Social Work

Your Social Work interview will take place online through Microsoft Teams. As your interview is online, we highly recommend visiting us at an Open Day, Taster Day or Applicant Day (invitations are sent to applicants) to get to know ARU.

Your interview will consist of a written task, group discussion and individual interview. We will be interested in exploring your knowledge, skills and values in relation to social work.

Below, you'll find some helpful information about preparing for your interview. Please take the time to read this; note that it applies to Social Work courses in Cambridge and Chelmsford only.




Before your interview



Preparation and interview task

You'll need to be prepared with knowledge and an understanding of the role of a social worker. We recommend you look at websites such as Social Work England (SWE), British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and Point of entry to training | BASW.

When you graduate, you will be eligible to apply for registration with SWE. From early on in your degree course, as well as throughout your career, you’ll be working with people accessing services and will need to uphold SWE’s Professional Standards.

On the interview day, there’s no need to feel anxious – all of our interviewers are relaxed, friendly and are looking forward to seeing your potential.

You are required to watch the following video before your interview date: Half a million more UK kids drop into poverty. (8m20s – subtitles available.)

The first task of your interview process will be to complete a written exercise on this video from home. You must ensure the written exercise is written in your own words. Text from any Generated Artificial Intelligence (GAI) programs must not be included.

Please submit your written work by 5pm the day before your interview.

Download instructions for the written task

Please submit your work to [email protected].

You will be asked about your written exercise so on the morning of your interview, we suggest you read through your work to ensure it’s fresh in your mind.

Upload documentation

You will need to upload copies of the qualifications and ID documents you have declared on your application, before your interview. We will also ask to see a form of photo ID on the day (see the section 'Teams interview day' below).

If your name is now different to that listed on your certificates, you must also provide proof of this, eg marriage certificate, deed poll.

Please note that once checked, if found not to be genuine, applicants will be immediately withdrawn and will not be able to reapply. All relevant authorities, funding bodies and professional bodies will be informed accordingly.

If you cannot find any of your certificates, we will check your Government Personal Learning Record (PLR) to verify these. The Personal Learning Record service is a permanent online record of your qualifications and achievements. It is held by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE).

If we are unable to verify your qualifications via the PLR and you do not have the certificates, you must apply for a replacement(s) immediately. This process can take more than six weeks and a charge is involved. It is your responsibility to ensure all this information is provided as Admissions will not follow this up for you.

Please do not send original documents or copies via post, as we are unable to collect or return these.

Teams interview day

Your online interview will be via Microsoft Teams. We would like you to join using the newest version of Microsoft Teams. The link was included in the initial interview confirmation we sent, and it will be on your Applicant Portal. Please contact [email protected] if you no longer have this information.

Please note that all interviews are conducted at UK/GMT(Greenwich Mean Time) therefore you should take any time differences into consideration.

Please note: A camera, a microphone and ID are required to meet our interview regulations. If you don’t have access to these, we may have to reschedule your interview.

Interview format

The day will include:

  1. A presentation about Anglia Ruskin University and what to expect from the interview day.
  2. A group discussion (in the morning).
  3. An individual interview (in the afternoon).
  4. All three components – written, group and individual – are equally weighted and each is marked out of 20. Therefore, the overall score for the day is marked out of 60. You must reach a benchmark of 10/20 in each component to be offered a place on the course.

What happens next?

You’ll be notified via UCAS of the results of your interview within three working days.

What next if I am offered a place?

What next if I am unsuccessful at interview?

Above all, you need to be certain that this is the profession you want to join. Consider visiting us at an Open Day, if you haven't already. Then commit yourself to learning as much as you can around knowledge, skills and values in relation to social work before your next interview day.