The Leicester Medical School interview format

Leicester Medical School's interview for the MBChB is a multiple mini interview (MMI) and a numeracy test. Its applying page says the MMIs last about an hour and you are assessed through a number of stations, some of which include communication, motivation, empathy and comprehension. The school expects face-to-face interviews for home students at the George Davies Centre and online interviews only for international candidates.

The numeracy part is a station with a pass mark. Leicester says basic numeracy is essential for patient safety and for the Prescribing Safety Assessment all graduates must pass, and that the test will largely consist of mental arithmetic with no medical knowledge or formulae needed. Before the interview you complete a consent form and upload academic certificates to a student portal, and Leicester says missing this step may affect your interview score.

Item	What Leicester says
Format	MMI plus a numeracy test; face-to-face for home students, online for international
Length	About an hour of stations
Numeracy	A station with a pass mark, largely mental arithmetic, with the threshold reviewed depending on the questions used
2027 dates (home)	8 to 18 December 2026 and 6 to 13 January 2027 at the George Davies Centre
2027 dates (international)	8 to 12 February 2027, online
Invitations	Batches begin in late November
Shortlisting	Academic and UCAT scores combined 50:50; applicants with SJT band 4 are automatically rejected before interview
Decision	Offers vary from early January to mid-May; Leicester ranks you on total station scores and then reviews your form, reference and consent form

What the stations assess

Leicester lists what the MMI stations assess: motivation to study medicine and genuine interest in the profession, insight into your strengths and weaknesses, reflection on your work, personal organisation, problem solving, dealing with uncertainty, managing risk, taking responsibility, conscientiousness, insight into your own health, communication (reading, writing, listening, speaking), teamwork, compassion, respect and dignity, resilience, empathy, honesty, emotional intelligence and ethical judgement. Each station is scored and you are ranked on the total.

How Leicester shortlists

Leicester says it keeps a 50:50 split between academic and UCAT scoring, and has revised the system because of changes to the UCAT total from 2025. Applicants with predicted A-levels are scored on eight GCSEs. Applicants with achieved A-levels who are in their first gap year, meet the minimum requirements and have a total UCAT in the top five deciles (home fee status) with an SJT band 1 to 3 are invited automatically. The personal statement is not routinely read, though it may be assessed in some situations. Widening access and contextual information apply to home fee status candidates. Leicester says it has no minimum UCAT score but those in the lowest two deciles are very unlikely to be invited.

Leicester's position on interview courses

Leicester says it regularly reviews its interview process, and so it does not endorse and cannot recommend any interview courses. Treat this guide as a way to practise speaking, not as inside information, because Leicester does not publish its stations.

How to prepare for the Leicester interview

Practise mental arithmetic. Do short sets of percentages, fractions, unit conversions and doses under time pressure. Confetto's mock interviews do not include a numeracy test, so use a separate drill.
Prepare for comprehension and communication stations. Practise reading a short text and explaining it clearly to a non-specialist.
Rehearse reflection. Several listed qualities involve insight and responsibility, so prepare examples of mistakes you owned.
Know the logistics. Upload certificates and the consent form on time, and tell Leicester straight away if you cannot attend a date, because dates may not be movable.
Watch topical developments. Be ready to discuss a current health story with a balanced view.

Leicester practice questions (written by us, not the University of Leicester)

Leicester does not publish its stations. We wrote these around its list of assessed qualities. Aim for about three minutes each.

Tell me about a time you made a mistake and took responsibility for it.
A patient asks you to explain a leaflet about their medicine in simple terms. How would you do it?
What do you do when you are unsure of the right answer in front of someone who depends on you?
Describe how you manage risk when you have to make a decision quickly.
A friend is struggling with their health but refuses to tell anyone. What would you do?
What does emotional intelligence mean to you, and how have you used it?
A tablet is 250 mg and the patient needs 750 mg. How many tablets is that, and how would you double-check?
How would you respond if a patient were rude to you on placement?
Should the NHS ask patients to take more responsibility for their own health? Discuss.
Why Leicester, and what do you hope to gain from learning anatomy by dissection?

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

A drill for a one-hour MMI with a numeracy station

Run six stations of about eight minutes with a partner, covering communication, empathy, ethics and reflection.
Add a numeracy block: ten arithmetic questions in five minutes, mental only.
Have your partner play a patient who cannot understand a medicine label and explain it kindly.
Record one reflection station and check you named a mistake, what you did and what changed.
Review one current health story and prepare a balanced view in two minutes.

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.

Leicester interview FAQ

Is the Leicester interview an MMI?

Yes, with a numeracy test. Leicester says the MMI lasts about an hour with a number of stations.

Is it in person?

For home students, face-to-face at the George Davies Centre; for international students, online only.

What are the 2027 dates?

Home: 8 to 18 December 2026 and 6 to 13 January 2027. International: 8 to 12 February 2027 online.

Is there a maths test?

Yes. The numeracy station has a pass mark and largely consists of mental arithmetic.

How does UCAT affect selection?

UCAT is half of the shortlisting score, with academic scoring the other half. SJT band 4 is rejected pre-interview and there is no minimum score.

Does Leicester recommend interview courses?

No. It says it does not endorse or recommend any interview courses.

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

Sources: Applying to Leicester Medical School, Leicester MBChB entry requirements 2027.

Confetto isn't affiliated with the University of Leicester. 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.