Queen Mary (Barts and The London) Medicine Interview Questions—2026 Entry Guide
Ready to smash your Barts interview? 🎯 This guide pulls together what Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) says officially about selection and interviews, then adds practical examples and tips you can actually use.
✅ Want structured practice with real NHS doctors? Book our Medical School Interview Course or join an MMI mock circuit.
How does Barts decide who to invite for an interview?
Barts shortlists in stages:
Stage 1 — Minimums: Apply by 15 October, meet minimum academic requirements, sit UCAT in the year of application, and achieve at least the 4th decile overall with SJT Band 1–3 (Band 4 is rejected). This is stated on the official QMUL Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) site.
Stage 2 — Interview selection: Applicants who meet Stage 1 are ranked by a weighted score that may include UCAT, UCAS Tariff from predicted/achieved grades, or weighted degree scoring for graduates. Invitations go out based on that ranking. (Official QMUL page.) Stage 3 — Offers: After interviews, Barts may consider all assessment factors: interview score, SJT, UCAT, and UCAS Tariff/degree weighting when deciding offers.
👉 Translation: hit the baseline UCAT + SJT first, then maximise your overall competitiveness (strong UCAT, strong academics).
How does Bart's interview for 2026 entry?
Official policy for 2026: Barts may use either Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) or panel interviews, delivered in-person or online. The invite email confirms your exact format. This comes directly from the Faculty’s 2026 Admissions Policy.
What they assess (stated by QMUL):
Motivation & realistic insight into medicine
Initiative, resilience & maturity
Teamwork, organisation & problem-solving
Contribution to university life
Communication skills
What they’ve “typically” done in recent cycles (non-official sources): Many prep sites and student accounts describe a semi-structured panel (≈15–20 minutes; 2 senior staff + a student; sometimes a lay observer), occasionally including discussion of a short article. Treat this as context, not a promise—Barts can switch formats.
Need to prep for both panel and MMI? Book our Medical School Interview Course - taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools.
When are the Medicine interviews held?
Usually January–March, with decisions released once interviews finish (typically March). QMUL explicitly states this timing.
What topics are covered?
Anchored to QMUL’s domains and NHS values, expect:
Why Medicine & Why Barts? Motivation, realistic insight, and the East London population needs
Communication & Teamwork: Role-plays or discussion of group scenarios
Ethics & Professionalism: Consent, confidentiality, capacity, prioritisation
Resilience & Reflection: Learning from setbacks, coping strategies
Problem-solving & Organisation: Data interpretation or structured approaches
Contribution & Wider Life: Volunteering, leadership, community engagement
How many get interviewed and how many get offers?
QMUL publishes cycle-by-cycle stats. For A100 (Home) 2025 they report:
Applications: 1,613
Interviews: 1,294 (~80%)
Offers: 948 (~59% of applicants; ~73% of interviewees)
For A100 (Overseas) 2025:
Applications: 377
Interviews: 159 (~42%)
Offers: 61 (~16% of applicants; ~38% of interviewees)
They also list minimum UCAT thresholds by year (e.g., 2025 cut-off 2,361 overall, ≥4th decile). All figures are from QMUL’s Admissions Statistics page.
Note: UCAT changed in 2025 (Abstract Reasoning removed; 3 subtests + SJT). QMUL acknowledges this change on its stats page. Always check the latest guidance.
Extensive practice: example stations & panel prompts
Barts can run panel or MMI—so practise both. Below is a broad bank of realistic prompts designed around QMUL’s stated assessment areas and NHS values. These are examples created for practice, not official questions.
Panel-style prompts (15–20 mins)
Motivation & Insight
“What specifically attracts you to Barts, given its East London setting and partner hospitals?” 🏥
“Tell us about a moment that confirmed medicine is right for you—what did you learn?”
Ethics & Professionalism
“A 15-year-old refuses treatment. How would you approach consent and best interests?”
“You see a peer post an unprofessional TikTok from a ward. What do you do and why?”
Resilience & Reflection
“Describe a time you received difficult feedback. How did you respond and change?”
Teamwork & Communication
“Explain a complex idea from your A-level studies to a non-scientist.”
Data/Problem-solving
“Admissions to A&E are rising but staffing is flat—how might you prioritise care safely?”
Wider Contribution
“How would you contribute to the Barts community outside academics?”
MMI-style stations (6–8 stations × ~5–7 mins)
Role-play: Breaking news
A patient’s routine test suggests diabetes. Show empathy, check understanding, signpost lifestyle changes and follow-up.Prioritisation task
You’re given 5 tasks at once on a busy ward. Rank and justify your reasoning.Ethics vignette
Friend asks for access to a patient file “for coursework”. Discuss confidentiality, information governance, and safeguarding.Calculation/graph station
Interpret a simple triage chart and outline safe next steps with uncertainty.Teamwork debrief
Reflect on a time your team under-performed. What would you do differently?Cultural competence
Discuss barriers some East London communities face in accessing primary care and how clinicians can reduce them.SJT-style reasoning
Colleague repeatedly arrives late for ward rounds. What’s the most appropriate first action and why?
“Article” discussion practice (if used)
Summarise the author’s argument in a recent health article (e.g., NHS winter pressures).
Identify bias/assumptions, propose one evidence-based solution, and weigh pros/cons.
Want examiner-written, Barts-style drills? Book our MMI mock circuits or join our interview course.
When are offers released?
Barts says interview decisions are communicated in March, once all interviews are complete. (Official QMUL Selection Criteria page.)
Top tips for your Barts interview (from the domains they assess)
🧭 Anchor everything to evidence & reflection
Use STAR (Situation–Task–Action–Result) when discussing experiences. Map your points to the domains Barts lists (motivation, resilience, teamwork, communication).
🧑⚕️ Show realistic insight into NHS practice
Bring examples from people-facing roles (care homes, tutoring, customer service). Connect to East London’s diverse population and health inequalities.
🗣️ Practise concise, structured speaking
For panel answers: 60–90 seconds, with a clear Point → Reason → Example → Link-back to Barts.
📚 Be “article-ready” just in case
If your invite mentions an article, practise neutral summaries, balanced arguments, and clear conclusions (several prep sites report this task in past cycles).
🧩 MMI? Treat each station as a fresh start
If you get MMI, reset between stations and hit 2–3 marked criteria early (ethics framework, empathy statement, safe plan).
🔍 Know how you’ll answer “Why Barts?”
Refer to the Whitechapel campus, teaching hospitals, and student life (official QMUL campus info is a great starting point).
Want feedback on your delivery from NHS interviewers? Book our Medical School Interview Course.
Student comments (what candidates say)
Short, representative snippets (unofficial but helpful):
“Know your personal statement very well—they can ask a lot based on it since it’s a panel interview.”
Treat forum posts as anecdotal; always defer to your official interview invite for the exact format.
Quick facts (official)
Places (A100, 2026 entry): ~311 Home and up to 24 Overseas. (QMUL Selection Criteria page.)
Shortlisting baseline: UCAT ≥ 4th decile and SJT Band 1–3. (QMUL Selection Criteria page.)
Interview window: Jan–Mar; decisions in March. (QMUL Admissions Policy & Selection Criteria pages.)
Typical format: Panel or MMI (varies by cycle; confirmed in invite). (QMUL Admissions Policy.)
Recent cycle stats: Applications, interviews, offers, and UCAT cut-offs are published by QMUL.
Final prep checklist ✅
Re-read your personal statement; prepare 6–8 STAR stories.
Practise both panel answers and MMI stations.
Refresh ethics (consent, confidentiality, capacity, professionalism).
Keep answers patient-centred, culturally sensitive, and NHS values-aligned.
Do timed mocks with feedback.
Ready to feel confident? Book our Medical School Interview Course - taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools and secure your spot on an MMI mock circuit.
Sources (official where noted)
QMUL Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry — Selection Criteria (A100): shortlisting rules, decision timing, and UCAS Tariff use. (Official site) Queen Mary University of London
QMUL FMD Admissions Policy 2026: interview formats (panel/MMI), timing, assessed domains. (Official site)Queen Mary University of London
QMUL Admissions Statistics (Medicine & Dentistry): applications, interviews, offers, UCAT thresholds (recent cycles). (Official site) Queen Mary University of London
