Cambridge medicine interview
How Cambridge runs its medicine interview: format, stations and timings.
On the day
Online or in person depends on the College. For Medicine in 2027 entry, Churchill, Clare, Emmanuel, King's and Selwyn interview everyone in person; Corpus Christi, Jesus, Pembroke, Peterhouse, Robinson, Sidney Sussex, Trinity and Trinity Hall interview UK-based applicants in person and most overseas applicants online; Gonville and Caius lets UK and Ireland applicants choose; the other 15 Colleges are fully online. Main interview period 7 to 18 December 2026.
Not an MMI. Most Colleges run two interviews of about 20 to 30 minutes each, usually with two interviewers; Peterhouse and Selwyn may run three, and Jesus may put its 35 to 50 minutes of contact time into a single interview.
At least one interviewer is a practising doctor. Some Colleges split the interviews into a scientific one and one on motivation and suitability for medicine (Caius, Girton, St John's), while others keep both scientific (Trinity, Trinity Hall, King's).
Interviews are supervision-style scientific problem solving where you are not expected to know the answer, and interviewers have your personal statement and may open with it. Some Colleges give material to look at beforehand (Peterhouse, Lucy Cavendish); Christ's sets no test or preparatory exercise on the day.
Each interviewer typically marks you out of 10 and writes comments; keep pen and paper handy, as you may be asked to show your workings to the camera.
You can make notes and keep them in the station.
Admissions decisions are made by the Colleges using academic record, UCAT (cognitive score only, the SJT band is not used for 2027 entry) and interviews together; interview performance is not the sole basis. Strong candidates a College cannot take may enter the winter pool, and pooled applicants may be invited to an additional interview at a different College in January.
What to expect at your online interview