How to get into medicine in the UK: grades, UCAT and a timeline for 2028 entry

To get into medicine in the UK, you usually need A*AA to AAA at A-Level, including Chemistry and often Biology, a competitive UCAT score and a successful interview. If you're in Year 12 now, you're applying for 2028 entry. That means sitting the UCAT in summer 2027 and sending your UCAS application by the medicine deadline in October 2027. Your GCSEs and what you've learned from work experience or volunteering count too. This guide sets out each stage and when to do it.

What do you need to get into medicine in the UK?

Most medical schools look at four things:

1. A-Level grades, typically A*AA to AAA, with set science subjects
2. GCSE results, which some schools score when deciding who to interview
3. Your UCAT score, used to shortlist or rank applicants
4. An interview, usually in a multiple mini interview (MMI) format

Your predicted grades get you through the door. The UCAT and your GCSEs often decide who gets an interview, and the interview decides who gets an offer. Imperial puts it plainly on its course page: no offers are made without a competitive interview.

There are other routes in if your grades fall short. Some schools make lower contextual offers, and some run foundation years. Nottingham, for example, lists a contextual offer of AAB for its five-year course, and its Medicine with a Foundation Year, open to home applicants who meet its widening participation criteria, asks for BBC, according to the UCAS listing and the Nottingham course page.

Which A-Levels and GCSEs do medical schools ask for?

Chemistry is the subject medical schools ask for most often, and many want Biology alongside it. Grade requirements and how schools use the UCAT vary more than most people expect. Here are three schools checked on their own pages for 2027 entry, the most recent cycle published.

Source: Imperial, UCAS (Nottingham) and Sheffield, 2027 entry pages. Last checked: 13 November 2026.

Schools publish their 2028 entry requirements during 2027, so check again before you apply. The Medical Schools Council keeps an entry requirements tool with every UK school in one place.

GCSE requirements differ even more. Nottingham's UCAS listing asks for at least six GCSEs at grade 7, while Liverpool's admissions page refers to applicants offering 9 GCSEs. If you're still in Year 11 or want to see how your results compare, our guide to GCSE grades explains what universities look for.

Your A-Level Chemistry and Biology predictions matter most in Year 12. To check your answers against mark schemes as you go, you can practise exam-style questions on Medly for free. The free plan includes 5 marked questions, 20 AI tutor messages and 1 uploaded paper a day.

When do you sit the UCAT for 2028 entry?

You sit the UCAT in the summer before you apply. For 2028 entry, that's summer 2027, between the end of Year 12 and the start of Year 13. Imperial notes that you must take the test in the year you apply and only once in each admissions cycle.

The UCAT has three scored sections: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning. Each is scored from 300 to 900, giving a total between 900 and 2700. A fourth section, Situational Judgement, is reported as a band from 1 to 4. Abstract Reasoning was removed from 2025. You can read the full format on the UCAT website.

The 2027 dates haven't been published yet. The 2026 cycle gives you a good idea of the pattern.

Source: UCAT test dates. Last checked: 13 November 2026.

Booking a slot in July or August gives you your score before you choose your four medical schools. That way you can apply where your score is strongest. Sheffield's minimum for 2027 entry is 1800, but it then ranks applicants, and home applicants needed 2120 to reach interview in the 2025-26 cycle. Imperial's 2026 threshold was 2320. So the same result can be enough at one school and short at another.

A month-by-month plan from Year 12 to results day

This plan follows the 2026 pattern. Dates for 2027 and 2028 will be confirmed by UCAT and UCAS, so check them as they come out.

1. November 2026 to February 2027: keep your A-Level work steady, start volunteering or work experience, and read entry pages for schools you like.
2. March to April 2027: make a long list of schools. Note each one's A-Level subjects, GCSE rules and how it uses the UCAT.
3. May 2027: register for the UCAT when registration opens (it opened on 20 May in 2026). Apply for a bursary or access arrangements at the same time if you need them.
4. June 2027: book your test date as soon as booking opens, and do well in your Year 12 exams, since they often shape your predicted grades.
5. July to August 2027: sit the UCAT. Start drafting your personal statement, which now answers three questions instead of being one essay.
6. September 2027: choose your four medicine courses using your UCAT score. Agree predicted grades and your reference with school.
7. October 2027: submit before the medicine deadline. For 2027 entry it was 15 October 2026 at 18:00, and UCAS will confirm the 2028 date. Our UCAS deadlines guide covers each stage of the cycle.
8. November 2027 to March 2028: prepare for and attend interviews, then wait for decisions.
9. May to June 2028: sit your A-Levels.
10. August 2028: collect your results. Our results day guide explains what happens next with UCAS.

How do MMI interviews work?

A multiple mini interview is a series of short stations, each with a different interviewer and task. You might talk about why you want to study medicine at one, work through an ethical scenario at the next, and do a role-play with an actor at another.

Sheffield runs eight stations, each scored out of 5. Your Situational Judgement result is converted to a score out of 5, by quartile, and added on, giving a total out of 45. Imperial's MMIs are run by academic staff and experienced healthcare professionals. They assess commitment to the NHS Constitution values, motivation, empathy, teamwork and leadership, and what you took from work experience.

The best preparation is practice out loud. Ask a teacher or family member to give you a scenario, set a timer and talk it through. Then ask what came across clearly and what didn't.

How much work experience do you need for medicine?

Most medical schools don't set a minimum number of hours. What they want to see is what you learned, about patients, about the job and about yourself. The Medical Schools Council publishes guidance on what counts as relevant experience.

Shadowing a doctor isn't essential. Sheffield's admissions page says it prefers experience in a caring environment, ideally within two years of applying, and values roles where you take an active part. Volunteering in a care home, helping at a pharmacy or supporting someone with additional needs can all count. Keep a short note after each session about what you saw and how it made you think. Those notes will feed straight into your personal statement and your interview answers.

Frequently asked questions

What is BMBS medicine?

BMBS stands for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. It's the name some universities, such as Nottingham, give to their medical degree. MBBS and MBChB are other abbreviations for the same type of primary medical qualification.

Can you get into medicine with A*AB?

Sometimes. Most standard offers are AAA or higher, but contextual offers can be lower, such as Nottingham's AAB. Foundation years and graduate entry courses give you other routes in.

Is 30 too late to become a doctor?

No. The course pages we checked set a minimum age, such as 18 by 1 October at Liverpool, and none set a maximum. Graduates can apply to graduate entry courses, such as Surrey's, which asks for at least a 2:1 degree in any subject.

What UCAT score do you need for medicine?

It depends on the school. Sheffield sets a minimum of 1800 but home applicants needed 2120 to be interviewed in the 2025-26 cycle, Imperial's 2026 threshold was 2320 for home applicants, and Nottingham has no fixed threshold.

Is the UCAT the same as the MCAT?

No. The MCAT is used for medical schools in the US and Canada. UK medical schools use the UCAT, and some graduate entry courses use the GAMSAT.

When should you start preparing for medicine?

Year 12 is a good time to start in earnest. You need work experience, strong predicted grades and UCAT practice in place before the summer of Year 12.

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