How to get into UCL Medicine in 2025

Excerpt

Crafting a competitive application to medical school may be a stressful process, especially when applying to overseas institutions that are highly regarded, but it does not have to be. Rest assured as our dedicated team here at Icon Education is here to run you through the various requirements, simplifying and guiding you throughout your entire application journey in medicine.

What does UCL Medicine look for?

The 6-year long Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University College London (UCL) is a popular programme, with approximately 3500 applicants per year vying for one of the 334 spots, and has a quota imposed on the number of international students admitted.

The usual minimum grade profiles of accepted applicants are as follows:

GCE A-Levels	AAA in three subjects, with a minimum of AA in Chemistry and Biology. Applicants can take any third subject as long as it is not General Studies or Critical Thinking.
International Baccalaureate (IB)	Minimally 39 points total, scoring minimally 19 points for the three subjects at Higher Level, which must include Chemistry and Biology and scoring 6 and 7 for both. Applicants cannot score below 5 points for any subject.
Singapore and Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level	Minimally 3 A grades for three subjects at H2 level.

UCAS Personal Statement

Besides having a strong academic portfolio, a strong personal statement will not only help the admissions committee determine whether you are well-suited for the medical programme, but also serve as one of the factors that help to set applicants apart from the rest of the crowd. For applicants who plan to begin classes from September 2026, the 4000-character personal statement will take on a new format of 3 questions. This provides applicants with the opportunity to showcase their motivations to study medicine and other standout aspects.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

In addition to your examination scores, applicants are required to also submit their UCAT scores. The UCAT is made up of verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and situational judgement sections, all of which are deliberately structured to properly assess your aptitude to study medicine. While UCL has not yet published any fixed cut-off scores, the average score for those who applied for the 2025 entry was 2859.

If you are interested in identifying your testing gaps and improving your UCAT score, do not hesitate to reach out to us and take a free UCAT diagnostic test here at Icon Education.

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)

Applicants who are successfully shortlisted will then be invited to attend the MMI. This provides the admissions panel with the chance to closely evaluate whether you possess specific values and skillsets that UCL looks for in future doctors. Applicants will be interviewed by different interviewers (e.g. academic staff and even current medical students) in a maximum of 8 stations, and will be engaged in a range of interview questions that primarily aim to understand topics such as your motivations to pursue medicine or how you would respond when faced with ethical dilemmas.

Tips to enhance your application

In order to stand out among the other equally qualified applicants, it is of utmost importance to find ways to make your application competitive. Listed below here are some pointers that you can consider to further support what you have on hand:

1. Generic answers to why you want to study medicine are insufficient and paint an almost inauthentic picture of yourself. To develop a clear understanding of your motivations to embark on this path requires you to put in both time and effort into unpacking what draws you to medicine in the first place, and consistently taking initiative to participate in activities (e.g. job shadowing experiences, short online courses, internships) that resonates with and builds on your interest.

2. Familiarise yourself with the question types that tend to be asked during the MMIs, and also come up with potential structures for which you can utilise effectively. Ensure that you refer to your personal statement component to craft well-aligned answers as well.

3. Last but not least, make sure that you prepare sufficiently well for the UCAT, especially since you will likely have to balance it with school work and examinations. Plan early and account for buffer time should you find yourself needing to retake the test in the next testing cycle.

We hope that this has been helpful with informing your application process.

For more targeted aid, please do not hesitate to contact our team here at Icon Education. We wish you all the best & that you enjoy the process!