UK Medical Schools 2015 Entry
Use of Aptitude Tests, Work Experience Expected and Interview Process
This document contains a summary of the use of aptitude tests, work experience expected and the likely interview process at Medical Schools in the UK. It
was researched over the summer of 2014.
Medical Schools, unlike Vet Schools do not publish specific work experience requirements; however most mention a range of experiences that they expect
potential medical students to have had. Here are some general tips:




Students should be encouraged to keep a diary of all their work experience, so that they can refer to it when writing their personal statement and
preparing for interview.
Voluntary work with a local charity is a good way of demonstrating commitment as well as finding out more about medicine.
Undertaking work experience that involves the unglamorous side of patient care such as helping elderly confused patients provides more learning
opportunities than working in a lab.
Rather than just list all the work experience that has been undertaken, it is more revealing if you can write about what you have now learned about a
medical career and its implications.
For some useful advice on writing a personal statement, look at this link to the Aberdeen University website: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/medicine/nonacademic-requirements.php
Most universities ask applicants to sit either the UKCAT or BMAT test as part of the application process. For some the scores is a significant factor in their
consideration of an application and for others it may be a less significant factor or only used in marginal situations. It is not possible to predict what the
thresholds for interview will be in any individual year, or to use data from previous years to predict subsequent years’ thresholds, since it is essentially
competitive and depends on who applies.
Students will have their UKCAT test result before the UCAS deadline so should use it to help inform their UCAS choices, otherwise they might be wasting an
application. All universities provide information on their websites regarding how they use the scores in admissions.
New this year in the UKCAT test is the Situational judgement test (SJT); it is used to measure capacity to understand real world situations and to identify
critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them. We have found that universities are using the results from this test in different ways.
There are practice tests to download on both the UKCAT: http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/preparation/preparing-for-the-test/ and the BMAT websites:
http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/for-test-takers/bmat/preparing-for-bmat/
The Trotman book, “Getting into Medical School 2015 entry” contains an enormous amount of detailed advice on the entire application process. ISBN: 978-1909319-16-5 and the British Medical Association website has a lot of information on becoming a doctor, http://bma.org.uk/developing-your-career/medicalstudent/entry-to-medical-school
2015 Entry: Use of Aptitude Tests, Work Experience Expected and Interview Process Version 1
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University
Aptitude Test
Aberdeen
UKCAT
Medical Admissions:
Tel: +4 (0)1224 437923
Email: [email protected]
A minimum UKCAT cut-off score is
NOT used.
Applicants to Aberdeen offer a broad
range of UKCAT scores. For 2014
entry:
 The lowest total score for an
applicant was 1490 and the
highest 3470.
 The lowest total score for
successful applicants who were
made offers was 2390 and the
highest 3440.
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/me
dicine/entrancerequirements.php
Admissions data:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/me
dicine/admissions-data600.php
Barts and The London,
Queen Mary
Admissions:
Tel: +44 (0)2078 828478
[email protected]
http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/un
dergraduate/courses/medicine/
index.html
Birmingham University
Admissions Tutor: Dr Austen
Spruce
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 6888
Work experience
Interview advice
Undertake as much work
experience/shadowing as possible
Interviews are conducted between
November and the end of February using
the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format.
See examples:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/medicine/n
on-academic-requirements.php
Follow this link for detailed information:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/smd/medicine/intervi
ew.php for detailed information on MMIs.
UKCAT
For school-leavers/gap year students,
you must achieve at least 2400 overall
in the UKCAT.
We are not able to give you advice on
the minimum score we require, since
it varies from year to year; however, it
is unlikely that you would be offered
an interview if you obtained a TOTAL
UKCAT score below 2400; although
there is no guarantee you will be
offered an interview if you score
above this.
DO NOT USE UKCAT or BMAT
Please note that, currently,
Birmingham is not in the UKCAT
Consortium and does not use the UK
Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) or any
We would expect that applicants will
have undertaken some voluntary work
experience in a caring/health
environment and/or observation in a
medical clinical setting. It is important
for applicants to have a realistic
appreciation of what a career as a
health professional involves.
If selected, you will be required to attend a
short interview at the Whitechapel campus
in January or February.
It is equally important to be able to
demonstrate that you are wellmotivated towards a career in medicine
especially through volunteering and/or
work experience. In addition, we want
Multiple mini-interviews take place between
November and March. You will participate in
six separate, short interviews, lasting 6 mins
each. This will allow you to start afresh at
each mini-interview. A range of your
Normally interview panels consist of two
members of senior academic or clinical staff
a medical student and sometimes a lay
selector. See:
http://www.smd.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/c
ourses/medicine/A100/index.html
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http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/u
ndergraduate/courses/med/me
dicine.aspx
other admissions test. However, we
are considering introducing an
admissions test for applications
received in 2015 for 2016 entry.
Email: medicineadmissions@
contacts.bham.ac.uk
Brighton and Sussex
BMAT
Tel: +44 (0)1273 643528 /
643529 / 641966
Email:
[email protected]
The results of the BMAT will be used
to assess each application and will
form part of the process to select
applicants for interview. BMAT may
also be used as a final discriminator if
needed after interview.
to ensure that you possess other
qualities required of a potential doctor.
Therefore, extracurricular involvement
is important in addition to the work
experience. Evidence of on-going
activities involving significant
interactions with a broad range of
people in a responsible capacity is a
relevant aspect. Activities that take
place outside of school are especially
appreciated.
personal attributes relevant to studying
medicine will be assessed by means of
different tasks. Interview stations are
designed to assess aspects such as:
motivation for medicine; communication;
self-insight; ethical reasoning; data
interpretation; ability to evaluate information
and identify relevant aspects.
To find out more about each stage of the
interview process, download our MBChB
interview information document.
Please note that BSMS may verify
references and records of work
experience and you will be asked, if
called for interview, to bring with you
your completed work experience form
which is sent to you when you are
invited for interview.
Interviews are held during BSMS
admissions days on Wednesdays and
Saturdays, during January, February, and
March each year.
You need to show that you have an
idea of what is involved in the career,
and be motivated to the demands of
the career and long periods of study.
You should try to gain as wide
voluntary experience as possible in a
caring or health environment. This
does not have to be in a hospital
(which can be difficult to obtain) but a
nursing home, local hospice, shelter for
the homeless, working with people with
disabilities or special needs, or working
with a youth group, would all be useful
experience.
Medical Interviews:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/applicants/interview
s/medicine/
http://www.bsms.ac.uk/undergr
aduate/
Bristol University
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 7679
Email: [email protected]
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/medic
al-school/prospective/
A formal 20 minute semi-structured
interview and other activities take place
throughout the day. You will be advised of
the time of your interview on arrival.
DO NOT REQUIRE UKCAT or BMAT
Any change in this policy will only
apply to applications for future years
of entry and will be well publicised in
advance.
Medicine interviews at Bristol use the MMI
(multiple mini interview) format, which
assesses candidate’s skills and
professionalism at various stations. The
MMI takes about an hour.
Interviews will take place between
December and April.
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Cambridge University
BMAT
Admissions:
admissions:admin.cam.ac.uk
[email protected]
All Colleges require Standard Course
(A100) applicants to take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT).
http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/un
dergraduate/courses/medicine/
Admissions statistics by college for
medicine
http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergrad
uate/apply/statistics/
Cardiff University
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)2920 688101
There is no minimum threshold/score
cut off for the UKCAT at all, and it is
only used in borderline cases.
Email:
[email protected]
http://coursefinder.cardiff.ac.uk
/undergraduate/course/detail/8
77.html
We only use the results of an
applicant’s UKCAT test if we are at
the end of the process with two
applicants in a “tiebreak” situation, at
which point we may refer to the test
results to make a decision.
To demonstrate some understanding
of what a career in Medicine involves
and your suitability for your intended
career, you are strongly advised
(though not required) to undertake
some relevant work experience. This
could be either paid or voluntary, in a
health or related area. We are not
prescriptive about how this is obtained,
recognising the widely differing
opportunities available.
Cambridge Interviews:
http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/
apply/interviews/involve.html
Applicants who meet the minimum
academic requirements and are
sufficiently highly ranked academically
are assessed on non-academic criteria
according to the information contained
in their Personal Statement and the
Referee’s Report given on the UCAS
application form. Applications are
reviewed by trained selectors and the
following are assessed and scored:
Insight into a career in
Medicine
Evidence of experience and
reflection in a caring
environment
Evidence and reflection of
personal responsibility
Evidence of a balanced
approach to life
Evidence of self-directed
learning.
Cardiff’s interview period runs from
November to March. You will be interviewed
by a panel of 2 or 3 people, at least one of
whom is medically qualified. We aim to
have a current Year 4 medical student on
each panel.
Interviews are discussion-based and
predominantly academic and subjectrelated, so you'll be asked questions:
 relevant to the course you've
applied for
 about the information you provided
in your written application
Interviews generally last 20 minutes. They
provide a chance for us to explore your
personal statement in greater detail and
give you the chance to expand further on
your experiences.
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University of Dundee
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384697
There is no minimum cut-off
score. Applications are ranked on
academic achievement and UKCAT
score
Email: [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/meds
chool/undergraduate/admissio
ns/
FAQs:
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/unde
rgraduate/enquiry/medicine/
Your UKCAT score will be factored
into the pre-interview rank. There is
no specific cut off applied but
obviously a high score is
advantageous.
Our analysis of the 2013 applicants
revealed the average calculated from
applications received was 2520 and
the average for those gaining offers
was 2720.
We encourage up to two weeks
relevant work experience (or
equivalent) as it is helpful for providing
awareness of and insight into career
choice. This will be discussed at
interview but is not scored.
Please note we intend to ask
applicants to inform us where their
experience has been acquired and
verify a selection.
The Medical school interview process is a
series of 10 seven minute 'mini interviews'.
The usual topics are covered but within
bite-size sections rather than a single
discussion which offers you a number of
separate opportunities to sell
yourself. You can expect to be asked
about your understanding of: a medical
career, the curriculum here in Dundee,
aspect of your UCAS statement as well as
current medical issues in the press,
including ethical topics.
.
In addition we will be looking to assess
your communication skills and approach
towards teamwork through a series of
interactive stations where you have a task
to complete or actor to talk to.
Following interview, provided the
process has run smoothly, candidates
are ranked on the interviews score
alone, i.e. there is a 'clean slate' with
no carryover of the pre-interview rank
The University of Edinburgh
UKCAT
Contact: Admissions Officer
Once all the scores are received we
rank them, divide the groups into
octiles and allocate a score. The
points are then added to your total
score to contribute towards your final
ranking.
Tel: + 44 (0)131 242 6407
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.ed.ac.uk/medicinevet-medicine
We will consider all scores and no
applicant will be excluded from
selection based on the score achieved
in their UKCAT
The score an applicant achieved may
be looked at again when final
decisions are being made and there
Demonstration of a clear
understanding of the nature of a career
in medicine will be expected. This can
be achieved by:
 Appropriate work experience or
work shadowing, as evidence of an
informed decision to apply for a
medical programme.
 Talking with medical doctors and
medical students.
 Attending a University Open Day
and medical conferences/lectures.
 Reading medical literature.
Do not normally interview school leavers
Because we do not interview school
leavers, your references are very
important.
We have put some guidelines together to
help your referees write the best reference
possible.
Download guidelines for referees (PDF)
If it is not possible to get any work
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are a number of applicants with the
same ranked score and limited places
left to offer.
University of Exeter
UKCAT
http://www.exeter.ac.uk/under
graduate/degrees/medicine/m
edicine/entry/
Applicants achieving less than 2500
overall are unlikely to be invited to
attend an interview. Subtest scores
will not be taken in to consideration.
experience in a hospital then other
alternatives include working in a
nursing home, riding for the disabled,
or volunteer work.
Work experience is not part of our
standard entry requirements and
therefore whether you have work
experience or not, you are very
welcome to apply to our programme.
frequently asked questions
Applications will be sorted according
to academic profile and overall
UKCAT score in order to determine
which applicants will receive an offer
of an interview.
University of Glasgow
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)141 330 6216
We consider UKCAT with all other
aspects of the application. All aspects
are considered in equal
measure. The range of scores we
consider changes each year as the
performance of each admissions
cohort varies.
email: [email protected]
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/m
edicine/mus/medicineadmissio
ns/
FAQs:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/m
edicine/mus/medicineadmissio
ns/faqs/
Hull York Medical School
UKCAT
[email protected].
For 2015 entry, we award you a
number of points depending on your
UKCAT score, and add this to your
academic score and your SJT band to
give the total score which we will use
Tel:+44 (0) 1904 321782
Exeter recognise difficulty in obtaining
medical work experience so any parttime job where students can work in
teams and improve their
communication skills is valuable.
Our interviews are designed to determine
whether applicants possess the nonacademic qualities such as the
communication skills, reflectiveness and
empathy required to become a successful
doctor. Interviews will be conducted by a
panel of interviewers, including at least
one medical clinician. Whether or not an
offer is made will depend on your
performance at the interview.
Obtaining work experience in a
medical setting is not necessary to
study medicine but it is expected that
candidates will have a realistic
understanding of what a career in
medicine entails and be aware of
current issues facing the medical
profession. A commitment to caring for
others is also expected, which can be
demonstrated through voluntary or
paid work in a community setting. Any
commitment to work experience or
similar is expected to last beyond the
offer-making stage of the admissions
process.
The interview is structured and involves a
selection panel (including School of
Medicine staff, consultants and honorary
members of the University) who complete
a scoring sheet during the process.
There is no prescribed pre-application
experience for applicants to HYMS, but
you should try to obtain a realistic
understanding of the demands of
medical training and practice. You will
find it useful to get some experience in
Interviews for 2015 entry will take place
during December 2014 and January
2015.
Interviews normally take place in
December with offers normally being
made by late March each year.
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mu
s/medicineadmissions/mbchbinterviews/
The interview process has three
components, which can happen in any
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to rank you against other applicants
when deciding who to invite to
interview.
a range of caring situations, observing
or working alongside healthcare staff,
in either a voluntary or paid capacity.
We do not consider your application if:
1) Your total UKCAT score is less
than 2450
2) You score less than 400 in the
Verbal Reasoning subtest
3) You score less than 500 in any
other subtest
For 2015 entry we will not be using
your UKCAT score post-interview.
We also advise that you explore both
the positive and negative aspects of a
medical career through talking to
doctors and other healthcare
professionals. We will expect you to
demonstrate that you understand, and
are committed to, teamwork and the
social context of healthcare.
See Our Selection Procedure for
details.
Imperial
BMAT
Tel: +44 (0)2075 948056
BMAT cut-off scores are calculated
each year, as a result of ranked
candidate BMAT scores versus
number of expected interview
sessions. As a result, the absolute
BMAT cut-off changes each year.
However, the BMAT cut-off scores
from previous admissions cycles may
be used as a guide.
medicine.ug.admissions@imp
erial.ac.uk
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/ugp
rospectus/facultiesanddepartm
ents/medicine/mbbsmedicine/e
ntryrequirements
For 2014 entry, the minimum scores
required were:
 a score of 4.5 in section 1
 a score of 4.6 in section 2
 a score of 2.5 and grade B in
section 3
http://www.hyms.ac.uk/undergraduate/
before-you-apply/pre-applicationexperience
Work experience should give a realistic
understanding of what is involved in a
career in medicine and thus be a
sound basis upon which to decide
whether such a career would suit them.
Imperial is unlikely to offer places to
candidates who have not gained such
an understanding.
order:
A group interview lasting 20 minutes.
A first structured personal interview lasting
10 minutes. There will be two interviewers.
A second structured personal interview,
also lasting 10 minutes. There will be two
interviewers. There will be no more than
three key questions during the interview,
but interviewers will ask you to expand
your responses
http://www.hyms.ac.uk/undergraduate/ourapplications-process/our-selectionprocedure
If selected, you will be required to attend a
15-minute interview between December
and March. Normally interview panels
consist of a chairperson, two other
members of the selection panel, a senior
medical student and frequently a lay
observer.
However, we appreciate that it can be
difficult to obtain work experience in
hospitals and GP surgeries, particularly
without the help of your school or a
medically qualified friend or relative. If
this is your situation, we recommend
you look for experience as a care
assistant or volunteer in a nursing or
residential home, or as a volunteer in a
hospital or other community
establishment.
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Keele University
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)1782 733937
Admissions
[email protected]
Applicants with total UKCAT scores in
the lowest decile (i.e. in the bottom
10% of scores nationally) will not be
considered.
http://www.keele.ac.uk/health/
schoolofmedicine/undergradua
temedicalcourse/entryroutesho
wtoapply/
All applicants will be required to
submit a Roles & Responsibilities
form during the last two weeks of
October
1
Scoring sheet:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuni
versity/fachealth/fachealthmed/pdfs/A
dmissons%20Academic%20Scoring%
20Sheet%202015.pdf
Kings College London
(Guys, Kings and St
Thomas)
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/medicine/i
ndex.aspx
Undergraduate Admissions
(including MBBS GPEP)
Health Schools Admissions
Centre
T: +44 (0) 20 7848 6501 /
6502
E: [email protected]
It is beneficial to undertake long-term,
hands-on work experience in a caring
role, so that you are aware of what a
career in caring for people may
involve. Work experience and/or
volunteering can take many forms,
from helping elderly members of the
community with shopping, through to
helping in a hospice, or working with
disadvantaged children. Applicants
who find it necessary to undertake paid
employment may use examples from
their interactions with people at work.
We are not looking for medically
related work experience.
Interviews take the form of multiple mini
interviews (MMIs).The stations will
examine a range of skills and
aptitudes. The format of stations may
vary from a 1:1 traditional interview
through to a role-play. The MMI assesses
a range of attributes of applicants,
including motivation, empathy, insight,
professionalism, responsibility, ethical
awareness, resilience and effective
communication. One station will assess
the ability of applicants to perform
clinically relevant calculations.
Students should have normally
undertaken work experience in a
caring environment and/or observation
in a medical clinical setting or, if this
has not been possible, interacted with
the general public through work, eg in
a pharmacy, check-out or restaurant
The interview is conducted by at least two
members of the clinical and academic
sciences staff. The aim of the interview is
to assess your personal qualities and to
find out whether you have the potential to
become a successful member of the
medical profession. In this context, strong
interpersonal and communication skills
are most important, particularly when you
consider the relationships which medical
professionals need to build with their
patients.
Interviews are scheduled to take place in
late December, January, February and
March.
UKCAT
The College never commits to a
minimum UKCAT score in advance of
the admissions cycle as the quantity
and quality of applications varies each
year. Indeed, there is no absolute
minimum UKCAT score as other
factors are taken into consideration. In
general though, the better one does
on the UKCAT the greater the chance
of being invited to interview.
As a guide to applicants, we refer to
the average score (730) for 2014
entry which indicates the level at
which candidates were likely to have
received an interview.
As we are seeking to identify your
suitability for this clinical environment, we
expect our interviewees to adopt the dress
code required of clinical medical students
at King's.
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University of Lancaster
DO NOT REQUIRE UKCAT or BMAT
Tel +44 (0) 1524 5 94547
From 2016 entry onwards, all
applicants will be expected to take the
Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
[email protected]
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sh
m/divisions/med/
University of Leeds
Tel: +44 (0)113 343 4362
Email:
[email protected]
http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/m
edicine/admissions
For 2016 entry, personal statements
will no longer be scored and used to
determine who is invited to interview.
Instead, all applicants will be ranked
according to their BMAT score and
the personal statements of the topscoring applicants will be checked to
ensure that they have had some
relevant work experience and can
demonstrate a caring commitment to
society.
BMAT
The forms are initially assessed for
academic criteria by our admissions
team. This process looks at your past
and predicted grades along with your
BMAT score. We have no "cut off" for
the BMAT
Relevant work experience in a
healthcare setting and
Insight into a medical career and their
own suitability, drawn from their work
(and voluntary) experience and
A commitment to society; working for
the benefit of others, including
voluntary work or significant caring
roles
Normally you should be able to report
some direct experience of both hospital
and community medical practice and
describe what you have learnt from
your experience.
Although direct observation of medical
consultations may not be possible due
to issues of confidentiality, most
applicants should be able to observe
reception or other aspects of health
care.
Tip: Provide details of the type of work
experience and its duration.
If attempts to gain work experience
have been unsuccessful, there should
be some reference to this contained
within the Referee’s statement.
In addition to work experience, you
should also have some factual
knowledge about potential careers and
be realistic about the future.
The MMI consists of 12-15 different
“stations”, most of which will be 5 minutes
long. Some stations will consist of a short
interview, where you may be asked
questions about your career choice, work
experience or suitability for a medical
career. At others, you may be asked to
read a short paragraph or watch a short
video clip, take some notes and then
discuss at a subsequent station. An
additional 20 minute station will involve
group work and will assess your suitability
for our problem-based learning curriculum.
Applicants who are selected for interview
will be sent detailed information prior to
their interview.
The University use MMI
See:
http://medhealth.leeds.ac.uk/info/202/appl
ying_for_the_mbchb/107/interviews
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University of Leicester
UKCAT
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departme
nts/msce/undergraduate/medic
ine
Admissions Tutor: Dr Kevin
West
How A100 applications are scored
Tel : +44 (0)116 252
2969/2985/2966
[email protected]
University of Liverpool
http://www.liv.ac.uk/medicine/
http://www.liv.ac.uk/medicine/u
ndergraduate/admissions/
Initial assessment of UCAS forms will
be based on academic ability and
UKCAT score. Academic ability and
UKCAT will each be scored out of 34,
giving a total score out of 68.
http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/msc
e/undergraduate/medicine/documents
/2015%20A100%20Scoring
DO NOT REQUIRE UKCAT or BMAT
http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/sch
oolofmedicine/Liverpool,Departmental
,SupplFW2014b_GMG2.pdf
Enquiries Service
Tel: +44 (0)151 795 4370
Email: [email protected]
University of Manchester
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)161 306 0460
For 2015 entry applications that do
not meet the UKCAT threshold
chosen will not progress to the next
phase of the screening process and
will receive notification that their
application has been unsuccessful
through UCAS in due course.
Email:
medicine.enquiries@manchest
er.ac.uk
http://www.mms.manchester.a
c.uk/undergraduate/
http://assets.mhs.manchester.
ac.uk/coursefiles/01428/applicationMay201
4.pdf
Medically related work experience may
be difficult to obtain for some students
and therefore, it is not an essential
requirement. However, any work that
brings you into contact with the general
public will improve your communication
skills. Also, if you have been able to
gain work experience with ill, disabled
or disadvantaged people or undertaken
voluntary work, include this in your
application.
No formal work experience is specified
but applicants will need to address
our non-academic criteria and include
the demonstration of healthcare career
awareness/insight, a caring
contribution to the local community and
a critical, coherent and informative
approach to communication.
Your experiences in a caring role will
be of great interest. These need not be
in a traditional mainstream medical
environment. The interview is an
opportunity for candidates to relate not
only to the facts and details of their
experiences, but also their emotional
responses to them and what they have
gained from them.
The university use Multi Mini Interview
Interviews will be held in a Multiple MiniInterview (MMI) style for 2015 entry and will
comprise 8 stations.
The various stations will assess the following:
Verbal communication
Written communication
Listening
Problem solving
Motivation and suitability
We will use the UKCAT SJT score as a
virtual interview station.
All Applicants are invited to an approximately
15 minute, semi-structured interview with two
people drawn from a panel of trained
interviewers, including academic members of
the University staff, NHS clinicians, local GPs
and members of Local NHS trusts. The
criteria used to assess the interview are
application of knowledge of the Liverpool
medical programme and its curriculum,
medical ethics and team work, together with
the non-academic criteria. Each interviewer
independently scores the candidate in each
domain and an overall score is generated for
each applicant
MMI
You will be interviewed in a seven station
'multiple mini-interview' format, passing
through seven stations each of which has an
interviewer
http://www.mms.manchester.ac.uk/undergrad
uate/applicationprocess/applyingstepbystep
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Page 10 of 15
University of Newcastle
UKCAT
NE partnership with Durham
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/undergrad
uate/degrees/a100/courseover
view/
The UKCAT threshold may differ in
each admissions cycle as it is
dependent on the scores achieved by
those applicants who apply to our
Medical School in the current cycle.
Therefore information on what the
threshold is is not available to
prospective students. However, you
can view previous years' thresholds
for information.
https://www.dur.ac.uk/school.health/p
hase1.medicine/entrancerequirements
/ukcat/
https://www.dur.ac.uk/school.h
ealth/phase1.medicine/
219 places at Newcastle
University and 99 places at
Durham University each year.
Tel: +44 (0)191 222 7005
At Newcastle our emphasis is on our
applicants being able to show a
commitment to caring which can be
accomplished in a number of ways
other than in a hospital or General
Practice setting e.g. volunteering in an
elderly care home, hospice, nursery or
helping someone less fortunate.
Do not be put off from applying to
Newcastle as there are many ways you
can demonstrate to us that you are a
committed and caring individual.
E-mail:
[email protected]
Norwich Medical School,
University of East Anglia
Admissions contacts:
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
[email protected]
https://www.uea.ac.uk/study/u
ndergraduate/degree/detail/mb
bs-medicine#requirements
Newcastle Interview – 2 selectors and 25
mins. Attributes Assessed. Preparation and
motivation for medical school, Effective
Learning skills, Team working, Personal
qualities/ resilience, Interpersonal and
communication skills, Empathy, sensitivity
and integrity
Durham Interview two selectors and takes 45
minutes.
Prior to and during the interview the selectors
are not given access to the application
information, including the reference and
personal statement, as the interview is
designed to explore the candidate's personal
qualities.
UKCAT
While we include consideration of
your Cognitive UKCAT score within
our selection process WE DO NOT
HAVE A CUT OFF
VALUE. However, from our
experience, it is unusual for an
applicant with a UKCAT score of less
than 2400 to be invited to interview.
Please note that for the 2015
entry admissions cycle, the SJT
banding will not be used within the
selection process.
If selected for interview you will be
asked to complete a work experience
form
Please provide details of two
experiences that have most informed
your decision to study Medicine, (for
example, but not limited to; voluntary
work, ‘shadowing’ a health care
professional, paid employment, or
personal experience caring for others).
Please include contact details of
someone who can verify your
experiences, and bring the completed
form to your interview. You should be
prepared to discuss your experiences
at the interview.
Each interview lasts approximately 50
minutes. Selected applicants are invited to
take part in an OSCE (Objective Structured
Clinical Examination) style interview, also
known as a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI).
During the interview, each applicant rotates
through a series of rooms, known as
'stations', They will spend 5 minutes at each
of the 7 stations, with a 1 minute
changeover/preparation time between each.
Please note that we do not disclose interview
questions.
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Page 11 of 15
University of Nottingham
UKCAT
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/u
gstudy/courses/medicine/bmbs
-medicine.aspx
We do not have a cut-off or threshold
for the UKCAT results. We will give
you a score for each of the five
sections of the UKCAT test; this
includes scores for the four sections in
the cognitive component and a score
for the SJT component. The total
UKCAT score makes up 71% of the
total score at this stage. The scores
are added to the score we award for
GCSE's (where
applicable). Applicants within
the highest 50% are then considered
further and have their personal
statement and reference read and
marked. This mark is added to the
previous total and applicants with the
highest overall total are invited for
interview.
Tel: +44 (0) 115 823 0000
email:
[email protected]
Oxford University
BMAT
http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/
We would suggest that the typical
average applicant should be working
towards a 6 (a 7 is still fairly rare) in
sections 1 or 2; do note that sections
1 and 2 receive greater weighting
(40% each) than section 3 (20%).
From 2013 statistics For those with an
offer of a place, the mean adjusted
BMAT score was 65%.
http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/med
icine/pre-clinical/statistics/
[email protected]
.uk
Queens University Belfast
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 2675
Scores are ranked in a banding and
scored alongside top 9 GCSEs or
equivalent to identify interview
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/
All applicants are expected to have
experience of working or volunteering
in a health-care related setting and,
where possible, to have observed the
work of doctors to ensure that they are
making an Informed choice about a
career in medicine. It is highly unlikely
that students with no work experience
will be offered a place on the A100
course.
We aim to interview approximately 700
applicants.
No Specific Information Given
Around 425 applicants are invited to Oxford
for interview each year.
All candidates are free to make
reference to skills or experience
acquired in any context to date to
illustrate compatibility with the
selection criteria for Medicine at
Oxford; sometimes candidates refer to
voluntary work and other
extracurricular activity, but many forms
of evidence can help demonstrate to
tutors that a candidate has made an
informed decision regarding their own
suitability to study Medicine.
This can be demonstrated in a number
of ways including: opportunities for
observational experience in a clinical
setting, attending medical careers
We are working towards implementing the
multi-mini interview format for 2015/16 entry
with four mini stations. We will add more
information on the station formats shortly.
As part of the process to decide which
applicants are called to interview, we
establish a ranking on the basis of GCSE
performance (we look at the proportion of A*
grades and number of A* grades across all
the GCSE subjects taken) and BMAT results.
If invited for interview this comprises nine
stations multiple mini interview (MMI) to
determine non-cognitive performance. MMIs
are being used to test non-cognitive
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mdbs/
Plymouth University
Peninsula School of
Medicine
candidates
Band score
0
Scoring Range
1200-1899
1
1900-2099
2
2100-2299
3
2300-2499
4
2500-2699
5
2700-2899
6
2900-3600
conferences, or undertaking voluntary
work in a care setting. Participation in
activities within or outside School
demonstrating transferable skills such
as leadership, empathy, teamwork and
communication skills is also
considered.
competence and the applicant’s personal
statement is considered within this process
No Specific Information Given.
Interview is structured and formal to ensure
that every student is asked the same
questions and receives the same prompts.
Interviews take approx. 20 minutes.
http://www5.plymouth.ac.uk/courses/undergra
duate/bmbs-bachelor-of-medicine-bachelorof-surgery/bachelor-of-medicine-bachelor-ofsurgery-selection-and-admissions-process
There is an excellent overview on work
experience on the website
http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/prospe
ctive_ug/applying/workexperience
Suggestions include• Paid or voluntary
work experience in a residential care
home, hospice or similar.
• Working in a youth centre or working
with young children.
• Participating in community
volunteering schemes.
• Working with a diverse range of
people (whether on a paid or voluntary
basis).
The Multiple Mini Interviews comprise a
series of six 8-minute stations. Interviewers
are drawn from medical educationalists,
medically qualified senior members of staff,
biomedical scientists, junior hospital doctors,
senior nurses, senior medical students and
lay people. The interviewers will have a copy
of your UCAS application.
http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/medicine/prospecti
ve_ug/applying/whathappens
UKCAT
Scores are reviewed each year
2013 score thresholds
Tel: +44 (0)1752 437333
Email: [email protected]
Sheffield University
http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicin
e/
Medical School Office
Reception Desk for General
Tel: +44 (0)114 222 5522
Email: [email protected]
Information on preparing for MMI and what
they are on
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/mdbs/medicine/
Prospectivestudents/MultipleMiniInterviews/A
dviceonpreparationforMMIs/
Verbal Reasoning : 504
Quantitative Analysis : 612
Abstract Reasoning : 599
Decision Analysis : 713
Overall (with standard deviation
applied) : 2671
UKCAT
The UKCAT may be considered when
deciding who will be invited for
interview. It is likely that any candidate
with a score of 2600 or above who
also meets the academic entry
requirements will be given
consideration provided that they also
meet the other academic
requirements.
Participatory work experience (not
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IAG Helpline - 22 Sep 2014
Page 13 of 15
simply observing, but a 'hands on' role)
is extremely valuable. Many applicants
arrange to undertake paid or voluntary
work as a Healthcare Assistant.
Whatever work experience you have, it
is important that you reflect effectively
on this in your Personal Statement.
University of Southampton
UKCAT
Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 4408
Applicants must score 2500 or above
in the UKCAT exam in order for their
application to be considered further.
The Faculty of Medicine will then be
ranking applicants by UKCAT score
and a certain percentage will be
invited to attend a selection day.
UKCAT
Email: ugapply.fm@southam
pton.ac.uk
St Andrews
Tel: +4(0)1334 463593
Email: [email protected]
St George’s
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8725 2333
Email: [email protected]
Swansea University
GRADUATE ENTRY ONLY
Must be a home student UK
and EU and minimum 2:1 or
A cut off score for each admissions
cycle will be decided upon once all
applications have been received and it
will be based on the national average
which in 2014 was 2963.
http://medicine.standrews.ac.uk/prospectus/#
Look for experience of interacting with
people in health or social care settings
– this may draw on what you have
learnt from your own life experiences
(e.g. friends and family), or more
formalised activity (e.g. paid or
voluntary work, or work shadowing)
Students who meet the entry criteria and get
the top UKCAT scores will be invited for a
selection day (December through to March),
which will include an interview and group
task.
Work experience in a medical or
‘caring’ environment or indeed some
other environment that you feel has
been relevant in preparing you for a
career in medicine such as a nursing
home, local hospice, shelter for the
homeless, working with people with
disabilities or special needs, or working
with a youth group, would all be useful.
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) consisting of
a small number of 'mini' interviews, each
lasting around seven minutes.
We prefer hands-on experience to
shadowing and working in a care
home, hospice or doing community
work with disabled adults or children
are examples of good work
experience. The key thing is to be
working with patients or people in need
of care.
Multi Mini Interview
The interview will consist of eight activities
each lasting five minutes
http://www.sgul.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/
mbbs5/how-to-apply
Information not supplied.
You will be asked to sit a written assessment
of 30 minutes duration. This is designed to
identify those applicants whose personal and
academic qualities are suitable to a career in
medicine.
http://medicine.standrews.ac.uk/prospectus/#
UKCAT
500 in each section or above. We will
receive the UKCAT results for 2015
entry in November 2014 and at that
time will confirm the minimum overall
score required to be selected for
interview. We will not be using the
SJT section of the test.
GAMSAT
Minimum overall score of 50, with a
minimum score of 50 in section 3
(reasoning in biological and physical
sciences)
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IAG Helpline - 22 Sep 2014
Page 14 of 15
predicted 2:1
Two separate interviews, each of 20 minutes
duration, conducted by a pair of trained
interviewers taken from a panel of doctors,
academics, students and members of the
public (lay) interviewers. Your personal
statement will be considered and discussed
during your interview.
Tel: + (0)1792 513400
[email protected]
University College London
BMAT
[email protected]
The test scores are used, along with
other information in the UCAS
application, to help us select
candidates for interview.
FAQs:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalsc
hool/undergraduate/mbbsadmissions/faqs
Selection procedure:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/un
dergraduate/mbbsadmissions/faqs/select.pdf
Warwick University
UKCAT
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/
med/study/ugr/
We will not be considering the
Situational Judgement section of the
test for 2015 entry.
Tel:+44 (0)20 7679 0841
GRADUATE ENTRY ONLY
2:1 degree (or overseas
equivalent) in ANY subject
Tel: +44 (0)24 7652 4585
[email protected]
Candidates with an undergraduate
degree and no additional
postgraduate qualifications scoring
above 3000 are usually offered a
place at Selection Centre, but it
depends on the overall UKCAT
performance of our applicants that
year.
Previous experience (both personal
and through work experience or
volunteering), particularly if it has
involved contact with the healthcare
profession or laboratory work, or if the
candidate has been involved with the
sick, disabled, very young or elderly,
and importantly, is able to reflect on
their experiences.
The interview season begins in December
and runs through March.
The types of experience that we value
include voluntary work in a nursing
home, care home, hospice or hospital
volunteer as well as employment in
professional healthcare roles. As a
general rule, what you have learned
from your experience is more important
than the overall length of time you
spent. However, the minimum
commitment we would expect to see is
the equivalent of 2 weeks full-time (70
hours) across the last two years.
At Selection Centre, you will take part in a
number of assessed activities such as:
•Group exercises
•Interview(s) or Multi Mini Interviews (MMIs)
Interviews last approximately 15-20 minutes
and are conducted by a panel of 2-3
interviewers, including clinical and basic
medical science staff, a senior medical
student or ‘lay’ interviewer (e.g. Head of Sixth
Form or GP). Interviewees will be given a
copy of their BMAT essay prior to the
interview, as discussion of their essay will
form part of the assessment at interview.
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