How to prepare for your UCAS Teacher Training interview

So you’ve sent your teacher training application, but what happens next? You’ll hear back from the training providers within 40 working days of submitting your application.

Before you can be offered a place on a programme, you’ll need to attend an interview. Although interviews may appear daunting, a bit of preparation can go a long way.

Check out our top tips to help you prepare.

Show off your qualities.

Training providers will be looking for a number of qualities to see if you’d make a good teacher, such as:

• passion – show you care about teaching
• confidence – and being respectful towards children
• professionalism – in both your mindset and the way you conduct yourself
• personality – this can easily be reflected in how you present yourself, so dress smartly
• energy – enthusiasm is infectious
• resilience – being a teacher can be tough, so you'll need to show you're up to the task
• understanding the commitments involved in  teaching – even the most prepared interviewees can be nervous about some things. It'll be fine as long as you demonstrate how you can overcome this in order to succeed

Prepare for the types of questions you’ll be asked.

Interviewers will ask you a range of questions, such as:

• asking you to demonstrate an understanding of what helps children to learn
• why you’ve picked a school-based/university-based route
• what you’ve learnt from your experience in schools
• your understanding of the subject you’ll be teaching – take a look at the national curriculum before your interview

It’s a good idea to start thinking of answers to the above questions, and examples that demonstrate what would make you a great teacher.

Need some more inspiration? Check out this video on how to prepare for your teacher training interviews.

Good luck at your interview!
Please let the training providers know if you’re unable to attend an interview. They may be able to reschedule this to a more convenient time.

If you have any questions about your UCAS Teacher Training application, check out all the advice on ucas.com. You can also get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter who’ll be more than happy to help.