2026 entry · Medicine interview
Cardiff University
Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) · format, dates and preparation
At a glance: That's 3 more stations than the average UK MMI (6).
Each station is shorter than the 7-minute UK average: practise being concise and getting to the point fast.
Interview timeline
When are Cardiff University medicine interviews?
| Invitations released | By mid-December |
|---|---|
| Interviews held | December to January |
| Delivery | In person (home); online (overseas) |
How interview waves work
Interview invitations are not sent in one batch. Schools release them in waves across the cycle, so the date you hear back depends as much on when your application was processed as on how strong it is.
- Most invitations go out in waves from November to January, with interviews held between late November and March.
- A quiet December does not mean a rejection. Later waves are normal, and some schools (Southampton, King's, Brunel) run well into the new year or beyond.
- When an invitation arrives you usually have to respond fast, often within two weeks, or the place is released.
- A handful of schools interview early: St George's from November, Oxford and Aberdeen in mid-December.
What changes year to year
The biggest change year to year is delivery mode. Many schools moved online during the pandemic; some have stayed online (Bristol, Glasgow, Keele, Nottingham, Plymouth, Aston), while others returned in person (Aberdeen, Leeds, Anglia Ruskin, St George's). Exact calendar dates move by a few weeks each cycle, but the month-level windows below have stayed stable.
Indicative, from a single guide for 2026 entry. Windows are month-level and describe the most recent (2026-entry) cycle. Exact dates shift by a few weeks each year and are confirmed only in a candidate's official invitation email. Always treat the invitation as the source of truth. Blue Peanut interview guide (2026 entry)
The interview day
How it actually runs
count not fixed officially; ~9x6min per trackers
Assessment focus
What Cardiff University looks for
Real experiences
What applicants actually say about the Cardiff University interview
Gathered from applicant forums, weighted by how many independent sources agree. These are unverified community reports, not official university information, and can shift between cycles.
7 insights
Cardiff's MMI includes a written station about which applicants report finding almost no public detail: one applicant found 'zero information' and a Freedom of Information request for specifics was refused, so prepare broadly for basic numeracy and short written/descriptive tasks rather than counting on knowing the format.
Several reports · 2 sources(older cycle)
Cardiff's MMI includes a written station about which applicants report finding almost no public detail: one applicant found 'zero information' and a Freedom of Information request for specifics was refused, so prepare broadly for basic numeracy and short written/descriptive tasks rather than counting on knowing the format.
"I've been trying to find out what this written station involves (for example is it ethics, numeracy skills, ect.) but there is zero information."
TSR thread 'Written station in Cardiff medical interviews??' (Nov 2023, 2024-entry cycle)"The university directed the requester to its website and stated the information was reasonably accessible by other means, exempting it from disclosure under section 21 of the FOI Act."
WhatDoTheyKnow FOI request to Cardiff University (c. 2023-24)For the 2026 cycle, expect interview invites from mid-November with the first MMI dates in the second week of December: applicants tracked invites arriving from mid-Nov and interviews starting 8 December 2025.
Several reports · 2 sources(2026 entry)
For the 2026 cycle, expect interview invites from mid-November with the first MMI dates in the second week of December: applicants tracked invites arriving from mid-Nov and interviews starting 8 December 2025.
"Cardiff have also said they'll start sending invites mid-Nov - and first interviews start 8 Dec."
Mumsnet Medicine 2026 part 2 thread, poster PurryGrowls (31 Oct 2025)"Interviews delivered through the Multiple Mini Interview format began on 8 December 2025, with invitations sent in mid-November."
TSR Cardiff University A100 Medicine 2026 entry thread (Nov-Dec 2025)Budget for a long post-interview silence: Cardiff tells interviewees only that offers roll out 'after January', and applicants report decisions actually landing from late February into March.
Several reports · 2 sources(2025 entry)
Budget for a long post-interview silence: Cardiff tells interviewees only that offers roll out 'after January', and applicants report decisions actually landing from late February into March.
"Interviewed end of January; Cardiff only mentioned they'll start rolling out offers after January... people in previous years mentioned receiving offers in March."
TSR thread 'When does Cardiff university start rolling out their medicine offers?' (2025-entry cycle)"Received Cardiff University A100 offer on 25/02/25."
TSR '2025 entry A100/A101 fastest and slowest offer senders' thread (Feb 2025)Invites do not all land at once: Cardiff confirmed to an applicant that invitations go out in batches as applications are reviewed, aiming to contact everyone by mid-December, so a quiet November does not mean rejection.
Single report(2025 entry)
Invites do not all land at once: Cardiff confirmed to an applicant that invitations go out in batches as applications are reviewed, aiming to contact everyone by mid-December, so a quiet November does not mean rejection.
"Cardiff confirmed they do send out interview invites in batches since they receive thousands of applications... they aim to communicate with all applicants by mid-December."
TSR thread 'Does Cardiff medical school send out interview invites in batches' (2025-entry cycle)Applicants in the 2026 cycle reported interview invites with UCAT scores as low as ~1870-1980 (non-contextual, non-Welsh) provided academic/GCSE points were maxed, consistent with Cardiff filtering on academics first and using UCAT only as an overflow cut.
Single report(2026 entry)
Applicants in the 2026 cycle reported interview invites with UCAT scores as low as ~1870-1980 (non-contextual, non-Welsh) provided academic/GCSE points were maxed, consistent with Cardiff filtering on academics first and using UCAT only as an overflow cut.
"Got an interview invite with a UCAT score of 1980 and 27/27 academic points... saw someone else who got an invite with 1870, also non-contextual non-Welsh."
TSR thread 'Cardiff Med-school UCAT cut off was semi low 2026 entry' (Nov/Dec 2025)A past interviewee reports Cardiff discloses the MMI score cut-off needed for an offer (rather than any UCAT cut-off) after interviews conclude, so keep your feedback letter: it tells you exactly how far off you were if rejected.
Single report(spans several cycles)
A past interviewee reports Cardiff discloses the MMI score cut-off needed for an offer (rather than any UCAT cut-off) after interviews conclude, so keep your feedback letter: it tells you exactly how far off you were if rejected.
"From what I remember when I did my cardiff interview, they never told us the ucat cut off, only the cut off for the interview score to have an offer."
TSR Cardiff A100 Medicine 2026 entry thread, page 2 (2025/26)Check which fee-status pool your invite puts you in: home applicants get in-person MMIs while internationals are interviewed online for only ~30 places, and one 2025-entry applicant discovered they had been unexpectedly grouped with international interviewees and was advised to email admissions immediately for clarification.
Single report(2025 entry)
Check which fee-status pool your invite puts you in: home applicants get in-person MMIs while internationals are interviewed online for only ~30 places, and one 2025-entry applicant discovered they had been unexpectedly grouped with international interviewees and was advised to email admissions immediately for clarification.
"Received an interview invite but is being interviewed with international students instead of home students... home students have 270 places and international students have only 30; home students are given in-person interviews whilst international students are given online interviews."
TSR thread 'Cardiff University interview Medicine A100' (2025-entry cycle)Free prep guide
How to prepare for Cardiff University
- Each station is scored independently by a different assessor: a weak station doesn't sink the ones before or after it, so reset your mindset walking into each one.
- Teamwork stations are scored on how you collaborate, not just the outcome: practise narrating your thinking so a partner (or examiner) can follow it.
- Have a specific, personal answer ready for "why this course/school": generic answers about "helping people" are the most common reason candidates lose marks here.
- Keep up with current NHS news: workforce, funding and policy questions come up often and reward candidates who can discuss specifics, not just opinions.
- Be ready to discuss a genuine setback and what you learned: resilience questions test self-awareness more than the setback itself.
Verified against the university's own admissions page.
Cardiff University: official admissions documentResearched 2026-07-03 for 2026 entry. Formats can change year to year: next check due 2026-09-01.
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