CTU

Entry CriteriaUK and Ireland, medicine, GEM and dentistry

Where To Apply › Undergraduate medicine › Lancaster

Lancaster — Undergraduate medicine

Figures are on the current UCAT scale of 2700 unless a cell says otherwise.

Lancaster - Medicine

MBChB Medicine (A100)

How this university scores applications, with the figures it publishes.

High level summary

Simple summary. Excruciating detail below.

QuestionAnswer
Is there a score to clear?Yes. The university publishes a number, further down this page. Miss it and you are not shortlisted. It is reset every year, so last year’s figure is a guide, not a promise.
How to read the UCAT figures hereA lowest score and an average are both published. Judge yourself against the average. The lowest is one person.
What else countsGCSEs are scored. Good grades earn points here. The SJT band is a gate, and band 4 ends the application whatever else you have.

GCSE scoring, best eight subjects (minimum 13 points required)

GradePoints
A* / A / 7-92
B / 61

Core GCSE subjects required at grade 6

SubjectNote
Maths
English Language
BiologyGrade 7 required if not taken at A level
ChemistryGrade 7 required if not taken at A level
Physics or Combined Science

How selection works, confirmed by Lancaster 11 September 2026

StageWhat decides it
Academic screenEight GCSEs by the end of Year 11, at least 13 points across them, and the subject minima. A firm requirement for A level applicants
ShortlistingRanked on total UCAT. Everyone at or above the annual cut-off is invited
2026 cut-off, A1001920 for UK non-contextual applicants (of 2700)
SJT, A100Band 4 is not considered
SJT, A104 GatewayPreference given to bands 1 to 3
Borderline applicantsAssessed holistically on contextual information, GCSE score and predicted grades
OffersDecided on the MMI score
No matrix, no decilesLancaster confirmed it does not convert UCAT into points and does not hold decile data

Where the GCSE score actually bites

PointDetail
It is not conditional for A level applicantsThe 'depending on individual circumstances' wording on the course page applies to Access to HE Diploma applicants, whose qualifications are reviewed individually at initial screening
It is a gate13 points from eight subjects must be met to pass the academic screen
And a tie-breakFor applicants sitting on the UCAT boundary, the GCSE score is one of three things used to decide the invitation
What that means for a studentA strong GCSE profile does not lift a low UCAT over the cut-off, but it can decide the outcome for someone sitting exactly on it

UCAT cut-offs by year

Entry yearHome non-contextualHome contextualInternational
2026 (of 2700)1920UnknownUnknown
2025 (of 3600)258024702440

Summary of the selection model

ItemDetail
Scoring approachTwo stages, and the GCSE score sits between them. Shortlisting is on total UCAT against an annual cut-off, with no matrix and no deciles. Offers after interview are decided on the MMI score. The GCSE points score is a gate at the academic screen, and is then used again for applicants sitting on the boundary, alongside contextual information and predicted grades. Lancaster confirmed under FOI on 11 September 2026 that borderline applicants are assessed in that way
UCAT - how it is usedApplicants meeting the academic requirements are ranked on total UCAT score and everyone at or above the annual cut-off is invited to interview. Lancaster confirmed under FOI that it uses no scoring matrix and holds no deciles, only the total score. For A100 an SJT score in band 4 is not considered; for A104 preference is given to bands 1 to 3. Borderline applicants at the cut-off are assessed holistically on contextual information, GCSE score and predicted grades
UCAT thresholdA cut-off score is set each year from the ranking, and everyone at or above it is invited. 2026 entry A100: 1920 UK non-contextual (of 2700). 2025 entry (of 3600): 2580 home non-contextual, 2470 home contextual, 2440 international
UCAT lowest accepted2025 entry offer holders (of 3600): 2570 to 3430 home non-contextual, 2180 to 3440 home contextual (includes the guaranteed interview pathway). International applicants ranged 1920 to 2980 Approximate current-scale equivalents, out of 2700: 2570 is about 1900, 2180 is about 1610, 2980 is above the 9th decile.
UCAT average accepted2026 entry, mean of those invited to interview (of 2700): 2077 home non-contextual, 2020 home contextual, 2022 international. 2025 entry international (of 3600): 2426 all applicants, 2623 interviewed. FOI-6796
Interview formatMulti-station interview in January and February, assessed by staff, NHS clinicians, GPs, patient representatives and medical students
Interview to offer ratio2026 entry (FOI-6796): 1037 applications (960 home, 77 international), 695 interviewed (670 home, 25 international), 134 places (130 home, 4 international). Offers withheld under section 22 as intended for future publication. 2025 entry: 325 home offers made (249 non-contextual, 76 contextual), 245 home offers accepted (181 non-contextual, 64 contextual), 7 international accepted
Contextual offerContextual applicants are ranked against a lower UCAT cut-off - 2470 against 2580 for 2025 entry - rather than through a reserved quota, and Lancaster confirmed under FOI that it allocates no specific number of places to the contextual route. A separate Gateway Year course (A104) is open only to contextual applicants Contextual cut-off 2470 of 3600 for 2025 entry, which is about 1830 on the current scale, against 2580 non-contextual.
ResitsGCSE resits not accepted unless exceptional circumstances. A level resit applicants need ABB or above at first attempt; typical resit offer A*AA
Data statusComplete for 2026 entry. Cut-off, SJT rule, GCSE requirement and the borderline tie-break all confirmed directly by Lancaster

Source

Lancaster University FOI response of 3 September 2026 and clarification of 11 September 2026, plus the published A100 and A104 how-to-apply pages

Entry requirements

ItemDetail
CountryEngland
Course (UCAS code)MBChB Medicine (A100)
GCSEA firm requirement, not conditional: eight GCSEs completed by the end of Year 11 and at least 13 points across those eight (A*/A/7-9 = 2 points, B/6 = 1 point). Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Combined Science at grade 6, with Biology or Chemistry at 7 if not taken at A level. Applicants holding an Access to HE Diploma are instead reviewed individually at the initial screening stage, which is what the 'depending on individual circumstances' wording on the course page refers to
A levelAAA including two from Biology, Chemistry, Psychology; or AAB in three plus EPQ/fourth AS/fourth A level at B. Only one of Maths or Further Maths counted
Scottish Highers / Advanced HighersAdvanced Highers AA in Biology and Chemistry; Highers AAAAB including Biology and Chemistry at A
IB36 points; three SL at 5 minimum; three HL at 6 minimum including two of Biology, Chemistry, Psychology
English languageCovered by core GCSE requirements
Resits accepted?Yes, higher grades required - ABB at first attempt, typical resit offer A*AA

Volumes, places and competition

ItemDetail
Figures coverA100, UK non-contextual, 2024 entry. Places are the A100 intake
Places134
Applications1037
Interviewed695
Interviews per place5.19
Previous years - application year and UCAT figureUCAT cut-off for interview, released under FOI. 2026 entry A100 (of 2700): 1920 UK non-contextual. 2025 entry (of 3600): 2580 home non-contextual, 2470 home contextual, 2440 international. Offer holders in 2025 ranged 2570 to 3430 home non-contextual and 2180 to 3440 home contextual. Lancaster holds no decile data, only total scores. SJT band 4 is not considered for A100; A104 prefers bands 1 to 3

How the UCAT is turned into a score

ItemDetail
Is a UCAT points conversion published?Yes. The points table is set out on this tab above.
How the UCAT is used, in the University’s own wordsApplicants meeting the academic requirements are ranked on total UCAT score and everyone at or above the annual cut-off is invited to interview. Lancaster confirmed under FOI that it uses no scoring matrix and holds no deciles, only the total score. For A100 an SJT score in band 4 is not considered; for A104 preference is given to bands 1 to 3. Borderline applicants at the cut-off are assessed holistically on contextual information, GCSE score and predicted grades Two stages, and the GCSE score sits between them. Shortlisting is on total UCAT against an annual cut-off, with no matrix and no deciles. Offers after interview are decided on the MMI score. The GCSE points score is a gate at the academic screen, and is then used again for applicants sitting on the boundary, alongside contextual information and predicted grades. Lancaster confirmed under FOI on 11 September 2026 that borderline applicants are assessed in that way

Entry requirements and places, as shown on the comparison table

ItemDetail
SJT - how the band is usedBand 4 not considered for A100.