Imperial College London UCAS Points: 2027 Entry Requirements

Quick answer: No. Imperial College London does not accept UCAS Tariff points in place of grades. Its results-day guidance is blunt: "You must meet the exact conditions of your offer, including grades, subjects and deadlines. Equivalent tariff points are not accepted." For 2027 entry, minimum entry standards run from AAA to A*A*A, and typical offers on some engineering degrees reach A*A*A*.

That's a high bar, but it's a clear one. Imperial's course pages show two numbers side by side, a minimum entry standard and a typical offer, and the gap between them tells you a lot about how competitive a course is. Most departments also set an admissions test, and several publish a separate offer for students taking four A-levels. Everything below comes from Imperial's own 2027-entry course pages and admissions guidance, checked on 6 October 2026.

Does Imperial use UCAS points?

No. Imperial writes its offers in grades and named subjects, and its exam results page spells out what that means on results day: "Equivalent tariff points are not accepted." You can't make up a missing A* in Mathematics with extra points from another subject or qualification, because the condition is the grade in that subject.

The accepted qualifications page sets the UK baseline: A-levels, with "standard offers between AAA and A*A*A", and each course page adding its own subject rules. It also warns that "some courses require higher entry requirements than the minimum standard listed below." When your application arrives, a central admissions officer first checks that it "meets the minimum entry requirements for your chosen Imperial course(s)". Only then do department tutors look at your grades, personal statement, reference and any test score together.

Where the rest of the sector stands is covered in do all universities use UCAS points, and Russell Group universities lists the group's other members. If the Tariff itself is new to you, start with what are UCAS points.

What are Imperial's entry requirements for 2027?

Ten popular courses show the range. Every figure is for 2027 entry, taken from that course's own page.

The typical offer column matters more than it looks. Imperial says typical offers "are based on offers made by each department to at least 50% of 2025 entry A-level and IB applicants who were yet to achieve their grades", and that they "can be higher than the minimum entry requirements (especially for competitive courses)". So Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering will consider A*A*A, but their typical offer is A*A*A*. Chemistry's minimum is AAA, yet its typical offer is A*AA.

The competition is real. The course pages list applications per place for 2025: 14 for Mathematics, 13 for Computing and for Mechanical Engineering, 11 for Aeronautical Engineering and 6 for Medicine. Medicine has its own full breakdown in Imperial Medicine entry requirements, and medicine entry requirements compares it with other medical schools.

How do Imperial's grades convert to UCAS points?

Only for comparison. If you're lining Imperial up against points-based choices on your UCAS form, these three grade sets are the three-A-level minimums for all ten courses above. The totals come straight from our Tariff data, which values an A* at 56 points and an A at 48.

For the full picture, including other grade mixes that reach the same totals, see A*A*A UCAS points, A*AA UCAS points, AAA UCAS points and, for the top engineering offers, A*A*A* UCAS points. How many UCAS points do I need puts those totals in context across the sector.

What if you take four A-levels?

Several Imperial departments publish a separate typical offer for students taking four A-levels, so the fourth subject becomes part of what you're asked for:

• Computing BEng: A*A*A with three A-levels, A*A*AA with four.
• Mathematics BSc: A*A*A with three, A*A*AA with four.
• Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering MEng: A*A*A* with three, A*A*AA with four.
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng: A*A*A with three, A*AAA with four.

The engineering degrees spell out the trade-off. For Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, an A* in Physics "is required if applying with three A-levels. At least an A is required if applying with four A-levels." A fourth A-level can take the pressure off your Physics grade, but only if you can hold an A or better across all four. Talk to your teachers early about which route is realistic, and see how many A-levels you need for the wider picture.

Mathematics adds one more twist. Imperial says it can "make special cases for students who are from schools that do not offer Further Mathematics A-level", and that it is "often guided by performance in TMUA" when it does. Its typical offers "may include STEP requirements where TMUA has not been taken."

Which qualifications does Imperial accept besides A-levels?

Under the United Kingdom, Imperial's accepted qualifications table lists just three qualifications: A-levels, Cambridge Pre-U and Scottish Advanced Highers. The International Baccalaureate is listed too, but the vocational routes aren't accepted on any of the ten courses above.

• International Baccalaureate: set course by course. Minimums run from 38 points (Medicine, Chemistry, Biochemistry) to 41 points (Computing), and Aeronautical Engineering's typical offer is 43 to 44 points. Each course also names Higher Level scores, such as 7 in Mathematics for Computing. Our IB UCAS points table shows how IB scores convert.
• Scottish Advanced Highers: AAA on all ten courses above, with named subjects, such as Mathematics and Physics for the engineering degrees.
• Cambridge Pre-U: accepted. Imperial says "D2 will replace A* in the standard A-Level offer, D3 will replace A".
• BTEC National Diploma, Applied Generals, Access to HE Diploma, T Levels and the Welsh Baccalaureate: each of the ten course pages says "This qualification is not accepted for entry to this programme."

A few subject rules apply across these courses. General Studies and Critical Thinking aren't accepted on any of them, and Computing also rules out ICT and Business Studies. If your offer includes a science A-level, you'll need "a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer". And where Mathematics is required, "A-level Use of Mathematics cannot take the place of A-level Mathematics".

If you're on a BTEC route and want to study engineering, compare the courses that do quote points in UCAS points for engineering.

Which Imperial courses need an admissions test?

Most of them. Imperial says "most departments at Imperial use an admissions test", and it uses four: the Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT), the Test of Mathematics for University Admissions (TMUA), the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) and, for Graduate Entry Medicine, the GAMSAT or the UCAT.

For 2027 entry, the ESAT and the TMUA each run in two windows: 12 to 16 October 2026 and 4 to 8 January 2027. Booking for the October sitting has closed. Booking for the January window opens at 15:00 UK time on 26 October 2026 and closes at 18:00 on 21 December 2026. Don't let it slip, because Imperial warns that "your application can't be considered if you don't complete the test."

A score isn't a pass mark on its own. In Imperial's words, "achieving a high score does not necessarily mean that you will be offered a place, while a low score does not mean that your application will be unsuccessful." If you're applying for Medicine, the Imperial Medicine guide covers the UCAT thresholds Imperial applied for 2026 entry.

How do contextual admissions work at Imperial?

Most Imperial course pages don't print a reduced contextual grade beside the standard offer. Its contextual admissions route for UK applicants works through guarantees instead. If you're eligible, the benefits can include a guaranteed minimum offer, a guaranteed interview, extra support as you move from school to Imperial, and a lower minimum UCAT or GAMSAT score to be considered for interview.

You may be eligible if you have Home fee status (or an appropriate UK residential status) and one of these applies to you:

• you're a care leaver or have spent time in local authority care
• your home postcode falls in quintile one of England's index of multiple deprivation
• you receive free school meals, or have done at any point in the last six years up to the end of school or college
• your home postcode is in POLAR4 quintile 1 or 2, and you're also the first in your immediate family to go to university, or your school is below Imperial's 20% threshold for key stage 5 results (English schools) or above its 80% threshold for free school meals

The guaranteed offer is made "at the department's minimum entry level". You'll get one if your predicted grades meet the minimum entry standard of AAA at A-level or equivalent, you "show clear motivation for the subject in your personal statement", and you score above the department's minimum in any admissions test or interview it uses. This is where the two columns in the table above earn their keep. Mechanical Engineering's typical offer is A*A*A*, but its minimum entry standard is A*A*A or A*AAA. Chemistry goes further: widening participation students who succeed at interview "will be made an adjusted offer of AAA". And Medicine's page says that "for contextual offers, the A* can be in any subject."

There's a second chance, too. Imperial runs a contextual reconsideration pool on A-level results day, Thursday 12 August 2027, with an online form open from 9:00 to 13:00 UK time. It's for eligible applicants who weren't made an offer, were told in their decision letter that they could use the pool, and then achieved at least the minimum entry standard for the course they applied to. Imperial has an online eligibility checker on its contextual admissions page, so you can see whether the route applies to you before you apply. For how other universities handle this, see contextual offers explained.

What happens if you miss your Imperial offer?

Imperial's exam results page is worth reading well before August. It says "Imperial does not take part in UCAS clearing" and "we do not operate any waiting lists". If Imperial is your firm choice and you narrowly miss your offer, it will "review your results carefully. In some cases, we may still be able to confirm your place." You don't need to contact the university, because the decision appears in UCAS Hub.

That makes your insurance choice important. Pick one that sits clearly below your predicted grades, and use your Tariff total to compare the points-based options. Firm vs insurance choices walks you through how to choose.

Where to go from here

Work in grades, not totals. Open the 2027 page for your course and write down both the minimum entry standard and the typical offer. Check your subjects against the named requirements, decide whether you're taking three or four A-levels, and book the ESAT or TMUA if your department uses one. Imperial's deadlines page gives 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026 for Medicine and 18:00 on 13 January 2027 for its other courses, and UCAS deadlines explains how the dates work. Then use your Tariff total for the job it's good at: comparing Imperial with the points-based universities on the rest of your list.

Calculate your UCAS points now

Imperial College London UCAS points: FAQ

Does Imperial College London use UCAS points?

No. Imperial's exam results guidance says you must meet the exact conditions of your offer, including grades, subjects and deadlines, and that equivalent tariff points are not accepted. For 2027 entry its minimum entry standards run from AAA to A*A*A, and typical offers on some engineering degrees reach A*A*A*.

How many UCAS points do you need for Imperial?

None. No points total can meet an Imperial offer, because the grades and the subjects they're in are the condition. If you want to compare Imperial with points-based choices, an A* is worth 56 Tariff points and an A is worth 48, and our A*A*A, A*AA and AAA pages show the full totals.

What are typical Imperial entry requirements for 2027?

It depends on the course. For 2027 entry, Physics BSc and Mathematics BSc ask for at least A*A*A, Computing BEng and Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering MEng ask for A*A*A or A*AAA, Medicine asks for A*AA with Biology and Chemistry, and Chemistry BSc and Biochemistry BSc start at AAA.

Does Imperial accept BTECs?

Not on the courses checked here. For 2027 entry, the pages for Medicine, Computing, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Economics, Finance and Data Science and three engineering degrees all list the BTEC National Diploma, Applied Generals, Access to HE Diploma and T Levels as not accepted.

Does Imperial make contextual offers?

Yes, through its contextual admissions route for UK applicants. If you're eligible, your predicted grades reach AAA, your personal statement shows clear motivation and you clear any test or interview minimum, you get a guaranteed offer at the department's minimum entry standard.