UCAT Universities

How Do UCAT Universities Use Scores?

The approach to scores varies with each UCAT university. Some will only shortlist candidates who meet a cut-off UCAT score, while others weight the score alongside other things like your Personal Statement or academic history.

The best way to understand how your UCAT score will be used is to check directly with the admissions team at each university.

But to give you a hand narrowing this down, we’ve extensively researched UCAT unis to bring you an overview of which ones require UCAT – and what they say about how your score will be used.

UCAT Universities In The UK

In the UK, there are currently 31 Medical Schools which require the UCAT as part of their admissions criteria. A small number of Medical Schools (currently 6) require the BMAT instead. The BMAT is being discontinued in 2024, so it’s possible that some BMAT universities will switch to UCAT next year. Leeds, a former BMAT university, has already switched to UCAT this year.

The UCAT universities are:

• Aberdeen University. They shortlist candidates by considering UCAT scores alongside academic achievements. For 2023 entry, the average score invited to interview was 2,760 (UK applicants excluding Scotland) and 2,670 (Scottish applicants).
• Anglia Ruskin University. They rank candidates by UCAT score and the cut-off was 2,640 for 2022 entry.
• Aston University. All SJT bands are accepted and your UCAT score counts for 1/3 of the shortlisting process. Your academic qualifications account for the remaining 2/3.
• Birmingham University. UCAT represents 40% of your application score. There is no minimum UCAT cut-off score.
• Bristol University. After minimum academic entry requirements are met, they score applications with a 100% weighting on UCAT. For 2022 entry, the interview threshold was 2,870.
• Cardiff University. They will use your UCAT score as part of the selection process if they are oversubscribed with applicants who have exceptional academic scores.
• Dundee University. Your score will be used alongside academic ability, but they don’t outline how.
• Edge Hill University. They rank candidates by UCAT score to shortlist for interview, once minimum eligibility and academic criteria have been met.
• Edinburgh University. Their UCAT cut-off score for interview was 2,470 for 2023 entry. You will also be rejected if you get Band 4 in SJT.
• Exeter University. UCAT counts for 25% of shortlisting with academic performance counting for 75%.
• Glasgow University. Applicants who meet all screening criteria are allocated interviews based on UCAT score. For 2022 entry, the lowest score for interview was 2,870 (UK applicants excluding Scotland) and 2,640 (Scottish applicants).
• Hull York Medical School. You’ll get scored out of 40 for your UCAT score and out of 30 for your GCSEs. Up to 15 points are allocated for your SJT banding, and they have a minimum requirement of Bands 1-3 in SJT.
• Keele University. You need to meet a cut-off score of above 2,280 to be considered.
• Kent and Medway Medical School. You have to get at least Band 3 in SJT and meet the cut-off score (previously 2,470 in 2021-22) to be considered.
• King’s College London. The overall UCAT score is averaged out across the four subtests, rather than using individual subtest scores, and SJT is also taken into account. For 2023 entry, the mean score for interviewees was 2,930.
• Leicester University. They give 50:50 weighting to UCAT score and academic ability.
• Leeds University. Leeds previously used the BMAT, but they have switched to UCAT for 2024 entry onwards.
• Liverpool University. They rank candidates by UCAT score to shortlist for interview. In 2021-22, they considered 2,620 to be a competitive score.
• Manchester University. They apply a threshold, which was 2,750 in 2022-23. They say that if you meet that year’s threshold and achieve Band 1/2 in SJT, you will likely be invited to interview.
• Newcastle University. They rank applicants for interview based on UCAT scores. For 2022 entry, the threshold was 2,800.
• Norwich Medical School (UEA). They use UCAT scores to rank applicants for interview selection. They say: “A high score is advantageous; a low score does not disqualify an applicant from consideration.”
• Nottingham University. You’ll be given points for your score, with Verbal Reasoning getting double points. SJT is scored separately and given the same weight as all cognitive elements of the UCAT combined.
• Plymouth University. They consider UCAT results alongside GCSEs and A-Levels. The cut-off score was 2,610 for 2022 entry.
• Queen Mary University of London (Barts). Your UCAT score and UCAS tariff are given 50:50 weighting. For 2022, the lowest UCAT score for interview selection was 2,360.
• Queen’s University Belfast. UCAT will be scored (out of 6) and used in conjunction with a GCSE score to rank for interview.
• Sheffield University. Candidates who meet minimum academic requirements are ranked by their UCAT score for interview selection. In 2022-23, the interview cut-off was 2,850.
• Southampton University. Applicants are ranked by UCAT score to determine who will be invited to a Selection Day. The UCAT score is reviewed again alongside Selection Day performance to decide who will receive an offer.
• St Andrews University. This UCAT uni ranks you by score and you must be within the top 500 or so to get shortlisted for interview. In recent years, the lowest score for applicants invited to interview has been around 2,400.
• St George’s, University of London. You’ll be ranked by score and their standard requirement is 500 in each section. For 2022, the cut-off score was 2,710.
• Sunderland University. You must be within the top 8 deciles and SJT Band 3 or above to be considered.
• Warwick University. The UCAT score required to secure a place at their Selection Centre varies year on year. You need to achieve at least the overall mean score in Verbal Reasoning. For 2022 entry, the minimum UCAT score for invitation to the Selection Centre was 2,660.

The above information is what UCAT universities are currently saying on their websites about the UCAT – but as always, please check individual university websites for the most up-to-date information before you apply.

UCAT Universities In ANZ

A number of universities in Australia and New Zealand require you to sit the UCAT ANZ. These are:

• The University of Adelaide (Medicine, Dental Surgery, Oral Health)
• Charles Sturt University (Dental Science)
• Curtin University (Medicine)
• Flinders University (Clinical Sciences / Medicine)
• Monash University (Medicine)
• The University of Newcastle / University of New England (Joint Medical Program)
• The University of New South Wales (Medicine)
• The University of Queensland (Medicine (provisional entry), Dental Science)
• University of Tasmania (Medicine)
• The University of Western Australia (Medicine (Direct Pathway), Dental Medicine (Direct Pathway))
• Western Sydney University (Medicine)
• The University of Auckland (Medicine)
• University of Otago (Medicine, Dental Surgery)

Which UCAT Unis Should I Apply To?

Luckily, you’ll get your UCAT results before the application deadline. This means you’ll know how your score compares to other applicants, so you’ll know whether you should apply to universities that require a high score or ones that place less emphasis on that one aspect of your application.

If you scored highly, it might be a good idea to apply to universities that place a lot of emphasis on the UCAT. Many of these have a UCAT cut-off score and rank their applicants this way – so the higher your score, the higher your chance of getting an interview.

If you didn’t get the score you were hoping for, it’s a good idea to apply to universities that place more emphasis on other admissions criteria. Some Medical Schools put more weighting on academic achievements. BMAT universities might also become more appealing in this instance.

Find out more: Where To Apply With A High UCAT Score; Where To Apply With An Average UCAT Score; Where To Apply With A Low UCAT Score