Cambridge runs a traditional, science-heavy A100 with the famous supervision system and an intercalated degree built in. It only recently started requiring the UCAT (from 2025 entry, after the BMAT was scrapped) — but it's just one factor in a holistic, academically brutal selection where your A-levels, interview and college matter most.
Cambridge started requiring the UCAT for 2025 entry, after the BMAT was discontinued. Crucially, it doesn't set a cut-off or a fixed formula — it considers your UCAT alongside everything else it knows about you, and for 2026 it looks only at the cognitive score, not the SJT. In practice the academic record (A*A*A and GCSEs), the interview and the college system carry far more weight than at UCAT-driven schools, so a strong-but-not-perfect UCAT won't sink a brilliant academic application.
At Cambridge the UCAT is the least of your worries — the academic bar and interview are what separate applicants. Aim for a solid score so it isn't a weakness, but pour your energy into subject knowledge and interview preparation. If your academics are exceptional, an average UCAT is unlikely to be decisive.
Check your percentile →A*A*A including Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics or Maths.
A strong GCSE profile is expected, though there's no fixed grade tally.
Cambridge values genuine scientific curiosity and some insight into medicine, explored in depth at interview.
Subject interviews. Traditional, academically-focused interviews run by the colleges — most applicants are interviewed.
Cambridge runs widening-participation schemes and considers contextual data alongside applications.
Paraphrased themes from student discussion: impressions, not facts. Visit and judge for yourself.
Cambridge doesn't set a UCAT cut-off. It requires the test (from 2025 entry) but weighs it holistically alongside your academics, interview and the rest of your application, looking only at the cognitive score for 2026. A solid score helps, but your A-levels and interview matter far more.
No — the BMAT was discontinued, and Cambridge moved to the UCAT from 2025 entry onwards.
Very. The academic bar (A*A*A) is the highest in the country and the interview is subject-heavy. The UCAT is a smaller part of the picture than at most schools.
See where your UCAT lands in percentiles, then build the score Cambridge is looking for, or talk it through with a 98th-percentile tutor, free.