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Interview Format at Every UK Medical School: 2027 Entry

Medical schools use a range of interview styles: MMIs, panel interviews, group discussions and selection days, held online or in person between November and July. This article explains each format, then for every UK medical school covers which interview they use, whether it's online or in person, when the interviews are and how it's used for offers.

MedPrepPartner7 minute read

Quick summary

  • 38 schools run MMIs, a circuit of short, separately scored stations.
  • 5 schools run panel interviews, at Cambridge, Oxford, Glasgow, Keele and QMUL.
  • 3 schools do neither, with Dundee running a group discussion, Southampton a selection day, and Bristol a scored online interview.
  • 31 of the 46 decide offers on the interview alone, so once you're invited your UCAT and grades stop counting. Full breakdown by school.

The 38 MMI schools

In a multiple mini interview you rotate through a circuit of short stations, each with its own assessor and its own score, so one weak station is diluted by the rest. It's the format at 38 of the 46 schools:

The label hides a lot of variation, and the schools differ on almost everything:

  • Station count runs from 3 to 9. Edinburgh and Swansea use three, St Andrews four of about six minutes, and QUB nine. Most sit at five to seven.
  • Station length runs from 4 to 30 minutes. Hertfordshire uses four-minute stations, Aberdeen and UEA five-minute ones. Swansea runs three stations of 20 to 30 minutes, closer to three short panels than a classic MMI.
  • Some are recorded, not live. Brunel and St Mary's run asynchronous MMIs: you read the task, then record your answer with no interviewer present.
  • Some bolt on a test. Leicester adds a numeracy test, UCLan adds numeracy and English tests, and Bolton runs tests alongside the stations.
  • Some add a group station. KMMS pairs six seven-minute stations with a 40-minute group task. HYMS opens with a group exercise before four stations.
  • KMMS makes you sign a non-disclosure agreement, and says the format can change year to year.

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The five panel schools

A panel is one continuous conversation with two to four interviewers, scored across the whole discussion. One weak answer carries more weight than it would in an MMI, and the same people see all of you.

  • CambridgeOne or two interviews totalling 35 to 60 minutes, run by the college assessing you, so the format varies by college
  • OxfordTwo colleges interview you, always with at least one practising clinician on the panel
  • GlasgowTwo panels of 15 minutes, online. Panel A covers motivation and teamwork, Panel B communication and an ethical scenario
  • KeeleTwo 15-minute interviews on Microsoft Teams, usually two hours apart
  • QMULOne panel of two senior academic or clinical staff, online, in January or February

Three schools that are neither

  • DundeeA scenario discussion with five other applicants, then an assessor-led conversation in a separate room. About 1h 40m in total
  • SouthamptonA selection day: a group task, then a panel that draws its questions from your personal statement
  • BristolA single online interview where assessors ask questions and mark your responses separately

Online or in person

The pattern to notice: at most in-person schools, international applicants get an online equivalent, and at Newcastle they get a two-person panel instead of the MMI. If you're applying from overseas, check the international section of the school's guide page rather than the headline format.

When interviews happen

  • Earliest: KCL, Hertfordshire and UEA start interviewing in November.
  • Bulk: December to March at most schools.
  • Latest: KCL runs to May and Brunel to July.
  • Fixed dates: Leeds interviews on 4 to 6 January 2027.

Roughly half of schools don't publish a window, and the table below leaves those cells blank rather than guessing.

Every school at a glance

One row per school, taken from each university's published admissions information. A blank cell means the school hasn't published that detail. Click a school for its full guide.

SchoolFormatDeliveryOffer decided by
AberdeenMMI5 stations x 5 minIn personDec-Apr50% interview / 30% academics / 20% UCAT
ARUMMI6 stations x 7 minIn personDec-JanInterview alone
AstonMMI5 stationsOnlineDec-Mar25% interview / 50% academics / 25% UCAT
BangorMMI6 stations, ~1h totalIn personDecInterview alone
BirminghamMMI7 stations x 6 minIn personJan-FebInterview + SJT band
BoltonMMIOnlineInterview alone
BristolOnline interview6 stations x 5 minOnlineDec-FebInterview alone
BrunelMMI6 stations x 5 minOnlineDec-JulInterview alone
BSMSMMI5 stations x 10 minOnline or in personDec-MarInterview alone
BuckinghamMMI8 stations x 7 minOnlineInterview alone
CambridgePanel interviewAt least 2 interviewsOnline or in personDec-JanHolistic
CardiffMMIIn personInterview alone
City St George'sMMI6 stations x 5 minIn personDecInterview alone
DundeeGroup discussion2 parts, ~1h 40mIn personJanInterview + academics
Edge HillMMIIn personInterview alone
EdinburghMMI2 interviews + a group task, half a dayIn personNov-Feb50% interview / 50% pre-interview score
ExeterMMI5 stations x 5 minOnline or in personDec-MarInterview alone
GlasgowPanel interview2 parts, 30 min totalOnlineNov-MarInterview alone
HertfordshireMMI7 stations x 4 minOnlineNov-AprInterview alone
HYMSMMIgroup exercise + 4 stationsIn personInterview + contextual
ImperialMMI6 stations x 5 minIn personInterview alone
KCLMMIOnlineDec-AprInterview alone
KeelePanel interview2 x 15-min interviewsOnlineInterview alone
KMMSMMI6 stations x 7 min + 40-min group stationIn personInterview alone
LancasterMMIOnlineJan-FebInterview alone
LeedsMMI8 stations x 6 minIn personJanInterview alone
LeicesterMMI7 stations x 8 min + a numeracy testIn personDec-JanInterview alone
LincolnMMI7 stations x 5 minIn person70% interview / 30% academics
LiverpoolMMI7 stationsIn personJan-FebInterview alone
ManchesterMMI5 stations x 8 minOnline or in personDec-MarInterview alone
NewcastleMMI7 stationsIn personDec-Feb50% interview / 50% academics
NottinghamMMI6 scenarios x 5 min (+1 min unscored ice-breaker), up to 1hIn personDec-JanInterview alone
OxfordPanel interviewOnlineDecCollege ranking
PlymouthMMIOnlineDec-FebInterview alone
QMULPanel interviewOnlineJan-FebInterview + SJT band
QUBMMI9 stations x 5 minIn personDec-MarInterview alone
SheffieldMMI8 stationsIn personInterview alone
SouthamptonSelection daygroup task + panelIn personInterview alone
St AndrewsMMI4 stations x ~6 minIn personInterview alone
St Mary's LondonMMI8 stations x 5 minOnlineJan-AprInterview alone
SunderlandMMIIn personDec-JanInterview alone
SwanseaMMIIn personInterview alone
UCLMMI8 stations x 5 minIn personDec-MarInterview alone
UCLanMMIusually 6-10 stations (6 in 2025)In personDec-AprInterview alone
UEAMMI6 stations x 5 minIn personNov-Mar50% interview / 50% UCAT
WolverhamptonMMIOnlineDec-MarInterview + UCAT

What this means for your preparation

  1. 1.Prepare for the format you'll actually face. Rehearsing a 40-minute panel is poor preparation for nine 7-minute stations, and vice versa. You can practise timed MMI stations for free.
  2. 2.Check the delivery. A recorded MMI at Brunel or St Mary's rewards a different skill from a live station: you have to talk fluently to a camera with nobody reacting.
  3. 3.Remember what the interview decides. At 31 schools it's the entire decision, so once you're invited, the interview is the application.

Frequently asked questions

Which UK medical schools use panel interviews?

Cambridge, Oxford, Glasgow, Keele and QMUL. All the rest use an MMI, except Dundee (group discussion), Southampton (selection day) and Bristol (single online interview).

Which medical schools interview online?

Bolton, Brunel, Buckingham, Glasgow, KCL, Keele, Lancaster, Plymouth, QMUL, St Mary's and Wolverhampton interview everyone online. Many others interview overseas applicants online and home applicants in person.

How many stations are in a medical school MMI?

Between 3 and 9, most commonly 5 to 7, each lasting 4 to 10 minutes. Swansea is the outlier with three stations of 20 to 30 minutes.

When are medical school interviews for 2027 entry?

Mostly December to March. KCL, Hertfordshire and UEA start in November; KCL runs to May and Brunel to July. Leeds has fixed dates of 4 to 6 January 2027.

Do all UK medical schools interview?

Yes. Every school interviews before making an offer, and 31 of the 46 decide the offer on the interview alone.