BMAT is gone. Here is the honest, verified list of UK medical schools where the UCAT is not the only route in for 2027 entry — including genuine GAMSAT-only courses, GAMSAT-or-UCAT choices, and the one school with no admissions test at all.
Book a Free ConsultationIf you are searching for UK medical schools that skip the UCAT for 2027 entry, the honest answer is that there are very few of them — and the landscape is narrower than most "UCAT-free medical schools" lists suggest. The BMAT, which once let Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and a handful of others avoid the UCAT, was discontinued after its final sitting in October 2023 and does not exist for 2027 entry at all. What remains is a small, genuinely useful set of alternatives: one private medical school with no standardised test whatsoever, a group of graduate-entry courses where GAMSAT replaces the UCAT outright, and several courses that let applicants choose between GAMSAT and UCAT. There is also a common myth worth busting immediately — several graduate-entry ("GEM") courses still require the UCAT, so switching to a four-year accelerated route does not automatically get you out of it. This page verifies each school's own admissions page for the 2027 cycle, rather than repeating a recycled list, and builds a complete, sourced reference table you can check your target schools against.
For a standard, school-leaver place straight from A-levels, realistically only one UK medical school avoids UCAT, BMAT and GAMSAT entirely: the University of Buckingham. Everyone else applying via the conventional five- or six-year route to any of the 37+ UK medical schools our medical school guides cover will need to sit the UCAT, full stop.
Where things open up is graduate-entry medicine (GEM) — the accelerated four-year courses designed for applicants who already hold, or are completing, an undergraduate degree. Within that category, admissions test policy varies enormously by institution: some GEM courses require GAMSAT only, some let you choose GAMSAT or UCAT, and — this is the part that catches people out — some GEM courses require UCAT only, with no GAMSAT option at all. There is no single rule. Each university sets its own policy, and it can change between cycles, so the table further down this page is built entirely from each institution's own published 2026/27-cycle admissions requirements, checked directly rather than taken from a generic secondary list.
Before 2024, the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) was the standard alternative to the UCAT at Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, and Lancaster University. Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, the body that ran the BMAT, discontinued the test after its final sitting in October 2023. Leeds, which had also used BMAT, switched to the UCAT a year earlier, from 2024 entry. All of the remaining former BMAT universities — Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Brighton and Sussex, and Lancaster — completed their move to the UCAT for 2025 entry, and there has been no reversal since. See our own school-by-school guides for Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, Brighton and Sussex and Lancaster for how each now uses the UCAT specifically.
For 2027 entry, then, the practical conclusion is simple: BMAT is not a live option anywhere in the UK. No medical school has announced plans to reinstate it, and no new medical school has adopted it since its discontinuation. If a preparation company, forum thread, or older blog post tells you a UK medical school "uses BMAT" for 2026 or 2027 entry, that information is out of date. The only two admissions tests that matter for UK medicine in the current cycle are the UCAT and GAMSAT (plus, for a small number of international-applicant pathways, the MCAT). Our BMAT history and what replaced it guide covers the full transition timeline if you want the background.
The University of Buckingham's MB ChB is genuinely unusual among UK medicine courses: applicants do not sit the UCAT, the BMAT (while it existed), or GAMSAT at any stage. Instead, Buckingham runs its own three-stage in-house selection process. Stage one is academic screening based on your written application, predicted or achieved grades, and personal statement. Stage two is a Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA) — a computer-based exercise testing analysis, interpretation and judgement, similar in spirit to a situational judgement test but designed and marked entirely by Buckingham itself. Stage three is a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), covering communication, ethical reasoning, teamwork, and clinical scenario interpretation across a series of short stations.
The trade-off is significant and worth understanding before you treat Buckingham as a simple "UCAT workaround." Buckingham is a private university, so its medicine course is self-funded rather than covered by the same government-backed funding arrangements as public medical schools, and total fees for the accelerated 4.5-year programme run considerably higher than a public university course over the same period. For UK students who are confident they will do well on the UCAT, or who are eligible for standard NHS-linked funding at a public medical school, Buckingham is rarely the first choice purely to dodge an admissions test. Where it genuinely earns consideration is for strong candidates who have a specific reason to avoid standardised aptitude testing — for example a documented difficulty with timed multiple-choice formats that interview-based assessment sidesteps more naturally — and who have the means to self-fund.
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Whether you are weighing up UCAT preparation, considering a GAMSAT-based graduate-entry route, or trying to work out which of these test categories actually applies to your target schools, our specialist tutors can map your options against real 2027-entry requirements. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
The most reliable genuinely UCAT-free routes into UK medicine sit within graduate-entry (GEM) programmes that require GAMSAT and nothing else. We verified this directly against two institutions' own admissions pages:
City St George's, University of London (formerly St George's, University of London) runs a Graduate Entry Programme requiring GAMSAT, with a minimum score of 50 in each individual section plus an overall threshold that is recalculated every year. There is no UCAT alternative on this course — GAMSAT is the sole admissions test. See our St George's medical school guide for the wider picture on entry requirements and interviews.
Ulster University's Graduate Entry Medicine (A101) similarly requires GAMSAT only, with a minimum average score of 50 across sections and an overall threshold applicants must clear before being invited to a Multiple Mini Interview.
Beyond these two directly-verified examples, the official GAMSAT UK universities list published by ACER (the test's administering body) names a further group of institutions accepting GAMSAT for graduate-entry medicine: the University of Sunderland, the University of East Anglia, Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, the University of Worcester, the University of Liverpool, and the University of Plymouth. At most of these, GAMSAT sits alongside UCAT as one of several accepted tests rather than the only option — the exact policy varies by course and by year, so always confirm the live requirement on the specific university's admissions page before you commit to a preparation plan. Our Sunderland, East Anglia, Liverpool and Plymouth guides cover each school's wider admissions picture.
This is the single most common misconception we hear from applicants considering a graduate-entry route specifically to avoid the UCAT — and it is worth correcting directly, because assuming otherwise can derail an entire application timeline. Several UK graduate-entry medicine courses require the UCAT, not GAMSAT, and offer no alternative:
Warwick Medical School's graduate-entry-only MBChB — Warwick does not offer a standard school-leaver medicine course at all, only this four-year accelerated programme — requires all applicants to sit the UCAT (or UCATSEN where appropriate) in the year of application. There is no GAMSAT option. See our Warwick medical school guide for full entry requirements.
The University of Nottingham's Graduate Entry Medicine (A101) likewise requires the UCAT, with no GAMSAT alternative published for this course. Our Nottingham medical school guide has the detail on cut-offs and interview format.
Barts and The London's Graduate Entry Programme (A101) at Queen Mary University of London requires applicants to sit the UCAT in the year of application, and its own selection criteria state explicitly that UCAT exemptions or waivers are not granted under any circumstances — one of the firmest positions of any UK medical school on this point. See our Barts and The London guide for more.
The practical lesson: never assume a four-year accelerated medicine course is UCAT-free just because it is labelled "graduate entry." Each institution sets its own test policy independently, and you should verify the specific course's current requirement before ruling the UCAT out of your preparation plan.
A third category sits between the two extremes above: graduate-entry (and in one case, standard-entry) courses that accept either GAMSAT or UCAT, letting applicants play to their strengths.
Imperial College London's MBBS Medicine (Graduate Entry) programme — distinct from Imperial's standard six-year course, which requires UCAT only — accepts either GAMSAT or UCAT. This sits alongside Imperial's standard-entry course; see our Imperial medical school guide for the difference between the two routes.
Swansea University's Medicine (Graduate Entry) MB BCh accepts GAMSAT or UCAT for home applicants, and additionally accepts the MCAT for international applicants. Our Swansea guide covers the wider entry profile.
University of Chester's Graduate Entry Medicine MBChB is the most flexible of the group, accepting whichever of UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT an applicant meets the minimum threshold mark in — thresholds are set above the national mean each year and are not fixed in advance.
Brunel University London's Medicine MBBS requires home applicants to sit either the UCAT or GAMSAT, while international applicants face no admissions test requirement at all for this course.
One of the highest-value inclusions on this page for 2027-cycle applicants specifically is the University of Surrey's new Medicine (Graduate Entry) BMBS course, which opens for its first intake in September 2027. Surrey's own admissions page confirms it accepts GAMSAT as the primary route into the course. Applicants may submit a UCAT score instead, but only if they hold a relevant science degree — specifically in Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Science, Chemistry or Natural Sciences. In other words, Surrey is best described as GAMSAT-first with a conditional, degree-restricted UCAT alternative, rather than a genuine free choice between the two tests. Entry otherwise requires a minimum 2:1 UK honours degree in any subject, GCSE English and Maths at grade C/5 or above, and (for international applicants) IELTS Academic 7.0 overall with at least 7.0 in every component. Because this is a brand-new medical school, expect competition data and cut-off scores to be thin for the first couple of application cycles — treat any early "predicted cut-off" you see online with appropriate caution until Surrey publishes its own outcome statistics.
A final, easily-missed category exists at schools where the admissions test depends on your personal academic timeline rather than which named course you apply to. The clearest example is the University of Exeter's BMBS Medicine. Exeter's own admissions requirements state that candidates applying with predicted or achieved A-levels must sit the UCAT, but candidates applying with an existing degree — or where more than two full academic years have passed since completing their A-levels — must sit GAMSAT instead. This is not a separate "graduate entry" course; it is the same five-year BMBS programme, with the required test determined by your applicant profile. Our Exeter medical school guide covers the wider entry picture.
Keele University runs a related but distinct policy: standard A-level entrants sit the UCAT only, while graduate applicants who do not meet Keele's A-level or science GCSE requirements through their existing academic record must sit GAMSAT in addition to the UCAT, rather than instead of it. Keele is therefore not a UCAT-free route for graduates — it can require both tests. See our Keele guide for the full breakdown. St Andrews' standard BSc Medicine (Gateway) programme requires the UCAT for all applicants, but the joint St Andrews and Dundee graduate-entry route (A101) accepts GAMSAT — a useful distinction if you are specifically targeting Scotland. Our St Andrews guide has more detail.
The table below summarises every school and course covered on this page, grouped by how genuinely "UCAT-free" the option actually is. Where a course accepts more than one test, we have listed all accepted options rather than simplifying — the nuance matters if you are choosing a strategy based on this table.
| School / Course | Route | 2027-Entry Admissions Test |
|---|---|---|
| University of Buckingham MB ChB | Standard entry (private) | No UCAT/BMAT/GAMSAT — own MMA + MMI |
| City St George's, University of London GEP | Graduate entry | GAMSAT only |
| Ulster University GEM (A101) | Graduate entry | GAMSAT only |
| University of Exeter BMBS (mature entrants) | Standard course, degree-holders | GAMSAT only (UCAT for fresh A-level entrants) |
| University of Surrey GEM (opens 2027) | Graduate entry | GAMSAT primary; UCAT only with a listed science degree |
| Imperial College London GEP | Graduate entry | GAMSAT or UCAT |
| Swansea University GEM | Graduate entry | GAMSAT or UCAT (home); + MCAT (international) |
| University of Chester GEM | Graduate entry | UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT (threshold-based) |
| Brunel University London MBBS (home) | Standard entry | UCAT or GAMSAT |
| St Andrews / Dundee joint GEM (A101) | Graduate entry | GAMSAT |
| Sunderland / East Anglia / Pears Cumbria / Worcester / Liverpool / Plymouth | Mixed / graduate entry | GAMSAT accepted per ACER's official list — confirm exact policy with each school |
| Keele University (graduates without science background) | Standard + graduate | UCAT always required; GAMSAT added on top if criteria unmet |
| Warwick Medical School MBChB | Graduate entry only | UCAT only — no GAMSAT option |
| University of Nottingham GEM (A101) | Graduate entry | UCAT only — no GAMSAT option |
| Barts and The London GEP (A101), QMUL | Graduate entry | UCAT only — no exemptions granted |
| Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial (standard), UCL, Brighton & Sussex, Lancaster, Leeds | Standard entry | UCAT (all switched from BMAT by 2025 entry) |
| All other UK medical schools (majority) | Standard entry | UCAT |
Full details on cut-off scores and how each school weights the UCAT within its selection process are covered in our UCAT score requirements guide and our five-year UCAT cut-off trends article.
Having built this list from scratch, our honest strategic advice is that most applicants should not centre an entire application strategy around avoiding the UCAT. The genuinely test-free route (Buckingham) involves a significant funding trade-off. The genuinely GAMSAT-only routes (City St George's, Ulster, and Exeter's mature-entrant pathway) require you to already hold, or be completing, an undergraduate degree — they are not accessible to a school-leaver applicant this cycle. And several courses that sound like an easy UCAT bypass because they are labelled "graduate entry" — Warwick, Nottingham GEM, Barts GEP — require the UCAT just as firmly as any standard-entry course.
For the substantial majority of applicants to UK medicine in the 2027 cycle, the more productive strategy is to prepare thoroughly for the UCAT rather than search for a way around it. If you are weighing up whether a lower-than-hoped UCAT score changes your school strategy, our strategic guide to UCAT scores and school choice is a useful next read. If you are earlier in your preparation and want a structured plan, see our UCAT preparation hub or our dedicated UCAT tutoring service. If your circumstances genuinely point toward a graduate-entry, GAMSAT-based route — for example, you are a science graduate reconsidering medicine, or an international applicant weighing GAMSAT against UCAT — our specialist tutors can help you evaluate which specific schools and tests best fit your academic background before you commit significant preparation time to either exam.
For 2027 entry, the only UK medical school with no standardised admissions test at all is the University of Buckingham, which uses its own Multiple Mini Assessment and Multiple Mini Interview instead of UCAT, BMAT or GAMSAT. Beyond that, a genuinely UCAT-free route exists mainly through graduate-entry medicine, where GAMSAT replaces UCAT as the required test — for example City St George's, University of London, and Ulster University both require GAMSAT with no UCAT alternative. Several other graduate-entry courses, including Imperial College London, Swansea and Chester, let applicants choose between GAMSAT and UCAT. There is no UK medical school offering a standard school-leaver place with zero admissions test other than Buckingham.
No. The BMAT was discontinued by Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing after its final sitting in October 2023. Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, UCL, Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Lancaster University all moved fully to the UCAT, with the switch complete by 2025 entry (Leeds moved a year earlier, for 2024 entry). For 2027 entry, there is no live BMAT pathway anywhere in the UK, and no medical school has announced plans to reinstate it.
According to the official GAMSAT UK universities list, GAMSAT is accepted for graduate-entry medicine at Brunel University London, University of Chester, University of Exeter, University of East Anglia, Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, Keele University, University of Liverpool, University of Plymouth, St Andrews and Dundee's joint graduate-entry route, City St George's University of London, University of Sunderland, University of Surrey, Swansea University, Ulster University and University of Worcester. At most of these, GAMSAT is one of two or three accepted tests rather than the only option, so always check the specific course's current admissions test policy before applying.
No — this is one of the most common misunderstandings among applicants. Several graduate-entry (four-year, accelerated) medicine courses still require the UCAT rather than GAMSAT. Warwick Medical School's graduate-entry MBChB requires UCAT only, Nottingham's Graduate Entry Medicine (A101) requires UCAT only, and Barts and The London's Graduate Entry Programme (A101) at Queen Mary University of London requires UCAT with no waivers or exemptions granted. Being a graduate applicant does not automatically exempt you from the UCAT — each course sets its own test policy.
For a standard school-leaver place, realistically only the University of Buckingham avoids UCAT, BMAT and GAMSAT entirely, and it is a private medical school with self-funded tuition rather than the same funding model as public universities. If you already hold, or are completing, an undergraduate degree, a genuinely UCAT-free graduate-entry route exists at City St George's, University of London and at Ulster University, both of which use GAMSAT only. Everyone else applying to UK medicine should plan to sit the UCAT, since it remains the default test at the large majority of medical schools for 2027 entry.
The University of Surrey's Graduate Entry Medicine BMBS course, opening for September 2027 entry, accepts GAMSAT as its primary admissions test. Applicants may submit UCAT instead, but only if they hold a relevant science degree — specifically Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Science, Chemistry or Natural Sciences. This makes Surrey a GAMSAT-first course with a conditional UCAT alternative, rather than a course where applicants can freely choose either test.
Leading Tuition's specialist tutors help medicine applicants map their personal circumstances — A-levels versus an existing degree, UCAT versus GAMSAT strengths, and target medical schools — onto the admissions test route that gives them the strongest realistic chance. For the large majority of applicants who will need to sit the UCAT regardless of which schools they choose, our tutors provide structured UCAT preparation built around each school's cut-offs and subtest weighting. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot. Book a free consultation or message us on WhatsApp to discuss your options.
Whether you need UCAT preparation or want to weigh up a GAMSAT-based graduate-entry route, our specialist tutors can help. Rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot.
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