University of Western Australia
The UWA Assured Pathway interview: eight stations, ATAR 98 and a December circuit
UWA's Assured Pathway gives Year 12 students a conditional MD place through the Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised). Applications go through TISC, interviews run on selected dates between 30 November and 11 December 2026, and the eight-station MMI is worth half the final ranking against ATAR at 30 per cent and UCAT ANZ at 20 per cent.
This guide covers one pathway
- Pathway
- Assured Pathway entry to Medicine for domestic students
- Who it is for
- Domestic school leavers completing Year 12 or on a gap year, who have not commenced university study or vocational training at diploma level or above
- Course
- Doctor of Medicine via the Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised)
- Apply through
- TISC
- Interview required
- yes
- Format
- MMI of eight numbered stations, seven minutes each, two to consider the written question and five to respond
- Delivery
- Not published for domestic school leavers. UWA says periods and venues differ by pathway
- Timing
- Selected dates within 30 November to 11 December 2026
- Weighting
- ATAR or equivalent 30 per cent, interview 50 per cent, UCAT ANZ 20 per cent. Rural applicants 22.5, 37.5, 15 and a 25 per cent rurality rating
- Last verified
UWA's Assured Pathway is a school-leaver route into medicine. You apply through TISC while finishing Year 12, and a successful application gives you a conditional place in the Doctor of Medicine that you hold while completing UWA's Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised). The interview is an MMI of eight numbered stations, held on selected dates between 30 November and 11 December 2026 for 2027 entry.
The instrument is the same one UWA uses for domestic graduate entry. UWA states that "Domestic school leaver and domestic graduate interviews are in a multi mini interview (MMI) format" taking approximately 70 to 75 minutes including registration, with 8 numbered stations of 7 minutes each. Two of those minutes are for considering a written question and five for responding to a different interviewer at every station.
Who the Assured Pathway is open to
UWA is explicit that this route is closed to anyone who has started tertiary study. Assured Pathways are described as exclusive to school leaver applicants, meaning applicants in progress of Australian Year 12 or equivalent, on a gap year, or undertaking a national service obligation directly following school completion, who have not commenced university studies or vocational training at AQF diploma level or above.
| Requirement | What UWA publishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant group | School leavers only. Year 12 or equivalent in progress, a gap year, or a national service obligation directly after school. No university study or vocational training at diploma level or above | PublishedConfirmed |
| Minimum ATAR | 98 for the Rural, Broadway and High Academic Achiever quotas. 90 for applicants eligible for the Indigenous school leaver pathway | PublishedConfirmed |
| Adjustments | For the Broadway and Rural quotas the ATAR minimum is after applicable Broadway adjustments. EAS or Uway adjustments are taken into account for all quotas | PublishedConfirmed |
| Admissions test | UCAT ANZ, sat during the year of application. Scores cannot be carried over from a previous year | PublishedConfirmed |
| Application route | TISC, opening on TISC timelines and closing late September. No late applications accepted | PublishedConfirmed |
| Rural applicants | UWA's rural eligibility form must be submitted through TISC by the TISC closing date for Medicine | PublishedConfirmed |
| Interstate applicants | A small number of places are available for domestic school leavers who completed Year 12 outside Western Australia and achieved the minimum ATAR or equivalent | PublishedConfirmed |
| Prerequisites | None mandatory. Chemistry and Mathematics Applications or higher are recommended, and may be taken as first-year university units instead | PublishedConfirmed |
What UWA publishes about the interview
UWA describes its MMI model in one paragraph and describes it precisely. Eight numbered stations, one question each, a different interviewer at every station, and candidates moving between stations in numbered order. What it does not say, anywhere, is whether domestic school leavers sit that circuit online or in a room.
| Element | What UWA publishes | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Stations | 8 numbered stations, one question each | PublishedConfirmed |
| Time per station | 7 minutes: 2 minutes to consider the question, then 5 minutes to respond verbally | PublishedConfirmed |
| Whole process | Approximately 70 to 75 minutes including registration | PublishedConfirmed |
| Interviewers | A different interviewer at each station. Questions are provided in writing and interviewers may or may not ask follow-up questions | PublishedConfirmed |
| Attributes assessed | Accountability, ethical and moral judgement, communication skills, management skills, problem solving, self-awareness, teamwork and collaboration, conflict resolution, empathy, resilience | PublishedConfirmed |
| Question pool | Questions come from a comprehensive pool and may be rotated between interviews. UWA states they are changed each year and not disclosed to course providers or third parties | PublishedConfirmed |
| Delivery for domestic school leavers | Not stated. UWA says interview periods and venues differ by pathway and to refer to pathway information including whether online interviews are being offered | Not publishedNot published |
| Confidentiality | Interviewees and interviewers must agree to a statement of confidentiality as a condition of participating | PublishedConfirmed |
How the ranking works
Two separate calculations decide this pathway. Invitations to interview are made on UCAT ANZ performance alone, ranked within each quota. The offer itself is ranked on a three-part score in which the interview is the largest single component.
| Applicant group | Published weighting | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic school leavers | ATAR or equivalent 30 per cent, interview 50 per cent, UCAT ANZ score 20 per cent | PublishedConfirmed |
| Rural applicants | ATAR or equivalent 22.5 per cent, interview 37.5 per cent, UCAT ANZ score 15 per cent, rurality rating 25 per cent | PublishedConfirmed |
| Interview shortlisting | Based on UCAT ANZ performance, with a limited number of interview spots across the rural, Broadway UWA, WA School Leaver and interstate pathways | PublishedConfirmed |
| Minimum UCAT ANZ score | None set. The threshold is set by ranking within each quota each year, and UWA states minimum results from previous years are not published | Deliberately not publishedNot published |
| Situational Judgement | Not currently part of the overall score UWA uses, though UWA reserves the right to use it as part of its selection processes | PublishedConfirmed |
The 2027 entry timeline
The whole school-leaver round happens after WACE exams, in a two-week window. UWA states that "Interviews for all domestic school leavers are planned to take place during selected dates within the period 30 November through 11 December 2026." and warns in the same breath that the dates are subject to change and that not all dates within the range will be available.
| When | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Early March to mid-May | UCAT ANZ registrations and bookings open, then close | Published in the admissions guideConfirmed |
| June | TISC applications open | Published in the admissions guideConfirmed |
| July and early August | UCAT ANZ testing | Published in the admissions guideConfirmed |
| Late September | TISC applications close. No late applications accepted | PublishedConfirmed |
| After the last WACE exam, late November | Interview eligibility notifications are planned to be sent by email | PublishedConfirmed |
| 30 November to 11 December 2026 | Interviews held on selected dates within that period | Published for 2027 entry, marked subject to changeConfirmed |
| Late December and mid-January | December and January offer rounds according to the TISC timeline | Published in the admissions guideConfirmed |
Preparing for this specific format
Everything above is UWA's published information. This section is MedCoach's preparation advice, shaped around what this pathway asks of a Year 12 student.
Rehearse the two-minute read as carefully as the five-minute answer
The question is given to you in writing and you get two timed minutes with it before you speak. That is a reading comprehension task under time pressure, and it is the part applicants practise least. Work on identifying the actual question being asked, then choosing a structure, inside 120 seconds. UWA's own advice says much the same thing: practise reading comprehension to quickly identify key issues.
Five minutes is short, so plan an ending
Five minutes of speaking is roughly 700 words. It is long enough to develop a position and short enough that a rambling opening costs you the conclusion. Interviewers may or may not ask follow-up questions, so do not rely on being prompted back on track. Practise finishing deliberately, with a sentence that lands rather than trails.
Prepare examples against the ten named attributes
UWA publishes the list, which is more than most schools do. Accountability, ethical and moral judgement, communication, management, problem solving, self-awareness, teamwork and collaboration, conflict resolution, empathy and resilience. Attach a real experience to each one and practise describing it aloud. A Year 12 applicant has fewer clinical stories than a graduate, and that is fine, because the attributes are about how you behave rather than where you have worked.
If you are applying as a graduate instead, the UWA graduate entry MMI guide covers the GEMSAS route and its September to October window. The national interview guide compares school-leaver formats across Australia, and the interview offer and date guide sets out the wider 2027-entry timeline.
Official sources
Every fact above traces to one of these first-party sources. Dates and formats are set by the universities and can change, so check the original page before you rely on it.
- UWA Doctor of Medicine course page, admissions tab
- UWA Assured Pathways
- UWA Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised), Integrated Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice major
- UWA domestic health admissions guide
- UWA rural eligibility form
MedCoach is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any university or admissions body. Read how we research and check this information in our editorial standards, which also explains how to send us a correction.