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UEA Dentistry 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview

UEA in Norwich is one of two brand new UK dental schools taking students for the first time in September 2027, with 25 home and 11 international places. There is no UCAT cut-off, but UCAT is used to rank for interview and counts equally with the MMI for offers.

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

UEA dentistry entry requirements (2027 entry)

  • Course: University of East Anglia BDS Dental Surgery
  • Location: Norwich, England
  • A-level requirement: AAA including Biology or Chemistry
  • GCSE requirement: Six GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including English Language, Maths and two sciences or Double Science (grade 5 for graduate applicants)
  • How they shortlist: Academic screen first, then UCAT ranking
  • Interview format: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) circuit
  • Resits accepted: Yes, with conditions
  • Gap year: Accepted
  • Graduate entry: Not available

How UEA uses the UCAT

UEA does not publish a fixed UCAT cut-off. Your score is used in context with the rest of your application, so a mid-range score is not automatically fatal here.

UEA first checks you meet the academic minimums, have a satisfactory personal statement and reference, and have sat the UCAT. If there are more applicants than interview places, it ranks by overall UCAT score to decide who is interviewed. After interview, the interview score (which includes your UCAT SJT score) and your overall UCAT score are weighted equally to decide offers.

UEA has no UCAT cut-off. A high score helps and a low score does not rule you out. Your UCAT counts twice: for the interview shortlist and again, equally with the interview, for offers.

UEA dentistry interview format

UEA interviews using a multiple mini interview (mmi) circuit. Expect stations or questions on motivation for dentistry, manual dexterity, ethics, teamwork, communication and your work experience.

UEA dentistry FAQs

What UCAT score do you need for UEA dentistry?

UEA does not publish a fixed UCAT cut-off. Your score is used in context with the rest of your application, so a mid-range score is not automatically fatal here. UEA has no UCAT cut-off. A high score helps and a low score does not rule you out. Your UCAT counts twice: for the interview shortlist and again, equally with the interview, for offers.

What are the UEA dentistry entry requirements for 2027 entry?

AAA including Biology or Chemistry. At GCSE: Six GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including English Language, Maths and two sciences or Double Science (grade 5 for graduate applicants).

What is the UEA dentistry interview like?

UEA uses a multiple mini interview (mmi) circuit. UEA first checks you meet the academic minimums, have a satisfactory personal statement and reference, and have sat the UCAT. If there are more applicants than interview places, it ranks by overall UCAT score to decide who is interviewed. After interview, the interview score (which includes your UCAT SJT score) and your overall UCAT score are weighted equally to decide offers.

Does UEA accept resits for dentistry?

UEA will consider A-level resits, usually with extenuating circumstances or a higher grade requirement. Check the current admissions statement before committing to a resit year.

What GCSEs do you need for UEA dentistry?

Six GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including English Language, Maths and two sciences or Double Science (grade 5 for graduate applicants). GCSEs are mainly used as a threshold at UEA rather than being scored heavily, so meeting them cleanly matters more than perfecting them.

Does UEA accept a gap year for dentistry?

Yes. UEA accepts gap-year applicants for dentistry. You will need to sit the UCAT again in the cycle you apply and show what you did with the year, ideally including dental work experience or patient-facing employment.

How much dental work experience do you need for UEA?

There is no magic number of hours. UEA wants evidence that you understand the reality of clinical dentistry: time in a practice (general or specialist), any patient-facing or caring role, and reflection on manual dexterity, communication and long appointments. Quality of reflection beats quantity of placements.

Is UEA dentistry hard to get into?

UK dentistry is competitive everywhere, typically well over 10 applicants per place across the sector. At UEA the deciding factor is your UCAT score once academic minimums are met.

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