UCAT score by university: how to read cut-offs
No UCAT score secures a place everywhere: each medical school sets its own rule, and many publish no fixed cut-off. Check the policy for your exact course and entry year.
Manchester and UCL compared
| University and course | What the linked policy says | What remains unknown |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester Medicine, A106 and A101 | Threshold set after results arrive in November. The page currently excludes SJT Bands 3 and 4. | A future threshold is not confirmed in advance. The page flags its SJT policy for possible updates. |
| UCL MBBS, 2027 entry | Applicants sit UCAT in the application year. After academic screening, cognitive totals rank applicants for interview; SJT breaks tied totals. | This admissions page gives no fixed future score cut-off. It does not establish an individual's interview chance. |
Build a useful shortlist
- Record the course code and entry year before the score.
- Keep Home, overseas and contextual applicant categories separate when a university distinguishes them.
- Label past thresholds as historical. An offer-holder average is not a minimum.
- Follow the university's linked selection documents and resolve unclear eligibility with admissions.
Do not turn silence into permission
Worked example Read a policy precisely
A course page says: 'Applicants must meet academic requirements. Eligible applicants are ranked by UCAT. Interview capacity varies.' It gives no number. A student scored 2150. Does the page guarantee an interview?
Why this works: No. Ranking and capacity matter, and neither the applicant distribution nor the last invited score is supplied. Record 'future cut-off not published in this policy', then check the remaining criteria.
Why the tempting route fails: Replacing the missing number with 2100 because it sounds competitive invents a requirement. 'No published cut-off' also does not mean every eligible applicant gets an interview.