Cardiff Medicine 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview

University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff

Cardiff Medicine (Cardiff University School of Medicine) 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.

Cardiff Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Cardiff Medicine asks for AAA including Biology or Chemistry plus a second science from Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or Psychology at A-level, or 36 points overall (18 at HL); grade 6 in HL Biology or Chemistry plus a second HL science subject in the IB. At GCSE: GCSE: grade 6 (B) in Mathematics, English or Welsh Language, and Double Award Science (or grade 7/A in Biology and Chemistry separately); plus four other GCSEs at grade 6 (B) or above. Cardiff does not publish a fixed UCAT cut-off; it is only applied if too many applicants have excellent academic scores. Average score invited to interview: ~2,060 (out of 2,700) in 2025, ~2,025 in 2024.

Predicted A-level grades are not used to rank applicants here. That means a lower prediction is not a disadvantage at the shortlisting stage, provided you meet the minimum entry requirement. You still need to achieve the required grades on results day, so keep working to surpass your predictions.

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

This school ranks applicants with a points based scoring system. Work out your own points score before you spend one of your four choices.

How Cardiff uses the UCAT

Cardiff does not publish a fixed UCAT cut-off; it is only applied if too many applicants have excellent academic scores. Average score invited to interview: ~2,060 (out of 2,700) in 2025, ~2,025 in 2024.

Cardiff does not publish a fixed UCAT cut-off; it is only applied if too many applicants have excellent academic scores. Average score invited to interview: ~2,060 (out of 2,700) in 2025, ~2,025 in 2024.

2024 -> ~2,025 (out of 2,700) average invited, lowest ~1,510 - 2025 -> ~2,060 average invited, lowest ~1,525. MedicHut 2027 safe prediction: ~2,080 (out of 2,700).

Cardiff medicine interview format

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) - 7 stations of about 7 minutes each, mostly online via MS Teams, with a mix of motivation, ethics, role-play and Welsh-NHS context. January-March (rolling).

Sample Cardiff interview questions

Cardiff Medicine FAQs

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

Cardiff doesn't publish a hard cut-off but combines UCAT with a GCSE score. The 2025 cycle effective cut-off was around 2,610. Aim for 2,650+ to be competitive; below 2,550 is high-risk even with strong GCSEs.

Does Cardiff weight GCSEs heavily?

Yes - more than most English schools. Your top GCSEs are converted to a points score and combined with UCAT for shortlisting. A profile with six or more 7s/8s/9s including English, Maths and the sciences is the expected baseline.

Is Cardiff's interview MMI or panel?

MMI - seven stations of about seven minutes each. For 2027 entry these run mostly online via MS Teams.

Does Cardiff require Biology AND Chemistry at A-level?

Yes - both at grade A minimum, alongside a third academic A-level at grade A.

Are Welsh applicants prioritised at Cardiff?

Yes - the Welsh Government funds a fixed share of places for Welsh-domiciled students, so Welsh applicants compete against a smaller, ring-fenced pool. Non-Welsh UK applicants compete for the remaining places.

Does Cardiff accept the IB?

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

Can I resit A-levels and still apply to Cardiff?

Resits are considered with mitigating circumstances. The achieved grades must still hit AAA at the resit attempt and you must explain the underperformance.

When does Cardiff make Medicine decisions?

MMI invitations typically go out December-January; final outcomes January-April for 2027 entry.

Does Cardiff offer Graduate Entry Medicine?

Yes - the A101 four-year programme is delivered jointly with Swansea, open to bioscience graduates with a 2:1 plus GAMSAT.

Can I defer my Cardiff Medicine offer?

Yes, deferred entry is supported provided it's agreed before you firm the offer.

Is Cardiff a good medical school?

Yes. Cardiff University School of Medicine is consistently ranked in the top 15-20 UK medical schools (Complete University Guide, Guardian University Guide), holds full GMC approval, and its MBBCh graduates achieve strong Foundation Programme placement rates. Cardiff is Wales's largest medical school with a spiral curriculum (C21), early clinical exposure from Year 1, and a large teaching-hospital network built around the University Hospital of Wales - one of the largest hospitals in Europe.

Where is Cardiff Medical School?

Cardiff University School of Medicine is based at the Heath Park campus in Cardiff, adjacent to the University Hospital of Wales (UHW). Clinical placements from Year 3 onward run across Cardiff and Vale, Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Aneurin Bevan, Hywel Dda, Betsi Cadwaladr and Powys health boards - giving students exposure to urban, valleys, coastal and rural Welsh NHS settings.

What hospitals is Cardiff Medical School affiliated with?

Cardiff's main teaching hospital is the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) on the Heath Park campus. Wider placements run across University Hospital Llandough, Royal Glamorgan, Prince Charles, Nevill Hall, Grange University Hospital, Morriston, Singleton, Withybush, Bronglais, Ysbyty Gwynedd and Wrexham Maelor, plus community GP placements across all seven Welsh health boards.

How is anatomy taught at Cardiff Medical School - is there dissection?

Cardiff teaches anatomy through a combination of prosection, plastinated specimens, imaging and clinical anatomy sessions rather than full-cohort student dissection. Students work with pre-dissected specimens in the Cardiff anatomy suite alongside living-anatomy sessions, ultrasound, and 3D digital tools - the same GMC-mapped anatomy content as dissection-based schools, delivered via prosection.

Is Cardiff Medical School PBL or lecture-based?

Cardiff runs the C21 spiral curriculum - an integrated, case-based learning (CBL) programme rather than traditional pure PBL or pure lecture-based teaching. Learning is anchored around weekly clinical cases with lectures, small-group sessions, anatomy and clinical skills built around each case. It sits between Manchester's pure PBL and Oxbridge's lecture-heavy model.

How many places does Cardiff Medical School have each year?

Approximately 322 places for 2027 entry - roughly 300 Home (Welsh + rest-of-UK) and 22 Overseas. Welsh-domiciled applicants have a ring-fenced share of the Home places under Welsh Government quotas, so Welsh students compete against a smaller pool than non-Welsh UK applicants.

How many applicants apply to Cardiff Medicine each year?

Cardiff receives roughly 2,600 applications for ~322 places (approximately 8:1). After the academic + GCSE + UCAT filter, around 900-1,000 applicants are invited to MMI - so clearing the combined GCSE + UCAT rank is the single biggest step to interview.

How many interviews does Cardiff Medical School run?

Cardiff invites approximately 900-1,000 candidates to MMI each year for ~322 places (roughly 3 interviewees per place). MMIs are held mostly online via MS Teams between January and March, with rolling outcomes issued January-April.

Does Cardiff look at predicted grades?

Yes - Cardiff uses predicted grades at the initial academic check for pre-A-level applicants and expects the standard AAA (including Biology and Chemistry) prediction to progress to the UCAT + GCSE ranking stage. Post-results applicants are assessed on achieved grades. Predictions below AAA are normally rejected unless the applicant qualifies for the contextual ABB offer.

Does Cardiff look at the SJT?

Yes - SJT is used as a screening band. Bands 1, 2 and 3 are considered equally at shortlisting; Band 4 is a hard reject regardless of how strong the cognitive UCAT, GCSEs and A-levels are.

How does Cardiff assess the UCAT?

Cardiff combines your UCAT cognitive score (four subtests, out of 3,600) with a GCSE points score into a single ranked list. UCAT and GCSEs carry broadly similar weight, so a strong GCSE profile can compensate for a mid-range UCAT and vice versa. The 2025 cycle effective cognitive cut-off was around 2,610.

When was Cardiff Medical School founded?

Cardiff has trained doctors since 1893, when the Welsh National School of Medicine was established. It has been part of Cardiff University since 2004 when Cardiff University merged with the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM) - making Cardiff University School of Medicine one of the older medical schools in the UK.

Practise the Cardiff interview

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

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