Keele medicine interview and selection guide
Keele is one of the few UK medical schools that scores your personal statement. Home applicants are ranked for interview on a 25-point total: up to 10 from UCAT and up to 15 from the statement, marked against Keele's person specification. Interviews are two separate 15-minute online conversations, each with reading sent in advance, and offers depend on interview performance. This guide explains the scoring and the interviews.
Facts checked against Keele's official pages on .
Independent service: Key2MD is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Keele University. Everything below is general guidance drawn from publicly available information, may change between cycles, and is not official advice. Always confirm current requirements, fees and program details on Keele's official pages.
Read facts and coaching advice separately. Facts on this page are taken from Keele's published pages and linked in the sources list. Preparation advice is Dan's independent guidance. This page does not reproduce confidential interview questions, and your invitation from Keele takes precedence over anything here.
On this page
Published selection and interview guidance
-
Minimum checks
GCSE requirements must be met before you apply. Predicted grades are never used.
- Keele checks every application against its academic and aptitude test minimums. Home applicants with a UCAT total below 1700 or an SJT Band 4 are not considered.
- Declare every qualification, including low or failed grades. Undeclared required qualifications lead to automatic rejection.
- You must be 18 by 1 October of the year you start.
-
Interview selection
Home applicants: UCAT (1 to 10) plus personal statement (0 to 15), out of 25.
- A threshold is set each year to fill the interview slots. In 2025 it was 15/25, and applicants on 14/25 with a Verbal Reasoning score of 600 or more were also invited.
- Ties are broken on UCAT Verbal Reasoning.
- Some interviews go to applicants who have overcome significant disadvantage. Completing a UKWPMED widening participation programme guarantees an interview, subject to the minimum requirements.
- International applicants need a UCAT total of at least 1950 and SJT Band 1 to 3, and are ranked on UCAT alone.
-
Interviews and offers
December 2026 to April 2027. Offers based on interview performance.
- The earliest decisions come in January or February 2027, with final decisions aimed for the end of March. Some applicants are placed on a reserve list.
- Applicants tied on the offer threshold are ranked by UCAT.
- Pathway covered
- Five-year MBChB (A100); Health Foundation Year route (A104) noted separately
- Entry cycle / source status
- 2027 entry
- Published format
- Two separate 15-minute interviews on Microsoft Teams, usually two hours apart, each with materials sent in advance
- Home interview selection
- UCAT grade (1 to 10) plus personal statement grade (0 to 15), ranked out of 25
- Offers
- Based on interview performance; UCAT breaks ties at the threshold
Official sources: Keele University: how to apply for Medicine A100; Keele University: Medicine entry requirements.
Selection facts checked: . This check covers the pathway and interview summary above. Fees, eligibility exceptions and course details must be checked separately. Your university invitation takes precedence for your assessment.
The 25-point scoring
UCAT grade (up to 10)
| UCAT total, by quintile | Points | SJT band | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st quintile (top 20%) | 5 | Band 1 | 2 |
| 2nd quintile | 4 | Band 2 | 1 |
| 3rd quintile | 3 | Band 3 | 0 |
| 4th quintile | 2 | Band 4 | Not considered |
| 5th quintile (1700 to the 20th percentile) | 1 |
Plus one point each for a UCAT bursary, meeting the criteria for a contextual offer, and attending a school in the Keele region. For reference, the 2026 UCAT deciles put the 80th percentile at 2140, the 60th at 1980, the 40th at 1850 and the 20th at 1700.
Personal statement grade (up to 15)
Statements are marked against Keele's person specification, and markers only credit content that demonstrates its characteristics. For 2026 entry these were:
- Understanding of the roles of a doctor in the healthcare team, community and society, from your own research and experience.
- Awareness of the knowledge, skills and behaviours a medical student must acquire, and why they matter to you.
- A skill gained through your studies that will be important for becoming a doctor.
- Ability to engage and communicate with people from a variety of backgrounds, and to help or support them.
- Ability to balance responsibilities and time commitments over a prolonged period.
Criteria 4 and 5 carry the greatest weight. Keele says generic statements, accounts of what you observed, and statements written by advisers or AI score poorly, and failing to address any one of them significantly reduces your chances. Keele updates the criteria for each cycle after the previous one closes.
The interviews
| Structure | Two separate 15-minute interviews, usually two hours apart, on Microsoft Teams. |
|---|---|
| Advance reading 1 | The GMC's Achieving good medical practice: guidance for medical students, particularly the section on professionalism and key areas of concern. |
| Advance reading 2 | A short case sent with your invitation. You do not need to memorise it; it is sent early so you do not spend interview time reading. |
| Content | The person specification attributes, with extra emphasis on the broader roles and responsibilities of doctors, including ethical and social issues in health and illness. |
| Interviewers | Trained interviewers from the university, local hospital and community healthcare settings, and the wider local community. |
Published by Keele
- The full UCAT and personal statement scoring
- Last year's interview threshold
- Interview structure and advance reading
- Applications and places by route
Not published
- How each interview is scored
- The interview score needed for an offer
- 2027 person specification (published after the 2026 cycle)
Entry requirements
| GCSEs | Five at grade 7/A, plus at least grade 6/B in English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (combined science 6/6 accepted; Biology and Chemistry without Physics are not). Must be met before applying. |
|---|---|
| A-levels | A*AA, or AAA plus an EPQ at A. Subjects: Biology or Chemistry, plus a second from Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Maths (or Further Maths or Statistics), Physics or Psychology, plus a third academic subject. Achieved grades of AAA at first attempt are accepted. |
| Graduates | A bachelor's or integrated master's honours degree. Graduates who do not meet the A-level or science GCSE requirements must also take the GAMSAT (valid for two years at Keele), sat before applying. |
| UCAT | Required. Home: total at least 1700 and SJT Band 1 to 3. International: at least 1950 and SJT Band 1 to 3. |
| Extenuating circumstances | Email Keele by 31 October 2026. Details in the personal statement are not acted on. |
Places, routes and data
| 2026 entry | Places | Applications | Home | Overseas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A100 (five-year MBChB) | 171 (161 home, 10 overseas) | 2,738 | 2,320 | 418 |
| A104 (Health Foundation Year) | Up to 20 | 441 | 403 | 38 (not eligible) |
Keele intends to invite more than 750 applicants to interview across both programmes for 2027 entry. If you apply to both and qualify, you have one interview and can receive an offer for one programme only.
Dan's preparation advice for Keele
The following is independent coaching advice, not Keele's rubric.
- Write your statement to the specification. At Keele it is worth up to 15 of 25 points. Give each criterion a concrete example from your own life, with most space for communication across backgrounds and balancing commitments.
- Read the GMC guidance with an eye on concerns. Keele points to the professionalism section on key areas of concern. Be ready to discuss what poor professionalism looks like and how to respond.
- Use the case reading well. Note the main issues, who is affected and two or three questions you would want answered. You will not be expected to recite it.
- Fifteen minutes goes quickly. Answer directly, give one example, and stop. Two short interviews reward clarity.
Fees and funding
| Home students | The government maximum tuition fee in England is £10,050 for 2027/28 (for universities with a TEF award and access plan). Check Keele's course page for its fee. |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
Does Keele score the personal statement for medicine?
Yes. Home applicants are ranked for interview on a 25-point total: up to 15 points from the personal statement, marked against Keele's person specification, and up to 10 from UCAT.
What UCAT do I need for Keele?
Home applicants need a UCAT total of at least 1700 and SJT Band 1 to 3. The 2025 interview threshold on the combined score was 15/25. International applicants need at least 1950.
What is the Keele medicine interview like?
Two separate 15-minute interviews on Microsoft Teams, usually two hours apart. One draws on GMC professionalism guidance and the other on a short case sent in advance.
How does Keele decide medicine offers?
On interview performance. Applicants tied at the offer threshold are ranked by UCAT.
Does Keele use predicted grades?
No. Keele does not use predicted grades at any point in medicine selection, and GCSE requirements must be met before you apply.
What A-levels do I need for Keele medicine?
A*AA, or AAA with an A in the EPQ, including Biology or Chemistry and a second designated subject.
How many places does Keele have?
For 2026 entry, 171 A100 places (161 home, 10 overseas) for 2,738 applications.
How Key2MD fits
Key2MD is independent practice for the skills an interview rewards, not a copy of Keele's interview.
- 255 MMI stations and 100 CASPer scenarios across ethics, teamwork, communication, professionalism and current health topics.
- Professionalism and ethics stations built around GMC guidance, which Keele asks you to read.
- Short timed answers for two 15-minute interviews.
- Feedback on six criteria, including communication, reasoning and empathy, with your progress tracked over time. Your first AI-marked review is free.
Sources
Facts on this page come from the sources below, checked on .
- Keele University: how to apply for Medicine A100: scoring, thresholds, interviews, decisions, places
- Keele University: Medicine entry requirements: GCSE, A-level, graduate, UCAT, GAMSAT
- GMC: Achieving good medical practice: required interview reading
- UCAT: test statistics: 2026 deciles
Practise short interview answers for Keele
Key2MD offers independent practice and feedback. Its stations and scores do not reproduce Keele's interview, questions or selection rubric.
Start practising free →