All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2021 entry.
UK entry requirements |
A level offer |
BBC including biology (or human biology) and chemistry |
IB score |
28 (5, 5, 5 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry, excluding core component) GCSEs as above (or equivalent) |
Standard Entry Requirements
This course is only open to students who are living in the UK and have UK home status, indefinite leave to remain or refugee status (with a letter from the home office as evidence) at the time you make your application.
You must also meet the following criteria:
You cannot apply to both the five year Medicine course and the Medicine with a Foundation Year course.
If you meet the entry requirements for the five-year Medicine course, you must only apply for the five-year Medicine course.
If you achieve ABB at A Level, choose to resit one or both of your B grades and are predicted to achieve all standard or contextual entry requirements for the five-year Medicine course, you must only apply for the five-year Medicine course.
A Levels
BBC: must include a B in both biology (or human biology) and chemistry.
A pass is normally required in science practical tests, where these are assessed separately. However, due to the pandemic and the uncertainty of practical tests taking place, this will not be required for 2021 applicants.
We will not accept citizenship studies, critical thinking, general studies, or global perspectives as your third grade.
You must study three A levels for two years and meet the entry requirements, however you can take an extra A level a year earlier or later if needed to meet the entry requirements or recommended by your school or college.
Please note we do not usually accept A levels which have taken three years to complete.
We do not accept A Level resits.
GCSEs
Five GCSEs at Grade 6 (B).
You must study biology, chemistry and physics as either individual subjects, triple science or double science. You must also study English language and maths.
We do not accept any GCSE resits.
We do not accept applied science, short course GCSEs or functional skills for English and maths.
GCSEs taken over multiple years will be accepted for home schooled students as long as they meet the entry requirements.
IB
28 (5, 5, 5 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry, excluding core component) GCSEs as above (or equivalent)
We will accept either of the maths qualifications for the IB at standard level (SL) or higher level (HL).
English language
If your home country is not the UK, but you moved to the UK (with indefinite leave to remain) within two years before taking GCSE English language or equivalent and did not achieve Level 6 then we will accept one of the following qualifications:
- IELTS 7.5 (no less than 7.0 in any element)
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 73 (minimum 67)
- Cambridge Proficiency/Advanced test (from January 2015) 191 with no element below 185
Work Experience
Applicants should complete regular work experience when applying for medicine.
This can be:
- Volunteering in a care related setting
- Volunteering with disadvantaged groups
- Paid employment in a job working with the general public
Please note, we are not expecting any work experience to have taken place or be ongoing after March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Your application for 2021 entry will not be negatively affected if you’ve been unable to complete work experience you had planned.
As part of your application we usually ask for evidence of your work experience. This may include a description of the experience, dates for when it took place, and a reference contact.
We usually send a form to candidates to complete during the application process.
If possible we'd advise that you speak to someone working in the NHS to ensure you are making an informed choice about your career in medicine.
We expect you to demonstrate a commitment to caring for people and a realistic idea of what working as a doctor entails.
Any students considering a gap year should use their time constructively either by working or further preparing yourself for a future career in medicine.
Interview and Test
You must also complete the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in the same year you are applying. We do not accept the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) for entry.
We do not have a fixed UCAT threshold score when selecting for interview.
We do not accept applicants who achieve Band 4 on the Situational Judgement Test on the UCAT.
You will be required to have an interview.
For 2021 entry, due to the pandemic, all interviews will be online using Microsoft Teams.
The interviews will:
- Have two interviewers on the panel
- Last between 30 and 45 minutes
- Include questions on four scenarios which may include role play.
Please make sure you have access to IT equipment with a webcam and microphone, reliable Wi-Fi and a quiet space. If you don’t have this at home, we would encourage you to ask your school if there is an appropriate room where you would be able to have your interview.
Interviews are offered to the top percentage of candidates based on their combined UCAT and GCSE or equivalent scores. The percentage threshold varies from year to year based on the number of applicants.
Find out more about the UCAT
Fitness to practise
We must be confident in your conduct, health and ability to be professional and interact safely with patients.
As part of your application you will be required to have an occupational health assessment and a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
If we have any serious concerns we will not offer you a place, and reserve the right to revoke offers should serious concerns arise before starting the course.
Find out more about fitness to practise
Offers
All offers are made subject to being successful at interview, and having a satisfactory occupational health assessment, DBS clearance, and no fitness to practise issues.
If you are still studying for the required qualifications and your predicted grades meet the entry requirements, offers will be conditional on you achieving those grades.
If you have already met the entry requirements, offers will be unconditional subject to having a satisfactory occupational health assessment, DBS clearance, and no fitness to practise issues.
Find out more about the undergraduate selection process.