Cambridge Medicine (A100) interviews are run by the college you apply to, not by the medical school, and they are not MMIs. Most applicants have one or two subject interviews, usually with two or three academics, lasting between 35 minutes and an hour in total. For 2027 entry, the main interview period is 7–18 December 2026, and whether you are interviewed online or in person depends on your college.
Cambridge interview at a glance
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Course | Medicine MB, BChir (A100), 6 years. Years 1–3 pre-clinical (with an intercalated BA in Year 3), Years 4–6 clinical | Cambridge Medicine course page |
| Entry type | Undergraduate entry (high school graduates and A-level/IB students). You must be 18 by 1 November of Year 1 | Course page |
| Application | UCAS, by 6pm (UK time) on 15 October 2026 | UCAS 2027 deadline |
| Admissions test | UCAT, taken by 24 September 2026. For 2027 entry, only the overall cognitive score is used; the situational judgement score is not. No minimum UCAT score | Course page; UCAT page |
| Competition | 6 applications per place; 270 accepted (2025 cycle). 22 overseas fee places | Course page |
| Interview type | College subject interviews with academics, not MMI stations | Cambridge interviews page |
| Number and length | Most applicants: 1–2 interviews, 35 minutes to an hour in total. Some colleges hold 3–4. Example: Christ's holds two Medicine interviews, 35–50 minutes in total | Interviews page; Christ's Medicine |
| Interviewers | Usually two or three per interview | Interviews page |
| Written work / tests at interview | No written work required before interview for Medicine | Course page |
| Online or in person | Depends on the college. All online at, for example, Christ's, Downing and St John's; all in person at Churchill, Emmanuel, King's and Selwyn; mixed at others | Interviews page |
| Platform (online) | Set by each college; Christ's, for example, uses Microsoft Teams | Christ's Medicine |
| Invitations | Mostly in November, sometimes early December | Interviews page |
| Interview window | 7–18 December 2026. Winter pool interviews mid to late January 2027 | Interviews page |
| Decisions | January 2027 through UCAS. Trinity Hall gives Wednesday 27 January | Interviews page; Trinity Hall applicants |
What does Cambridge look for?
The course page says you "must be a keen scientist with a sound scientific understanding", and that selection also follows national guidance on what makes a good doctor. That guidance is the Medical Schools Council's statement on core values and attributes: motivation and genuine interest, reflection, resilience, teamwork, clear communication, empathy, honesty and integrity.
The interviews page lists what interviewers are looking at: understanding of your subject, readiness for demanding study, critical and independent thinking, curiosity, enthusiasm, and, for Medicine, your understanding of the vocational side.
The university's application advice also says it values "super-curricular" interests (reading, lectures, projects linked to your subject) over general extra-curricular activities.
What this means for your answers: Expect most of the time to go on science and reasoning. Interviewers want to see how you use what you know to tackle something new. You also need to show you understand what a doctor's working life is really like, using what you have seen, read or done.
How does the Cambridge interview process work?
- Apply to a college. You choose a college (any except Hughes Hall for Medicine) or make an open application. Your college runs your interviews.
- Invitation. Most invitations go out in November. Check the email for the format, date, what to bring and any reading.
- Keep the whole period free. Cambridge says interviews usually cannot be rearranged, and missing one means you will not be considered.
- Online or in Cambridge. Your college decides. If online, test your set-up on the platform it uses. If in person, ask your college about travel or accommodation support.
- The interviews. Usually two interviews, each with two or three academics. Expect science questions, problems you have not seen before, and questions about medicine as a career. Christ's, for example, says it is interested in how you solve problems, not what facts you can recall.
- Winter pool. A small number of strong applicants are passed to other colleges and may be invited to another interview in January.
- Decisions. Outcomes come through UCAS in January 2027.
Cambridge medicine interview questions: what to expect
Cambridge does not publish its interview questions. From its official guidance, expect:
- Science from first principles – explaining how a body system or process works, and applying it to an unfamiliar case.
- Data and problem-solving – reading a graph, table or experiment, and saying what it shows and what it does not.
- Thinking beyond the syllabus – a topic you have not covered, where interviewers guide you step by step.
- Your reading and interests – anything in your personal statement, such as a book or article.
- The reality of medicine – what you learned from work experience or volunteering, and the challenges of the job.
- Ethics and the wider NHS – for example, the government's 10 Year Health Plan and its aim to move from treating sickness to preventing it.
Worked example (a new, practice-only question): "Nearly every cell in your body carries the same DNA. So how does a liver cell end up so different from a nerve cell?"
A strong answer would:
- Start with what you know: cells contain the same genes, but not every gene is switched on in every cell.
- Explain, in simple steps, that a cell's type depends on which genes are expressed and which proteins it makes.
- Think about what might control this – signals from neighbouring cells, the cell's environment, and changes that are passed on when cells divide.
- Admit where your knowledge runs out, then suggest a sensible idea and how you might test it.
- Link it to medicine, such as cancer, where cells lose control of which genes are on or off.
- Take the interviewer's prompts and build on them rather than starting over.
How to answer "Why Cambridge?"
Use real features of the course and connect them to your own interests:
- A full science degree first. Years 1–2 cover core medical science, and in Year 3 you study another subject in depth for a BA (course page).
- Clinical training on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Years 4–6 are shared between the campus, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and hospitals and GP practices across the East of England.
- A clinical strand from the start. The early years include a clinical strand alongside the science.
- Your college. Small-group teaching and a college community. If you have chosen a specific college, know why.
Pick one or two and explain why they matter to you, with an example.
Common mistakes in the Cambridge interview
- Treating it like an MMI. There are no timed stations. Interviews are longer conversations that build on your answers.
- Reciting facts instead of reasoning. Interviewers often push past what you have learned on purpose. Show your thinking, step by step.
- Panicking at the unfamiliar. Not knowing an answer is expected. Say what you do know, make a sensible guess, and explain why.
- Forgetting the vocational side. Cambridge assesses your understanding of medicine as a career. Be ready to reflect on work experience and the realities of the job.
- Not checking your college's format. Whether you are online or in Cambridge, and how many interviews you have, depends on your college. Read your invitation carefully.
Free practice.
The best way to prepare for a Cambridge interview is to practice solving problems out loud while someone pushes you with follow-up questions. Cambridge itself shares free mock Medicine interviews filmed at Peterhouse on its application advice page. You can also try our free mock interview and then practice the areas where you hesitated. [Try a free mock interview](see how our mock interviews work)
Your coach
Taught by current medical students who have sat these interviews. Every m.i ready coach has been through a medical interview recently, got in, and still remembers the nerves. Sessions are one-on-one, online and built around your university's real format, with a written summary after every lesson.
Meet the coaches · How coaching works · Compare coaching packages · Book a free 15-minute call
Cambridge interview FAQs.
Does Cambridge use MMIs for Medicine?
No. Cambridge Medicine interviews are college subject interviews with academics. Most applicants have one or two, lasting 35 minutes to an hour in total (interviews page).
Are Cambridge interviews online or in person?
It depends on the college. Some interview everyone online, some interview everyone in person, and some use a mix based on where you live or what you study. Check the table on the interviews page.
When are Cambridge interviews for 2027 entry?
The main interview period is 7–18 December 2026. Winter pool interviews take place in mid to late January 2027.
Does Cambridge use the UCAT?
Yes. Cambridge requires the UCAT for Medicine, and you must register in advance. For 2027 entry it uses only the overall cognitive score, not the situational judgement score, and there is no minimum score (course page).
Do I need work experience for Cambridge Medicine?
Cambridge strongly recommends paid or voluntary experience in health or social care. It points applicants to the Medical Schools Council's guidance on relevant experience.
Does it matter which Cambridge college I apply to?
All colleges teach the same Medicine course, and strong applicants can be passed to other colleges through the winter pool. Colleges do differ in subject requirements and interview format, so check your college's page.
When do I find out if I have an offer?
Applicants who applied in October hear in January 2027 through UCAS. Trinity Hall, for example, gives Wednesday 27 January as its decision date.
Sources
- University of Cambridge – Medicine, MB and BChir (2027 entry): undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/medicine-mb-bchir
- University of Cambridge – What to expect at your Cambridge interview: undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/after/cambridge-int…
- University of Cambridge – University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT): undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/medicine-admiss…
- University of Cambridge – Improve your application: undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/before/improve-appl…
- Christ's College, Cambridge – Medicine: christs.cam.ac.uk/study-here/undergraduate-study/subjec…
- Trinity Hall, Cambridge – Applicants 2026-27: trinhall.cam.ac.uk/study-with-us/undergraduate-study/ap…
- UCAS – 2027 entry deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses: ucas.com/events/2027-entry-deadline-for-the-universitie…
- Medical Schools Council – Statement on the core values and attributes needed to study medicine: medschools.ac.uk/latest/publications/statement-on-the-c…
- GOV.UK – 10 Year Health Plan for England (executive summary): gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-…
Facts checked against official university and admissions-centre pages on 28 October 2026. Interview details change each year, so always check your invitation email and the university's own page. m.i ready is independent and not affiliated with any university.
