St Andrews Medical School Interview Questions (A100), 2026 Entry
Quick introduction to St Andrews Medicine (A100)
St Andrews offers a three-year pre-clinical BSc (Hons) Medicine, after which students progress to partner medical schools in Scotland or England to complete the clinical years and graduate with an MBChB/MBBS. Overseas-fee applicants progress to Manchester for clinical training.
How St Andrews decides who to invite to interview (and where UCAT fits)
Hurdle-based selection: applications aren’t “scored”; the School checks that you meet academic requirements, have a firm reference and relevant caring/health experience.
UCAT ranking: everyone who passes the hurdles is ranked by UCAT global score. With ~650 interview places, those ranked near the top are invited. Offers are later based on the interview score (UCAT is only used as a tie-break at the offer stage).
Widening participation uplift: eligible applicants receive a 10% increase to their UCAT for interview ranking. Note: from 2025, the UCAT’s maximum score is 2700, so older UCAT numbers are not directly comparable with 2026 entry.
Tip: If your profile needs polishing, you can get targeted feedback on your personal statement talking points and ethical reasoning in a doctor-led session by booking our Medical School Interview Course.
UCAT “cut-off” scores (what recent data shows)
St Andrews publishes five-year admissions tables showing applications, interviews, entrants and the lowest UCAT selected for interview by fee status. These function as the practical “cut-off” in each cohort.
Lowest UCAT invited to interview (A100): the last five cycles
Home (Scotland): 2360 (2020-21), 2300 (2021-22), 2330 (2022-23), 2260 (2023-24), 2390 (2024-25).
RUK (England/Wales/NI): 2400, 2550, 2620, 2570, 2770 (2024-25).
Overseas: 2370, 2550, 2560, 2610, 2220 (2024-25).
Important: St Andrews emphasises that the range they can consider changes yearly, and 2026 entry uses the updated UCAT scale—expect numbers to look different in absolute terms.
How St Andrews interviews for 2026 entry
Format: Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) with four mini-interviews, each ~6 minutes. At least one is a role-play with an actor; communication, insight into a caring profession, ethical reasoning and critical thinking are assessed.
Mode (2026 entry): Home-funded applicants interview in person in St Andrews; all other fee statuses are interviewed online.
Timing: Invitations go out November–March; interview dates typically fall in early December, then January–March.
When are interviews held?
Expect interview dates in early December, followed by January, February, and March. Invitations are released on a rolling basis from November to March.
What topics are covered at the interview?
From official guidance, you should be ready to demonstrate:
Understanding of medicine as a career and the realities of a caring profession.
Communication & interpersonal skills (including empathy and teamwork); at least one role-play station.
Ethical reasoning, critical thinking and reflection.
Experiences from caring/health environments and reflection on what you learned.
How many applicants receive an interview—and how many receive an offer?
St Andrews has ~650 interview places annually.
Recent totals (A100, all fee statuses combined): interviews ~600–650 per cycle; entrants ~165–189 in the past five cycles.
Offer counts aren’t routinely published on the website, but a Freedom of Information (FOI) response for RUK in 2023-24 shows 450 applications, 148 interviews and 109 offers (lowest UCAT interviewed 2570; average 2877).
Want to convert your invite into an offer? Rehearse MMI timing, role-play and ethics with examiners’ checklists in our MMI mock circuits.
Example St Andrews MMI station bank (practice prompts)
Not official stations—designed to reflect the School’s published competencies.
Motivation & insight
Why St Andrews’ split-site degree suits you: benefits and challenges of moving for clinical years.
What did you learn from shadowing in primary care that changed your view of medicine?
How will you cope with academic intensity and transition to clinical training?
A time you prioritised patient dignity or confidentiality in work experience.
Communication & empathy (role-play style)
5) Break disappointing news about a missed clinic slot to an upset patient.
6) A parent is angry about wait times—de-escalate and agree on next steps.
7) Support a peer who is underperforming and missing sessions.
8) Explain a simple safety-netting plan after a minor head injury to a layperson.
Ethics & professionalism
9) A friend asks you to look up their test results—analyse confidentiality and data protection.
10) Should junior doctors strike? Balance patient safety, fairness, and professional duties.
11) Organ donation opt-out: benefits, concerns, and safeguarding autonomy.
12) Is it ever acceptable to override parental refusal of treatment? Outline capacity, best interests and law at a high level.
Teamwork & leadership
13) You observe poor aseptic technique—how do you raise concerns?
14) Prioritise five ED patients with minimal info; justify your order.
15) Reflect on a time you changed your mind after feedback.
16) You’re leading a volunteer team; two members clash—mediate.
Critical thinking & data handling
17) Interpret a simple admissions graph: what explanations fit a winter surge?
18) A trial reports a relative risk reduction of 25%; what else would you need before adopting the new test?
19) Explain sensitivity vs specificity to a patient choosing a screening test.
20) Spot two biases in a newspaper health article and how you’d check reliability.
Health, NHS & society
21) Social determinants of health you witnessed locally; realistic ways to mitigate them.
22) AI in diagnostics: where might it help—and what are the safety risks?
23) Balancing limited funds: Should the NHS cover an expensive drug with a small benefit?
24) Vaccine hesitancy in teens—how would you communicate evidence respectfully?
When are offers released?
Most decisions are issued in line with UCAS deadlines (some earlier). Decisions are received via the UCAS Hub; the School notes that feedback is included when an application is unsuccessful.
Top tips specific to St Andrews
Know the format: four short, focused stations—practice concise, structured answers and smooth transitions.
Role-play matters: demonstrate empathy, listening and shared decision-making—not just “fixing” the problem.
Show realistic insight into a caring profession using genuine experiences (paid or unpaid) and what you learned.
Be ethics-ready: use clear frameworks (patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice; capacity and consent basics).
Understand St Andrews’ pathway (BSc + partner medical school routes) and speak to why it suits you.
UCAT context: older score bands look higher; the 2026 cycle uses a recalibrated scale—don’t overfit to past numbers.
Want tailored run-throughs of St Andrews-style stations with timed feedback? Book our Medical School Interview Course – taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools.
Ready for a full rehearsal? Join an MMI Mock Circuit.
Student comments (anecdotal)
Recent forum threads suggest candidates often describe the environment as friendly, with communication and role-play central, consistent with the official description. Treat online anecdotes cautiously and prepare for the published rubric.
FAQ
Is there a strict UCAT cut-off for St Andrews?
Not a fixed “pre-announced” cut-off. After academic/reference/work-experience checks, applicants are ranked by UCAT for ~650 interview places. The lowest UCAT invited varies by year and fee status (see recent values above).
How many stations are in the St Andrews MMI?
Four stations, ~6 minutes each; one is a role-play.
Are 2024–25 UCAT scores comparable to 2026?
No—UCAT scoring changed (max now 2700), so absolute numbers won’t match older cycles.
When are interviews and offers?
Interviews run Dec–Mar (invites Nov–Mar). Most offers follow UCAS deadlines, although some are made earlier.
How competitive is St Andrews?
For example, in 2024-25, the School conducted 649 interviews and 189 entrants across A100/A990. The RUK FOI for 2023-24 shows 450 applications, resulting in 148 interviews and 109 offers. Figures vary yearly.
What qualities does St Andrews look for?
Insight into medicine, communication, teamwork, resilience, and reflection on caring experience—align your examples to these.
