Where to apply with a low UCAT score 2023 entry
Update 12 September 2023
This article was written for students applying for 2023 Entry. However, the choice of medical schools has stayed similar for the 2024 entry based on the information we have so far. Dr. Mannan has recorded a video on which medical schools to apply to with a low UCAT score for 2024. Please watch this below.
Where can I apply with a low UCAT score for 2023 entry?
Did you score low on your UCAT exam? This should continue your application to medicine and your dream of becoming a doctor. However, your choice of medical schools will now be restricted, and you must apply to a university with less emphasis on your UCAT score.
Before you start with your UCAS application, here are a few critical bits of information you need to take into account: -
You must ensure you still meet the other entry requirements for that medical school. This includes your choice of A-levels, GCSE, and actual or predicted grades. Almost all want Chemistry or Biology, with some even specifying what the third A-level should be. With GCSE, there may be minimum grades in some subjects, usually Maths, English and Science, as well as a minimum number of subjects with specific minimum grades.
You must ensure you meet non-academic requirements, including having relevant work experience and adequate completion of the UCAS application form.
The actual university that you get your medical degree from is irrelevant for the vast majority of careers in the NHS. Your employer will want you to be registered as a doctor with the General Medical Council.
You can use the information below as a guideline. Medical schools can change their entrance requirements, sometimes after the UCAS deadline. Always check with the medical school website, and even email them if you have specific questions before deciding.
Don’t rely on the BMAT medical schools as an insurance option. In our experience, students who don’t do well on the UCAT are unlikely to do well on the BMAT unless there were extenuating circumstances when you sat your UCAT that resulted in a reduced score.
Historical UCAT Interim Scores 2022
The UCAT Consortium released the 2022 UCAT interim scores on the 15th of September. This information covers data from the start of the 2022 testing period up to 11th September, by which 18,770 candidates have taken the test this year.
A further 18,000 candidates will likely take the test before the last date of the 2022 UCAT test, so you should only use interim data as a rough guide. The UCAT consortium will release final data shortly after testing ends.
For the interim results for 2022, the total mean UCAT score is 2554.
The current interim mean scores for each section are:
Verbal Reasoning – 577
Decision Making – 631
Quantitative Reasoning – 674
Abstract Reasoning – 673
🔎 The current interim deciles for the 2022 UCAT so far are: 1st decile – 2170, 2nd decile – 2300, 3rd decile – 2400, 4th decile – 2480, 5th decile – 2560, 6th decile – 2630, 7th decile – 2710, 8th decile – 2800, 9th decile – 2940.
👉 Looking at the SJT performance of the 18,770 candidates who took the test up to 11th September, 22% scored in Band 1, 38% in Band 2, 29% in Band 3 and 11% in Band 4.
Historical UCAT Results from 2021
Based on the UCAT results from last year, the scores and deciles are as follows. They stay mostly the same over the years, so they can be used as a reasonable starting point until the UCAT consortium releases the results for 2022.
A High Score is on the 8th and 9th Decile, a score of 2730 or more.
A Medium Score is on the 6th and 7th Decile, which is currently 2570 - 2640
A Low Score is on the 5th Decile and below, translating to a score of 2500 or less.
We advise all our students who attend our UCAT Course to aim for a score of 2800 +
Regarding UCAT Situational Judgement, you must score in Band 1 or 2. Last year, only 14% of students scored in Band 1, with 36% in Band 2. Students in Band 3 with an otherwise good application risk missing out on a place, and those in Band 4 can be automatically rejected.
Suppose you fit the medical school’s widening participation criterion. In that case, your UCAT score may be ‘uplifted’, usually by a percentage or moving up into the next band. ⚠️ You will need to check with the individual medical school if you think this should be the case with your application.
Factors you should consider when choosing a medical school with a UCAT score
The university may have a calculated cut-off UCAT score (which means anyone below this is rejected), but traditionally, it has been relatively low. You can only use past cut-off scores as a guideline since the medical school may increase the score if it has more applications.
The medical school has already indicated a specific cut-off score, which is relatively low. They might only do this once the UCAT 2022 results are released.
The medical school has a weighting for the UCAT with other factors, such as A-level and GCSE results, but the weighting for the UCAT score is comparatively low to other factors. This may let you make up for a poor UCAT score with other aspects of your application.
Use the UCAT result after the interview as part of a ‘holistic’ approach, the method of which is not always specified. This may, for example, allow you to make up for a lower UCAT score with a better performance in your medical school interview.
Our list of medical schools to apply for with a low UCAT score for 2023 entry
Here is our list of medical schools to apply to with a low UCAT score for 2023 entry. This information is in good faith at the time of writing (14 August 2022), but medical schools can and do update their entry requirements. Always check with the medical school website before making a final decision.
Plymouth University Peninsula Medical School
The medical school has indicated on their website that they have a cut-off score for the UCAT, but historically, it has been on the lower side for several years.
They will use your UCAT score to decide whether to call you for an interview, but the threshold is relatively low. For the 2022 entry, this was 2610, higher than the 2021 cut-off score of 2400. The increased score may be due to the increasing number of applications.
Queen’s University Belfast Medical School
The university uses a points-based system to decide who to call for an interview. This is marked out of 42, with marks given based on your GCSE performance and UCAT score.
The school will look at your best 9 GCSEs are awarded points based on your grade in each subject, with 4 points for an A* (or nine on the new system) and 3 for an A (7 or 8) grade, 2 points for a B (6) and 1 point for a C (5). The maximum academic score based on your GCSE grades is, therefore, 36 (which is nine subjects at A*/9 at GCSE)
The remaining 6 points are based on your UCAT score, so the weight of the UCAT score is significantly less than your GCSE results. The medical school has indicated that they can use your situational judgement score if two applicants have the same score.
They then decided to call for an interview with anyone above their cut-off, 32 overall points and above in 2021. Unfortunately, this cut-off score is going up year on year.
In addition, Queen’s Belfast is also a medical school that has traditionally had a lower applicant-to-place ratio.
All our Medical School Interview courses are taught in person by Dr. Abdul Mannan, fully qualified NHS doctor and medical school tutor.
All our Medical School Interview Courses for 2023 entry are planned to be in person in Manchester, London, Glasgow and Birmingham. All come with a top lunch in a top venue.
University of Sunderland School of Medicine
The medical school has indicated on its website that ‘Scores must be within top 8 deciles of the cohort and situational judgement test (SJT) must be within bands 1-3’.
This corresponds to a UCAT score of over 2270, based on 2022 results – so this is a relatively low UCAT cut-off score. In addition, Sunderland also has a lower applicant-to-place ratio.
However, please note the admissions document on the website is dated 2021 at the time of writing, so please check before you apply that it still needs to be updated.
University of Birmingham School of Medicine
The medical school has indicated on their website that ‘weighting will be: 45% academic, 40% UCAT and 15% contextual’. Last year, it was ‘45% academic, 35% UCAT and 20% contextual’. So, the UCAT is carrying more weight this year, but you still may be able to counterbalance this with good academic scores.
Contextual scores are effectively the widening participation criterion.
However, be careful of the ‘contextual’ indicators – if you do not meet them and combined with a poor UCAT score, this could be a disadvantage, but as the weighting for contextual score has been reduced, this has less of an impact than last year.
Keele University School of Medicine
The university has indicated it does have a threshold – they have stated it can be as low as 2280, which is historically low. Students are also ranked on the ‘roles and responsibility’ form, which we assume is another written assessment you must complete – looking at the guidance, it is a significant essay type of assessment.
They have also indicated they will give reduced offers if you live in the Keele region.
Some further medical schools that you can consider applying to with a low UCAT course
These medical schools were on previous years’ lists but have either changed entry requirements, or the information is not clear:-
Aston University Medical School
The university website indicated, ‘Academic qualifications and UCAT scores into consideration for interview shortlisting, and we then use both these and MMI results to offer a place to study medicine.
However, further clear information needs to be more specific. We found a dated document on the medical school website that indicates that for the 2020/2021 entry, the lowest UKCAT (yes, that is correct, the paper says UKCAT) score for a successful applicant was 2150 and gives a scoring system for GCSE grades.
This means you can counterbalance a lower UCAT score if you can score well in the other indicators, which they have indicated are your academic qualifications and performance in your medical school interview.
University of Exeter Medical School
The university website has indicated that they will use data which is ‘weighted to create an Exeter score; 25% coming from the UCAT/GAMSAT and 75% from academic attainment’, the same as last year.
The academic attainment relates to your (we assume predicted) A-level results. However, we noticed that having an A* makes a significant difference. The medical school then ranks students based on their Exeter score to decide who to call for an interview.
Apart from your UCAT exam, you must succeed in your Medical School Interview. Come to our medical school interview course and help turn those interviews into offers!
👨⚕️ Taught in person by Dr. Abdul Mannan, a fully qualified and experienced doctor and medical school undergraduate tutor. The tutor's experience correlates to your success – we don’t compromise on this.
📚 Covers over 50 topics assessed in medical school interviews. Includes the traditional ones, such as motivation and ethics, and more modern ones, like doctors’ use of social media.
🎓 Includes role-play, practical sessions, and hot topics, including COVID-19 and vaccination
😀 The course is live in person, allowing students to practice MMI stations with expert feedback. We plan to run these in Manchester, London and Birmingham
💾 There is the option to log in to the class from home via live webinar on some dates.
📼 Complete with over 100 follow-up tutorials and an up-to-date question bank to reinforce your learning. Access us until April 2023 – hopefully, all medical schools will have interviewed by then.
You can click the link below to learn more and to book your place.
Taught in person by Dr. Abdul Mannan. Come to the front, practice MMI stations and get expert feedback on your performance.
In person courses are in a top venue with a top lunch and networking. We want you to enjoy the course as well as develop your skills.
