Question 1

What admission tests do Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental use?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental uses UCAT-ANZ. Sydney Dental uses GAMSAT. The test mismatch means you may need to prep two assessments simultaneously, or you can pick the school whose admission test you're stronger in. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sat in March/September; UCAT-ANZ is undergraduate-leaning and sat in July; some schools (notably Bond and JCU) run their own selection model with no national test.

Question 2

What GAMSAT score do I need for Griffith Dental vs Sydney Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). Sydney Dental — Minimum 50 in each section is a hard eligibility hurdle for standard applicants. The guide exempts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants from that hurdle, but this is not a blanket waiver of GAMSAT: under the Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme for applicants with a bachelor's degree, eligible GAMSAT results must still be submitted and 50 per section is 'preferred', with the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group able to recommend applicants who score lower. Only the postgraduate-degree and Bachelor of Oral Health Indigenous schemes require no GAMSAT result at all. USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. For 2027 entry, eligible GAMSAT sittings are September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 and March 2026 only — USyd requires results from the past two years "despite any contrary advice from ACER or GAMSAT", and notes this requirement may change for future cycles. (International applicants may instead submit US DAT or Canadian CDAT results; see the international admission-test note for the current minima.) These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. GAMSAT results are valid for four years with ACER, but some graduate MD programs accept only the most recent two cycles — verify before relying on an older sitting.

Question 3

What UCAT-ANZ score do I need for Griffith Dental vs Sydney Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith — UCAT ANZ Total Score alone decides who is invited to GUDAP. No Tier-1 source supports the "~78th percentile" or "90th+ percentile" figures, so both are dropped. For scale only, the official UCAT ANZ 2026 distribution (17,341 candidates, three cognitive subtests scored out of 2700) has a mean total cognitive score of 1,964, a median of 1,950 and a 9th decile of 2,340. Scores from the 2022–2024 sittings were on the retired /3600 four-subtest scale (2024 mean 2,588) and cannot be converted to the current scale. Sydney Dental — does not publish a UCAT-ANZ cut-off (may not use UCAT-ANZ; check the admission-test question above). These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. UCAT-ANZ cut-offs are cohort-dependent, so the headline number from one cycle is not guaranteed for the next — use it as a planning anchor, not a guarantee.

Question 4

What ATAR do I need for Griffith Dental vs Sydney Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — Griffith publishes no ATAR or selection-rank threshold for BDHS. QTAC renders both the "Minimum Selection thresholds (ATAR/Selection Rank)" and "ATAR/Selection Rank profile" sections for Trimester 1 2026 with no values, and records 0 recent-secondary students admitted solely on the basis of ATAR/rank and 0 admitted where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered — so neither a floor nor a median ATAR can be quoted. Academic attainment is only one weighted component alongside UCAT ANZ and GUDAP. Sydney Dental — ATAR data not published in the structured AU requirements; see free-text admission requirements on the school page. These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. Selection rank typically includes Educational Access Scheme bonuses, rural-origin uplift, and (where applicable) Indigenous-pathway adjustments — your raw ATAR is rarely the final figure used.

Question 5

What GPA do I need for Griffith Dental vs Sydney Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. Sydney Dental — Minimum GPA 5.0/7.0 as calculated by UAC's Qualifications Assessment Service, assessed as at 4 June 2026 for 2027 entry — a hard hurdle, and the same one the USyd MD applies, not a lower one. The 4.5 figure applies to the Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme; the Indigenous schemes also work to 4.5, and the IAAG may recommend applicants with a lower GPA who demonstrate improvement over the duration of their tertiary studies. These are the requirements on record for 2027-entry applicants. Many AU graduate MD programs treat the GPA as a hurdle (above the floor, all candidates are weighted equally on GAMSAT and interview) rather than as a sliding-scale rank — confirm each school's specific model.

Question 6

How do interviews differ between Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental uses: GUDAP — Griffith University Dental Admissions Process (recorded, asynchronous multi-scenario online interview via SAMMI; no live interviewer). Sydney Dental uses: No interview for standard domestic applicants — ranked on GAMSAT section scores (international applicants submit a portfolio and may be interviewed). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: 23–27 November 2026 (2027-entry cycle) (Griffith Dental); No interview (domestic) (Sydney Dental).

Question 7

What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental offer?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — QTAC student profile, Trimester 1 2026 intake: 125 students admitted in total — 52 (41.6%) international, 42 (33.6%) higher-education background, 0 VET, and fewer than 5 from work and life experience. Among recent secondary students, 0 were admitted solely on ATAR/rank and 0 where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered; the "other criteria only" cell is withheld (N/P) under QTAC's rule hiding figures that would allow back-calculation of a cell of fewer than 5 students. Domestic places are Commonwealth Supported, with a proportion set aside under the Rural Priority Access Scheme. QTAC lists the first-year student contribution as CSP/$11,000 for the March 2027 start; international tuition is $74,000 per year in 2027 ($71,000 in 2026). Sydney Dental — For 2027 entry USyd anticipates 76 domestic offers — 30 Commonwealth Supported Places (a number that 'includes places reserved for undergraduate Double Degree Dentistry students') and 46 Domestic Fee-Paying places, both marked TBC, with the University reserving the right to make more or fewer at the Dean's discretion. Identical admission criteria apply to both types, and applicants nominate a preference order at the confirmation-page stage. USyd publishes no anticipated number of international offers. Rural and Indigenous applicants are not separate place types but facilitated entry schemes whose ranking lists may differ from the standard pathway, and under which offers may be made to applicants scoring below the standard cut-off. CSP (Commonwealth Supported Place) is the lowest student contribution; BMP (Bonded Medical Program) adds a 1-year return-of-service obligation in a Modified Monash Model 2-7 area after Fellowship; Full-fee places carry no bond but the highest tuition.

Question 8

What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental offer?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — First Peoples Health Pathway — applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander on their QTAC application and preference the program by 30 September may be considered for admission via this pathway. Griffith does not publish a separate interview format or academic weighting for the dentistry pathway. Sydney Dental — Three separate Indigenous Facilitated Entry Schemes, overseen by the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group (IAAG): (1) bachelor's degree plus GAMSAT — GPA 4.5 and 50 per section are both 'preferred' rather than required, and an interview may be required; (2) postgraduate master's or PhD completed within three years — no bachelor's degree and no GAMSAT needed, GPA of at least 4.5 subject to IAAG discretion, résumé required and an interview may be required; (3) Bachelor of Oral Health — no GAMSAT, plus a compulsory written assessment and panel discussion. The requirement to have completed two years FTE at the awarding institution is waived across the schemes. No quota is published. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Question 9

Does Griffith Dental or Sydney Dental offer bonded / rural-entry places?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental — Rural entry is via the Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme — reserved Commonwealth Supported Places for MM 2–7 applicants, with proof of residence lodged through QTAC by 30 September; the number reserved is not published. There is no bonded place: the Commonwealth Bonded Medical Program applies to medical courses only, so BDHS carries no return-of-service obligation. Sydney Dental — Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme: at least 5 consecutive or 10 cumulative years from birth in an ASGS Edition 3 Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area, certified on a Confirmation of Rural Origin form completed by a registered medical practitioner, dentist, pharmacist, lawyer, school principal or current/former employer. USyd audits these forms by contacting the author; family members cannot complete them and statutory declarations are not accepted. Rural applicants get a lower GPA hurdle (4.5 vs 5.0), their ranking list may differ from the standard pathway, and offers may be made below the standard cut-off. USyd publishes no bonded places for the DMD — the only domestic place types in the 2027 Offer Preferences are Commonwealth Supported and Domestic Fee-Paying. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Question 10

When does each school release decisions?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental typically releases dentistry offers January. Sydney Dental releases dentistry offers September (domestic first round) / October (international), rolling to January. AU MD offers run through GEMSAS (graduate consortium) or direct school portals; if one is earlier than the other you may need to defer a decision while waiting for the second.

Question 11

What curriculum style do Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental use?

Accepted Answer

Griffith Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. Sydney Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Griffith Dental specifics: Integrated pathway: 3-year Bachelor of Dental Health Science (BDHS, 1577) → 2-year Master of Dentistry (MDent, 5703). No direct-entry BDS or DMD. Both programs are anchored at the Gold Coast (Southpor Sydney Dental specifics: 4-year graduate DMD. 4-year graduate-entry DMD (192 credit points). The curriculum is structured around seven integrated themes — clinical sciences and skills; oral and systemic biosciences; evidence-

Question 12

Should I apply to both Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental?

Accepted Answer

Yes — AU medical applicants typically lodge preferences across multiple schools via GEMSAS (graduate) or direct-undergraduate portals + state TACs (UAC for NSW, VTAC for VIC, QTAC for QLD, etc.). The two schools' selection mechanics differ enough that listing both is a legitimate diversification strategy. A common mistake is over-indexing on schools with the same test-and-interview profile; Griffith Dental and Sydney Dental differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.

Comparison field	Griffith DentalGold Coast	Sydney DentalSydney
Quick comparison
Location	Gold Coast, Australia	Sydney, Australia
Entry pathway	Undergraduate	Graduate
Admission tests	UCAT-ANZ	GAMSAT
GAMSAT	-	Minimum 50 in each section is a hard eligibility hurdle for standard applicants. The guide exempts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants from that hurdle, but this is not a blanket waiver of GAMSAT: under the Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme for applicants with a bachelor's degree, eligible GAMSAT results must still be submitted and 50 per section is 'preferred', with the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group able to recommend applicants who score lower. Only the postgraduate-degree and Bachelor of Oral Health Indigenous schemes require no GAMSAT result at all. USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. For 2027 entry, eligible GAMSAT sittings are September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 and March 2026 only — USyd requires results from the past two years "despite any contrary advice from ACER or GAMSAT", and notes this requirement may change for future cycles. (International applicants may instead submit US DAT or Canadian CDAT results; see the international admission-test note for the current minima.)
UCAT-ANZ	No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith — UCAT ANZ Total Score alone decides who is invited to GUDAP. No Tier-1 source supports the "~78th percentile" or "90th+ percentile" figures, so both are dropped. For scale only, the official UCAT ANZ 2026 distribution (17,341 candidates, three cognitive subtests scored out of 2700) has a mean total cognitive score of 1,964, a median of 1,950 and a 9th decile of 2,340. Scores from the 2022–2024 sittings were on the retired /3600 four-subtest scale (2024 mean 2,588) and cannot be converted to the current scale.	-
ATAR	Griffith publishes no ATAR or selection-rank threshold for BDHS. QTAC renders both the "Minimum Selection thresholds (ATAR/Selection Rank)" and "ATAR/Selection Rank profile" sections for Trimester 1 2026 with no values, and records 0 recent-secondary students admitted solely on the basis of ATAR/rank and 0 admitted where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered — so neither a floor nor a median ATAR can be quoted. Academic attainment is only one weighted component alongside UCAT ANZ and GUDAP.	-
Interview format	GUDAP — Griffith University Dental Admissions Process (recorded, asynchronous multi-scenario online interview via SAMMI; no live interviewer)	No interview for standard domestic applicants — ranked on GAMSAT section scores (international applicants submit a portfolio and may be interviewed)
Post-interview chance	Not published. For scale only: Griffith interviews around 300 candidates, and QTAC records 125 BDHS admissions for Trimester 1 2026, of whom 52 were international and 42 came from a higher-education background. These are not comparable populations and must not be divided into an interview-to-offer conversion rate.	Not applicable — there is no interview stage for domestic applicants, and USyd publishes no applicant-to-offer ratio.
Decision date	January	September (domestic first round) / October (international), rolling to January

ATAR	Griffith publishes no ATAR or selection-rank threshold for BDHS. QTAC renders both the "Minimum Selection thresholds (ATAR/Selection Rank)" and "ATAR/Selection Rank profile" sections for Trimester 1 2026 with no values, and records 0 recent-secondary students admitted solely on the basis of ATAR/rank and 0 admitted where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered — so neither a floor nor a median ATAR can be quoted. Academic attainment is only one weighted component alongside UCAT ANZ and GUDAP.	-
Contextual ATAR	Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme (GURPAS) sets aside Commonwealth Supported Places in BDHS for rural applicants — it reserves places rather than applying an ATAR adjustment. Eligibility: five consecutive years, or ten cumulative years since birth, lived in an MM 2–7 area (2023 Modified Monash Model); boarding-school students may use the family address. Evidence is uploaded to QTAC by 30 September (30 September 2026 for Trimester 1, 2027 admission). The number of places reserved is not published.	-
GAMSAT	-	Minimum 50 in each section is a hard eligibility hurdle for standard applicants. The guide exempts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants from that hurdle, but this is not a blanket waiver of GAMSAT: under the Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme for applicants with a bachelor's degree, eligible GAMSAT results must still be submitted and 50 per section is 'preferred', with the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group able to recommend applicants who score lower. Only the postgraduate-degree and Bachelor of Oral Health Indigenous schemes require no GAMSAT result at all. USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. For 2027 entry, eligible GAMSAT sittings are September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 and March 2026 only — USyd requires results from the past two years "despite any contrary advice from ACER or GAMSAT", and notes this requirement may change for future cycles. (International applicants may instead submit US DAT or Canadian CDAT results; see the international admission-test note for the current minima.)
UCAT-ANZ	No discrete numerical cut-off published by Griffith — UCAT ANZ Total Score alone decides who is invited to GUDAP. No Tier-1 source supports the "~78th percentile" or "90th+ percentile" figures, so both are dropped. For scale only, the official UCAT ANZ 2026 distribution (17,341 candidates, three cognitive subtests scored out of 2700) has a mean total cognitive score of 1,964, a median of 1,950 and a 9th decile of 2,340. Scores from the 2022–2024 sittings were on the retired /3600 four-subtest scale (2024 mean 2,588) and cannot be converted to the current scale.	-
CASPer	-	-
ISAT	-	-
GPA	-	Minimum GPA 5.0/7.0 as calculated by UAC's Qualifications Assessment Service, assessed as at 4 June 2026 for 2027 entry — a hard hurdle, and the same one the USyd MD applies, not a lower one. The 4.5 figure applies to the Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme; the Indigenous schemes also work to 4.5, and the IAAG may recommend applicants with a lower GPA who demonstrate improvement over the duration of their tertiary studies.
Prerequisites	-	-
Place types	QTAC student profile, Trimester 1 2026 intake: 125 students admitted in total — 52 (41.6%) international, 42 (33.6%) higher-education background, 0 VET, and fewer than 5 from work and life experience. Among recent secondary students, 0 were admitted solely on ATAR/rank and 0 where ATAR/rank plus additional criteria were considered; the "other criteria only" cell is withheld (N/P) under QTAC's rule hiding figures that would allow back-calculation of a cell of fewer than 5 students. Domestic places are Commonwealth Supported, with a proportion set aside under the Rural Priority Access Scheme. QTAC lists the first-year student contribution as CSP/$11,000 for the March 2027 start; international tuition is $74,000 per year in 2027 ($71,000 in 2026).	For 2027 entry USyd anticipates 76 domestic offers — 30 Commonwealth Supported Places (a number that 'includes places reserved for undergraduate Double Degree Dentistry students') and 46 Domestic Fee-Paying places, both marked TBC, with the University reserving the right to make more or fewer at the Dean's discretion. Identical admission criteria apply to both types, and applicants nominate a preference order at the confirmation-page stage. USyd publishes no anticipated number of international offers. Rural and Indigenous applicants are not separate place types but facilitated entry schemes whose ranking lists may differ from the standard pathway, and under which offers may be made to applicants scoring below the standard cut-off.
Indigenous pathway	First Peoples Health Pathway — applicants who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander on their QTAC application and preference the program by 30 September may be considered for admission…	Three separate Indigenous Facilitated Entry Schemes, overseen by the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group (IAAG): (1) bachelor's degree plus GAMSAT — GPA 4.5 and 50 per section are both 'preferred' ra…
Bonded / rural	Rural entry is via the Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme — reserved Commonwealth Supported Places for MM 2–7 applicants, with proof of residence lodged through QTAC by 30 September; the…	Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme: at least 5 consecutive or 10 cumulative years from birth in an ASGS Edition 3 Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area, certified on a Conf…

Interview window	23–27 November 2026 (2027-entry cycle)	No interview (domestic)
Interview details	Griffith uses GUDAP — a recorded, asynchronous multi-scenario interview delivered online through the SAMMI platform. You are shown a scenario and invited to respond to a question (or questions) on it,…	The Sydney DMD has no interview stage for standard domestic applicants. The 2027 Domestic Admissions Guide sets three eligibility requirements — an eligible bachelor's degree with a UAC-assessed GPA h…

Specialities	General Dental Practice, Oral Health Therapy, Rural Dentistry, Public Dental Health	Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Public Dental Health, Indigenous Oral Health, Periodontics
Established	2004	1901
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Griffith offers a single integrated dental pathway: 3-year Bachelor of Dental Health Science (BDHS, program 1577) → 2-year Master of Dentistry (MDent, program 5703). There is no direct-entry BDS and n…	Sydney runs a 4-year graduate-entry Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) co-located with Sydney Dental Hospital. Domestic selection is unusually mechanical: GPA and a minimum of 50 in every GAMSAT section…
Official course page	https://www.griffith.edu.au/study/degrees/bachelor-of-dental-health-science-1577	https://www.sydney.edu.au/courses/courses/pc/doctor-of-dental-medicine0.html

Griffith Dental vs Sydney Dental

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