Imperial College London Medical School Interview Questions (2026 Entry): Format, Timeline, Tips and 50+ Example Stations

Written By The Blue Peanut Team

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👋 Quick intro to Imperial Medicine

Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) is a research-intensive, six-year MBBS/BSc programme with early clinical exposure across London. For 2026 entry, Imperial lists 271 Home and 74 Overseas places.

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How does Imperial decide who to invite to interview?

  • Admissions test & academics: Imperial shortlists using UCAT alongside academic eligibility. UCAT was introduced for 2025 entry and continues for 2026 entry. 

  • Typical profile (2025 context): Imperial notes that shortlisted Home applicants had SJT Band 3+ (Band 4 discounted) and UCAT totals above ~3000 (contextual applicants 2800+). Thresholds vary each year. 

  • Scale of shortlisting: “We normally interview the top ~one-third of applicants,” with invitations rolling out from December. 

  • Widening participation: Contextual schemes are used; flagged applicants may be considered on an adjusted UCAT and can receive contextual offers if successful. 

How Imperial interviews for 2026 entry (MMI format)

Imperial uses Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs). Their admissions page outlines:

  • Station themes: teamwork/leadership, motivation for medicine, role of a doctor, empathy/breaking bad news, ethics, data interpretation. 

  • Timing: You’ll typically have ~5 minutes to answer per station. 

  • Marking: Each station is scored /6 for content and /4 for communication (older FOI sheet shows /7 + /3; Imperial’s current MMI page shows 6 + 4—prepare to demonstrate both what and how you answer). 

  • Why MMIs?: Imperial prefers MMIs to fairly assess multiple attributes across stations (not just “panel performance”).

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When are Imperial Medicine interviews held?

  • Imperial says invitations go out from December on a rolling basis. 

  • The College aims to make decisions by the end of March for the next academic year—so interviews typically run across Dec–Feb/early Mar depending on capacity.

What topics are covered?

Imperial lists common MMI areas: teamwork & leadership, motivation, the doctor’s role, empathy/breaking bad news, ethics, and data interpretation. Keep up with current healthcare news, too—Imperial explicitly advises staying up to date. 

How many get interviewed—and how many get offers?

  • Interview rate: “Top 1/3” of applicants are usually interviewed. 

  • Number of places: For 2026 entry: 271 Home + 74 Overseas places. Offers exceed places to account for conditions and firm choices. 

Example Imperial-style MMI stations & questions (practice set)

Ethics & professionalism

  • 🧭 Consent, capacity & the MCA: A confused patient refuses treatment—what’s your approach?

  • Confidentiality vs. safeguarding: teacher suspects neglect—what do you do?

  • Resource allocation: one ventilator, three patients—framework for decision?

  • Social media & professionalism: Should med students post clinical content?

  • Duty of candour scenario after a medication error.

Empathy & breaking bad news

  • Delivering abnormal test results to a parent.

  • Handling an angry relative who feels ignored on the ward.

  • A patient asks you not to tell their family—explore autonomy vs. support.

  • Respond to a peer who failed exams and is distressed.

Teamwork/leadership

  • Debrief a simulation where communication failed.

  • You notice a colleague cutting corners—how do you escalate?

  • Prioritising tasks on a busy task; who does what and why?

Motivation & insight

  • Why medicine at Imperial specifically—teaching style, research ethos, BSc year?

  • Discuss a clinical experience that changed your view of the doctor’s role.

  • What does “evidence-based practice” mean in day-to-day care?

Role-play

  • Explain a common procedure (e.g., venepuncture) to a nervous teenager.

  • Calm an anxious patient before an MRI (contraindications, safety, reassurance).

  • Speak with a GP receptionist upset about workload—demonstrate listening & signposting.

Data interpretation

  • Critique a bar chart comparing screening uptake across boroughs; discuss health inequalities.

  • Interpret a forest plot from a meta-analysis (CI, heterogeneity, clinical vs. statistical significance).

  • Calculate PPV/NPV from a test’s sensitivity/specificity given disease prevalence.

Healthcare & society

  • NHS Constitution values—give practical examples in action.

  • Debating AI triage tools: benefits, bias, consent & accountability.

  • Preventive medicine: tackling obesity in adolescents—multi-level interventions.

Imperial-specific angle

  • How would you make the most of the BSc year?

  • What excites you about studying across Imperial’s partner hospitals?

  • Translational research at Imperial—give an example that interests you.

Interview style & day-of tips (what Imperial emphasises)

  • Structure your answers (e.g., STARR) and avoid memorised scripts.

  • Take a breath—you usually have ~5 minutes per station; think before speaking.

  • MMIs mean one weak station doesn’t sink your whole interview.

  • Stay current with health news; scenario prompts can reference recent events.

Student comments (from Imperial pages)

  • Imperial’s student-authored guidance highlights starting prep early, practising aloud with others, and remembering that assessors want you to succeed—“one bad station doesn’t define you; reset and move on.” (Summarised from ICSM student pieces on the admissions page.)

  • A student blog also shares calm, practical strategies for MMIs at Imperial (slow down, eye contact, ask for clarification). 

When are offers released?

Imperial states it aims to make decisions by the end of March for the next academic year. (You’ll see updates in UCAS Hub.) 

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10 top tips for smashing Imperial’s MMI 🎯

  1. Know Imperial: Be specific about why ICSM (curriculum, research culture, BSc year, London placements). 

  2. Align to values: Map examples to NHS Constitution values and professionalism.

  3. Structure wins: Use STARR for experiences; Four Pillars for ethics; FRANC for breaking bad news (Find out, Relate, Acknowledge, Next steps, Check).

  4. Show reflective insight: What did you learn? How did you change?

  5. Practise data talk: Read charts out loud; state trend, outliers, limitations, implications.

  6. Communication marks matter: Eye contact, pace, signposting, and empathy earn the /4 communicationpoints.

  7. Keep news-aware: Read NHS/health headlines daily and think through implications for patients & teams. 

  8. Reset between stations: Treat each as a fresh start (MMI resilience).

  9. Know UCAT role: Understand Imperial shortlisting with UCAT & SJT; Band 4 typically not considered (2025 context). 

  10. Rehearse realistically: Timed 5-minute answers, ethical frameworks, role-play delivery, data commentary. 

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Key Imperial sources (we used Imperial’s own pages)

Final word 🌟

Imperial’s MMIs reward clear structure, calm empathy and reflective thinking. If you can explain why Imperial, apply ethical frameworks confidently, and narrate your experiences with insight, you’ll stand out.

Next steps:

The Blue Peanut Team

This content is provided in good faith and based on information from medical school websites at the time of writing. Entry requirements can change, so always check directly with the university before making decisions. You’re free to accept or reject any advice given here, and you use this information at your own risk. We can’t be held responsible for errors or omissions — but if you spot any, please let us know and we’ll update it promptly. Information from third-party websites should be considered anecdotal and not relied upon.

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