The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is a crucial part of the Irish GP training entry process. It evaluates how you would handle realistic scenarios as a doctor, focusing on ethical and professional decision-making rather than clinical knowledge. Your SJT score can determine whether you get an interview and ultimately influence your ranking for GP training placements. This guide breaks down the SJT format, scoring, topics assessed, and provides 10 essential tips to help you prepare effectively for the ICGP SJT.

The ICGP SJT presents approximately 40 scenario-based questions reflecting situations a junior doctor might encounter. Each scenario comes in one of two formats:

• Ranking Questions: You’ll be given a scenario and 5 possible actions. You must rank these from 1 (most appropriate) to 5 (least appropriate) according to how well each action addresses the situation. For example, you might rank responses to an ethical dilemma from the best course of action to the worst.

• Multiple-Choice (Selection) Questions: You’ll see a scenario and 8 possible actions. You must choose the 3 most appropriate actions from the list. These three choices together should form the best overall response to the scenario’s problem.

All scenarios are designed to assess your judgment in areas relevant to being a GP, such as professionalism, integrity, empathy, and handling pressure. No prior medical facts are needed – it’s about applying common sense, ethics, and professional values, not medical knowledge.

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Understanding the marking scheme will help you maximize your score. ICGP has not declared how they mark SJT part but we will explain how SJT questions are marked generally.

• Ranking Questions: Each ranking question is scored out of 20 points. Full marks (20/20) are earned by exactly matching the ideal ordering of the five options. Partial credit is awarded for “near misses” – essentially, the closer your ranking is to the model answer, the more points you get. Generally, you get about 4 points for each option in the correct position, and slightly fewer for options that are one or two positions off. Importantly, there’s no negative marking, so you should always assign a rank to every option. Leaving any option unranked or duplicate-ranked will score zero for that question.

• Multiple-Choice Questions: Each selection question is scored out of 12 points. You earn 4 points for each correct option that you choose. If the model answer is (for example) options B, D, and F, and you select those three, you get 12/12. If you pick two of the correct options and one wrong option, you’d score 8 points for the two correct picks (and 0 for the wrong pick). All three picks must be distinct, and if you choose more than three options, you receive 0 points for that question. Again, no negative marking applies – incorrect choices just don’t earn points.

Pro Tip: Always attempt an answer for every question, since you can only gain points or zero – never a penalty. Even a partially correct ranking or a couple of correct options on a multiple-choice can give you some points, which can make a big difference in your final score.

The SJT is designed to measure your professional attributes and ethical judgment in line with the role of a GP. It is not testing your clinical knowledge at all. Here are the core competencies and topics the SJT focuses on:

• Professionalism and Integrity: Honesty, accountability for your actions, and adherence to ethical standards are crucial. You’ll face scenarios testing whether you do the right thing – e.g. admitting mistakes, challenging inappropriate behaviour, or maintaining patient confidentiality. Questions draw on principles from the Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics, similar to the GMC’s Good Medical Practice, which set out standards like honesty, maintaining boundaries, and raising concerns about patient safety.

• Empathy and Patient Focus: The SJT will assess if you put the patient at the center of care. This means showing empathy, respect, and compassion, and prioritizing the patient’s welfare in your decisions. Scenarios may involve breaking bad news, handling patient complaints, or respecting patient autonomy – in each case, the best answers put the patient’s needs first.

• Coping with Pressure: Working in healthcare can be stressful. Expect scenarios about managing workload, fatigue, or emergencies calmly and safely. The test looks for resilience, good judgment under pressure, and knowing when to seek help. For example, you might need to decide how to handle an overwhelming situation or deal with personal stress without compromising patient care.

• Teamwork and Effective Communication: Good GPs collaborate well with colleagues and communicate clearly. SJT scenarios may involve colleagues – e.g. a nurse or another doctor – and test how you would respond. Key traits include respect for team members, clarity in communication, and willingness to listen and share tasks appropriately. You could be asked what to do if a senior’s instructions seem questionable, or how to address a conflict between staff.

• Ethical Dilemmas and Guidelines: Many questions are built around ethical principles. Common themes include confidentiality, informed consent, raising concerns about a colleague’s incompetence or misconduct, dealing with medical errors, and maintaining professional boundaries (even on social media). Familiarity with the four pillars of medical ethics – autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice – will help you navigate these scenarios. For instance, you might need to balance a patient’s autonomy against their safety, or decide if breaching confidentiality is justified to protect someone from harm.

By understanding these core areas, you’ll recognize what the question is really testing. The SJT essentially asks, “What should a good doctor do in this situation?”. Keep that in mind as you consider each scenario.

Now that we’ve covered the structure and content of the SJT, let’s dive into 10 practical tips to boost your preparation. Each tip addresses a key aspect of studying or test-taking strategy for the SJT.

A solid grasp of professional guidelines is the foundation for answering SJT questions correctly. Start by studying the Irish Medical Council’s Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics (latest edition) – this is Ireland’s equivalent of the GMC’s Good Medical Practice. It outlines doctors’ duties in areas like patient confidentiality, consent, honesty, and raising concerns. Knowing these principles will help you align your judgments with what’s expected of a good doctor. Likewise, review the four core ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice) because SJT scenarios often hinge on these. For example, if a question involves a patient refusing treatment, understanding autonomy and informed consent is key. In short, learn the rules of ethical and professional conduct now, and you’ll find many SJT answers flow logically from them.

When you face an SJT question, don’t rush in—read the scenario carefully and identify the key details. Determine what the ethical or professional dilemma is, who you are in the scenario (e.g. an intern, a GP, a colleague), and the setting (hospital ward, clinic, etc.), because context matters. Ask yourself: “What’s the core problem here? Is it a confidentiality issue? A patient safety concern? A team conflict?” Focus only on the information given in the question stem. Do not make assumptions or add extra facts that aren’t provided. For instance, if a scenario describes a senior doctor behaving abruptly with a patient, don’t assume that doctor is always rude – base your judgment on this specific incident. By breaking the scenario into pieces (your role, the main issue, relevant guidelines), you can more clearly evaluate which responses would be most appropriate.

A guiding principle for virtually all SJT questions is that the patient’s well-being is the top priority. No matter the scenario, ask yourself which action best safeguards or respects the patient. This means considering patient safety, comfort, and rights above all. For example, if a question involves balancing a patient’s request against hospital policy, think about what keeps the patient safe and cared for. Even when dealing with colleagues or system pressures, the best answers won’t compromise patient care. Demonstrating empathy and respect for patients – such as listening to their concerns, obtaining informed consent, or maintaining their dignity – will usually steer you to the correct option. Remember, a GP is ultimately an advocate for the patient, so the SJT will reward choices that reflect that patient-centered mindset.

Confidentiality and consent are two ethical cornerstones that frequently appear in SJT scenarios. You should know when it’s appropriate to share patient information and when it’s not. As a rule, never disclose a patient’s details without permission, unless there’s a serious risk of harm that justifies breaching confidentiality (e.g. a patient intends to hurt themselves or others). If an SJT scenario involves, say, a family member asking for information about an adult patient, the safest response is to stick to confidentiality rules. Similarly, with informed consent, always ensure that patients (or their guardians, if minors) are given enough information to make decisions about their care. In scenarios about treatment refusal or patients lacking capacity, consider legal and ethical guidelines: e.g. following a patient’s advance directive, or the need for parental consent for a child. Showing awareness of these principles – that patients have rights over their information and bodies – will help you choose actions that are ethically sound.

The SJT will test your commitment to being a responsible, ethical doctor. This includes being honest, accountable, and professional even in difficult situations. If you make a mistake (or discover someone else’s mistake), the appropriate action is usually to acknowledge it and take steps to correct it, rather than hiding it. If a colleague is acting inappropriately, the best course often involves addressing it in a proper manner – for example, speaking to them privately and encouraging improvement or, if serious, escalating to a supervisor in line with guidance. Always consider your scope of practice as well: don’t attempt something beyond your competence – asking for help from a senior or specialist can be the most professional response if a scenario is beyond your level. Also, maintain boundaries with patients (e.g. politely refuse inappropriate gifts or social invitations) and use social media cautiously as a doctor. In short, demonstrate integrity in your answers – do the right thing even if it’s hard or if no one is watching.

For ranking questions, evaluate each of the five options in the context of the scenario before deciding your order. A good approach is to identify the best option and the worst option first, then sort out the middle choices. Make sure you’ve read all options – sometimes an answer that looked okay at first might be clearly outshined by a better option you see later. For selection-style questions, a common pitfall is picking actions that individually seem fine but don’t work well together. Ensure that your three chosen actions complement rather than contradict each other. For example, if one option says “report the incident to a supervisor” and another says “keep the incident to yourself,” obviously you wouldn’t select both. The best trio of actions should collectively address the problem from multiple angles (e.g. inform the right people, support the patient, prevent future harm). Before finalizing your answer, quickly imagine doing all three chosen actions – do they make a coherent, logical response? If one of them would undermine another, reconsider your picks. This holistic thinking will improve your accuracy on both ranking and multiple-response questions.

The SJT is a time-pressured exam, so pacing is critical. You’ll have just minutes to read each scenario and evaluate all the options. Practice working within the time limits – for instance, roughly 2 minutes per question as a guideline. If you get stuck on a tough scenario, it’s better to make your best guess and move on rather than burn too much time on it. Equally important, never leave any question unanswered. There is no negative marking, so an educated guess can only help you. If time is almost up, quickly pick answers for any remaining questions rather than leaving them blank. Even a random guess gives you a chance at scoring some points (remember, picking the correct “side” of appropriateness or importance can earn partial credit). To ensure you finish in time, consider using techniques like reading the question stem first (to know what you’re looking for) or flagging and coming back to a question if you have time at the end. With practice, you’ll develop a sense of how long to spend per scenario. Ultimately, good time management and attempting every question will maximize your score.

One of the best ways to prepare is by doing plenty of practice SJT questions and then reviewing the explanations. This not only familiarizes you with the format, but also helps you notice common themes in scenarios. For example, you may observe that when a colleague is underperforming or behaving unprofessionally, the pattern for the best response is often: address it with them privately first, unless the issue is severe – in which case, report through proper channels. Or you might see that patient safety issues always warrant immediate action before anything else. By practicing, you’ll start to internalize the rationale behind model answers. When you review explanations, pay attention to why certain actions are considered “very appropriate” versus “inappropriate.” Jot down recurring principles – such as “duty of candour” (to be honest with patients about errors), “seek senior guidance when unsure,” or “respect patient autonomy even if family disagrees”. These patterns become mental rules you can apply to new questions on test day. Essentially, practice makes you fluent in SJT-thinking – so use practice question banks, past scenarios, and even try writing a few scenarios yourself to test a friend. The more exposure you have, the more confident and faster you’ll get at identifying the best answers.

Remember that the SJT is not a personality quiz – it’s assessing your judgment as if you are a doctor in a professional setting, not what you might do in your personal life. Approach each question objectively and calmly. Even if a scenario touches a nerve or seems to have an obvious gut reaction, pause and think, “What would a responsible doctor do here, according to best practices and ethical standards?” This often means doing things that might not be the easiest or most personally comfortable choice, but are professionally correct. For instance, if a friend at work asks you to cover up a small mistake, your instinct might be to help your friend – but professionally, the right action is to ensure honesty and patient safety (perhaps encouraging the friend to admit the error, or informing a supervisor if needed). The exam expects you to always choose the professionally appropriate route, even if it’s awkward or difficult. Keeping a professional mindset also means staying calm under pressure in the scenarios – showing that you wouldn’t act out of anger, panic, or favoritism. In practice, when taking the test, try to stay relaxed. If you feel stuck or emotional about a scenario, take a deep breath and recall the core guidelines. Thinking like a doctor – with empathy, fairness, and integrity – will guide you to the right answers more often than not.

Finally, make the most of the study resources available to you. High-quality SJT question banks and study notes can dramatically improve your preparation. For instance, GPquestPro offers an SJT Question Bank with hundreds of practice questions tailored to the Irish SJT format. Practicing with such a question bank will get you used to the style of questions and the logic behind the best answers. GPQuestPro also provides SJT E-Notes, which are concise study notes summarizing key points from the latest Irish Medical Council ethical guidelines. These notes are essentially a distilled guide to all the principles and professional standards you’ll need to know for the test. Using the E-Notes to cram important details and ethics tips can be very efficient – they ensure you’re studying the right material aligned with Irish standards. Additionally, timed mock exams (like GPQuestPro’s Grand Mocks) can build your stamina and timing. Whichever resources you choose, make sure they are up-to-date with Irish guidelines and offer detailed explanations. The combination of practice questions and reviewing explanations with reference to official ethics guidance is golden. It will help you understand exactly why an answer is correct or not, which is the real learning that boosts your SJT performance.

When preparing for the ICGP SJT, GPQuestPro is a tailored resource worth considering to give you an extra edge. GPQuestPro’s SJT package includes two key tools:

• SJT Question Bank: An extensive Q-bank with over 600 SJT practice questions covering a wide range of scenarios for both the SJT and the Clinical Problem Solving Test (CPST). Each question comes with detailed explanations of each option, so you can learn the rationale behind the correct ranking or selections. These questions are specifically designed for the Irish context, meaning they align with the ICGP’s style and the Medical Council’s ethical standards. Working through this bank will not only build your familiarity and speed, but also expose you to many of the common themes and tricky situations before the real exam.

• SJT E-Notes: These are concise electronic notes compiled from the latest Irish Medical Council ethical guide and other relevant professional guidelines. The E-Notes focus on high-yield topics for the SJT – for example, confidentiality rules, consent and capacity (including recent updates), doctor-patient boundaries, social media conduct, dealing with adverse events, and more. Essentially, they serve as a quick-reference ethical handbook for SJT prep. By studying the E-Notes, you can quickly refresh all the important principles and “dos and don’ts” that the SJT scenarios often hinge upon. Because GPQuestPro’s materials are updated to reflect the newest ethics guide, you can be confident you’re learning the most current standards expected of doctors in Ireland.

It ensures your preparation is targeted to the Irish SJT format and guidelines, saving you time that might be wasted on unrelated content. Many general SJT books or UK resources overlap, but GPQuestPro’s content is aligned exactly with what the ICGP is looking for. By practicing with the Q-Bank and memorizing the key points from E-Notes, you’ll enter the test knowing what to expect and how to approach each scenario. It’s like training in the conditions of the real exam, so you’ll feel more confident and less likely to be caught off-guard.