UCAT Medical Schools

Where to Apply with a Low, Medium and High UCAT Score

It is important to apply strategically for medicine, and luckily you will receive your score before the application deadline. Different universities will use the UCAT in different ways, whether they have a cut-off score for interview, or how highly they are weighted compared to academic results.

Preliminary 2021 UCAT statistics

Mean total score = 2499

The following results provides deciles of candidate total scores. Each decile represents 10% of candidates based on their overall test performance. The 1st decile represents a score at the 10th percentile; the 2nd decile represents a score at the 20th percentile, and so on.

Final Decile Rankings 2021

Situational Judgement Test - Below shows the percentage of candidates placed in each Situational Judgement Test Band. 2021 (to 29th Sept). Number of candidates 37,230.

Band 1 14%
Band 2 36%
Band 3 33%
Band 4 16%

Low UCAT score medical schools

UCAT score less than 2600

If you have scored a UCAT score of less than 2600, it is vital to apply strategically to universities that place less of a weighting on UCAT scores to maximise your chance of being offered an interview. It is becoming more common to view the applicant as a whole and rather simply by their grades or scores, so if a UCAT has been a weaker area for you, there are still many options.

If you have struggled with the UCAT and received very poor scores, your application may have higher chances of success by applying to a university that does not require the UCAT.

Medical schools which use the BMAT include Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds, Hull York, Imperial, University College London, Lancaster, and Brighton and Sussex.
Medical schools that use alternative admission tests are Swansea, Dublin, and Queens Belfast.
University of Central Lancashire and Buckingham University does not require an admissions test.

Medium UCAT Score medical schools

UCAT score 2600-2700

Well done on receiving a UCAT score between 2600 and 2700. This score puts you in god standing for your university applications. It is important to look at the specificities of each medical school as each will use this differently whether having a cut-off for interview or a higher average score. Below are a list of medical schools particularly advantageous if you have received a UCAT score in this category.

High UCAT Score medical schools

UCAT score +2700

Congratulations - if you have managed to score over 2700 in your UCAT then you have achieved a particularly high score! This gives you plenty of flexibility, and means you are more likely to receive an interview at any of the universities discussed, however it is still important to apply strategically to make the most of your high performance, particularly if other areas of your application (e.g. academic grades) are lacking. Below are a number of universities that place a lot of emphasis on high UCAT scores.

It should be noted that the majority of medical schools stated that if a Band 4 was achieved in the SJT the applicant would automatically not be considered for interview.