Plymouth Medicine 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview

Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth - landmark of the Plymouth campus that hosts the Peninsula Medical School

Plymouth Medicine (University of Plymouth Peninsula Medical School (BMBS)) 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.

Plymouth Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Plymouth Medicine asks for A*AA - A* in any subject, A in Biology and A in a second science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology at A-level, or 36-38 points overall with HL 6 in Biology and HL 6 in a second science (Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology). in the IB. At GCSE: Seven GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, including English Language, Mathematics and two sciences. UCAT is used as the primary interview shortlisting filter with no fixed weighting published. 2025 entry actual cut-offs (out of 3,600): Home 2,600, International 2,670, UKWPMED/WP AAB 2,540. MedicHut 2027 predicted cut-offs (out of 2,700): Home 1,950, International 2,000, UKWPMED/WP AAB 1,910.

A-level requirement: A*AA - A* in any subject, A in Biology and A in a second science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology.
Minimum A-levels: A*AA at first sitting. Resits accepted only if the first sitting achieved at least ABB.
IB requirement: 36-38 points overall with HL 6 in Biology and HL 6 in a second science (Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology).
GCSE requirement: Seven GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, including English Language, Mathematics and two sciences.
UCAS code: A100
Places: ~166 Home + ~6 Overseas (2025 entry places)
Applications per place: ~4.5 applicants per Home offer, ~16.7 per International offer (2025 cycle - 166 Home and 6 International places)
Contextual offers: Plymouth runs a formal contextual admissions scheme (Widening Access) - eligible applicants (POLAR4 quintile 1-2, care-experienced, free school meals, refugee status or Devon/Cornwall/Isles of Scilly postcodes) receive a reduced offer of AAB and a relaxed UCAT threshold.
Fees: £9,535/yr Home (under review for 2027) · ~£22,100/yr Overseas Year 1, ~£25,500 Year 2, ~£41,100 Years 3-5 (2026 published; 2027 expected to rise ~3%).

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

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

How Plymouth uses the UCAT

UCAT is used as the primary interview shortlisting filter with no fixed weighting published. 2025 entry actual cut-offs (out of 3,600): Home 2,600, International 2,670, UKWPMED/WP AAB 2,540. MedicHut 2027 predicted cut-offs (out of 2,700): Home 1,950, International 2,000, UKWPMED/WP AAB 1,910.

2024 entry (out of 3,600): Home 2,210, International 2,600, UKWPMED/WP AAB 2,210 - 2025 entry: Home 2,600, International 2,670, WP AAB 2,540 - 2027 predicted (out of 2,700): Home 1,950, International 2,000, WP AAB 1,910

Plymouth medicine interview format

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - 5 stations, ~55 minutes total, scored against the NHS values framework (motivation, communication, teamwork, ethics, resilience). Online via Zoom. December-February for 2027 entry. Offers issued from March.

Sample Plymouth interview questions

Why Plymouth specifically - what about the Peninsula BMBS and the South-West setting attracts you?
Tell us about your work experience and one specific moment that shaped your view of being a doctor.
Role-play: your patient is anxious about a diagnosis they've read scary things about online. Explain and reassure them.
Ethics: a 15-year-old asks you not to tell their parents they're taking contraception. What do you do?
Discuss health inequalities in rural and coastal communities like Cornwall, North Devon and the Isles of Scilly.
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: you have four patients waiting - a chest pain, a distressed relative, a medication query and a discharge letter. Rank them and explain.
What are the biggest pressures facing the NHS in 2027 and how would you contribute as a junior doctor in the South-West?
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 Plymouth place over an equally qualified applicant?

Plymouth Medicine FAQs

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

Plymouth ranks academically eligible applicants by UCAT cognitive score. The 2024 cycle cut-off for interview was around 2,680; 2023 sat closer to 2,610. Aim for 2,700+ to comfortably clear shortlisting; below 2,550 is high-risk. SJT Band 4 is a hard stop.

Is Plymouth Peninsula a good medical school?

Yes. Plymouth's BMBS is fully GMC-approved, its Foundation Programme placement rate is strong, and it consistently scores highly on the National Student Survey for teaching quality and community feel. The main pull is the small-cohort, early clinical exposure model with placements across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset - the main trade-off is having to relocate between Plymouth, Truro, Torbay, Taunton or Barnstaple during clinical years.

How many places does Plymouth Medical School have each year?

Approximately 155 places for 2027 entry - roughly 135 Home / RUK and 20 Overseas. Around 2,420 applications come in and ~700 candidates are invited to MMI, so clearing the UCAT cut-off is the single biggest step to an interview.

How competitive is Plymouth Medical School?

Very competitive at application stage - the overall applications-to-places ratio is roughly 14:1 (2,420 applications for 155 places), giving an offer/acceptance rate of about 7%. But interviewees fare much better: about 700 candidates are interviewed for 155 seats, so once you clear the UCAT filter your conversion odds are strong.

Does Plymouth Medical School require a personal statement?

You still submit a personal statement through UCAS, but Plymouth explicitly does not score it and does not use it for shortlisting. Reflection, motivation and values are assessed at MMI instead. That means Plymouth is a strong choice if your UCAT is competitive but your written personal statement is not your strongest asset.

Is the Plymouth Medicine interview MMI or panel?

MMI - five stations lasting about 55 minutes in total, run online via Zoom. Stations are values-based against the NHS Constitution: motivation, communication, ethics, teamwork and resilience. No science or academic knowledge is tested.

Does Plymouth Medical School use dissection or prosection?

Plymouth uses prosection and clinical anatomy teaching rather than full-body student-led dissection - specimens are pre-prepared by anatomists and studied in small-group sessions. This is standard for integrated case-based curricula and does not affect GMC accreditation or Foundation Programme eligibility.

Where does Plymouth Medical School do clinical placements?

Years 1-2 are primarily on the John Bull Building campus in Plymouth. From Year 3 onwards, clinical placements run across the whole South-West Peninsula: University Hospitals Plymouth (Derriford), Royal Cornwall Hospitals (Truro), Torbay Hospital, Musgrove Park (Taunton) and North Devon District Hospital (Barnstaple), plus community GP placements across Devon and Cornwall.

Does Plymouth accept resit A-levels for Medicine?

Yes, but only if you achieved at least ABB at first sitting. Resits with a first-sitting profile below ABB are not considered, and Plymouth does not consider extenuating circumstances at any stage of shortlisting.

Does Plymouth offer contextual (Widening Access) offers for Medicine?

Yes. Eligible applicants (POLAR4 quintile 1-2, care-experienced, free school meals, refugee status or applicants from Devon, Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly) receive a reduced AAB offer and a lower UCAT threshold than the standard cohort.

Does Plymouth accept the IB for Medicine?

Yes - 36-38 points overall with Higher Level 6 in Biology and Higher Level 6 in a second science (Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology).

Does Plymouth offer Graduate Entry Medicine?

Plymouth's A100 BMBS is open to graduates on the standard 5-year route (using the GAMSAT rather than the UCAT for graduate applicants). There is no separate accelerated 4-year graduate programme.

Does Plymouth accept international applicants for Medicine?

Yes - approximately 20 Overseas places per year. International applicants must meet A*AA / IB 36-38, sit the UCAT, and hit IELTS 7.5 with at least 7.0 in Speaking and Listening. Overseas fees are staggered: ~£22,100 in Year 1, ~£25,500 in Year 2, ~£41,100 in Years 3-5.

When does Plymouth Medical School make offers?

MMI invitations go out from November-December for 2027 entry; interviews run December-February; successful candidates can expect offers from March, communicated through UCAS Track.

Practise the Plymouth interview

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

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