Otago interviews dentistry applicants by Zoom in late September and early October, so by now most of this year's interviews are done. If you've just sat yours, you're probably replaying every answer. If you're starting HSFY next year, you might be wondering what the interview is and how much it matters.
This covers both: how the interview fits into selection, what happens between now and offers, and how to prepare properly if you'll be sitting it in 2027.
How the interview fits into selection
Dentistry at Otago is the Bachelor of Dental Surgery, five years in Dunedin, and it's the only dental degree in New Zealand. If you come through Health Sciences First Year, the process has three parts:
- You need to be eligible: an average of at least 65 percent across your best seven papers, and at least 60 percent in every prescribed paper.
- Shortlisted applicants are interviewed. Otago's guidelines put it at about 350 people across all admission categories, and its statistics show more than 400 were invited for each of the 2025 and 2026 intakes, international applicants included.
- Applicants who clear the interview are ranked on their academic score, which for HSFY is the plain average of your best seven papers.
The important bit is step 3. Otago's dentistry admission guidelines treat the interview as a threshold. Once you're over it, the interview isn't given extra weight, and your marks decide where you land. You can't interview your way up the list, but you can fail to clear it, and that ends the application regardless of your marks.
The UCAT isn't part of any of this. Otago dropped it from dentistry admission from the 2025 intake, so you only need it if you're also applying for Medicine. Our guide to getting into dentistry in New Zealand has the full picture, including how much the entry scores have moved.
If you've just had your interview
There's nothing left to do on the interview side. Otago says outcomes are released by 18 December.
That means the best thing you can do for your application right now is your exams. Semester 2 exams run from 19 October to 7 November, and those three papers are a big chunk of the academic score that decides your rank. The 60 percent floor still applies too, so a paper you've been neglecting matters more for dentistry than it would for medicine. If you want a way to split the next few weeks, our semester 2 revision plan walks through it.
And try not to rerun the interview in your head. Almost everyone comes out thinking of a better example they could have used. A pass is a pass, and the ranking happens on marks.
What the interview is looking for
Otago has said the interview assesses motivation, decision making and communication. That's a useful list because each one needs a different kind of preparation.
Motivation
This is the "why dentistry?" territory. The panel wants to hear that you know what dentistry involves and that your reasons are your own. Saying you like science and helping people doesn't separate you from anyone. Saying what you saw when you shadowed a dentist, or what surprised you about the work, does.
A good test: could someone applying for medicine or physio give your answer word for word? If yes, it needs something specific to dentistry. That might be the hands-on, practical side of the work, long-term relationships with patients, or seeing the effect of oral health on someone's overall health and confidence. It works best if it's tied to something you saw or did.
Decision making
Expect scenarios where there isn't one obvious answer and you need to show how you think. A simple order works well:
- Say what's happening and who's affected.
- Say what you'd want to find out before acting.
- Lay out your realistic options.
- Pick one, explain why, and say what you'd do if it didn't work.
The panel is mostly listening to step 2 and step 4. Someone who jumps straight to an answer sounds less safe than someone who checks the facts first and then commits.
Communication
This one runs through the whole interview. On Zoom it comes down to simple things: answering the question that was asked, keeping it to a sensible length, looking at the camera rather than your own face, and pausing to think instead of filling the silence with "um". If you finish an answer and aren't sure you've landed it, one short summary sentence is better than starting the answer again.
How to prepare if you're sitting it in 2027
The interview happens months after the first semester, so most of your year should go on your marks. That said, a little preparation spread over the year beats a panicked week in September.
From now to mid-year. Get some real exposure to dentistry if you can, like shadowing, volunteering or talking to a dental student. Write down what you notice straight away, because these become your examples later and you'll forget the details otherwise.
July and August. Applications for the 2026 round opened on 1 July and closed on 13 August, with no late applications. Once yours is in, start practising out loud. Answer one question a day on camera, play it back, and fix one thing each time. Watching yourself is uncomfortable, and it's also the fastest way to stop rambling.
September. Do a few full practice runs with someone who'll be honest with you, on Zoom, with your camera and lighting set up the way they'll be on the day. Check your internet and have a quiet room booked.
If you're applying for both Medicine and Dentistry, note that from 2027 entry you have to nominate a preferred programme.
FAQ
Does the Otago Dentistry interview affect my ranking?
No, beyond clearing it. Once you're over the threshold, selection is on your academic ranking. That's why your exam marks matter more than a polished interview.
Is the Otago Dentistry interview in person?
No. It's held over Zoom, in late September or early October.
Do graduate applicants interview too?
Yes. Graduate category applicants interview too, and are then ranked on their weighted academic score.
Can I find past Otago Dentistry interview questions?
Otago doesn't publish a question list. What we'd focus on is the three areas they assess, and being able to talk about your own experiences in specific detail. A question like "Why do you want to do dentistry?" is a fair starting point, and it's worth answering out loud before you assume you've got it.
If you want to practise answering on camera with feedback on each answer, see how Cutline practice for the Otago Dentistry interview works.
Cutline is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Otago. Details are from Otago's dentistry admission guidelines and admissions statistics, checked September and October 2026. Admission rules change every year, so check the official page for the year you're applying.
