Swansea Medical School Interview Questions (2026 Entry)

Quick introduction to Swansea (GEM only)

Swansea University Medical School offers a four-year Graduate Entry Medicine (A101). It’s a small school with ~150 places, strong clinical exposure from early in the course, and a clear competency framework aligned to the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates. 

Note: Swansea does not offer a standard five-year A100 route. If you’re a school leaver, Swansea’s Pathways to Medicine degrees can lead to a guaranteed interview for GEM if you meet the minimum requirements. 

How Swansea decides who to invite to interview (2026 entry)

For 2026 entry, all applicants must sit an admissions test. Swansea accepts:

• UCAT (Home & International) – minimum score considered: 1900 (SJT not considered).

• GAMSAT (Home & International) – minimum score considered: 50 overall and 50 in Paper 3.

• MCAT (International only) – minimum score considered: 500.
  Invitations are issued to those above an annually set cut-score, which can be higher than the minimum, depending on application volumes. If you’ve taken more than one test, Swansea will consider only one score (with a stated order of preference). Once you’re selected for an interview, test scores are not used further—offers are based solely on interview performance.

Historical context. Swansea traditionally relied on GAMSAT. From the 2025 cycle onwards, they added UCAT (explicitly reflected for 2026 entry). The minimums and processes listed above are from the medical school’s website. 

UCAT note: The UCAT consortium has changed the scoring for 2025 sittings; Swansea’s stated minimum, considered 1900, reflects the current scale. Always check Swansea’s page for the cycle-specific cut-score.

What is the Swansea interview like for 2026 entry?

Swansea runs an assessment day with three face-to-face stations, each lasting 20–30 minutes. Stations may include interview(s), a presentation, and/or role-play. You may be asked to elaborate on your personal statement. Panels include clinicians, academics, medical students and lay members. 

Competencies assessed (as published by Swansea):

• Communication

• Problem-solving

• Coping with pressure

• Insight & integrity

• Passion for medicine and resilience to succeed

• Organisation & research

• Ethics & values

When are interviews held?

Swansea states that high-scoring applicants are invited to an assessment day “early in the New Year”—so typically January–February. Applicant reports suggest that interview invitations often begin around December, with sessions running through January–March, followed by decision batches. Always follow the dates in your Swansea portal.

What topics are covered?

Expect questions and tasks that probe communication, teamwork, professionalism, ethics, resilience under pressure, problem-solving/clinical reasoning, motivation for a career in medicine, reflection on experience, and understanding of the NHS & Welsh healthcare context. These directly mirror Swansea’s competency list and station formats.

How many applicants are interviewed, and how many receive offers?

Swansea publishes capacity (~150 places) on course pages but does not routinely publish total interviews/offers on the course site. Freedom of Information (FOI) responses confirm some historical figures for specific applicant groups, e.g. MCAT applicants:

• 2021: 29 applied with MCAT → 6 interviewed → 3 offers.

• 2022: 19 applied with MCAT → 4 interviewed → 2 offers.
  (These refer to international applicants applying via MCAT only.) 

The overall interview volume and offer rates vary each year and by test pool (UCAT, GAMSAT, and MCAT). If you need the precise breakdown for recent cycles, check FOI threads (several exist for 2020–2025 cycles).

UCAT “cut-off” at Swansea: what it means

Swansea sets a cycle-specific cut-score for each test after scores are in; it may be higher than the minimum considered (UCAT 1900; GAMSAT 50/50; MCAT 500). The cut score is used only to select candidates for interview—after that, offers are purely based on interview results. Swansea explicitly notes that SJT bands are not considered in the selection process. (Source: Swansea’s admissions pages.) 

Example station formats & practice questions (Swansea-style)

Below are Swansea-style practice prompts aligned to their competencies and station mix (panel/presentation/role-play). Use them to rehearse answers out loud, time yourself (20–30 mins per station), and reflect with feedback.

Role-play/communication

1. A patient is upset after waiting 4 hours in an ED corridor. De-escalate, show empathy, and explain next steps.

2. Break the news that a planned surgery is postponed due to staff shortages.

3. A colleague makes a dismissive remark about a patient with substance misuse. Challenge professionally.

4. Deliver a short explanation of informed consent for an abdominal ultrasound to a lay person.

5. You’re a student on GP placement; a parent refuses childhood vaccinations. Explore concerns and safety-net.

Ethics & values

1. Should doctors ever strike? Balance patient safety, workforce wellbeing, and stewardship.

2. Confidentiality vs public interest: a patient with epilepsy drives for work.

3. Prioritising a single ICU bed for three candidates—justify a fair process.

4. A peer shares exam answers in a WhatsApp group. Discuss integrity and actions.

5. Assisted dying: outline arguments and the UK legal position; reflect personally but professionally.

Problem-solving / clinical reasoning (non-diagnostic)

1. You’re given a short vignette about a febrile child. Explain an ABCDE approach and escalation.

2. Manage a needle-stick injury as a student on the ward.

3. You receive ambiguous data on a quality-improvement project—how would you proceed?

Motivation, reflection & resilience

1. Why Swansea—and why Graduate Entry? Link to Welsh NHS needs and course structure.

2. Describe a time you coped with pressure and what changed in your behaviour next time.

3. What have you learned from patient-facing or caring experiences?

4. A time you received critical feedback—what did you change?

Teamwork & leadership

1. Chair a short MDT-style huddle: allocate tasks, resolve conflict, close with safety checks.

2. A teammate is underperforming—how do you support them while protecting patient care?

3. Explain SBAR to a non-clinical team and run a mock handover.

Presentation task (common at Swansea)

1. Prepare a 3-minute briefing on antibiotic stewardship for ward staff; anticipate questions on AMR.

2. Present a concise reflective summary of a quality-improvement idea for a GP surgery.

Want feedback on these? Book our Medical School Interview Course (live, interactive; doctor-led): https://bluepeanut.com/medical-school-interview
Prefer practice under time pressure? Our MMI mock circuits replicate real stations: https://bluepeanut.com/mmi-courses

When are offers released?

Public guidance collated for recent cycles indicates that Swansea typically releases most offers after the interview cycle concludes—often in May, sometimes in batches earlier in the spring. Always rely on updates in your applicant portal.

Top tips for a Swansea GEM interview

1. Target their competencies. Map your evidence to the seven competencies Swansea lists. Build 2–3 strong examples for each.

2. Practise a short presentation. Many candidates neglect structure—use hook → 2–3 key points → implication → close. Time it to 3–4 minutes. 

3. Role-play like a clinician. Use empathy, check understanding, signpost, safety-net.

4. Know the NHS in Wales. Discuss primary/secondary care pathways in South West Wales, including rural considerations.

5. Reflect, don’t recite. Use “What happened → So what → Now what” to show growth.

6. UCAT/GAMSAT are only the gate. After interview selection, test scores don’t affect offers—so focus on station performance.

7. If you’re a Pathways student, understand the guaranteed interview conditions and still prepare for a guaranteed interview ≠ offer.

8. Need structured coaching? Book our Medical School Interview Course — taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools. https://bluepeanut.com/medical-school-interview

Student insights (what applicants say)

• A Swansea student rep noted that CASPer was not part of the selection day in the recent cycle and pointed applicants to Swansea’s “what we’re looking for” page. (Always check the current cycle’s guidance.)

• Applicants often report invite emails landing before Christmas, with interviews in the New Year and offers in batches thereafter.

Key facts at a glance (authoritative sources)

• Tests accepted (2026 entry): UCAT, GAMSAT, MCAT (Intl). Min considered: UCAT 1900; GAMSAT 50/50; MCAT 500. SJT not used. Cut-score set annually; offers are based solely on interview performance. (Swansea website) 

• Interview format: 3 × 20–30 min stations (interview/presentation/role-play); PS may be discussed. (Swansea website) 

• When: assessment days early in the New Year. (Swansea website)

• Places: small cohort, ~150 places, with prior Welsh Government-supported uplifts. (Swansea website; Welsh Gov statement)

• Pathways: selected Swansea undergraduate Pathways to Medicine → guaranteed GEM interview if you meet entry criteria. (Swansea website)

FAQs

Is UCAT required for Swansea?
For 2026 entry, Swansea accepts UCAT (and GAMSAT for international applicants). You only need one test, and Swansea will consider one score according to their stated order. 

What UCAT score do I need?
The minimum considered is 1900; the cut-score for the interview is set each year and may be higher. SJT is not used.

Is the interview an MMI?
Not in the classic sense. Swansea runs three longer stations (20–30 minutes each), which can include interviews, a presentation, and role-play. 

When do Swansea send offers?
Typically, after interviews conclude, many offers are released in the spring (often in May).

How many people are interviewed?
Swansea doesn’t publish total numbers on the course page; FOI responses show examples for specific sub-groups (e.g., MCAT applicants: 6 interviewed / 3 offers in 2021; 4 interviewed / 2 offers in 2022). 

Can school leavers apply?
Swansea’s programme is graduate-entry only. School leavers can consider Pathways to Medicine degrees, which can confer a guaranteed interview for GEM if conditions are met. 

Final prep checklist

• Build a story bank mapped to Swansea’s seven competencies. 

• Rehearse a 3-minute presentation and at least two role-plays. 

• Practise reflective frameworks (“STAR”, “What? So what? Now what?”).

• Read up on NHS Wales priorities and local context.

• Do timed mocks with feedback.

Supercharge your prep:

• Book our Medical School Interview Course — taught by NHS doctors who teach at 3 UK Medical Schools: https://bluepeanut.com/medical-school-interview

• Get realistic practice with our MMI mock circuits: https://bluepeanut.com/mmi-courses