University of Leeds Medicine Entry Requirements

To study Medicine and Surgery (MBChB, UCAS code A100) at the University of Leeds starting in 2027, you need AAA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology, at least six GCSEs at grade 6, a UCAT taken in the year you apply, and a successful multiple mini interview. Eligible applicants can get an Access to Leeds offer of ABB.

The requirements below come from Leeds' own 2027-entry course pages, with the deadline time from UCAS, all checked on 6 October 2026. Leeds can update them during the cycle, so give the official MBChB course page a final check before you apply.

What are the entry requirements for Leeds Medicine?

What A-levels do you need for Leeds Medicine?

The standard offer is AAA, and two of those A-levels must be Chemistry and Biology. Your third subject is open, but Leeds lists some combinations it won't accept:

• Chemistry with Biology and Human Biology
• Chemistry with Biology and Sports Science
• Chemistry with Biology and Critical Thinking

Other rules worth knowing:

• An A* can't cover for a B. Leeds won't accept A*A*B instead of AAA.
• Four A-levels won't help. A fourth A-level gives you no advantage over three.
• The EPQ and Core Maths don't count in Leeds' scoring.
• One resit is allowed. From 2026 entry onwards, Leeds accepts one resit per A-level without mitigating circumstances. A third attempt needs evidence of circumstances that affected your second try.
• Recent study. You need evidence of full-time education within the last five years.

How many UCAS points is AAA?

Leeds makes its medicine offer in grades, not UCAS points, so a points total from other subjects won't meet it. It still helps to see where AAA sits on the Tariff:

You can check your own predicted grades with the A-level UCAS points calculator, or see how Leeds sets offers for its other degrees on our University of Leeds UCAS points page.

What GCSEs do you need for Leeds medicine?

Leeds asks for a minimum of six GCSEs at grade 6 or above, including:

• Maths
• English Language
• Biology and Chemistry, or Dual Science

Treat that as the floor, not the target. Leeds scores your top eight GCSE results when it decides who to interview, and it says applicants with only the minimum "are unlikely to be shortlisted to interview". Strong GCSEs give you a real head start.

All your GCSEs (and other Level 2 qualifications) must be achieved by the time you apply. Leeds accepts one resit per GCSE without mitigating circumstances.

What UCAT score does Leeds need for medicine?

You must sit the UCAT in the year you apply. There's no fixed UCAT cut-off score at Leeds. Instead, your overall UCAT score is combined with your academic scores into one total, and Leeds says "a high academic score can compensate for a lower UCAT score, and vice versa".

Leeds does publish the lowest UCAT scores it shortlisted for interview, as a guide only:

Don't worry about the big drop for 2026. The UCAT total changed for 2026 entry: Leeds explains that 2024 and 2025 scores are out of 3600, while scores from 2026 onwards are out of 2700. Only compare your score with the 2026 row.

The test has three cognitive subtests (Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning) plus the Situational Judgement Test. Leeds lists the cost as £70 and says a full widening participation bursary is available.

How hard is it to get into Leeds medical school?

Leeds describes applying for its MBChB as "very competitive", and selection happens in two stages.

Stage 1: shortlisting. Leeds ranks eligible applicants with a points-based system that looks at your top eight GCSE results, your top three predicted grades, your overall UCAT score and contextual information. Extra points go to applicants who live in an area with low participation in higher education, received the UCAT bursary, attended a school below the national average Attainment 8 score at GCSE, or completed the university's Leeds Futures: Medicine or Reach for Excellence programmes.

Stage 2: the interview. Once you're interviewed, your earlier scores stop counting towards the decision. Leeds says the decision to make an offer "depends entirely on performance at interview, not on predicted or achieved academic performance, or UCAT scores".

So your GCSEs, predictions and UCAT get you into the room, and the interview gets you the offer. If you narrowly miss out, Leeds usually runs a waitlist and contacts those invited onto it after the UCAS decision deadline in June.

What is the Leeds Medicine interview like?

For 2027 entry, face-to-face interviews take place on 4, 5 and 6 January 2027, with overseas applicants interviewed online. Leeds uses a multiple mini interview (MMI) to assess non-academic qualities.

Leeds' interview preparation page describes eight stations, each lasting six minutes, with two minutes of reading time outside each one. One interviewer sits at each station. Leeds says the interview "does not aim to test clinical or scientific knowledge" and looks at attributes such as communication skills, ethical reasoning and problem solving. Check the format again when your invitation arrives, as details can change between cycles.

Does Leeds accept lower grades for medicine?

Yes, if you're eligible. Leeds has two lower-grade routes, and which one fits depends on your predicted grades.

What is Access to Leeds?

Access to Leeds is the university's contextual admissions scheme, for people who might be from low-income households, the first generation in their family to apply to higher education, or whose studies have been disrupted. You must submit your Access to Leeds application at the same time as your UCAS application.

The lower GCSE minimum comes with the same warning: Leeds scores eight GCSEs, and applicants with only the minimum are unlikely to be shortlisted. Here's what ABB is worth on the Tariff:

Our guide to how contextual offers work explains the thinking behind schemes like this.

Does Leeds have a gateway year for medicine?

Yes. The Gateway Year to Medicine MBChB (A101) is a six-year route for UK applicants from widening participation backgrounds. You spend a foundation year in a small group, and when you complete it successfully, you move automatically into Year 1 of the MBChB.

For 2027 entry, the typical offer is BBC including Chemistry or Biology at grade B. If you're not taking Chemistry, you must take Physics or Maths. The GCSE minimum is six at grade 4 in the same subjects as Access to Leeds. You still need the UCAT, and the lowest score shortlisted for the Gateway Year for 2026 entry was 1610.

Three rules decide which Leeds course to apply for:

• Taking Chemistry and Biology, predicted ABB or higher with the A in one of them, and meeting the widening participation criteria? Leeds says to apply for A100 through Access to Leeds instead.
• Predicted ABB without that A, or not taking both Chemistry and Biology? You can't apply for A100, so the Gateway Year is your route if you're eligible.
• You can't apply for the Gateway Year and the MBChB in the same cycle.

The Gateway Year isn't open to international applicants, graduates, or anyone who has already taken an Access to HE Diploma or foundation course. To compare it with gateway courses elsewhere, see our guide to medicine with a foundation year.

Can graduates or Access to HE students apply to Leeds Medicine?

Yes, both can apply to A100.

• Graduates need at least a 2:1 in any subject, awarded within the last three years, plus ABB at A-level including Chemistry and Biology, with an A in one of them. They also need six GCSEs at grade 5 or above in the required subjects.
• Access to HE students need the Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) that follows the QAA subject descriptor, with all 45 graded Level 3 credits at Distinction. Leeds won't accept a medicine diploma taught through distance learning. Our Access to HE medicine guide compares this with other medical schools.

Leeds doesn't accept Level 3 BTECs or T Levels for this course. Mature applicants without the right A-levels can contact Leeds' Lifelong Learning Centre about its Alternative Entry Scheme, which includes writing an essay.

When is the deadline for Leeds Medicine?

For 2027 entry, your UCAS application must be in by 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026. UCAS calls this the equal consideration date for most medicine courses. Leeds is firmer still: it doesn't accept MBChB applications after this deadline, and it doesn't take part in UCAS Extra.

Don't count on Clearing either. Leeds says its School of Medicine doesn't usually enter Clearing for the MBChB, though this is subject to change. Our medicine Clearing guide covers your options if August doesn't go to plan, and our UCAS deadlines guide for 2027 entry lists every date in the cycle.

How does Leeds compare with other medical schools?

Leeds asks for AAA with both Chemistry and Biology, and it's part of the Russell Group of universities. Two details shape your chances more than the headline offer. Leeds scores eight GCSEs at shortlisting, and once you're interviewed, the decision rests entirely on that interview. If your GCSEs are strong, that works in your favour.

To compare, see our guide to medicine entry requirements at every UK medical school, read how medical schools treat the Tariff in UCAS points for medicine, or check another northern medical school in our Manchester Medicine entry requirements guide.

Check your predicted A-level points