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MMI Interview for Medicine (UK): How It Works and What to Expect

How UK medical school MMIs work for 2027 entry: stations, reading time, scoring, online vs in person, and which schools use panels or college interviews.

An MMI (multiple mini interview) is a circuit of short, timed stations. At each station you get a new question, task or role-play and a different assessor, who scores you on their own. Many UK medical schools use MMIs of five to eight stations lasting about five to eight minutes each, but Glasgow runs a panel, Dundee a group interview, and Oxford and Cambridge hold college interviews.

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Interview format at 13 UK medical schools (2027 entry)

Manchester
MMI, 5 stations of 8 minutes with a 2-minute gap, each marked by a separate interviewer. Online (Zoom) or on campus, your choice while places last. One station may be swapped for a group task.
Sheffield
MMI of typically eight sections, in person, for home applicants. International applicants have an online panel interview.
Birmingham
MMI in person for home applicants: 6 or 7 stations of 8 minutes (2 minutes of each is preparation), with interviews, role-play and a computer-based calculation task. International applicants: at least 2 stations on Zoom plus a separate online calculation test.
Nottingham
Six scenarios, including at least one role-play, lasting up to an hour. Likely in person for home applicants and on Microsoft Teams for international applicants.
City St George's
MMI, 6 stations of about 5 minutes with a 60-second break, each scored by a different interviewer. In person at the Tooting campus or online, where you record answers to six questions.
Anglia Ruskin
MMI in person in Chelmsford: 6 stations of 7 minutes, with 2 minutes outside each to read a short instruction. About an hour in total.
Hull York
MMI in person at Hull or York for home applicants: a group exercise, two mini-interviews, a senior-student station and a video scenario station. Overseas applicants interview online.
Queen's Belfast
MMI with 1 minute to read each scenario and equal marks per station. In person in Belfast for home applicants, online for international applicants.
Keele
Not an MMI: two 15-minute interviews, usually 2 hours apart, online on Microsoft Teams. One uses the GMC's professionalism guidance, the other a short case sent a day or two before.
Glasgow
Not an MMI: one 30-minute online panel interview with two interviewers, covering motivation, teamwork, communication and an ethical scenario you pick from two.
Dundee
Not an MMI: a group interview with five other applicants on a set scenario, watched and then led by assessors. In person at Ninewells, with a remote option for international applicants.
Oxford
College interviews, with all colleges using a common set of selection criteria. At least one online interview, expected in December. About 425 applicants are shortlisted each year.
Cambridge
College interviews described as academic conversations, usually 1 or 2 with two or three interviewers. Online or in person depends on the College. Clare interviews all Medicine applicants in person.

How an MMI station works

Most stations start with a short read, then a conversation.

1. Read the task

Before most stations you get a short time to read the task.

  • Leeds. 2 minutes outside each station to read and make brief notes.
  • Anglia Ruskin. 2 minutes to read an instruction of under 100 words.
  • Queen's Belfast. 1 minute to think about the scenario.
  • Manchester. No reading or writing task at all. You start at a random station and rotate in order.

2. Go in and talk

Leeds stations last 6 minutes with one interviewer, who reads the instructions out and responds to your answers. You may ask for a question to be rephrased.

3. Expect follow-up questions

At Hull York's in-person MMI each mini-interview asks two questions, and interviewers may ask you to expand on your answers.

Types of MMI stations

Schools reuse a small set of station types, even though the exact questions change every year. These are the ones their own pages name.

  • Motivation and the role of a doctor. Why medicine, and what the job really involves. Imperial lists both as main topics, and Sheffield has a section on knowledge of Sheffield itself.
  • Ethics. A dilemma where you weigh up both sides. Leeds assesses ethical reasoning, and Sheffield has an ethics section.
  • Role-play with an actor. You talk with someone playing a patient, relative or colleague. Birmingham uses professional role-players, and Queen's Belfast's sample has an actor playing a fellow student.
  • Values, NHS and good practice. Sheffield's sections include medicine in a wider context, good medical practice, and attitudes and values.
  • Data and calculation. Imperial lists data interpretation, and Birmingham has a computer-based station with simple calculations on clinical data.
  • Teamwork. Imperial asks about teamwork and leadership, and Hull York's in-person MMI has a group exercise of up to 10 candidates.
  • Video scenario. Hull York plays a short recorded video and asks you questions during and after it.

How MMI stations are scored

Each station is marked on its own, against a fixed mark scheme.

  • City St George's. Each station is assessed separately and independently by a different interviewer.
  • Leeds. Marks against pre-determined, standardized scoring scales.

How schools split the marks

  • Imperial. Up to 6 points for what you say and 4 for how you say it.
  • Anglia Ruskin. Each station is scored out of 15 across three areas (quality of answer, skills and qualities shown, and communication), for 90 in total. Offers are made on the MMI ranking alone.

Schools that add other scores

  • Sheffield. Scores each MMI section out of 5 and adds your UCAT situational judgement result for a total out of 45.
  • Birmingham. Gives the SJT the same weight as one station, and is likely to set a minimum standard for each station except calculation.

MMI vs panel interviews

  • Panel. The same people talk to you for the whole time. Glasgow's interview is one 30-minute session with two interviewers.
  • Panel for some applicants. Sheffield gives its international applicants an online panel interview instead of the MMI.
  • MMI. It spreads you across many assessors. Imperial says getting several different interviewer assessments means a candidate who does less well on one part can still be fairly assessed on the others.
  • Oxford and Cambridge. Cambridge describes its interviews as academic conversations about the subject. Medicine interviewers may also ask about the vocational side of the course.

One bad station does not sink you. Reset and start the next one fresh.

Online vs in-person MMIs

  • Split by applicant. Many schools now interview home applicants in person and international applicants online. Birmingham, Queen's Belfast and Hull York split it this way for 2027 entry, and Nottingham says it is likely to.
  • Hull York home applicants. Hull York does not offer online interviews to home applicants.
  • Fully online. Glasgow, Keele and Oxford interview online for 2027 entry.
  • Your choice. Manchester lets you choose Zoom or campus and says every candidate is assessed in exactly the same way.
  • Not always live. City St George's online version has you record answers to six questions, and trained interviewers score the recordings later.

Set up before an online interview. Test your camera, microphone and connection, and find a quiet room where you will not be interrupted, as Nottingham asks.

How to prepare for an MMI

MMIs do not test clinical or scientific knowledge. Leeds and Hull York both say so.

They test how you think, talk and treat people.

What to read and learn

  • Leeds' list. Reread your personal statement, learn the qualities of a good healthcare professional, follow health and social care news, and get a basic grasp of key ethical ideas.
  • NHS values. Learn the six NHS Constitution values, such as compassion and everyone counts, and have one real example for each.
  • GMC guidance. Read the GMC's guidance for medical students, which Sheffield recommends on its admissions page.

How to practice

  • Timed, out loud. Use a timer set to your school's station length, and stop when it rings.
  • Role-plays. Practice with a friend acting as the patient or colleague. Listen first, then respond to what they actually said.
  • Ethics. Give both sides, say what you would do, and explain why. It is fine to say a case is hard.

Check your own school's format. The number of stations, timing and online or in-person rules all differ, and the invitation has the final details.

Frequently asked questions

How many stations are in a medicine MMI?

It depends on the school. Manchester uses 5 stations, City St George's and Anglia Ruskin use 6, Birmingham uses 6 or 7, and Sheffield typically uses eight sections.

How long does an MMI last?

About an hour at many schools. Anglia Ruskin says around an hour, and Nottingham says up to one hour.

Do I need medical knowledge for an MMI?

No. Leeds says its MMI does not test clinical or scientific knowledge, and Hull York says it does not test medical knowledge. Know the basics of the NHS and medical ethics, though.

Can I still get an offer if one station goes badly?

Often yes, because each station is scored separately and added up. Some schools set a minimum per station, which Birmingham says it is likely to do.

Can I share or look up MMI questions from past applicants?

Leeds makes candidates sign a non-disclosure agreement and treats sharing station content as a professionalism breach. Prepare by practicing station types, not by hunting for leaked questions.

Is the MMI online or in person?

It depends on the school and your fee status. Birmingham, Queen's Belfast and Hull York hold in-person MMIs for home applicants and online ones for international applicants, while Manchester lets you choose.

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.

  1. University of Manchester: Medicine interviews · read October 23, 2026
  2. University of Sheffield: Medicine admissions · read October 23, 2026
  3. University of Birmingham: Medicine interviews · read October 23, 2026
  4. University of Nottingham: Undergraduate medicine selection process · read October 23, 2026
  5. City St George's, University of London: Selection process · read October 23, 2026
  6. Anglia Ruskin University: Medicine interview process · read October 23, 2026
  7. Hull York Medical School: Interviews · read October 23, 2026
  8. Queen's University Belfast: MMIs · read October 23, 2026
  9. Keele University: Medicine, how to apply · read October 23, 2026
  10. University of Glasgow: MBChB interviews · read October 23, 2026
  11. University of Dundee: Medicine interview · read October 23, 2026
  12. University of Oxford: Medicine course page · read October 23, 2026
  13. University of Oxford: Interviews · read October 23, 2026
  14. University of Cambridge: What to expect at your Cambridge interview · read October 23, 2026
  15. University of Leeds: Preparing for your MMI · read October 23, 2026
  16. Imperial College London: Multiple mini interviews (MMI) · read October 23, 2026
  17. GOV.UK: The NHS Constitution for England · read October 23, 2026