Semmelweis · Interview and oral exam

The Semmelweis interview and oral exam

Checked against Semmelweis University's official pages on 26 October 2026. The 2027/28 Admission Rules are not published yet; the rules quoted are 2026/27's.

Key figures

subjects in the oral exam: Biology, Chemistry, English
3
by default; online interviews are also available
In person
at most to the decision letter, usually a few days
1 week
the interviewer sits on the committee that decides
On the panel

Passing the four written tests is not the end of the Semmelweis entrance exam. A personal interview follows, and it includes an oral examination in Biology, Chemistry and English. The professor who conducts it records an evaluation and a recommendation, and sits on the committee that decides. This page sets out what Semmelweis says about it, and how to prepare.

In short

  • The interview focuses on your professional attitude, your affinity and motivation for medical sciences, and your communication in English.
  • It includes an oral examination of your knowledge: the 2026/27 Admission Rules name Biology, Chemistry and English.
  • It is held in person by default; online interviews, on Zoom, are also available, and Semmelweis tells you in time which yours will be.
  • The interviewer records a detailed evaluation and a recommendation, and the Admission Committee, which includes the interviewer, decides.

What the interview covers

Semmelweis's entrance-exam page describes it in one sentence: the personal interview 'focuses on the applicant's professional attitude, affinity and motivation towards medical sciences, as well as on their communication skills in English and it also includes an oral examination to measure the applicant's knowledge in the above disciplines'.

The disciplines are the exam's: the 2026/27 Admission Rules say the oral examination is 'focused on the applicant's knowledge in Biology, Chemistry and English'. So expect two kinds of question: about you and medicine, and about science, answered aloud in English.

PartWhat Semmelweis says it looks at
Personal interviewProfessional attitude; affinity and motivation towards medical sciences; communication skills in English
Oral examinationKnowledge of Biology, Chemistry and English

When and how it is held

  • After the written tests, on dates Semmelweis announces.
  • In person by default; online interviews are also available, on Zoom according to the General Medicine page.
  • Semmelweis notifies you 'in a timely manner' whether yours is in person or online, so that you can prepare.

Semmelweis publishes no fixed interval between the written tests and the interview, no length for the interview and no list of questions.

How it is judged

Under the 2026/27 Admission Rules, the professor who conducts the interview 'records a detailed evaluation and a recommendation based on the scores and marks collected by the applicant during the Entrance Examination'. The Admission Committee, professors of Semmelweis including that interviewer, then decides.

Besides knowledge of Biology, Chemistry and English, the Rules list what the committee takes into account: 'motivation, attitude, intellect, general information, communication skills, spoken English and personality'. Your written tests, school record and documents are weighed with it. Semmelweis publishes no weighting between the parts.

How to prepare

IvyTest's suggestions, from what Semmelweis says the interview covers:

  1. 01

    Explain science aloud

    Take topics from the official Biology and Chemistry list and explain each aloud in English in two minutes: what it is, how it works, why it matters. Knowing a topic and explaining it are different skills.

  2. 02

    Use the terms correctly

    Practise the biomedical vocabulary the written test asks for in sentences of your own, especially pairs that are easy to confuse, such as mitosis and meiosis.

  3. 03

    Know why medicine, and why Semmelweis

    Have a clear, honest answer about your motivation and what you know of the profession, backed by something you have done or seen. Your motivation letter is in front of the committee too; be ready to talk about it.

  4. 04

    Practise speaking English under pressure

    Spoken English is assessed in its own right. Do mock interviews with someone who will ask follow-up questions, and practise saying 'I am not sure, but I think' instead of falling silent.

  5. 05

    Prepare both formats

    If yours is online, test your camera, microphone and connection, and find a quiet room. If it is in person, plan your journey to the university.

  6. 06

    Start before the written result

    The interview follows the written tests, and the decision letter usually comes within days of it. There is no long gap in which to start preparing.

Questions

Is there an interview for medicine at Semmelweis?

Yes. After the four written tests comes a personal interview that includes an oral examination in Biology, Chemistry and English, and looks at your motivation, attitude and communication in English.

Is the Semmelweis interview online?

It is held in person by default, but online interviews are also available. Semmelweis tells each candidate in time whether theirs is in person or online.

What questions are asked at the Semmelweis interview?

Semmelweis publishes no list of questions. It says the interview covers professional attitude, motivation towards medical sciences and communication in English, and includes an oral examination in Biology, Chemistry and English.

When do I get the result after the interview?

Under the 2026/27 Admission Rules, the decision letter is sent by email and uploaded to SEMAPHOR within a week of the oral interview, usually in a couple of days.

Official sources

Every figure on this page was read on the source itself on the date above. (26 October 2026)

Practise in the real format

The free sample test has 80 questions in the four-test format, each test on its own 20-minute clock, with every answer explained. When you want more, the IvyTest Semmelweis package adds a full simulator, the study guide, lessons and interview practice.

Take the free Semmelweis sample testSee Semmelweis preparation

The Semmelweis entrance exam, one question at a time

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