Alex | Founder of Medfully
08 Dec 2 min read

Prioritisation Questions: Examples

Prioritisation questions are equally likely to appear in an MMI and panel interview format and aim to check your ability to make rational decisions, whilst explaining your thinking process clearly and efficiently.


They are all about (yes, you've guessed it) prioritising certain items or actions. Here are a few examples of prioritisation questions that you can use for your interview preparation:


"Imagine you are on a raft and swim towards a deserted island. Luckily you have a backpack with a few necessary items for survival. Suddenly your raft starts to sink. You need to get rid of five out of the ten items listed below. Which one's would you choose and why?



      • Box of matches
      • Water repellent jacket
      • Hammock
      • Sunscreen
      • Box of sardines
      • Mirror
      • Cell phone
      • Encyclopedia
      • Flip flops
      • Knife


"There are only 10 seats on a lifeboat, but 11 passengers on a sinking boat. What criteria would you use to decide who to leave behind?"


"You are an FY1 doctor about to end your shift. You look at your watch and realise you'll be late for a date this evening, but you still have a few tasks to deal with. Talk us through the order in which you'd do each of the following tasks:"

  1. Call the restaurant to postpone your reservation.

  2. A nurse has bleeped you to help you clog a hemorrhage in the A&E.

  3. A 7-year-old patient is waiting for a discharge and complains about missing home.

  4. A 77-year old patient with arthritis sits in the corridor waiting for a recurring prescription for pain medication.

  5. Your parking ticket has expired 5 minutes ago. You need to get a new one or you'll be fined.

  6. Reply to an email from an aspiring medical student about organising work experience.


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