Cambridge Medicine Entry Requirements: What You Need

For 2027 entry, Cambridge Medicine (UCAS code A100) asks for at least A*A*A at A-level, or 41–42 IB points with 776 at Higher Level. You need Chemistry plus one or two other sciences or maths, depending on your College. You must also sit the UCAT, be interviewed, and apply through UCAS by 15 October 2026.

That's a high bar, but it's a clear one. Below you'll find each requirement as Cambridge states it on its own pages, what it means for your subject choices, and the dates you can't afford to miss.

What are the entry requirements for Cambridge Medicine?

Cambridge says the requirements on its course page "are for entry in 2027 or deferred entry in 2028". Here they are in one place.

The A*A*A figure is a minimum. Cambridge explains that "in some cases you'll receive a higher or more challenging offer", for example when there is strong competition for a course or when a College has a policy of asking for more in a subject. Some Colleges "may sometimes ask for higher grades or an A* in a particular subject", so check your College's own website before you apply.

It also helps to know what successful applicants actually got. Cambridge says 82% of Medicine entrants who took A-levels (starting in 2018, 2019 and 2023) achieved at least A*A*A*. You don't need that as a minimum, but it shows how strong the field is.

Which A-level subjects does Cambridge require for medicine?

Chemistry is the one subject every College asks for. On top of that, you need one or two more A-levels (or IB Higher Levels) from this list:

• Biology or Human Biology
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Further Mathematics

Whether you need one or two extra depends on the College you apply to. Cambridge publishes the split for 2027 entry:

So if you're taking Chemistry, Biology and Psychology, only the first group of Colleges is open to you. If you're taking Chemistry, Biology and Maths, you can apply to any College that offers Medicine.

A few more rules from Cambridge's qualifications page are worth knowing:

• Offers are usually based on three A-levels taken together in Year 13. Taking a fourth "will not normally give you an advantage".
• If you take science A-levels, Cambridge usually expects you to complete and pass the practical assessment.
• BTECs "can't usually be used to replace the A level requirements".
• For science subjects, Cambridge says an Access to HE course "is not considered sufficient preparation" on its own.

Your subject mix decides which Colleges you can apply to, so if you're still in Year 11 or early Year 12, check your combination against the table above now.

Does Cambridge use the UCAT for medicine?

Yes. You need the UCAT for Medicine (A100) and for Graduate Medicine (A101). For 2027 entry, Cambridge says:

• It looks at your overall cognitive subtest score.
• It will not use the situational judgement score.
• There is no minimum threshold for the UCAT score.
• It uses results "as part of our selection for interview and may use them when making offers".

Cambridge assesses you through "a mixture of academic record, UCAT and interviews", so a UCAT score is one piece of a bigger picture.

The UCAT dates for 2027 entry are tight:

Your result is shared with Cambridge automatically. If other universities on your list also use the UCAT, you only take it once.

If you've missed the UCAT window for this cycle, you can't meet this requirement for 2027 entry. Talk to your school about whether a gap year and a 2028 application makes sense for you.

What are Cambridge medicine interviews like?

Cambridge describes its interviews as "academic conversations about the subject you're interested in studying". Not everyone who is interviewed gets an offer, but "everyone who is made an offer will have been interviewed".

Here's the timeline for 2027 entry:

Most applicants have one or two interviews lasting 35 minutes to an hour in total. Some have three or four, depending on subject and College. You can't reschedule except in exceptional circumstances, so keep the whole period free.

Whether your interview is online or in person depends on your College. For 2027 entry, for example, Clare interviews Medicine applicants in person even though most of its other interviews are online, and Jesus holds in-person Medicine interviews for UK-based applicants. Churchill interviews everyone in person and Downing interviews everyone online. Cambridge's interviews page lists every College.

You won't need to submit any written work before a Medicine interview.

How do Cambridge Colleges affect a medicine application?

At Cambridge, the Colleges make the admissions decisions. That's why the College you pick matters for Medicine in three practical ways.

Subject rules differ. As the table above shows, some Colleges need three science or maths A-levels and some need two.

Not every College takes Medicine. The course page says you can study Medicine at "All Colleges, except Hughes Hall".

Offers can vary. Colleges may set offers above the A*A*A minimum, and they usually want the A* in Chemistry.

If you don't mind where you go, you can make an open application. After the closing date, Cambridge allocates you to a College "that has received fewer applications per place for your course". Be careful: you can't move College afterwards, and Cambridge says an open College could have a higher minimum offer or a different interview format. Cambridge also doesn't recommend an open application if you'll be under 18 when you start.

If you already have a degree (at least a 2:1 in any subject), you apply to Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund's or Wolfson for this course, or look at the separate Graduate Course in Medicine (A101).

What GCSEs do you need for Cambridge Medicine?

Cambridge says: "There are no GCSE (or equivalent) requirements for entry to Cambridge." Its minimum offers are based on A-levels and other Level 3 qualifications.

That doesn't mean GCSEs are ignored. Cambridge looks at your GCSE results "as an indicator of your academic performance", and it reads them against how students at your school usually perform. So strong GCSEs help, but there's no fixed number of 9s you have to hit.

How many UCAS points is Cambridge Medicine?

Cambridge doesn't set its Medicine offer in UCAS points, so there's no points target to aim for. The offer is A*A*A in named subjects. Still, converting it helps you compare Cambridge with medical schools that do mention the Tariff:

For context, here is A*A*A*, the grades most recent A-level entrants achieved:

You can see more on the A*A*A UCAS points page, check how Cambridge handles the Tariff across all its courses on our Cambridge UCAS points guide, or work out your own predicted total with the UCAS points calculator.

When is the deadline for Cambridge Medicine?

For 2027 entry, the key date is 15 October 2026 at 6pm UK time. UCAS calls it the equal consideration date for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses. Cambridge treats it as its deadline for most applicants.

After that, there's a second Cambridge-only step. Once you submit through UCAS, Cambridge emails you within 48 hours with a link to My Cambridge Application, which is due by 22 October 2026 at 6pm UK time. Your school's reference also matters: Cambridge says an application sent without one "will not be considered".

Two UCAS rules shape your choices:

• You can't apply to Oxford and Cambridge in the same year (the one exception UCAS lists is graduate medicine).
• You can use at most four of your five UCAS choices on medicine.

So you could apply to Cambridge plus up to three other medical schools, which leaves your fifth choice free for a different subject if you want one. See our guide to UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry for the full calendar.

See every 2027-entry UCAS deadline

What else should you know before applying?

A few course-page details catch people out:

• Age: you can't apply if you "will not be 18 years old on 1 November of year 1". Cambridge says this is due to national restrictions.
• Previous medical school: you can't apply if you have "failed or been excluded from another medical school".
• Work experience: Cambridge strongly recommends getting some before you apply. It can be paid or voluntary, in a health or social care organisation.
• Checks after an offer: a DBS check, vaccinations, a blood test and an occupational health assessment.

The course itself lasts six years. You spend the first three on medical sciences (and graduate with a BA if it's your first degree), then three years as a clinical student. In the 2025 cycle Cambridge reported 6 applications per place and 270 accepted students.

What if Cambridge Medicine isn't the right fit?

Cambridge is one of many good places to study medicine. If your predicted grades or subject mix don't match, or you'd rather apply to Oxford, compare offers side by side:

• Our medicine entry requirements guide for every UK medical school sets out grades, subjects and tests school by school.
• UCAS points for medicine explains how medical schools use (or ignore) the Tariff.
• Our Oxford UCAS points page covers Cambridge's closest rival, remembering you can only apply to one of the two.

Your next step: check your A-level subjects against the College table above, then pick a College (or decide on an open application) before 15 October 2026.