MMI: What to Expect
The complete guide to Multiple Mini Interviews for dentistry, in person and online. How the day runs, what examiners score, and the tips successful applicants swear by.
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At a glance
10 golden rules
- Every station is a fresh start. Assessors usually can’t see your other scores.
- Use the reading time to plan, not just to read. Know how many questions there are.
- Structure out loud. “I’d like to cover three things…”
- Answer the question asked, then reach a clear, balanced conclusion.
- Show, don’t claim. Every quality needs a real example and a reflection.
- Know your role in each scenario: student, friend, dentist, dental nurse. Stay inside it.
- Feelings before fixes in role-play. Listen, acknowledge, then agree a plan.
- Safety and honesty win. Escalate, be open about mistakes, never lie.
- No scripts. Prepare bullet points and examples; practise aloud with people who make you nervous.
- Online: look at the lens, no notes unless the school allows them, and never use AI.
What an MMI is, and why schools use it
A Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is a circuit of short, separate “stations”. At each one you meet a different assessor (sometimes with an actor) and face a different question, scenario or task. Each station is scored on its own, then your marks are added up and ranked against other candidates.
What this means for you
- A bad station costs you one station, not the interview. Reset and move on.
- There is rarely a single “right answer”. Examiners mark how you think, behave and communicate.
- No clinical or scientific knowledge is tested.
- Many schools make offers on interview rank alone, so the MMI is often the deciding stage.
MMI or panel?
Most UK dental schools use MMIs. Some use panels instead (for example KCL, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Queen Mary and Sheffield), and Bristol runs its own structured online interview. Check each school on MedWay’s Interview Details by University pages; our Panel Interviews guide covers panel schools.
How a circuit works: the numbers
Every school runs its circuit slightly differently, but the rhythm is the same: read the prompt, go in, perform, move on when the bell goes.
| Feature | What to expect at most schools | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Stations | About 4–10 | Some circuits add rest stations |
| Time per station | 5–8 min | Some schools run up to 10 min |
| Reading time | 1–2 min | Some schools give none (e.g. Manchester), so be ready to think on your feet |
| Total length | About 1 hour | Anywhere from 45 to 90 min |
| Assessors | 1 per station | Occasionally 2 |
Who interviews you
A mix of academics, dentists, senior students, members of the public and patient representatives, all trained to mark against set criteria. Many are not clinicians, so plain English beats jargon.
Rest stations
Stations with no task. Breathe, sip water and let the last station go. Read the sign in case it has instructions.
Things nobody tells you
- Examiners may look neutral on purpose. Don’t read their face as a score.
- One station can hold several questions. Don’t spend all your time on the first.
- You can start anywhere in the circuit.
- If you finish early, you usually stay until the bell.
The in-person MMI day
Most applicants are interviewed in person. Expect a well-drilled, timed day: registration, ID checks, a briefing, the circuit, and often a tour or talk.
What to bring
- Original photo ID (check what your school accepts)
- Your invitation and any documents it asks for
- A water bottle
What to wear
Most schools have no dress code beyond “appropriately dressed”. Go smart, sober and comfortable, with shoes you can walk in.
Travel
Plan the route the day before and build in a buffer. Some campuses have no parking.
The rules that catch people out
- Confidentiality. Many schools make you sign a non-disclosure agreement. Sharing questions, including online, can cost you your offer.
- “Fit to sit”. Turning up means you declare yourself well enough. If you are unwell, contact the school before, not after.
- Phones off and away. No recording of any kind.
- Behaviour all day counts, from the moment you arrive.
Reasonable adjustments
If you have a disability, learning difference or health condition, ask early. Deadlines vary, so check your invitation. Extra preparation or reading time is common.
Student tips for the day
- Be warm to everyone: staff, student helpers, other candidates.
- Take the tour if offered. It feeds your “why here?” answers.
- Make natural eye contact with the assessor.
Online MMIs
Online MMIs work like in-person ones: you move between virtual rooms with real assessors, usually on Zoom or Teams. The Dental Schools Council says they are judged to the same standard. A few schools run them for everyone; many use them only for international applicants.
What actually happens
- You wait in a virtual waiting room and are moved into each station. Join about 10 minutes early.
- Expect to show photo ID on camera at the start.
- Use a quiet room with a neutral, tidy background.
The online rules (they are strict)
| Area | What to expect |
|---|---|
| AI and outside help | Banned. Proven use leads to disqualification. You must be alone. |
| Notes | A short off-camera list of key points can be acceptable, but if your school says no notes, use none. Never read from a script. |
| Recording | Never record the interview or share questions. |
| Connection failure | You are not usually penalised. Rejoin at once and use the emergency contact in your invitation. |
Online set-up checklist
- Laptop or desktop, plugged in, camera at eye level.
- Light in front of you, not behind.
- Quiet room, door closed, notifications off.
- Test everything on the same platform the day before. Have a backup connection.
- Photo ID within reach. Dress fully as if in person.
- Practise sitting where you’ll be for the real interview, so you’re comfortable there on the day.
Online tips that make a difference
- Look at the lens, not the faces. Looking down can look like reading notes.
- With lag, let them finish, pause a beat, then answer.
- Record a mock on Zoom or Teams and watch it back.
What examiners are looking for
Stations are written to test published values. Know these and you know what every station is really asking. Use the ideas naturally; you don’t need to recite them.
Six things every assessor is asking themselves
The values behind the stations
Dental Schools Council: apologising and the duty of candour, understanding consent, respect, empathy and care, taking responsibility, teamwork, conscientiousness, courage to advocate for patients, communication, honesty, resilience, integrity, motivation for dentistry, and personal insight and reflection.
NHS values: working together for patients, respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, improving lives, everyone counts.
GDC: the nine principles
- Put patients’ interests first
- Communicate effectively with patients
- Obtain valid consent
- Protect patients’ information
- Have a clear and effective complaints procedure
- Work with colleagues in patients’ best interests
- Work within your knowledge and skills
- Raise concerns if patients are at risk
- Behave in a way that keeps patients’ confidence in you and the profession
The question behind every station
Think of the interview as a rehearsal for how you’ll be with real patients. Communication and warmth matter as much as content, and authentic answers drawn from real experience beat rehearsed speeches.
How you are scored
Each station is marked against set criteria, usually by one assessor who can’t see your other scores. Scores are added up, candidates are ranked, and offers go down the ranking.
The typical marking scale
| Mark | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 5 Excellent | Insightful, well structured, little or no prompting |
| 4 Good | Clear and appropriate, minor gaps |
| 3 Satisfactory | Covers the basics, some prompting |
| 2 Borderline | Superficial, disorganised or one-sided |
| 1 Unsatisfactory | Inappropriate, unsafe or off task |
The insight hidden in that scale
Higher marks go to candidates who need less prompting. Volunteer your reasoning, consider other views unprompted and finish with a conclusion.
Red flags
Many schools can mark you down hard for one serious problem, even if your total is good. Some score suitability for the profession separately (e.g. Cardiff, Plymouth), so one unprofessional answer can cost you the offer.
What this means
A weak station is recoverable. An unprofessional, judgemental or unsafe answer may not be. Never be flippant about patients, colleagues or groups of people.
Schools that do it differently
- Some score communication separately at every station (e.g. Aberdeen).
- Some count your UCAT SJT as part of the interview score (e.g. UEA).
- Feedback is often limited; check your school’s policy.
Golden tips from students and interviewers
We gathered advice from students who have just been through MMIs and from people who interview applicants, and kept only the tips that came up again and again and agree with official guidance.
In the station
- Reading time is planning time. By the time the door opens you should already have your structure and have thought about the follow-ups. An MMI interviewer says she can tell when candidates are working out what to say while they speak.
- Structure is in the mark scheme. Messy answers are hard to follow, and good points get missed. Signpost, then deliver.
- Finish on your strongest point. Don’t bury a great idea between weaker ones; end on it so it is what the assessor remembers.
- Ask if you don’t understand. One interviewer watched a candidate struggle through a role-play because they didn’t know what “terminal” meant. A quick clarifying question costs nothing.
- You may pause to think. You don’t have to answer the instant the question ends. “Can I take a moment?” is fine.
- Opinions go last. On debates (strikes, assisted dying) lay out both sides first, then give your view as a summary.
- Break the scenario into talking points. For a 16-year-old refusing treatment: their age, capacity, the parents’ wishes, the seriousness, their beliefs, how you’d communicate. Each detail is a branch to discuss, and you won’t run out of things to say.
- In role-play, name the emotion you hear. If the actor mentions guilt or fear, pick it up: “You said you feel guilty. Can you tell me more?” Describe what you notice (“I can see this is really upsetting”) rather than a stock “I understand how you feel”.
- Then offer real, practical options and agree the plan together, rather than lecturing.
- Introduce yourself properly: your name, your role, why you’re there, and check they’re happy to talk. It settles you as much as them.
- Expect to be cut off. When time runs out, the bell goes and you move on, often mid-sentence. That’s completely normal, and assessors mark what you did say, not what you didn’t get to. Don’t rush your last point; take a breath, start the next station fresh, and don’t let it dwell on your mind.
In your preparation
- Build an “experience bank”. A table with three columns: quality (empathy, teamwork…), your evidence, and the link to medicine or dentistry. Make examples “modular” so one experience can answer several questions.
- Bullet points, not scripts. Write your ideal answer, boil it down to a few bullets, and practise from those. Each version will sound slightly different, which is exactly why it won’t sound rehearsed.
- Practise out loud, with people who make you nervous. Teachers and strangers beat friends and family: they recreate the pressure. Students also say each interview went better than the last, so mock circuits matter.
- Talk to your phone camera for one or two minutes a day and watch it back. You’ll spot filler words and wandering eye contact fast.
- “Why dentistry?” needs evidence, reflection, then the why. “I love science and helping people” tells them nothing about you. Show a moment, what it taught you, and why only dentistry fits.
- Research each school properly. Teaching style, outreach, the local population, research, societies. Specifics make “why here?” memorable.
- Prepare “why not dental therapy, hygiene or medicine?” It is a common trip-up, and it tests whether you understand the whole team.
- Dentistry dexterity: practise tasks in front of someone, and while chatting, so you can stay calm and engaged under observation.
- Mock circuits beat reading. Time yourself, change the room, use the same video platform as your interview.
- Practise against a straight face. Say your answers out loud to a camera, looking into its lens, with a YouTube video of an interview panel with neutral, straight-faced interviewers on in the background, so a serious face on the day doesn’t catch you off guard.
Popular advice we have corrected or left out
- “Hit every SPIKES step and you’ve smashed it.” Structure helps, but SPIKES is a doctor’s protocol. If your role is a student or friend, adapt it. Genuine listening scores more than ticking steps.
- “The more solutions you offer, the more points.” Quality beats quantity. Offer sensible options and agree a plan with the person.
- Confident legal claims in ethics videos (e.g. on blood transfusions for children of Jehovah’s Witnesses or transplant eligibility) are often oversimplified. Say you would involve seniors and follow the law and guidance, and focus on reasoning.
- “Here are the exact questions I got at X.” Many schools bind candidates to confidentiality, and sharing content can count as misconduct. Never rely on, or post, leaked questions.
Dentistry: what is different
Dental MMIs test the same core qualities, but with a dental lens: prevention, communication with anxious patients, the dental team, NHS versus private care and, at some schools, your hands.
Typical dental scenarios
- Ethics: a teenager wanting veneers on healthy teeth; recommending private work (conflict of interest?); a colleague with poor infection control; safeguarding a child with widespread decay and missed appointments
- Role-play: an anxious patient who has avoided the dentist for years; a patient angry about NHS charges; a patient asking for antibiotics for toothache
- Mistakes: the “wrong tooth extracted” scenario tests duty of candour. Stop, tell the patient, apologise, explain, plan, and report it.
- Data: decay in 5-year-olds by region and deprivation; fluoridation coverage; NHS access figures
Know the dental team
Dentists, dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians and practice managers. Be ready to explain what each does, why you want to be the dentist rather than another member of the team, and how the team keeps patients safe (for example four-handed dentistry and infection control).
“Why dentistry, not medicine?”
Show a positive choice, not a fallback: the mix of science and precise hands-on work, long-term relationships with patients and families, the power of prevention, visible impact on confidence and quality of life, and varied careers. Show you understand that most dentists work in primary care, often in practices that mix NHS and private work.
Not every dental school runs an MMI
Panels: KCL, Newcastle, Queen Mary, Portsmouth, and Sheffield (plus a group interpersonal skills test). Bristol runs a structured online interview where you show a 3D model made from dried pasta of a habitat that represents your personality and give a 5-minute presentation on a current controversial topic in dentistry.
Why the interview matters so much
A dental student with four offers points out that once you are interviewed, your interview performance carries most of the decision, and the interview is effectively a rehearsal for how you’ll be with real patients.
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