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ARU Medicine UCAT Cut Off & Entry Requirements (2027 Entry)

Full requirements, with sources

Entry requirements

A-Levels

  • You must be taking Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology (any third A-Level alongside). Predictions must be at least AAA to be shortlisted.1
  • General Studies and Critical Thinking aren't accepted as the third A-Level.1
  • Biology, Chemistry and Physics A-Levels must include a pass in the practical element.1
  • AS Levels are not accepted on their own for entry.1

GCSE

  • You need at least grade 5/B in Maths, English Language and two science subjects.1
  • Four GCSE passes at grade 5/B in total.1

UCAT

  • There's no fixed UCAT cut-off - the threshold changes each year with the applicant pool.1
  • SJT Band 4 is auto-rejected - Bands 1-3 progress.1

Age

  • You must be 18 by the first day of the course.1

Resits & reapplying

  • Qualifications must be taken within three academic years of application/entry.1
  • Resits are accepted: predicted resit AAA needs at least AAB at first sitting; already-achieved resit AAA counts whatever your first sitting.1
  • GCSE resits are accepted - no first-sitting grade requirement.
  • Internal ARU transfers into Year 1 are considered from the first year of another ARU undergraduate programme - you must meet the same criteria as every other applicant.1
  • Applicants with a previous Level 4/5/6 attempt that ended in academic failure are not considered for entry.1

How ARU selects for interview

Selection & shortlisting

  • All applicants who meet the academic requirements are ranked for interview by their UCAT total alone - with an uplift added first for WAMS (ARU's Widening Access to Medicine Scheme, its contextual route) and regional applicants.
  • The 2026 UCAT cut-offs (raw scores, before uplifts):1
    • 2010 - standard applicants
    • 1960 - East of England
    • 1920 - Essex, or WAMS
    • 1870 - East of England plus WAMS
    • 1830 - Essex plus WAMS
    • The bars move each year - our estimate is similar levels next cycle.
  • The published cut-offs are pre-uplift: your uplift is added first, then compared against your cohort's cut-off. Uplifts stack - WAMS (5%) plus Essex (5%) gives 10%.
  • The personal statement and reference aren't scored - but be ready to discuss your statement at interview.1

Contextual eligibilityView policy

You count as contextual here if any one of these applies:

WAMS (Widening Access to Medicine Scheme)Care leaver (13+ weeks, spanning age 16)Care-experienced (any time in care)Below-average school (GCSE)Free School Meals
or

All of these together

State (non-fee-paying) school
and
IMD quintile 1orEMA / 16-19 bursaryorMeans-tested benefitsorYoung / adult carerorUCAT bursary recipientorRefugeeorEstranged from familyorGypsy, Roma, TravellerorMilitary family

What it changes: Your UCAT gets a 5% WAMS uplift before ranking - in 2026 a raw score of about 1920 cleared the cut-off after uplift.

Interview & offer

Interview & decision

  • The interview is an MMI - six 7-minute stations.1
  • After interview, offers are decided on interview performance alone - ties are broken by SJT band, then uplifted UCAT score.1

Conditional offer

  • Conditional offer: AAA - including Chemistry or Biology plus a second subject from the accepted science list.1

ARU admissions email: admissions@aru.ac.uk

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Frequently asked questions

What UCAT score do you need for Medicine at ARU?

In the 2026 cycle, the lowest UCAT score invited to interview (home applicants) was 2010. There's no fixed UCAT cut-off - the threshold changes each year with the applicant pool. SJT Band 4 is auto-rejected - Bands 1-3 progress. Thresholds move with each year's applicant pool - use our free university selector to see where your score is competitive.

What A-Levels do you need for ARU Medicine?

You must be taking Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology (any third A-Level alongside). Predictions must be at least AAA to be shortlisted. General Studies and Critical Thinking aren't accepted as the third A-Level.

What are the GCSE requirements for ARU Medicine?

You need at least grade 5/B in Maths, English Language and two science subjects. Four GCSE passes at grade 5/B in total.

How does ARU decide who gets a Medicine interview?

All applicants who meet the academic requirements are ranked for interview by their UCAT total alone - with an uplift added first for WAMS (ARU's Widening Access to Medicine Scheme, its contextual route) and regional applicants. The 2026 UCAT cut-offs (raw scores, before uplifts):

What is the Medicine interview like at ARU?

The interview is an MMI - six 7-minute stations. After interview, offers are decided on interview performance alone - ties are broken by SJT band, then uplifted UCAT score.

Sources

Admissions policies change - always confirm with ARU before finalising your UCAS choices.

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