Updated October 24, 2026

UNSW Medicine Interview: Format, UCAT, ATAR and 2027 Dates

What happens at UNSW's medicine interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

UNSW interviews domestic applicants in person, with no online option. It is a structured interview with two interviewers who have read your Medicine Application Form. Offers then rank you on three measures (academic rank, UCAT ANZ and interview), and a high score in one does not make up for a low score in another.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: A structured interview covering a wide range of topics, with two interviewers (academic staff, doctors or community representatives). UNSW does not publish how long it lasts.
Online or in person: In person only. General, Gateway and Lateral Entry applicants interview at the Kensington campus. Rural Entry applicants interview at the nearest Rural Clinical Campus.
When (2027 entry): Rural Entry: 23 to 27 November 2026. December round: 17 to 22 December 2026. January round: 12 and 13 January 2027 (18 January for NZ applicants with late results only).
Minimum scores: General entry: ATAR 96.00 and UCAT ANZ 50th percentile. Rural Entry: ATAR 91.00 and 40th percentile. Gateway: ATAR 91.00 and 50th percentile.
Who is interviewed: General and Gateway applicants are picked on academic rank and UCAT ANZ overall score only, not averaged. About 350 General and 60 Gateway interview places.
How the interview counts: One of three ranking measures with academic rank and UCAT ANZ. Scores are not averaged and UNSW does not disclose the algorithm.
Other routes: Rural Entry Admission Pathway, Gateway Entry Scheme, Indigenous Entry Scheme (no UCAT ANZ) and Lateral Entry from the UNSW BMedSci.

What happens on the day

UNSW runs a structured, in-person interview with two interviewers. It covers a wide range of topics, and UNSW says it is significantly different from interviews at other medical schools.

Two interviewers. Each is an academic staff member, a medical practitioner or a community representative.
They have read your form. Your Medicine Application Form is shared with the interviewers before you walk in.
In person only. There is no online option for domestic applicants. Rural Entry interviews are at Wagga Wagga, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour or Albury, whichever is closest to your home.
Length not published. UNSW does not say how long the interview lasts.
Photo ID. Bring a passport, driver's license or learner's license. You do not need certificates or awards.
No rescheduling. Once you enter the room you are treated as fit to be interviewed. If you are unwell, tell the Student Experience Team (the Rural Support Team for Rural Entry) before your interview. Another time may be offered but is not guaranteed. If you miss it, your application stops.

Something went wrong? Email mh.admissions@unsw.edu.au within 24 hours with the exact time and location, or the process is treated as properly followed.

How you get an interview

For General and Gateway entry, UNSW shortlists on two things only: your academic selection rank and your UCAT ANZ overall score. You need high enough marks in both, because they are not averaged.

Minimum scores for 2027 entry

General entry. ATAR 96.00 or above without EAS adjustments, and UCAT ANZ at the 50th percentile or above. University students also need a GPA of 5.5 out of 7.
Rural Entry. ATAR 91.00 or above without adjustment points, and UCAT ANZ at the 40th percentile or above (GPA 4.8 for university students).
Gateway. ATAR 91.00 or above without EAS adjustments, and UCAT ANZ at the 50th percentile or above.
Minimums are not targets. About 350 General and 60 Gateway applicants are interviewed each year, and UAC says about 450 domestic applicants are interviewed in all.

The UCAT ANZ

2026 results only. Only UCAT ANZ results from 2026 count for the 2027 intake. The 2026 testing window was 1 July to 5 August.
Situational Judgement not counted. UNSW uses the overall score and does not consider the Situational Judgement mark.

The Medicine Application Form

You complete it through your UAC preference for UNSW Medicine (428000) by 30 September 2026. It asks why you want to study medicine at UNSW, your relevant qualities and skills, your non-academic interests and activities, and a short description of your life experience.

Rural Entry is different

Everyone who meets the rurality rules and the UCAT ANZ cut-off is offered an interview, because academic results are not checked until after ATARs are released. To be eligible you must have lived in an MMM 2 to 7 area for at least five consecutive or ten cumulative years between ages 5 and 18.

December or January? If your results are finalized by the December cut-off you are ranked for the December round, wherever you live. Late results go to January, and being in the January round does not lower your chances.

How offers are decided

After interviews, applicants are ranked within their own entry scheme on academic rank, UCAT ANZ overall score and interview score. Offers go to the highest ranked across all three.

Not averaged. A high score in one area will not make up for a low score in another. UNSW does not disclose its ranking algorithm.
Offer rounds. Offers come through UAC on 8 January, 21 January and 4 February 2027. Applicants close to the cut-off may get a later offer, but it is not guaranteed.
Bonded or unbonded. The government requires 28.5% of Commonwealth supported places to be bonded. Unbonded places go to the top-ranked applicants first. Bonded graduates must work in areas of workforce shortage, such as rural or remote areas.
Campus. General, Gateway and Lateral Entry offers are for Kensington. Rural Entry offers are mostly for Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga, and the campus decision cannot be appealed.
No feedback. UNSW does not share interview outcomes or feedback.

Dates for 2027 and other routes

UNSW's 2027 dates are below. You can apply through only one scheme: General, Rural or Gateway.

Key dates for 2027 entry

30 September 2026. Last day for an on-time UAC application with UNSW Medicine as a preference, and for the Medicine Application Form.
23 to 27 November 2026. Rural Entry interviews, face to face.
14 December 2026. Lateral Entry interview day.
16 December 2026. ATARs released and interview invitations sent to applicants whose results are finalized.
17 to 22 December 2026. December interview round, face to face.
12 and 13 January 2027. January interview round for late results (invitations sent 7 January). A final round on 18 January is for NZ applicants with late results only. Results released after 13 January cannot be considered.
15 February 2027. Year 1 starts, after O-Week from 8 February.

Other routes in

Gateway Entry Scheme. For students completing an Australian Year 12 for the first time, with no post-secondary study, who attend a Gateway school and/or live in a low socio-economic area. About 20 Gateway offers are made.
Indigenous Entry Scheme. No UCAT ANZ. Applicants are interviewed for the three-week residential Pre-Medicine & Health Program run by Nura Gili, and those who complete it may get an offer.
Lateral Entry Scheme. For second-year UNSW Bachelor of Medical Science students. About 30 are interviewed and up to 10 offers are made.
Six years. The program stays six years. A redesigned program launches in 2028, and 2027 starters move into it in 2029.

How to prepare

UNSW says there is no evidence that interview courses help, and its interviewers report that obviously coached applicants were likely at a disadvantage. Prepare by reflecting, not by memorizing scripts.

Know your form. Reread your Medicine Application Form. Be ready to go deeper on every activity and experience you listed, including what you learned and what you would do differently.
Practice with two people. Ask two adults to interview you together and follow up on your answers. Get used to holding eye contact with both.
Think about rural and bonded places. More than a quarter of Commonwealth supported places are bonded, so have an honest view on working in rural or remote areas and why it matters.
Know why UNSW. The form asks why you want to study medicine at UNSW, so expect the interviewers to follow up on it. Have specific reasons, not ones that fit any school.

Sound like yourself. A real, slightly imperfect answer beats a polished one that sounds rehearsed.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Panel (in person) station, written for applicants to UNSW Sydney. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

You're applying for medicine straight from school. What makes you confident that medicine is right for you now, rather than exploring other fields at university first?

Point to specific experiences from your own life, and show you understand what six years of study and the job afterward involve.

Some critics argue that bonded medical programs push junior doctors into rural areas where they may lack specialist supervision. How would you balance the need for a rural workforce with patient safety and training?

Take both concerns seriously, then suggest practical supports such as telehealth links, supervision and rural training pathways.

Why do you think many doctors are reluctant to practice in rural and remote areas, and what changes could encourage them to build careers outside the major cities?

Cover both work and family reasons, then pick one or two changes and explain why they would work.

A friend who is also applying to medicine tells you in confidence that they exaggerated their rural background on their application to get into a rural entry pathway. They say it doesn't matter because they plan to work rurally anyway. How do you respond?

Explain why honesty in selection matters to other applicants and to patients, and talk to your friend before taking it further.

Closing the Gap draws attention to the differences in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. How has your awareness of this shaped your motivation for medicine?

Be specific about what you learned and from where, and stay humble about what a new doctor can and cannot change.

In Australia, doctors work across Medicare and the public hospitals on one side and the private sector on the other. Why do you want to practice medicine in a system like this one?

Show a basic grasp of how the two sectors fit together, then link it to the kind of doctor you want to be.

Frequently asked questions

Is the UNSW medicine interview online?

No. All interviews for domestic applicants are held in person, at Kensington or, for Rural Entry applicants, at the nearest Rural Clinical Campus. There is no online option.

Is the UNSW interview an MMI?

UNSW describes a structured interview with two interviewers who have read your Medicine Application Form. It does not mention stations, and it does not publish the interview's length.

What UCAT and ATAR do you need for UNSW Medicine?

General entry needs an ATAR of at least 96.00 and a UCAT ANZ score at or above the 50th percentile. Those are minimums, and interviews go to the highest combined ranks on both.

When are UNSW medicine interviews for 2027?

Rural Entry interviews run 23 to 27 November 2026. Other applicants interview 17 to 22 December 2026, or 12 and 13 January 2027 if their results come late.

Does interview coaching help at UNSW?

UNSW says there is no evidence it does. Its interviewers have said obviously coached applicants were likely at a disadvantage in its style of interview.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

UNSW Medicine & Health: How to apply to UNSW Medicine (domestic) · read October 23, 2026
UAC: Medicine/dentistry/vet key dates and pathways · read October 23, 2026