Cambridge Medicine: Entry Requirements & UCAT Cutoff (2027 Entry)
Last cycle
Cambridge Medicine at a glance
Entry requirements
Selection · how they rank for interview
Cambridge assesses every application individually at College level, weighing your academic record, UCAT and contextual information together - no cut-off, no scoring formula - with the interview central to the decision. Overseas places are capped at 22, so the international field is far tighter.
3Our rating reads your academic record and UCAT against the profile of Cambridge's applicant pool - it can't assess the College interview, which carries the most weight.
Interview & offer
Panel interview with 1-2 interviews, 35-60 min total, online or in person, held Dec-Jan.
Interviews are run by individual Colleges, so format and number vary with the College assessing your application.
After interview, applications are weighed holistically. Deferred entry is accepted.
Full requirements, with sources
A-Levels
- You must be taking Chemistry plus one or two further subjects from Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Maths or Further Maths - how many depends on the College.1
- Offers are usually based on 3 A-Levels taken together in Year 13 - a fourth A-Level gives no advantage. Science A-Level practical assessments must be completed and passed.2
GCSE
- No GCSE requirements - your results are read as one indicator of academic performance.2
UCAT
Age
- You must be 18 by 1 November of your first year.1
Selection & shortlisting
- Cambridge doesn't rank or score you - your academic record, UCAT cognitive score, personal statement, reference and contextual data are weighed together holistically, and the interview then completes the picture.3
- Cambridge sets no cut-off. In 2025, offer holders averaged a cognitive UCAT of 2299 out of 2700 alongside near-perfect academics - and no score makes an offer near-certain, because the interview decides.
- Our rating reads your academic record and UCAT against the profile of Cambridge's applicant pool - it can't assess the College interview, which carries the most weight.
- Offers for Home and Overseas applicants are calculated separately because of the UK Government cap on Overseas places.
- Cambridge admissions are college-based: applicants apply (or are allocated) to a College, and interviews and offer decisions are made by individual Colleges.
Contextual eligibility
View policy- Who qualifies
You count as contextual here if any one of these applies:
Free School MealsCare-experienced (any time in care)RefugeeEstranged from familyIMD quintile 1IMD quintile 2Below-average school (GCSE)- What it changes
Contextual data is used holistically - it doesn't lower grade requirements or guarantee an interview. Flags are appended for free school meals (current or in the last 6 years), care experience, refugee/humanitarian protection, estrangement, an IMD bottom-40%-of-region postcode, a SEISA bottom-50% or OAC less-advantaged area, a below-median GCSE school, and a post-16 school that rarely sends students to Oxford or Cambridge. Flagged applicants who narrowly miss out can be reconsidered by other colleges (the "pool"), including a further round in August.
Interview & decision
- Interviews are run by individual Colleges - format and number vary by College, online or in person.4
- Offers are not based on the interview alone - your interview performance feeds the holistic assessment alongside your academic record, UCAT and contextual data.3
- Deferred entry is accepted - the same requirements apply if you defer to 2028.1
Conditional offer
- Conditional offer: A*A*A - Colleges usually require A* in Chemistry, and some make offers above the minimum (e.g. A*A*A* or A* in a particular subject).1
Cambridge admissions email: admissions@cam.ac.uk
Would Cambridge interview you?
Enter your GCSEs, A-Levels and UCAT score - the selector checks you against every UK medical school's published rules and shows where you're competitive.
Frequently asked questions
What UCAT score do you need for Medicine at Cambridge?
No minimum UCAT threshold - your score is one input into the holistic assessment. Your SJT score isn't used at any stage - only your cognitive subtest score (VR, DM, QR) counts. 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 Cambridge Medicine?
You must be taking Chemistry plus one or two further subjects from Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Maths or Further Maths - how many depends on the College. Offers are usually based on 3 A-Levels taken together in Year 13 - a fourth A-Level gives no advantage. Science A-Level practical assessments must be completed and passed.
What are the GCSE requirements for Cambridge Medicine?
No GCSE requirements - your results are read as one indicator of academic performance.
How does Cambridge decide who gets a Medicine interview?
Cambridge doesn't rank or score you - your academic record, UCAT cognitive score, personal statement, reference and contextual data are weighed together holistically, and the interview then completes the picture. Cambridge sets no cut-off. In 2025, offer holders averaged a cognitive UCAT of 2299 out of 2700 alongside near-perfect academics - and no score makes an offer near-certain, because the interview decides.
What is the Medicine interview like at Cambridge?
Interviews are run by individual Colleges - format and number vary by College, online or in person. Offers are not based on the interview alone - your interview performance feeds the holistic assessment alongside your academic record, UCAT and contextual data.
Sources
Admissions policies change - always confirm with Cambridge before finalising your UCAS choices.