MMI Questions: Real Examples by Station Type, With Sources

By Michael Thompson · Education Specialist; 10 years teaching the IB at Bromsgrove School · Published 27 October 2026 · Updated 28 October 2026

MMI questions are the tasks set at each station of a multiple mini interview: a circuit of short, separately scored stations, each with its own interviewer and task. Of the 45 UK medical schools that interview for standard-entry medicine, 36 use this format. Four use a panel interview instead: Queen Mary University of London, Cambridge, Glasgow and Oxford. Schools use the circuit because every station is a fresh start, and because the format tests how you behave rather than how well you deliver a rehearsed speech. This guide covers each station type, what it is testing, what a strong candidate does in the time and the mistakes the format punishes. It also sets out how to prepare in the weeks before your interview.

Key Takeaways

In This Article

  1. What MMI questions are really testing: the circuit format
  2. Which UK medical schools use MMI stations, and how many
  3. What medical school MMI questions are scored on
  4. Role-play stations with an actor
  5. Ethical scenario stations
  6. Data and calculation stations
  7. Motivation, insight and work experience reflection stations
  8. Communication tasks and teamwork stations
  9. Questions reported at MMI stations
  10. How to prepare for MMI interview questions in the weeks before
  11. What to do next before your MMI

1. What MMI questions are really testing: the circuit format

MMI questions, in figures: bar chart of MMI station counts at 17 UK medical schools: Lancashire (UCLan) usually 6 to 10 stations, Leeds 8 stations of 6 minutes, UCL up to 8 stations of 5 minutes, Lincoln 7 stations, Anglia Ruskin 6 stations of 7 minutes, Bangor (North Wales) 6 stations, Birmingham 6 or 7 stations (Home) of 8 minutes, Bristol 6 stations of 5 minutes, Brunel 6 stations, City St George's 6 stations of 5 minutes, East Anglia 6 stations of 5 minutes, Brighton and Sussex 5 stations of 10 minutes, Manchester 5 stations of 8 minutes, Plymouth 5 stations, St Andrews 4 stations of 6 minutes, Edinburgh 3 stations, Swansea 3 stations of 30 minutes.
MMI questions, in figures: bar chart of MMI station counts at 17 UK medical schools: Lancashire (UCLan) usually 6 to 10 stations, Leeds 8 stations of 6 minutes, UCL up to 8 stations of 5 minutes, Lincoln 7 stations, Anglia Ruskin 6 stations of 7 minutes, Bangor (North Wales) 6 stations, Birmingham 6 or 7 stations (Home) of 8 minutes, Bristol 6 stations of 5 minutes, Brunel 6 stations, City St George's 6 stations of 5 minutes, East Anglia 6 stations of 5 minutes, Brighton and Sussex 5 stations of 10 minutes, Manchester 5 stations of 8 minutes, Plymouth 5 stations, St Andrews 4 stations of 6 minutes, Edinburgh 3 stations, Swansea 3 stations of 30 minutes.

MMI questions are the tasks set at a multiple mini interview: a circuit of short stations, each with its own interviewer, its own task and its own separate score. You move from one station to the next, and each examiner judges only what happens in front of them. That separation is the whole point of the format.

Every station is a fresh start. One interviewer's impression of you does not carry into the next station. A shaky opening cannot drag down your whole interview, and a polished first answer cannot carry you through the rest. The format also tests how you behave under realistic conditions, not how smoothly you deliver a speech you rehearsed at home.

The word "questions" undersells what happens on the day. City St George's, University of London says its stations may ask you to answer a question, complete a practical task or take part in a role play. Many MMI stations are things you do, not things you talk about, so practising answers in your head covers only part of the circuit.

The sections below take each station type in turn:

Treat MMI interview questions as a set of separate performances, one per station type. Do not prepare for them as a single long interview.

2. Which UK medical schools use MMI stations, and how many

MMIs are the default at UK medical schools. According to schools' course pages, read October 2026, 36 of the 45 UK medical schools that interview for standard-entry medicine use multiple mini interviews. Four use a panel interview: Queen Mary University of London, the University of Cambridge, the University of Glasgow and the University of Oxford. The rest combine formats, use a group exercise or do not name a format.

The circuit itself is far less standard than the name suggests. Published station counts run from three to ten, and timings differ as much as the number of stations does:

SchoolStationsMinutes per stationReading timeNotable features
Anglia Ruskin672 minActor role-play at some stations
Bangor (North Wales Medical School)6
Birmingham682 minProfessional role-player; computer-based calculation; data interpretation; international applicants sit a separate online calculations assessment on another date
Brighton and Sussex510
Bristol65
Brunel6
City St George's65Question, practical task or role play; written copy of each question or task provided
UEA651.5 min

Blank cells mean the school does not publish that figure.

The timing gap matters more than the station count. Brighton and Sussex gives you ten minutes per station, double Bristol's five. An answer that fills a Brighton station will run out of time at Bristol. UEA's 1.5-minute reading window is also shorter than the two minutes at Anglia Ruskin and Birmingham.

Before you practise any MMI questions, check your own school's course page for its station length and reading time. Then set your timer to match.

3. What medical school MMI questions are scored on

Schools publish what their stations assess, and the lists are more alike than their different formats suggest. Here is what each school says it looks for:

The Anglia Ruskin wording is worth a second look. Communication appears as a quality being assessed and again as one of the scoring criteria, separate from the quality of your answer. A sound point delivered in a muddle can still cost you marks.

Across all four lists, communication, empathy, ethical reasoning and insight keep recurring. That means you can prepare for MMI questions by quality rather than by memorising answers. One honest example from your own experience for each recurring quality will carry you through several station types, because the same quality is being scored in different settings.

4. Role-play stations with an actor

At a role-play station, you hold a short conversation with someone playing a part, and the conversation itself is what gets marked. Anglia Ruskin University uses role-play with an actor at some stations, after you have read a scenario. The University of Birmingham uses a professional role-player and lists "rapport with a role-player" among the qualities it assesses, alongside empathy and communication. City St George's, University of London says a station may involve a role play such as managing a challenging situation, and it provides a written copy of each task.

Rapport is assessed directly, so a correct answer delivered coldly can still score poorly. Anglia Ruskin assesses interpersonal and communication skills, including empathy. Phrases like "managing a challenging situation" also suggest that staying calm under pressure is part of the test.

What a strong candidate does:

Mistakes the format punishes:

Takeaway: use the reading time to plan how you will open the conversation. Do not script a solution.

5. Ethical scenario stations

Ethical MMI questions put you in a situation with no clean answer and ask what you would do and why. Anglia Ruskin University lists ethical/moral reasoning and integrity among the qualities it assesses, and the University of Birmingham lists ethical reasoning and professionalism. That pairing matters. You are marked on how you reason and how you would act, not on landing a "correct" opinion.

What a strong candidate does in the time:

Mistakes the format punishes:

Anglia Ruskin scores on quality of answer and communication, so a sound position explained clearly beats a clever one delivered in a rush.

6. Data and calculation stations

Not every station is a conversation. The University of Birmingham includes a computer-based calculation station and a separate data interpretation station in its circuit. International applicants sit an online calculations assessment on a different date. Birmingham lists "data analysis and interpretation" and "ability to evaluate information" among the qualities it assesses. That second phrase matters: these MMI questions test judgement about numbers as well as arithmetic.

In the time available, a strong candidate:

The format punishes three habits: rushing arithmetic to save seconds, overclaiming from limited data, and freezing in silence instead of talking through the method. If you get stuck, keep explaining your approach. The evaluation skills Birmingham names stay visible even when a figure goes wrong.

7. Motivation, insight and work experience reflection stations

These two station types can feel like a conversation, so a rehearsed speech is easy to spot. Each school's own wording tells you what it is looking for.

Motivation and insight into medicine

Anglia Ruskin University lists "preparation and motivation" among the qualities its MMI assesses. The University of Birmingham names "commitment and insight into medicine". Brighton and Sussex Medical School looks for an understanding of the core values and principles of the NHS. A strong candidate links motivation to something specific they saw or did, then says what it taught them about the reality of being a doctor, including the parts that are hard.

For school-specific answers, use the school's own course page as your evidence. Anglia Ruskin, for instance, says clinical placements begin in the first term. Use only what the page actually says. An interviewer can quickly test a claim you have padded with assumptions.

Reflection on work experience

Birmingham lists "self-insight and reflection" as a separate quality from insight into medicine. That distinction matters. The station is scoring what you noticed about yourself, not only what you learned about the profession. Pick one moment, describe it briefly, then spend most of your time on how it changed your thinking.

The format punishes:

8. Communication tasks and teamwork stations

Not every station asks you to talk about yourself. City St George's, University of London says its MMI stations may ask you to answer a question, complete a practical task or take part in a role play, and it provides a written copy of each question or task. An explanation task tests one thing above knowledge: whether the listener actually understands you by the end.

A strong candidate does three things in the time:

Some schools combine interview formats or use a group exercise instead. Anglia Ruskin University lists teamwork and leadership among the qualities it assesses, alongside interpersonal and communication skills. In practice, treat leadership as getting the group moving, not taking the most airtime.

The format punishes three habits:

Takeaway: where you get a written copy of the task, use it to plan your opening sentence. In group work, ask someone who hasn't spoken yet for their view.

9. Questions reported at MMI stations

Every question below can be traced to its source: six are published by Swansea University on the linked page, and ten come from the Medical Schools Council and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, whose guidance covers every medical school. Schools write new stations and questions each year, so read these for the kind of thinking they call for, not as a list to learn.

Question or taskStation typeSource
You borrowed a friend's camera to complete an art project at school. While your friend was out of the room, you dropped the camera on the floor. Now when you turn it on the screen is black. The camera was an expensive birthday present and you know your friend doesn't have the money to replace it, and neither do you. Explain to your friend what has happened.Role play or scenarioMedical Schools Council, published sample question
You are carrying out work experience on a ward at a hospital. The doctor supervising you asks you to let a patient know that their blood sample recently taken was mislabelled, and they will need to have a new sample taken. You are not expected to take a new blood sample. Explain to the patient what has happened.Role play or scenarioMedical Schools Council, published sample question
What do you consider are the two biggest problems the NHS will face in the next 20 years? Share your thoughts with the interviewer.Ethics and the NHSMedical Schools Council, published sample question
You are a doctor working in a liver transplant centre. ... Explain to the interviewer how you would approach deciding who should receive the liver transplant.Ethics and the NHSMedical Schools Council, published sample question
You are a doctor working on a surgical ward. ... Explain to the interviewer how you will approach this situation.Ethics and the NHSMedical Schools Council, published sample question
What do you think about abortion/euthanasia etc?Ethics and the NHSRoyal College of Surgeons of England, published sample question
Part A: A drug is given at a dose of 10mg per kg of body weight. Your patient weighs 50kg. It is given as a solution where 10ml of solution contains 200mg of the drug. What volume of solution do you need to give? Part B: This drug is used when a patient has a fast heart rate. It acts on adrenaline receptors. What do you think might happen if too much of the drug is given? Why?Data or calculationMedical Schools Council, published sample question
Please reflect upon a time you have worked well in a team and explain the scenario to me.Reflection and teamworkMedical Schools Council, published sample question
Please reflect on a time you failed at something or made a significant mistake, and explain the scenario to me.Reflection and teamworkMedical Schools Council, published sample question
How would you react to something going wrong?Reflection and teamworkSwansea University, published sample question
If you were not offered a place at medical school what would you do?MotivationMedical Schools Council, published sample question
What skills do you have that can help you to process complex information?MotivationSwansea University, published sample question
What is driving you to become a doctor?MotivationSwansea University, published sample question
What has your journey been so far to become a doctor?MotivationSwansea University, published sample question
What examples can you give of problem solving situations?DiscussionSwansea University, published sample question
How will you learn from your mistakes?DiscussionSwansea University, published sample question

Our dataset holds 3,025 further questions reported for these courses, mostly from preparation companies' lists and forum threads that cannot be traced to a university page or a first-hand account, so they are not reproduced here.

10. How to prepare for MMI interview questions in the weeks before

The most useful preparation for MMI interview questions is timed practice out loud, at your own school's station length; for panel-style questions see the medicine interview questions guide. Published lengths vary more than most applicants expect:

SchoolStation length
University of Bristol5 minutes
City St George's, University of London5 minutes
University of East Anglia5 minutes
Anglia Ruskin University7 minutes
University of Birmingham8 minutes
Brighton and Sussex Medical School10 minutes

A Brighton and Sussex station is twice as long as a Bristol one. Pacing built for the wrong length either runs dry halfway or gets cut off before the point lands. Set a timer and speak, because silent rehearsal hides both problems.

Build one example per assessed quality. Take your school's own list and match one real experience to each item. Birmingham names commitment and insight into medicine, communication, empathy, self-insight and reflection, ethical reasoning and professionalism. Anglia Ruskin names teamwork and leadership, critical thinking and integrity. For each example, note what happened, what you did and what you would change.

Use the reading time to plan, not to worry. Anglia Ruskin and Birmingham give two minutes and UEA gives 90 seconds. In that window, plan:

City St George's provides a written copy of each question or task, so you can check the wording during the station instead of holding it in your head.

Reset after a bad station. Each station has its own interviewer and is scored on its own. Letting a weak station follow you through the next door costs marks twice. Before the next station starts, take one breath and read the new task as if it were the first.

Plan around your own date. The University of Bristol says applicants must be available for interview from November to April. Count back from your invitation, not from the start of that window.

There is no model script for MMI questions and answers. Schools score behaviour and reasoning. Anglia Ruskin scores the quality of the answer, how you demonstrate skills and qualities, and how you communicate. A memorised answer shows recall, not reasoning, so practise thinking aloud instead.

11. What to do next before your MMI

This week, open the course page of every medical school that has invited you to interview and write down three things: the number of stations, the length of each station and the reading time. These details differ from school to school. The University of Birmingham runs eight-minute stations, two minutes of which are preparation, the University of Bristol runs five-minute stations, and the University of East Anglia allows 90 seconds of reading. Practising MMI questions to the wrong clock trains the wrong pacing.

On the same page, copy out the qualities the school says it assesses, using its own wording. Write one example from your own experience for each quality.

Set a timer to that school's station length before your first practice round. Answer out loud, and stop speaking when it rings.

Related guides

Medicine interviews by school

Format, dates and interview numbers for Imperial, UCL, King's, Barts (QMUL), Manchester, Nottingham, Leicester, Glasgow, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Exeter, Birmingham and Cardiff.

FAQ

What are MMI questions?

MMI questions are the tasks set at each station of a multiple mini interview, a circuit of short, separately scored stations, each with its own interviewer and task, used by 36 of the 45 UK medical schools that interview for standard-entry medicine.

How long are MMI questions?

Station length depends on the school: Bristol, City St George's and UEA publish five minutes, Anglia Ruskin seven minutes, Birmingham eight minutes and Brighton and Sussex ten minutes, with some schools adding 1.5 to two minutes of reading time.

How do you answer MMI questions?

Answer each station on its own terms, because each is scored separately; Anglia Ruskin, for instance, says it scores quality of answer, demonstration of skills or qualities, and communication.

How do you answer ethical MMI questions?

Show your reasoning rather than just a verdict, since Anglia Ruskin assesses ethical/moral reasoning and integrity and Birmingham assesses ethical reasoning and professionalism.

What are common MMI questions?

The common station types are role-play with an actor, ethical scenarios, data or calculation tasks, motivation and insight, communication tasks, teamwork exercises and reflection on work experience, and schools publish which qualities they assess at each.

References