Leicester Medicine 2027: UCAT Cut-Off, Entry Requirements & Interview

Maurice Shock Medical Sciences Building, University of Leicester - Leicester Medical School

Leicester medicine entry requirements for 2027: A-level and GCSE grades, UCAT cut-off and scores, the interview format and example questions, fees and places.

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

Leicester Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Leicester Medicine asks for A*AA (AAA with EPQ grade B or AS-level grade A) incl. Chemistry or Biology + one of Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Maths/Psychology at A-level, or Minimum 34 points overall with 7,6,6 at HL, or 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL, including Chemistry or Biology plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology in the IB. At GCSE: GCSE English, Maths and two sciences at grade B/6+ (best 9 GCSEs scored, mostly 7s+). 2026 entry: average UK UCAT invited to interview 2030/2700 (lowest 1820); overseas average 2140 (lowest 1950). Leicester says scores in the bottom two UCAT deciles are very unlikely to be invited.

A-level requirement: A*AA (AAA with EPQ grade B or AS-level grade A) incl. Chemistry or Biology + one of Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Maths/Psychology
Minimum A-levels: AAA accepted with an EPQ or 4th AS at grade A in a different subject
IB requirement: Minimum 34 points overall with 7,6,6 at HL, or 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at HL, including Chemistry or Biology plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology
GCSE requirement: GCSE English, Maths and two sciences at grade B/6+ (best 9 GCSEs scored, mostly 7s+)
UCAS code: A100
Places: ~260 Home + ~30 Overseas
Applications per place: Total places approximately 293 (~275 Home including up to 35 A199 Foundation progression places, ~18 International). 2026 entry: Home 1,443 interviews and 767 offers; Overseas 139 interviews and 67 offers.
Contextual offers: Leicester contextual admissions: relaxed UCAT and academic thresholds for eligible widening-participation applicants from local postcodes and underrepresented backgrounds (Leicester Access programme, POLAR4 Q1, care-experienced, free-school-meals, first-generation-to-university).
Fees: International fees: Year 1 and 2 £30,150; Year 3, 4 and 5 £48,900.

Applicants predicted AAB or above are still considered, so a prediction just under the standard offer is not an automatic rejection.

A grade A in the EPQ can lower the offer from A*AA to AAA here, so the EPQ is worth doing if you are on the borderline.

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

How Leicester uses the UCAT

2026 entry: average UK UCAT invited to interview 2030/2700 (lowest 1820); overseas average 2140 (lowest 1950). Leicester says scores in the bottom two UCAT deciles are very unlikely to be invited.

2026 entry (out of 2,700): average UK UCAT invited to interview 2,030, lowest UK UCAT invited 1,820; average overseas UCAT invited 2,140, lowest overseas invited 1,950.

Leicester medicine interview format

For 2027 entry, Leicester runs multiple mini interviews plus a numeracy test, lasting about an hour in total. Home applicants attend face to face at the George Davies Centre, and international applicants interview online. The numeracy station is mainly mental arithmetic and carries its own pass mark. Home: 8 to 18 December 2026 and 6 to 13 January 2027. International: 8 to 12 February 2027.

Sample Leicester interview questions

Why Leicester specifically?
Why Leicester over Nottingham, Birmingham or Keele?
Tell us about a time you handled conflict in a team.
Ethics: should the NHS fund cosmetic surgery on mental-health grounds?
Role-play: a friend is struggling with their mental health - support them.
Discuss the health impact of poverty in the East Midlands.
What recent medical news story has caught your attention and why?
How would you approach a patient who refuses to follow your advice?
What does 'professionalism' mean for a first-year medical student?
Describe a piece of work experience and what you reflected on afterwards.
How do you cope when things go wrong?
Data station: interpret a short table on smoking rates vs cardiovascular admissions in Leicester.
Prioritisation: as an F1 you have four tasks and only time for two - which do you do first and why?
How would you explain type 2 diabetes to a newly diagnosed patient with limited English?

Leicester Medicine FAQs

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

Leicester combines UCAT with a scored academic profile. The 2025 cycle effective cut-off was around 2,580. Aim for 2,620+ to be safe; below 2,500 is high-risk.

Does Leicester accept AAA?

Yes - AAA is accepted alongside an EPQ at grade A or a 4th AS-level at grade A in a different subject. Without that top-up, the standard offer is A*AA.

Does Leicester require Biology AND Chemistry?

Either Chemistry or Biology is mandatory at grade A, plus one further science from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths or Psychology.

Is the Leicester interview MMI or panel?

MMI. UK applicants are interviewed face-to-face on campus; international applicants are interviewed online via MS Teams.

Does Leicester score the personal statement?

No - it's read but not formally scored. It may be referenced as a prompt at the MMI.

Does Leicester accept resit A-levels?

Yes, with mitigating circumstances. Achieved grades must hit A*AA (or AAA + EPQ) at the resit attempt.

Does Leicester accept the IB?

Yes - 36 points overall with 6,6,6 at Higher Level, to include HL Chemistry or Biology plus one further science.

When does Leicester make decisions?

MMI invitations from November; outcomes December-April for 2027 entry.

Does Leicester offer Graduate Entry Medicine?

No dedicated A101 - graduates apply via the A100 programme on the same basis as school-leavers, with the AAA + EPQ pathway often used.

Can I defer my Leicester Medicine offer?

Yes, deferred entry is supported provided it's agreed at offer stage.

Is Leicester Medical School good?

Yes - Leicester is a well-established medical school with strong student satisfaction, a modern integrated case-led curriculum, and clinical placements across the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield and Leicester General - one of the largest teaching trusts in the UK). It regularly places in the upper half of UK medical school rankings and has a reputation for producing well-rounded, patient-centred junior doctors.

Is Leicester Medicine PBL?

Not strictly PBL. Leicester runs an integrated, case-led spiral curriculum: weekly clinical cases anchor small-group teaching, alongside lectures, anatomy with prosection, and early patient contact from Year 1. It sits between traditional teaching and pure PBL (Manchester/Keele).

How many students are at Leicester Medical School each year?

Approximately 290 places per year on A100 - around 260 Home and 30 Overseas. Total cohort across all five years is roughly 1,450 students.

How many places does Leicester Medical School offer?

Leicester makes roughly 500-550 offers each cycle for its ~290 A100 places, giving a ~55-60% offer-to-place conversion. Overall applicant-to-place ratio is about 8:1.

What is Leicester Medical School known for?

Three things: (1) one of the largest single-trust clinical placement footprints in the UK at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, (2) a modern integrated curriculum delivered from the George Davies Centre - the UK's largest PassivHaus building, and (3) genuine early patient contact from Semester 1, with strong community and GP-based teaching across the East Midlands.

Why choose Leicester Medical School over Nottingham, Birmingham or Keele?

Applicants pick Leicester for: (1) the scored GCSE + A-level + UCAT model, which rewards a strong academic profile without a scored personal statement; (2) early and high-volume clinical exposure at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust; (3) an affordable Overseas fee (~£32,950/yr) relative to competitors, and (4) a smaller, close-knit cohort feel compared with Nottingham or Birmingham.

Where are Leicester Medical School clinical placements?

Placements are hosted primarily by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester General Hospital) plus community and GP practices across Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland (LNR). Regional placements start in earnest from Year 3.

How competitive is Leicester Medicine?

Moderately competitive: ~8 applicants per place. The rate-limiting step is the combined GCSE + A-level + UCAT score used for MMI shortlisting - a GCSE profile heavy on 7s/8s/9s and a UCAT above ~2,580 is the realistic bar.

Does Leicester weight GCSEs heavily?

Yes - GCSEs form part of the scored academic profile alongside A-levels and UCAT. A strong spread of 7s and above (especially in sciences, English and Maths) makes a real difference at the shortlisting stage.

Does Leicester have contextual offers?

Yes - through the Leicester Access programme. Eligible widening-participation applicants (POLAR4 Q1, care-experienced, free-school-meals, first-generation-to-university, local Leicestershire postcodes) get a relaxed UCAT threshold and reduced academic requirements. Confirm eligibility on the University of Leicester admissions pages before applying.

What is the Leicester Medical School MMI like?

Around 7-8 stations of ~6 minutes each covering motivation for Medicine, ethics, role-play, teamwork, data interpretation and reflection on work experience. Stations are values-based rather than knowledge-heavy - preparation should focus on structured answers, empathy signals and clean role-play performance.

What are Leicester Medical School's fees for international students?

Approximately £32,950 per year for the 2027 cycle - among the more affordable Overseas fees for UK Medicine. Home fees are £9,535/yr and remain under national review for 2027.

Practise the Leicester interview

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

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