The Keele University School of Medicine interview format

Keele's how to apply page says the interview takes the form of two 15-minute interviews, usually two hours apart, conducted online using Microsoft Teams. Interviewers come from the university, local hospital and community settings and the wider community, and have been trained. The final decision on an offer is based on your performance at interview. The page does not call it an MMI, so prepare for two short structured interviews rather than a circuit of stations.

You are sent reading in advance. For one interview, you should have read the section on professionalism in the GMC's Achieving Good Medical Practice: guidance for medical students. For the other you receive a short case with your invitation, typically 1 to 2 days before. You are not expected to memorise anything, and no other specific preparation is required for those sections.

Item	What Keele says
Format	Two 15-minute interviews, usually 2 hours apart, online on Microsoft Teams
Advance reading	GMC professionalism guidance for one interview; a short case sent with the invitation for the other
Interview window	December 2026 to April 2027
Interviewees	About 3.5 to 4 applicants per place; Keele intends to invite 750+ for 2027 entry
Shortlisting (home)	UCAT and personal statement combined on a 1 to 25 scale; 2025 threshold was 15 out of 25; UCAT verbal reasoning is the tie-breaker
Minimums	Home applicants with a UCAT total below 1,700 or an SJT in band 4 are not considered; international applicants need a total of at least 1,950
Decisions	Earliest January or February 2027; final decisions aimed by the end of March 2027
Standard offer	AAA; AAA with an EPQ at A or A is accepted

The personal statement is scored

Unlike many UK schools, Keele scores the personal statement against five characteristics from the NHS Constitution: understanding of the roles of a doctor within the healthcare team, community and society; awareness of the knowledge, skills and behaviours a medical student must acquire; evidence of a skill acquired through your studies; ability to engage and communicate with people from a variety of backgrounds and to help or support them; and ability to balance responsibilities over a prolonged period. Keele says the last two carry the greatest weighting and that the interview content is based on the same person specification. The page refers to the 2026 criteria and says they will be updated for 2027 entry.

What this means for interview preparation

Because the person specification defines the interview, build your examples around those five characteristics. Keele says generic statements and accounts of what you observed score poorly, and it gives no credit for shadowing or observation of doctors, so the best material is things you did yourself: helping, supporting and communicating with people, and sustaining a commitment.

Widening participation

Keele allocates some interviews to applicants who show they have overcome disadvantage, and applicants who complete a UKWPMED widening participation programme automatically qualify for interview if they meet minimum GCSE and UCAT requirements and are due to complete the required A-levels.

How to prepare for the Keele interview

Read the GMC professionalism section. It is the one thing Keele tells you to read, so be able to explain two key ideas in your own words.
Practise a short case in 15 minutes. Read a one-page case and prepare to discuss the people involved, the issues and what you would do.
Build examples from the person specification. Prepare for helping, communicating with different people, balancing commitments and understanding the roles of a doctor.
Plan the gap between interviews. With two interviews about two hours apart, do not over-review in between.
Check Teams. Keele says it is your responsibility to ensure your technology works.

Keele practice questions (written by us, not Keele University)

Keele does not publish its interview questions. We wrote these around its person specification and the two advance-reading tasks. Aim for about two minutes each.

What does the GMC's guidance on professionalism mean for a first-year student?
You read a short case about a patient who does not want their family told about their illness. What are the key issues?
Describe a time you helped someone who was very different from you.
How have you balanced school, commitments and other responsibilities over a long period?
What is the role of a GP in a community, and how does that differ from a hospital doctor?
What skill from your studies will matter most when you work with patients?
A student shares a patient's story on social media without a name. Is that acceptable? Explain.
How would you speak to someone who is afraid of a medical procedure?
Describe a time you supported someone else who was struggling.
What do you understand about how doctors work with nurses, pharmacists and social workers?

For a wider set, see our practice questions with answers guide and our MMI practice and preparation guide.

A drill for two short interviews

Have a partner send you a one-page case 30 minutes before a 15-minute mock interview.
Run a second 15-minute interview two hours later on the GMC professionalism section.
Pick one example per personal statement characteristic and rehearse it for under two minutes.
Practise opening answers that give the point first and the story second.
Record one interview and check that you used examples you did yourself, not what you watched.

If you don't have a practice partner, Confetto's AI mock interviews ask follow-up questions based on what you actually said and give rubric-based feedback afterward. The question bank has over 500 questions, and you can start with a 7-day free trial.

Keele interview FAQ

Is the Keele interview an MMI?

Keele describes two 15-minute interviews, usually two hours apart, rather than a multi-station circuit.

Is it online?

Yes. Keele says interviews are online on Microsoft Teams, and for 2027 entry they are expected to be conducted remotely.

What do I need to read in advance?

The professionalism section of the GMC's Achieving Good Medical Practice guidance, and a short case sent with your invitation.

Does Keele score the personal statement?

Yes. Home shortlisting combines UCAT and personal statement grades on a scale of 1 to 25.

Does shadowing doctors help?

Keele says it does not give credit for shadowing or observation of healthcare professionals.

What was the 2025 shortlisting threshold?

15 out of 25, according to Keele. It sets the threshold each year based on that cohort, so you cannot predict it.

Applying to other Midlands and North West schools too? See our guides to the University of Birmingham Medical School, University of Nottingham School of Medicine and Lancaster Medical School interviews, or our medical school interview prep page.

Sources: Keele medicine how to apply, Keele MBChB admissions process 2026-27.

Confetto isn't affiliated with Keele University. Everything here about the school comes from its public admissions pages, checked in October 2026. Formats can change between cycles, so go by your invitation email.