Practical guidance from the Leading Tuition team
Book a Free ConsultationIf you are applying to medical school in 2026, your UCAT score is one of the most consequential numbers you will produce all year — yet the score you need depends entirely on where you apply, how competitive that year's applicant pool turns out to be, and how the admissions team weights different components. Cut-offs vary dramatically between institutions: a score that earns you an interview at one school might not even clear the initial filter at another. Understanding why those thresholds shift from year to year, and what the five-year trajectory looks like, gives you a genuine strategic advantage when building your UCAS choices.
For international applicants, the published UCAT cut-off is only part of the picture — the more decisive constraint is how few places exist in the first place. UK medical schools cap international (non-UK) admissions at around 7.5% of each school's total intake, a limit imposed by the Higher Education Funding Council framework that still governs UK medical school places today. The University of Oxford's own admissions statistics page confirms it is "required by the Higher Education Funding Council to limit the number of international...medical students admitted to a maximum of 7.5% across both the standard (A100) and Graduate Entry (A101) courses." Nationally, this scarcity means an international UCAT threshold is frequently higher than the headline domestic figure, even where a school publishes only one number.
Oxford's own 2025-cycle data (the admissions round for 2026 entry) shows the gap concretely. Of more than 210 complete international applications, 32 were shortlisted with a mean UCAT score of 2,537.2 out of 2,700 — notably higher than the 2,377.5 mean across all shortlisted applicants that year — and only 8 ultimately received an offer. Newcastle University's admissions data tells a similar story over a longer run: its International Interview Threshold has moved 2,870 (2022 entry), 2,600 (2023 entry), 2,910 (2024 entry) and 2,980 (2025 entry) on the old 3,600-point scale, running above its Home/EU A100 Core threshold in three of those four years. Newcastle states plainly that for international applicants, "following the screen for achieved or predicted academic results, UCAT score will form the sole basis for ranking and selection for interview" — meaning the personal statement and reference weighting that can offset a UCAT shortfall for some home applicants carries far less influence for international candidates there specifically.
Individual schools also set explicit international-only floors rather than relying on a single blended threshold. Keele University requires international applicants to score at least 1,950 — already expressed on the new 2,700-point scale for 2026 entry — and to achieve Bands 1 to 3 in the Situational Judgement Test. A score below 1,950, or a Band 4 SJT result, is an automatic rejection for international candidates, a stricter bar than Keele's general 1,700 minimum for home applicants. Applicants should treat any published international-specific threshold as a genuine floor rather than a target, given how few places sit above it.
Because each school's international quota typically runs to only a few dozen places a year, two schools quoting a similar UCAT threshold can represent very different odds depending on how many international applicants compete for those places — a school offering 30 places against 600 applicants is a materially different proposition from one offering 30 places against 2,000 applicants, even where the published cut-offs match exactly. Applicants should check each target school's international applicant volume alongside its UCAT threshold rather than the threshold in isolation, and should budget for the Immigration Health Surcharge, visa costs, and — for Scotland and Northern Ireland — the Additional Cost of Teaching levy that accompanies an international offer. For country-specific UCAT strategy, see our UCAT guide for international students and our UCAT score benchmarks for international applicants.
A common misconception is that medical schools publish a fixed minimum UCAT score before applications open. In reality, cut-offs are set post-hoc — that is, after the application window closes and the full cohort's scores are known. Admissions teams typically rank all applicants by a composite score (which may combine UCAT total, SJT band, predicted grades, and sometimes a personal statement score), then draw a line based on how many candidates they can realistically interview given their capacity.
This means the threshold rises in years when the applicant pool is stronger or larger, and falls slightly when it weakens. National UCAT statistics published by the UCAT Consortium each autumn show the mean total score and decile boundaries — these are the figures admissions tutors use to calibrate their filters. In 2023, the mean UCAT total across all UK test-takers was approximately 2,520 (out of 3,600). In 2024, it shifted marginally, reflecting changes in test-taker preparation and cohort size.
Because cut-offs are reactive rather than fixed, applicants cannot simply look up a number and aim for it. What they can do is study the trend — and that is exactly what the tables below are designed to help with.
Every historical cut-off quoted for 2022–2025 entry in this guide — and on almost every other UCAT resource you will find — sits on the old 3,600-point scale. That scale no longer exists for 2026 entry onward, and conflating the two is the single most common mistake applicants make when reading last year's guidance. The University of Oxford's own admissions statistics page makes the point directly: for its 2025 admissions cycle (2026 entry) it states "the UCAT no longer includes the section on Abstract Reasoning, so all scores were out of 2700 (instead of 3600 in 2024)," and it deliberately excludes overall-score comparisons with 2024 for exactly this reason.
Until the test sat in 2024 (used for 2025 entry), the UCAT scored four cognitive subtests — Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning — each on a 300–900 scale, for a maximum combined total of 3,600. From the test sat in 2025 (the first cohort applying for 2026 entry), the UCAT Consortium permanently removed Abstract Reasoning, citing its lower predictive validity and high coachability relative to the other three subtests. The cognitive total is now the sum of three subtests only, giving a new maximum of 2,700. The Situational Judgement Test has never counted toward this numeric total on either scale — it is, and remains, reported separately as Band 1 to 4.
In the final year Abstract Reasoning existed (2024), its national average section score was 653 out of 900 — the highest-scoring of the four subtests that year (Verbal Reasoning averaged 601, Decision Making 620, Quantitative Reasoning 649). Because AR consistently added more to the old total than the other subtests, two rough conversion methods are commonly used to compare an old-scale figure with the new scale:
| Old Scale (out of 3,600) | Approx. New Scale (out of 2,700) | Old-Scale Percentile Context (2024 cohort) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,900 | ~2,175–2,250 | Roughly top 5% |
| 2,800 | ~2,100–2,150 | Roughly top 10% |
| 2,700 | ~2,025–2,050 | Roughly top 20% |
| 2,600 | ~1,950 | Roughly top 30% |
| 2,523 (2024 national mean) | ~1,870 (published equivalent) | Median / national average |
| 2,400 | ~1,750–1,800 | Below the national median |
Both conversion methods are approximations, not official UCAT Consortium figures — the Consortium's own recalculated 2024 deciles (a published equivalent of approximately 1,870 for the median) are the more reliable anchor where available.
Applied to the national picture: the 2024 cohort's mean total was approximately 2,516–2,523 on the old scale (37,913 candidates sat the test that year); recalculated without Abstract Reasoning, the equivalent three-subtest mean was approximately 1,870 out of 2,700. The UCAT Consortium's final published mean for the first cohort actually sitting the new three-subtest format in 2025 was 1,891 out of 2,700 — confirmed independently via the University of Oxford's own admissions statistics page, which cites this as "the final total cognitive mean scaled score for all UCAT test-takers in 2025." Final 2025 section means were Verbal Reasoning 602 (601 in 2024), Decision Making 628 (620 in 2024) and Quantitative Reasoning 661 (649 in 2024).
Universities are adjusting their published thresholds accordingly rather than leaving old numbers in place:
| Medical School | 2026 Entry Figure (out of 2,700) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | Mean 2,217.5 (all applicants) · 2,377.5 (shortlisted) · 2,407.1 (offer-holders) | 2025 admissions cycle (first year on new scale); official Medical Sciences Division data |
| University of Edinburgh | 1,650 (minimum) | Weighted 50% academic / 35% UCAT / 15% SJT; Band 4 SJT rejected outright |
| University of Sheffield | 1,800 (minimum) | Approximately the 40th percentile historically; most interview invites go well above this floor |
| University of Manchester | ~1,800–1,900 (estimated competitive score) | University's own published estimate; Band 1 or 2 SJT expected alongside |
| Keele University (international applicants) | 1,950 (minimum) | Bands 1–3 SJT required; below 1,950 or a Band 4 SJT is an automatic rejection |
Queen's University Belfast has gone further and re-weighted its points system rather than just re-stating a number — increasing UCAT's share from 6 out of 42 points to 9 out of 45 points specifically to preserve UCAT's relative influence now that the raw ceiling is lower. Any cut-off you read that does not specify which scale it uses should be treated with caution.
The following schools are consistently among the most score-selective in the UK. Oxford and Imperial joined the UCAT system for 2024 entry, replacing the now-abolished BMAT, which has significantly affected their applicant dynamics. All figures below are approximate thresholds (total UCAT score out of 3,600) based on published data, freedom of information responses, and widely reported applicant outcomes.
| Medical School | 2022 Entry | 2023 Entry | 2024 Entry | 2025 Entry | What the Figure Represents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Bristol | — | — | 2,940 | ~2,870 | Interview threshold (100% UCAT-weighted after academic minimum met) |
| Newcastle University (A100 Core) | 2,820 | 2,800 | 2,820 | 2,490 | Interview threshold, Home/EU Core applicants (official university data) |
| Newcastle University (A101, 6-year) | 3,010 | 2,930 | 2,820 | 2,740 | Interview threshold, widening-access/gateway route (official university data) |
| Edge Hill University | — | 2,748 (avg) | — | — | Average score among interviewed applicants |
| King's College London | — | — | 2,710 | — | Interview cut-off (UCAT averaged across subtests, plus SJT) |
| University of Manchester | — | — | — | 2,710 | Ranking threshold (Band 1/2 SJT expected alongside) |
| University of Birmingham | — | — | 2,700 | — | Lowest score among interviewed applicants (UCAT = 40% of overall score) |
| University of Aberdeen | — | — | 2,690 | — | Cut-off used alongside academic score |
Oxford and Imperial do not publish directly comparable multi-year figures on the old scale — Oxford's own admissions statistics page states it withheld a 2024-vs-2025 overall-score comparison specifically because of the scale change. Their verified 2026-entry (new-scale) figures appear in the scale-change section below instead of being estimated here.
It is worth noting that Oxford uses UCAT as one component of a multi-stage selection process, alongside academic record and interview performance. Even so, early evidence from 2024 entry suggests that applicants below the 80th percentile nationally faced a very steep climb at these institutions.
Mid-range schools offer a more balanced approach, often combining UCAT with academic achievement scores or situational judgement weighting. These thresholds are more accessible but still require solid preparation.
| Medical School | 2022 Entry | 2023 Entry | 2024 Entry | 2025 Entry | What the Figure Represents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Dundee | — | — | 2,675 (avg) / 1,900 (lowest) | — | Average and lowest score among interviewed applicants |
| Anglia Ruskin University | — | — | 2,640 | — | Ranking cut-off |
| University of Warwick | — | 2,580 | — | — | Minimum score for Selection Centre invitation |
| University of Glasgow | — | — | — | 2,500 | Lowest score among interviewed applicants |
| Kent and Medway Medical School | — | — | 2,500 | — | Previous cut-off; Band 3 SJT minimum also required |
| University of St Andrews | ~2,400 (consistent across recent years) | — | Approximate lowest score for interview shortlisting | ||
Dundee, Anglia Ruskin, and Warwick have posted broadly stable average and interview-threshold scores across recent cycles, while Glasgow, Kent and Medway, and St Andrews have held relatively steady lower thresholds, making this group a realistic target for applicants scoring in the 2,400 to 2,680 range.
Several UK medical schools place less emphasis on raw UCAT totals, either because they weight other factors more heavily or because they serve widening participation agendas. These schools can be strategically important for applicants with strong academics but a UCAT score below the national mean.
| Medical School | 2022 Entry | 2023 Entry | 2024 Entry | 2025 Entry | What the Figure Represents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Liverpool | — | — | 2,310 | — | Interview cut-off, ranked by UCAT score |
| University of Plymouth | — | — | 2,210 | — | Considered alongside GCSEs and A-levels |
| University of Leicester | — | — | 2,270 | — | 50:50 UCAT/academic weighting |
| Norwich Medical School (UEA) | — | — | 2,190 | — | Minimum score invited to interview |
| Queen Mary University of London (Barts) | — | — | — | 2,361 | Lowest score for interview (UCAT + UCAS tariff, 50:50) |
These schools should not be treated as easy options — their clinical training, GMC recognition, and graduate outcomes are fully comparable. However, they do offer a more holistic admissions process where a strong personal statement, relevant work experience, and a good interview can compensate for a UCAT score that falls below the national average.
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The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is scored separately from the cognitive subtests and produces a band result: Band 1 (highest) through Band 4 (lowest). Most competitive medical schools expect applicants to achieve Band 1 or Band 2 as a baseline. At schools such as Edinburgh, UCL, and Barts, a Band 3 result can effectively disqualify an otherwise strong application regardless of the cognitive total.
The table below lists UK medical schools that publish an explicit, hard SJT exclusion threshold rather than folding SJT into a soft composite score:
| Medical School | Minimum SJT Band Accepted | Effect of a Band 4 Result |
|---|---|---|
| University of Edinburgh | Band 3 | Automatic rejection, regardless of cognitive score |
| Keele University | Band 3 (Bands 1–3 for international applicants) | Not considered; a total UCAT below 1,700 (1,950 for international applicants) is rejected on the same basis |
| University of Sunderland | Band 3 | Excluded outright; applicants must also rank within the top 8 national deciles |
| Hull York Medical School | Band 3 | Not accepted; SJT contributes up to 15 points toward the overall ranking score |
| Kent and Medway Medical School | Band 3 | Not considered for interview regardless of cognitive total |
| Imperial College London | Band 3 | Automatic rejection under Imperial's published SJT policy |
At mid-range and lower-threshold schools, a Band 3 may be tolerated — particularly if the cognitive score is strong and the rest of the application is compelling. Band 4 is generally disqualifying at all UK medical schools.
Some schools incorporate the SJT band into a composite score rather than using it as a binary filter. Leeds, for example, has historically awarded points for Band 1 and Band 2 results within its ranking formula. This means that two applicants with identical cognitive totals can end up ranked quite differently depending on their SJT outcome.
Key points to remember about SJT preparation:
For 2026 entry, the most significant structural change is the continued embedding of Oxford and Imperial within the UCAT system. Both institutions attracted enormous numbers of high-scoring applicants in their first UCAT cycle (2024 entry), and there is every reason to expect that trend to intensify. Applicants targeting either school should realistically aim for a cognitive total above 2,900 and a Band 1 SJT — anything below that places you in a very uncertain position.
At Edinburgh and UCL, the upward pressure on cut-offs is likely to continue, driven by growing application volumes and a larger pool of well-prepared candidates. A score of 2,780 to 2,820 is a reasonable target for these schools in 2026.
For mid-range schools, scores in the 2,560 to 2,650 range remain competitive, though applicants should not assume stability — a particularly strong national cohort in any given year can push thresholds up by 20 to 40 points without warning.
Lower-threshold schools are likely to remain broadly stable, but applicants should still aim above the published or estimated thresholds by at least 50 to 80 points to build in a margin of safety. Remember: the cut-off is the floor, not the target.
One broader prediction worth noting: as UCAT preparation resources become more widely available and more applicants invest in structured coaching, mean scores across the national cohort are likely to creep upward. This creates a gradual ratchet effect on cut-offs at all schools over time.
Important scale note: the predictions above were framed on UCAT's old 3,600-point scale (four cognitive subtests). From the test sat in 2025 onward, Abstract Reasoning was removed and the cognitive total is now out of 2,700 across three subtests — see "UCAT's Scoring Scale Changed for 2026 Entry" earlier in this guide for the full explanation and conversion table. On the new scale, schools are publishing figures such as Edinburgh's 1,650 minimum, Sheffield's 1,800 minimum, and Manchester's estimated 1,800–1,900 competitive range — all out of 2,700, not 3,600 — while Oxford's 2025-cycle mean scores ran 2,217.5 (all applicants) to 2,407.1 (offer-holders), also out of 2,700. Use the conversion table above, not the raw old-scale numbers, when comparing your own UCAT 2025-onward score against historical cut-offs.
There is no single "safe" score because thresholds vary so widely between institutions. As a general guide, a total cognitive score above 2,700 puts you in a competitive position for the majority of UK medical schools, while a score above 2,800 opens doors at the most selective universities. Scoring below 2,500 does not rule out medicine, but it does require careful school selection and a particularly strong wider application.
No — and this is one of the most frustrating aspects of the admissions process. Cut-offs are set after applications close, based on the actual applicant pool that year, so schools cannot publish them in advance even if they wanted to. Some schools release retrospective data or respond to freedom of information requests, which is how most published estimates are compiled. Always treat any figure you find online as an approximation rather than a guaranteed threshold.
A Band 3 result requires honest reflection about your school choices. Remove highly competitive schools where Band 3 is effectively disqualifying (Oxford, Imperial, Edinburgh, UCL) and focus your application on mid-range and lower-threshold schools where a strong cognitive score and excellent personal statement can compensate. A Band 4 result is very difficult to overcome — most applicants in this position are advised to resit the UCAT the following year rather than proceed with a weakened application. Use the intervening time to understand why the SJT went wrong and to engage more deeply with GMC professional standards.
UCAS allows four medical school choices (plus one non-medicine choice if you wish). A sensible strategy is to apply to one or two aspirational schools where your score is at or just above the estimated threshold, one or two well-matched schools where your score is comfortably above the typical cut-off, and one school where your score gives you a clear margin of safety. Avoid applying to four highly competitive schools with a borderline score — the risk of receiving no interviews is real and leaves you with no options in that cycle.
Understanding where you stand relative to historical cut-offs is a starting point, not a guarantee. Admissions processes change, cohort sizes fluctuate, and individual schools occasionally revise their weighting formulas. The most resilient approach is to build the strongest possible overall application — UCAT, academics, work experience, and personal statement — so that you are competitive across a range of institutions rather than dependent on clearing one specific threshold. For structured support with your preparation, explore UCAT preparation with Leading Tuition, browse our medical school entry guides, or visit the Medicine Preparation hub for a broader overview of what the application process involves.
Most students benefit from starting UCAT Cut-Offs for Every UK Medical School: 5-Year Trends and 2026 Predictions preparation three to six months before their test date. Beginning early allows time to cover all sections systematically, complete multiple full timed mock tests, and review performance patterns before the real sitting. Students who start preparation in the final few weeks before the exam rarely have enough time to address underlying weaknesses. Leading Tuition recommends a diagnostic assessment first to identify your strongest and weakest areas, then building a structured revision plan around those findings.
Leading Tuition offers targeted preparation for UCAT Cut-Offs for Every UK Medical School: 5-Year Trends and 2026 Predictions. Our specialist tutors have extensive experience with the specific question formats, timing strategies, and scoring benchmarks that matter most. We create personalised study plans, provide full timed mock tests, and give detailed feedback after every session. Rated Excellent on Trustpilot, we have supported hundreds of students in achieving competitive scores for their target universities. Book a free consultation to discuss your preparation timeline and goals.
They are not actually lower in relative terms — the scale changed. Every cut-off before 2026 entry was measured out of 3,600 across four UCAT subtests. From the test sat in 2025 (first used for 2026 entry), the UCAT Consortium removed Abstract Reasoning, so the cognitive total is now out of 2,700 across three subtests. A 2026-entry cut-off of, say, 1,800 is not an easier bar than a 2024-entry cut-off of 2,700 — using the standard conversion (multiplying by roughly 0.75, or subtracting the average Abstract Reasoning score of about 650), the two figures represent a broadly similar percentile. Always check which scale a published cut-off uses before comparing it against another year.
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