The University of Leeds School of Medicine runs one of the larger MBChB cohorts in the UK — around 250 Home places plus 24 Overseas on the five-year Medicine and Surgery (A100).
Leeds is genuinely different from most UCAT-led schools in one important respect: it combines your academic score and UCAT into a single ranking total, with no fixed cut-off. In Leeds’ own words: a high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT score, and vice versa. That balance makes Leeds one of the most forgiving major medical schools for applicants whose strengths are uneven — and one of the most rewarding if your GCSEs are excellent.
| UCATScore expertise — Leeds Medicine Prepared by the UCATScore admissions team and verified against University of Leeds’s official admissions guidance and the Medical Schools Council for 2026/2027 entry. |
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements at a Glance (2026/2027)
| Course | MBChB Medicine and Surgery (A100), 5 years |
| Standard A-level offer | AAA including Chemistry and Biology (specific subject requirements apply) |
| Contextual offer (Access to Leeds) | ABB |
| Gateway Year (A101) | BBC including Chemistry or Biology at grade B — widening-participation route |
| GCSEs | Minimum SIX GCSEs at grade 6+, including Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science) — but scoring is based on EIGHT GCSEs |
| International Baccalaureate | 36 points with 6 in three HL subjects including Chemistry and Biology |
| Admissions test | UCAT — combined with academic score into one ranking total; NO fixed cut-off |
| The key principle | A high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT — and vice versa |
| Resits | From 2026 entry, ONE resit attempt per A-level (and per GCSE) accepted without mitigating circumstances |
| Offer basis | Once shortlisted, the offer is decided on MMI performance |
| Leeds Medicine Personal statement | Must be clearly relevant to medicine, or the application is rejected |
| Places | ~250 Home + ~24 Overseas (~274 total) |
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent)
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent): Search every UK medical and dental school’s entry requirements in one place – A-levels, GCSEs, UCAT, contextual offers and more, all kept up to date for 2027 entry.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: How Leeds Selects Medicine Applicants
Leeds is explicit about its method. In its own words: “In our interview shortlisting process, we assess academic criteria, including achieved and predicted grades, alongside the UCAT score. These elements combine to form a total score, which we use to rank applicants. A high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT score, and vice versa. There is no pre-determined ‘cut-off’ score.”*
That single paragraph is the most useful thing to understand about applying to Leeds. Unlike met-or-not schools, a below-average UCAT does not automatically end your application if your academic profile is strong — and an outstanding UCAT can carry a slightly weaker academic record.
GCSE scoring is based on eight GCSEs, not the minimum six. Leeds is direct that applicants applying with only the minimum grades are unlikely to be shortlisted for interview — so the minimum is a floor, not a target.
One strict screening rule: your personal statement must be clearly relevant to medicine, or the application is rejected without further consideration. Once you are shortlisted, the offer is decided on MMI performance.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine A-Level Requirements
Leeds requires both sciences and publishes an unusually clear list of combinations it will not accept:
- Standard offer: AAA including Chemistry and Biology (a third A in any subject; General Studies and Critical Thinking excluded)
- Contextual (Access to Leeds) offer: ABB
- Not accepted as a combination: Biology and Human Biology together; Chemistry with Mathematics and Further Mathematics; Sports Science as a core subject (accepted only as a fourth A-level)
- Resits: from 2026 entry onwards, Leeds accepts one resit attempt per A-level qualification without mitigating circumstances. A third attempt at any qualification requires evidenced mitigating circumstances, and you must still achieve the required grades
- No set minimum grade at first sitting
- Gateway Year (A101): BBC at A-level including Chemistry or Biology at grade B (Physics or Maths must also be offered if Chemistry is not taken). Students predicted ABB or higher with A in Chemistry or Biology should apply to A100 instead
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent)
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent): Search every UK medical and dental school’s entry requirements in one place – A-levels, GCSEs, UCAT, contextual offers and more, all kept up to date for 2027 entry.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine GCSE Requirements
Leeds’ GCSE minimum is modest — but the scoring model means the minimum will rarely get you an interview:
- Minimum six GCSEs at grade 6 (B) or above
- Must include Mathematics, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science)
- Scoring is based on eight GCSEs, not the minimum six
- Applicants applying with only these minimums are unlikely to be shortlisted for interview — competitive applicants typically hold eight or more GCSEs at grades 7–9
- All Level 2 qualifications must be achieved by the time of application
- From 2026 entry, one resit attempt per GCSE is accepted without mitigating circumstances
- Gateway Year (A101): minimum six GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English Language, Maths and Dual Science
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Other Accepted Qualifications & What Leeds Doesn’t Accept
| Qualification | Requirement |
| International Baccalaureate | 36 points with a mark of 6 in three Higher Level subjects, which must include Chemistry and Biology. If English and Maths are not offered at GCSE, they must be offered at Standard Level with a mark of at least 5. |
| Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) | QAA-conforming: 60 credits, all passed, with all 45 graded Level 3 credits at Distinction. Access applicants also need at least six GCSEs at grade 4 including English Language, Maths and Dual Science (or Chemistry and Biology). Distance-learning Access Diplomas are NOT accepted. |
| T Levels | Not accepted for this course. |
| Gateway Year to Medicine (A101) | BBC at A-level including Chemistry or Biology at B; six GCSEs at grade 4+; UK widening-participation applicants only. |
| Previous degree below 2:1 | Only considered with substantial subsequent healthcare or demanding professional experience. |
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent)
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent): Search every UK medical and dental school’s entry requirements in one place – A-levels, GCSEs, UCAT, contextual offers and more, all kept up to date for 2027 entry.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Graduate & Mature Applicants
Leeds does not offer a separate Graduate Entry Medicine programme. Graduates apply through the standard five-year A100 route and must meet the same A-level requirements (AAA including Chemistry and Biology) — your degree is not considered in place of A-level qualifications.
As a graduate you need a 2:1 honours degree (any discipline), awarded within the last three years, alongside the standard academic requirements.
If you hold a previous degree below a 2:1, you are only considered with substantial subsequent healthcare or demanding professional experience.
All graduate applicants must meet the GCSE requirements and sit the UCAT.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Contextual Offers: Access to Leeds & the Gateway Year
Leeds runs two distinct widening-participation routes, which is more generous than most schools offer.
Access to Leeds is a contextual scheme for UK applicants who meet at least two of six criteria — including a household income under £25,000, being the first generation in the family to attend university, or living in an area with low progression to higher education. Eligible applicants receive a reduced ABB offer and are assessed against a lower UCAT threshold.
The Gateway Year to Medicine (A101) is a full foundation year for students from widening-participation backgrounds, requiring BBC at A-level including Chemistry or Biology at grade B, and six GCSEs at grade 4 or above. It is available to UK students meeting widening-participation criteria only.
An important steer: students predicted ABB or higher with an A in Chemistry or Biology should apply to A100, not the Gateway route.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: How Leeds Uses the UCAT
Leeds does not set a fixed UCAT cut-off. Instead, your UCAT score is combined with your academic score into a single ranking total used to shortlist for interview — and Leeds states plainly that a high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT, and vice versa.
This makes Leeds structurally different from met-or-not schools: there is no single number that ends your application. If your GCSEs and predicted grades are strong, a mid-range UCAT can still get you an interview.
Recent thresholds (2025 entry, old /3600 scale): the lowest UCAT invited was around 2,570 for UK non-contextual applicants, 2,450 contextual and 2,750 international. On the new /2,700 scale, projections for 2027 entry sit around 1,960 non-contextual, 1,850 contextual and 2,060 international.
On the SJT: Leeds does not disclose how it uses the SJT and withholds its UCAT scoring detail (a position upheld by the ICO), so no band rule can be confirmed. Aim for Band 1 or 2 and avoid Band 4 as a sensible precaution.
Because these are *lowest invited* scores rather than published cut-offs, treat them as a floor and aim comfortably above.
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent)
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent): Search every UK medical and dental school’s entry requirements in one place – A-levels, GCSEs, UCAT, contextual offers and more, all kept up to date for 2027 entry.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine Interview Format
Leeds uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) of eight stations, each six minutes, built around NHS service scenarios and values-based recruitment aligned to the NHS Constitution.
Home applicants interview in person; International applicants interview online. For 2026 entry, in-person medicine interviews were reported on 5, 6 and 7 January — notably early in the cycle.
The decisive feature: once you are shortlisted, the offer is based on MMI performance. Your academic score and UCAT get you the interview but are not re-used at the offer stage, which makes interview preparation unusually important at Leeds.
Stations assess communication, empathy and values, ethical reasoning, teamwork, and motivation and suitability for medicine.
| Turn Leeds’s requirements into a plan UCATScore helps you turn Leeds’s published requirements into a practical, step-by-step application strategy — a GCSE and UCAT target, a shortlist that fits your profile, and interview preparation matched to Leeds’s format. Explore our UCAT course, question bank and Medicine Interview Course to build a realistic, competitive application. |
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent)
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent): Search every UK medical and dental school’s entry requirements in one place – A-levels, GCSEs, UCAT, contextual offers and more, all kept up to date for 2027 entry.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine Acceptance Rate & Competition
Leeds runs one of the larger MBChB cohorts in the UK, and its combined-score model changes who reaches interview compared with met-or-not schools:
| Places | ~250 Home + ~24 Overseas (~274 total) |
| Shortlisting basis | Combined academic + UCAT ranking total — no fixed cut-off |
| Lowest UCAT invited (2025 entry, /3600) | ~2,570 UK non-contextual · ~2,450 contextual · ~2,750 international |
| Projected 2027 equivalent (/2,700) | ~1,960 non-contextual · ~1,850 contextual · ~2,060 international |
| GCSE scoring | Based on 8 GCSEs (minimum 6 rarely sufficient) |
| Offer basis | MMI performance alone once shortlisted |
Leeds withholds its detailed UCAT scoring methodology, so the figures above are lowest-invited scores from recent cycles rather than published cut-offs. Always confirm the latest guidance on Leeds’ official course page.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine for International Students
Leeds reserves around 24 Overseas places out of roughly 274 — a small allocation, reflected in the consistently higher international threshold (around 2,750 on the old /3600 scale for 2025 entry, versus 2,570 for UK non-contextual).
International applicants must meet the same academic standard (AAA including Chemistry and Biology, or IB 36 with 6s at HL in Chemistry and Biology) plus Leeds’ English language requirement.
International applicants interview online, while Home applicants interview in person.
Confirm the current international fee and English-language level on Leeds’ official course page.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine Fees & Funding
Confirm current Home and Overseas tuition fees on Leeds’ official course page. Work placements are mandatory on the A100, so budget for placement travel across Yorkshire, plus equipment, DBS and occupational health clearance, and any elective.
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent)
Entry Requirements Database (Med & Dent): Search every UK medical and dental school’s entry requirements in one place – A-levels, GCSEs, UCAT, contextual offers and more, all kept up to date for 2027 entry.
Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements: Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements — FAQs
What are the entry requirements for Leeds Medicine?
AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology; a minimum of six GCSEs at grade 6 or above including Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science) — though scoring is based on eight GCSEs; and the UCAT. The IB alternative is 36 points with a 6 in three Higher Level subjects including Chemistry and Biology. The Access to Leeds contextual offer is ABB.
What UCAT score do you need for Leeds Medicine?
Leeds has no fixed cut-off — your UCAT is combined with your academic score into a single ranking total, and a high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT. For 2025 entry the lowest UCAT invited was around 2,570 (UK non-contextual), 2,450 (contextual) and 2,750 (international) on the old /3600 scale. See our Leeds UCAT cut-off page.
What GCSEs do I need for Leeds Medicine?
A minimum of six GCSEs at grade 6 or above including Maths, English Language, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). However, scoring is based on eight GCSEs, and Leeds states that applicants with only the minimum grades are unlikely to be shortlisted — competitive applicants typically hold eight or more at grades 7–9.
Does Leeds Medicine accept resits?
Yes — from 2026 entry onwards Leeds accepts one resit attempt per A-level (and per GCSE) without mitigating circumstances. A third attempt at any qualification requires evidenced mitigating circumstances, and you must still achieve the required grades.
Does Leeds offer Graduate Entry Medicine?
No — Leeds does not offer a separate Graduate Entry Medicine programme. Graduates apply through the standard five-year A100 and must meet the same A-level requirements (AAA including Chemistry and Biology); your degree is not considered in place of A-levels. You need a 2:1 awarded within the last three years.
What is Access to Leeds?
A contextual widening-participation scheme for UK applicants meeting at least two of six criteria (such as household income under £25,000, first generation to attend university, or an area with low progression to higher education). Eligible applicants receive a reduced ABB offer and a lower UCAT threshold.
What is the Leeds Gateway Year to Medicine?
The A101 Gateway Year is a foundation year for widening-participation students, requiring BBC at A-level including Chemistry or Biology at grade B, and six GCSEs at grade 4+. It’s for UK students only. Applicants predicted ABB or higher with an A in Chemistry or Biology should apply to A100 instead.
How does Leeds decide medicine offers?
Once you are shortlisted (on the combined academic + UCAT ranking), the offer is decided on your MMI performance — your grades and UCAT are not re-used at that stage. Leeds uses an eight-station MMI built around NHS service scenarios.
| Apply to Leeds Medicine with confidence Whether Leeds is your firm choice or one of four, UCATScore gives you everything to compete: a UCAT course and question bank, an entry-requirements database to build your shortlist, a personal statement review, and Leeds-format mock interviews. Start turning these requirements into an offer today. |
- UCAT Complete Preparation Course + Question Bank — hit the score Leeds needs
- Entry Requirements Database — check your profile against every UK medical school
- Leeds Medicine Interview Course + Mock MMI Circuit — prepare for Leeds’s format
- Leeds Medicine Personal Statement Review — expert, doctor-led feedback
Prepared by the UCATScore admissions team. Verified against University of Leeds’s official admissions guidance, published admissions data and the Medical Schools Council for 2026/2027 entry. Entry requirements, cut-offs, fees and statistics are reviewed annually and can change — always confirm the latest details on the official University of Leeds website and UCAS before applying.