongest skill and next step
- Checks on your wording