Prepare for the 2026 Allergy ST3 Interview with Structured, Specialty-Specific Practice Questions

Allergy ST3 Interview Questions are how you’ll be tested at one of the most competitive entry points in UK higher specialty training. This bank is built for doctors preparing for the 2026 joint Allergy and Immunology ST3 interview run through PHST, with comprehensive coverage of every station you’ll face. It’s written by high-scoring registrars who recently sat the interview.

“I was successful at interview and the scenarios were very similar to those on the Medibuddy website. The information on Medibuddy was really useful for interview preparation.”

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Updated for 2026

What to Expect from the Allergy ST3 Interview

Allergy ST3 is one of the smallest higher specialty training programmes in the UK, and its scarcity makes it sharply competitive. In 2025, NHS England recorded 29 applications for 3 posts, a ratio of 9.67:1, with the same three posts filled the previous year at 10.00:1. Demand has risen steadily from 5.25:1 in 2021 while post numbers have stayed in low single digits.

Recruitment is coordinated nationally through Physician Higher Specialty Training (PHST) and run jointly with Immunology ST3, reflecting the shared Allergy and Clinical Immunology curriculum introduced in August 2021. The interview is delivered online, with joining instructions issued via Oriel. It runs as a two-station panel, each station lasting 20 minutes, with the full sitting taking around 45 to 50 minutes including transitions. Each station is scored by its own pair of consultant assessors drawn from allergy and immunology; consistent with general UK ST3 practice, a lay representative may also be present to oversee process, though this is not separately confirmed for Allergy ST3.

PHST has not publicly itemised official titles or exact content for each station. The breakdowns below are inferred from the published two-station format combined with the domains set out in the 2026 person specification and the 2021 curriculum, and should be treated as a guide rather than a confirmed station-by-station rubric.

Station 1: Portfolio and Commitment to Specialty (Inferred)

Twenty minutes with two assessors. Based on the published person specification, this station is likely to draw on your self-assessment evidence: qualifications, publications, presentations, teaching, audit and quality improvement, and engagement with the specialty (BSACI involvement, taster experience, allergy-relevant clinical exposure). Expect to be asked why allergy, what you understand of the specialty’s scope, and how your portfolio evidences that motivation. Each domain is scored 1 to 5 against an expected performance standard.

Station 2: Clinical Scenarios, Communication and Professionalism (Inferred)

Twenty minutes with a separate pair of assessors. Clinical reasoning is likely mapped to the GMC-approved Allergy and Clinical Immunology curriculum: acute anaphylaxis management, diagnostic workup in suspected food, drug and venom allergy, risk stratification, long-term management, and integration with clinical immunology. Communication is assessed verbally through these scenarios rather than via a dedicated actor station. Common communication themes in allergy practice that panels may probe include breaking difficult news, parental conversations around paediatric food allergy and adrenaline auto-injectors, and managing disagreement with colleagues. Ethics, governance and patient safety are woven through. Domains are again scored 1 to 5.

What the Panel Is Looking For

Appointability under PHST requires no more than two station scores of 2/5, alongside a minimum Ranked Interview Score; check the current PHST applicant handbook for the exact figure. Across both stations the panel is testing four things: clinical reasoning grounded in current allergy practice, structured and empathic communication, evidence of sustained commitment to the specialty, and the professional judgement expected of a registrar. Strong candidates score evenly across the stations rather than relying on one.

The Medibuddy 2026 Allergy ST3 Interview Question Bank

We’ve built the question bank around the PHST Allergy and Clinical Immunology ST3 interview as it actually runs: two 20-minute stations, each scored 1–5 against expected behaviours, covering portfolio, clinical scenarios, professionalism and the wider competencies set out in the 2021 curriculum and Allergy ST3 person specification.

Coverage is comprehensive across every question type you can be asked on the day, with model answers and structured frameworks for each. The bank is written by high-scoring trainees and registrars who recently sat the PHST interview, and refreshed each year using feedback from the latest cohort so the content tracks how panels are actually marking.

What’s Included in the Allergy ST3 Interview Question Bank

How to Prepare for the Allergy ST3 Interview

Allergy ST3 is a small, high-stakes round. In 2025 the specialty saw 29 applications for 3 posts, a ratio of 9.67:1. With numbers that tight and only two stations to make your case, preparation quality is the variable you can actually control.

Understand the format before you start practising

Before you rehearse a single answer, get the structure straight. The interview is delivered online via Oriel as a two-station panel, each station 20 minutes long, each scored by its own pair of interviewers, with the full sitting running roughly 45 to 50 minutes including transitions. That matters because there is no warm-up: you walk into 20 minutes with one pair, then 20 minutes with a fresh pair who have not seen your earlier performance. Every station has to land on its own.

Focus on knowledge and delivery equally

Allergy ST3 panels are drawn from BSACI-affiliated consultants who know the curriculum well. They can tell quickly whether you understand anaphylaxis pathways, drug allergy workup, immunotherapy indications and paediatric versus adult allergy practice, or whether you are reciting headlines. Equally, technically correct answers delivered as a wall of unstructured detail score poorly. Pair your reading with deliberate practice on structure: signpost, prioritise, and finish cleanly inside the time. Knowledge wins you the content marks; delivery wins you the communication marks. You need both.

Build preparation around each station

Treat the two stations as separate preparation tracks. PHST does not publicly itemise the domains, but the 2026 person specification points clearly to what panels assess: clinical decision-making in allergy and immunology scenarios, commitment to specialty, communication, teaching, and research, audit and ethics. We recommend mapping your prep into two buckets: one focused on clinical scenarios (anaphylaxis, food allergy, drug allergy, urticaria, asthma overlap, immunodeficiency referrals) where you talk through assessment and management under questioning; and one focused on professional and motivational themes (why allergy specifically, your portfolio evidence, teaching, audit/QI, ethical scenarios, awareness of the ACI versus ACLI curricula). Practise transitioning between the two mindsets, because that is what the live interview will demand.

Practise under timed conditions

Twenty minutes goes faster than candidates expect, especially when interviewers probe follow-ups. Practise to a clock with a partner who interrupts and reframes. Aim to deliver a structured clinical answer in 3 to 4 minutes so that follow-up questioning has space to run. If you only ever practise in calm, uninterrupted conditions, the real station will feel unfamiliar, and unfamiliarity costs marks.

Start earlier than you think

For the 2026 round, interviews are centrally held on 12 February 2026. We recommend starting structured interview preparation around 8 to 10 weeks out, with the final 3 to 4 weeks given over to timed mock stations. Allergy is small enough that you will not find a large peer group sitting the same interview; build your practice circle early, ideally with an Immunology ST3 candidate, since the format is shared.

Practise with the question bank

The principles above only convert into marks through repetition against realistic questions. Our Allergy ST3 Interview Questions bank is built around the two-station PHST format and the 2026 person specification, so you can drill clinical scenarios, motivation, ethics and portfolio prompts in the structure you will actually meet on the day. Use it for timed runs, then review your answers against the model responses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Allergy ST3 interview involve?

The Allergy ST3 interview is run nationally by PHST as an online multi-station panel, shared with Immunology ST3. You’ll face two stations of 20 minutes each, with the full interview taking around 45–50 minutes including transitions. Each station is scored by its own pair of consultant assessors drawn from allergy and immunology, working from the published person specification and curriculum.

How competitive is Allergy ST3?

Very competitive, despite the small numbers. NHS England recorded 29 applications for 3 posts in 2025, a ratio of 9.67:1, with all posts filled. In 2024 the figure was 30 applications for 3 posts (10.00:1). With only a handful of national posts each round, every mark at interview matters, and candidates often need to be flexible about geography.

What topics come up in the Allergy ST3 interview?

PHST does not publish station-by-station content, but questions draw from the 2021 Allergy and Clinical Immunology curriculum and the person specification. Expect clinical scenarios spanning anaphylaxis, drug allergy, food allergy and immunodeficiency, alongside commitment to specialty, teaching, audit and research, and professionalism. Reflection on a significant event is typically probed within a broader portfolio or clinical question rather than as a standalone station.

Does the question bank cover both Allergy ST3 stations?

Yes. Our bank is built around the PHST two-station structure used for Allergy and Immunology ST3, with practice material for both the clinical and the professional/portfolio sides of the interview. Each question reflects the 20-minute station timing and the 1–5 scoring scale used by panellists, so you practise pitching answers at the level the assessors are marking against.

When should I start preparing for Allergy ST3 interviews?

We recommend starting 8 to 10 weeks before your interview date. The NHS England schedule shows Allergy ST3 interviews held centrally in mid-February, so a November or December start gives you time to build clinical knowledge across the curriculum, rehearse station-length answers, and refine delivery without compressing everything into the final fortnight.

Start Preparing for the Allergy ST3 Interview

Most candidates prepare by reading broadly across allergy topics and hoping it translates on the day. Strong candidates prepare differently. They practise against the format the panel actually uses, refining how they structure answers across the clinical, portfolio and ethics stations until delivery matches knowledge.

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