University of Bristol Medicine Entry Requirements

To study Medicine (MB ChB, UCAS code A100) at the University of Bristol starting in 2027, you need AAA at A-level, including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Maths or Further Maths. You also need a grade 7 in GCSE Maths, a UCAT taken in 2026 and an online interview. Eligible applicants can get a contextual offer of ABB.

The good news is that Bristol spells out its process clearly. Everything below comes from Bristol's own 2027-entry course pages, admissions statements and contextual offers page, checked on 6 October 2026. Rules can change during the cycle, so check the official A100 course page before you submit.

What are the entry requirements for Bristol Medicine?

Bristol only considers applicants predicted to achieve, or already holding, its entry requirements in full, so a prediction of AAB falls short of the standard offer. If you think you qualify for a contextual offer, check how it applies with Bristol's admissions team.

What A-levels does Bristol Medicine require?

The standard offer is AAA. The subject rules are short but strict:

• Chemistry is compulsory. If you apply with grades already achieved and missed the Chemistry requirement, Bristol won't consider you "under any circumstances" unless you're resitting it.
• Your second subject must be Biology, Physics, Maths or Further Maths.
• Biology isn't compulsory. Chemistry, Physics and Maths meets the rule just as well.
• No Biology plus Human Biology. Bristol can't consider that pair because the content overlaps.

You don't need to take all three A-levels in one sitting, and Bristol will consider applicants who resit.

How many UCAS points is AAA?

Bristol states its Medicine offer in A-level grades, not UCAS Tariff points, so it's the grades and subjects that count. Converting the offer still helps you compare Bristol with the rest of your list:

See the full breakdowns for AAA in UCAS points and, for the contextual offer, what ABB is worth, or check your predictions with the A-level UCAS points calculator.

What GCSEs do you need for Bristol Medicine?

Bristol sets just two GCSE grades for 2027 entry:

• Maths at grade 7 (A), which Bristol calls its advanced numeracy requirement
• English at grade 4 (C), its standard literacy requirement

Bristol doesn't weight GCSEs or A-levels, so once you meet the minimum, a page full of 9s won't push you up the ranking. If English isn't your first language, you also need IELTS 7.5 overall with 7.0 in every skill, or GCSE English Language at grade 6 (B).

What UCAT score do you need for Bristol Medicine?

This is the part that matters most at Bristol. Once you've met the academic minimum, your application is scored with a 100% weighting on the UCAT, and that score decides who is invited to interview.

• Bristol uses the combined score from all subtests except Situational Judgement.
• There's no cut-off score. The threshold moves each year with the strength of the cohort.
• You must sit the UCAT in the same calendar year you apply, so a 2026 test for 2027 entry.

Here are the most recent thresholds Bristol has published:

So a "good" score for Bristol is at or above last year's threshold, though even that isn't a guarantee for 2027.

Is Bristol hard to get into for Medicine?

Yes, it's competitive, but it's also predictable. The process runs in three steps:

1. Academic check. Your predicted or achieved grades must meet Bristol's minimum entry requirements in full, in the right subjects.
2. UCAT ranking. The top UCAT scorers are invited to interview. Bristol no longer scores the personal statement.
3. Interview ranking. Offers go to the strongest interview performers. If two people tie, UCAT breaks the tie, then academic history.

If your UCAT score is well above recent thresholds, Bristol could be a strong choice. If it's lower, compare schools that weigh other factors in our guide to medicine entry requirements at every UK medical school.

Be ready for a wait. Bristol may hold some applications until May, and you may not get a decision until all the interviews are finished.

What is the Bristol Medicine interview like?

For the 2027 cycle, Bristol's admissions statement says interviews are online and expected to run from December to February, though the course page asks you to be available from November to April. Assessors ask questions and mark your answers separately, and you'll need photo ID. Once you're invited, read Bristol's Medicine interviews page for the format and how to prepare.

Work experience isn't required, but Bristol strongly encourages it and may ask you to reflect on it at interview. If clinical placements are hard to find, Bristol suggests customer service work or volunteering in a care or health setting.

Does Bristol make contextual offers for Medicine?

Yes. For 2027 entry the contextual offer is ABB, with an A in Chemistry and a B in Biology, Physics, Maths or Further Maths. The IB equivalent is 32 points.

You must have home fee status, be taking A-levels and/or the IB, and apply through UCAS. You then need to meet one of these:

You don't apply separately: Bristol uses the details in your UCAS application. Outreach graduates and students who had free school meals may also qualify for a guaranteed interview, explained on Bristol's guaranteed offers page. Our guide to how contextual offers work covers the wider picture.

Does Bristol have a Gateway to Medicine?

Yes. Gateway to Medicine (A108) is a six-year route for students with the potential to be doctors who don't meet the standard academic entry criteria. Pass the gateway year and you move automatically onto the five-year MB ChB.

For 2027 you're eligible if you live in an IMD quintile 1 or 2 area, have spent three months or more in local authority care, or have been eligible for free school meals. The aspiring schools list no longer counts for Gateway, and a Bristol outreach programme only counts alongside one of those three. International fee payers can't apply.

Gateway rules that are easy to miss:

• Bristol won't consider you for both A108 and A100, so pick the one that fits your grades.
• Predicted grades can't be revised later. Make sure your teacher knows about the ceiling.
• Graduates aren't eligible, and neither is anyone who has started a university course, including a foundation course.
• You need recent study in Chemistry or Biology within two years of starting.
• There's no lower offer. BBC is already set at a contextual level.

Selection works like A100: UCAT ranking, then an online interview. Our guide to medicine foundation and gateway years compares Bristol's route with others, and you can check what BBC is worth in UCAS points.

Can graduates, mature students or Access to HE students apply?

Yes, all three can apply to A100.

• Graduates need a 2:1 degree plus BBB at A-level, including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics, Maths or Further Maths.
• Mature applicants need recent scientific study, including Chemistry, in the past five years at A-level standard or above.
• Access to HE students need one of the diploma titles Bristol lists, such as Science or Medical/Health Science, meeting the credit rules above. Our Access to HE medicine guide compares this with other schools.

Bristol doesn't accept transfers into later years of A100.

When is the deadline for Bristol Medicine?

For 2027 entry, Bristol's closing date for Medicine applications is 15 October 2026, and it guarantees equal consideration to applications received before that UCAS deadline. UCAS advises using no more than four of your five choices on Medicine. Our UCAS deadlines guide for 2027 entry has the exact cut-off time and the full calendar.

If you'd rather start in 2028, Bristol welcomes deferred applications to A100. Gateway doesn't accept them.

What happens after you get an offer?

Every offer depends on occupational health clearance and a check against the Medical Schools Council's Excluded Students Database, and all medical students need a DBS check. If you narrowly miss your grades, don't panic: Bristol says offer holders who just miss "will not automatically be unsuccessful", and it reviews near-miss candidates in August.

How does Bristol compare with other medical schools?

What stands out at Bristol is the heavy focus on the UCAT, the short list of GCSE rules and a Gateway route with a firm grade ceiling. To compare nearby schools, read our guides to Exeter medicine entry requirements and Cardiff medicine entry requirements. For other Bristol courses, see Bristol's UCAS points and entry requirements.

Your next step: compare your 2026 UCAT score with the thresholds above, then choose between A100 and A108 before 15 October.

Check your predicted A-level points