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Ambulance Emergency Care Assistant selection practice

Emergency Care Assistant recruitment differs between ambulance services, so the stages depend on the trust you apply to. Here is what published adverts and careers guidance say so far.

  • Process varies by ambulance trust
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Photo: Ray Harrington on Unsplash

What we know about the selection process

The ambulance services we looked at describe their Emergency Care Assistant recruitment in different ways, and the National Careers Service advises checking licence requirements with the specific ambulance service. Treat the points below as examples and check the current advert from the trust you want to join.

Routes in and requirements

The National Careers Service says you can apply directly, which usually needs driving experience, patient care experience and a first aid certificate, and that some services may ask for 3 or 4 GCSEs including English and maths. Another route is an Ambulance Support Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship. You’ll need a full driving licence, possibly a C1 licence, and to pass enhanced background checks (National Careers Service – Emergency care assistant).

Example: an assessment day

A January 2025 Emergency Care Assistant advert from South Western Ambulance Service, open to veterans only, asked for a full UK manual driving licence with category C1 and said the post used an assessment day rather than an interview. The day included a physical assessment, a group discussion, a team-building group task and a communication exercise. Successful candidates were placed in a holding pool to wait for a base station and start date, and the post was subject to a DBS check (NHS Jobs – South Western Ambulance Service).

Example: a driving assessment

For a related non-emergency role, Ambulance Care Assistant in patient transport, North West Ambulance Service invited candidates who passed the application stage to a driving assessment before interview. Its person specification asked for level 1 literacy and numeracy or relevant experience (NHS Jobs – North West Ambulance Service).

We have not yet found a current national description of numeracy or literacy tests for Emergency Care Assistants in England, so we will not guess at their format.

Sources

Emergency Care Assistant recruitment: frequently asked questions

Do I need a C1 licence?

You may. The National Careers Service says you'll need a full driving licence and may also need a category C1 licence or C1 provisional, depending on when you passed your test, and advises checking with the ambulance service.

Source: National Careers Service – Emergency care assistant

Do I need medical experience to apply?

Not always. A South Western Ambulance Service advert for Emergency Care Assistants said no previous medical experience was required and that training starts in its education centres.

Source: NHS Jobs – South Western Ambulance Service, Emergency Care Assistant (January 2025, closed)

What happens at an assessment day?

In that South Western advert, the assessment day replaced an interview and included a physical assessment, a group discussion, a team-building group task and a communication exercise. Other trusts may do it differently.

Source: NHS Jobs – South Western Ambulance Service, Emergency Care Assistant (January 2025, closed)

Related practice

Facts checked on 23 October 2026.