BMAT; 4x interviews.
Interview 1: why I applied, recent medical advancements, felt conversational and relaxed; Interview 2: science-based, direct questions from a prompt, data analysis.
Wider reading and learning; kept up with current affairs; re-read personal statement and work experience diary.
Think out loud; treat it as a conversation about the subject rather than an interview.
Remember this advice isn't official. There is no guarantee it will reflect your experience because university applications can change between years. Check the official Cambridge and Oxford websites for more accurate information on this year's application format and the required tests.
Also, someone else's experience may not reflect your own. Most interviews are more like conversations than tests and like, any conversation, they are quite interactive.
Test taken: Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
Number of interviews: 4
Time between interviews: Around 2-3 hours- I had two on the first day and two on the second day
Length of interviews: Around 20-30 minutes
Online interview: No
In my first interview we discussed why I had applied for Medicine and then went on to discuss a recent medical advancement. It was not something I had heard about before but I was able to ask for definitions of the words I didn’t understand. This made it feel more like a conversation rather than an interview and I felt quite relaxed as there weren’t any ‘wrong’ answers. My second interview was more focussed on the science of medicine and I was asked more direct questions based on a picture prompt. I also had to analyse some data which was given to me in the room. This wasn’t too stressful though as I was given enough time to read through all the information I needed.
I did a lot of reading around the subject - this included watching documentaries and doing a MOOC (an open online course) not just physical reading. I also tried to be aware of current events involving Medicine. I reread my personal statement prior to my interview so I wouldn’t forget what I had written. I also kept a diary during work experience and read through this before my interviews so I would remember things I had seen or done that weren’t on my personal statement.
Books- mainly one titled 700 bmat practice questions. I revised GCSE content for Physics, Chemistry, Biology from revision guides. Also doing timed practice papers really helps
My advice would be to talk through your thought process- don’t just come up with a one or two word answer. The interviewers aren’t looking for perfect answers and you’re not expected to know everything. Don’t think of it as an interview, think of it as a conversation about your subject.