UCAT Universities and Cut-Off Scores for Medicine
How do UCAT Universities use my UCAT score?
Every medical school uses the UCAT score differently. Understanding how each UCAT university will use your UCAT score is crucial. This understanding lets you strategically pick your four medical schools on your UCAS application form, giving you the best chance of being called for an interview and receiving an offer. Some UCAT universities will have a threshold UCAT score, others will rank students, and some will use the score with other factors, such as your GCSE grades.
Here are some methods medical schools use the UCAT score we have ascertained over the years.
The UCAT score is combined with other academic performance metrics, such as GCSE or predicted A-level results.
With the BMAT exam ending, some medical schools have switched to the UCAT. However, the BMAT medical schools included Oxbridge and top London medical schools, which attracted some of the best candidates.
The raw UCAT score ranks students for interview invitations, often calling the top candidates, such as the top 500, for interviews.
Some medical schools use the UCAT score again after the interview stage.
Some medical schools may have different cutoff scores for local, national, EU, and international and graduate entry students.
Medical schools will inform applicants of a cut-off score in advance, below which applications are automatically rejected.
Based on the number of applicants a medical school can interview, the cut-off score is determined after all applications are received and results are in. This process may result in lower cut-off scores for less popular medical schools.
Cut-off scores are now more commonly given as an actual raw score, whereas historically, the term UCAT deciles was used. This can be important as some medical schools have rejected students below a certain decline.
Some medical schools emphasise the UCAT Verbal Reasoning section more than others.
Most medical schools will reject applicants with an SJT Band 4, and some may also reject those with a Band 3. Situational Judgment banding requirements may also be more lenient for international students.
Some medical schools were historically vague about how they use the UCAT score, which raises concerns about probity and transparency. Fortunately, this is now rare.
UCAT Interim Scores 2024
The interim UCAT scores provide data from the start of the 2024 testing period up until 15th September. At this point, 20,066 candidates have completed the UCAT test, and it’s expected that around 18,000 more will take it before the testing period ends. As of now, the average total UCAT score is 2,516.
Here are the interim average scores for each section of the UCAT:
Verbal Reasoning: 612
Decision Making: 635
Quantitative Reasoning: 666
Abstract Reasoning: 668
Here’s how candidates have performed in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) so far:
14% scored in Band 1
38% scored in Band 2
36% scored in Band 3
12% scored in Band 4
We also have the interim deciles for the 2024 UCAT exam:
1st decile – 2,180
2nd decile – 2,320
3rd decile – 2,420
4th decile – 2,500
5th decile – 2,580
6th decile – 2,660
7th decile – 2,740
8th decile – 2,850
9th decile – 2,990
UCAT Medical Schools and UCAT Requirements
We have looked at the websites of the UK medical schools and summarise our findings below. You must always look at the university website for the latest information as this information changes, sometimes after the UCAT consortium publishes its final results for the academic year.
🎓 Aberdeen University: Candidates are shortlisted based on UCAT scores and academic achievements. For the 2023 entry, the average UCAT score for interview invitations was 2,760 for UK applicants (excluding Scotland) and 2,670 for Scottish applicants.
🎓 Anglia Ruskin University: Candidates are ranked by UCAT score, with a cut-off of 2,640 for the 2022 entry.
🎓 Aston University: All SJT bands are accepted. The UCAT score constitutes 1/3 of the shortlisting process, while academic qualifications account for the remaining 2/3. For the 2022 entry, the average UCAT score for interviewees was 2,631. Aston is one of the medical schools you can historically apply to with a lower UCAT score if you can counterbalance this with high academic qualifications.
🎓 Bangor University: Applicants must sit the UCAT in the application year. There is no minimum threshold, but UCAT scores are part of the selection process.
🎓 Birmingham University: The UCAT represents 40% of the application score. There is no minimum cut-off, but the lowest UCAT score for a 2023 interview was 2,670. As time has passed, Birmingham has increased the weight of the UCAT in the application score, as it used to be 35% in the past.
🎓 Brighton & Sussex Medical School: Starting from the September 2025 entry, all applicants must sit the UCAT. It may also be used as a final discriminator after the interview.
🎓 Bristol University: Once academic entry requirements are met, applications are scored entirely based on UCAT. The 2023 interview threshold was 2,910.
🎓 Brunel University: Applicants are ranked by UCAT scores after the selection panel reviews personal statements and references. Those with the highest scores are invited to interview until slots are filled.
🎓 Cambridge University: Now that UCAT is used instead of BMAT, Cambridge is expected to have competitive entry requirements.
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🎓 Cardiff University: The UCAT score is used in the selection process if more applicants have exceptional academic scores than available places.
🎓 Dundee University: UCAT scores are considered alongside academic ability. For the 2023 entry, the lowest score for an interview was 1,940, and the average was 2,691.
🎓 Edge Hill University: Candidates are ranked by UCAT score after meeting eligibility and academic criteria. The average score for 2023 interview invitations was 2,748.
🎓 Edinburgh University: The UCAT cut-off score for a 2024 interview is 2,470. Applicants with a Band 4 in SJT will be rejected.
🎓 Exeter University: The UCAT accounts for 25% of shortlisting, with academic performance making up the remaining 75%. We note, however, that academic performance has historically been related to predicted or actual A-level results and that having an A* makes a significant difference compared to an A.
🎓 Glasgow University: Applicants who meet all criteria are ranked by UCAT score for interviews. For the 2023 entry, the lowest scores for interviews were 2,690 (UK applicants excluding Scotland) and 2,440 (Scottish applicants).
🎓 Hull York Medical School: UCAT scores are used in a scoring system out of 40, with additional points for GCSEs and SJT banding. Bands 1-3 in SJT are required.
🎓 Imperial College London: UCAT is required for consideration in Medicine applications.
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🎓 Keele University: A cut-off score above 2,280 and an SJT score above Band 4 are required for consideration. This medical school has historically had a low UCAT cut-off score, and it remains so. This is one of the medical schools you should consider if you have a low UCAT score.
🎓 Kent and Medway Medical School: Applicants need at least a Band 3 in SJT and must meet the cut-off score, which was 2,470 for the 2022-23 cycle.
🎓 King’s College London: The overall UCAT score is averaged across subtests, with SJT considered. The mean score for 2023 interviewees was 2,930.
🎓 Lancaster University: UCAT will be used from the 2025 entry onwards.
🎓 Leeds University: UCAT is required from the 2024 entry onwards, replacing BMAT.
🎓 Leicester University: Equal weighting is given to UCAT scores and academic ability. The cut-off for the 2023 entry was 2,250.
🎓 Liverpool University: Candidates are ranked by UCAT score for interview shortlisting. A score of 2,660 was considered competitive for the 2023 entry.
🎓 Manchester University: A threshold of 2,750 was applied for the 2022-23 entry. Meeting this and achieving Band 1 or 2 in SJT likely secures an interview.
🎓 Newcastle University: Applicants are ranked by UCAT score for interviews. The 2023 threshold was 2,820.
🎓 Norwich Medical School (UEA): UCAT scores are used to rank applicants for interview. The minimum score for a 2022 interview was 1,890.
🎓 Nottingham University: Points are awarded for UCAT scores, with double points for Verbal Reasoning. SJT is scored separately but equally to other cognitive elements.
🎓 Oxford University: Now using UCAT instead of BMAT as part of their shortlisting process.
🎓 Plymouth University: UCAT results are considered alongside GCSEs and A-Levels, with a cut-off score of 2,680 for the 2023 entry. Plymouth was a medical school with a low UCAT cut-off score, but increasing applications may have increased this over the years.
🎓 Queen Mary University of London (Barts): UCAT score and UCAS tariff are weighted equally. The lowest score for a 2023 interview was 2,720.
🎓 Queen’s University Belfast: UCAT scores are used with GCSE scores to rank interview applicants. As a result, this has traditionally been a medical school to apply to with a lower UCAT score.
🎓 Sheffield University: Candidates are ranked by UCAT score after meeting academic requirements. For 2022-23, the lowest interview invite score was 2,850, with a threshold of 2,440.
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🎓 Southampton University: Applicants are ranked by UCAT score for Selection Day invitations. The score is reviewed again alongside the Selection Day performance for offers.
🎓 St Andrews University: UCAT scores are ranked, and the top 500 or so are shortlisted for interviews. The recent lowest scores for interview invites have been around 2,400.
🎓 St George’s, University of London: Applicants are ranked by UCAT score, with a standard requirement of 500 in each section. The 2023 cut-off score was 2,630.
🎓 Sunderland University: Applicants must be in the top 8 deciles and have an SJT Band 3 or above. For 2023, this meant a score of 2,760 or better.
🎓 Surrey University: UCAT scores are used in the second stage of the application for interview invitations.
🎓 UCL: With the BMAT scrapped, UCL now requires UCAT for applicants.
🎓 Warwick University: UCAT scores needed for the Selection Centre vary yearly. For 2023, the minimum score for an invitation was 2,580. You must also have at least the overall mean score in UCAT verbal reasoning.
🎓 Worcester University: There is no hard cut-off score, but most shortlisted applicants scored above 2,500, with a maximum of 3,020.
