Cambridge Medicine 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview Guide

Cambridge Medicine (A100) 2027 entry: A*A*A requirements, how Cambridge uses the UCAT, a ~16% offer rate, real interview questions, college choice and graduate entry (A101). Doctor-led guide from MedicHut.

Last reviewed: 14 September 2026 by MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Cambridge Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Cambridge Medicine (A100) entry requirements for 2027 entry are A*A*A at A-level, including Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics or Maths, or 40-42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level including Chemistry. All applicants sit the UCAT and almost all are interviewed by their College in December.

• A-level requirement: A*A*A - A* in Chemistry plus one other science/maths; third subject A or above
• Minimum A-levels: A*A*A - Chemistry essential, plus another science or maths
• IB requirement: 40-42 points with 776 at HL - HL Chemistry essential, ideally plus HL Biology
• GCSE requirement: No formal requirement, but the Cambridge Pre-applicant Form asks for full GCSE breakdown and tutors expect a profile heavy in 8s and 9s.
• Required subjects: Chemistry is required at A-level. Cambridge expects a second science or maths alongside it, and most successful applicants take three or four of Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths - Biology to at least AS or Year 12 level is strongly recommended because the pre-clinical course assumes it.
• UCAS code: A100
• Places: ~272 Home + ~28 Overseas
• Applications per place: ~6 applicants per place (2025 cycle, based on 1,530 applications and 270 acceptances); ~7 Home / ~20 International (2024 cycle)
• Contextual offers: Cambridge Bursary + 'Get In Cambridge' contextual flag; flagged applicants are reviewed favourably at every stage and may receive a slightly relaxed offer.
• Graduate entry: Cambridge runs a dedicated four-year Graduate Course in Medicine (A101) at the School of Clinical Medicine, open to applicants with at least a 2:1 in any subject (science degrees are not required, but A-level Chemistry plus a second science/maths is). A101 has its own UCAT requirement, its own interview process (online MMI plus an asynchronous video interview in recent cycles) and only around 20-25 places a year, making it one of the most competitive graduate routes in the UK. Graduates can also apply to the standard A100 course - through Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund's or Wolfson - and can complete it in five years by moving straight from the end of Year 2 into clinical studies. A101 is also the only situation in which UCAS lets you apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same cycle.
• Fees: Home fees are set by the UK government and expected to be around £10,050/yr for 2027 entry (confirm on the Cambridge fees page before you apply).

This school makes no use of the SJT, so a weaker band does not count against you.

Some Colleges make higher offers (for example A*A*A*) or specify where the A* must fall, so always read your College's own page before you apply.

There is no published GCSE cut-off, but the My Cambridge Application form asks for your full GCSE breakdown and competitive applicants usually show a profile heavy in 8s and 9s.

Cambridge does not set a formal resit policy for Medicine, but resat A-levels weaken an application in a pool where most candidates are predicted A*A*A first time.

International applicants need equivalent qualifications plus an English language requirement (typically IELTS 7.5 with 7.0 in each element).

How Cambridge uses the UCAT

Cambridge does not publish a university-wide UCAT cut-off. The UCAT is one part of a College-level shortlisting decision alongside your predicted grades, GCSE profile and My Cambridge Application form - so the score that gets you interviewed at one College may not at another. Applicant-reported data from the 2025 cycle (the first Cambridge UCAT cycle) clustered around 2,650, with the most heavily applied-to Colleges effectively higher.

Cambridge introduced the UCAT for 2025 entry. Used at shortlisting alongside academic record + the College's own assessment; effective cut-off varies hugely by college (~2,650 at popular colleges, lower at less-applied colleges via the pool).

2025 (first UCAT cycle) → ~2,650 average effective cut-off across colleges; SJT Band 3 considered, Band 4 rejected.

Cambridge medicine interview format

College based academic interviews, held in person for Medicine. Most applicants have one or two interviews lasting 35 minutes to an hour in total, usually with two or three interviewers. Questions are science led and test how you reason through unfamiliar problems. December, with decisions in January.

Sample Cambridge interview questions

• Derive Beer's law from first principles. Use the whiteboard.
• Why doesn't your heart get tired the way your skeletal muscles do after exercise?
• If we knocked out the gene for haemoglobin in a mouse embryo, what would happen and when?
• Sketch the action potential. Now show me what happens if extracellular potassium doubles.
• Why is general anaesthesia so hard to define mechanistically?
• Explain how a kidney concentrates urine. Now tell me what loop diuretics do and why.
• If a population becomes 100% resistant to one antibiotic, why doesn't natural selection 'undo' that resistance once we stop using it?
• How would you design a vaccine for a virus that mutates every 6 months?
• Why is sickle-cell trait protective against malaria but the disease is fatal?
• A patient is brought in with hypothermia, pulse 30. Walk me through what's happening and what you'd do.

Cambridge Medicine FAQs

Does Cambridge use the UCAT for 2027 entry?

Yes - Cambridge introduced the UCAT for 2025 entry and continues to use it for 2027. There is no separate Cambridge entrance test; the UCAT plus the My Cambridge Application form are used for shortlisting.

How many places are there for Home and international students at Cambridge Medicine?

Cambridge takes roughly 300 Medicine students a year across all Colleges, of which about 272 are Home places and around 28 are Overseas places - the Overseas number is capped, which is why international competition is far tougher. Cambridge made 288 offers for 2025 entry from 1,791 applications. Check the Cambridge undergraduate admissions statistics page for the latest cycle before you apply.

What is the Cambridge Medicine acceptance rate?

For 2025 entry Cambridge received 1,791 applications for Medicine (A100) and made 288 offers - an offer rate of about 16%, or roughly 1 offer for every 6 applicants. The 2024 cycle was almost identical (1,754 applications, 288 offers). Overseas applicants face far longer odds because Overseas places are capped at around 28 per year.

Which Cambridge college is easiest to get into for Medicine?

There is no officially 'easy' College, but applications per place vary a lot. Trinity, Gonville & Caius and Christ's are the most heavily applied-to for Medicine; smaller and newer Colleges usually have fewer applicants per place. Because of the Winter Pool, applying to a quieter College - or submitting an open application - does not disadvantage a strong candidate.

How much does Cambridge Medicine cost for international students?

Overseas tuition for Medicine is around £70,554 a year for 2026/27 entry, plus an annual College fee of roughly £11,500-£14,950 depending on your College. Home fees are set nationally and are expected to be about £10,050 a year for 2027 entry. Always confirm the current figures on the Cambridge fees page.

What UCAT score do I need for Cambridge Medicine?

Cambridge has no university-wide cut-off but most colleges have an effective threshold around 2,650 for the 2025 cycle; competitive colleges (e.g. Trinity, Caius, Christ's) sit higher (~2,750).

How do I choose a Cambridge college?

Look at recent admission stats by college, the college's teaching style (some run more clinically-oriented supervision early), location and the application:offer ratio. The pool system means a 'safer' college doesn't disadvantage you.

Can I apply to both Oxford and Cambridge?

No - UCAS rules forbid applying to both in the same undergraduate cycle. Graduate Medicine at Cambridge (A101) is the only exception.

Do I need Biology A-level for Cambridge Medicine?

No, but it's strongly preferred. Chemistry is mandatory; the second science can be Biology, Physics or Maths. Without A-level Biology you'll be expected to demonstrate biology knowledge at interview from your wider reading.

How is the Cambridge Medicine interview structured?

Two college panel interviews of around 30 minutes each, in early-mid December. One focuses on scientific reasoning, the other on motivation, ethics and broader thinking. Most are now back to in-person.

What's the Cambridge pool?

If your College of choice can't make you an offer but rates you highly, your application is 'pooled' and other Colleges with spare capacity can pick you up. About 20-25% of offers at Cambridge come via the pool.

Can I do Graduate Medicine at Cambridge?

Yes - A101 is a four-year accelerated programme based at the School of Clinical Medicine. It has its own application timeline and entry criteria (2:1 in any first degree + UCAT).

When do Cambridge Medicine offers come out?

Mid-January, after the College consensus meetings and the pool round. Successful pool applicants are notified at the same time.

Does Cambridge Medicine interview online or in-person for 2027 entry?

In-person at the College of choice for almost all applicants; some Overseas applicants may be offered a Microsoft Teams interview if travel is impossible.

Practise the Cambridge interview

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

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