Sunderland Medicine: Entry Requirements & UCAT Cutoff (2027 Entry)
Last cycle
Sunderland Medicine at a glance
Entry requirements
Selection · how they rank for interview
Sunderland shortlists for interview in two stages:
1- Stage 1 - UCAT gate. Your score must sit in the top 8 deciles of the cohort, with SJT Band 1-3.
- Stage 2 - experience survey. An online survey about your work and caring experience decides who is interviewed.
2024 thresholds Home 1670
Note that we can't assess your likelihood at Stage 2, so our rating covers Stage 1 - the UCAT gate.
Full requirements, with sources
A-Levels
- You must be taking Biology or Chemistry, plus a second designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths/Further Maths/Statistics) and a third academic subject. Equivalent qualifications aren't accepted.1
- Citizenship Studies, Critical Thinking and General Studies aren't accepted, nor is any Applied A-Level. Only one of Maths/Further Maths/Statistics counts.2
- Science A-Levels must include a pass in the practical endorsement - without it the qualification counts as a fail.1
- Taking A-Level Maths a year early doesn't break the one-sitting rule.2
GCSE
UCAT
Age
- You must be 18 by 31 December of your entry year (a clinical-placement requirement).1
Resits & reapplying
- The qualification you apply with must have been completed within the past five years.1
- A-Levels must be achieved in one sitting. Resits are accepted only if you got AAB first time - you may then resit the B-grade subject, once, in the same subject.2
- GCSE resits are accepted (completed before application) - up to two attempts per subject.1
- You're not considered if you've already started a medicine, dentistry or veterinary degree anywhere, whatever the outcome.2
- Transfers aren't accepted from any other degree course.2
Selection & shortlisting
- Sunderland shortlists for interview in two stages:1
- Stage 1 - UCAT gate. Your total must sit in the top 8 deciles of the applicant pool, with SJT Band 1-3. The floor moves each year - in 2024 it was 1670, on the adjusted 2700-scale UCAT (abstract reasoning removed - the same scale as the current 3-section test).1
- Stage 2 - interview selection tool. Everyone who clears Stage 1 completes an online survey about their work or caring experience from the past two years (up to four experiences, with a contact for the most significant). This survey decides who is interviewed.2
- Note that we can't assess your likelihood at Stage 2, so our rating covers Stage 1 - the UCAT gate.
- There's a single home pool. The contextual scheme lowers the offer grades, not the shortlisting bar.1
Contextual eligibility
View policy- Who qualifies
You count as contextual here if any one of these applies:
Free School MealsUCAT bursary recipient- What it changes
You can check your postcode on the Office for Students website; if unsure, email medicineapplications@sunderland.ac.uk.
Interview & decision
- Face-to-face MMIs at the School of Medicine in December and early January. Stations range from a one-to-one interview to role-play and data analysis, assessing motivation, empathy, ethics, resilience, comprehension and communication.1
- Offers go to the highest-ranked interview performers once all interviews are complete; outcomes arrive in February.2
Conditional offer
- Conditional offer: AAA - including Biology or Chemistry plus a second designated science.1
Sunderland admissions email: medicineapplications@sunderland.ac.uk
Would Sunderland 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 Sunderland?
In the 2025 cycle, the lowest UCAT score invited to interview (home applicants) was 1670 (converted from the old 4-section scale). There's no fixed UCAT cutoff - your total must sit in the top 8 deciles of the applicant pool, so the threshold changes each year. 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 Sunderland Medicine?
You must be taking Biology or Chemistry, plus a second designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths/Further Maths/Statistics) and a third academic subject. Equivalent qualifications aren't accepted. Citizenship Studies, Critical Thinking and General Studies aren't accepted, nor is any Applied A-Level. Only one of Maths/Further Maths/Statistics counts.
What are the GCSE requirements for Sunderland Medicine?
At least grade 6/B in Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (Double Award Science accepted). English Language as a second language isn't accepted. Five GCSE passes at grade 7/A in total.
How does Sunderland decide who gets a Medicine interview?
Sunderland shortlists for interview in two stages: Stage 2 - interview selection tool. Everyone who clears Stage 1 completes an online survey about their work or caring experience from the past two years (up to four experiences, with a contact for the most significant). This survey decides who is interviewed.
What is the Medicine interview like at Sunderland?
Face-to-face MMIs at the School of Medicine in December and early January. Stations range from a one-to-one interview to role-play and data analysis, assessing motivation, empathy, ethics, resilience, comprehension and communication. Offers go to the highest-ranked interview performers once all interviews are complete; outcomes arrive in February.
Sources
Admissions policies change - always confirm with Sunderland before finalising your UCAS choices.