Interview Guidance

Bioengineering - Code of conduct  

By confirming your attendance at the Undergraduate Interview Day, you are agreeing to the following code of conduct for online participants at this event. Please ensure to read and understand the code below.  

This has been produced by department of Bioengineering, Imperial to safeguard all participants.  

Code of Conduct 

• I agree not to record any part of the interview session (i.e. take audio, screen shots, video, or photographs) or permit others (including but not limited to teachers, family members, etc.) to record interviews.
• I agree to take part in the interview myself and not to ask or allow anyone else to impersonate my identity fraudulently. All answers to interview questions must be your own. All input and engagement throughout the group task must be your own.
• I agree not to share the link to the session(s) with anyone else. Only people who have been authorised by staff in advance may attend. Any uninvited attendees will be removed from the session immediately. When you enter the session, please register with your first name followed by the first letter of your surname as it appears on your UCAS application form. If you sign up with a name that we do not recognise, we will need to remove you from the session.
• I agree not to try and search online for any answers during my interview. I confirm that I understand that the use of assistive technology (including artificial intelligence) during my interview is prohibited, beyond any such technology related to access arrangements for a disability.
• I agree to be friendly, respectful and tolerant of other candidates. Please give others time to communicate effectively, especially when taking part in group discussions. Racist, sexist, or aggressive language or behaviours will not be tolerated.

Candidates will be at serious risk of having any offer withdrawn if they do not abide by any aspects of this code of conduct. 

General advice and Guidance 

• Use a wired rather than WiFi network connection if possible 

• Close all other applications on your computer 

• If you are using a laptop, please make sure it is charged and can charge during the session if needed. The interview session is 3.5hours. 

• Ensure there are no distractions in the background – choose a quiet, well-lit room. Take care to ensure nothing personal, identifying, or inappropriate is in view. 

• Make sure you are comfortable. Have pen and paper and a drink of water available 

• Mute your microphone unless you’re contributing to the discussion: background noise can be very distracting and can interrupt the person leading the discussion and can cause loud echoes for others listening in to the session but remember to unmute yourself before you begin to talk. 

• Ask for clarification of the interviewer/session leader if you do not understand or are having trouble with connectivity. 

Test your audio and video settings by making a test call on MS Teams.

• Make a Test Call 
• Settings > Devices > Make a Test Call  

Ensure your Wi-Fi connection is strong.

Make sure your background on MS Teams isn’t blurred.  

Make sure you are in a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.  

Wear clothes you are comfortable in.  

Have a pen and paper to hand, you will need it during your individual interview, and group task.  

Ensure you have your photographic ID to hand. You will need to show your interviewer your ID at the beginning of the interview. We accept the below forms of photographic ID:  

• Passport (can be expired) 
• Driving Licence (Full or Provisional) 
• Student ID Card 
• Biometric Residence Card 
• CitizenCard

Your photographic ID must be in English. 

Finally, we are aware that in some cases, using Teams while logged into a school account, whilst on a school network, or using a school owned computer or laptop, might mean the use of a webcam or video feed is blocked. It is important that we able to see you during your interview, and therefore it may be necessary for you and/or your school or college to ensure there is a workaround in place so that you can use a webcam. 

Relax! Enjoy the interview day and get to know the department.  

Please view our helpful admissions video below:

Interview Guidance for Candidates

• Re-read your Personal Statement. We do not advise you reading from your personal statement in your interview.  
• Try to think of questions that your interviewer could ask.  
• We do not expect you to be reading from scripts during your interview. These can be unhelpful and can stop you from fully engaging with the interviewers questions.  
• Talk to your school or college to see if they offer ‘mock interviews’. These may help to build your confidence going into the interview.  
• Do some background research on the course at Imperial College.
• Think about questions you would like to ask at the end of your interview, as well as questions you would like to ask our Undergraduate Ambassadors in the Q&A session.  

Below you will find some guidance on how to resolve common technical issues you may experience during or before your interview.  

Unable to join the meeting

• Contact the admissions team as soon as possible by emailing us on be.ugadmissions@imperial.ac.uk  

My camera is not working 

• Ensure you have closed all other apps that might be using the camera. 

• Check device settings – Setting > Devices > Camera > ensure the correct camera is selected from the drop-down menu. 
• Restart your device. 

My audio is not working

• Ensure you have closed all other apps that might be using your microphone. 
• Check device settings - Setting > Devices > Audio Devices > ensure the correct speaker and/or microphone.  

• Restart your device.  

My internet connection is disrupted 

• Ensure you are connected to the correct Wi-Fi. 
• Move closer to your router. 
• Check your internet speed.  

If you are still unable to resolve your issues, please email the admissions team as soon as possible at be.ugadmissions@imperial.ac.uk. 

Your interview day will be split into three different activities. Please note, they may not run in the order below.   

Individual Interview 

• A 20 minute interview with you and a member of our academic staff. The questions they ask will be informed by your application. Your interview will likely begin with simple questions to make you feel comfortable and at ease. Further questions may be about your Personal Statement, your motivation for applying for the course, and/or testing of your Maths and Physics/Chemistry skills or your entrepreneurship if you have applied for BSc Biomedical Technology Ventures. There will also be time for you to ask your interviewer a question at the end. 

Group Task

• You will take part in 2 group tasks over 50 minutes during the interview day. The tasks are designed to challenge you. It’s ok not to know the answer straight away, we are looking to see how you work within a team, test your reasoning skills, and see how you present your ideas. These group tasks will be facilitated by a team of fully trained Graduate Teaching Assistants.  

Q&A session with UG Ambassadors 

• During the interview day, there will be time to ask our current Undergraduate Students questions about their experiences on the courses. They will be able to provide you with their first-hand experience on a wide range of topics such as living in London, being a student at Imperial, societies you can join, a student’s view of the department and anything else you can think of asking. The only thing they can’t help you with is the interview content!  

You should access your interview in a quiet space with reliable access to the internet and Microsoft Teams. You may wish to contact your school or college to enquire about the support they can provide you for your interview. Your school or college may be able to offer you access to the required technology and a stable internet connection if you do not have one. They may also be able to support with any special requirement you may have.  

Wherever you choose to have your interview you must be in a room by yourself with no distractions. Please note, your interviewer may ask you to pan your camera in order to show them the room so they can confirm no one else is there with you.