Cardiff Medicine: Entry Requirements & UCAT Cutoff (2027 Entry)
Last cycle
Cardiff Medicine at a glance
Entry requirements
Selection · how they rank for interview
Cardiff shortlists for interview on a score out of 28:
3- GCSEs - up to 24 points (best eight achieved grades).
- UCAT - up to 3 points (by total-score decile).
- 1 point for FE/HE academic achievement, including HPP acceptance.
- Raw UCAT total breaks ties at the cut.
2025 thresholds Home ≈26/28
One of the 28 points is for post-16 qualifications you've already achieved - if you're still studying, 27 is the effective maximum.
Full requirements, with sources
A-Levels
GCSE
UCAT
- There's no pre-set UCAT minimum - your score earns decile points in the shortlisting score, and a UCAT cut-off is only applied in exceptional or tie-breaking situations. It changes each year and can't be predicted.
- Your SJT band isn't used at any stage.
Selection & shortlisting
- Cardiff ranks you for interview on a single score out of 28, built from three parts:3
- GCSEs - up to 24 points. Your best eight achieved grades - including Biology, Chemistry (or Double Science), English Language and Maths - at 3 points for a 9/8/A*, 2 for a 7/A, 1 for a 6/B.3
- UCAT - up to 3 points. By total-score decile: 3 for decile 7 or above, 2 for deciles 4-6, 1 for deciles 1-3.3
- Your raw UCAT total breaks ties: when more applicants share the top points scores than Cardiff can interview (around 1,000), a UCAT cut-off decides between them.3
- One of the 28 points is for post-16 qualifications you've already achieved - if you're still studying, 27 is the effective maximum.
- Around 1,000 interviews are shared between roughly 3,000 applications, and the cut moves each year - our estimate is you'd need the full 27 GCSE and UCAT points (of the 28 total), or 26 with a UCAT above about 1800 (on the 2700 scale), for a realistic chance of an interview.3
- An additional point is awarded for further- or higher-education academic achievement, including acceptance onto Cardiff's High Performance Programme.3
- A fourth A-Level won't enhance your application.3
- The personal statement is screened but not scored - Cardiff's admissions FAQ explains what to include.3
- The UCAS academic reference is used at some stage of selection.
- Clinical work experience is not required - reflective experience in any caring environment is acceptable.2
Contextual eligibility
View policy- Who qualifies
You count as contextual here if any one of these applies:
Care-experienced (any time in care)Parenting responsibilitiesYoung / adult carerFree School MealsRefugeeSeeking asylumEstranged from familyOther recognised WP / access schemeStep-Up / Doctoriaid Yfory (Cardiff)- What it changes
Contextual applicants are scored on the same 28-point scale and given additional consideration in shortlisting - Cardiff doesn't publish how much it moves the bar, so we show the same threshold as the main pool.
Interview & decision
- Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - several individual stations with themed questions. Interviews are in person for Home applicants and online for Overseas applicants.3
- After interview, offers are made on your interview score.
- Your personal statement is screened but not scored - Cardiff asks for insight into a medical career, reflected caring experience, personal responsibility, a balanced approach to life and self-directed learning, under the UCAS headings.3
Conditional offer
- Conditional offer: AAA - including Biology or Chemistry plus a second science.1
Cardiff admissions email: medadmissions@cardiff.ac.uk
Would Cardiff 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 Cardiff?
In the 2025 cycle, the lowest UCAT score invited to interview (home applicants) was 1500 (converted from the old 4-section scale). There's no pre-set UCAT minimum - your score earns decile points in the shortlisting score, and a UCAT cut-off is only applied in exceptional or tie-breaking situations. It changes each year and can't be predicted. Your SJT band isn't used at any stage. 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 Cardiff Medicine?
You must be taking Biology or Chemistry plus a second science (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology), with practical passes. Predicted grades aren't considered - only achieved grades count. Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies and similar subjects are not accepted.
What are the GCSE requirements for Cardiff Medicine?
Grade A/7 in Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science AA/77), plus grade B/6 in English language and Maths. Eight GCSEs at grade B/6 or above in total.
How does Cardiff decide who gets a Medicine interview?
Cardiff ranks you for interview on a single score out of 28, built from three parts: One of the 28 points is for post-16 qualifications you've already achieved - if you're still studying, 27 is the effective maximum.
What is the Medicine interview like at Cardiff?
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - several individual stations with themed questions. Interviews are in person for Home applicants and online for Overseas applicants. After interview, offers are made on your interview score.
Sources
Admissions policies change - always confirm with Cardiff before finalising your UCAS choices.