Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) Medicine 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview

Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex Falmer campus

Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) Medicine (Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS)) for 2027 entry: entry requirements, A-level and GCSE grades, how it uses the UCAT, admissions statistics, interview format and graduate entry - from MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is also known as BSMS.

Brighton and Sussex Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Brighton and Sussex Medicine asks for AAA including Biology or Chemistry, plus one further subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking) at A-level, or Minimum 36 points (or 35 for adjusted-offer applicants), including grade 6 at Higher Level in Biology or Chemistry plus grade 6 in one further HL subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics in the IB. At GCSE: For 2027 entry, only two GCSEs are considered: English (Language or Literature) at grade 5 (C) or above, and Maths at grade 5 (C) or above; contextual applicants are accepted at the same grade 5/C threshold. Candidates scoring SJT Band 1-3 are ranked by total UCAT score; Band 4 is not accepted. 2026 entry cut-offs (out of 2,700): Home >1,990 (or exactly 1,990 with SJT Band 1), Overseas >1,980. The 2026 mean UCAT score was 2,080.

A-level requirement: AAA including Biology or Chemistry, plus one further subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics (excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking)
Minimum A-levels: AAA at first sitting - Biology or Chemistry required, plus one further subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics
IB requirement: Minimum 36 points (or 35 for adjusted-offer applicants), including grade 6 at Higher Level in Biology or Chemistry plus grade 6 in one further HL subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics
GCSE requirement: For 2027 entry, only two GCSEs are considered: English (Language or Literature) at grade 5 (C) or above, and Maths at grade 5 (C) or above; contextual applicants are accepted at the same grade 5/C threshold
UCAS code: A100
Places: ~197 Home + ~11 Overseas (208 places, 2026 entry)
Applications per place: ~6.5 applicants per place (2025 cycle - 1,284 applications for ~199 places)
Contextual offers: BSMS Sussex & Kent Contextual Offer: reduced offer of ABB and a relaxed UCAT threshold for eligible applicants from Sussex, Kent, Medway, Surrey and other flagged widening-participation criteria (care-experienced, free-school-meals, first-generation).
Fees: £9,535/yr Home (under review for 2027) · ~£49,000/yr Overseas (2.5% annual increase) plus a required £5,000 tuition fee deposit

Band 4 in the SJT is rejected here. Band 3 can still apply with no disadvantage.

The personal statement is not read at any point in selection here, so put your effort into UCAT, GCSEs and interview prep.

How Brighton and Sussex uses the UCAT

Candidates scoring SJT Band 1-3 are ranked by total UCAT score; Band 4 is not accepted. 2026 entry cut-offs (out of 2,700): Home >1,990 (or exactly 1,990 with SJT Band 1), Overseas >1,980. The 2026 mean UCAT score was 2,080.

2026 entry (out of 2,700): Home cut-off ~1,990, Overseas ~1,980, mean invited 2,080. MedicHut 2027 safe prediction is ~2,080 (out of 2,700).

Brighton and Sussex medicine interview format

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - 8 stations, ~5 minutes each. Values-based: motivation, ethics, role-play, communication, teamwork, reflection and a data / prioritisation task. No science knowledge tested. December-March for 2027 entry, held online via Zoom / MS Teams (BSMS has kept the online format since 2021).

Sample Brighton and Sussex interview questions

Why BSMS specifically - what about a joint Brighton + Sussex programme attracts you?
Tell us about your work experience and one thing it taught you about being a doctor day-to-day.
Role-play: your patient is anxious about a procedure they don't fully understand. Explain it and reassure them.
Ethics: a 15-year-old asks you not to tell their parents they're using contraception. What do you do?
Discuss health inequalities in coastal towns like Hastings, Eastbourne or Bognor Regis.
Describe a time you worked in a team where someone wasn't pulling their weight - what did you do?
A colleague on placement is repeatedly turning up late and hungover. How do you handle it?
Prioritisation station: you have four patients waiting - a chest pain, a distressed relative, a medication query and a discharge letter. Rank them and explain your reasoning.
What are the biggest pressures facing the NHS in 2027 and how would you contribute as a junior doctor in the South-East?
Tell us about a time you received difficult feedback. How did you use it?
Reflect on a piece of medical or scientific news from the last six months and its implications for patients.
Why should we offer you a BSMS place over an equally qualified applicant?

Brighton and Sussex Medicine FAQs

What UCAT score do I need for BSMS Medicine 2027 entry?

BSMS ranks academically eligible applicants by UCAT cognitive score after the academic check. The 2025 cycle effective cut-off was around 2,540 - aim for 2,600+ to comfortably clear shortlisting; below 2,450 is high-risk. SJT is considered as a soft factor rather than a hard cut-off.

Is Brighton and Sussex Medical School good?

Yes. BSMS is consistently ranked in the top 10-15 UK medical schools for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide, Guardian University Guide), is fully GMC-approved, and its graduates achieve strong Foundation Programme placement rates. The joint Brighton + Sussex partnership gives students access to a large teaching hospital network across Sussex and Kent, early clinical exposure from Year 1, and a values-based MMI that rewards genuine motivation over polish.

Where is Brighton and Sussex Medical School?

BSMS is based on the Falmer campus, shared between the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, about 15 minutes from central Brighton by train. Clinical placements from Year 3 onward run across NHS trusts in Sussex and Kent - Royal Sussex County Hospital (Brighton), Princess Royal Hospital (Haywards Heath), Worthing Hospital, Eastbourne DGH, Conquest Hospital (Hastings) and community GP placements across the South-East.

What hospitals is BSMS affiliated with?

BSMS's main teaching trusts are University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Sussex County, Princess Royal, Worthing, St Richard's), East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (Eastbourne DGH, Conquest) and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in Kent, plus a large community GP placement network across Sussex, Kent and Surrey.

Is BSMS a well-regarded medical school?

Yes. BSMS is a joint school between the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex, and it is GMC approved like every other UK medical school. Your training, Foundation Programme eligibility and NHS career progression are the same wherever you study, so BSMS graduates apply for FY1 posts on exactly the same footing as graduates from any other UK medical school.

Is the BSMS Medicine interview MMI or panel?

MMI - eight stations of about five minutes each, held online via Zoom or MS Teams. Stations are values-based: motivation, ethics, role-play, communication, teamwork, reflection and a data / prioritisation task. No science or academic knowledge is tested.

Does BSMS require Biology AND Chemistry at A-level?

Yes - both Biology and Chemistry are mandatory at grade A, plus a third A in any other academic subject (General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded). AAA must be achieved at first sitting for standard entry.

Does BSMS accept the IB for Medicine?

Yes - 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at Higher Level, to include HL Biology and HL Chemistry.

Does BSMS accept resit A-levels for Medicine?

Resits are considered only with documented mitigating circumstances (serious illness, bereavement or similar). Standard applicants are expected to achieve AAA including Biology and Chemistry at first sitting.

Does BSMS offer contextual offers for Medicine?

Yes. Eligible applicants from Sussex, Kent, Medway and Surrey, care-experienced students, first-generation-to-university applicants and other flagged widening-participation criteria receive a reduced offer of ABB (still including Biology and Chemistry) and a relaxed UCAT threshold set below the standard cohort.

How many places does BSMS have each year?

Approximately 199 places for 2027 entry - around 180 Home / EU and 19 Overseas - one of the smaller UK cohorts, which contributes to BSMS's high staff-to-student ratio and its consistently strong scores on the National Student Survey.

How many applicants apply to BSMS each year?

Around 1,800 applications for ~200 places (roughly 9:1). After the academic and UCAT filter, roughly 600 candidates are invited to MMI - so clearing the UCAT cut-off is the single biggest step to an interview.

Does BSMS accept international applicants for Medicine?

Yes - approximately 19 overseas places per year. International applicants must meet the same AAA / IB 36 academics, sit the UCAT, and rank against a separate international UCAT threshold that is typically higher than the Home cohort.

Does BSMS have a Graduate Entry Medicine route?

No - BSMS runs the standard 5-year BM BS (A100) only. Graduates apply through A100 and must meet the AAA A-level and GCSE profile or an accepted alternative graduate profile (typically a 2:1 or above in a relevant science degree).

When does BSMS make Medicine offers?

MMI invitations go out from November for 2027 entry; interview outcomes are issued December-April on a rolling basis. Final decisions are communicated via UCAS Track.

What is BSMS's virtual work experience course?

BSMS runs a free online 'BSMS Virtual Work Experience' course (hosted on Thinkific) covering communication, ethics, teamwork and reflection - designed to give applicants without in-person shadowing a structured piece of evidence to draw on in their personal statement and at MMI. It's open to all UK applicants.

Practise the Brighton and Sussex interview

Book a Brighton and Sussex medicine mock interview in the exact format Brighton and Sussex uses, with an interviewer who holds an offer there.

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