Free Interview Resources
Free practice questions, preparation advice, and expert insights for Medicine interviews at Cambridge.
Real Medicine interview questions in the style Cambridge asks. Try answering each one aloud before you reveal the hint.
Explain, from first principles, why an egg eventually rots rather than simply staying chemically unchanged.
Problem-Solving
Hint
Start with what a cell-rich food contains and what microbes need to grow.
A fish lives permanently underwater. What physiological and physical problems does it need to solve?
Problem-Solving
Hint
Separate the problem into oxygen uptake, buoyancy, salt balance and movement.
What causes the common cold, and why is producing a simple permanent cure so difficult?
Problem-Solving
Hint
Consider the range of viruses, mutation, host immunity and what a 'cure' would mean.
Explain how a flu vaccine works, and why it may need updating over time.
Problem-Solving
Hint
Start with immune memory, then consider antigenic variation.
Explain how an electrical signal travels along a nerve cell and crosses to the next cell.
Problem-Solving
Hint
Build the answer in stages: resting potential, depolarisation, propagation and synaptic transmission.
Supervision-style interviews with problem-solving and academic discussion, often with two interviewers.
Cambridge interviews usually happen at your first-choice college. Most applicants have two interviews, with some subjects requiring a third at the pooled college. Cambridge interviews tend to involve two interviewers and may include a written assessment or pre-interview task sent on the day.
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Interview Invitation
Late Nov
Arrival to Interview
Early Dec
Technical Question
Mid Dec
Decision
Early Jan
Why might life use only a small set of amino acids rather than every possible amino acid?
midHint
Think about chemical diversity, coding constraints and evolutionary history.
What evidence would persuade you that humans are still evolving?
midHint
Distinguish evidence for selection from evidence for genetic variation alone.
How has the human diet changed in recent decades, and what biological consequences would you predict?
entryHint
Think about energy density, processing, fibre, micronutrients and population-level effects.
What are the limitations of classifying living organisms into a fixed taxonomy?
midHint
Think about evolution, horizontal gene transfer, species concepts and borderline cases.
Why do you want to study Medicine rather than another biological science?
entryHint
Use evidence from work experience or reading, not just a general desire to help people.
Why does Cambridge's science-heavy, pre-clinical then clinical structure appeal to you?
entryHint
Refer to the course structure and explain why deep scientific study matters for your future clinical reasoning.
What did your work experience teach you about the less glamorous parts of being a doctor?
midHint
Choose one concrete observation and reflect on communication, uncertainty, workload or team roles.
Why do humans age, and what would have to change biologically for humans not to age?
hardHint
Compare damage accumulation, repair mechanisms, cancer risk and selection pressure after reproduction.
Why do some fish survive in extremely cold water without freezing?
hardHint
Consider dissolved salts, antifreeze proteins, membranes and how freezing begins.
A 13-year-old asks a doctor for contraception and does not want their parents told. How should the doctor approach the conversation?
hardHint
Structure the answer around capacity, safeguarding, confidentiality, best interests and seeking senior support.
Should euthanasia be legal in the UK? Give the strongest argument on each side before reaching your view.
hardHint
Consider autonomy, protection of vulnerable patients, consent, prognosis, law and palliative care.
12+ weeks
4-6 weeks
the week of
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Official embedded course video for understanding the Cambridge Medicine identity.
Official embedded student-life perspective on Medicine at Cambridge.
Practical advice on how to behave in a Cambridge admissions interview.
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Further Reading
by Ben Goldacre
Useful for thinking critically about evidence, trials, statistics and medical claims.
by Atul Gawande
Strong preparation for discussing limits of medicine, ageing, patient priorities and autonomy.
by Henry Marsh
A reflective surgical memoir that prompts discussion about error, uncertainty and professional responsibility.
by Oliver Sacks
Accessible neurological case studies that encourage curiosity about brain, perception and identity.
by Tony Hope
Concise grounding in ethical concepts likely to support balanced medical interview answers.
by UCAT Consortium
The official UCAT source; UCAT and medical/dental councils state paid preparation is not endorsed.
by Medical Schools Council
Cambridge links applicants to MSC work-experience guidance for paid or voluntary health/social-care experience.
by University of Cambridge
Primary source for course structure, entry requirements, UCAT use and submitted-work requirements.