The BIG UKCAT choices thread.

[magpie7]

*KNOWN UPDATES FOR 2010: Found at bottom of the post*
>Please post any updated information regarding the UKCAT requirements for this years cycle that you know of... Preferablely with some kind of source to back it up.

Hello all,

I was bored and decided to conjure up a UKCAT 'scoring and choices' thread. Please note that this information is what I have found out from (quite a lot) of reading around and isn't 'official' by any means. Please use it as a guide and if you think you have more accurate information, tell me and I will update it. Also please tell me if you think I have missed out (or misplaced) any Universities from any sections of the thread.


Enjoy reading!

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<600:
Okay, so there are now a few Universities that you will have to cross off your list. However, there are still a good number that you can apply to!
-BMAT Universities: Cambridge, Oxford, ICL and UCL. These do not use the UKCAT, but have instead decided to use the BMAT admissions test. Please continue to the end of the thread for some notes on the BMAT.

Non-UKCAT Universities: Bristol, Liverpool, Lancaster and Birmingham. Remember that these Universities are usually more competitive and require a greater academic record (on the whole) than many other Universities. Birmingham requires 7A*s for example. Liverpool score A* and A grades at GCSE equally, and also will never use the number of A*s someone achieved at GCSE to differentiate between similar candidates after interview.

Low-weighting UKCAT Universities: These are Universities that don't put a great deal of emphasis on the UKCAT. This list is debatable, but include: Aberdeen, Keele, UEA, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Queens Belfast, St. Andrews, Leeds, HYMS and, to some extent, Leicester.

Aberdeen: 4% of application.
Keele and UEA: Generally just low weighting on UKCAT score.
Cardiff and Leeds: Use UKCAT to differentiate between similar candidates 'after' intwerview.
HYMS: 10 points out of the 60 that make up your application, hence 16.67% of applicaiton.
Queens Belfast: Put much more weighting on GCSEs. UKCAT sub-test scores below 600 result in a point lost and vice versa. (See DLS' post for more details.)
Leicester: In reality, makes up 25% of your application, however, so long as you score over 500 in each sub-test, you are only going to lose 2 marks out of the 20 that make your application. As far as I'm aware, you need 16/20 for interview.
Edinburgh: 8% of application (but require excellence elsewhere as they do not interview.)
St. Andrews: 10% of application.

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600-650:
This is a good average score which shouldn't really become too big an obstacle whilst choosing your University options. Still, Universities you should now be wary of applying to are: Sheffield, Newcastle, Durham, KCL and Manchester.

Sheffield: Told by admissions that 675+ is what they are looking for.
Newcastle, Durham and Manchester: Rank applicants in order of UKCAT score, interviewing the top X. As a result of using this method, UKCAT requirements for these Universities, unlike like most other Universities, can vary a considerable amount each year. 650+ is just a score that will make it very likely you make interview.
KCL: Apparently a good academic record can make up for a poor UKCAT score and vice versa, however, Kings is still seen as a University that requires a good score on the whole (650+.)

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650+:
I would now feel comfortable applying to anywhere, with the exception of Sheffield (675+.) You should be on the interview list of the Universities that list their applicants in rank order of UKCAT score and interview the top X.

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BMAT:
Please bare in mind that you take this test 'after' you have sent your application, so if you get a terrible score, it's too late to change your options. Your test centre also has to make an application, on your behalf, for you to sit the BMAT admissons test. The test takes place on November 4th and results are released on December 1st.

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09/10 Cycle Updates:
Durham this year apparently wanted 650+
Sheffield seem to have pushed their UKCAT requirement higher. Possibly 690+

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[Kinkerz]

For now at least, might be worth sticking Leeds in the low-weighting category. To the best of my knowledge, they use it post interview to distinguish between two similarly scoring applicants.

(Nice idea by the way)

[magpie7]

For now at least, might be worth sticking Leeds in the low-weighting category. To the best of my knowledge, they use it post interview to distinguish between two similarly scoring applicants.

(Nice idea by the way)

Thanks! I should of remembered that, as Leeds was initally somewhere I was going to apply to if my UKCAT score was on the lower side of average. =)

[piece_by_piece]

You can add St Andrews to the universities which put a low weighting on the UKCAT. They only use it for 10% of the whole application. Edinburgh also only use it for 8% of the application, but you really do need an excellent overall application in order to get an offer, especially as they don't interview. Lancaster don't use the UKCAT either (they are Liverpool's 'partner' university- i.e. although you go to Lancaster, you get an MBChB from The University of Liverpool) Also, Barts and The London had a cut off of 612.5 for 2009 entry, so anything above that should be fine, providing the cut off doesn't rise this year (I think it will though).

[magpie7]

You can add St Andrews to the universities which put a low weighting on the UKCAT. They only use it for 10% of the whole application. Edinburgh also only use it for 8% of the application, but you really do need an excellent overall application in order to get an offer, especially as they don't interview. Lancaster don't use the UKCAT either (they are Liverpool's 'partner' university- i.e. although you go to Lancaster, you get an MBChB from The University of Liverpool) Also, Barts and The London had a cut off of 612.5 for 2009 entry, so anything above that should be fine, providing the cut off doesn't rise this year (I think it will though).

Thanks! I have added Edinburgh and St. Andrews to the list, but will keep Lancaster out for the time being, as I've always thought of them as 'Liverpool' to be honest. (However, if there is a huge objection to this, I will add them in.)

Edit: Thanks for the Barts information too. I will just take them out of the thread completely, as they are now included in the opening statement of '600-650' part of the thread: "This is a good average score which shouldn't really become too big an obstacle whilst choosing your University options."

[DLS]

Its relatively small use at Belfast. There you get 4 points for A*s and 3 for an A for your top 9 GCSE's, then you get:

+1 point for each UkCAT section above 600
0 for each UkCAT section equal to 600
-1 for each UkCAT section below 600

Last year you need 31/32 (can't remember) for an offer. So if your GCSE's are good, UkCAT was pretty irrelevant.

[magpie7]

Its relatively small use at Belfast. There you get 4 points for A*s and 3 for an A for your top 9 GCSE's, then you get:

+1 point for each UkCAT section above 600
0 for each UkCAT section equal to 600
-1 for each UkCAT section below 600

Last year you need 31/32 (can't remember) for an offer. So if your GCSE's are good, UkCAT was pretty irrelevant.

Thanks, DLS. I will add that in now.

Edit: E-mail from Queens Belfast some months ago:
"The threshold varies from year to year; this year we have made offers to those with 34 points overall. Even if you feel that it is unlikely that you would be made a conditional offer, if you are seriously interested in Queen’s, we would still advise you to include us as one of your UCAS choices."

[YeahTom]

Hey.
I've read in 2 different threads about University of Sheffield, one says 675 and one said 670. I was just wondering if anyone could give me a definitive answer (I got 672.5 you see :P).
Thanks.

[magpie7]

Hey.
I've read in 2 different threads about University of Sheffield, one says 675 and one said 670. I was just wondering if anyone could give me a definitive answer (I got 672.5 you see :P).
Thanks.

I phoned up last Friday, and the woman at the admissions office definitely told me 675. (Well, she said 2700 total.)

Edit: Perhaps last year was 670, but as it is likely to raise every year (due to competition, inflation etc) maybe this year it is 675?

Just an idea.

But still... Being 10 points off (they use total score) shouldn't be a reason to turn you away. (Unless they have a strict cut-off.)

[DLS]

Last year sheffield had a cut off of 2680 (670 average). The cut-off this year isn't decided till they can see the scores of the applicants. Although it will be around the same mark (maybe slightly higher due to inflation?)