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Radiology ST1 · Portfolio

Radiology ST1 portfolio and evidence interview guide

Radiology portfolio preparation now needs two things at once: documentary evidence that fits the published category and a spoken explanation that proves ownership, reflection and relevance.

Last verified: 9 October 2026Parent guide: Radiology ST1

The 2027 portfolio criteria, categories and upload rules are published. Station A begins with two portfolio questions and may clarify evidence from up to two domains. This guide uses original prompts, not guaranteed interview questions. Teaching amendments: sources checked on 14 October 2026; the inherited recruitment verification date is retained.

ContentsHow to approach it

How to approach it

What a strong answer needs to show

Separate the document score from the spoken answer

The verifier scores the evidence against the published category. Your interview answer should then show what you personally did, what changed and what you learned.

  • Know exactly which evidence item you declared for each domain.
  • Be able to state your personal contribution without claiming the whole team's work.
  • Do not assume a strong spoken answer can repair evidence that does not meet the category descriptor.

Prepare for clarification rather than recital

The confirmed 2027 process begins Station A with two portfolio questions and allows assessors to clarify evidence from no more than two domains. Understand your evidence deeply rather than memorising category wording.

  • Know dates, role, audience, outcome and your own contribution.
  • Be ready to explain any ambiguity in the evidence calmly and accurately.
  • If the evidence is limited, acknowledge the limitation rather than overstating it.

Turn each achievement into an interview example

A portfolio item is most useful when you can connect it to a capability relevant to Radiology training.

  • For teaching, explain design, delivery, feedback and improvement.
  • For QI, explain the standard, problem, intervention and outcome.
  • For leadership or research, make decisions, contribution and learning explicit.

Match a spoken claim to what the document proves

For each declared item, make a small evidence map: supported claim, document location, your contribution and a limitation. This is a preparation method, not a new scoring rule.

  • A taster letter can support the dates, settings and activity it actually records. Observing reporting or a procedure does not establish that you performed it independently; keep your description within the documented experience.
  • A presentation certificate may support delivery, while feedback or a subsequent change needs its own evidence. For an imaging-related QI project, distinguish completing the intervention from showing that patient care or request quality improved.
  • If a role or date is ambiguous, resolve it through the proper evidence process rather than making the spoken account more impressive. Do not infer portfolio points from this method; use the published recruitment criteria.

Original practice questions

Questions worth practising aloud

These are original preparation prompts written around published domains and entry-level expectations. They are not recalled interview questions.

  1. Which part of this evidence best demonstrates your own contribution?
  2. What was the most difficult part of this project and how did you respond?
  3. What changed as a result of your work, and how do you know?
  4. What did this achievement teach you that will transfer into Radiology training?
  5. If you repeated this activity, what would you do differently?

Common mistakes

Where otherwise good answers lose clarity

  • Reciting the portfolio category descriptor instead of discussing the actual work.
  • Using 'we' throughout without making your own contribution clear.
  • Overstating impact that the evidence cannot support.
  • Giving a long chronology before answering the question being asked.

Preparation plan

How to practise this deliberately

  • Create a one-page evidence map for every declared portfolio domain.
  • Prepare a 30-second summary and a deeper two-minute version of each major achievement.
  • Ask a colleague to probe dates, ownership, impact and limitations.
  • Check the published 2027 portfolio descriptors and ensure every Oriel category, evidence title and date exactly matches the documents you upload if invited.

Continue into practice

Practise the answer, not just the reading

Spoken Radiology ST1 practice is launching soon. At launch, choose a Question bank prompt, work on your answer and use structured feedback to improve it. Explore the practice experience while you prepare with these free questions.

Explore Radiology ST1 practice

Official source

Check the live recruitment guidance

Interview formats can change between cycles. This focused guide should be used alongside the official source below and the full Radiology ST1 guide.

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