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Which Medical Schools to Apply to with SJT Band 3 or Band 4

You might feel disheartened with an SJT Band 3 or 4, but there are still many medical schools that don't look at SJT, and where you can have a competitive application. This article sorts every UK medical school by how much weight it gives the SJT, from outright rejection to not looking at it at all, so you can spend your four UCAS choices where a low band won't count against you.

Schools that outright reject Band 4

There are 19 medical schools that outright reject all applicants with an SJT Band 4, regardless of the strength of the rest of the application:

*Liverpool rejects Band 4 for Home applicants only. International and EU applicants are accepted with any SJT band.

Two of these schools go further and reject Band 3 as well:

  • ManchesterRejects Band 3 and Band 4 for everyone
  • KMMSBand 3 or above for school leavers, Band 2 or above for graduates

So if you have SJT Band 4, don't use any of your four choices on the schools above, as your application will be rejected on the SJT alone. Every other UK medical school will still consider you.

Schools where SJT Band 4 will be a big disadvantage

These schools will still consider you, but the SJT is scored somewhere in their process, so a low band puts you behind other applicants.

Scored before interview

For these schools, your SJT band is used when calculating your shortlisting score, so a low SJT band can make it harder to get an interview.

  • Edinburgh15% of the pre-interview score
  • HYMSUp to 15 pts: B1 = 15, B2 = 10, B3 = 5
  • LincolnUp to 15 pts: B1 = 15, B2 = 10, B3 = 5
  • NottinghamUp to 10 pts: B1 = 10, B2 = 6, B3 = 2
  • KCLUp to 10 pts: B1 = 10, B2 = 5, B3 = 0
  • Keele2 of 7 UCAT pts: B1 = 2, B2 = 1, B3 = 0

Scored at interview or offer stage

For these schools, your SJT band has no effect on whether you get an interview, but it is added to your score afterwards, so a low band can make it harder to turn an interview into an offer.

  • NewcastleExtra interview station: B1 = 5, B2 = 3, B3 = 1
  • SheffieldSJT quartile as a ninth station: Q1 = 5 down to Q4 = 2
  • BirminghamPoints at offer stage: B1 = full, B2 = two thirds, B3 = one third, B4 = 0
  • QMULAdded to the interview score: B1 = 2, B2 = 1, B3 = 0
  • City St George'sPost-interview ranking combines MMI and SJT
  • UEASits inside the interview half of a 50/50 interview-UCAT split

Used only as a tie-break

For these schools, the SJT is not scored at all. It is only used to separate applicants who are otherwise tied, so for most people it makes no difference.

  • UCLBreaks ties between applicants on the same total UCAT score
  • QUBTie-break at Stage 1 of selection and again after interview
  • Manchester*Tie-break if more applicants clear the threshold than there are slots
  • ARU*Breaks post-interview ties, before uplifted UCAT is considered

*Manchester and Anglia Ruskin still reject Band 4 outright, and Manchester rejects Band 3 too. The tie-break only applies once you have cleared that bar.

Two schools that don't fit a box

  • St Mary's London reads your band as part of a holistic gathered-field review. There is no automatic rejection and no fixed score.
  • Oxford strips the SJT out of the total when ranking for shortlisting, but the band is later disclosed to tutors at the college reconciliation stage. Not used for shortlisting, but not completely absent either.

Schools that don't look at SJT

This leaves 14 medical schools that do not look at your SJT score at all. For these schools, applying with SJT Band 1 will be no different to applying with SJT Band 4: your UCAT cognitive score, academics and interview do all the work.

*Dundee's published statement only says SJT bands are not used in the initial selection for interview. It is silent about later stages, so don't read it more broadly than that.

So these are good schools to build your list around. This doesn't mean you'll find them easy to get into, since each still has its own UCAT cut-off, academic requirements and interview format. It just means that having a low SJT band will not put you at a disadvantage.

Schools we can't classify yet

Three schools have not published enough for us to say how they treat the SJT. Don't assume they ignore it.

  • BoltonHas not announced whether the SJT will be used at all
  • LeedsWithholds its UCAT scoring detail entirely
  • BuckinghamPublishes no UCAT or SJT rule

So, where should you apply?

Work through the groups above in order:

  1. 1.Cross off the 19 schools that reject Band 4. If you have Band 3, cross off Manchester too, and KMMS if you are a graduate.
  2. 2.Treat the scored schools with caution. You can apply, but you are giving away points. Only pick one if the rest of your application is strong enough to absorb that.
  3. 3.Build your list from the 14 schools that don't use the SJT. Then check each one's UCAT cut-off, academic requirements and interview format, because those still decide your chances.

A low SJT band changes which schools you should apply to. It does not end your Medicine application. Treat it as one input into your school choice, not as a verdict on whether you can apply.

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Frequently asked questions

Which medical schools reject UCAT SJT Band 4?

Nineteen UK medical schools reject Band 4: Anglia Ruskin, Brunel, BSMS, Edge Hill, Edinburgh, HYMS, Imperial, Keele, KCL, KMMS, Lancaster, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, QMUL and Sunderland. Liverpool's rejection applies to Home applicants only.

Which medical schools reject SJT Band 3?

Manchester rejects Band 3 for all applicants. KMMS requires Band 3 or above for school leavers and Band 2 or above for graduates, so graduates with Band 3 are rejected there.

Which medical schools do not use the SJT at all?

Fourteen schools do not factor the SJT into selection: Aberdeen, Aston, Bangor, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Dundee, Exeter, Glasgow, Hertfordshire, Plymouth, Southampton, St Andrews and UCLan. Dundee's published statement covers initial selection for interview only.

Can I still get into medicine with SJT Band 4?

Yes. Band 4 removes 19 schools from your list but leaves many that either do not use the SJT or only use it as a tie-break. Choose your four UCAS choices from those, then check their UCAT, academic and interview requirements.