Newcastle University Dentistry: UCAT, A-Levels & Interview Requirements

2027 UCAT cut off

Not published

How the UCAT is weighted

UCAT scores are one of the main criteria used for shortlisting for the BDS. Newcastle states there is no absolute UCAT score below which applications will not be accepted: applicants are ranked on UCAT score and no further interviews are offered once the maximum number it can accommodate is reached, so the effective bar is set by that year's field rather than by a published standard. Interviewers are given neither UCAT scores nor predicted or achieved grades, and the decision to offer a place rests on interview scores alone. The score below which interviews are not offered differs between cycles and Newcastle says it cannot predict it.

SJT policy

Not used or mentioned anywhere in Newcastle's admissions materials for either the 2026 or 2027 cycle.

A-level requirements

For 2027 entry: AAA including Chemistry and Biology, with a pass required in the practical element of Biology, Chemistry and Physics A-levels. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted. GCSE Maths and English, or equivalent, required at grade 4/C or above. International Baccalaureate: a minimum of 36 points with Chemistry and Biology at grade 6 or above at Higher Level, or grades 6, 6, 6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology alongside a national high school diploma for applicants not taking the full IB. Newcastle states these requirements will be finalised in September 2026. Newcastle states that applicants on its contextual, PARTNERS, Realising Opportunities and Pathways to Newcastle routes may receive an offer up to three grades lower than the typical requirement. Newcastle publishes no single contextual grade for BDS; the ABB carried here is the tier that appears in its own 2027 resit table, which is this site's reading rather than a stated contextual offer.

Interview

Panel interview, online, February to March.

Newcastle interview: full format, stations, dates and what is not published

Resits

The most unusual rule found anywhere in this dataset. Newcastle accepts resit qualifications only from candidates who have previously applied to Newcastle Dental School, so a first-time applicant carrying a resit cannot use it while a returning applicant can. Resits may be taken over a maximum of two exam sittings, and Newcastle asks for one grade higher than the offer the applicant would otherwise have received: against a usual BDS offer of AAA the resit offer is A*AA, and against ABB it is AAB or A*BB.

Personal statement

Not used to shortlist for the BDS, but in front of the panel at interview. Once BDS applications clear the academic threshold, the UCAT alone determines who is selected for interview. But Newcastle's 2027 policy says of interview selectors: 'they will not have information about predicted/achieved grades or UCAT scores, although they will have a copy of the personal statement.' Newcastle also asks, for all applications, to see a minimum of ten days of relevant work experience, with selectors looking for evidence of work experience within dentistry, teamwork and leadership, personal achievements, paid or voluntary work and mentoring; applicants with little in-person dental experience are urged to make clear in their application how they gained insight into the career. The personal statement is additionally used for shortlisting on the separate BSc Dental Therapy course. The referee's statement is read on all applications to identify negative comments.

Standard A-level offer: For 2027 entry: AAA including Chemistry and Biology, with a pass required in the practical element of Biology, Chemistry and Physics A-levels. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted. GCSE Maths and English, or equivalent, required at grade 4/C or above. International Baccalaureate: a minimum of 36 points with Chemistry and Biology at grade 6 or above at Higher Level, or grades 6, 6, 6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology alongside a national high school diploma for applicants not taking the full IB. Newcastle states these requirements will be finalised in September 2026. Newcastle states that applicants on its contextual, PARTNERS, Realising Opportunities and Pathways to Newcastle routes may receive an offer up to three grades lower than the typical requirement. Newcastle publishes no single contextual grade for BDS; the ABB carried here is the tier that appears in its own 2027 resit table, which is this site's reading rather than a stated contextual offer. SJT policy: Not used or mentioned anywhere in Newcastle's admissions materials for either the 2026 or 2027 cycle. Worth knowing: Newcastle Dental School refuses the question outright rather than saying the threshold varies: "The UCAT threshold may differ in each admissions cycle as it is dependent on the scores achieved by those applicants who apply to our Dental School in the current cycle. Therefore information on what the threshold is, is not available to prospective students." That is a firmer refusal than the medicine school's, which at least describes its ranking. Always confirm against the official page before applying, since this is the most recent published position rather than a guarantee for the live cycle.