University of Glasgow Dental School Interview Questions 2026 (BDS A200)
🎓 Introduction: Glasgow Dentistry & Why the Interview Matters
The University of Glasgow Dental School is one of the UK’s most established and research‑active dental schools, with around 80 students per year on the five‑year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS, A200).
Because dentistry is a hands‑on, people‑focused profession, Glasgow doesn’t just look at your grades. The interview is where they decide whether you have the personal qualities – communication, empathy, ethical judgement, manual dexterity and resilience – to thrive as a dental student and future dentist.
For 2026 entry, interviews are still a central part of the selection process, and they’re increasingly structured and data‑driven. Understanding how you’ll be chosen, what the interview will feel like, and what topics commonly come up can make the whole process far less intimidating.
🔍 How does Glasgow decide who to invite to a Dentistry interview?
Glasgow’s process is fairly transparent once you know where to look. It combines academic screening, UCAT performance, personal statement, and contextual data.
1. Academic requirements: meeting the minimum bar
For 2026 entry, the official Dental Schools Council (DSC) guide (based on information supplied directly by each school) lists Glasgow’s standard requirements roughly as:
A levels (England/Wales/Northern Ireland)
A*AA including:
A in Biology or Chemistry
A in one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology
Scottish qualifications
Highers/Advanced Highers equivalent, with strong performance in Biology and Chemistry at Advanced Higher.
GCSEs / National 5
Typically at least Grade 6/B in English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent).
Glasgow does not normally accept resits for standard entry, and runs a structured contextual admissions scheme for Scottish applicants, which may slightly adjust academic offers if you meet widening access criteria.
2. UCAT: the main driver for interview selection
Glasgow is very clear that the UCAT is crucial:
All applicants must sit UCAT in the year of application.
UCAT “forms an extremely important part” of the BDS entry requirements.
If your score is considered too low, you will not be selected for interview regardless of your academic results.
Situational Judgement (SJT) band is not currently used in decision‑making.
The official FAQ confirms that applicants are ranked by UCAT score, and the cut‑off percentile varies year to year and is not published during the cycle.
Independent guides, drawing on Glasgow data and FOI responses, report that:
Historically, around 500 Dentistry applications are received each year.
Approximately 200 top‑scoring UCAT applicants are invited to interview.
Past UCAT “interview cut‑off” scores for home applicants have often sat in the mid‑2500s (but vary every year and by fee status).
3. Personal statement & reference
The DSC guide notes that Glasgow uses the personal statement in assessment of the application, particularly to look for:
Genuine commitment to Dentistry
Realistic understanding of the academic, physical and emotional demands of the course
Evidence of insight into the profession and relevant experiences
Independent guides explain that Glasgow:
Checks that your statement shows awareness of dentistry and healthcare, even if you couldn’t arrange traditional shadowing.
May re‑read the personal statement after interview before confirming offers.
In short: UCAT gets you onto the interview list, but your personal statement still matters for overall suitability.
4. Work experience
Glasgow appreciates that clinical work experience can be hard to secure:
For recent cycles (e.g. 2024 entry), their FAQ states that no dental work shadowing was required, but applicants should still show they’ve explored the profession and understand what a dental career involves.
The Dental Schools Council advises that, for all schools, what matters most is how you reflect on experience – paid work, volunteering or healthcare exposure – rather than a specific checklist of placements.
Expect Glasgow to continue to prioritise insight and reflection over a perfect “CV” of placements.
5. Contextual admissions and widening access
Glasgow operates a contextualised admissions system for applicants living in Scotland, considering educational and socio‑economic background when interpreting grades and UCAT scores.
Contextual data doesn’t lower the bar for professionalism or non‑cognitive skills, but it can influence:
Whether you are invited to interview
The academic conditions of your offer
You can check your eligibility for contextual consideration via the University of Glasgow website.
🧪 How does Glasgow interview for Dentistry for 2026 entry?
For 2026 entry, the Dental Schools Council guide states that the University of Glasgow Dental School will use “online panel interviews” for BDS (A200).
That’s the most up‑to‑date official wording, and it tells you a few key things:
Online – You’ll almost certainly interview via a platform such as Zoom or similar, so you need to be comfortable speaking to camera.
Panel interviews – You’ll face a small panel of interviewers (often two or three), rather than moving around a physical circuit of stations.
However, Glasgow has historically used Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), and still hosts an official web page showing sample MMI stations, including role‑play and ethical clinical scenarios.
External guidance for 2023–25 entry (based on applicant information and university materials) describes interviews as:
Around 7 short “stations” or themed sections, each ~6 minutes plus reading time.
Each section focused on a specific competency (e.g. empathy, communication, manual dexterity, ethics).
Delivered online, with one assessor per station/section.
Putting the official and independent information together, it’s reasonable to expect that for 2026 entry you’ll have:
🔹 An online, structured panel interview with distinct, timed sections that feel very similar to MMIs – featuring discussion, role‑play and possibly simple practical/manual tasks – with each part separately scored against a marking scheme.
Exact timings and instructions will be confirmed in the “BDS Interviews 2026 entry” information the Dental School emails to shortlisted candidates and hosts on its website.
🗂 What is the Glasgow Dental School interview style?
Glasgow explicitly describes the interview as being designed to assess “non‑cognitive skills” – the personal and professional qualities beyond your academic performance.
Panel vs MMI – what does it actually feel like?
You might read conflicting things online (“panel”, “MMI”, “panel with stations”). It helps to think of Glasgow’s current approach as:
A structured, competency‑based online panel interview made up of several short “mini‑stations” or themed sections.
Features you can expect:
Structured questions – The panel will have a set of scenarios and prompts to work through, not a free‑flowing chat.
Clear marking criteria – Each section is scored against specific attributes.
Mix of formats:
Role‑play or “actor” stations (e.g. breaking difficult news to a patient or speaking to a worried parent).
Ethical and professionalism discussions.
Communication and empathy tasks.
Questions about motivation, resilience, teamwork and NHS issues.
A station or questions testing manual dexterity and spatial awareness, often indirectly (through hobbies or describing tasks).
The Dental School’s own sample MMI page gives two official examples:
A classmate suggests paying someone online to write their university essay for them.
A 15‑year‑old reveals she is pregnant after you plan to take a dental X‑ray, and is frightened about the risks to her baby.
These show the kind of ethical, communication and empathy challenges you should be ready to explore.
What qualities are Glasgow looking for?
Glasgow’s materials and reputable interview guides emphasise that their scoring focuses on attributes such as:
Diligence and integrity
Caring nature, empathy and respect for others’ views
Verbal and non‑verbal communication skills
Teamwork and appropriate leadership
Self‑reflection and motivation
Independent, flexible thinking
Problem‑solving under time pressure
Manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness
Each mini‑section is scored, then added up to give you a total interview score. Applicants are then ranked, and offers are typically made to those with the highest combined scores (interview + other factors).
📅 When are University of Glasgow Dentistry interviews held?
Timings can vary slightly each year, but recent patterns are fairly consistent:
Interview invitations are usually sent out in December, after UCAS applications close and UCAT results are processed.
Interviews typically take place in late January and/or February, often concentrated into one or two weekends.
The exact dates for 2026 entry will be given in your invitation email and may also appear in the BDS admissions/interview resources on the University website.
📚 What topics are covered in a Glasgow Dental interview?
You will not be expected to know advanced clinical dentistry – you’re not a dentist yet! Instead, Glasgow focuses on how you think, communicate and behave in realistic situations.
Based on official material and multiple independent guides, you should expect questions and scenarios in themes like:
1. Motivation for Dentistry and for Glasgow
Why Dentistry rather than Medicine or another healthcare career
Why the University of Glasgow specifically (course structure, outreach, Glasgow as a city)
What you’ve done to explore a career in dentistry – including virtual or non‑clinical experiences
2. Insight into the profession
What dentists actually do day‑to‑day
Pros and cons of a dental career
Challenges such as stress, long training, patient expectations, workload, NHS pressures
3. Communication & empathy
Breaking difficult or sensitive news (e.g. discussing a worrying test result, or dealing with a distressed parent)
Explaining a procedure or health concept in simple language
Dealing with misunderstandings or complaints
4. Ethics & professionalism
Academic honesty (e.g. the essay‑cheating scenario Glasgow publishes as an official sample)
Consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and capacity
Speaking up about unsafe practice or a colleague under the influence
Balancing limited NHS resources with patient needs
You’ll score highly if you can apply basic ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non‑maleficence and justice, along with the General Dental Council (GDC) standards (e.g. putting patients’ interests first, maintaining trust, and communicating effectively).
5. Teamwork, leadership & resilience
Examples of working in a team, managing conflict, or taking responsibility
Times when you’ve dealt with failure, stress or feedback
How you organise your time and keep a work–life balance
6. Manual dexterity and creativity
Hobbies that develop fine motor skills (e.g. art, craft, musical instruments, model‑making, sewing)
Occasionally, a simple practical task or explanation‑based challenge may be used to see how you handle instructions and spatial tasks.
7. NHS dentistry and healthcare context
Basic structure and values of the NHS, and how Scottish NHS dentistry works
Access to dental care, oral health inequalities and prevention
The impact of COVID‑19 and other current issues on dental services
8. Awareness of Glasgow and local context
They may check that you’ve thought about:
Studying and living in Glasgow
The community the Dental School serves
Why Glasgow’s course structure and clinical training appeal to you
📊 How many applicants are interviewed, and how many receive offers?
Glasgow publishes its BDS Admissions Data for each entry year, and these figures broadly match what independent guides report.
For 2024 entry, the official admissions data show:
Total applications: 474
Interviews: 205
Offers: 140
Students who started (matriculated): 82
For 2023 entry, the figures were very similar:
Total applications: 446
Interviews: 205
Offers: 140
Matriculated: 79
Independent summaries (e.g. Medfully, TheUKCATPeople) also state that:
Around 200 applicants are interviewed each year.
Roughly 130–140 offers are made in total.
Putting this together, approximate odds (which will vary by year and fee status) are:
Interview chances: ~40–45% of applicants are invited to interview.
Offer chances once interviewed: around two‑thirds (about 65–70%) of interviewed candidates receive an offer.
Final places: about 80 students join the BDS cohort.
So the big hurdle is getting to interview (UCAT + academics). Once you reach the interview stage, the success rate is actually quite favourable if you perform well.
🦷 Example Glasgow‑style Dental School stations & practice questions
Glasgow does not release its real interview questions, and forums discourage sharing them. However, between official sample stations and high‑quality independent guides, we can build a realistic set of Glasgow‑style practice prompts.
⚠️ Important: None of the questions below are official or guaranteed. They are based on public sample stations from the University of Glasgow and on patterns described by interview preparation sites. Use them to practise how you think, not to memorise answers.
1. Official Glasgow sample MMI scenarios (adapted)
From the University of Glasgow’s Sample MMI Stations page:
Scenario A – Academic honesty & professionalism
You’re a first‑year student. You’ve been working hard on your first major assignment and are feeling nervous. A classmate tells you they’ve found a website where, for a fee, someone will write an essay that is “guaranteed to pass”. They seem excited and ask what you think.
How would you respond to your classmate?
What ethical and professional issues does this raise?
How might your actions affect your classmates, yourself and the profession?
Scenario B – Pregnancy, radiation & consent
A 15‑year‑old girl attends with her mum, complaining of toothache. After examining her, you decide an X‑ray is needed. When you routinely ask if there’s any chance she could be pregnant, she initially says no. When her mum leaves the room, she admits she has recently found out she is pregnant and is worried the X‑ray could harm the baby.
How would you explain the situation and possible risks or alternatives?
How would you support her emotionally while respecting confidentiality and safeguarding?
These examples show Glasgow’s interest in ethics, communication and empathy in realistic settings.
2. Motivation for Dentistry & for Glasgow
Try practising questions such as:
What first sparked your interest in dentistry, and how has that interest developed?
Why have you chosen dentistry rather than medicine, nursing or another healthcare profession?
Why does the University of Glasgow appeal to you compared with your other choices?
What aspects of Glasgow’s course structure (e.g. early clinical exposure, outreach, electives) particularly suit the way you learn?
What do you think will be the most rewarding and the most challenging parts of a dental career?
How have your experiences confirmed that dentistry is the right path for you?
3. Insight & reflection on experiences
Even if you didn’t manage traditional work shadowing in a dental practice, Glasgow expects you to show insight and reflection:
Tell us about an experience (clinical, caring, volunteering or paid work) that gave you insight into working with the public. What did you learn?
Describe a time when you had to deliver information to someone who was anxious or upset. How did you adapt your communication?
Think of a situation where something went wrong or you made a mistake. How did you respond, and what did you change afterwards?
What have you done to learn about the realities of life as a dentist, beyond what you see in the media?
Use a structure like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and always finish with what you learned.
4. Communication, empathy & role‑play
Glasgow is known for role‑play or “actor” stations. Practise scenarios like:
A patient is extremely nervous about a filling and repeatedly tells you they “hate the dentist”. Show how you’d put them at ease and explain the procedure.
A parent is annoyed that their child has to wait for treatment and feels the system is unfair. Demonstrate how you’d listen, respond and manage expectations.
You’ve promised to feed a friend’s pet while they were away, but you accidentally left the door open and the pet is missing. Break the news and discuss what happens next.
You’re a second‑year dental student in a problem‑based learning group. You’ve misplaced your part of a group presentation on the morning it’s due. Speak to your group leader about it.
Focus on:
Open body language and a calm tone
Acknowledging feelings (“I can see this is very worrying for you…”)
Checking understanding and inviting questions
5. Ethics & professionalism
Glasgow will expect you to apply ethical reasoning to realistic dilemmas, often referring implicitly to GDC standards and basic ethical principles.
Practise questions like:
A friend on your course shows you a draft assignment they have copied from an online source. They say everyone does it and it’s “victimless”. How do you respond?
You notice a colleague at the practice smells strongly of alcohol and seems unsteady just before a clinic. What would you do?
Is it acceptable for dentists to provide cosmetic treatments (such as whitening or veneers) to patients with already healthy teeth purely for aesthetic reasons? Why or why not?
A patient refuses treatment you believe is in their best interests. How would you handle this?
How would you approach a situation in which a parent wants a treatment for their child that you feel is unnecessary or harmful?
When answering, think about:
Autonomy – respecting the patient’s decisions where they have capacity
Beneficence and non‑maleficence – acting in the patient’s best interest and avoiding harm
Justice – fair use of limited NHS resources
Professional duties to raise concerns, maintain trust and uphold honesty
6. Dental knowledge & health scenarios (non‑technical)
You are not expected to diagnose rare conditions, but you should be able to reason through simple scenarios using basic science and common sense. Try questions like:
How can poor oral health contribute to wider systemic health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes?
Why is prevention (e.g. fluoride, diet, oral hygiene) so important in dentistry?
A patient collapses in the waiting room. Talk us through your immediate priorities and actions.
How might smoking or heavy alcohol consumption affect oral health and dental treatment planning?
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing UK dentistry at the moment?
You’re being tested on reasoning and awareness, not detailed clinical knowledge.
7. NHS, public health & the Scottish context
Given Glasgow’s location, it’s smart to have at least a basic understanding of Scottish NHS dentistry, though it’s fine to draw on examples from the wider UK NHS as long as you show you know the difference.
Practice topics:
How does NHS funding influence the kinds of treatments dentists provide?
Why might some communities have worse oral health than others, and what can dentists do about that?
What are the NHS values, and how are they relevant to dental practice?
How did COVID‑19 affect dental services, and what lessons might we carry forwards?
8. Personality, resilience & reflection
These questions let interviewers see the person behind the application:
What three words would your friends use to describe you, and why?
How do you manage stress, especially around exams or deadlines?
Tell us about a time you showed leadership. What did you do and what did you learn?
When have you had to adapt quickly to a new situation?
What are your main strengths and one genuine area you’d like to improve before starting dental school?
Be honest and specific – vague clichés score poorly.
9. Manual dexterity & creativity
Glasgow emphasises manual dexterity, creativity and spatial awareness in its person specification and interview materials.
Expect prompts like:
Tell us about a hobby that develops your fine motor skills – how might this help in Dentistry?
Explain, step‑by‑step, how to do a simple practical task (for example, tying shoelaces, plaiting hair, or folding something) to someone who cannot see what you’re doing.
Describe an artistic or craft project you’re proud of. What skills did it require?
A picture of badly decayed teeth is shown. Describe objectively what you see and what it might mean for the patient (without trying to diagnose).
Sometimes you may be given a simple hands‑on task (e.g. paper folding) in timed conditions – the focus is on how you approach the task, not whether it’s perfect.
📬 When are Glasgow Dentistry offers released?
The University of Glasgow Dental School FAQ states that:
“All decisions are normally made by the end of March and applicants are informed through UCAS.”
Independent interview guides echo this, adding that applicants are usually told of the outcome by 31 March.
So for 2026 entry, you should plan for:
Interview in January/February 2026
Final decision (offer, rejection or waitlist) by late March 2026, visible on UCAS and often confirmed by email
Always keep an eye on your email spam folder and your UCAS Hub – several students report missing key updates because they went into junk.
💡 Top tips for smashing the University of Glasgow Dental interview
Here are practical, Glasgow‑specific tips to help you prepare confidently.
1. Treat UCAT as your “ticket to the interview”
Because UCAT is used to rank applicants and there’s a hard cut‑off for shortlisting, a competitive UCAT score is essential.
If you’re still pre‑application:
Use free official UCAT practice materials first (Glasgow actively recommends these and does not endorse paid courses).
Aim to be comfortably above historical cut‑offs rather than just scraping them.
2. Know Glasgow’s course and city – genuinely
Interviewers can tell the difference between generic and specific answers. Research:
Clinical teaching sites (Glasgow Dental Hospital & School, outreach centres)
Early clinical exposure and elective opportunities
What current students say about the course structure and culture
Have two or three concrete reasons why Glasgow, in particular, suits you – academically, clinically and personally.
3. Practise online interview skills
Because interviews are online panel‑style:
Test your internet connection, camera and microphone beforehand.
Choose a quiet, well‑lit space with a neutral background.
Practise speaking to the camera, not to your own image.
Record yourself answering questions for 5–6 minutes and watch it back – observe body language, eye contact, pacing and filler words.
Treat this like a performance skill you can train.
4. Build strong foundations in ethics & GDC standards
Read:
GDC “Standards for the Dental Team” (at least the headings and key ideas).
Basic healthcare ethics (autonomy, beneficence, non‑maleficence, justice).
Then:
Practise applying these ideas to scenarios similar to Glasgow’s sample stations (cheating, pregnancy, confidentiality, speaking up).
Structure your answers: explain the issues, explore both sides, then clearly state what you would do and why.
5. Rehearse role‑plays – don’t just read about them
Role‑plays can feel awkward at first. To get comfortable:
Ask a friend/parent/teacher to pretend to be the “patient” or “classmate”, and practise several scenarios.
Focus on listening, empathy and clarity rather than trying to be dramatic.
After each practice, reflect:
Did I acknowledge their feelings?
Did I check their understanding?
Did I offer realistic options or support?
Glasgow’s own sample stations and the style of questions from reputable guides show that role‑play is a key component.
6. Prepare a handful of strong “experience stories”
Have 4–6 experiences ready that you can spin into answers for teamwork, leadership, resilience, communication and reflection – for example:
A group project that went wrong and how you salvaged it
A time you dealt with a difficult customer, patient or child
An instance where you had to balance multiple responsibilities
A challenging feedback situation and how you acted on it
Use these flexibly – the same story can answer different questions if you frame it appropriately.
7. Nurture your manual dexterity
You don’t need a portfolio, and Glasgow specifically asks candidates not to bring manual dexterity examples to interview.
However, it’s wise to:
Maintain or start hobbies that build fine motor skills (drawing, painting, crochet, musical instruments, origami, model‑making, baking with detailed decoration, etc.).
Be ready to talk about what those hobbies involve physically and how they’ve improved your patience and concentration.
Try simple timed tasks at home (folding paper, threading needles, small assembly tasks) while staying calm and methodical.
8. Keep up with NHS dentistry issues – especially in Scotland
You don’t need to be a health policy expert, but you should be aware of:
Ongoing issues in NHS dental access and waiting times
Oral health inequalities (for example, between different regions or socio‑economic groups)
Any recent major changes in dental contracts or prevention initiatives in Scotland
Use trustworthy sources (NHS, BDA, Scottish Government, professional news outlets) and be prepared to discuss issues in a balanced way.
9. Manage time and nerves on the day
Students from recent cycles describe the interview as feeling fast‑paced – “like a race” – even though the interviewers themselves are generally kind and supportive.
To cope:
Practise answering questions within 5–6 minutes.
Don’t panic if one section goes poorly – mentally “reset” for the next one.
Remember that each part is scored separately; a wobble in one area doesn’t ruin your entire interview.
🗣 Student comments about the Glasgow Dentistry interview
Hearing from students who’ve actually been through the process can be reassuring.
“Relaxed and friendly” atmosphere (pre‑COVID MMI)
A current Glasgow BDS student interviewed by I Want To Be A Dentist describes Glasgow’s MMI day as having a relaxed atmosphere and “friendly demeanour” from staff, noting that this helped them feel more at ease compared with other MMIs. They even took it upon themselves to chat to other nervous applicants to help everyone settle.
While the delivery is now online, this gives a sense of Glasgow’s culture: professional, but supportive.
Fast‑paced online interviews
Applicants discussing the 2025 entry cycle on The Student Room report that:
The interview was panel‑style on Zoom, rather than in‑person MMI.
The questions felt quick‑fire, and the whole process went by very fast.
However, interviewers were described as nice, even if the pace felt intense.
This underlines the importance of timed practice and speaking clearly and concisely online.
UCAT and getting in
On the 2024 entry thread, a current Glasgow dental student notes that many of their friends were admitted with UCAT scores around the mid‑2500s (for Scottish/home applicants), reassuring one applicant who was worried their score was too low.
The message: you don’t need a “perfect” UCAT, but you must be above the cut‑off and then perform well at interview.
✅ Final thoughts
The Glasgow Dentistry interview can feel daunting – especially when you hear phrases like “online panel”, “non‑cognitive skills” and “UCAT cut‑off”. But once you unpack it, it’s really about something very human:
Can you communicate, care, think clearly under pressure, and behave like a future professional dentist?
If you:
Understand how Glasgow selects candidates,
Know the 2026 interview format (online panel with structured sections),
Practise ethical scenarios, role‑plays and reflective questions, and
Stay informed about NHS dentistry and Glasgow’s course,
…then you’ll already be a long way towards performing confidently on the day.
You absolutely do not need to be perfect – just prepared, reflective, and authentically yourself. 🦷✨
Good luck – and if you’d like, I can help you turn this into a personalised interview‑prep checklist or run through mock questions with you.
References & further reading
(All accessed recently; always check the latest versions before you apply.)
University of Glasgow Dental School – Undergraduate FAQs (Dentistry) – application, UCAT, interview and offer information. University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow Dental School – UCAT page – how UCAT is used and the importance of test preparation. University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow Dental School – Sample MMI Stations – official example role‑play scenarios. University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow – BDS Admissions Data – applications, interviews, offers and matriculated numbers by year. University of Glasgow
Dental Schools Council – Entry Requirements for UK Dental Schools, 2026 entry – official summary of Glasgow’s academic requirements and “online panel interviews” for 2026. Dental Schools Council
Dental Schools Council – Entry Requirements & Work Experience Guidance – general expectations around experience and reflection for dental applicants. Dental Schools Council
