Questions Residency Programs Can't Ask (NRMP Rules)
NRMP rules bar programs from asking where else you interviewed or how you will rank them. The 2027 text, polite answers, couples and personal questions.
Questions Residency Programs Can't Ask (NRMP Rules)
Under the 2027 Match Participation Agreement, a residency program may not ask where else you applied or interviewed, which programs you signaled, or how you will rank it. You can decline all three. Anything you share, including a couples partner, is your choice.
If one of these questions comes up, it may come as small talk: "So where else are you looking?" The mistake is improvising. A flat refusal sounds cold, and an invented answer breaks a different rule, because the same agreement holds you to the accuracy of everything you say out loud. This page quotes the rules, separates the NRMP questions from the personal questions that employment law covers, and gives you one rehearsed line for each. It belongs with the residency interview questions and answers you are already preparing.
Every NRMP, specialty and EEOC page quoted below was checked on November 7, 2026, for the 2026–27 interview season and the 2027 Main Residency Match.
What the 2027 MPA says, verbatim
Section 6.5 of the 2027 Match Participation Agreement for Applicants (MPA) is titled "Restrictions on Persuasion":
"Applicants have a right to be free of persuasion and should report to the NRMP any violations of these rights. Programs are not authorized to:
- Request that applicants reveal the numbers, names, specialties, geographic locations, or other identifying information about any program(s) to which they have applied or may apply or with which they have interviewed or may interview;
- Request that applicants reveal any information about the programs to which they may have sent a preference signal, if applicable;
- Request that applicants reveal preference signal(s) if in a specialty participating in preference signaling;
- Request that applicants reveal their ranking preferences;
- Suggest or inform applicants that placement on a rank order list or a SOAP preference list is contingent upon submission of a verbal, electronic, or written statement indicating the applicant's preference;"
Section 6.4 gives you the matching rights. "At all times", applicants may "Keep confidential all information pertaining to the names and identities of programs to which they have applied or may apply", to signals, to "offers and acceptance of interviews", and to "ranking preferences and SOAP preferences." NRMP's 2027 introduction for applicants puts it in one line: "Ranking information is confidential - you are not obligated to share it with anyone".
Two more documents say the same thing to the people asking. The NRMP Match Code of Conduct for Programs says interviewers "must not request an applicant disclose ranking preferences, ranking intentions, or the specialty or locations of other programs to which the applicant has applied or may apply." For emergency medicine, the CORD APIC 2026–2027 best practices add: "Programs should not inquire why an applicant did not signal their program or ask about other programs an applicant may have signaled."
Which questions cross the line
| Question you might hear | Allowed? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| "Where else are you interviewing?" | No | MPA §6.5(1): "names" |
| "How many interviews do you have?" | No | MPA §6.5(1): "numbers" |
| "Did you apply in another specialty?" | No | MPA §6.5(1): "specialties" |
| "Did you signal us? Why not?" | No | MPA §6.5(2)–(3); CORD for EM |
| "Where will you rank us? Are we your number one?" | No | MPA §6.5(4) |
| "Tell us we're first and we'll rank you to match" | No | MPA §6.5(5) |
| "What do you want in a program? Why this region?" | Yes | Asks about you, not other programs (our reading) |
The last row matters. A question about your goals, your ties to a city or what drew you to this program is a normal interview question. Answer it fully.
What programs may say to you
Statements of interest are allowed in both directions; requests for them are not. Under MPA §6.4, before the rank order list deadline, a program may tell you that you are viewed favorably and will be ranked, and you may tell a program you are interested. Neither side may solicit a statement from the other that implies a commitment to rank. The guide to "ranked to match" emails quotes the program side of §6.4 and decodes those messages line by line.
A warm "we'll be ranking you" is allowed and commits the program to nothing about position. Do not reply by asking where you stand; that is the solicitation §6.4 bars.
Scripts for the forbidden questions
Our view: decline in one sentence, then answer the question behind the question. An interviewer who asks "where else are you looking?" is asking, in effect, whether you would come. Tell them what you want and why this program has it.
The countercase: if a program genuinely is your first choice and you have decided, saying so is allowed. Say it to one program only, say it only if it is true, and put it in writing after your interviews, when you know. The 2027 residency letter of intent rules cover that letter by specialty.
Never invent an answer. MPA §6.3 makes you responsible for the accuracy of what you tell programs out loud during recruitment, and misleading or false information can be treated as a violation of the agreement. "You're my only interview," said to stop the topic, is a false statement to a program.
Constructed scripts for each restricted question
Constructed examples, written by us, not real applicant answers. Replace the brackets with your own details.
"Where else are you interviewing?" "I'm keeping my list private, as the Match rules allow. What I can tell you is that I'm looking for [strong ICU exposure and a resident-run clinic], and today showed me both here."
"How many interviews do you have?" "I'd rather not share numbers. I have enough to build a careful list, and I'd like to use our time to hear more about [the night-float structure]."
"Did you signal us?" "I keep my signals private. I applied here because of [the global health track], and I'd like to ask you about it."
"Where will you rank us?" "I haven't built my list yet, and I'll rank on true preference, as the agreement asks. [The continuity clinic model] is one reason this program will be near the top of my thinking."
Each line declines once, gives a true reason you are interested, and hands the conversation back. None of them argues about the rule or names the MPA section. Quoting section numbers to an interviewer turns a small lapse into a confrontation.
Personal questions: what employment law covers
The MPA does not list questions about marriage, children, religion or health. Those fall under employment law. The NRMP's Code of Conduct for Programs says programs should "Refrain from asking illegal questions" and "work with their human resources and legal departments to understand and comply with state and federal regulations that govern recruitment and employment activities."
Federal law treats these questions differently. The rules below are the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) federal guidance; state law can add more.
| Topic | What the EEOC says before a job offer |
|---|---|
| Disability, health | No disability-related questions or medical exams until after a conditional job offer (quoted in the leave of absence answer guide) |
| Marriage, children | "employers should not use non job-related questions involving marital status, number and/or ages of children or dependents"; listed as possible "evidence of intent to discriminate" |
| Religion | "generally viewed as non job-related and problematic under federal law" |
| Race, sex, national origin, age | Such inquiries "may be used as evidence of an employer's intent to discriminate unless the questions asked can be justified by some business purpose" |
Sources: EEOC pages on disability, marital status and children, religion and prohibited practices.
Only disability carries a flat pre-offer bar in that guidance. A question about your plans for children is one the EEOC says employers "should not use". You can decline it the same way. Programs may still ask whether you can do the job: the EEOC says employers "may ask about an applicant's ability to perform specific job functions."
Constructed scripts for personal questions
Constructed examples, written by us, not real applicant answers.
"Are you planning to start a family during residency?" "I'm ready to start on July 1 and complete the program. I'd love to hear how residents here balance call with life outside work."
A health question, such as "What's your health like? You took time off in third year," gets the boundary script in the leave of absence interview answer guide, which also covers what the MPA requires you to disclose and what it does not.
Couples: what to say about your partner
Nothing in the MPA requires you to mention a partner. NRMP's couples page describes the mechanics: couples "link their rank order lists, usually for purposes of obtaining positions in the same geographic location", and "Partners must have the same number of ranks on their respective rank order lists." The 2027 couples' fee is "$45 per partner". In the 2026 Match, NRMP's Results and Data report "1,258 couples, of which 88.5 percent (1,113) both matched."
Our view: volunteer the couple when your partner's interviews include the same city or region. It gives the program a true, concrete reason you would rank it, which is what the "where else" question was fishing for. Name the city, never your partner's programs or ranks.
The countercase: if your partner's options do not overlap with this program's city, mentioning the couple adds a question you cannot answer well. Keep it private.
Constructed example: naming a couples partner
Constructed example, written by us, not a real applicant answer.
"I'm couples matching with my partner, who is applying in [pathology]. [Columbus] works well for both of us, which is part of why I was glad to interview here."
Do not ask the program to coordinate with your partner's program or to say how it will rank you. Both are requests for a commitment. For the list itself, see the couples match rank list guide; for a letter that names the couple, see the couples match letter of intent.
If a program crosses the line
Answer with your script and move on. You do not have to settle it in the room. Then:
- Write it down the same day: program, date, who asked and the exact words.
- Tell your dean's office or advisor. MPA §6.4 says applicants "may voluntarily share their rank order lists or SOAP preferences with their medical school advisor(s)", so your advisor can help you weigh the program.
- Report it if you choose. MPA §7.5 sends reports of communication-policy violations to policy@nrmp.org, and §12.2 asks applicants to report a suspected violation no more than a year after it happened.
- Rank on true preference. The Code of Conduct for Applicants asks you to rank "based on their true preferences". One bad question can be a reason to rank a program lower. It is not a reason to rank it higher to please it.
Our view: answer a resident who asks at a virtual social the same way you would answer a faculty interviewer. The Code says program directors "accept responsibility for the actions of the entire recruitment team." Use the same script.
Questions about what residency programs can't ask
Can a residency program ask where else you interviewed?
No. MPA §6.5 bars programs from requesting "the numbers, names, specialties, geographic locations, or other identifying information" about programs you applied to or interviewed with. You may decline.
Can a program ask how I will rank it?
No. MPA §6.5(4) bars requests that applicants "reveal their ranking preferences." A program may tell you it will rank you; it may not ask you for a commitment.
Can I tell a program it is my number one?
Yes, if it is true. MPA §6.4 lets you "voluntarily communicate" interest. Tell one program only, and do not ask it to promise anything back.
Is it illegal to ask about marriage or children in a residency interview?
The EEOC says employers "should not use" those questions and that they "may be regarded as evidence of intent to discriminate." The flat federal pre-offer bar in its guidance is for disability-related questions. You can decline either.
What if I already told a program where else I interviewed?
Nothing to fix. Under §6.4, keeping that information confidential is your right, not your duty. The rule restricts the program's question, not your answer.
Review the writing you send next
If one program becomes your clear first choice, the place to say it is a letter after your interviews, not an answer on interview day. Get a free Quick Review of your residency letter against GradPilot's residency letter of intent rubric, which reads whether your reason for the program comes from what you learned there and whether any sentence asks the program about its ranking. Still finishing your file? The residency personal statement rubric reads the statement programs read before they meet you.
More residency interview guides:
- Residency interview questions and answers: the common questions and how to prepare each one.
- Does a letter of intent change your rank list?: what NRMP and specialty surveys show.
- Medical school and residency essay guides: every residency and medical school writing guide. For Match Week calls, see the questions SOAP programs cannot ask.
Sources
Retrieved November 7, 2026.
- NRMP, 2027 Match Participation Agreement for Applicants (2027 Main Residency Match): §6.3 accuracy, §6.4 confidentiality, §6.5 restrictions on persuasion, §7.5 and §12.2 reporting.
- NRMP, 2027 Main Residency Match: Intro for Applicants: "Ranking information is confidential"; couples' fee.
- NRMP, Match Code of Conduct for Programs and for Applicants (linked from NRMP's Match Codes of Conduct page; no cycle year stated): illegal questions, privacy, recruitment team, true preferences.
- NRMP, Couples in the Match: couples mechanics.
- NRMP, Results and Data: 2026 Main Residency Match: 2026 couples outcome.
- CORD, APIC Best Practices for the 2026-2027 Residency Application and Interview Season (released May 22, 2026): signaling questions in emergency medicine.
- U.S. EEOC, pre-employment inquiries: disability, marital status or number of children, religious affiliation or beliefs, prohibited employment policies/practices; Enforcement Guidance: Preemployment Disability-Related Questions and Medical Examinations (1995): job-function questions.
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