University of Plymouth (Peninsula) Dental School Interview Questions – Complete 2026 Entry Guide
The University of Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School is one of the UK’s most community‑focused dental schools, with early clinical contact and strong links to NHS services across Devon and Cornwall.
If you’re aiming for BDS Dental Surgery (including the Integrated Foundation Year), understanding how the dentistry interview works – and what Plymouth is really looking for – will make your preparation calmer and more effective.
This guide brings together official information from the University of Plymouth and the Dental Schools Council, plus student and tutor insights, to give you a clear picture of the Plymouth dental interview for 2026 entry.
🌊 1. Quick overview of Plymouth BDS Dental Surgery
Course: BDS Dental Surgery, 5‑year degree (A206)
School: Peninsula Dental School, University of Plymouth
Places (recent cycle): 58 BDS places (including 2 for international students)
Location: Teaching across Plymouth, Exeter and Truro in dedicated Dental Education Facilities (DEFs).
Focus: Early patient contact (from year one), community‑based care, and a strong emphasis on professionalism, communication and social engagement.
Plymouth is also consistently highlighted as a leading UK university for dentistry in league tables, reflecting student satisfaction and graduate outcomes.
🎯 2. How does Plymouth decide who to invite to a Dentistry interview?
2.1 Key tools Plymouth uses
According to the official BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements, Plymouth uses the following when shortlisting for interview:
GCSEs and A‑levels (or equivalent) – you must meet or be predicted to meet their minimum academic requirements.
UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) – used alongside GCSEs and A‑levels to decide who is invited to interview.
GAMSAT – used instead of UCAT for applicants applying via the GAMSAT route (usually those without suitable A‑levels).
Importantly:
“Applicants are considered for interview based on relevant academic qualifications alone. We do not currently consider personal statements or work experience when selecting for interview.”
So, for standard school‑leaver applicants:
🔵 To get an interview you must:
Meet the minimum GCSE and A‑level requirements (e.g. high grades including Biology and another science)
Achieve a UCAT score above Plymouth’s cut‑off for that cycle
Plymouth publishes previous UCAT cut‑off scores on its official BDS entry requirements page. For example, the Home applicant cut‑offs in recent years were:
2022: 2510
2023: 2650
2024: 2610
2025: 2690
The cut‑off changes each year depending on how applicants perform and how many applications they receive.
Third‑party guides (based on FOI data) confirm that UCAT is the decisive factor once minimum grades are met and that Plymouth consistently applies a UCAT threshold for interview.
2.2 What about personal statements and work experience?
Personal statement: not scored or used for shortlisting.
Work experience: not required for shortlisting, although having done some exposure to dentistry is still helpful for interview answers and reflection.
That means Plymouth is a particularly attractive choice if:
your UCAT is strong,
your grades meet the standard offer,
but you’re worried about a “weaker” personal statement compared to others.
🧪 3. UCAT changes for 2026 entry
For 2026 entry, the UCAT structure is changing slightly:
The Abstract Reasoning section is being removed.
The test will consist of 3 cognitive subtests (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning) plus Situational Judgement.
Plymouth explicitly notes this on its BDS entry requirements page and directs applicants to the official UCAT website for details.
👉 In practice: Plymouth will still apply a UCAT threshold, but the exact cut‑off for 2026 entry won’t be known until after all applications have been assessed.
🎥 4. How does the Plymouth Dentistry interview work for 2026 entry?
4.1 Interview format
The University of Plymouth’s official “Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process” page states that all clinical courses (including Dentistry) use a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) structure.
Key features (from the official selection page):
Format: MMI
Number of stations: 5 stations
Number of interviewers: 4 different interviewers across stations
Duration: about 55 minutes in total
Content: not a test of scientific knowledge; focuses on your attitudes, outlook and way of thinking.
The Dental Schools Council’s 2026 entry guide confirms that University of Plymouth dentistry uses online MMIs for BDS.
4.2 Online vs in‑person for 2026 entry
Plymouth states that interviews in the 2024 admissions cycle were all conducted online (via Zoom) for clinical courses, including Dentistry.
The Dental Schools Council describes Plymouth’s BDS interviews as online MMIs for 2026 entry too.
💡 Safest assumption for 2026 entry:
Expect an online MMI, unless Plymouth later announces a change. Always double‑check the latest information on:
the BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements page, and
the Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process page.
🧬 5. What is the Plymouth Dental interview style?
From Plymouth’s official selection page and both university and tutoring resources, we can summarise the interview style like this:
It’s a values‑based, attribute‑focused interview rather than a science quiz.
MMIs are station‑based: each station focuses on a theme such as communication, ethics, or teamwork.
Questions are often scenario‑based (e.g. “How would you handle…?”) or reflective (e.g. “Tell us about a time when…”).
Interviewers are drawn from a mix of clinicians, academics, current students and lay members of the public.
You are scored numerically at each station and there is also a ‘red flag’ section used if you say or do something clearly unsuitable (e.g. unsafe, discriminatory, or dishonest).
One published student account (via a foundation‑year thread) describes their Plymouth Dentistry MMI as:
A short ice‑breaker at the start,
4 stations of around 10 minutes each,
Each station containing two questions,
A total duration of roughly 65 minutes including registration.
This fits broadly with the official description of a ~55‑minute, five‑station MMI once you include time for logging in and instructions.
📅 6. When are Plymouth Dentistry interviews held?
Plymouth’s official BDS FAQ states:
“Interviews typically take place between December and February.”
Additional insight from Medfully and applicant forums suggest the pattern is usually:
Invites start: from December onwards (after UCAT results are released to universities).
Main interview period: January and February.
In some recent cycles, applicants were told that all interview invitations would be sent out by around early–mid February, though this can vary from year to year.
🧵 7. What topics are covered in a Plymouth Dentistry interview?
Plymouth explicitly lists a set of core attributes, aligned with NHS values, that they are looking for at interview:
🟦 Core attributes assessed
Communication skills
Decision‑making
Understanding the impact of illness
Reflection and self‑insight
Motivation and commitment
Integrity and inclusivity
Resilience and adaptability
Teamwork
Based on official information plus student and tutor reports, the typical topic areas you can expect at a Plymouth dentistry MMI include:
Motivation for Dentistry & for Plymouth
Why dentistry rather than medicine or another healthcare career.
What attracts you to the Peninsula Dental School and its community focus.
Insight into Dentistry & Work Experience
What you learned from any shadowing, volunteering or paid work (even though it wasn’t required for shortlisting).
Challenges of modern dentistry (e.g. access, anxiety, cosmetic demands).
Ethics & Professionalism
Consent, confidentiality, honesty and probity.
Handling unsafe or unprofessional behaviour in colleagues.
Balancing NHS resources and patient demands.
Communication & Empathy
Talking to anxious or angry patients.
Explaining a procedure or discussing bad news in a clear, kind way.
Teamwork & Leadership
Working with a multidisciplinary team (dentists, nurses, therapists, reception staff).
Times you have contributed to or led a team.
Resilience & Reflection
How you handle setbacks or stress.
What you have learned from mistakes or challenges.
NHS & Dental ‘Hot Topics’
Access to NHS dentistry.
Prevention vs treatment.
Public health issues such as sugar consumption and fluoride.
Numeracy / Data Interpretation (Occasionally)
Simple, non‑calculator calculations or interpreting basic graphs or data (e.g. doses, percentages, waiting times).
Remember: the interview is not meant to test detailed dental science or complex maths. It is about how you think and behave.
📊 8. How many applicants get an interview and how many receive an offer?
Plymouth publishes official application statistics for recent BDS cycles in the FAQ on the BDS entry requirements page. For 2024 entry:
Places: 58
Applications: 888
Applicants interviewed: 425
Offers made: 121
That means, approximately:
About 48% of applicants were invited to interview.
Around 29% of those interviewed received an offer.
Third‑party summaries based on FOI data show broadly similar patterns across earlier years: Plymouth typically interviews a substantial fraction of applicants, then makes offers to roughly one quarter to one third of interviewees.
⚠️ Important: numbers vary year to year depending on:
how many people apply,
UCAT performance nationally,
government‑set dental places.
Use these as a rough guide, not a guarantee.
📚 9. Example Plymouth Dentistry MMI stations and practice questions
Plymouth (like all dental schools) does not release its real interview questions – and students are asked not to share them. But several reputable preparation sites and Plymouth’s own attribute list give a very good sense of the style of stations.
Below is a set of invented example stations and questions designed to mirror Plymouth’s style and values. These are practice prompts only, not genuine past questions.
Station 1 – Motivation for Dentistry & Insight into the Career 💬
Theme: Why you want to be a dentist and why Plymouth.
Possible questions:
What has convinced you that dentistry is the right career for you?
How did your experiences with dentists (as a patient, observer or volunteer) shape your understanding of the profession?
What aspects of dentistry do you think you’ll find hardest, and how will you cope with them?
Plymouth’s Peninsula Dental School emphasises community engagement and outreach. Why does that appeal to you?
If you had to explain to a Year 9 pupil what a dentist actually does day‑to‑day, what would you say?
Station 2 – Communication with an Anxious Patient 🧠
Theme: Explaining and reassuring.
Possible scenario:
A patient in their 20s has not seen a dentist for 10 years and is visibly anxious. They need several fillings and are worried about pain and cost.
Questions you might be asked:
How would you start the conversation with this patient?
How would you explain the treatment and help them feel more in control?
What could the dental team do long‑term to support anxious patients?
Station 3 – Ethics & Professionalism ⚖️
Theme: Doing the right thing when it’s difficult.
Example prompts:
A colleague regularly arrives late for clinic and rushes treatments. You’ve noticed a few corners being cut. How would you handle this situation?
A patient insists they want a purely cosmetic treatment on the NHS which you don’t believe is clinically appropriate. How would you respond?
What does “confidentiality” mean in a dental context, and when might it need to be broken?
A friend asks you to prescribe antibiotics outside the practice once you are qualified, “just this once”. How would you respond and why?
Station 4 – Teamwork & Dentistry in the NHS 🤝
Theme: Working with others and understanding the system.
Sample questions:
Tell us about a time you worked in a team and something went wrong. What did you learn?
In a busy NHS practice, how might dentists, dental nurses and dental therapists need to work together?
How do you think limited NHS resources should be allocated in dentistry?
What do you understand by the term “NHS values” and why are they important for dentists?
Station 5 – Resilience, Reflection & Coping with Stress 🌱
Theme: Looking after yourself and learning from setbacks.
Possible prompts:
Describe a time you faced a significant setback (academic, personal or extracurricular). How did you respond, and what did you learn?
Dental training can be intense. How will you balance work, rest and life outside the course?
If you received disappointing feedback at dental school, how would you handle it?
Station 6 – Dental & Public Health Hot Topics 📰
Theme: Awareness of wider issues.
Example discussion areas:
Many people in the UK struggle to access NHS dentists. What factors contribute to this problem, and what solutions might help?
Should water fluoridation be expanded in the UK? What are the pros and cons?
Do you think social media has a positive or negative impact on patients’ expectations of cosmetic dentistry?
Station 7 – Data Interpretation / Simple Calculations 🔢
Theme: Safe basic numeracy.
Example:
A mouthwash contains 0.2% of an active ingredient. A 500 mL bottle is used across the week.
How many milligrams of the active ingredient are in the whole bottle?
How would you explain to a patient how often to use this mouthwash safely?
Or:
A waiting list report shows: 30% of patients have waited under 4 weeks, 50% between 4–12 weeks, and 20% longer than 12 weeks.
What concerns might this raise?
How could the practice respond?
Station 8 – Role‑play / Breaking News to a Patient 🎭
Theme: Empathy and communication in challenging conversations.
Example scenario:
You are a dental student role‑playing with an actor. Their front tooth is badly fractured and cannot be saved. They are upset about their appearance.
Possible tasks:
Explain the situation and treatment options in clear, non‑technical language.
Show empathy while still being honest.
Check their understanding and agree a plan.
Station 9 – Plymouth & Community Engagement 💙
Theme: Understanding the school’s ethos.
Peninsula Dental School is known for its Dental Education Facilities and Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise, providing care to thousands of NHS patients in the South West.
Example questions:
What attracts you to studying dentistry in the South West of England?
How do you feel about working with underserved communities as part of your training?
Why do you think community‑based clinics are an important part of dental education?
📨 10. When are Plymouth Dentistry offers released?
Plymouth’s official pages say:
After interviews, candidates are ranked by their interview score and offers are made via UCAS, with additional non‑academic checks (such as health and police / DBS) to be completed by successful applicants.
They do not publish a fixed offer‑release date. However:
A Medic Mind “Insider Guide” to the Plymouth Dentistry interview reports that one student heard back around the 4th week after their interview, and that the university advised that decisions might take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.
For recent cycles, Student Room posts suggest that batches of offers and rejections have appeared in late winter / early spring, in line with UCAS decision deadlines.
🔔 Take‑home message:
Expect to wait several weeks after your interview.
You should receive a decision (offer, rejection, or wait‑list) in good time before the UCAS reply deadline.
Always keep checking both UCAS Hub and emails (including spam).
💡 11. Top tips for the University of Plymouth Dental School interview
Here are focused, Plymouth‑specific tips to help you perform at your best.
11.1 Understand what Plymouth values
Go back to the official attribute list and be ready to demonstrate:
Communication
Decision‑making
Reflection and self‑insight
Motivation and commitment
Integrity and inclusivity
Resilience and adaptability
Teamwork
For each, have at least one personal example (from school, work, volunteering, sport, family responsibilities) where you’ve shown that quality.
11.2 Prepare for an online MMI 🎧
Since interviews are expected to be online:
Test your internet connection, camera and microphone in advance.
Choose a quiet, well‑lit space and dress smartly (as you would for an in‑person interview).
Practise looking into the camera (not just at your own face on screen).
Have a backup plan (e.g. phone hotspot) in case of technical glitches.
11.3 Practise MMI timing ⏱️
Student reports suggest: an ice‑breaker plus roughly 4–5 stations of 7–10 minutes each.
Practise giving structured answers that last 2–3 minutes.
Use simple frameworks like:
STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for examples.
IDEA (Identify, Describe, Explain, Act) for scenarios.
11.4 Make friends with follow‑up questions
Stations at Plymouth often have multiple questions on one theme, with follow‑ups that dig deeper.
Get used to:
Justifying your first answer further.
Reflecting (“Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?”).
Considering a situation from other people’s perspectives (patient, nurse, receptionist).
11.5 Know Plymouth (but don’t recite the prospectus)
You should be able to explain why Plymouth specifically, drawing on:
Early and extensive clinical exposure.
Community engagement through Dental Education Facilities and Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise.
The appeal of studying in the South West (small‑city feel, coastline, lifestyle).
Make your reasons personal: how will you contribute to and benefit from this environment?
11.6 Reflect properly on experiences 🌈
Even though work experience isn’t used for shortlisting, interviewers still expect realistic insight into dentistry.
For any experience (clinic, care home, voluntary work):
Describe what you observed (not just what you did).
Explain what you learned about patients, teams, or challenges.
Say how it might influence your behaviour as a future dentist.
11.7 Keep up with dental & NHS issues
You don’t need to be a policy expert, but you should have a sense of:
Access issues in NHS dentistry.
Prevention (fluoride, diet, sugar, education).
The pressures on NHS staff.
Read short, reliable summaries from sources like NHS England, BBC Health or the British Dental Association and think about your own views.
11.8 Work on genuine, warm communication 😊
Smile (if appropriate), use a friendly tone, and listen carefully.
Don’t rush – it’s better to give a measured answer than to talk non‑stop.
Practise maintaining eye contact on camera and using clear, simple language.
11.9 Practise with people who aren’t your friends
Student advice from Medfully and tutoring sites stresses the importance of practising with people who don’t already know you, so you can get used to different personalities – just like in a real MMI.
Try:
A teacher, tutor or careers adviser.
Another aspiring dentist you’ve met on forums.
A mock interview with a school careers service.
11.10 Look after yourself
It’s normal to feel nervous. To keep that under control:
Start preparation early and spread it out.
Sleep properly the night before.
Have water to hand (Plymouth interviewers are fine with that).
Remember: this is not a trap – they genuinely want to see you at your best.
🗣️ 12. What do students say about the Plymouth Dentistry interview?
A few anonymised insights from public sources:
A Student Room poster described the Plymouth dentistry interview as about 65 minutes with an ice‑breaker and four 10‑minute stations, emphasising that the structure is clear and manageable once you’re in it.
Applicants on various cycles mention that the questions feel “ethical” and “values‑based” rather than technical, which matches Plymouth’s own description that the interview is not a test of scientific knowledge.
A Medic Mind interview guide based on a student’s experience highlights that emails with Zoom details arrived about 48 hours before, the interview involved five stations, and they heard back roughly four weeks after – emphasising that the atmosphere was professional but fair.
Overall, the tone from students is that:
Interviewers are generally polite and encouraging,
The biggest challenge is managing nerves and timing, not impossible questions,
Solid preparation and a calm mindset go a long way.
✅ 13. Final thoughts
The University of Plymouth dental interview is competitive – but also very structured and transparent. Because they shortlist mainly on UCAT plus academics, if you’ve met the cut‑off and secured an interview, you’ve already cleared a big hurdle.
From this point on, success is less about being “perfect” and more about:
Showing who you are,
Demonstrating the qualities Plymouth values, and
Thinking clearly and kindly in the scenarios you’re given.
If you prepare thoughtfully, practise MMIs and stay grounded in the values of good dental care and the NHS, you’ll give yourself a genuinely strong chance. 🌟
📖 References & further reading
(Many of these are the University of Plymouth’s own pages, as requested.)
University of Plymouth – BDS Dental Surgery entry requirements (includes UCAT cut‑offs, application statistics, and FAQ on interviews).University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth – Medicine and Dentistry selection and admissions process (official description of shortlisting, MMI format and interview attributes).University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth – BDS Dental Surgery course page (course structure, early clinical experience, teaching locations).University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth – Peninsula Dental School overview (community focus, Dental Education Facilities, social enterprise).University of Plymouth
Dental Schools Council – Entry requirements for UK dental schools, 2026 entry (Plymouth section confirming online MMI and selection summary).Dental Schools Council
UCAT – Official information on test format and changes.University of Plymouth
