Medical School Interview / Imperial College London
Imperial College London medicine interview: the MMI and how it's marked
Five minutes a station, and every answer is marked out of six for content and four for communication. Imperial says changing your mind mid-answer is fine if you explain your thinking.
Updated September 2026Imperial College London uses Multiple Mini Interviews for its MBBS, saying the multiple-assessor format gives fairer and more accurate results. Since 2025 it has shortlisted on UCAT and academic eligibility, with the top third or so of applicants invited after UCAT results in November and MMIs typically running through January and February. Imperial's own MMI page lists the station topics: teamwork and leadership, motivation to study medicine, understanding the role of a doctor, empathy and breaking bad news, ethics and values scenarios, and data interpretation. You have five minutes to answer the questions in each station, and each answer is marked out of six for content and out of four for communication. Imperial is unusually clear about what it does not want: memorised answers, colloquialisms, trying too hard to stand out. It says you are assessed on your friendly approach and level of professionalism, and it always offers feedback on the interview process.
Merra is not affiliated with any medical school, the Medical Schools Council, the GMC or UCAS.
Merra: practise it out loud before it counts
Merra's Imperial practice is a spoken, MMI-style mock on five of Imperial's six topics: five questions, one follow-up each, about fifteen minutes, then spoken feedback and a written report that separates what you said from how you said it, in the spirit of Imperial's content-and-communication marking. It does not cover data interpretation or run a timed station circuit.
- 1Sign up free — no card, 2 free coaching sessions available until used.
- 2Practise out loud — answer unseen questions across the areas this school assesses.
- 3Get readiness feedback — see what worked and what to fix, with a recording and transcript.
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Practise the Imperial medicine interview
An AI interviewer runs a spoken mock across the talking stations, pushes once with a follow-up, then scores you on the areas your school actually assesses.
Practise the Imperial medicine interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscriptionThe interview process
- 1Shortlisting: since 2025, on UCAT and academic eligibility, with the threshold varying each year. Your UCAS application, including predicted grades, reference, personal statement and work experience, is reviewed. Invitations go out on a rolling basis from December.
- 2MMIs run typically throughout January and February for applicants above the UCAT cut-off. Imperial's FOI-published FAQ for 2026 entry states six stations.
- 3Each station gives you five minutes to answer its questions. Station topics, as Imperial lists them: teamwork and leadership; motivation to study medicine; understanding the role of a doctor; empathy and breaking bad news; ethics and values-related scenarios; data interpretation.
- 4Marking: each answer is scored out of 6 for content and out of 4 for communication. Imperial says there is often no right or wrong answer, and that changing your mind mid-answer is fine if you explain your reasoning, because it shows reflection and thinking on your feet.
- 5Imperial's own tips: control what you can; take your time; think before you answer; have multiple relevant examples including work experience; avoid colloquialisms and repetition; know why Imperial; keep up with the news. Its don'ts: don't panic, don't give memorised answers, don't try too hard to stand out. Its students add: use STARR (situation, task, action, result, reflection), answer the question asked, and practise out loud with others.
- 6Decisions come via UCAS only. Imperial always offers feedback on the interview process and welcomes reapplications.
Interview questions
Imperial publishes its six station topics and its marking scheme but not its questions. The practice questions below are Merra's, written to those topics; they are not Imperial's own. Merra does not practise the data-interpretation station.
“Tell me about a time you led something that went wrong. What did you do in the moment and afterwards?”
“When have you been the least experienced person in a team? How did you make yourself useful?”
“Give me two specific experiences, not one, that confirmed you want to do this, and what each one taught you.”
“Why Imperial? Imperial says it wants you to know the answer, so be specific.”
“What does a doctor do that no one else in the hospital does, and what do they do that everyone else also does?”
“What's the difference between being a good scientist and being a good doctor?”
“You have to tell a patient that a test result isn't what they hoped. Talk me through the first two minutes.”
“A patient starts crying while you're explaining something. What do you do?”
“A patient asks you to keep their drug use out of their notes. What are the issues, and what do you say?”
“Should a surgeon who has made an honest mistake be allowed to keep operating? Argue both sides, then decide.”
Pricing
FAQs
What stations are in the Imperial medicine MMI?
Imperial lists six topics: teamwork and leadership, motivation to study medicine, understanding the role of a doctor, empathy and breaking bad news, ethics and values scenarios, and data interpretation. You get five minutes per station.
How is the Imperial MMI marked?
Each answer is marked out of 6 for content and out of 4 for communication. Imperial says there is often no right or wrong answer and that explaining a change of mind is fine.
How does Imperial shortlist for interview?
Since 2025, on UCAT and academic eligibility, with the cut-off varying by year; roughly the top third are interviewed. Your full UCAS application is reviewed.
When are Imperial medicine interviews?
Invitations roll from December after UCAT results in November; MMIs typically run through January and February.
Does Imperial give feedback?
Yes. Its timeline page says feedback is always offered on the interview process, and reapplications are welcome.
Official information
More medical school interview guides
Merra is not affiliated with any medical school, the Medical Schools Council, the GMC or UCAS. Merra’s feedback is advisory only — it is not a guarantee of any offer or admission outcome.
The medicine interview is spoken. Practise it that way.
Your first mock takes about 15 minutes: unseen questions, a follow-up, and feedback on what to fix. Free, no card.
Practise the Imperial medicine interview2 free coaching sessions · available until used · no card needed · no subscription