UCAT & Medical School Admissions FAQ
Common questions about UK medical and dental school entry, UCAT scoring, interview formats, and how to choose your target schools.
What UCAT score do I need to get into medicine or dentistry?
Most UK medical schools use UCAT as part of selection but don't publish explicit minimum scores until all applications are in. Of the 60 schools covered here, only three publish live 2027-entry cut-offs: Edinburgh (1850), Sheffield (1800) and Keele (1700). Others use UCAT within a scoring model alongside A-levels, GCSEs, and context. The UCAT Consortium's own 2025 statistics put the 80th percentile (8th decile) at 2100, so target that or higher as a safe benchmark, then check each school's individual weighting and interview thresholds. See the cut-off ranking pages below for schools ranked by published difficulty.
Do all schools use UCAT?
Most do, but not all. Buckingham uses an in-house Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA) instead of UCAT. Swansea and Warwick accept GAMSAT for graduate-entry applicants. All others use UCAT as a core part of selection. Check each school's entry requirements page for their specific test suite.
What's the difference between a published cut-off and no cut-off?
A published cut-off (like Edinburgh's 1850) is the school's official minimum UCAT score to progress to interview. When a school says "no cut-off published," it typically means they use UCAT in a percentile or decile band within a larger scoring model, or they assess the full cohort before setting the threshold. Neither guarantees interview progress—always aim higher than any historical figure you see.
How much do A-levels matter if I have a good UCAT score?
Significant. Most schools' standard offers are AAA or AAB including specified sciences (Biology, Chemistry). UCAT score alone won't overcome weak A-levels. Graduate-entry routes (Swansea, Warwick, Chester, Worcester) skip A-levels but require a strong first degree (2:1 minimum). See each school's page for their exact A-level and GCSE requirements.
What's an SJT band, and does it matter?
The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is part of UCAT, scored separately as a band (Band 1 = highest). Most schools use SJT within their selection process, but only Keele explicitly mentions automatic rejection for Band 4. Warwick doesn't use SJT at all. Generally, aim for Band 1 or 2; Band 3 is usually acceptable, Band 4 is risky. Check each school's SJT policy on their page.
Which interview format should I prepare for?
Most schools use Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI): 7-10 stations, 8 minutes each, covering clinical scenarios, ethics, teamwork, and communication. Some use structured interviews with longer questions. A few (Brunel, Lancaster) run interviews online. Most are now in-person on campus in December–February. Check the "Interview type" column on each school's page for specifics, then search our UCAT toolkit for MMI and interview prep resources.
Are there graduate-entry medicine programmes?
Yes. Swansea, Warwick, Chester, Worcester, and UCLan Dentistry offer graduate-entry routes (A101 for medicine, Year 2 entry for dentistry). These accept graduates with a first degree (typically 2:1 or higher in a science discipline). Entry is more about your degree results and UCAT/GAMSAT than A-levels, but competition is just as fierce. Some schools (Chester, Worcester) only offer graduate-entry, not the standard A100 route.
How current is this information?
All 60 schools were verified on 2026-08-11. A few schools' 2027-entry pages weren't published yet at that date, so their entry requirements are based on 2026 policies marked as "provisional" or "re-verify once published." Universities typically finalize entry requirements by September. Check the official website before applying.
I'm not on this list—what do I do?
This directory covers 60 of the UK's major medical and dental schools. A few newer or smaller programmes fall outside this scope. Use the UCAT and official university admissions pages (UCAS) to research schools not listed. If a school you're targeting is missing, search the main UCAT hub or contact admissions directly.
How do I use this to choose my UCAS schools?
UCAS gives you five course choices, but medicine and dentistry together are capped at four of those five. You can mix them however you like, four medicine, four dentistry, or a split like two and two, but the fifth choice has to be a different course entirely. Within your four, research each school's UCAT weighting, interview style, location, and culture, then aim for a mix: one to two ambitious targets (higher cut-offs), one to two realistic options (medium cut-offs), and one safety school (lower cut-off or broader criteria). Use our ranking pages to compare, then read individual school pages for the full picture. Join our members area to access interview prep and tools to build your strategy.