How do dental schools select candidates for interview?

Dental schools use a combination of an aptitude test (most commonly UCAT except Leeds which uses BMAT) and academic performance (GCSE and A-levels) with the Personal Statement to select students for interview. Each applicant is given a score using specific numerical scoring systems which each University has pre-determined, and then the top scoring students are offered an interview.

With regards to UCAT attainment, most schools do not post specific information about the precise cut off scores required to secure a definite interview.

All Dental Schools have the proviso that the UCAT or BMAT has to be taken. Generally they state that they do not have a cut off score although with so many applicants, you would think that must take an avid interest in it. Certain universities do have some sort of a defined criteria for UCAT:

University of Aberdeen

At Aberdeen, candidates are ranked using 60% UCAT and 40% academic criteria (actual and predicted academic achievement) in deciding who will be selected for interview. The UCAT Situational Judgement Test is only used in borderline cases.

For Graduate entry:

  • Applicants: the lowest total UCAT score for an applicant was 1580 and the highest was 3140. The average UCAT score for all applications was 2430.
  • Interview: the lowest total UCAT score for applicants who were invited to interview was 2240 and the highest was 3140.
  • Offers made: the lowest total UCAT score for successful applicants who were made offers was 2320 and the highest was 2850.

University of Birmingham

Currently Birmingham scores all applicants, ranks them and then divides them into quartiles based on the total of the four cognitive UCAT subtests (UCAT Verbal Reasoning, UCAT Decision Making, UCAT Quantitative Reasoning and UCAT Abstract Reasoning). The bottom quartile is automatically rejected. The UCAT is then scored along with personal statement, references and academic achievements. The UCAT Situational Judgement Test is not used in selection.

University of Bristol

Bristol does not give out any detailed information in how the UCAT is used in its application procedures for dentistry but

The Dental School of Bristol is the most upfront with their selection as they state the exact emphasis they place on each aspect of your application which is – ‘GCSE 15%, A-Level 15%, Personal Statement 35%, UCAT 35%- The SJT score will not be factored in.’

University of Cardiff

Cardiff does not give out any detailed information in how the UCAT is used in its application procedures for dentistry.

University of Dundee

At Dundee, they consider all scores so there is no minimum UCAT cut-off score. Candidates are ranked using academic achievement (UCAT and predicted grades), and then the top scoring candidates are invited for interviews. No information is available regarding how the UCAT Situational Judgement Test is used in the selection process.

Aberdeen dental school use a ranking system so in a way, they do have a cut-off as they state- ‘UCAT is considered alongside actual and predicted academic achievement in deciding who will be selected for interview. A minimum UCAT cut-off score is NOT used. A score is allocated based on the applicant’s overall performance in UCAT compared with all other applicants to Aberdeen (Academic – 60%, UCAT – 40%).’

University of Glasgow

Glasgow Dental School states as follows: ‘UCAT forms an extremely important part of the BDS entry requirements and if your score is deemed to be too low then you will not be selected for interview, regardless of your qualifications.’

Their 2019 cut off was 2470 which indicates that they do have a heavy emphasis on this aspect of your application

University of Liverpool

Liverpool does not have a minimum UCAT cut off score, but UCAT is considered in the application process. The UCAT Situational Judgement Test is also used, and their website states that it is ‘unlikely that we would consider an applicant that was placed in band 4 of the situational judgement part of the UCAT’.

University of Manchester

At Manchester, to enhance the fairness of the application process, all students from ‘similar educational and socio-demographic backgrounds’ are considered together, then UCAT scores are used to invite top scoring candidates from each group to interview. Manchester states that they ‘expect applicants to be in Bands 1 or 2’ in the UCAT Situational Judgement Test. They state that ‘Applicants with a SJT band 3 are welcome to apply. However, we will prioritise applicants who are in bands 1 and 2. Please note that we do not consider applicants who achieve Band 4 in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) element of the UKCAT.

University of Newcastle

Newcastle uses a UCAT cut-off when deciding which candidates will receive an interview offer. Last year the UCAT cut-off score was 637 (this is the average UCAT score from the four UCAT cognitive subtests). Over the last four years, the average UCAT cut-off score was 643. No information is available regarding how Newcastle uses the UCAT Situational Judgement Test in selection.

University of Sheffield

Sheffield does not give out any detailed information in how the UCAT is used in its application procedures for dentistry but it does state that Sheffield Dental School insists, ‘applicants will need to achieve a total score which is average or above in order to be successful in applying. Mature applicants or those students who have achieved their A-level grades are assessed separately and are required to achieve a lower threshold. The Situation Judgement Test (SJT) component of the UCAT is also used during the screening of applicants. In order to be successful, you will need to fall into Band 1, 2 or 3.”

As with most dental schools, this is fairly broad in terms of their emphasis on this part of your application process.

Queen Mary’s School of Dentistry. QMUL.

At QMUL, a UCAT threshold of the third decile is used.

Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry known as QMUL states that ‘those who have UCAT scores below the third decile will not be offered an interview. Applicants will be ranked according to a 50:50 weighting applied to the UCAT score and academic ability.’ No information is available regarding how the UCAT Situational Judgement Test is used in selection. Therefore, this dental school also places a heavy emphasis on this part of your application

Queen’s University Belfast

At Queen’s, students are ranked using the personal statement, subject grades, and achieved UCAT score but with no indication of how each criterion is weighted. No information is available regarding how the UCAT Situational Judgement Test is used in selection.

Plymouth University (Peninsula Dental School)

With Plymouth Dental School, their statement is fairly non-specific as they say as follows – ‘UCAT test results will be used, alongside the academic information contained on your UCAS form to select direct school leavers for interview. You will be required to meet a minimum overall target score which is set and reviewed annually by the Admissions Advisory Panel. We do not currently include the SJT banding score.’

Peninsula Dental School uses a UCAT cut off score. The past UCAT cut off scores are as follows:

2015 entry

2016 entry

2017 entry

2018 entry

2019 entry

2020 entry

2021 entry

  2280

2280

1790 (3 subsections only)

2230

2190

2280

2290

The 7 year average UCAT score required is 568 (i.e. a total overall cognitive UCAT score of 2272).

The UCAT Situational Judgement Test is not used in the application process.

King’s College London

King’s ranks students for interviews using GCSE / predicted or achieved A-level grades, personal statement, reference, and UCAT score. The UCAT score used is an average across the four UCAT cognitive subtests and UCAT Situational Judgement Test to rank students for invitation to interview. There is no information on how each part of the application is used but Kings states ‘examination results and the UCAT score are perhaps the most important factors when considering applications’ for interview.

How should I use my UCAT score strategically when applying for dentistry?

It is important to research the scoring system of each dental school and apply to universities where the specific system matches your strengths although it must be appreciated that universities tend to keep the cards close to their chests so it is a bit of a guessing game.

A good strategy is to check whether last year with your UCAT score, you would have received an interview offer. (Note however that the UCAT cut-off scores required for an interview do change depending on the UCAT and GCSE scores achieved by the cohort each year).

We always advise students not to get too uptight in trying to get a place at a particular dental school because you should just try to get that one place due to the intense nature of competition and furthermore, once you qualify, no one really looks where you qualified from when applying for jobs.