Advice & Insight From UCAT Specialists
The average UCAT score varies each year depending on the performance of the cohort being assessed, with an average UCAT score typically ranges from 620 to 690. Candidates who score within this will have a range of options when it comes to choosing their four universities.
At Leicester Medical, there is no cut-off score for the UCAT. Instead, selection for interview is based on 50% academics and 50% overall UCAT score. These are then converted to a score between 0 and 32, which are then combined to give a total score out of 64. Candidates with the most points are thus invited to interview.
The breakdown of points for GCSE is as follows:
For the UCAT, the total score is converted as follows:
For example, a score between 3199 and 3150 results in 31.5 points
The table below shows the historical cut-off scores for students with predicted A-levels applying for Leicester Medical:
Leicester rejects students prior to interview if they are in Band 4 for the Situational Judgement Test. However, for candidates that are considered ‘borderline’ (near the points cut off for that intake), Leicester may look at the candidates ‘personal qualities’ through use of their personal statement and references as a more holistic approach.
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Liverpool processes their applications in three stages. The first stage involves grading the candidate’s top 9 GCSEs including English Language, Maths and the Sciences. Their grading system is as follows:
Candidates who meet or exceed the minimum academic requirements (which is typically set at around 15 points), then proceed to stage two, where their UCAT score is considered. The following table shows the historical cut-off data for UCAT scores:
From here, students are invited to attend the third stage, which is an interview.
The threshold scores for Newcastle vary each year based on the performance of the candidates. Newcastle states that they do not use the situational judgement test as part of their admissions process.
Historical thresholds for selection for interview are as follows:
Note: the 2017 threshold is based on 3 domains, rather than four.
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Like many other medical schools, East Anglia states that they do not have an explicit cut-off UCAT score, also opting to use UCAT alongside a candidate’s academic results/predicted A-levels. Historically, academics have contributed to two-thirds of the weighting, while the UCAT has been given one-third. Although this means that excellent academics can in some cases compensate for a lower UCAT score, candidates in the 3rd decile or lower are unlikely to be invited to interview.
Academics and UCAT are used in the following way:
The situational judgement test is considered in conjunction with the candidate’s interview score as well as their overall UKCAT score to make offers of place.
Queen Mary University uses a 50:50 weighting for UCAT scores and academic ability. Candidates are then ranked as measured by UCAS tariff or academic ability for graduates (based on a weighting of degree classification or postgraduate degrees) compared to other applicants who apply in that same year.
You will not be offered an interview if you obtained a total UKCAT score below the third decile. Please note there is no guarantee that you will be offered an interview if you score above the third decile.
Sheffield Medical School screens students to ensure that they attain their minimum requirements of an overall UKCAT score of at least 2470 and at least five subjects with an A-grade in GSCE. The UCAT score is then used to rank students for interview. Historically, candidates in the 2017 intake were required to gain an average of 667 in the UCAT to be selected for an interview. Sheffield does not allow for a candidate’s academic results to compensate for a low UCAT score.
St George’s University has a minimum total score as well as the requirement of at least 500 for each of the four sections. Historically, the cut-off for the overall scores has been as follows:
This typically equates to about the top 40% of those sitting the UKCAT.
Hull York, use the applicants total UCAT score alongside their GCSE results to select for interview. Each of these three parameters is used to rank candidates by awarding them points out of 85. The top 50% of the rank list are invited to interview. The breakdown of how points are allocated is as follows:
Historically, the average UKCAT score for those interviewed was 663 for the 2017 cohort. The SJT plays a larger role in Hull-York’s selection which means that a candidate’s UCAT score may not have to be as high.
Bristol has very recently changed how it selects students for interview. Previously the key focus was on a candidate’s personal statement. However, their focus has now shifted to make their selection based on overall UCAT scores as well as academic performance, stating that in the 2017/2018 admissions process, candidates with a score of 2660 would have been invited to interview.
Bristol also states that personal statements may be used to differentiate between applicants with identical interview scores, but UKCAT scores will still be the primary differentiator. The SJT is not used.
Dundee medical school rank applicants for interview based on a candidate’s academics (both GCSEs and achieved/predicted A-Levels with a weighting of 60%) and overall UCAT score (40% contribution). Candidates are sorted into ten groups based on their UCAT score. The heavier weighting for academic scores can compensate a lower UCAT score in some cases, however historically; the average overall UCAT score for candidates invited to interview has been 2740.
Exeter’s primarily focuses on predicted grades (academic profile) when selecting for an interview. Candidates are placed into tiers depending on these, with actual A-level grades slightly favoured over predicted A-levels. Candidates who are placed in the top tier are invited to interview. A candidate’s overall UCAT score is only used when there are a large number of candidates in the top tier. The breakdown of the grades required for each of the different tiers.
Glasgow University uses the UCAT score in conjunction with its minimum academic and non-academic entry requirements as an initial screening for suitability. Once passed the initial screening, the UCAT score is used to determine which candidates should be interviewed. Historically, for the 2017 and 2016 cohorts, the lowest score considered for interview was 663 and 670 respectively. Glasgow does not use the SJT as part of its selection process for interview.
Manchester also uses academic screening in their initial stage of selection, from there they rank candidates based on their UCAT scores. The historical cut-offs are as follows:
Manchester states that “if your UCAT score is in the approximately the top third of all results nationally then you will be invited to interview based on our UCAT threshold as long as you meet our minimum academic requirements”. The cut-off score is lower for those who are eligible for their Widening Participation (WP) programme.
Manchester also considers candidates who did not perform as well in the UCAT, using a holistic judgement which includes the candidates GCSE grades, A-level profile, additional qualifications, NAI form etc. They do not consider applicants who have scored Band 4 in the SJT.
