Oxford Medical School Interview Questions (2026 Entry)
Introduction
Oxford’s Medicine interviews are rigorous, academic conversations designed to test how you think, not what you’ve memorised. For 2026 entry, Oxford uses the UCAT to help shortlist applicants, then invites you to panel-style interviews at two colleges in December. Below, you’ll find the latest official information, as well as practical strategies and example questions tailored to Oxford’s tutorial-style approach.
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How Oxford decides who to call for an interview (including UCAT)
For 2026 entry, Oxford requires UCAT (A100 and A101). The test runs from July 7 to September 26, 2025. Oxford receives your UCAT automatically; tutors do not see candidates’ UCAT scores during interviews, so you should not list your score on UCAS. UCAT publishes preliminary means/deciles in mid‑September.
Shortlisting method (what Oxford actually does):
Oxford creates a numerical ranking using your overall UCAT cognitive score (SJT not used at this stage) and your GCSE profile, with equal weight to UCAT and GCSEs for most applicants. For those without GCSEs (or with GCSEs mainly in 2020–21), UCAT is double‑weighted.
No fixed UCAT cut-off. Oxford aims to call ~2–3 applicants per place, typically around 425 interviews each year. After an initial algorithmic shortlist, tutors review contextual and individual factors and add ~80 more candidates.
Latest cycle data (2024 round for 2025 entry):
1,164 UCAS applications; 1,069 sat UCAT; 1,006 eligible.
~42.2% of complete applicants were shortlisted.
Mean UCAT for shortlisted: 3092.8; for offer-holders: 3130.6 (UCAT overall mean that year was 2523).
International places are capped at 7.5% across A100/A101.
What this means for you: there isn’t a published “cut‑off”; instead, think in competitive ranges. According to the most recent data, shortlisted and offer-holder UCATs clustered in the low-to-mid 3000s. Remember, strong GCSEs can compensate for a lower UCAT and vice versa.
How does Oxford conduct interviews for the 2026 entry?
Format: Two-panel interviews (not MMIs), usually one at your college of preference (or allocation) and one at a second, randomly assigned college. You’ll meet at least two academics and at least one practising clinician across your interviews. Colleges interview blind to your UCAT and to your college choice/allocation.
Mode & dates: For the 2025 interview season (for 2026 entry), Oxford states interviews are online with subject‑specific dates; Medicine is usually mid‑December. In 2025, Medicine interviews are scheduled around 15–16 December. Your exact invite will confirm timing.
Decision timing: Colleges send outcomes in early January.
Practice like the real thing: Oxford’s interviews feel like a short tutorial.
Build that skillset with targeted mock interviews. Book our Medical School Interview Course – taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools.
What is the interview style?
Oxford calls them “academic conversations”—a tutor‑led discussion exploring how you approach unfamiliar problems, justify reasoning, and respond to guidance. Questions often build step‑by‑step from basic science to more complex ideas; your reasoning under gentle pressure is the point.
Oxford publishes selection criteria used by all colleges, covering both academic potential (problem‑solving, intellectual curiosity, communication in a tutorial setting) and personal suitability (empathy, motivation, integrity, teamwork, NHS values).
When are Oxford Medicine interviews held?
Interviews take place in December. Oxford publishes a subject timetable annually; for the 2025 cycle (2026 entry), Medicine interviews are scheduled for the period around 15–16 December, delivered online. Always check the latest timetable on Oxford’s website.
What topics are covered?
Expect a mix of:
Scientific/problem‑solving (biology, chemistry, sometimes physics/maths analogies).
Data and image interpretation (graphs, microscopy, imaging).
Ethics and law (autonomy, consent, resource allocation).
Communication and reflection (work experience insights, learning from mistakes).
NHS awareness (current issues and evidence‑based thinking).
These map directly to Oxford’s selection criteria and the university’s description of interviews as academic discussions.
How many applicants are interviewed, and how many receive offers?
From the latest published cycle: ~425 interviewed; 173 offers (157 quota + 2 deferred + 14 open)—roughly ~40% of interviewees received an offer. Year‑to‑year figures vary with field size.
Example Oxford‑style questions (panel prompts)
Below are illustrative prompts aligned to Oxford’s approach (some are student‑reported examples from Oxford SU’s Alternative Prospectus; others are modelled on Oxford’s criteria). Use them to practise thinking aloud, building logic step by step.
Student‑reported examples (from Oxford SU Alternative Prospectus):
Should a man in chronic pain be allowed to use cannabis to relieve it?
Are humans still evolving?
Compare how V = IR describes current flow to factors affecting blood flow.
You are in a boat on a lake and drop a bowling ball overboard—does the water level go up or down?
Describe what you see on this microscopy slide and explain your reasoning.
Calculate the concentration of a solution given X g solute in Y mL water.
Academic reasoning & data interpretation:
A CT slice shows an unexpected radiolucency—generate hypotheses and tests.
A graph shows sigmoidal oxygen saturation—explain the shape and shifts.
Given a simplified model of viral spread, what happens if R changes from 0.9 to 1.1?
Why might a fever improve survival in infection?
How would you estimate cardiac output with limited equipment?
What determines membrane potential, and how would extracellular K⁺ shifts affect it?
Explain why myoglobin’s curve differs from haemoglobin’s.
Design an experiment to test whether a new antiseptic reduces surgical site infections.
Compare active transport with facilitated diffusion using a real biological example.
Outline how you’d distinguish correlation from causation in an epidemiological dataset.
Ethics & law (use principlism + GMC guidance thinking):
11) A parent refuses blood products for a 7‑year‑old—how would you approach this?
12) Should non‑urgent surgery be delayed for smokers?
13) Is it ethical to pay living kidney donors?
14) A patient asks for access to their raw notes—what are the pros/cons?
15) Resource allocation: one ICU bed, two candidates—how would you decide?
Communication & reflection:
16) Tell me about a time you received critical feedback—what changed?
17) Explain a complex concept (e.g., CRISPR) to a non‑scientist.
18) What did you actually do during work experience, and what did you learn?
19) How would you break down the concept of herd immunity for a hesitant patient?
20) How have you handled uncertainty in a lab or classroom?
Quantitative/physics analogies (very “Oxford”):
21) Why does a smaller radius dramatically increase resistance to flow?
22) Model capillary exchange using pressure/solvent considerations—what assumptions fail?
23) How could you estimate the number of alveoli in a lung from first principles?
NHS & current issues:
24) What does “evidence‑based” mean in practice?
25) Is AI triage ethically acceptable?
26) How would you prioritise public health spending between early cancer diagnosis vs. mental health?
Personal academic curiosity:
27) A recent paper claims X—critique its methods and propose a follow‑up study.
28) Which topic in pre‑clinical science most excites you and why?
29) Why the Oxford course specifically (tutorials, BA + BM BCh)?
Want calibrated mock stations and panels?
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If you’re also interviewing at MMI schools, add an MMI mock circuit.
When are offers released?
Oxford states that outcome letters/emails are scheduled to arrive in early January, following the interviews.
Top tips for Oxford Medicine interviews
Think aloud. Narrate your logic so tutors can guide you—this is exactly how tutorials work.
Embrace the unfamiliar. Oxford deliberately asks questions beyond A‑level to see how you reason with new information.
Use first‑principles science. Start simple (definitions, assumptions, units), build the model, test it, revise.
Practise data/graph reading—especially physiology, pharmacology‑style curves, image interpretation.
Ethics: structure your answer (autonomy, beneficence, non‑maleficence, justice) and apply it to the case.
Communicate like a tutor session. Be clear, precise, and responsive to prompts; ask clarifying questions.
Know the course. Oxford’s BA (pre‑clinical) then BM BCh (clinical) structure: be ready to explain why it suits you.
Don’t bring UCAT into the room. Tutors won’t see it—focus on reasoning.
Mock interviews matter. Simulate tutorial‑style questioning with clinicians/academics.
Student comments about Oxford interviews.
Oxford SU’s Alternative Prospectus collates student reflections that match the official message: interviews feel like guided problem‑solving, with friendly tutors who “walk you through” when you’re stuck; expect mixes of academic and ethics questions, sometimes with physics‑style puzzles. These quotes emphasise the enjoyable, stretching nature of the discussion and the importance of staying calm and reasoning out loud.
(Oxford students write Oxford SU’s Alternative Prospectus; departments were invited to fact‑check pages, but always rely on the official University site for up‑to‑date processes.)
Key facts & statistics (latest published)
Interviews: ~425 candidates (~2.5 per place).
Offers: 173 (157 quota + 2 deferred + 14 open).
Shortlisted share: ~42.2% of complete/eligible applicants.
Mean UCAT: 3092.8 shortlisted; 3130.6 offers (UCAT overall mean 2523 in 2024).
International limit: max 7.5% across A100/A101.
Frequently Asked Questions (Oxford Medicine Interview)
Does Oxford use the UCAT now?
Yes. For 2026 entry, the UCAT is required for A100/A101; the application window is 7 July–26 September 2025.
Is there a UCAT “cut‑off” at Oxford?
No fixed cut‑off is published. Oxford ranks you using your UCAT cognitive total and GCSEs, with equal weighting applied to most applicants. SJT is not used for initial shortlisting.
Do interviewers see my UCAT?
No—interviewers are blind to UCAT during interviews. (UCAT, including SJT band, is considered only after interviews when the final ranking is compiled.)
How many interviews will I have?
Usually, two panels at two different colleges.
Are Oxford interviews MMIs?
No. They are panel interviews—academic discussions akin to short tutorials.
When are interviews and offers?
Interviews are scheduled for December; outcomes are expected to arrive in early January.
What topics should I revise?
Core biology/chemistry (A‑level standard) applied in novel ways, data interpretation, basic physiology, ethics, NHS context, and clear communication—aligned to Oxford’s published criteria.
How competitive is it?
Figures vary annually; in the latest cycle, Oxford interviewed ~425 and made 173 offers (≈40% of interviewees).
Do you have any advice for international applicants?
Note the statutory limit (max 7.5% of places across A100/A101). Check your visa, fee status, and funding details early.
Final word
Oxford’s medicine interviews reward curiosity, clarity, and calm logic. Build those muscles with realistic practice and targeted feedback.
